The countdown is on to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler. To celebrate BC GamesTown 2010 is running a contest to celebrate communities that are getting into the spirit.
Port Moody is taking part, and has already been awarded a Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Collateral Prize Pack. At the July 14 Council Meeting Iain Black presented Council with the award for participating in the GamesTown 2010 contest. The prize is an incentive for Port Moody residents to tell the world how local individuals and organizations are making a difference in supporting sport, healthy living, sustainable development, and the Olympic spirit. Mayor Joe Trasolini says “with the recent win, Port Moody is now in the running for the Gold Medal Prize of $100,000 which the City plans to use towards upgrading a healthy living or sport facility – if we can rally enough people’s support and win.”
So, how can residents help Port Moody go for the gold? Submit stories, pictures and videos about all the great initiatives that they, family, friends and, of course, the City are doing to make Port Moody worthy of the GamesTown 2010 title. To submit your entries, or see what other people have submitted, visit Port Moody’s GamesTown 2010 page.
But residents of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam shouldn’t feel left out. Coquitlam’s Gamestown 2010 page is very active, with tons of entries. They even have their own Twitter account, @Coquitlam2010. And Port Coquitlam has a GamesTown page, too. The contest is far from over, so take a moment and make a submission on behalf of your community.
The day is finally here, the Moody Street Overpass is ready to fully reopen to traffic. Here’s the note from the City.
- The single-lane counter-flow system that has been in place on the damaged Moody Street Overpass for the last few weeks will revert back to the normal two-way traffic flow starting Friday July 31, 2009 at 7:00 am
- The bridge engineer has confirmed that bridge repair works are at the point where the overpass can now carry the design load.
- The damaged concrete girder has been retrofitted with new steel reinforcements and concrete, and a structural steel I-Beam girder has been added to provide the necessary load carrying capacity.
- The contractor will continue to complete remaining works in the next few weeks and there may be some temporary construction traffic control during working hours.
- The City of Port Moody understands that this situation has caused inconvenience to commuters and appreciates the public’s patience and understanding.
This all started on June 24th when the Moody Street overpass was hit by a truck. The hydraulic lift arm of the truck was extended and acted as a battering ram against the east girder – a structural beam just below the railing.
While the long traffic snarl is finally coming to an end, this will intensify discussions about the need for the Murray-Clarke connector to connect Murray Street directly to Clarke Street.
We have a guest post up today on Miss 604! It’s called the Streets of Port Moody, and it talks about the history of our area and how the places we frequent got their names. So stop on by and say hi!
It’s the height of summer and we’re all sweltering in the heat here in the V3H. Pools are crowded, spray parks are full of kids, and frozen treats are being devoured. This year the City of Port Moody has devised a new way to beat the heat – skating in August.
While it might seem strange to lace up those skates at the height of summer you’ve got to admit the cool would be a welcome relief. I feel refreshed just thinking about it. Although I would suggest waiting until you’re well inside the air-conditioned comfort of the rec centre to put on those winter clothes. Nobody wants you to get heat stroke before you even hit the ice.
The ice facilities at the Port Moody Recreation Complex are offering a full complement of skating lessons and public skating, as well as hockey conditioning and training camp beginning next week. You can even book a party on the ice on August 16, 23 and 30.
Registration has already started and programs fill quickly, so sign yourself up soon by calling 604-469-4556 or visiting SignMeUp. Or if you want to talk to the good people at the skate shop you can call 604-469-4555 to find out more about equipment rental or public skating. We’ll see you on the ice!
PS – You might want to keep an eye out for our 4-year-old, Hannah. She’s taken Snow Bunnies and she’s mastered her hockey game face. Truly frightening. Also, she might fall on you. Either way, consider yourself warned. 
Work continues this week on the Moody Street Overpass. Last week the City of Port Moody sent us some more pictures and an update on the progress of construction.
- The damaged girder has to be retrofitted with new steel reinforcements and concrete; concrete was cast on July 14 and is presently curing.
- An additional steel I-beam girder has to be added to provide the necessary load carrying capacity. The steel I-beam has been fabricated and was delivered on-site. The contractor is presently installing the I-beam.
- Once the structural components are in place and the bridge engineer confirms that the overpass can carry the design load without temporary support, the City can open the bridge for two-way traffic.
- The single-lane counterflow system will remain in effect until the repairs are completed.
Last night we had the most spectacular thunder storm I have seen in many years. While we were busy pulling the computers off the power lines here in the house, many people set up the video cameras and started rolling.
Twitter user @pauljeske of Antirobots took this video from his balcony in Port Coquitlam. Warning: a swear word is uttered, but considering how close this lightning strike is, I would probably say the same thing.
Twitter user @changlama from Fringe Film Works posted a video of lightning in Squamish over the Chief.
This is downtown Vancouver before the fireworks last night, published by Public Domain Arts.
UPDATE: I had to include this one, a day in the life of Vancouver from Katkam.ca. We truly live in a gorgeous place.
This was just released from the City of Port Moody this afternoon. They are following the fire ban in Coquitlam that went into effect on July 6th.
Port Moody bans smoking and open fires due to high fire-hazard rating
Effective Friday July 24, the City of Port Moody is banning smoking in city parks, green spaces and on trails. The ban is due to a high fire-hazard rating brought on by the recent hot, dry weather.
Open fires are also banned in all Port Moody parks. You can use propane and charcoal barbeques, however, please place charcoal in the proper containers.
If the fire-hazard rating reaches “extreme” the City may consider closing down its trails until the hazard diminishes.
Please report any infractions, or sighting of smoke/fire to the Port Moody Fire-Rescue at 604-469-7795 or call 9-1-1.
This is a guest post from Mojgan Fay. Aside from waxing poetic about all things chocolate, lemon, and sweet, Mojgan’s passion lies in making ice cream, mixing non-traditional flavours, and baking! Her foodist ambitions have made running, golfing, and yoga a daily necessity. Find her on Twitter at twitter.com/somethinglemon
A recent listen to CBC’s Definitely Not The Opera (DNTO) got me thinking: why do we run?
Some run to release energy, some to become more fit, some are running away from something, while some are running towards something. For some running is a form of art – The Movement Movement, as mentioned by DNTO, runs with art by running in art exhibits!
For me? Well, I figured that beating eggs and whisking cream, while they do make my arms strong, should not count as my only form of exercise. In fact, it’s a little alarming. So I decided to start running with the goal of finishing a 10K race by September. The following is an account of my running adventures in the Tri-Cities area as I try to find the best running routes and build up my stamina towards a 10K race.
First thing: where do I run? Well, thanks to Walk Jog Run we don’t have to be swept away to a magical land in a tornado in order to see the yellow brick road. On Walk Jog Run you can see routes that fellow runners in your neighbourhood have created. Often times useful comments like whether you can also ride your bike on the route, how hill-y it is, and what the mosquito situation is (I got eaten by mosquitoes way too many times as I was trying to find new routes), accompany the route.
Routes are categorized by distance. I wanted to start with an easy 5K run. An obvious route started from Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, went along Murray Street, turned onto Ioco Road and struggled up hill on Ioco and then back to Rocky Point Park. This was a good route but I found myself gasping for air and feeling my legs get heavy as I was running up the hill.
I wanted a somewhat flat route and David Avenue’s long stretch and tree-walled side-walks seemed promising.
Click the picture to get the route map
Oh, but don’t let the slow and steady incline fool you. I really enjoyed having a nice side-walk for my running, and the friendly people that said ‘hello’ and ‘good morning’ to me while passing me by as they were walking their dogs or running. David also provides a nice route for bikers.
Alas, the incline was a bit challenging for me. It didn’t seem like I was running uphill, but I was. So I turned to other runners to help me discover a flat surface and Guildford Way in Coquitlam was the answer. This route starts from Landsdowne Drive along Guildford Way to Pinetree Avenue and ends back at Landsdowne Drive. You can come back through Guildford or just to change the scenery run along Glen (do note that Glen has a bit of construction happening on it and there is a short stretch where the sidewalk is blocked).
Click the picture to get the route map
It was a nice surprise to reach Lafarge Lake half way through this run. To go around Lafarge Lake is 10K and this is a route that I would like to try as I run more.
So Guildford Way helped me become stronger and now I’m ready to run further. Next stop: an easy 10K. And what is easier than running down hill? I decided to start from David Avenue and Noons Creek, go down Pinetree Way, turn right on Guilford Way, finishing the run at Rocky Point.
And I did it! I ran a 10K!
This running experience, aside from helping me become healthier, has been great for meeting other runners in my neighbourhood. Most importantly, it has made my chocolate indulgences guilt-free.
If you are thinking about running and are in search of your yellow brick road, maybe this post will help you with a couple of options for easy routes, hilly routes, and scenic routes. As I’m continuing to run and discover new routes in my community I will write more posts and share these with you. In the meantime, if you try any of these suggestions and see me, say hi.
And, please share. What is your favourite running route?
The Coquitlam Farmer’s Market has been offering fresh local produce, baked goods, and handcrafts to Tri-Cities residents since 1996. This year they’ve expanded their market to include a pocket market in Port Moody. But that’s not the only new market that’s opened up in and around the V3H this year. If you’re a fan of local food there are options springing up all over the place.
This year a new farmer’s market opened in Port Coquitlam. The Port Coquitlam Farmer’s Market runs every Thursday from 3 – 7pm until September 17 in Leigh Square [map]. The market is run in co-operation with the Haney Farmer’s Market and features fresh local produce, as well as baked goods and hand crafts. The market’s mandate is that all goods must be made, baked, or grown by the vendors themselves. Shopping at the farmer’s market is a great way to eat local food and support the local economy. This week fruit arrives at the market, and next week there will be spinning and weaving.
Port Moody will also be featuring a Saturday market when the Queens Street Plaza Farmer’s Market re-opens on August 1. The market runs from 9:30am – 3pm until September 5 on the Queen Street Plaza in Port Moody [map]. There will be farmers, artisans, crafters, baked goods and more, so stop by to check it out.
As for me, it’s blueberry season and I am all about the local blueberries. You can spot me at the market because I have a baby on one hip and a 10 lb box of berries on the other. What’s your favourite local food?
Since the advent of theV3H.com, we have had a Flickr Group for people to share photos of our beautiful corner of Metro Vancouver. The City of Port Moody also knows of the plethora of talented shutterbugs in the area, and have launched a photo contest. Here’s your chance to get your photos published in the 2010 Port Moody Calendar, which is distributed to all Port Moody residents and businesses. The calendar is a handy reference so you know which garbage/recycling/green bin to put out when, so you know your photo would grace many kitchen walls throughout the V3H. The photo specs they are looking for are:
- at least 300 DPI resolution
- at least 3,300 pixels wide by 2,550 pixels tall.
All photos will be credited to their photographer. Just drop off a CD of the photos at Port Moody City Hall to the attention of the Communications Department, or mail to
Communications Department – City of Port Moody PO Box 36, 100 Newport Drive, Port Moody, BC V3H 3E1If you wish to have your CD of pictures returned, please provide a complete mailing address along with your submission. The deadline to submit your pictures is September 11th, 2009, so get out there and start snapping away! For more information visit the City of Port Moody Website.
