Between The Bridges – April 24

The good news is that bikes and walkers are trying to stay out of each other’s way as they crowd around a blind corner on the seawall west of Anderson. The bad news is that bikes usually take over the pedestrian lane. The good news is that construction materials are still piled up ready for installation. The bad news is that they’re still piled up.

The good news is that traffic cones installed on both sides of a narrow strip of soil are protecting newly planted grass on The Castings just south of Alder Bay. That seventeen (17) traffic cones are assigned to this purpose may seem excessive, unless a place was needed to stash an apparent glut of traffic cones cluttering up the city. Whatever. There is no bad news here.

The good news is that dealing with the broken timber bridge that a City of Vancouver vehicle knocked out of commission last December is on ICBC’s plate. The bad news is that, four months later, it’s on ICBC’s plate.

The good news is that work is happening on the seawall from the Cambie Bridge east to Hinge Park with the expectation that the reoriented and greatly improved seawall will re-open in early May. The bad news?  None; we are nothing if not hopeful.

STAFF OFFICE HOURS

If you missed the Town Hall or have questions following the meeting, Robyn and Sarah, RePlan’s staff team, are hosting hybrid office hours on Sunday, April 28 from 3-4 pm at 711 Millyard. Drop in any time in person or online!

TOWN HALL RECAP

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Community Town Hall last Thursday, April 18. Topics included a brief introduction to RePlan and its structure, co-op lease extension status updates, Councillor Kirby-Yung’s motion that called for a new landowner’s plan for False Creek South (see more below), and an update on the Campus of Care and community planning work.

If you couldn’t make it, you can request a recording of the session by emailing Sarah at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*.

What’s next? More Town Hall and workshop sessions are being planned through the summer and fall. Stay tuned to Between The Bridges for updates!

MEETINGS - BRENDA BAILEY AND BRAD FOSTER

RePlan staff and Leadership Group members met with False Creek South’s MLA Brenda Bailey last week to discuss the recent City Council motion about False Creek South and the implications of a new landowners plan. 

On April 24 RePlan led a walking tour of False Creek South with Brad Foster, who was recently named the Director of the new Vancouver Housing Development Group at the City of Vancouver. While on the tour, Foster said that the first step in a new landowner’s plan for False Creek South was an extensive engineering study on sea level rise and infrastructure costs that will impact any proposals for new development in the neighbourhood. This study is expected to take about two years to complete, at which point the Planning Department will lead a community planning process.

STRATA GROUP

At the Neighbourhood Association’s March meeting, FCSNA delegates requested that RePlan form a subcommittee for strata residents. This subcommittee will reanimate engagement with both leasehold and freehold strata residents, and ensure they are part of discussions with the City about the upcoming landowner’s plan for False Creek South.

At the first meeting, Tineke Hellwig (Fountain Terrace) and Susan Webber (Creek Village) were nominated as Co-Chairs of the subcommittee. Future meeting dates and next steps will be shared through Between The Bridges and FCSNA delegates.

City Nature Challenge
Still a couple of days left to join in the City Nature Challenge, a contest among cities worldwide to find the most observations of nature and the most species. Its purpose in our community is to connect adults and children to nature and deepen scientific understanding of the entire False Creek watershed. All you need to do is:

• Download iNaturalist to your iPhone or Android phone or your home computer
• Sign up to the iNaturalist Vancouver Project here.
• Make observations using photos or sound recordings from April 27th – April 29th

(Full story here: https://www.falsecreeksouth.org/2024/04/between-the-bridges-april-6/)

Kids and Parents: Mark Your Calendars
See stories elsewhere in this issue for:

Pre-school open house: Saturday May 4, 10 am to noon
False Creek Elementary Carnival: May 9th after school

Nathan’s Book Club
June 1 is the date set for Capital City: Gentrification And The Real Estate State, the second book up for discussion, place and time TBA. Copies are available to borrow from *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*. More details to come in the next issue of Between The Bridges.

My youngest started kindergarten at False Creek Elementary this year and during her first week shared that a woman named Melon told funny stories about her cat, Jerry, at recess and lunch. 

Years earlier, my oldest told me about Helen, a supervision aide who told hilarious stories over the lunch hour. We’ve been hearing similar sentiments for years from kids of all ages in this community. Melon/Helen is a legend! And for good reason.

Coming from Ireland without family support and married to a professional musician who travelled a lot meant Helen needed employment during the same hours that her daughter was in school.  She has been at False Creek Elementary for 15 years. 

When I asked her what her favourite part of her time at FCE has been she told me ”I absolutely LOVE working with kids. I love their honesty, innocence and energy. 

“I've been at FCE long enough that I've watched kids grow from kindergarten to high school and beyond. I'm still in contact with kids who are now working, or parents themselves. 

“I get hugged daily and at least once a week I have a hilarious story to tell when I get home.  What's not to love?“

Over the years Helen has taught drama at Bayview Elementary, performed in a comedy troupe, The Nearsighted Flamenco Dancer, and been an MC and comedy actor.

Helen is also a children’s author. Her first book, The Book of Bums, was a hit in our house – and we can’t wait to read her next book, Bad Dog.

We’re so lucky to have such a vibrant, funny, warm-hearted person sharing their lives with our kids every day.
 

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She’s so funny! - Myla (Age 6) When I was in the 4th grade she pulled out my tooth in front of a crowd of kids! - Laika (age 17) I really appreciate that Helen resurrected the Kindergarten Helper (Student Leader) volunteer program after some students, including my daughter, expressed interest. This program motivates my daughter and has given her purpose. - Kristine W (Parent) I remember that every day at lunch and recess everyone was gathered around her all laughing and smiling. I also remember that one time she pulled out Laika's tooth - Tin (age 15) Helen goes out of her way to connect to the students here at False Creek Elementary. She is absolutely wonderful! - Sean Rupert (Principal) 

Results of research comparing the carbon impacts of a deep retrofit vs full redevelopment of Alder Bay Co-op will be shared with the community on Thursday, May 2nd.

Working with UBC Environmental Science students and supported by co-op residents, the Neighbourhood Association’s Sustainability and Resilience Committee (SRC) hopes that research conclusions into carbon emissions will provide actionable insights for community planning.

To join the Zoom meeting, register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84852282209?pwd=N2tlbEVieEROcXFOczlzNFoxbTUrQT09

Tineke Hellwig (Fountain Terrace) sent us new info on Granville Island parking: 

As of May 1 new parking hours will be in effect on Granville Island, from 9 am until 10 pm (it used to be 11 am-6 pm). Some parking rates will also increase. Hourly weekend rate 9 am-6 pm in the summer is $5, on weekdays $3. The flat hourly evening rate (6 pm-10 pm) is $1.

https://granvilleisland.com/directions-and-parking/parking-information-new

The Spring It On Carnival is happening at False Creek Elementary after school on May 9th.

Not only does this great event bring many people together, but it’s an important fundraiser that helps pay for technology for students and school-wide programs like Gymnastics, and reduces the cost of field trips.

You can help support the school (donate at https://falsecreekpac.ca/) or you can “spring” into creativity by making a Jolly Jar (see photo), or contact Erika Johnson at *email is hidden, JavaScript is required*.

If you have new or gently used small items for prizes for the kids or new items between $10 and $20 for adults, please take them to the school office before May 3rd.

One year ago, the “Co-Lab” Project was born from a vision of a more inclusive, engaged, and collaborative False Creek South co-op community. Its expressed goal is to facilitate greater representation of and engagement with “under-represented” housing co-op voices - new, BIPOC  and young members, and parents with small children, to name a few.
 
Maria Roth, a long-time False Creek Housing Co-op member and respected community leader, knew that False Creek South’s power grows when the diversity of community voices grows - but her many years of community engagement showed that “under-represented” member perspectives weren’t featured prominently in co-op and community decision-making. She wanted to hear more of these voices to understand what barriers were at play.  Luckily for FCS,  funders at the Community Housing Transformation Centre generously agreed with her that this was indeed a goal worth investing in! And so the deep listening began…

During Co-Lab’s eight-month duration from May 2023 to January 2024, the project brought together a committed advisory team of representatives from every False Creek South co-op to brainstorm. Together they came up with a vast array of different co-op-centered community engagement initiatives. From gardens to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workshops, from barbeques to custom t-shirts, Co-Lab brought new people together in new ways. Collectively, this advisory team came up with the project’s full (and poetic) name – The Co-op Collaboratory Project: Bridging False Creek South.
 
In an upcoming four-part series in Between the Bridges, we’d like to introduce some of the many people and projects that brought Co-Lab to life across the Creek and beyond. In the next issue, we’ll share how Maria and the Co-Lab reps brought together graphic design, rooftop gardens, and just the right slogan in an ongoing effort to save Creekview Co-op.

Between The Bridges welcomes readers’ contributions of story ideas, events of interest, original photographs, and completed articles relevant to the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association’s goal to “promote an economically, social and culturally diverse neighbourhood with a friendly, positive and vibrant sense of community”. Signed articles reflect the views of their authors. For details go to: