False Creek South Neighbourhood Association
President’s Report For 2020

This report begins with the FCSNA’s Statement of Purpose as set out in our Constitution and Bylaws. As the Association takes the initiative more and more with numerous issues affecting our neighbourhood, it may be useful, once again, to anchor our involvement in that statement, as follows:

Purpose

The purpose of the association is to:

  1. provide a forum for discussion of neighbourhood concerns and interests.
  2. promote an economically, socially, and culturally diverse neighbourhood with a friendly, positive, vibrant sense of community.
  3. promote a safe and healthy neighbourhood.
  4. promote the maintenance and improvement of the physical condition of the neighbourhood.
  5. promote and advocate for the collective interests of the residents and property owners of the neighbourhood.
  6. encourage civic participation by residents while remaining non-partisan as an association.
  7. assist and represent the neighbourhood in obtaining information, services, and improvements from the various levels of government, while maintaining a constructive working relationship with them.

OUR WORK IN 2020

This past year the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association’s work has been very different from all other years with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic on March 11 (to the present), changing how people in the neighborhood interact with each other, including the way our meetings are held. No longer in person at the False Creek Co-op Common Room, we now join meetings online using Zoom.

As schools and daycares closed in March, people moved their offices to their kitchens and bedrooms. Stores closed, sporting events stopped in the early months and restrictions to gather in person have kept us all at home. People continue to remain home as much as possible and interact in person very little with family and friends.  Words like pandemic, social gathering, non-essential travel, self–isolating, quarantines have now become part of our everyday vocabulary.

Many events which the FCSNA generally support did not happen as social gathering rules restrict this behavior.  Most of the “fun” events that we participate in did not take place, such as Neighborhood Clean-up, Grill ‘n’ Chill, and most summer activities in Leg-in-Boot Square.  Halloween and our Seasonal Caroling night were cancelled as well.

However, we continued extensive work in four areas:

  1. The Community Engagement Committee (CPG)

The FCSNA’s Community Engagement Committee continued with its mission to enhance the sense of community among all residents of False Creek South by initiating, encouraging and promoting activities that inform and connect neighbours and provide opportunities for local participation. Our newsletter, Between The Bridges, has done an amazing job in keeping residents informed and involved.

Originally designed as a paper version to keep the neighborhood abreast of activities, it became the local news survival guide during COVID-19. Moving online to weekly, then to a bi-weekly Bulletin, it provided such details as what stores were open and at what times, who had supplies that were running short and how to get groceries delivered, and has now evolved to offering entertaining and informative items to keep us connected.  Many thanks to the editorial staff of this paper who continue to source local news and deliver it to us.

  1. RePlan

Our Planning Committee continues its efforts to work with the City on all issues affecting the future of False Creek South. Still at the forefront are RePlan’s continuing efforts to extend and/or renew existing leases in all leasehold enclaves in the Creek, and to work toward development and redevelopment consistent with the FCSNA’s ARC formula: Affordability, Resilience, and Community. Three sub-groups are prominent for the heavy lifting in all its endeavours:

  1. i. RePlan’s Co-op Subcommittee – AWG, the All-Co-op Working Group, continues to work toward renewing co-op leases that maintain our co-ops’ internal structures, and toward increasing the stock of co-op housing in False Creek South. 
  2. RePlan’s Strata Leaseholder Subcommittee (SLS), a parallel working group to the AWG, evolved to become the Strata Leaseholders Society. This is a legal entity, created to ensure that the FCSNA (also a legal entity) would not be subject to any litigation that could arise in strata negotiations. The focus of the SLS is to negotiate terms of new or extended strata leases.
  3. Community Planning Working Group (CPG) – Set up to continue community planning efforts in the Creek, the CPG is working positively with the City’s Planning Department while lease issues work themselves out. In particular, the CPG is supporting Broadway Lodge in its efforts to create a Campus of Care, and promoting the idea of its expansion to the eastern side of False Creek South. This concept of Aging In Community envisions a new model of long term care integrated with senior-appropriate housing and services. The CPG is also working on a preliminary draft plan for an Intergenerational Hub to provide workforce housing, especially for essential workers, and a range of community and commercial services required in the neighborhood.

RePlan changed its internal structure over the past year to ensure representation from all its component parts, and now meets weekly via Zoom. Participants are: Richard Evans, Chair; Wendy Herdin and Sharon Yandle, FCSNA; Nancy Hannum and Maria Roth, AWG; Richard Marchant and Doug Ramsay, SLS; Graham McGarva, CPG; Jim Woodward, CHT; Simon Neill, Non-Profits (Broadway Lodge and RILS); and three consultants: Nathan Edelson, RePlan Project Manager; Robyn Chan, Community Planning Assistant; and Allison Murray, Communications. 

  1. Community Housing Trust (CHT)

Very recently the FCSNA established the False Creek South Community Housing Trust as a society under the Societies Act of BC, and is its founding member, and also established a  Community Housing Trust Advisory committee. The CHT is currently finalizing its Constitution and Bylaws. Our hope is that the CHT will become a central actor in future development in False Creek South. 

  1. FCSNA Committee Liaisons

Thanks to all our members who work as liaisons with the community to ensure that we are engaged with school projects and environmental issues and keeping up the neighborhood spirit with art and music projects in Leg-In-Boot square. Special thanks to Yael Stav who acts as our School Liaison, and also heads up our Sustainability and Resilience Working Group.

– Wendy Herdin, President
False Creek South Neighbourhood Association

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