Send Brian Malfesi & Adam Tenwolde to the Worlds in Hungary!

Brian Malfesi has been a member of Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club since his intermediate years at Whonnock Elementary.  
He has had much success over the years as a kayaker for our community. After his accomplishments at the first two sets of National Team Trials this spring he will represent Canada at Worlds this summer! 
Amazing how he and his K2 partner, Adam Tenwolde (Banook Canoe Club, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) have clicked and their hope for success in Szeged, Hungary.
In the past, when Brian represented Canada on the International stage, Canoe Kayak Canada provided full funding for all expenses. Not this time! 
Are you in a position to support his efforts? 
Click here to help these two athletes reach their dream!

One Book Whonnock in action

Some twenty readers of George Godwin's The Eternal Forest united on a wonderful and sunny Saturday afternoon to review the history of Whonnock in the years immediately before the First World War when the Godwins lived in Whonnock. The participants, including Lucy Godwin, granddaughter of George and Dorothy Godwin, visited the places where the author and his wife lived at that time. A warm thank you to all who participated in making this a most joyful event. Click on the picture to enlarge.

One Book Whonnock welcomes all who live, work, go to school or got to church in Ruskin, Thornhill, and Whonnock. The book to be read by all participants in the 2014–2015 season is Terry Falis's The Best Laid Plans. If you are interested to join click here for their Web site for information and call Jean at 604-462-8942 to register. 

Tom Brent: Volunteer of the Year 2013

This Sunday, April 6th at the annual dinner of the Association the Whonnock Community Association announced that their choice for last year's special volunteer is Tom Brent of RCKC.
He was awarded with the usual  plaque and a potted orchid. For more photos of the dinner click here.

Volunteers distinguished in the past with this award were: Trevor Taylor (2005) Margaret Norman (2006), Sue Schulze (2007), Yukiko Tanaka (2008), Rick Hammer (2008), Jean Ruttan (2009), Melanie Snel (2010), Scott Henney (2011), Marie Slessor (2011), and Betty and Klaus von Hardenberg (2012).
Active members of the board of the WCA and committee members are not considered candidates for this award.

Looking for names of creeks and lakes in Maple Ridge and Ruskin

Of course you know the name Whonnock Creek or Whonnock Lake. Perhaps you know that York Creek, often called Rolley Creek in error, crosses 272nd Street and 96th Avenue near the cemetery. Perhaps you know that the name of the creek that crosses Byrnes Road and goes underneath River Road just to the east of Sue’s feed store is Cooks Creek? 

Do you know the names of other streams or lakes in Whonnock and Ruskin? 

If so, please call Fred at 604 462 8942. He is trying to make a map with all the historical names that can be recovered.

Whonnock News

The Spring 2014 issue of Whonnock News is out. If you don't get the printed version click here to at least get a digital (but more colourful!) version.

Our post office ... a shack in the middle of nowhere

Following sent to MR Times in response to two letters by disgruntled Albion residents, Kevin Jones and Miranda Barker, in the Times of 11 February 2014  "Whole day lost to pick up parcels.” and 13 February  2014  "Post office joke."

We in Whonnock are very proud of our post office and of our postmaster, Sue Schulze, who provides the best postal services anywhere in the Lower Mainland. Sue goes out of her way to help people. Rather than weeping crocodile tears Kevin Jones should have called the Whonnock post office (604 462 8571) and he would have learned that Sue hands out parcels on Saturdays to people who, like him, can’t go to the post office during the official hours. She will also transfer the parcels—or any item, to another postal outlet if asked to do so. 

We are amused about Jones calling our Whonnock post office “a shack in the middle of nowhere.” And even more about him calling the place where he lives “somewhere.” Miranda Barker entertained us by defining our beloved post office as a “dilapidated garden shed.”  We understand that uninformed city slickers might see it like this, and we forgive both Jones and Barker wholeheartedly. We in Whonnock keep that little building in high esteem. Whonnock had a post office years before Vancouver was even planned and the present building, dating to the 1920s, is recognized by the Maple Ridge Community Heritage Commission as a significant heritage building. If Jones and Barker don’t appreciate heritage…too bad.  

Lastly the trials and tribulations of Miranda Barker at the Whonnock post office: Parking on the road shoulder … cars zipping by … u-turn! Horrible! Yes, life away from the shopping mall is rough!  

Meanwhile: Sue at "our" post office has been given mighty support not only many from "us" Whonnockians but also from many residents of Albion who are unhappy that they as from now have to pick up their parcels at in a shopping mall. It all came to a splendid end with a front page article in The Times (click here) and an "Our View" editorial in the same issue (click here)