Courier Looks back to the Drive Circa 1951

Commercial Drive and Broadway. Friendly family neighbourhood--or crime-ridden intersection?

In the early 1950s, that depended on which issue of the Highland Echo you'd just read. On Jan. 18, 1951, the newspaper, which served the Grandview neighbourhood, ran an editorial extolling the virtues of Commercial Drive, a "friendly street."

"Friendly people work in the stores on this street," it said. "Little groups of children encircle the policeman on the corner and laugh and chat gaily."

Read the full article by Lisa Smedman here>>>

Special Event: 14th Annual Stone Soup Festival ‘celebrating our global food community’

Britannia Community Centre is pleased to announce another great Stone Soup Festival bringing community together in celebration of food, the environment and community itself.
More than ever, people are aware of the issues of food security, the benefits of sharing resources, and eating ‘local’.
Stone Soup will celebrate the global diversity of food, the environment and its importance to the ‘culture’ of our community.
In the spirit of celebrating our global food community, Britannia is working to build a more inclusive and diverse festival with even more food security information tables, food venders, artists, musicians, and presentations.
This year, they are especially pleased to partner with the Multicultural Family Centre in bringing the Fiesta de las Madres (Mothers Day Festival) to Stone Soup in celebration of the food and cultural traditions of Latin America.
Additional features at this year’s Stone Soup include:
● Special presentations by the UBC Farm, Raising Backyard Chickens, and Robin Wheeler, author of “Food Security for the Faint of Heart”.
● Buen Provecho! – Cookbook Launch and Photo Exhibit: Buen Provecho! is an intergenerational project involving Britannia Latin American Youth and elders from the Multicultural Family Center to collect food recipes and stories representing the food stories and traditions of Latin America.
● Art works that will include the theme of food, environment and recycled materials from neighbourhood artists. Works will include jewellery, textiles, collage, ceramics, paintings, stationary, concrete works, photography and more!
● Miscellaneous Productions presents “POWER”, an interactive performance by culturally diverse youth on issues of importance in youth lives
● Stanley Park Cozy Project: Artist Shirley Wiebe invites you to participate in a collaborative artwork that will be installed along the South Creek Path in Stanley Park. Participants will be inscribing vine maple “cookies” that will then take the form of a giant afghan that will be draped over a 10 foot high stump of a Douglas Fir tree.
● The Lost and Found Puppet Company with Maggie Winston who will tell the Stone Soup Story.
● The Arts of Resistance from Tundra to Tropics: A forum in conjunction with Stone Soup with artists Haruko Okano, Joyce Majiski, and social activist Erika Del Carmen Fuchs who will address the social and artist resistance to globalization, the extinction of corn as a principal food group, climate change, GMO, bio-fuel, migration and dislocation. Wed. April 22, 7 -9pm

Saturday, May 9th, 2009 12pm – 5pm

Britannia Community Centre, 1661 Napier St @ Napier & Commercial Dr.

For more information contact 604)718-5800

www.britanniacentre.org

Film: The Big Lebowski @ the Rio

This Cohen brothers comedy stars John Goodman, Steve Bucemi and Jeff Bridges as Jeff Lebowski aka The Dude.
Come check it out at the Rio.
Special bonus;
Yours truly, SR Duncan, will be channeling the Dude prior to the show, for your fucking entertainment.

When looked in my closet for a costume, I realized that i had everything. I actually am the Dude. Ask Watermelon, she's my neighbor and has seen me many a time on my patio in my boxers and dressing gown.

The doors open at 8pm. Best costume wins prizes.