Renfrew-Collingwood Community News

News stories from the Renfrew-Collingwood community in East Vancouver

Category Archives: Sports & Recreation


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Songs for the salmon! Get ready for the Renfrew Ravine Harvest Moon Festival 2016

Saturday, September 17

Turtle Bliss Gamelan

Turtle Bliss Gamelan playing with lanterns by Naomi Singer. Photo by Zora Feren

BY LUCAS CHAN

For months Still Moon Arts Society has been preparing for the 14th annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival, held this year on Saturday, September 17.

The moon festival celebrates the nature and beauty of Renfrew Ravine and Still Creek. For many decades the ravine was abandoned by the salmon due to the polluted water and ecosystems caused by the neglect of this natural space. But the salmon have been returning to spawn in our community since 2012, thanks to the hard work of many community stewards and local governments collaborating to restore health of the stream and the ecosystem.

On the Wild Salmon Caravan in June, youth from Still Moon Arts were honoured to join in singing many First Nations songs for the salmon all along the Fraser River. Still Moon wants to extend the idea to our community that we, too, can have songs for the salmon as yet another way of caring for our local stream, Still Creek.

Make your own lantern

The month of September will be busy in preparation for the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival to be held at Slocan Park and Renfrew Park. You are welcome to come out to Slocan Hall and make a lantern to carry in the parade:

  • Tuesday and Wednesday, September 6 and 7: Globe lanterns, 4–8 pm
  • Thursday and Friday, September 8 and 9: Salmon lanterns, 4–8 pm
  • Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11: Advanced Sculptural Lantern Making 10 am–1 pm
  • Monday and Tuesday, September 12 and 13: Globe lanterns, 4–8 pm
  • Wednesday and Thursday, September 14 and 15: Glass jar lanterns, 4–8 pm

The big day

Moon Fest Fireworks

Fireworks finale with metal fence by Heather Jones. Photo by Zora Feren

Festival day, Saturday, Sept ember 17, consists of two main components that take place at Slocan Park and Renfrew Park.

At Slocan Park from 4–7 pm there will be a Harvest Fair to showcase community harvests alongside family-friendly activities, community booths and musical performances.

At 7:15 pm a twilight lantern procession will lead the community from Slocan Park to Renfrew Park along the edge of the ravine.

At Renfrew Park you are guaranteed to be wowed by the community and artist made lanterns decorating the site to highlight the natural beauty of Still Creek. There will be refreshments, activities, interactive local art pieces as well as a fireworks finale to bring the night to a close.

More ravine celebrations

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.

Still Moon Arts Society is also in the process of putting together Still Creek Stories, a collection of stories from the community that share their stories and experiences in the ravine. These stories will be compiled into an art book as a representation of the memories and hopes of what Still Creek was in the past, is in the present, and hopefully will be in the future. Pre-orders will be available at the Renfrew Park portion of the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival on September 17!

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

Copyright (c) 2016 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News


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Farm markets in Renfrew-Collingwood

RCC News River District Farmers Market Romers

Stay for a meal at Romer’s Burger Bar and enjoy the waterfront, playground and pier after a stop at the River District Farmers Market. Photos by Julie Cheng

BY JULIE CHENG

There’s nothing like the taste and nutrition of fresh fruits and vegetables picked at the peak of the season. Summer is a great time to take advantage of local-grown fruits and veggies found at various farmers markets and market stalls around our neighbourhood.

Whether you walk, bike or Skytrain, the trip will be well worth the effort!

Windermere Garden Market

Tuesdays (July 12 – end of August)

Time: 11:00 am–2 pm

Location: In front of Collingwood Neighbourhood House, 5288 Joyce Street

Students from Windermere Secondary School’s Organic Garden are offering their fresh and organic produce to the community! Pick up local veggies and support Windermere students.

Curbside Fresh Market

Thursdays (until September 29)

3–6 pm

In front of Collingwood Neighbourhood House, 5288 Joyce Street

Curbside Fresh Market, a project of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, sells locally grown, lower-priced, fresh produce and market staples at Collingwood Neighbourhood House on Thursdays. Buy from a selection of in-season fruits and veggies, including tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, peaches, cherries, apples and more!

MERCATO Italian Market

Friday, August 19

Friday, November 25

4-8 pm

3075 Slocan Street and Grandview Highway

The city’s only Italian market is right in our backyard! This unique market brings together the tastes of Italy with the produce grown in local farms. Shop for fresh fruit and veggies, hand-made products and delicious food prepared by Il Centro’s chef.

RCC News River District Fraser View

Enjoy a leisurely walk and a spectacular view from the view just off the River District Farmers Market.

River District Farmers Market

Saturdays until October 15

10 am-3 pm

Kerr Street Plaza – 8683 Kerr Street

One block South of SE Marine Drive

This is the only riverfront market in Vancouver. Shop for fruits and vegetables, prepared foods, and hand-made products produced by farmers and artisans. Stay for live music, a delicious meal at Romer’s Burger Bar and enjoy the waterfront, playground and pier. If you live nearby, please consider walking or biking.

Trout Lake Market

Saturdays until October 19

9 am to 2 pm

North parking lot of Trout Lake (John Hendry Park)

One of the longest-running and most popular markets in Vancouver, Trout Lake Market is always jam-packed. There are often lineups for the food trucks such as Vij’s Railway Express.

But it’s not all about food. The scene is colourful and festive with musicians playing and face-painting for kids and kids at heart. In addition to the fresh produce, from apples and peaches to beets and turnips, you can pick up fresh-baked bread and pies, meat and cheese, salmon and free-range chicken, and lots more. If it’s organic, even better!

Skytrain stop: Nanaimo station.

Downtown Market at Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Thursdays until October 27

2-6 pm

Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza

650 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

If you’re downtown you can shop fresh weekly for quality fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs and poultry, baked goods, artisan food and craft, fresh fish, and local craft beer, wine and spirits.

Or take the Skytrain to the Chinatown-Stadium station and head down Beatty Street and turn west on Georgia Street.

Before the market, grab some lunch and head across Georgia Street to the CBC and take in the sounds of summer at CBC’s Musical Nooners. These free, live music concerts run every weekday on the CBC Vancouver outdoor stage on Hamilton Street (between West Georgia and Robson), Monday to Friday from 12-1 pm.

Julie Cheng is the editor of the Renfrew-Collingwood Community News. She tries to purchase fresh local produce whenever possible.

Copyright (c) 2016 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News


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Battling the European chafer beetle

A chafer beetle in the back yard

A chafer beetle in the backyard. Photos by Julie Cheng

BY JULIE CHENG

Those pesky chafer beetles star started showing up earlier this year—from late May right til the end of June.

They first showed up coming from underground and creeping up strands of grass on the lawn, where I’d stomp on them, wincing at every loud crunch. Mid June found me outside with a broom whacking my tall rhododendron where they swarmed at dusk, hoping, I reasoned, to ruin their sex lives so they wouldn’t mate and lay eggs on my lawn. I later used the more dignified tactic of spraying them with the hose.

Late June I found some dead ones in my backyard. I imagined them burrowing down into the grass, laying their 300 eggs or so, then dying, their life spent but fulfilled.

Signs of chafer beetle

Chafer grubs

Chafer grubs can be found in lawns from fall to spring.

Adult European chafer beetles are copper-coloured beetles. Females lay eggs, which hatch in about two weeks and grow into grubs. These soft, white grubs chomp on the grass roots, destroying lawns.

My lawn will start showing damage from fall to early spring. During this time, the resident skunk and the crows make a buffet of them. I don’t mind these critters digging up the lawn, I think they’re doing me a favour by eating as many of the grubs as they can.

Otherwise, I’d be digging them up myself. I have been known to smash a few with my shovel out of frustration, but mostly I dig up 10-20 a day and feed them to my neighbour’s chickens. You have to love those yummy, protein-rich chafer eggs the chickens produce.

Fighting chafers naturally

It’s important to keep your lawn healthy. This means regular aerating, watering and mowing, as well as applying lime. Try overseeding your lawn with tall fescue grass, which the beetles don’t like to lay their eggs in and the grubs have a hard time feeding on. Microclover is also a good choice.

In the city of Vancouver, you’re not allowed to use pesticides to treat chafers, but you may use nematodes, which are microscopic worms that attack the grubs. You can buy nemadoes at a garden store.

Make sure you apply the nematodes early mornings or evenings or on a cloudy day and keep the soil moist for four to seven days afterwards. You may purchase a water exemption permit from the city to sprinkle your lawn extra days (http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/water-exemption-permits.aspx).

For more information:

City of Vancouver http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/chafer-beetles.aspx

Copyright (c) 2016 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News