Parks

I had the pleasure of attending the 2010 community happenings event yesterday at Kitsilano Community Centre. It was a fun, free, family event held to celebrate the recent Winter Olympics and the upcoming Paralympic Games.

It served as a reminder that the Paralympics will be here in six short days when the Paralympic Torch arrives in Vancouver. Park Board staff put together a fantastic day to celebrate. Kids at the community centre met Sumi, made buttons, participated in sports, held the torch, met Olympians. The event provided great entertainment for the whole family.  

The Park Board staff will host one more event like this which will take place at Killarney Community Centre on Sunday, March 21st.

Mayor Gregor Robertson declared February 24th, 2010 Canada Snowboard Team Day to honour women's snowboard cross gold medalist Maëlle Ricker and congratulate all of Canada’s snowboard competitors at the Olympic Winter Games.

“Our Canadian Snowboard Team has put on an amazing performance during these Games,” said Mayor Robertson. “Maëlle Ricker is the first Canadian woman to win an Olympic gold medal at home and snowboard cross silver medalist Mike Robertson is among the first Canadian Olympians to win a medal. We wanted to pay tribute to them and their teammates to let them know how much their performances have meant to all of us.

“As team members prepare for their final competitions in parallel giant slalom on February 26th and 27th, we want them to know that all of Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada are behind them.”

Ricker was the first British Columbian, and Metro Vancouver native, to win a gold medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Born in North Vancouver she now lives in Squamish. Mike Robertson lives in Canmore, Alberta.

Mount Pleasant Community Centre had their Grand Opening this past weekend and the facility was jam packed.

Park Board staff commented that since they opened up to the public, the centre has been busier than expected. They have hired more staff to accomodate the increase in need.

One of the highlights of the building, is a very large climbing wall, located in the gym. Truly an exciting day for commissioners, staff, residents and association members.

This Saturday, several dozen soccer players from the New Fountain Shelter will pile into their bus and head over to the North Shore to take on three other teams in the first Vancouver Street Soccer Tournament of the year.

It’ll be the second round-robin tournament the team has played in and the first tournament of 2010.

Drawn from outreach staff and residents of the New Fountain Shelter, Portland FC has been playing soccer since mid-2008. Led by a team of dedicated coaches, the team has grown from a handful of players to several dozen over the past year. With this latest tournament on the horizon, team manager Sarah Blyth says her squad is ready to rock and roll.

 “We practice every week at the Carnegie Centre and have become a lean mean soccer playing machine,” said Blyth. “The whole team is eager to get out there and take on other teams in the Lower Mainland Street Soccer League.”