An Interview with Renee Mynott“People first, building community first.” – Renee MynottBy Joyce Tam   In this prosperous urban city, do you ever have a thought of how your desirable home would be? Do you ever want your own personal space? Do you want to live with a group of people that share the same ideas as you do? Would you like to put your thoughts into actions and make this desirable home come true? Cohousing could possibly be one of the ways to help you achieve this dream. A desirable dream home of yours could be where you tell them how you want it to be, and they will do it for you. Cohousing is definitely an authentic project where residents will share the processes of planning, managing and owning their own desirable private homes, which is partly supported by a “community hall”.  This concept began in Denmark, then came to North American cities such as Vancouver in British Columbia. Renee Mynott is a community facilitator in the cohousing community, with a specific focus on seniors cohousing. She is currently working in senior cohousing in Langley that was the first place accepting cohousing in B.C.  Renee comes from a family of eleven siblings and everyone lived closely together. She knows the benefits and the love from growing within a community. She understands how important it is to live with a community, to build up closer bonds with others, to listen to each other and solve problems together. “I always have lots of people to talk to about things, or if I need help on something, we always have resources to share. I feel so blessed and I want everyone to have that experience,” Renee said. Coincidentally, Renee’s grandmother is also from Langley and...

A conversation with Monica McGarry   A watercolour portrait by Monica   Interviewed by Joyce Tam   Why does art matter? There is always a romantic view of artists sitting by themselves and being eccentric. This is false. Nowadays these passive images of artists and art do not exist anymore. In today’s art world, art becomes an active agent that bridges with other neighbors within communities.   Monica McGarry is our special guest who speaks about how arts could promote a strong sense of community through connection, experimentation and interaction. She was graduated from University of British Columbia with an education degree, and is now an artist specializing in painting and drawing. She is also a photographer and an educator in art. Through educating young audiences from age two to eighteen, she is passionate towards educating people about art. In this process, she uses her own knowledge and gives it back to the community in Vancouver. Being an artist, she also takes this knowledge that she gains, assimilating and expressing these ideas back into her artwork. Art is no longer a one-way communication, it is an interaction between the public and the art world. To achieve this goal, Monica has been involved in various events and workshops. Using her life story as a role model, I hope this article would encourage readers in all age groups to recognize the importance of art and community involvements. “Art is something that brings communities together,” Monica said. She has participated in the Vancouver Draw Down project held in May 2012. This event included people from all age groups to make art collectively on the street, and thus to openly create art and connect with other people that share the same goal. Some venues were community centers, galleries with different drawing activities or in other schools. “It is free and that was a very good channel to engage with public,” Monica said. From this activity, participants could enjoy the pleasure of making art in any...

Neighbourhood cafés are special. Not only because they are usually owned and managed by a local, but also because they are warm, welcoming, and friendly. In the heart of Kerrisdale, there is a place that has been refilling everyone’s cup of coffee for the last 20 years: Bean Brothers Café Bistro.

An Interview with Mr. Irfan Sheikh, the principal of Pt.Grey Secondary Interviewed by Lauren MacFarland One of the oldest schools in the area, firmly embedded in the history of Kerrisdale, Point Grey Secondary is an impressive institution, not just for its beautiful Gothic façade, but for the hundreds of eager, driven students whose main focus is making their school and community a better place. What was once a small school in 1929 has grown considerably into the modern high school it is today, it has seen generations of families attend over the years, and built a reputation for excellence. Principal Irfan Sheikh is now at the helm of this very busy ship, overseeing a multitude of programs and activities ranging from academic to athletic to community based. The school boasts numerous accolades in just about every discipline, Mr. Sheikh attributing these awards to the school’s emphasis on creating a “well rounded individual.”  Besides core academics, the school offers various elective programs such as drama, foods, music among others, all of which are found appealing by both parents and students alike.  For a school with such a rich history, it has adapted effortlessly in the modern world, successfully creating several online platforms for students and the community to remain engaged and informed on the school’s many events and programs. From the official Facebook pages to the Twitter feed, blogs for the music and art programs, Point Grey has created a vibrant online presence to ensure it never loses touch with its 21st century students. “We’ve got to react to what’s going on in the environment,” says Mr. Sheikh, “the school looks a little like Hogwarts, and what goes on is the magic of education, the connection to kids, the leveraging of technology, the approach that...