In case you hadn’t heard, it’s Canada’s 150th birthday this year. Why not celebrate it within your own community? Or maybe there is something small you can do to make your community a better place? We encourage you to consider applying for a Neighbourhood Small Grant. If you have not heard about this program, it is worth looking into. Speaking from experience this program is a great way to get to know your neighbours and build community. You can apply for grants of up to $500 for projects in your community. The aim of the program, which is funded by the Vancouver Foundation, is to connect and engage people within the community in which they live. Neighbours can get together and make an application for a variety of events. Some examples of past events include neighbourhood block parties, clean up campaigns, ethnic cooking classes, emergency preparedness plans, community gardens or an outdoor movie night. This is not for adults only, kids are welcome to get into the act. The ideas are only limited by your imagination. Once your application is submitted, it is reviewed by a Resident Advisory Committee made up of residents in your neighbourhood. Applicants are advised in late May/early June if they receive funding and are asked to have their projects completed by November 30, 2017. To apply for a grant, visit Neighbourhood Small Grant. Note, the site is available in several different languages. Application deadline is Monday, April 4, 2017 and open to residents in the following areas:
- Carnegie – Strathcona – Ray Cam
- Cedar Cottage – Hastings Sunrise – Renfrew
- Mount Pleasant – Little Mountain
- South Vancouver – Collingwood
If you prefer to make the City a greener space, there is also an opportunity to apply for a Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grant. Again residents can apply for grants of up to $500 with the stipulation that the projects contribute to the City’s Greenest City Action Plan Targets. Grants are given to projects that meet the following goals:
Mitigating climate change – Examples: A “Neighbour Challenge” to track sustainable behaviours i.e. measuring of household waste, food waste, green transportation trips.
Promoting greener forms of transportation – Examples: A “bike repair 101” session providing participants with knowledge and some basic tools (e.g. patch kit, tire levels, allen keys); a “walking school bus” or “bike train,” with prizes/incentives for participation; a community map where people can draw their bicycle route to work and link up with new buddies to ride together; promote walking through an organized tour about local history of neighbourhoods; a public art installation.
Creating zero waste – Examples: neighbourhood composting; building a community share sheds for tools, toys, or appliances.
Improving access to nature and planting trees – Examples: a workshop on the benefits and care of trees providing a small tree for each participant; building a community pollinator garden; a workshop on building nesting boxes for barn swallows with basic materials.
Breathing clean air – Examples: an awareness workshop about the use of renewable energy or carbon footprinting.
Making businesses greener – Examples: Working with a local green grocer business to use unsold food for an event to educate neighbours on reducing food waste; create a resource-sharing space for local businesses (for example, a small business book exchange or tool shed; a green business trade school event; or common marketing tool for local green businesses).
Clean Water – Examples: a workshop on rain gardens for boulevards; installing rain barrels on garden sheds in community gardens; a workshop on water-wise gardening practices; replacing an area of pavement with porous natural materials.
Green Buildings – Examples: hosting a “DIY home energy retrofit” workshop providing participants with starter materials (e.g. window insulation kit, door draft stopper, weatherstrip tape); a neighbourhood information session on incentives available to reduce energy use in the home, using available City of Vancouver brochures and other resources.
Lighter Footprint – Examples: a clothing and stuff swap; a school supplies swap; a repair café/fix-it fair event; a program for sharing in your neighbourhood
Growing and eating local food – Examples: develop a plan to pick neighbours’ unused/unwanted fruit and process this as a group (e.g. make jam, fruit leather, etc.); build a beehive and host a beehive workshop.
Residents in the following communities can apply for this grant:
- Carnegie – Strathcona – Ray Cam
- Cedar Cottage – Hastings Sunrise – Renfrew
- South Vancouver – Collingwood
You can apply for both of the grants online. Please see their online application for more information. The deadline to apply for the Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grant is also Monday, April 4, 2017.
One of our earliest posts was a self-guided tour aimed at discovering some of the hidden gems tucked away below East Hastings Street at the foot of Commercial Drive. Now the Hastings North Business Improvement Association has created the East Village Brewery & Distillery Passport to help guide you to the 6 craft breweries and 1 craft distiller tucked away in the less travelled routes of the City. To participate in this self-guided tour, all you need to do is pick up a Passport at any one of the 7 participating locations in the East Village. Your Passport contains a map with all the participating breweries and distillery located within easy sipping distance from each other. All you are required to do is, to start exploring and tasting. Generally speaking, this exploration is fairly walkable, save for 
Have you ever been a step parent? Thought about being a step parent? Maybe you are one. Having had the personal experience, it is not for the faint of heart. Thick skin and patience are two pre-requisites for this role, but like all paths in life, there are the challenges but also the rewards. This March, 
There are so many interesting events popping up around East Van, it’s hard to keep up with them all. As we love all things food and drink , this event caught our eye, The Renaissance of Vermouth. It is being hosted by Odd Society Spirits this Thursday, February 23rd from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. The cocktail lounge at Odd Society will be transformed into a Mediterranean tapas bar which will feature Italian and Spanish style bites prepared by Chef Jesse McMillan of Campagnolo ROMA. Vermouth will be poured with drinks expert Shaun Layton. This is a casual standing room only event with tickets running $65 per person which includes tax and tip. You can purchase your ticket(s) for this event by emailing Odd Society Spirits at info@oddsocietyspirits.com.
You are invited to take a peak inside one of Vancouver’s iconic eateries, the Elbow Room Café. The café is located in downtown Vancouver and is owned and operated by partners in life and in business, Patrice and Bryan, who have been running the café since 1983. The restaurant is known for its eclectic breakfast and brunch menu that serves up sarcasm along with your food. If you are lucky and you time it just right, you may also find a celebrity sighting or two. The Elbow Room Café – The Musical features local actors Dave Deveau and Anton Lipovetsky who we hear sink their teeth into the roles of owners, Patrice and Bryan. Together they explore the reality of aging in a Technicolour world which is complete with campy misfits, drag queens and the perpetually hung over. 
If you love whisky, you may wish to check out the Whiskey Pairing Dinner being held at 
You are invited to a family friendly event at Café Deux Soleils on Sunday, February 19th called 
East Van artist, 
So crows are an ever present part of life in East Van. Do you ever wonder where they go at dusk? On Saturday, February 25th, the 
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we know that a number of people are opposed to the day itself in principal because really for those you love and care about, you shouldn’t need a reminder one day of the year to express yourself. But this year, to be honest, I think we could all use a little love. With world news being what it is these days, it’s rather disheartening, whether you are talking travel bans, or the recent events in Quebec and France. We could go on, but won’t. Instead, we’d prefer to focus on the positive and what you can do to make someone feel just a little bit better. It could mean buying or making something small for someone, or just taking some time out to spend with someone. It could be a dinner for two with your partner in life, or your best friend or maybe a new friend. It could be as simple as a sweet treat and a card, a single flower or plant, a coffee/tea/cocktail or dog walk in the park, or doing something kind for a stranger. No matter the what, it is the action in doing and saying I value you and honestly, we think we could all use a bit of these days. So we’ve set out just a few ideas and some local businesses you can support while at the same time making someone feel special.
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