Hello everyone,
Harmony Arts Festival
As we wrap up Council business and prepare to head into summer, there is so much to look forward to. We are still in Step 3 of the Province’s Restart Plan; however, as soon as the announcement was made on July 1 that festivals would be allowed, our staff and generous corporate sponsors accomplished something quite remarkable—the quick return of the Harmony Arts Festival!
With COVID safety plans in place, we are thrilled to be able to offer:
Musical performances in Millennium Park
A floating stage with musical performances along the Centennial Sea Walk
New dinner & comedy improv nights in the British Properties
The popular Art Market on Argyle Avenue
Artists in residence featuring Xwalacktun (Rick Harry) and friends
An onsite mural by James Harry and Lauren Brevner, who will create a series of painted relief carvings that celebrate cultural diversity
A Seniors’ Art Exhibition
While you are enjoying the events, please remember to wear a mask (recommended), stay home if you feel sick, and use the sanitation stations provided. The festival runs from July 30 to August 8, and you can find the schedule at harmonyarts.ca.
Our Library needs your support
Over the past 15 months, our library has done so much to innovate and respond to the needs of everyone in our community. Moving beyond books, the library’s work to keep people connected in a time of isolation was critical to our more vulnerable community members.
These enhanced programs are only possible because of donations made to the West Vancouver Memorial Library Foundation. Please consider making a donation to their Books and Beyond campaign, by July 30.
Donations in any amount are appreciated. (Unfortunately, we can no longer take donations of used books.) Here are some examples of what your cash donation can accomplish:
$30 can buy a new book for the library’s collection
$150 can offer two more Device Clinics
$500 can sponsor one of the popular monthly Tech Talks
$1,000 can purchase enough new devices or software to support all students in a youth tech program
$5,000 can allow for a new and exciting virtual event
It’s easy to donate. Visit the website and donate online.
New restaurant at Gleneagles Clubhouse
This is also really exciting news: the operators of the Boat Shed in Ambleside Park will soon open a new café and bistro bar in the Gleneagles Clubhouse, called The Orchard. The operators are now finalizing renovations, and waiting for licences from health authorities and the liquor control board, but they have a fantastic chef on board with menus ready for the opening.
Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it is sure to be popular with golfers and locals, if the success of the Boat Shed is anything to go by. I’ll be sure to let everyone know as soon as they are open, hopefully in August.
Municipal Hall Update
We are anticipating that on September 7, if the Province moves to Step 4 of BC’s Restart Plan, we will reopen Municipal Hall to the public. While the new part of the building will open, the old Municipal Hall is still under construction and will remain closed for a few more months.
Taking advantage of the remote work environment required by the pandemic, we were able to realize savings by speeding up the renovations at Municipal Hall. The seismic upgrade and renewal project is progressing well, and is anticipated to be complete by the first quarter of 2022. When that is done, the District, in a five-year period, will have completed seismic upgrades at Municipal Hall, constructed a post-disaster standard Police Station, and seismically upgraded major parts of Fire Hall No. 1. While renovating a building, especially a heritage one, brings its own challenges and surprises, I believe everyone will be thrilled with the finished product as an outstanding example of the West Coast Modern style. Further details about the project will be provided in a Council Report to be published in September.
Looking ahead to Step 4 of BC’s Restart Plan
While we are enjoying the freedom available to us during Step 3 this summer, we are also preparing for Step 4.
In September, we will continue to conduct Council and committee meetings virtually. In October we will move back to in-person meetings for both Council and committee meetings, just as it was pre-pandemic. We are going to take advantage of the advances in technology we’ve implemented to create a flexible meeting structure that allows the public to attend in-person or virtually, but for this, we need to update our Council Procedure Bylaw. We plan to update the bylaw in October, and move to a new flexible meeting format in November.
It has been a challenging fifteen months, our community has pulled together and pulled through; and everyone is ready for some fun with family and friends. On behalf of Council, please enjoy a safe and rejuvenating August…and we hope to see you at Harmony Arts!
Warm regards,
Mayor Mary-Ann Booth
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