Village Vancouver
Newsletter and Upcoming Events
May 2014
Welcome to the May 2014 edition of the Village Vancouver monthly newsletter and Upcoming Events.
Also, Village Vancouver is proud to be a community partner for 100-in-1 Day, a global festival celebrating citizen-driven action that encourages citizens to do little things to realize their dream city. It's coming to Vancouver on June 7! Started by a group of students in Bogota, Columbia in 2012, the idea was to inspire 100 projects or actions that capture the spirit of citizen creativity, ownership, and action to occur on one day. The idea expanded to other Colombian cities and has grown internationally to cities such as Copenhagen, Cape Town and Montreal and now grows in Canada with Toronto, Halifax, and Vancouver this year!
With a goal of 100 events, Simon Bergkjaer, one of the people who started the idea explained why the number of projects and their duration are just the tip of the iceberg, “The tangible impact is very important, but it’s also what kind of mindset changes and society changes these kinds of interventions can lead to and can carry with them,” Bergkjaer said. “It’s a realization that you can take ownership and do something different where you live.”
Ranging from street art to community gardens and bike lanes, the sky is the limit with creative ideas such as a silent ipod open-air disco in Montreal or the woman who put a table and some chairs in a busy public place with a sign that said, "Take time". The result of that project and others was that people stopped and chatted and real connections and inspirations happened that day. As identified in a number of recent studies, the number one issue in Vancouver is social isolation, and these citizen-led projects, called 'interventions' help us break out of our mold, out of our routine to do something different, something inspiring, something expressive with others who share the same yearnings.
To make getting involved easy, a number of workshops have been organized over the next few weeks to help people determine what they want to do for the June 7 day and to connect others with their project. The first step to trying this out is to attend a workshop or if you're already organized, to be counted in the 100+ projects the organizers anticipated, add your intervention here!
June 7 will be an exciting day in Vancouver. Who knows what will appear, from the mere ideas and actions of us, the citizens of Vancouver! In the meantime, May is packed with other Village Vancouver events to get you involved!
- The HELLO Project Community VV Potluck
- 19th Annual Stone Soup Festival
- West End Village and Food Network Activities
- Kits Village Activities
- 100-in-1 Day in Vancouver on June 7!
- Mark Lakeman brings placemaking spirit to Southwestern BC
- Village Vancouver 100-in-1 Day Intervention: Kits Permaculture Blitz
- 100 in 1 Day Village Vancouver Workshop
- Swap Till You Drop
- VV 5th Annual Demo Sustainable Transition Village at Main St. Car Free Day
- Saturday Permaculture Workparties with Vancouver Ecovillage every Saturday
- Strathcona Community Kitchen Open House
- Vancouver's Tiny House Movement Survey
- Tenth Annual Sunflower Seedling Fundraiser
- Vancouver's Sole Food Street Farms Crowdfunding Launch Party
- Community Garden Coalition Events - Can You Dig It 2014
- Workshop on Community‐Based Responses to a Globalist Agenda
- Vancouver Storytellers Grand Finale of the Season
- South Vancouver Food Security Festival
Enjoy!
Your May newsletter team,
Rhiannon, Jordan and Ross
Become a Member Today!
Join the Village Vancouver community by joining our website! We hope you'll also become a member of the Village Vancouver Transition Society. Your annual membership will make our movement even stronger! It's easy to join - just click here!
Village Vancouver /
The HELLO Project Community Potluck
Sun, May 4, noon - 2pm
Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer St.
For more information, email info@villagevancouver.ca
Village Vancouver helps neighbours connect in fun and sustainable ways. The HELLO Project aims to make a simple logo so well known it becomes a recognized, legitimized ice-breaker among strangers when displayed in coffee shops and other suitable locations. Just us for a tasty and informative potluck! Everyone welcome!
We'll have a Village Vancouver seed library present and you can get some free seeds for your garden or swap or donate some seeds. Part of Village Vancouver's Spring 2014 Cultivating Food, Cultivating Community series.
Other Series events:
Tuesday, May 13 Traditional Sauerkraut Making Workshop with Alyssa Kohlman
19th Annual
Stone Soup Festival Sat May 10, 12 - 5 pm
Brittania Community Centre (1661 Napier St.) and Napier Greenway
Join us to celebrate with a food market, artists, community groups, music, garden info, workshops, author talks, free soup and more!
West End Village and Food Network Activities
Upcoming Workshops and PotlucksWed, May 14, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
100-in-1-Day Workshop (Free)
Hosted by WENFN and Village Vancouver
100 in 1 Day Vancouver takes place on Saturday, June 7. This workshop is an opportunity for you to come in with an idea or simply an open mind and a hunger for change. We'll help you work that into an action plan and meet likeminded people who might want to participate. Gordon Neighbourhood House. More info/Register on Event Brite.
Tues, May 27
WE Village Vancouver May Community Potluck 6:30-7:30 pm
Balcony and Container Gardening Workshop 7:30-9:30 pm
Want to grow food but you live in an apartment? In this course we will cover the techniques and challenges specific to gardening indoors and on balconies in containers. We'll look at soil, fertilizing organically, watering, types of containers, different sun orientations and of course, what to grow. $25. Bidwell Room, WE Community Centre. Register: 604.257.8333 or vancouver.ca/westendrec
A seed library will be present at the potlucks and gardening workshop – you can get some free seeds for your garden or swap or donate some seeds.
Upcoming:
June 12 – WENFN Potluck and VV Pest Management & Plant Health Workshop
June 15 – WENFN/VV Booth @ West End Car Free Day
Ongoing: Food Scrap Drop Spots – every Tues (6-7:30 pm) & Sat (10 am-noon, thru May 24) @ Gordon Neighbourhood House and every Sat (10-noon) @WECC
For further information, please contact Ross Moster at ross@villagevancouver.ca or ross.wenfn@gmail.com
WENFN is sponsored by Gordon Neighbourhood House
Kits Village Activities
Lots of fun stuff going on this month in Kits Transition Village!
Kits Village was formed several years ago in the early days of Village Vancouver to help cultivate community resilience and sustainability in our neighbourhood in fun, tangible and connecting ways. With over 175 members, we’re extremely active, typically holding over a dozen activities a month – many related to food and/or the sharing economy - and we also host other Village Vancouver activities as well. Almost all of our activities are open to folks from outside of Kitsilano.
Some of our May highlights include:
- Swap Till You Drop! Community Swap Meet and more! Saturday, May 31, noon - 5 pm. Volunteers welcome!
- Drop in Spaghetti Nights resume at the end of the month (through November). New hosts welcome.
- Permaculture Blitzes We’ll be holding a series of permaculture work parties at various locations over the next few months and we’d love to have you join us! (No experience necessary – we teach you.) Stay tuned for details.
- Monthly Potlucks Usually on the 2nd Sundays of the month. A good place to find out what’s going on in Kits Village and Village Vancouver. Everyone welcome! May potluck: Sunday, May 12 from 6:30-8:30 pm.
- Weekly KV Collaborative Garden Work Parties Usually on Saturdays or Sundays from 3-6 pm. New volunteers always welcome.
- Monthly Dinner Groups Share a meal with neighbours. Currently 2 groups and a 3rd group may be forming. Interested?
- Seed Savers/Seed Library We table the seed library at a bunch of events and meet occasionally. New members welcome.
- Monthly Plastic Recycling Depot For plastics the city doesn’t take. Held on the Thursday evening before the 3rd Friday of the month. Various locations, including the Westside Community Food Market in July, August, and September. Next Depot: Thursday, May 15. Help always welcome.
- Salon d’Elan Vital Discussions and Potluck Held several times a year, sometimes outside of Kits. Everyone welcome! Next Salon: Sunday, June 1 from 1-3 pm.
- Can You Dig it Community Garden Coalition Series: Self-managed Gardens Thursday, June 5 from 7-9 pm.
- VV/KV 100-in-1 Day Projects We’ll be holding Permaculture Blitzes (“barn raisings”) at different locations around Kits. Saturday, June 7 – Join us!
- KV Booth at VV Demo Sustainable Village at Main St. Car Free Day Volunteers needed! Sunday, June 15
- KVers are currently starting several new projects, including expanding a demonstration mini-food forest, restoring a herbal medicinal garden, holding a food forest workshop series, creating permaculture in pots, organizing an introduction to fungi: food health, and bioremediation, building an herb spiral, planning and facilitating Car Free Day 2014 block parties, helping grow the sharing economy and shrinking waste, starting a tea lounge (a “tea-pee”), scheduling multi-cultural dinners in public spaces, establishing a teaching coop (as in backyard chickens), and more.
Please contact Ross at ross@villagevancouver.ca for more info or to find out how you can get involved in Kits Village.
100-in-1 Day in Vancouver on June 7!
On June 7, Vancouver will host 100-in-1 Day!Create an intervention that will make Vancouver a better place!
What if hundreds of people united, each putting in place the changes they wish to see in their city, all on the same day?
This citizen-driven festival will unite people across the city to make Vancouver a better place by creating acts of urban change.
These acts, or interventions, have the potential to raise awareness of urban and social issues, inspire ideas, and motivate leaders to consider new approaches to old problems.
Click here to learn more.
Building up to 100 in 1 Day, people of all ages, backgrounds and locations across the city are invited to attend workshops to develop their interventions—from idea to execution. This workshop process is meant to inspire generative, creative and reflective interventions, and for you to share your ideas for making your city a better place to live. During the workshops, participants will be asked:
- What is your dream?
- What do you wish your community to be like?
- What actions will improve the quality of life in your community, street and block?
Workshop schedule here.
Mark Lakeman spreads the placemaking spirit throughout Southwestern BC with Village Vancouver's City Commons Placemaking Course
April was a terrific month on the placemaking front throughout Southwestern BC, with Village Vancouver and other regional Transition initiatives taking the lead. In mid-March, Village Vancouver's City Commons Placemaking Course brought City Repair founder and placemaking pioneer Mark Lakeman to BC for a whirlwind tour that left hundreds inspired in Vancouver, Maple Ridge, the Sunshine Coast, Victoria and O.U.R. Ecovillage at Shawnigan Lake, west of Victoria.
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| Mark Lakeman speaks to approximately 100 "community champions" in the Council Chambers of the District of Maple Ridge on April 16, 2014 |
Intersection Repair design charette at the City Commons Placemaking Course in Vancouver, April 18, 2014 |
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| Jacky Essombe shared stories, songs and dances remembered from her childhood growing un in a Cameroonian Village at the City Commons Placemaking Course is Vancouver, April 18, 2014 | Mark Lakeman drew a crowd on the Sunshine Coast after a last-minute event was organised at Yoga by the Sea in Roberts Creek, April 17, 2014 |
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| Closing circle at Mark Lakeman's workshop at O.U.R. Ecovillage, Vancouver Island, April 19, 2014 |
Vancouver Sun: Placemaking comes to Vancouver
The grass-roots movement that creates inviting public spaces is a hit in Portland
There's been some quirky activity in a forested area in Newton lately
- This is an effort being led by some of our friends at Village Surrey!
Urban Systems: Designing and making choices as a community — that’s placemaking
Placemaking advocate Mark Lakeman says citizen-driven design of public space a growing trend
Village Vancouver 100-in-1 Day Intervention:
Kits Permaculture Blitz
Sat, June 7, 9 am - 4 pmLocation TBD
Join us on 100 in 1 Day for a Permaculture Blitz Day - a KitsBlitz "barnraising" work party where we transform a space using Permaculture design principles. Up to 25 people at a time have participated in past Village Vancouver garden blitzes.We're currently considering a few spaces to which we have access. Join us for all or part of the day. No experience necessary - we'll teach you and share a meal together mid-day. Stay tuned for more details.
RSVP here or to ross@villagevancouver.ca. See you all on May 31st!
100 in 1 Day Vancouver WorkshopHosted by Village Vancouver and West End Neighbourhood Food Network
Wed, May 14, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Gordon Neighbourhood House, 1019 Broughton St.
Building up to 100 in 1 Day, people of all ages, backgrounds and locations across the city are invited to attend workshops to develop their interventions—from idea to execution. Village and West End Neighbourhood Food Network are hosting a workshop at Gordon Neighbourhood House.
The workshop process is meant to inspire generative, creative and reflective interventions, and for you to share your ideas for making your city a better place to live.
During the workshop, participants will be asked:
- What is your dream?
- What do you wish your community to be like?
- What actions will improve the quality of life in your community, street and block?
The workshop will be a source of inspiration and resources to guide successful interventions across the city.
Register today here!
Special thanks to Gordon Neighbourhood House for providing the space.
Sat, May 31, 12 - 5 pm
Location TBD
Swap Till You Drop is a unique event, happening in Kits! It aims to offer us a taste of a "sharing economy" where we encourage and embrace other currencies outside of our current money system. During this afternoon event we'll offer a space for Kits and other Vancouver residents to exchange and share household items, clothing, tools, knowledge, expertise and even stories in a family friendly atmosphere. All ages are welcome.
So, come one come all. Bring what you no longer need and take with you what you could use and might need. Come join us in experiencing how rich we really are without having to spend or exchange one cent!
Imagining Your Ideal Neighbourhood: Cultivating Community Resilience
Sun, June 15
Callout for organizers, volunteers, tents, participants!
Our 25-35 tent and open space Demo Sustainable Transition Village at 13th and Main will highlight what Village is up to, and (as always) we're inviting several other community groups to join us.
Want to help plan and organize the Demo Village? Team leaders needed for Transportation, Setup, Breakdown, and Info Booths. We will have a planning meeting on May 9, 10 am - noon and on June 2, 10 am - noon. Please contact demovillageplanningteam@villagevancouver.ca.
Want to volunteer? We need 40-50 volunteers on the day of and a few more before and after. If you'd like to help us with setup (10 am - noon), at a Village info table during the day (between noon and 7 pm), or with breakdown, please contact volunteer@villagevancouver.ca.
If you have have tables, chairs or tents we can borrow (we're currently looking for 15 more tents), please contact carfreedaystuffweneed@villagevancouver.ca.
If you're a group or individual who would like to promote/display a community project, group, or activity you're involved in, please contact ross@villagevancouver.ca.
General info here.with Vancouver Ecovillage
Every Sat 2 - 6 pm
Near Canada Way/Burris (Phone 778 288 0824 for Directions)
There is more in your garden than plants and soil - the opportunity for renewed mental and physical health grows there, too. Gardening is Therapy which promotes Health and Wellness. Vancouver Ecovillage is starting a small Permaculture Project in Burnaby on a private property. What better Therapy than to Nurture Nature, Grow Flowers and your own ORGANIC FOOD and make New Friends? We welcome your creativity whether it is Vertical Building, Growing Mushrooms on Straw/Coffee Grinds or Crafting Gardening Ideas.At the start of this reocurring Saturday workparty, we'll be weeding, preparing garden beds, cleaning and organizing the greenhouse. We welcome donations and are badly in need of gravel or pebbles for our garden beds, large pots, driftwood, a large compost bin and any vegetable/ flowering plants or seeds.
Bring a water bottle, hat, gloves, and your smiles!
If you’d like to implement your own project like planting string-beans, please bring whatever is needed such as sticks and perhaps some tools because we may not have everything you need. There is also a swimming-pool needing a few minor repairs and cleaning if you’re interested in a glorious afternoon swim!
Wed, May 7, drop-in between 10:30 am - 1 pm
Strathcona Community Centre, Preschool Room (2nd floor)
Are you interested in cooking with others in your community, sharing and learning new skills and getting to know your neighbours better? Please join us at the Strathcona Community Centre’s Community Kitchen Open House where you can:
- Discover a variety of community kitchens and other food-related activities in the neighbourhood.
- Give your input into future community kitchens at the community centre and enter a draw to win 4 weekly deliveries of bread, milk, eggs and butter.
- Taste foods prepared by current community kitchen participants.
This summer Zee Kesler is organizing a tiny house building workshop in association with Camera Buildings and we need your input!
The workshop will start in June and run 2 days a week for approx 3 hours a day until the end of August. In order for our instructors to offer the best course possible, we have created a survey to learn more about your thoughts, wants, needs, and interests related to learning about and building tiny houses.Please fill out the Survey if you are personally interested in participating, or pass on to anyone you think would be!
Access the survey here.
More information here.
Sat May 10, 10 am - 3 pm
2133 East 7th Ave
So please do join us and forward this announcement widely. Thanks! Over 25 varieties of sunflower seedlings are for sale by donation and 100% of proceeds to support HIV programs in sub Saharan Africa, plus lots of live entertainment, line up TBA.
For more info, see www.turntothesun.org, facebook.com/Turn2theSun, or call (604) 251-4065.
Launching a major crowdfunding campaign
Launch Party
Wed, May 14, 6 - 10 pm, $15
Make Studio, 257 E. 7th Ave
We're trying to raise $100,000 in 18 days. That sounds like a daunting task, so we thought we would loosen up by throwing a party.
Come help us celebrate the Help Sole Food Grow campaign launch and the overwhelming support we've received from the Vancouver local food, business, and social enterprise community.
Register at: helpsolefoodgrow.eventbrite.ca
All proceeds go to Help Sole Food Grow campaign.
Feel free to pass this invite along to anyone who you think should attend!
Can You Dig It 2014
Connect, Learn and Share!Can You Dig It supports communities to create welcoming and inclusive foodgrowing gardens where everyone belongs. Currently in our 5th growing season, CYDI has been engaged in the creation of 36 gardens throughout the Lower Mainland. Can You Dig It invites you, community garden members and lovers, to participate in a series of events to connect, learn and share best practices.
Thurs, May 15, 7 - 9pmSafe Gardens with Ladybug Community Gardens
The Hub, 251 East 11th Ave, Vancouver
Thurs, May 22, 7 - 9pm
Animated Gardens with Stride Community Gardens
Stride Community School, 7014 Stride Ave, Burnaby
Thurs, June 5, 7 - 9pm
Self-managed Gardens with Village Vancouver
McBride Fieldhouse, 3350 West 4th Ave, Vancouver
Thurs, June 12th, 7 - 9pm
Growing Gardens with Food For Thought
Alexandra Neighbourhood House, 2916 McBride Ave, Surrey
For more information or to register, please contact Cinthia at info@cydi.ca or at (604) 728-1725 or visit www.cydi.ca
Together, we can all plant a seed!
to a Globalist Agenda
Sat May 17, 1 ‐ 5 pm
Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson St @ W 73rd Ave
Donation $5 to $20, whatever you can afford.
The purpose of the event is to educate and activate!
To educate you about:
1. a globalist agenda that threatens our rights and freedom, and
2. the community-based initiatives that are providing healthy responses
To activate you to support these community-based initiatives.
Program: Intro followed by three 75 minute presentations
- Part 1: Identifying the Globalist Agenda
- Part 2: Presenting Some Community-Based Responses
- Part 3: Supporting These Community-Based Initiatives
- Myra Graham: Community Exchange System (CES)
- John Theobold: German New Medicine (GNM)
- Karen Neufeld: Conscious Parenting
Please arrive early as there is only seating for the first 300 people.
More information here.
Theme: Knock on Wood: Grand Finale of the Season
Sun, May 18th, 7 pm, $6 includes tea (please bring treats to share)
1805 Larch at 2nd Ave
For more information, contact Mary Gavan at mary@marycelticstory.ca or 604-683-1575 or visit www.vancouverstorytellers.ca
May 21 & 22 Food Security Workshops
May 23 Food Fair and Market, 3:30 - 6 pm
South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, 6470 Victoria Dr.
For more info, call (604) 324-6212 or here. Register at the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House front desk.
West End Food Scrap Drop Spots, Tuesday evenings from 6 - 7:30pm at Gordon Neighbourhood House and Saturday mornings from 10 am - noon at West End Community Centre and Gordon Neighbourhood House.
VV Permaculture Blitz in Strathcona, May 3, 11 am - 2 pm, VV Permaculture plot at Cottonwood Community Garden, located at the south side of Strathcona Park. Strathcona Park is in East Vancouver on Prior Street, between Clark Drive & Main Street.
Kits Village Collaborative Garden Weekly Work Parties, May 3, 11, 18, 25, 3 - 6 pm
Kits Village New Dinner Group, May 4, 6 - 8 pm
Kits Village May Potluck: Yummy Food and New Projects, May 11, 6 - 8 pm
Caring for All Creation: The Art of the Commonplace - A Celebration, May 13, 6 - 9 pm
VV Admin Working Group Work Party, May 14, 1 - 4 pm
May Plastic Recycling in Kits, May 15, 6 - 7 pm
Deadline for June Newsletter, May 24, email newsletter@villagevancouver.ca
VV booth at 12th Annual South Hill Festival -- coordinator(s) and volunteers needed!, May 24, noon - 4 pm
Kits Village Dinner Group, May 25, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Kits Village Seed Savers/Seed Library May Meeting, May 27, 10 - 11:30 am
VV Admin Working Group Work Party, May 28, 1 - 4 pm
From Here to There - Brown Bag Resiliency Lunches, May 29, 1 - 3 pm
Drop in Spaghetti Nights are back! Dates and details to be confirmed.
Salon d'Elan Vital Monthly Potluck and Discussion, June 1, 1 - 3 pm
Village Vancouver Upcoming Events
