Halloween Critical Mass Ride and Roll!

Friday, October 27, 2006

Join fellow scarry bicyclists, skaters, and bladers for a costumed ride and roll through the streets of Vancouver. The Halloween ride is one of the most fun Critical Mass rides of the year! Meet at the Vancouver Art Gallery on the Georgia Street side between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., and roll and ride at 6:00 p.m. The ride is on rain or shine!

And of course, decorated bicycles, trailers, signs, flags, noisemakers, gettoblasters and sound systems, drums, trailers, and wildly modified bicycles are all highly encouraged. A VeloWeen afterparty starts 8:00 p.m. at the ANZA Club, #3 West 8th at the Ontario Bike Route.

Photo's from the last ride

Pre-rides to Critical Mass:

UBC riders meet at the UBC Bike Hub, on the north east end of the Student Union Building, at 4:30 p.m. for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Phone 604-822-BIKE for details.

East Van riders meet 4:00 p.m., leaving 4:30 p.m., from Grandview Park, 1200-block Commercial Drive, for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Celebrated around the world, Critical Mass is a grassroots reclamation of public space -- on the last Friday of the month -- which allows cyclists and other self-propelled people to move safely and comfortably through city streets in a car-free space. Non-polluting forms of transportation are promoted.

Worldwide details:
http://criticalmassrides.info or http://www.critical-mass.org

Upload/View Vancouver Critical Mass Photos at Flickr.com

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VeloWeen!
Friday, October 27

It's the season for trick or treating and we have quite the treat for you: VeloWeen. Fun, crazyness, dancing and more. Everybody who arrives with Critical Mass in costume gets a free beer!

The lineup:
Phatty Phatty and The Roaches. (Band)
Toot-A-Lute (Traveling minstrels)
Timothy Wisdom (DJ)
Megan Rose (Musician)
DJ Bad (DJ)
Corrior (DJ)
Dance Bellys (Dancers)
Ian Patterson (Visuals)
The East Side SLIHCsters (East Side Low Income Housing Coalition)

Where: The Anza Club, #3 West 8th Avenue at the Ontario bike route.
Cost: $5
Time: 8pm to 1:30am

This is part of the Velo fusion community fund raiser project. All money raised goes back into supporting community projects.

For more information please visit http://www.pedalfusion.org

 

HaloVeloWe'en

Muah hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

1. Halloween Critical Mass Ride and Roll!
2. VeloWeen!
3. Pedal Revolutionary Bike Radio!
4. Midnight Mass Bike Ride
5. Canadian Troops Out of Afghanistan Rally and March
6. Car-Free Parade of the Lost Souls
7. Our Community Bikes (OCB) Halloween Party!
8. Call for Submissions -- Momentum 25

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Friday, October 27, 2006
Halloween Critical Mass Ride and Roll!

http://www.velolove.bc.ca/halloween_2006.gif

Join fellow scarry bicyclists, skaters, and bladers for a costumed ride and
roll through the streets of Vancouver. The Halloween ride is one of the
most fun Critical Mass rides of the year! Meet at the Vancouver Art Gallery
on the Georgia Street side between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., and roll and ride at
6:00 p.m. The ride is on rain or shine!

And of course, decorated bicycles, trailers, signs, flags, noisemakers,
gettoblasters and sound systems, drums, trailers, and wildly modified
bicycles are all highly encouraged. A VeloWeen afterparty starts 8:00 p.m.
at the ANZA Club, #3 West 8th at the Ontario Bike Route.

Some photo's from the last ride:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/72728161@N00/272253246/in/set-72057594090669974/

Pre-rides to Critical Mass:

UBC riders meet at the UBC Bike Hub, on the north east end of the Student
Union Building, at 4:30 p.m. for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Phone 604-822-BIKE for details.

East Van riders meet 4:00 p.m., leaving 4:30 p.m., from Grandview Park,
1200-block Commercial Drive, for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Celebrated around the world, Critical Mass is a grassroots reclamation of
public space -- on the last Friday of the month -- which allows cyclists
and other self-propelled people to move safely and comfortably through city
streets in a car-free space. Non-polluting forms of transportation are
promoted.

For more information:
http://www.velolove.bc.ca
http://vancouvercm.blogspot.com
velolove@2@velolove.bc.ca

Worldwide details may be found at:
http://criticalmassrides.info or http://www.critical-mass.org

Upload/View Vancouver Critical Mass Photos at Flickr.com:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/vancriticalmass/pool/

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VeloWeen!
Friday, October 27

It's the season for trick or treating and we have quite the treat for you:
VeloWeen. Fun, crazyness, dancing and more. Everybody who arrives with
Critical Mass in costume gets a free beer!

The lineup:
Phatty Phatty and The Roaches. (Band)
Toot-A-Lute (Traveling minstrels)
Timothy Wisdom (DJ)
Megan Rose (Musician)
DJ Bad (DJ)
Corrior (DJ)
Dance Bellys (Dancers)
Ian Patterson (Visuals)
The East Side SLIHCsters (East Side Low Income Housing Coalition)

Where: The Anza Club, #3 West 8th Avenue at the Ontario bike route.
Cost: $5
Time: 8pm to 1:30am

This is part of the Velo fusion community fund raiser project. All money
raised goes back into supporting community projects. For more information
please visit http://www.pedalfusion.org

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Pedal Revolutionary Bike Radio!
Thursday, October 26

And every other Thursday, from 5:00 to 6:00pm, on CiTR 101.9 FM

News about bike civic politics, chopper bikes, legal issues, bike
maintenance, culture, fun and of course Critical Mass! Your hosts: Ifny,
iamlachance@gmail.com, and Conrad Schmidt, ninemonkeys@blaze.ca, 604-537-2044.

Pedal Revolutionary Bike Radio needs to hear from you! If you have a bike
related event or announcement, phone 604-UBC-CiTR (604-822-2487) during the
show!

Web site: http://www.bikesexual.org/cm/radio
Blog spot: http://pedalrev.blogspot.com
Listen live over the Internet: http://www.citr.ca/default.asp?id=19&mnu=19
You can also listen to the MP3 podcast masscast of past week's pedal
revolutionary show! Goto pedalrev.blogspot.com for instructions. For any
probs/questions give ifny <iamlachance@gmail.com> a heads up.

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Midnight Mass Bike Ride
Thursday, October 26

That's right kids, midnight mass is this week -- with costumes all around!

Get your wings & your tutus, your ray guns and witch hats, exercise your
wit and your fine sense of fashion (or just of the absurd) -- mix it all up
and throw in a couple of wheels and some bike lights and get your ass to
the Midnight MassQuerade.

As usual, meet 11:45 pm at Grandview Park (Commercial Drive at Charles St.)
with the ghost train rolling at the creepy, scary, hour of midnight. Bring
your bike lights, your friends, your costumes, & your thermoses full of hot
refreshment!

http://www.midnight-mass.blogspot.com
More photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/midnightmass

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Canadian Troops Out of Afghanistan Rally and March
Saturday, October 28

It's the day after Critical Mass, and in the afternoon prior to OCB's
party... and you've got a busy social calendar... So what's this invitation
all about? It's STREET ACTION organized by stopwar.ca in downtown
Vancouver, joining thousands in cities and towns across Canada, to bring
Canadian troops home from Afghanistan. Rumor has it that "Bikes Not Bombs"
has been invited to lead the march. Who's "Bikes Not Bombs?" Well, it's
you & me and all self-propelled people who have hopes to bring an end to
'oily wars' as soon as possible...

Gather 12:00 Noon at Waterfront Station (Canada Place at the foot of Howe
Street). March at 1:00pm followed by a rally, 2:00pm, at the Vancouver Art
Gallery (Georgia Street side).

Tom Childs is looking for extra hands on the morning of the 28th, prior to
the march, to help rig the famous BIKES NOT BOMBS banner (thanks to
Redsara) at the Vancouver Art Gallery. It's a big mural-like banner, and
Tom will be packing ropes and the banner. Email Tom if you are able to meet
sometime in the late morning of the 28th at childst@douglas.bc.ca or give
Tom a call at 604 524-9316. Maybe breakfast first and then rig the banner.

For more information, visit http://www.stopwar.ca

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Parade of the Lost Souls
Saturday, October 28

We know full well the opportunities we look for to buzz around in
beast-free streets... Well, after a one-year hiatus, and out of necessity
and full-on love of barricades, the Public Dreams Society is closing down
Commercial Drive to all oil burnin, steel crushin traffic for the Parade of
the Lost Souls, Saturday, October 28 from 6 to 10pm! Fantastic! Oooh!
Barricades are sexy... (and barricaders are even sexier!)

The theme this year is: Peeking Through the Veil... a Celebration of the
Cycle of Life.

The procession begins at the all weather field at William and Cotton where
altars, shrines, fire dancers and an ancestral dome prepare you for your
journey. Then, musical guides appear, beckoning you to travel down the
river that flows to the other side. The journey ends in Grandview Park
where fire keepers illuminate your psyche and we are all filled with the
delight of life as we dance, dance, dance in the street!!!

Bikers bringin it in...

Andrea Curtis is looking for folks on bikes -- how funky the ride, how fab
the costume is up to you -- to take donation buckets and milk the
Underworld for their petty cash. The Society needs this money to cover
expenses, to keep it all rolling, and to keep motor vehicals out. Whatever
you pull in, the Society offers you 10% as extra incentive and a bit of
love. If you can help, contact Andrea at volunteer@publicdreams.org, or at
604.317.4129.

For more information, visit http://www.publicdreams.org/

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Our Community Bikes (OCB) Halloween Party!
Saturday, October 28, 2005

This Halloween will be Our Community Bikes'
(http://pedalpower.org/?q=node/4) 13th birthday! So join us for this shaker
(and on-the-sly fundraising party for Maya Pedal) with costumes and dancing
and drinks and such -- like we always do. The party kicks off at about 9
pm, so there's lots of time to get dressed up, hit the Parade of Lost
Souls, grab some grub, reapply your makeup, and come on by:

3283 Main Street (just north of 17th Ave), 604.879.2453. Look for lots of
bikes!

Many will attest that last year's OCB Halloween party was definitely one of
the year's best, where the kegs ran dry early, costumes were saucy and
hilarious, and people dressed as video game systems or the Intertidal zone
danced up a storm on the workbenches all night long.

http://www.beyondrobson.com/music/2006/10/return_of_the_ocb_halloween_party/

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CALL for SUBMISSIONS -- MOMENTUM 25
COPY DEADLINE - November 1

Momentum Magazine needs writers for the December & January 2006/07 edition
of MOMENTUM (number 25) and for the next MOMENTUM, number 26 ­
February/March 2007.

If interested, contact Momentum directly at email
self-propelled(at)telus.net or call 604-669-9850, or join the Momentum
email list at http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/MoMag/

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Want to talk about bicycle issues and Critical Mass in Vancouver?
Are you planning bike related events or have announcements?

Join the Velolove discussion list!

For more information or to join, visit:
http://lists.velolove.bc.ca/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Or email vancouver@2@velolove.bc.ca

BC Ferries misses the boat...again!

From: dave olsen <bike@"@resist.ca>

British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. (a.k.a. BC Ferries) recently announced a $28 million dollar "upgrade" to four loading bays at Horseshoe Bay (near West Vancouver) and Departure Bay (near Nanaimo).  This followed an announcement that they were having three new giant car- and truck-carrying ferries made in Germany (which will NOT create work for the very people that BC Ferries purports to serve).  In total, this corporation plans to spend $200 million on ramps and bays and $2.5 billion on boats -- bays and boats built for cars and trucks, nowhere near where the majority of people live or work.

Meanwhile, Washington State Ferries have been operating ferries out of downtown Seattle for decades.  Their walk-on and bicycle passengers can work, school, play, or shop downtown knowing that they can get home without the hassle of a bus or the cost of a car.  Conversely, since the majority of mainlanders live near downtown Seattle, they can - without a car or bus - get out of town by foot or bike.  Nothing radical here, and it all works just fine.

Meanwhile, BC Ferries is still wholly owned by BC taxpayers but thanks to Gordon Campbell, it is no longer accountable to the people it is owned by and serves.  I assume this is the excuse that this corporation would use to explain why there has been no public process regarding the huge hole that it is about to dig.

Now, I'm not saying let's get rid of the car ferries.  No, not yet.  People have rightly said that they are a vital part of the highway system.  People who drive depend on them.  This is important, of course.  But let them keep using the recently overhauled ferries on the Horseshoe Bay/Departure Bay route.  They'll would be fine for another decade or two, at least.

What I'm saying is wake up and smell the half-cafe, double decafe latte (with a spritz of lemon) and spend a fraction of this money on people, not cars and trucks.  Harbourlynx, the fast ferry that carried foot passengers and bikes from downtown Vancouver to downtown Nanaimo proved again that there is a growing number of people that want to drive to get to Vancouver Island and beyond.  Not to mention, live on Vancouver Island and get to the big smoke without using a car.  In fact, every holiday weekend BC Ferries sees it for themselves, if they would only look.  On a service that is at best painful, and more often horrendous, to access for non-motorized passengers, it sells out the walk-on tickets for every sailing.  It's long past time for faster, smarter, passenger- and bike-only ferries to Nanaimo, Victoria, and the Gulf Islands.

Actually, Victoria already has a passenger-only service from a major west coast city: Seattle.  But not from Vancouver.  Europe, New York, Latin America, Asia, the list is too lengthy to even begin to list the number of passenger-only ferries that serve major cities in the world.  What do we have in Vancouver?  The Seabus.  That's it (but I can hardly wait for Harbourlynx to start again at the end of the year!!).

Meanwhile, Translink and BC Ferries have both shown no interest in making it easy for people who don't drive to use this ferry.  When I sent an email to BC Ferries about the fact that at most 4 bikes can get to their sailings, I didn't even receive an acknowledgement that my email was received.  I'm sending this one to the same public relations email address; we'll see if a response is forthcoming this time.

Translink, to their credit, has one employee who has a job description that provides some time to reply to bicycle-related emails.  I was told that my email raised some valid points and that they would see what they could do.  Six months later, no changes or additions have been made, even during the peak of the summer season.  On Thanksgiving Day, 4 packed Express buses took most of the people who walked off the 5pm sailing, but most of the bikes rode without the bus because Translink's schedule gave no indication of extra service and it was faster and more comfortable to ride for 90 minutes than wait and get crammed into their sardine can/bus.

Meanwhile, work on the new ramps and ferries has begun.  At a cost over 100 times of what it would have cost to buy and double the capacity of the high-speed passenger service from downtown to downtown.

And just what are we going to do with giant car-carrying ferries when the oil runs out or just gets too expensive to use so frivolously?  Maybe we'll sell them back to the manufacturer again for less than the cost of the materials to make them, just like the last time BC Ferries had boats built.  That will ease our tax burden, won't it?

Gordon Campbell and his Liberal Party, with 23% of the eligible vote in the last election, have gone on a spending spree that is making even Wacky Bennett turn green with jealousy in his grave.  No public process has approved these ferries and ramps.  No public process has approved the twinning of the Port Mann bridge and the rest of the multi-billion $ Gateway project.  Lies were told (e.g., it'll be a tunnel, not cut and cover) to get the $2+ billion RAV a.k.a. Canada Line barely approved.  And more blatant lies were spoken (e.g., all cost overruns will be covered by the Provincial Government) to get a slim majority of referendum voters in Vancouver (but only 14% of eligible voters) to "approve" the Olympics, which are doubling in cost almost every year (and we still have 3+ years to go!).

So far, that's about $10 billion for 4 rich boy toys that I won't use.  In stark contrast, the cost of surface light rail from downtown to the airport, the cost of passenger-only boats and ramps to Vancouver Island from downtown Vancouver, and the cost of doubling the capacity of the Port Mann with HOV lanes (i.e., with no paving at all) is about 1/100 of what we are already on the line for (I've consciously omitted the 2010 corporate orgy, which is still an option for all of us).  These are things that I and a growing number of us would and want to use.  They could even pay their friends to build them.

Must be nice to be able to funnel so much of our money to their friends.  Probably very close buddies with many of them, by now.  I'm guessing they haven't imagined a world where people, like me and you, simply stop paying for their fun and friendships.  But I can.  Can you?
--

Take care and if you can't take the lane, take the bus!
dave

By regularly riding through red lights and stop signs (after yielding to make sure it's safe for all), we can encourage the powers-that-be to modernize their rules (e.g., in Idaho)...we are NOT one-tonne-killing-machines!

Bicycle Bee kicks off Tomorrow!

Hey kids - the time has finally come: we're kicking off the bicycle bee
tomorrow.

If you haven't heard, the bike bee is a community created set of bike
related workshops, coupled with a weekend long bike buildathon (don't have
a bike, but need one? come on down and build one up) and custom/chopper
buildathon (who doesn't want to build a chopper..?!). All workshops and
bike building are by donation, but NO ONE will be turned away for financial
reasons. We've been working hard to plan this event and are excited to
invite you all down!

So why don't you come down and learn, build, and play with us? The
festivities kick off with a potluck and group ride (highlighting the
locations to be used) at 6 pm at intermission studios - 1009 E Cordova
(Just north of hastings, and just west of clark drive).

The buildathons and workshops kick off saturday at 11 am, and run until
sunday evening. Come down and take part in one of these rad workshops!
(I've attached a schedule outlining when and where each activity takes
place as well). For more & updated info, visit us on the web!
http://bicyclebee.blogspot.com/

Bike Anatomy 101 & 102 (by Leanne, Lilo & Skylar) "What's that thingie? No,
not that one, that other thingie? Well, what does it doooo?" Learn to speak
bike. Yes, you can.

Wheel Trueing (by Leo) No word of a lie.

Bike Basics (by Jett Grrl) For women, boys welcome too:
each session 1/2 hour, followed by questions Bike Basics: Flat fix Bike
Basics: Drive train maintenance and assessment Bike Basics: Brakes

Fix Your Flat (Louise) Perhaps the most important bit of bike know-how in
the history of humankind.

Cycling Rain Cape and Foot Covers (by Pol) Workshop 2hrs. Bring fabric or
paper to workshop. This session will provide examples of raincapes and
booties. Patterns for cutting and basic instructions will be provided for
this beginner sewing project which will yield an excellent rain outfit
suitable for the rainiest climates. If you have material you can trace the
pattern directly onto it and save a step. Bring 3.5 or 4 metres of
lightweight coated or water proof nylon. Recognize this type of nylon
because it does not fray where it is cut and I usually buy it at Dressew
for $2 to $4 per metre in the basement or more in colours you might like
upstairs for more money. Or bring paper (40"x70" it is ok to tape pieces of
paper to get this and newspaper even will work) to trace the pattern onto
to bring home for when you get fabric and prepare to sew. The lighter and
thinner the fabric the smaller the cape and booties roll up when not in
use. Imagine all of your raingear being the size of a waterbottle and
costing less than $10 plus your time!

Bike LED Repair & Hackorama (by Ian) workshops will ideally be small.
preregistration recommended.

tools/supplies are available, but bring any of the following to supplement
the group if you have them -Broken / unwanted LED lights <- the more the
better! -Pencil type soldering irons (NOT the guns - too powerful) -exacto
knife, strippers, cutters, pliers / forceps -solder

a variety of topics covered, depending on attendees area of interest.
change the colour of your LEDs, extend their wires up into your helmet,
repair them, etc.

Basic electronics background: Ohm's law, considerations when changing
colours, current limiting, series vs parallel

About the LED: forward voltage, visually determining polarity, looking
through the resin, looking at the leads, schematic symbol, handling
precautions, current requirements

Soldering techniques: LED extensions (wires)

NiMH vs alkaline batteries, voltage issues, possible resistor mods for
making lights work with NiMH, charging / chargers

Voltage multipliers

Exotic stuff: luxeons, lithium ion / polymer batteries, spoke POV, EL Wire

Changing light propagation characteristics: misleading published specs on
bike lights (lenses increase viewing distance, but only in narrow
direction), filing the LED dome off, sanding lenses

Regular maintenance and repair: troubleshooting (why does light come on
spontaneously), cleaning corroded contacts, vaseline

Parts sources & resources: Digi-Key, LS Diodes, Lee's ElectronicsRP
Electronics, Active Electronics, Polar Batteries, online tutorials,
projects, etc, e-books (Evil Genius, etc)

Bike Repair Basics (by Omar & co.) More earth-shattering knowledge, made
bite-sized & wholesome.

Driver Re-education Workshop (by Ifny) Inside every car, there is a human
being trapped inside. Can we liberate them? Diplomacy, Propaganda, Driver
Relations. A Frank Discussion on the Seduction of the Car People.

&

Share the road, assh*le!: a Road Rage Primer Tips for dealing
constructively with the angry, the sleepy & the dopey. Change comes from
within (or from your friendly neighbourhood biker).

Anti-theft Techniques and Devices (by Ifny & co.) Your seat. Your wheel.
Your bike. Learn how to keep your bike yours. Locking technique discussed.
Also covered: Changing quick release wheels to less tempting ones, & seat
fasteners.

CarFree Cities Conference Presentation/Forum; inspired by the recent
conference in Bogota, Col umbia (by RusL)

Bike Art - brought to you by the Recyclistas from Victoria!

Bike Jewelry - (more Recyclista axshun)

Forum: A Vancouver Bicycle Hub, what is it & do we want it? (by RusL, Jane
& co.)

Cycling Advocacy (by Bonnie Fenton) Pothole in the road? Driver freakin you
out? Dangerous intersection? Learn how to make this city better! Names,
ranks, serial numbers, Bonnie (of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition) has
it all!

Weekend Bicycle Build-a-Thon If you don't have a bike, or if you don't have
a working bike, bring what you have, even if it's only the desire to ride.
We can help set you up with everything from a wheel to a frame to a whole
bike in need of love. We'll help you tune up your new pony too. Why? Cuz
the road needs riders. (Mechanics/facilitators: Leanne, Emily, Kirsten,
Milo, Omar, Elaine, Androo and...?)

Weekend Custom Bike Chopperific Build-a-Thon Ok, so here's your chance to
free your inner circus. Want to make strangers giggle? Children point? Want
to bring a little doubletake to the neighbourhood? We'll guide you through
the design/chopping/welding of your very own custom bike.
(Welders/facilitators: Robert, Donald, RusL, Skylar, and...?)

URGENT: GWAC neighbourhood elections, THIS Weds Oct 11

I was forwarded this by people who put on the Carfree Commercial Drive Fest. I know and trust them, though I don't know much about this GWAC thing. I know of a lot of people on this list. I obviously agree with organising to protect us from motorway expansion. Of course, you should always make up your own mind, and not be blindly partisan. ~rusl

Please forward to all neighbours!

NOTICE of GRANDVIEW-WOODLANDS AREA COUNCIL AGM

Hello to all residents and active participants in Grandview Woodlands.

(fyi, GW Area is bounded by: Broadway to the Burrard Inlet, Nanaimo to Clark -- and this includes people who live and/or work in the area). You are receiving this message because you are passionate about your community and want to see it prosper and thrive – culturally, socially, environmentally, and economically.

THIS Wednesday, October 11, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m., is the election of the Board of Directors for GWAC (Grandview-Woodlands Area Council). Although it has no political autonomy, GWAC is considered by key decision-makers to be the voice of our community. GWAC serves as a "watchdog" on trends and currents within the area, and is recognized as a respected body to lead our ever-shifting community and help direct its evolution.

I have been working with a group of neighbours to try to assemble a GWAC Board which is diverse in representation and perspective, but which is outspokenly pro-pedestrian, pro-Commercial Drive Festival, and pro-greenway. A Board which will be a force in resisting the planned expansion of Highway 1, which could have a tragic effect on our neighbourhood. A Board which is interested in examining the roots of the challenges our community faces, and meeting those challenges with innovative and humane solutions.

We need YOU to come out on Wed. Oct 11, to vote for a progressive and action-oriented board as we face the challenges of social shifts, increased traffic, and reduced green space in our beloved community.

Please come out and bring your like-minded neighbours! Details:

What: GWAC AGM
When: October 11, 2006, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Learning Resources Centre, under the Britannia library
Who: Below is the progressive slate followed by biographies

Important: Please bring proof that you live or work in Grandview-Woodland (I.D, cheque stub or addressed mail), and please come early if you want to get a seat!

Feel free to contact Jill Smith, an incumbent Board member, if you want additional information about GWAC: jill@=@libradigital,com, or email Carmen at carmen@=@emeraldcity,bc,ca

Thank you for your participation, we look forward to seeing you Wednesday!

********************************

The Board of GWAC consists of twelve Directors. Here is the12-member "Progressive Slate" we would like you to consider voting for (note: we will hand you a reminder list at the meeting). Corin Browne Mike Carr Caitlin Dodd Bing Jensen* Charles Montgomery Craig Ollenberger* Kevin Potvin Jill Smith* Dexster Smith* Anne Sproull Petronella Vander Valk* Ben West

*Current progressive board members running for re-election.

Biographies:
Corin Browne is a media educator, video maker, and community artist. Corin has lived and worked in the Grandview –Woodlands neighborhood since 1998. Neighborhood issues of interest to Corin are: sustainable transportation, community participation in planning, and youth work and advocacy. As a GWAC member, I would like to support pedestrian and bike friendly planning, community events like the car-free festival, and neighborhood-based initiatives that make this community so diverse and vibrant.

Dr. Mike Carr teaches sustainable urban planning in SFU's Urban Studies (Masters) Program at Harbour Centre and bioregional mapping at The School of Community & Regional Planning, UBC. He has many years experience working in community civic associations and has lived in Grandview-Woodlands for
five years. Mike is concerned about issues of social justice and equity as well as environmental sustainability in both neighbourhood and region. He is a member of the Livable Region Coalition and believes that we all need to work hard together to defeat the Gateway Project's twinning of the Port Mann Bridge and extension of highway one into Vancouver which threatens the health and livability of Grandview-Woodlands and the region.

Caitlin Dodd is a community video maker and Communications student at SFU and is currently studying alternative media production and media literacy. She has lived and worked in the grandview woodlands area for twenty-one years, and is eager to get involved with issues of maintaining the human dimension in the urban space of East Vancouver.

Bing Jensen has lived in the Commercial Drive area for 16 years. He has served on the GWAC for the 2005/2006 year as a Director. Bing works here as a singer and songwriter. He also does odd jobs for people in the neighbourhood. Community is very important to him. He is for traffic calming, green spaces and the DriveFest and is against through cutting commuter traffic, the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge and the stench of the rendering plant. Bing feels it is important to have a balance between the needs of the residents and the needs of the businesses in the community.

Charles Montgomery is an award-winning writer and journalist. He has lived in the neighbourhood for two years, and recently became co-owner of a house at 1122 Rose Street. As a member of the GWAC board, he would work to ensure the neighbourhood remains a vibrant place to live, work and recreate. He
believes that GWAC can achieve this by promoting pedestrian and bike-friendly events and spaces, and advocating sustainable land use and transportation planning for the neighbourhood and the region.

Craig Ollenberger, a current director of GWAC, has been living in Grandview Woodlands for the last three years and over that time he has become involved in a number of non-profit initiatives in our community. His
interest in being a part of GWAC stems from the important role GWAC can play as a liaison between our neighbourhood and decision making bodies. The City of Vancouver, the Provincial Government and many other organizations come to GWAC to assess neighbourhood opinion on various issues, and he believes he can represent our neighbourhood well in this capacity.

Kevin Potvin is owner of Magpie Magazine Gallery on the Drive, founded 12 years ago, and is the publisher of The Republic of East Vancouver Newspaper, launched in 2000. He has written a column in the east side
edition of the Courier for the last 11 years. He has lived in the neighbourhood for 20 years and has taken an active progressive interest in issues important to the Grandview Woodlands neighbourhood.

Jill Smith, a local pedestrian activist, has been secretary of GWAC for the past year and half. As part of this board, she brought successful motions (1) to properly grant DriveFest profits held by GWAC to the East Van
Celebration Society, (2) in favour of greening Venables, (3) to lobby the city to study the impacts of Highway 1 expansion, among others. Jill worked with four neighbours to create a Venables Greenway proposal that was one of the winners of a Vancouver Planning Commission public realm ideas competition - "21 Places". On a personal note, Jill also organizes her street's block party and has hosted a series of performances in her home as part of the In-the-House festival of the arts.

video June 2003 ride?

Does anybody have video of the big June 2003 ride, the 1000 wheels ride
[where we had 1600 wheels!]. Then Mayor Larry Campbell was at this ride.
Surely someone captured some images of this. Even photos?

If you do have any leads on this please contact Bob at
www.youneverbikealone.com

This is for the film history of VancouverCM

Protect the Ontario Bikeway from Car Traffic, Salisbury Cob House

"the developer has won the right once more to develop and at this point the
rest of us have very little other options as he is still refusing to sell
the garden to allow it to become a PArk. maByE IF WE GARNER ENOUGH
ATTENTION WE STILL MIGHT have a chance....to have this garden for all of
us, once and for all. If this DOes not happen you might want to consider
visiting the garden one last time and certainly for this upcoming eVEnt as
you will be able to share the moment with other fellow garden lovers. I,
indeed, have loved that garden deeply and with great gratitude and
peacefullness. I AM sad...but one never knows what may happen if we
continue to show our love of that space...we shall see."
~ former tennant katie rose

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What Matters to You?
Join us in an important community action at the Salsbury Garden

Creatively share your wishes, your memories and your stories about this
unique and treasured place in our neighborhood, along with your neighbors.
Come and appreciate the Salsbury Garden while it still exists: it may not
for much longer.

Wednesday October 4th, 5pm to 7pm At the corner of Napier Drive and
Salsbury Avenue

Your presence at this action is important! Send a strong message to the
City that we care about green space in our community. Spread the word.
Media have been invited. Bring writing and /or art-making materials to share.
Friends of Salsbury Garden Contact 604:253=6281 or 604:253=4994 for more
information
-----
background info:
"a house with a beautiful and historic garden (100 years old!) and a tiny
elf-sized cob house built in the corner of the garden... developers have
bought the land and want to tear down this historic landmark. There is a
petition going around town (and around the internet) that you can sign.
check the website at <a
href="http://members.shaw.ca/savethecobgarden">members.shaw.ca/savethecobgar
den</a> for more info."

<a href="http://goatvirus.com/knapsack/images/salsburyCobHouse.JPG">a
picture of the Cob House:
salsburyCobHouse.JPG</a>

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KEEP THE ONTARIO BIKEWAY CAR FREE IN SOUTHEAST FALSE CREEK

There are several proposed developments along the Ontario Bikeway that
could potentially add a lot of car traffic to the Bikeway and make it more
dangerous for people to cycle on. These proposed developments include:
Southeast False Creek (3000cars/day) - The Olympic Venue and Legacy
Facility at Hillcrest Park - The Canadian Tire at SW Marine and Ontario
(6000cars/day)

The current plans for the "sustainable community' in Southeast False Creek
involve allowing motor vehicle access Ontario Street north of First Avenue.
Up to 3000 cars per day would be using Ontario. This increase in cars would
greatly increase conflicts with cyclists at the 1st and 2nd Avenue
intersections and discourage people from using this popular bicycle route,
decreasing people moving capacity. The measures that the city has proposed
including bike lanes and a bicycle path north of 1st will do little to
reduce intersection conflicts.

The best option would for Ontario Street to remain car free north of First
Avenue!!! Instead of adding cars, these developments should lead to
improvements to the Bikeway. The sections of Ontario by the developments
should be open to cycling and pedestrians by closing off automobile access.

Please come to the following meetings:

Ontario Bikeway Strategy and Planning Meeting
Join others who want to improve the Ontario Bikeway and protect it from
more cars.
Tuesday, October 10 5:30 PM
BEST Office, 822-510 W Hastings (at Richards)
information or to get involved contact Richard Campbell,
604:669=2860 ext 212 or richard@@@best,bc,ca

Public Hearing
Let the City know what you think of their plans by speaking at the upcoming
public hearing:
Oct 17, 2006 7:30 PM
Council Chambers, City Hall
Call 604:873=7276 to register to speak

Consider sending a message to Mayor Sullivan and Council?
mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca