Last month I heard from Vision Vancouver commissioner Trevor Loke who was happy to inform me Lord Byng Pool will remain open all summer long this year.
The pool closed last year for several months during the summer for scheduled maintenance, much to the chagrin of regular users of the popular attraction, some who even organized a protest while wearing bathing suits.
Loke noted, though, that due to ongoing maintenance issues, including a leak in the hot tub, the Lord Byng Pool will have to be closed for maintenance work between Dec. 9 2013 to Jan. 4 2014. He says staff will be working with pool users to inform them well in advance of the closure and assist them in finding another pool of their choosing to use over this time period.
Tom Perry, a regular user of Lord Byng Pool who was most vocal about the closure last summer, had been encouraging swimmers to call and email the park board about keeping the pool open. Perry was delighted to read about the board's decision in an email from Loke.
"It's encouraging to see that the Vancouver Parks Board recognizes the input from numerous letters and phone calls regarding the future of the Lord Byng Pool," Perry wrote in part in an email to the Courier and to other community members. "It's not every day we see such a nice evidence of democracy in action."
Neighbourhood grants
The deadline to get those Neighbourhood Small Grants applications is March 31, so now's the time to finish up and submit them.
The grants are paid for by the Greenest City Fund, a joint $2 million, four-year initiative between the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Foundation. The initiative was created in support of the goal to make Vancouver the greenest city in the world by 2020.
To that end they're encouraging community involvement by way of neighbourhood small grants with a green focus. The goal is to encourage local initiatives, designed and undertaken by residents, right in their community. Up to 70 grants up to $1,000 each are available to residents for projects undertaken and benefitting a Vancouver neighbourhood.
Businesses are not eligible for the grants. Some ideas to consider include a weekly "kids' games in the park" event, bike safety workshops, historical walks, live community theatre or emergency preparedness workshops.
Grant decisions will be made by the neighbourhood Resident Advisory Committee comprised of volunteers living in that community - decisions are not made by the City of Vancouver or Vancouver Foundation.
Applications must be made through your neighbourhood Resident Advisory Committee at your local Neighbourhood House or community centre. Check the Greenest City Neighbourhood Small Grants map to find out where to apply. For more information, visit neighbourhoodsmallgrants.ca.
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