COMMUNITY CALENDAR
/In This Month’s Community Calendar …
MARCH HIGHLIGHTS: An art exhibition at the community centre, a refugee fundraiser with a very special guest, a reuse and recycle drop-off, much pondering at the Philosopher’s Cafe, and book and garden club events. For starters!
SENIOR MOMENTS: The monthly Tea with Anthony, the Seniors’ Planning Table, Engagement Question for March, and movies three afternoons a week.
(click on images to enlarge)
March Highlights …
KIDS’ STUFF ONLY MARKET
Sunday, March 1
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Coal Harbour Community Centre / Gymnasium
Growing families end up with lots of toys, clothes, books, and other kids’ stuff that they’ve outgrown, and many of them take a table at the annual Kids’ Stuff Only Market in order to share those items with others, at reasonable prices.
Local families only — no merchants or businesses, so you know you're helping a family like your own recycle lovingly used articles.
P. Haley-Tsui will be one of eleven artists exhibiting in Spring Into Art at the West End Community Centre. Shown here is her work “Gombay” (oil on canvas).
SPRING INTO ART
Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 27
West End Community Centre / Display Gallery
9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Free
The Barclay Manor Painting Group Exhibit and sale of watercolours, acrylics, oils, and mixed media is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the works of some of your creative neighbours and add to your personal art collection.
COMMUNITY CARE FIRST AID
A Course For Young Babysitters
Saturday, March 14
9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
West End Community Centre / Barclay Room
$65 / 604.257.8333 for information and registration
Each month the West End Community Centre hosts a First Aid or other health care session provided in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross. The March course is designed to help younger babysitters (11 go 16) to develop self-assurance, knowledge, and the skills required for babysitting duties and when caring for themselves on their own.
PHILOSOPHER’S CAFE
Does Hope Spring Eternal?
Thursday, March 12
7 p.m.
Joe Fortes Library
Free
SFU’s Philosophers’ Café is a series of informal public discussions held in a number of Vancouver communities each month. Since 1998, this award-winning program has engaged the interests of scholars, seniors, students, philosophers, and non-philosophers through stimulating dialogue and the passionate exchange of ideas.
The March Philosopher’s Café at Joe Fortes Library, moderated by Randall MacKinnon, will ask the question: Can hope spring eternal in the human heart? What are the occasions for optimism as life marches on? Put on your thinking cap and the conversation!
John Michael Koffi, author of “Refug-e: The Journey Much Desired”.
REFUGEE FUNDRAISING DINNER & SILENT AUCTION
An Evening With John Michael Koffi
Saturday, March 14
Time?
St. Andrew’s-Wesley Church Salon /
Tickets $75 ($45 tax receipt)
Enjoy an educational, entertaining, and delicious evening with guest speaker John Michael Koffi, author of Refuge-e: The Journey Much Desired (Tellwell Talent /2018), a story of travels with a young refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on a journey of resilience and growth through two refugee camps.
Koffi is a 22-year-old poet and musician, as well as an author, originally from the DRC who has lived and travelled in multiple countries as a refugee. He is currently an undergraduate student at UBC, living in Vancouver.
St. Andrew’s-Wesley has a long history of supporting refugees, providing both financial and personal support as people transition to their lives in Canada. Church volunteers help find housing, and language lessons, and guide refugees in navigating the health, education and other systems that support people in Canada. They have supported families, individuals and Rainbow refugees from countries around the world.
The talk will be accompanied by delicious African styled food, a silent auction, and music. Last year’s event sold out early, so with a limit of 100 tickets you’ll want to be sure to get your tickets soon.
“TRY IT OUT” OPEN MIC
Thursday, March 19
7 to 9 p.m.
Barclay Manor (1447 Barclay)
Free
Got a story to tell, a song to sing, a tune to play? Share your interests and your talent in an informal gathering of friends and neighbours, or just come to listen and enjoy. It’s an opportunity to share music, stories, poems, comedy, interpretive dance, or to just listen and enjoy. “Try It Out “ has seen first-time performers as young as five and seasoned performers who are — well, ageless! Everyone gets 10 to 15 minutes (enough time for up to three songs) depending on the size of the group. Sign up at 7 p.m., first-come, first-served. One mic, acoustic guitar amp, and piano provided.
REUSE & RECYCLING DROP-OFF
Saturday, March 14
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Barclay Manor
Free
Becoming a Zero Waste community means rethinking what we send to the landfill, and looking for alternative ways to reuse and recycle as much as possible.
Whether you’ve just cleaned out your closet or have a collection of old, broken, or unwanted electronics, these items can likely be reused or recycled – instead of ending up in the landfill.
Among the items you can drop off are clothing, linens, books, computers and monitors and other electronics, and household batteries. Clothing and other textiles can be dropped off for both reuse and recycling as long as they are washed and dry. Depending on the type of item and its condition, it will be reused, repurposed, or recycled.
They cannot take bicycles, car seats, construction materials such as drywall and wood, furniture and other large or bulky items, hazardous waste, pharmaceutical products, or kitchen and bathroom fixtures.
For further information and complete lists of accepted materials, visit the City’s zero waste website page here.
WEST END FOOD NETWORK & URBAN GARDENING CLUB
Community Potluck, Seed Library & Workshop
Sunday, March 15
1 - 2:30 p.m.
West End Community Centre / Barclay Room
Free / Registration at 604.257.8333
Join the West End Neighbourhood Food Network at a family-friendly monthly gathering. Bring something tasty to share, get gardening information, discuss possibilities for creating more gardening spaces in the West End, pick up a West End Urban Garden Calendar, and learn about the many other West End Neighbourhood Food Network events and activities. The workshop topic for March is “Passive Houses”. Each workshop session is followed by a meeting of the West End Urban Garden Club (separate registration required).
All aboard for a Fraser River discovery adventure!
GET OUTTA TOWN!
A Fraser River Discovery Adventure
Thursday, March 26
8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Departs from the West End Community Centre
$149
Registration & Info at 604.257.8333
Your community centre offers frequent out-trip adventures. In March, venture out to the Fraser River and see the working river at its finest. The two-and-a-half-hour outing will take you up to the Douglas Island Wildlife Preserve as well as to the mouth of the Pitt River.
Get your cameras ready for this narrated, educational tour! The package includes the Paddlewheeler River Boat Tour, Discover the Fraser Lunch Cruise, visits to the Fraser River Discovery Centre and Westminster Quay Public Market, and some free time for shopping and relaxing. Register early, as all out-trips are subject to cancellation if seat bookings are slow. All trips begin and end at the West End Community Centre.
TALES FROM THE WEST END
Dining Out Through The Decades
Thursday, March 26
4:30 to 6 p.m.
JJ Bean Coffee / Bidwell @ Davie
Free
Tales from the West End is an evening of sharing stories and memories of life in Vancouver’s West End. Held on the last Thursday of every other month, each gathering features a keynote storyteller and an opportunity for everyone to share a story about their West End memories.
“Tales from the West End” is held at one of the West End’s intriguing historic sites, formerly known as “Maxine’s Hideaway” and now home to a JJ Bean coffee shop. This West End landmark has many tales hidden in its walls. People are encouraged to listen, sketch and bring their own stories and historic photographs of the West End.
The guest storyteller for March will be Michael Gordon, sharing stories of “Food and Restaurants in the West End: 1900 - 1980”.
Complimentary coffee and tea provided by our hosts, JJ Bean.
FIRESIDE BOOK CLUB
Friday, March 27
11 a.m. to 12 noon
Joe Fortes Library / Stanley Court Room
Free
Connect with other avid readers to talk about what you’ve been reading and why you loved it — or didn’t! The March book will be Brother by David J. Chariandy. Winner of the 2017 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, Brother is a powerful, and tightly constructed second novel, exploring questions of masculinity, family, race, and identity as they are played out in a Scarborough housing complex during the sweltering heat and simmering violence of the summer of 1991. Chariandy takes us inside the lives of Michael and Francis, the sons of Trinidadian immigrants whose father has disappeared and whose mother works double, sometimes triple shifts so her boys might fulfill the elusive promise of their adopted home. Pick up your copy now, and plan to join the conversation!
James Danderfer is In The labyrinth March 27.
IN THE LABYRINTH
Music In The Labyrinth
Friday, March 27
St. Paul's Church (1130 Jervis)
7 to 9 p.m.
By Donation
The last Friday of every month the Labyrinth experience at St. Paul’s is accompanied by a local musician. In March come walk the labyrinth to the clarinet stylings of James Danderfer.
The Labyrinth at St. Paul’s Anglican Church is a full 13-metre replica of the medieval labyrinth at the 13th-century Cathédrale de Notre-Dame de Chartres. It is laid on the hardwood upper floor of St Paul's Church Hall in a space once used as a theatre and a basketball court. The Labyrinth is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and 7 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
ONCE A WEEK, EVERY WEEK
COMMUNITY LUNCH ... Mondays through Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. at Gordon Neighbourhood House. An opportunity for community members to enjoy a meal together, meet new people, and catch up with friends in a casual environment. On Mondays, it’s a pay-what-you-can (suggested donation $2) vegan hot dish. For Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s a delicious three-course menu for $5. Wednesdays there’s a pay-what-you-can Nourish Bowl. For more information contact welcome@gordonhouse.org or 604.683.2554.
FAMILY STORYTIME ... Tuesdays from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. at Joe Fortes Library, join this program for parents and caregivers with young children. Songs, rhymes and stories are shared. Suitable for preschoolers and toddlers of all abilities to enjoy and learn together.
WEST END FAMILY PLACE … This successful program has now been expanded. West End families can play, learn and grow at Gordon Neighbourhood House. West End Family Place is a drop-in program for children and their parents or caregivers, featuring activities that promote healthy child development, including circle time with songs and stories, free play, and arts and crafts. Mondays everyone is welcome from 9 to 11:30 a.m. On Tuesdays, it’s families only from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays are also everyone-welcome from 9 to 11:30 a.m., with a families-only afternoon session from 2 to 4 p.m. Fridays it’s families only from 9:30 to 11 a.m. And the first Saturday of each month is families only from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.
WEST END WRITERS’ CLUB … Wednesdays from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Barclay Manor. West End writers gather to share and critique their work. Includes all genres. Members don’t have to read at every meeting, just enjoy and participate in the discussion. Three free visits, after which there is an annual membership fee of $20.
BABY & ME LUNCHTIME … Wednesdays from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at Gordon Neighbourhood House. Enjoy a delicious vegan lunch, connect with other parents in the community, and play with your little one in a safe and nurturing environment. Please register before 10:30 a.m. on the day of by calling 604.683.2554. For further information email familyplace@gordonhouse.org.
FRIDAY NIGHTS FOR TEENS … from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Coal Harbour Community Centre (Multi-Purpose Room). Every week it’s something different, with activities for youth 13 - 18. Info at 604.718.8222.
PRE-TEEN NIGHT … Fridays from 6:15 to 8:45 p.m. at the West End Community Centre. A free program for youth ages 9 to 12. Participants are asked to fill out a waiver, which can be picked up at the WECC front desk.
NAR-ANON FAMILY GROUP … Fridays from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Barclay Manor (Piano Room). A gathering for those who know or have known a feeling of desperation concerning the addiction problem of someone near and dear. Confidentiality and anonymity are respected.
Senior Moments …
Note that all West End Seniors’ Network (WESN) events, unless otherwise indicated, are for current WESN members. Passes for non-members are available at Barclay Manor reception. Annual membership is $10, a one-week pass is $5, and a day pass is $2. For information on all their programs and events visit their online newsletter here.
FREE INCOME TAX CLINICS
Saturdays Through April 4
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Barclay Manor
Free
Volunteers will be on hand to assist individuals with modest income levels and simple tax situations with filing their 2019 taxes. Walk-in on a first-come, first-served basis. No appointments. Remember to bring ID and all relevant papers and forms.
“Modest income” is considered anything below $35,000 for single persons or below $45,000 for two-person families. Find more information on eligibility here.
TEA WITH ANTHONY
Monday, March 9
1 to 2 p.m.
Barclay Manor
Register at 604.669.5051
Free
A monthly opportunity to enjoy tea and conversation with West End Seniors' Network executive director Anthony Kupferschmidt. Discuss the issues impacting the organization and your life as a senior in the West End. Bring your questions, suggestions, and viewpoints -- they provide the tea and snacks. The November discussion will be around participatory budget voting and plans for the garden. Registration required.
A PARTY FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY
Monday, March 16
Barclay Manor (1447 Barclay)
1 to 2 p.m.
Free
Reservations at 604-669-5051 or programs@wesn.ca
Are you a member of the West End Seniors’ Network ... and if you're a senior and aren't a member, why not? During the month of your birthday, you and a guest are invited to celebrate your special day with others whose birthday falls in the same month.
Join the party for tea, birthday cake and live music.
WEST END SENIORS’ COMMUNITY PLANNING TABLE
Friday, March 27
9:30 a.m. to 12 noon
(Note change of time from previous months)
St. Andrew’s Wesley Church (1018 Nelson)
Free
The monthly Seniors’ Community Planning Table is an opportunity for West End seniors, community organizations, and service providers to connect and share information and views on issues important to seniors in our community.
Each month’s agenda includes updates on West End programs for seniors, a keynote speaker, and discussion on a topic of interest to West Enders. The March topic will be Residential Tenancy for Older Adults. This 60-minute workshop will cover information on Residential Tenancy Law in British Columbia, the rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, and the process involved in dispute resolution with the Residential Tenancy Branch.
For further information contact Sharon Isaak at isaaksharon@gmail.com or 604.880.2743.
THIS MONTH’S ENGAGEMENT QUESTION
Every month The West End Seniors’ Network asks a question that everyone is welcome to answer. These questions are meant to stimulate conversations, ignite ideas and bring the community together. To participate in this activity, come into Barclay Manor and write your response on the board at the front entrance. The monthly question can also be answered online here.
The March engagement question is “What is your favourite food to share?”
ONCE A WEEK, EVERY WEEK
PET-A-P00CH … Tuesdays from 10 to 11 a.m. at Barclay Manor. Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to increase social behaviours, reduce agitation, and lower blood pressure. Reap those benefits by visiting with volunteer Amy and her friendly puppy Frankie, while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea. Free.
SENIORS’ LOUNGE … Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. at Gordon Neighbourhood House. An informal gathering where you can catch up with old friends, make new ones, and get to know the neighbours. There will be coffee, cookies, and conversations. Bring a joke and share a smile! Free.
AT THE MOVIES … Tuesdays and Fridays at 1:30 p.m. at Barclay Manor (Piano Room) West End Seniors’ Network hosts two movie series (no Monday movie this month). Free admission, with popcorn included! Find this month’s screening details in their online newsletter here.
