Thornhill Artisan Fair

CLICK for more information 

Now at the Whonnock Post Office

Ringing 101 bells fof peace

The rope to the steeple bell (left)  is ready to be pulled by church parishioners and neighbours at '101 Bells for Peace' at Holy Spirit Anglican Church in Whonnock on Remembrance Day at sunset. Rev Miranda Sutherland, the new vicar of Holy Spirit;  Jackie Hooper who was a Private in the Canadian Women's Army Corps in World War II, and her son Randy.

Inspired by the response at last November's bell-ringing, Holy Spirit Anglican Church in Whonnock again invited neighbours to help the ring the steeple bell on Remembrance Day.  Last year, we rang it 100 time to mark the centenary of the end of World War II.  This year, we rang it 101 times as a plea for peace. Everyone took a turn or two after people representing various aspects of war service and peace-making had been introduced and lead the line to the bell.  
There were those served - represented by two men, ages 20 and 23, who were exactly the age of so many who left Whonnock to enlist in World War I and since; and we were so privileged to have a 92 year-old World War II veteran who drove wounded soldiers between docked troop ships and hospitals in Halifax as a member of the Canadian Women's Army Corps.  
There were those who had to resist - represented by a member of Holy Spirit parish whose mother and grandmother had been couriers in the Polish Resistance in Warsaw and eventually been sent to prison camp.  Representing both innocent children caught in war and the hope that reconciliation can happen even if difficult, there was a man whose childhood memories include planes in the air and tanks on the streets in Germany, who made his way from east to west just before the Berlin Wall was erected, little imagining it would come down in any of our lifetimes.  
We were honoured to have the imam and the president of the mosque next door come to ring with us as a gesture of peace. 
 The new vicar at Holy Spirit, Rev. Miranda Sutherland, lead a plea for peace saying "Let there be peace on earth" and the participants replied "And let it begin with me". The talented young musician from Holy Spirit played reflective violin music during the silence which followed the 101 bell-ringings, and participants left silently in peace and contemplation.

Click on image to enlarge

One Book Whonnock

Readers of Zoe Landale’s book HARVEST OF SALMON met to enthusiastically discuss the book in the presence of Edwin (Conde) Landale, Zoe’s partner in the daring adventures of fishing in the stormy waters of BC in the early 1970s. 

Interested in our history?

This new book containing a collection of Fred's contributions about the past of Whonnock and Ruskin to the "Looking Back" column of the Maple Ridge News, is for sale at the Whonnock post office.
5.5 x 8.5 inches, 170 pages.
Only $10.00.

One Book Whonnock

For the next shared reading the committee has chosen Harvest of Salmon: Adventures in Fishing the BC Coast by Zoe Landale. This book is the fascinating story of a young couple trying life as commercial fishermen in the early 1970s.

Call Helmi at 604-462-8942 if you are interested to share in the reading. Just leave a message explaining why you called and she’ll call back.

Book-signing: Black Bond Books / Haney Place / Saturday, June 8th at 1:00 PM

Click on picture to enlarge

One Book Whonnock

Click on picture to enlarge

On Thursday evening neighbours who read and loved reading Laura Berton’s I Married the Klondike came together to talk about the book. A surprising number of those present were very familiar with the Yukon. The organizing committee went out of their way to decorate the hall and dressed in the style of the early 1900. A good time was had by all 

Good neighbours

Jean Davidson reported:

Parishioners at Holy Spirit Anglican Church in Whonnock received a delegation from their next-door neighbour, the Jamia Riyadhul Jannah (Garden of Heaven Mosque), on Sunday, April 28. They came bearing flowers and a sympathy card to express sorrow over the bombings at Christian churches in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday. Sadly, this was returning a visit made by Holy Spirit representatives to JRJ at the time of the shootings at the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand two months ago. The mosque opened in the fall of 2018 in a former United Church building. Since then, a close relationship of respect and cooperation has formed between the two worshipping communities.

The story caught the attention of Phil Melnychuk and the Maple Ridge News placed his article on the front page of their issue on May 3rd. Click here to read it. 

Good neighbours indeed! 

Volunteer of the Year 2018

At this year’s volunteer appreciation dinner the Whonnock Community Association recognized Shelley Popadiuk as Volunteer of the Year 2018 for her amazing work as organizer of the Easter Egg Hunt for the past seven years. The photo shows Shelley with her friend and trusted co-operator Tamara Janzen. Shelley is holding the Volunteer of the Year plaque.

Easter Egg Hunt 2019

Shelley and her trusted team of supporters again made the annual Easter Egg Hunt of the Whonnock Community Association a roaring success. Here she is with her pride and joy -- her gift baskets.

Click here for more pictures

Click image to enlarge

Whonnock News

The spring issue of Whonnock Notes will be distributed by Canada Post early next week.

Click here for to read or download a colour version of the newsletter. 

Plant Swap at Thornhill Hall

The 7th Annual Thornhill Plant Swap will tentatively take place on Saturday April 6th rain or shine from 10 am until 12:30 pm in the parking lot of Thornhill Hall located at 26007 98th Ave Maple Ridge. Everyone is invited to bring plants, bulbs, garden tools, books, etc.  Everything is free, nothing for sale.  If you don't have any plants to exchange, please bring some cookies or other treats to share.  Refreshments are free. Swap starts at 10 am. No early birds please.  For more information please call Joan at 604 462 8778.

Click on image to enlarge. 

AQUIFER MAPPING FINALLY GOES TO COUNCIL

P O S T P O N E D

From: Betty von Hardenberg

Klaus and I have participated in the Environmental Advisory Committee for the past two years with the explicit goal of having Council put the details of the updated map of the Grant Hill Aquifer into our Official Community Plan.  This is particularly important since Tantalus Labs was permitted to draw large volumes of water from our aquifer with limited oversight.
In 2005/ 2006, TAPS and the communities of Thornhill, Whonnock and Ruskin as well as community members outside the aquifer spoke during a six day public hearing requesting Council to map the aquifer and take measures to protect the drinking water in the three communities.  It was not put into the the Natural Features Map in the OCP. This  would have assisted developers, interested homeowners, staff and Council to recognize the importance of protecting it.
We did however, raise awareness to an important groundwater source that had not been previously recognized or understood.
Two years ago, the Ministry of Forest, Lands,and Natural Resource Operations updated the vulnerable aquifers in Maple Ridge at no cost to our community.  The Ministry has also drilled two observation wells to monitor water levels daily in both Thornhill and Whonnock at no cost to the City.
Now after two long years of keeping this file at the top of the pile, Rod Stott, the environmental planner will be presenting his request for Council to support updating the Natural Features Map to include the vulnerable aquifers into the OCP and receive first reading.
We do not often ask for your presence at a meeting, but Klaus and I are asking for as many of you as possible to attend this meeting to show Council how important this request is to our communities.  It is being held on Feb. 5 at 1:30 at the Committee of the Whole in the Council Chambers at City Hall.  It is never held at a convenient time, but we have persevered. You will be able to hear how your Council will respond to this request. Your attendance will be seen as a measure of the importance of this request to the community.

Readers of the One Book Whonnock’s choice. Margaret Atwood’s book Stone Mattress met on Thursday, 25 January to discuss the book and ponder about the choice of the next one.