Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

News stories from the Renfrew-Collingwood community in East Vancouver

Author Archives: Renfrew-Collingwood Community News


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Eating Out in RC: Off the Grid Waffles

Strawberry Chocolate Waffle

Tis the season for fresh strawberry and chocolate waffles. Photos by Paul Reid

2665 Kingsway, Vancouver
778-996-1812
Monday-Friday 2-11 pm | Saturday 11 am-12 am | Sunday 11 am-11 pm

BY PAUL REID

Dear reader. Greetings and welcome to yet another fine instance of Eating Out in RC. This time, we journey across the street from Norquay Park on Kingsway to a place next door to where our beloved Wally’s once existed. Can you picture it? Now, see yourself entering into the door of a new establishment called Off the Grid Waffles.

That’s what my accomplice and I did for the first time this July. I am so happy to say that Off the Grid Waffles is a big, big hit! Not only was it packed on the two occasions that I was there, but that seems to be the word out on the net.

So what’s all the fuss about? Take a look at these waffles. And they are as delectable as they are beautiful. The pizza waffles are perhaps not so dazzling, but they are delicious.

Pizza waffle

Try the savoury pizza waffles such as the Smoked Salmon or Montreal Smoked Meat.

“This is just a place for snacks,” my wife said. After she couldn’t finish her Smoked Salmon waffle, let alone the strawberry-chocolate waffle for dessert, I think she stood corrected. Yes, you can make a full meal out of waffles. My Montreal Smoked Meat Pizza waffle was pretty damn good as well.

So yes, start with a savoury waffle: Grilled Chicken Breast; Montreal Smoked Meat; Spicy Chicken with Bacon; Pulled Pork; Cheeseburger or Smoked Salmon. And then, finish it off with a heavenly dessert waffle: Cheesecake; S’Mores; Tiramisu; Banana Nutella, Matcha Cheesecake, or as we had, the seasonal Strawberry Chocolate.

For drinks, you might want to try one of Off the Grid’s specialty shakes: Matcha, Cappuccino, Maple Bacon, Oreo, Chocolate Banana and Strawberry. There are also specialty drinks, teas, cappuccinos, lattes and free water.

The owners of the shop are Raymond Fong and Hurley Wu. “This is our first restaurant. We grew up in this neighbourhood, which is why we chose to open here.” The official opening was in January 2016.

Yes, the prices are decent (nothing over $9 dollars), the service is good (considering how much work goes into each creation) and did I mention Jenga – yes – each table comes with this fun skill testing game to keep us happy while our  delicious waffles are being prepared. Bon appetit.

Copyright (c) 2016 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News


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Sculpture by local artist honours lost streams

Still Moon Arts events celebrate nature

BY LUCAS CHAN

Still Here art opening

Still Here art opening. Photo by Ben Rosen Purcell

On June 30 Still Moon Art Society’s artistic director, Carmen Rosen, unveiled her first public art sculpture Still Here. Located on 2699 Kingsway (close to the old Wally’s Burgers), Still Here is a testament to the lost streams that continue to exist beneath the concrete jungle.

The sculpture also represents the efforts of the community to acknowledge its existence and steward the future health of existing natural spaces that remain in the city, like Renfrew Ravine and Still Creek. More than just beautiful places teeming with wildlife and flora, these places present environments for communities to learn, explore and connect with each other as well as the natural world.

Come out to Stewardship Mondays

Still Creek Stewardship Mondays

Still Creek Stewardship Mondays. Photo by Bea Miller

On July 11 the weekly summer initiative, Stewardship Mondays, had its first session and featured a workshop on weaving native and non-native plant species with local artist Sharon Kallis.

Every Monday for the rest of the summer Still Moon Arts will continue to host family friendly activities in the ravine from 11 am–1 pm, meeting at the Renfrew Ravine labyrinth on 27th Avenue.

Performance Exploration

Renfrew Ravine is the home to many memories about how this natural space has served as a place for community reflection, inspiration and connection. From July 10–14 Still Moon Arts organized a site-specific Performance Exploration workshop in Renfrew Ravine, a four-day process to tell community-inspired stories through dance, poetry, music, vocal body, theatre and ephemeral art.

Still Moon Arts invited aspiring youth performers share two of the days to learn interdisciplinary techniques to expressing their creativity under the mentorship of artist/vocalist Carmen Rosen and director/choreographer Isabelle Kirouac, singer/dancer Laura Crema and visual artist/musician Robin Lough. Material from this workshop will be used to develop material for a larger work to be presented next year.

Moon Festival

August and September will be busy months as Still Moon Arts prepares for their 14th annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival on Saturday, September 17 at Slocan Park and Renfrew Park. From September 6-9/ 12-15 there will be lantern workshops at Slocan Hall from 4–8 pm, with Moon Music Concerts at Slocan Park throughout the month.

Still Moon Arts will end the month with an Equinox Labyrinth Walk on Thursday, September 22 and a World Rivers Day art and water celebration on Sunday, September 25.

For more information on all events find them on Facebook as Still Moon Arts Society and on Twitter and Instagram as stillmoonarts.

Lucas Chan is a fourth year student at the University of British Columbia studying international trade and development in the faculty of land and food systems. He is interested in learning from community stories and knowledge to explore more ways of bringing people together. Through Still Moon he aims to increase awareness of Renfrew Ravine as a place for community, education, sustainability and art.

Copyright (c) 2016 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News


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Help save our neighbourhood schools!

Sign the petition and help save Renfrew-Collingwood schools

Sign the petition and help save Renfrew-Collingwood schools

Late June 2016, the Bruce Parent Action Group 2016 (BPAG) was formed in response to the announcement that Graham Bruce Elementary School will be one of three schools being put on the potential list of schools to be considered for closure.

During the 2015/2016 school year, Bruce housed 218 students, which was at 70% capacity. The school has the potential to house more students. As you are aware, in addition to Bruce elementary, Carleton elementary school is also on the list to be considered for closure, as is Gladstone high school.

The Joyce-Collingwood area of East Vancouver is expanding rapidly. The Wall Centre Central Park will soon add more than 1,000 new homes.  The Westbank Projects’ 29-storey condo tower and the Joyce-Collingwood Station Precinct plan will add another 2,600 new homes. The new zoning is specifically aimed at providing affordable housing for families in the Collingwood neighbourhood.

With the potential of approximately 3,600 new families coming into the area, there will be more families who will need schools for their children. It just doesn’t make sense to close these schools!

We need your help!

The Bruce Parent Action Group was at the recent Greek Festival, thanks to our local member of Parliament, Don Davies and to the president of the Greek Orthodox Community, Mr. Kostas Nikolaou who allowed us to set up a table at their festivities. Over 1,000 petitions were well received by the public to help us advocate for our community schools. More can be done!

Please join the campaign to advocate for Bruce school by visiting https://bruceelementary.wordpress.com to print and sign the petition or to see updates on this worthwhile cause. Join the Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/savebruce/. Please mail or drop off your signed petition to MLA Adrian Dix’s constituency office at 5022 Joyce Street, Vancouver, BC V5R 4G6.

BPAG appreciates your help for this worthwhile cause for the future of our children. Please sign the petition and send it in. Our children are our future.