The first few weeks of summer in North Vancouver delivered a triple-header of signature community festivities: Canada Day at the Shipyards, Lynn Valley Days, and the Philippine Days Summer Festival - all attracted far larger crowds than organizers anticipated.
The joy and exuberance written all over the faces I encountered at those events were infectious and inspiring – and came as little surprise.
This is a summer of re-emergence after a monumental three-year storm named COVID upended and forever changed all our lives.
Japanese writer Haruki Murakami explores the storm metaphor this way:
“Once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in.”
Each of us experienced the storm in unique and personal ways. Its imprint on each of us is likewise unique and personal.
But I believe we have all emerged with a greater respect for our need for human connection. That is certainly evidenced by the enthusiasm with which we are once again embracing summer opportunities to be with neighbours, family and friends.
They’re back
We have more than our share of social possibilities here in North Vancouver with the myriad of free, family-friendly community events that characterize our summers. And this year they are back with a flourish.
After a three-year hiatus, the highly popular Friday night concerts at Panorama Park and Lynn Valley Village are back. North Vancouver Recreation and Culture is sponsoring community “pop-ups” every Thursday evening featuring music, arts and games at locations including Civic Plaza, Rogers Plaza and Lions Gate Plaza. And it’s a rare day when something is not happening at the Shipyards, MONOVA or Polygon Gallery.
Thanks to vibrant community spirit of local volunteers, North Vancouver’s neighbourhoods also come alive in summer with block parties, backyard pop-up concerts, street fitness and more.
There are many important conversations still to explore about the societal cracks the coronavirus revealed, and the lessons learned for science and policy.
But for the next few all-too-short summer weeks, let’s double down on what we learned about the power of human connection and take advantage of every opportunity to both celebrate and build community.
Happy summer!