This coming Monday, June 5th at 7PM, join GWAC for:
 
Uniting Renters in Vancouver and Grandview Woodland

The Grandview-Woodland Renters Action Group and the Vancouver Tenants Union will be co-presenting at our forum on uniting renters in Vancouver and  Grandview-Woodland.

A discussion will follow the presentation.

Please come to share your stories and ideas.

Location: Learning Resource Centre, under the Library, at the Britannia Community Centre

The City of Vancouver is exploring an option to relocate a future plaza shown in the Grandview-Woodland Plan from the Safeway site at 1780 East Broadway to another unspecified location. A public meeting will be held by the City on June 8th where they will provide further details. The original concept renderings of what was originally envisioned for the site are reproduced below:

The full notice from the City of Vancouver is reproduced below:

Hello Everyone,
The City of Vancouver has been approached by a development team (developer, architect, and property owner) about a potential redevelopment of the Safeway site located at 1780 East Broadway, at Commercial Drive. The Grandview-Woodland Community Plan provides guidance about how this site should redevelop and sets a requirement to provide a new at- grade public plaza on the site (see section 6.7.1, page 112-113 of the updated version online here).
The development team is proposing that the plaza be located at an alternative location nearby. While this is variation from the approved Community Plan, the City wants to work with the community to give this new idea its due consideration.  
To introduce and explore the idea of an alternative plaza location, the City is hosting an event. The primary purpose of the event is to assess the degree of community support for the new plaza idea.

Event details are as follows:
The proposed workshop will take place:
DATE: Thursday, June 8, 2017
TIME: 7:00pm to 8:30pm

LOCATION: Croatian Cultural Centre
The event is free, but limited to the first 100 registrants; advance registration is required (see below).
Community feedback will be used to inform next steps in the process, as the City considers the rezoning enquiry. Please note that if this enquiry proceeds to a rezoning application there will be further opportunities for community consultation on all aspects of the application.

Register for the event
There are two ways to register for the workshop

• Online - Please visit our Eventbrite page and sign up to attend; or
• Telephone – Zoë Greig, Planning Assistant, at 604-829-2015

Please note: To ensure the broadest number of community members have a chance to participate, individual registration (name, address and email) is required for each person wishing to attend the event. No bulk registrations will be available. The event is intended primarily for people who live or work in Grandview-Woodland or near the Safeway site.

Britannia Community Services, GWAC, the Kettle Society, REACH, the Aboriginal Friendship Society, ALIVE, and Vancouver Public Library invite you to join your neighbours for a light dinner and opportunity to speak with your candidates in a World Cafe setting. There are two ridings representing our neighbourhood. Seating will be sorted by riding to allow maximum conversation time with your candidates. There will be a moderator at each table to ensure all attendees have equal opportunity to ask questions on issues they consider important.

Monday, May 1, 2017
Britannia Community Services Centre, Gym B

Non-traditional Format
"World Cafe style"
6:30-7:00: meal and socializing (vegetarian soup)

7:00-7:45: prepared statements from each candidate

7:45-9:00: informal conversations with candidates at each table Candidates will be from Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Vancouver-Hastings.

Voter registration information provided by Samara.

Provincial election day: Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Advance polls: Sat-Sun, Apr 29-30, Wed-Sat, May 3-6 (full list of advance polling stations here)

For our April 3rd meeting, the Board agreed to invite our membership to attend the Britannia Community Centre meeting on Reconcilliation and Renewal with Yvonne Rigsby-Jones, 6-8pm, Gym D. Community meal at 6pm, Talk and discussions at 7pm.

Novelist and short story writer Caroline Adderson will be a special guest at the GWAC Annual General Meeting. Adderson is a contributor to the popular book Vancouver Vanishes: Narratives of Demolition and Revival.
Old houses have stories to tell. They are repositories of narratives. Adderson will examine questions such as: How does an old house become a repository of narrative?

Annual General Meeting
Sunday, March 5, 2017 @  2 pm
Canucks Family Education Centre,
1655 William Street, Britannia Community Centre
above Family Place, bordering Grandview Park

Agenda:
  Approval of Minutes from 2016 AGM
  President’s Report
  Financial Report
  Election of Directors for 2016-17

Guest Speaker: Caroline Adderson, Vancouver Vanishes

We encourage all residents to consider standing for election to the Council. If you care about your neighbourhood and your neighbours and would like to both see their concerns addressed and to present new ideas and initiatives to them, this is your opportunity to do so. Please consider putting your name forward at the AGM.

 Care about Grandview Woodland; Get involved!

Come see Grandview's new Immigrant Welcome Centre!
Monday, February 6, 2017 @ 7:00pm
ISS of BC Welcome Centre
2610 Victoria Dr, Vancouver, BC V5N 4L2

Lisa Bautista, manager of  the Immigrant Service Society's BC Welcome Centre invites neighbourhood residents for a tour of the facility.  She will give a presentation describing the services and programs and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions.

We hope to also hear from new immigrants who have settled in our community.  

There has also been a request to discuss Refuge & Sanctuary Cities, immigration & Border Issues.

The City of Vancouver will be hosting two Open Houses on improvements to the Union-Adanac Corridor. Of particular interest to Grandview-Woodland residents is the event scheduled for January 21 (11am-3pm) at the Wise Hall (1882 Adanac Street). For reference, the full text of the City's invitation is reproduced below:

We want to hear from you!
The City of Vancouver is planning improvements along the Union-Adanac Corridor to make it safer and more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities to walk and cycle. Changes are being considered at key locations between Gore Avenue and Kamloops Street.
Join us at an open house to learn about the recommended designs and provide feedback.
City staff will be available to answer questions and discuss the project.

Saturday, January 21, 11 am – 3 pm
Wise Hall, 1882 Adanac Street

Monday, January 23, 4 – 7:30 pm
Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer Street
A Cantonese and Mandarin speaking interpreter will be available at this session.
View display boards and complete a feedback form online at: vancouver.ca/union-adanac.

For More Information
Phone 3-1-1 TTY 7-1-1
Visit vancouver.ca/union-adanac
Email adanac@vancouver.ca

First meeting of the new year!

GWAC invites you to the Monday January 9, 2017, 7pm - 9pm
in the Learning Resource Centre, beneath the Library, at Britannia Community Centre

Commercial Drive's Future:
The BIA (Business Improvement Association) will present their vision for the future of Commercial Drive, its retail environment, pedestrian & transit access, and more.  Come and hear speakers expand on this vision developed in 2013, and how it now fits with the Community Plan as approved by the City of Vancouver in 2016.

Reproduced below is a notice from the City concerning upgrades for the 10th Avenue Corridor. Of particular interest is the Open House at the Croatian Cultural Centre (3250 Commercial Drive) on Tuesday, November 29th (4-7pm). There's also an option to email the City with comments until December 12, 2016.

The City of Vancouver is improving the 10th Avenue Corridor to better accommodate people of all ages and abilities who walk, cycle, and drive.  Over the past year, the City has built on public and stakeholder feedback to develop a recommended design for the Health Precinct between Oak and Cambie Streets and will present their findings at the South Granville Seniors Centre on December 1st at 12:30 – 1:30 PM.  For more information about the upcoming open houses and the potential designs for the two other segments along the corridor, please see the information below.
 
We want to hear from you!
Over the last year, we have built on public and stakeholder feedback to develop a recommended design for the Health Precinct between Oak and Cambie Streets, and to advance potential designs for segments from Quebec Street to Guelph Street and from Commercial Drive to Victoria Drive.
 
Public Open Houses
Join us at a public open house to review recommended designs as part of our third phase of consultation. Meetings will be drop-in open house format. City staff will be available to discuss the project, answer questions, and gather your feedback.
 
Saturday, November 26, 2016, 11 AM – 3 PM
Blusson Spinal Cord Centre, 818 W 10th Avenue
 
Tuesday, November 29, 2016, 4 PM – 7 PM
Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive
 
View display materials and complete a feedback form online at vancouver.ca/10th-avenue or click on the links below. The online feedback form will be available November 22nd.
 
·         Welcome, Supporting Policy, Why 10th Ave?, 3 Segments
·         Health Precinct: Introduction 
·         Health Precinct: Recommended Design
·         Quebec St to Guelph St, Proposed Design
·         Commercial Dr to Victoria Dr, Proposed Design
·         Timeline, Future improvements, Next steps 
 
Please submit your comments by December 12, 2016. Email: 10th Avenue Corridor Project Team
10thavenue@vancouver.ca

Reconciliation in Action: Towards Building Healthy Communities

GWAC invites you to the November 7th meeting, from 7-9pm
in the Learning Resource Centre, beneath the Library, at Britannia Community Centre
 
A Collective Impact Place-Based Strategy
by Our Place & Aboriginal Life in Vancouver Enhancement (ALIVE) Society

Our Place is a collaboration of residents, community organizations, local businesses & community leaders in Vancouver. Their/our vision is for the East Side to be a place where all children and families can thrive.

Success in life depends on a good start and research shows that children who start behind, stay behind. Our Place is committed to ensuring that Urban Indigenous Children will succeed in school & in life.  

More than any single influence on a  child or community, it is the confluence of all the enabling forces that truly fosters healthier kids & serves as a catalyst for positive community empowerment.  

Come to learn more about the program and how GW residents can partner and support this program.
 
For more information:
http://www.alivesociety.ca/images/DIMA_ALIVE_FINAL_may4.pdf
http://www.ourplace-vancouver.ca/
http://alivesociety.ca/

Come meet Scott Clark, newest GWAC Board member

GWAC invites you to a meeting on Monday, September 12th at Britannia's Library Resource Centre (7-9pm) to share your thoughts and discuss the Park Board's new Dog Strategy. (a poster for the event is available in PDF form)

Details on the "People, Parks and Dogs" strategy are available on the Park Board website.
http://vancouver.ca/people-parks-dogs
The first Open House for the Dog Strategy is scheduled for Tuesday Sept 13th. Park Board has also posted PDF files of a discussion guide and the Open House panels. There is also an opportunity to provide the Board with written feedback until October 14, 2016 and to take an online survey.

A Facebook Page for Dog Lovers of Trout Lake includes a number of points to consider for the consultation process.

The following links are articles that were in response to the draft Master Plan for Trout Lake in 2014; Park Board did not go ahead with the proposed changes:
http://metronews.ca/news/vancouver/1014428/dog-owners-protest-trout-lake-off-leash-park-plans/
http://www.straight.com/news/655581/trout-lake-dog-walkers-plan-sunday-rally-defend-unfenced-leash-area

TWN Skills Centre is pleased to announce a NEW Program – TRY-A-TRADE! This is open to ALL Aboriginal people (First Nations, Metis & Inuit) and the cost is FREE OF CHARGE! Please visit this website to REGISTER – 
www.twnskillscentre.com or call 604-985-1765

1.  Presenters are welcome to speak to council at designated times (Wed, July 27th is the time for the draft Grandview-Woodland Community Plan).
 
2.  Presenters must register if they wish to have their name put on a speakers’ list.
 
3.  You can register by contacting: http://vancouver.ca/your-government/city-council-meetings-and-decisions.aspx or by calling 311 and asking for the City Clerk’s office and specifying which meeting you wish to present to.   
 
The email address for the City Clerk is ccclerk@vancouver.ca
 
The meeting agenda can be found at: http://council.vancouver.ca/20160727/pspc20160727ag.htm
DATE: Wednesday, July 27, 2016  TIME: 9:30 am  PLACE: Council Chamber Third Floor, City Hall (453 W 12th Ave)  Staff report: link available here

Note: No requests are usually taken after the Council Committee meeting starts.
 
In your request provide:

• Your full name
• The date and type of meeting you want to speak at
• The agenda item number and title you want to speak about

4.  Speakers have up to five minutes to present their remarks.
 
5.  Presenters can speak with or without notes.  They can also bring a power point presentation if they wish.  Bring it on a USB key.
If you are not used to public speaking, notes are advisable.

The Grandview-Woodland Area Council (GWAC) invites you to a public meeting on July 11 to discuss the Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, updated on June 25, 2016.

This date follows a series of City sponsored, public events regarding the updated Neighbourhood Plan.  All members of the neighbourhood are encouraged to attend these events.
 http://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/grandview-woodland-community-plan.aspx
 
The purpose of the July 11th GWAC meeting is to review the updated Plan, discuss your impressions of the public consultations and define the issues critical to the success and future of the neighbourhood.  

Location: Canucks Family Education Centre just off Grandview Park (1655 William St, above Eastside Family Place), 7-9 pm Monday night.

The City of Vancouver released a draft Grandview-Woodland Community Plan on Saturday, June 25, 2016. Three events have been organized by the City for public consultation on the plan.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016, 5 pm to 9 pm, Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph Street
Tuesday, July 5, 2016, 5 pm to 9 pm, Croatian Cultural Centre, Room A, 3250 Commercial Drive
Saturday, July 9, 2016, 1 pm to 5 pm, Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Gym, 1607 East Hastings

In addition, three informal 'coffee talks' are planned by City staff, for the following times:
Monday, July 11, 5 pm - 9 pm, Croatian Cultural Centre, Room A, 3250 Commercial Drive
Friday, July 15, noon - 3 pm, Aboriginal Friendship Centre, 1607 East Hastings
Monday, July 18, 11 am - 2 pm WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac Street (at Victoria Drive)

The draft plan will the topic of GWAC's monthly meeting on Monday, July 11 (7pm - 9pm) at the Canuck Family Education Centre, 2nd floor, 1655 William Street (north side of Grandview Park). All are invited to attend

Further information can be found the City of Vancouver website at http://vancouver.ca/gw/

Britannia Community Services Centre is hosting a meeting for folks to discuss actions in response to the recommended closure of Britannia Secondary School.

Wednesday, July 6 at 6:00pm
Canuck Family Education Centre
2nd floor, 1655 William Street

This is not a GWAC sponsored event, but an issue of deep interest to many in our community. Further details are available on the Facebook page of the Britannia Community Services Centre.

• Worried about rent increases and renovictions? 
• Nowhere to move because everything has got so expensive? 

The City of Vancouver will release a new neighbourhood plan for Grandview-Woodland this summer or fall. The plan will likely bring even more development and pressure on rent. Join us to talk with activists from neighbourhoods that have already been through the planning process and are fighting for the rights of renters. Find out about their struggles, the pressures on Co-ops, and policies in Vancouver that affect renters. Let's talk about what we can do to make secure and stable rental homes in Grandview-Woodland.

June 6, 2016 (Monday)
7 to 9pm
Canuck Family Education Centre
1655 William Street, entrance off Grandview Park
Speakers TBA

Here are a few links to tenant resources for background information only:
http://tenants.bc.ca/
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies
http://vancouver.ca/your-government/renters-advisory-committee.aspx

After June 6th, the next two GWAC community meetings will be held on July 11th and September 12th. The themes for these upcoming meetings will be announced in the near future.

Three alternatives for an updated GWAC logo will be displayed at the meeting on Monday, June 6th. There will be an opportunity for everyone to select their preference. If you are a GWAC member and can't attend this meeting, please send us a note indicating which logo you prefer.

A proposal for a 5-storey infill building has been filed for 1102 Commercial Drive, at the corner of Napier Street. Many residents of Grandview-Woodland will know the site by the current two-storey building with Moja coffee, and formerly containing the Florida Market.

The City of Vancouver has provided an opportunity for public feedback on this proposal. Comments can be made on or before Friday, May 20th for staff consideration in the review (the wepage also notes: "However, comments will be considered up until the date of decision"). Further details are on the City of Vancouver’s website:

• http://development.vancouver.ca/pc1102commercial/index.htm

Comments can be sent directly to City staff via email: sangeeta.vishwakarma@vancouver.ca (604-871-6412)
and to darren.lee@vancouver.ca (604-871-6703)
Please note that the planner now assigned to the proposal is Sangeeta Vishwakarma, the previous contact was phoebe.stewart@vancouver.ca

There are a number of issues with this proposed 5-storey development, the most serious of which is that it does not appear to conform to the limits set under the current zoning bylaw.

Current zoning does not allow for:
• a 5-storey, 48.5 ft tall building anywhere on the site
• a setback of 7.16 feet is not permitted in the rear under any circumstance (the 5-storey building wall would be 2.16 metres from the laneway)

Furthermore, there are issues of scale, fit and neighbourliness. One of the urban design conventions in the “C-2” zones is to have a building step back toward the laneway so that the scale transitions from a 3 or 4-storey building along an arterial road to housing on residential blocks. Across from the laneway to the east are a couple of duplex, two-storey ‘Vancouver specials’ on 33’ lots (10.5m wide). The proposed abrupt change in scale is not neighbourly. As well, there will be issues not just with privacy, but with shade later in the afternoon.

Based on the width of the lane, a minimum building setback of 15.1 feet in the rear would be required, even when allowing for the maximum relaxation outlined in section 4.6.2 of the C-2C1 zoning bylaw.

The current building height that is allowed outright is 10.7 metres, or 35 feet (for 3-storeys).  A relaxation can be requested to a height not exceeding 13.8 metres (45 feet) that could allow for a 4-storey building. The regulations do not allow for a further relaxation on the relaxation to exceed the maximum height on this site.

The proposal would see the removal of a tall, mature street tree. Work would need to be done on the hydro lines as well on the laneway.

The suggested choice of siding installed “using pre-formed pre-coloured aluminum joint materials” is not compatible with the recently renovated building frontage on Commercial nor is it neighbourly and sensitive to the materials in the buildings in the vicinity.

A single information sign is tucked away around the corner of the site on Napier Street, there is no information sign posted prominently at the 1102 Commercial Drive address. This has limited the ability of the public to comment on the project.
 
The City’s description of the proposal is as follows:
• retaining the existing two-storey Heritage B building;
• a new five-storey infill residential building with 8 secure market rental units at the rear of this site;
• a proposed maximum height of approximately 48.5 feet;
• a proposed floor space ratio 2.7 (approximately 10107.5 square feet);
• one-car share parking space having vehicular access from the lane; and
• removal of one street tree on Napier Street.

The zoning bylaw is available here :

• http://former.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/BYLAWS/zoning/c-2c1.pdf

Setting the record straight
As a result of the ongoing Grandview-Woodland Community Plan, there is a freeze on new rezoning applications. This 5-storey infill proposal is a Development Permit Application that would require the approval of City staff to proceed. City staff can only permit the application if it is allowed under existing zoning.

Zoning limits what you can and cannot do on property. This proposal exceeds current zoning limits, and none of the relaxations outlined in section 5 of the C-2C1 bylaws apply to this site condition. City Council, and not staff, have the power to rezone land in Vancouver.
 
The City of Vancouver has a series of predefined zoning types that are commonly used for commercial districts along arterial streets. The Drive uses variants of the “C-2” zoning that are also used along Kingsway, Fraser, parts of Main Street, West 4th Avenue and East Hastings and Nanaimo. The specific variant of C-2 used along this stretch of Commercial Drive is C-2C1.
 
According to the information sign, the current Acting Director of Planning, Jane Pickering (email: jane.pickering@vancouver.ca), will review this proposal behind closed doors. The zoning alternately allows for review of this proposal in the public by the Development Permit Board (DPB).

Bill Lightbown, Kootenai Elder, Historian and Social Organizer
Friday May 13th, 6:30- 9:00pm at Britannia Community Centre Canuck Family Education Centre (1655 William St)

ALIVE with key partners will be launching the Knowledge Keepers dialogue series, in which we bring forward key individuals (Indigenous and Non Indigenous) who have worked towards social justice with Indigenous peoples. The intent of the series to build off our existing Reconciliation In Action strategy to get all local residents engaged to learn of the Indigenous struggle and find ways to move forward together.

Bill Lightbown is 89 years old and going strong and first moved to Grandview-Woodland in 1942 . He has spent over 60 years on behalf of Indigenous peoples advocating for all Indigenous peoples, regardless of Indian Act status or residency. He assisted in creating BC Association of Non Status Indians (BCANSI) in 1969 (later to become United Native Nations) and is a founder of the newly created Northwest Indigenous Council (NWIC) in 2015.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the "Jane's Walks" events that are held worldwide. The idea behind the walks is to get out and experience neighbourhoods by walking, and these events are inspired by the writings of famous Urbanist Jane Jacobs.

The Jane's Walk in Grandview-Woodland will last approximately 2 hours. We'll be looking at heritage, urban design and the evolution of the Drive over time.

Start time: Sunday, May 8th, 1pm
Meeting Place: In front of Bump 'n Grind Cafe, 916 Commercial Drive (just south of Venables)
Walk title: Human Scale Urbanism on the Drive (website)

GWAC is co-sponsoring the Jane's Walk on the Drive, along with the Grandview Heritage Group. A number of other walks are planned in and around Vancouver between May 6th and May 8th. The full list of events can be found on the main Jane's Walk website.

[Update: here's a photo from the walk. We were honoured to be joined by Ned Jacobs, Jane's son, on a glorious day]