Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

September 5, 2018
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Annual Moon Festival lights up Renfrew-Collingwood

16th Annual Renfrew Ravine Harvest Moon Festival, Saturday, September 22, 2018

BY JUNE LAM

The annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival is back for the 16th year on Saturday, September 22, 2018!

A free event packed full of family fun, live music and art, the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival has something for everyone. Each year, the festival attracts upwards of 5,000 participants from local East Vancouver neighbourhoods to enjoy displays of colour, light and music that pay homage to one of the last vestiges of urban forest in the city.

Co-produced by Still Moon Arts Society and the Renfrew Park Community Association, the festival celebrates the harvest abundance and the full moon.

The festival spans the afternoon and evening, going from a harvest celebration during the day to a lantern festival at night. As dusk gathers, a procession will form along the banks of the ravine, featuring lighted lanterns beautifully hand crafted by local artists, community members and students.

MOON FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Harvest Fair: 4–7 pm
Slocan Park

The Moon Festival kicks off with the Harvest Fair, a home-grown harvest competition featuring entries by local gardeners of some of Renfrew-Collingwood’s best fruits, vegetables and flowers. Enter for a chance to win some awesome prizes! Alongside the presentations will be live music and food. You can also explore the booths of local organizations, artisans and non-profit groups from the community.

Twilight Lantern Walk: 7–7:30 pm
Slocan Park to Renfrew Park

The Twilight Lantern Walk is a sunset parade from Slocan Park to Renfrew Park. Festival-goers will light their own lanterns and walk the trails along the ravine, serenaded by live music as darkness falls. Passing by the river-stone labyrinth, you will be invited to join in a walking meditation surrounded by music and light. The parade will pass by art installations and maybe even surprise performances until it reaches Renfrew Park.

Lantern Festival: 7:30–8:45 pm
Renfrew Park

At nightfall, time slows down as you take in the beauty of candlelight, exquisite lanterns, ethereal music and the shimmering stream. Just outside of the stream, you will find musicians playing at the main stage, a Tea Garden full of delicious treats for you to enjoy and a final spectacle featuring dancing, stilting, fire spinning and fireworks.

PRE-FESTIVAL LANTERN WORKSHOPS

Take part in public lantern-making workshops prior to the festival. For a small fee, you can come out to the Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex (on Vanness Avenue between Boundary and Ormidale) or Slocan Park Fieldhouse (at Slocan and East 29th Avenue) to make a lantern to bring along to the twilight walk!

Sept. 10, 11: Salmon Lanterns (4–7 pm) at Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex
Cost: $25

Sept. 12, 13: Bird Lanterns (4–7 pm) at Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex
Cost: $25

Sept. 8, 15: Bird-Themed Community Art Installation (1–4 pm) at Slocan Park Fieldhouse
Cost: By donation

Sept. 17, 18: Globe Lanterns (4–7 pm) at Slocan Park Fieldhouse
Cost: $15

Sept. 19, 20: Glass Jar Lanterns (4–7 pm) at Slocan Park Fieldhouse
Cost: $10

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Mooncake Workshops

Reserve your spot by calling 604-435-0323 or paying in person at Collingwood Neighbourhood House front desk.

Sept. 7 at 10:30 am–12:30 pm (Chinese)
Sept. 11 at 5:30–7:30 pm (English)
Where: Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex
Cost: Pay-What-You-Can, suggested donation $20

Moon Music (5–7 pm)

Sept. 10: Renfrew Park Community Centre
Sept. 14: Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex
Sept. 17: Slocan Park

For more information, visit stillmoon.org or Facebook @stillmoonarts.

June Lam is a long-time resident of Renfrew-Collingwood and the communications coordinator for Still Moon Arts Society.

September 1, 2018
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September 2018 issue of RCC News is here

This issue of the RCC News is full of the many wonderful people, events and programs happening in our neighbourhood.

Get your latest issue of the RCC News at your local coffee shop, grocery store, library and community centre.

Or click on the cover image to view the new issue.

In this issue:

Annual Moon Festival returns to light up Renfrew-Collingwood
RCC News 20 years: Collingwood’d humble kitchen expert
Joyce-Collingwood Station upgrades update
2018 municipal election day: Saturday, October 20, 2018
Collingwood Corner: Renfrew Auto Camp
Ancient cedar’s journey home
Community Welcome Wagon for Sarah Ross House
The importance of having a will
Plus: Collingwood Neighbourhood House fall 2018 recreation guide

Do you have a local story to tell or an event to share? We’d love to hear about it! Email rccnews-editorial@cnh.bc.ca.

The deadline for the October 2018 issue is September 10. We welcome story submissions from 300 to 400 words long. Accompanying photos must be high resolution in a jpg file at least 1 MB large and include a photo caption and the name of the photographer.

August 31, 2018
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Let’s celebrate literacy in September

BY JANICE BEXSON

From the time we wake up and until we go to sleep, literacy plays an integral part in everything that we do.

Image source: decoda.ca

Whether we are checking the weather forecast, reading the instructions on how to make a breakfast shake, knowing the number of the bus that will take us to our destination, reading and answering emails and texts, ordering lunch and paying the bill, driving to a new destination, buying groceries, helping a stranger or tourist read a map to find a specific Air BNB, checking a bank statement, reading a story book to a child before bedtime or setting the alarm for tomorrow, we need and use basic literacy skills in order to achieve these activities in our work and in our daily lives.

However, these literacy skills are not just about learning how to read and write. They also involve knowing how well we use our literacy skills so that we can participate more fully in our community. Using existing and gaining new literacy skills increases our self-confidence, encourages connection to others, and expands our health, social and economic opportunities.

In British Columbia (B.C.), Decoda Literacy Solutions (Decoda) has declared September “Literacy Month.” Decoda supports community organizations in B.C. (including Collingwood Neighbourhood House) with funding, training and resources for a variety of literacy initiatives. Decoda’s “Literacy Is Life” campaign raises awareness about literacy and hosts a variety of activities throughout September.

As the lazy days of summer gently ease into fall, children return to school and adults generally shift from leisure to work mode, so September is the perfect month to think about how we can continue to foster literacy.

How can I foster literacy?

Well, there are many ways to involve literacy learning in your busy lives during September. A few examples include:

Play board games that inspire spelling, mathematical and logical thinking, such as Scrabble, UpWords, Qwirkle and Rush Hour.
Read a book out aloud, instead of silently.
Instead of using your GPS (global positioning system) to help you find a new destination, try using a good old paper map (the most updated copy you can find).
Challenge yourself and discover what 20 abbreviations or acronyms mean (e.g. GPS, ASAP, etc.)

Fostering our literacy skills involves constantly challenging ourselves, so that we continue to maintain and strengthen those skills. “Practice makes perfect”’ as the saying goes or “practice makes better,” as I prefer to say.

So, go ahead – this month, find out what literacy initiatives exist in the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood, and take some time to visit Decoda’s website (www.decoda.ca) and view the Literacy Is Life campaign. Have a good Literacy Month!

Janice Bexson is the literacy outreach coordinator at the Collingwood Neighbourhood House.

Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

News stories from the Renfrew-Collingwood community in East Vancouver

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