A leisurely evening stroll along the Brunette River, a chance to check out the cultural amenities in the Queen’s Park neighbourhood and walks that include beer and donuts are but a few of the events planned for this year’s Jane’s Walk festival.
The Walkers' Caucus has lined up nine in-person walks for this year’s event, which runs from Friday, May 6 to Sunday, May 8.
“Come on out and give it a try,” said Mary Wilson, who launched the program locally several years ago. “It’s a great way of getting to know your neighbourhood, your community.”
Wilson has handed over the reins to Reena Meijer Drees, who is organizing this year’s event, but she’s among the residents who will be leading walks this weekend. She hopes folks will take part in this year’s walks, which run rain or shine.
Several self-guided walks are available for folks who prefer that format.
On the first weekend of May, people around the world celebrate the birthday of Jane Jacobs – a writer and activist who promoted the importance of building pedestrian-friendly cities – by hosting and attending community walks.
Here are some of the walks being offered this year:
Friday, May 6
Brunette River Evening Forest Walk: Reena Meijer Drees will lead a leisurely evening stroll along the Brunette River to Cariboo Road and back. It starts at 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 7
Glenbrook Ravine Forest Bathing and optional potluck picnic: Ruby Campbell is leading a stroll through Glenbrook Ravine Park, where participants will spot native plants, ferns and trees, birds, turtles and other surprises and take note of restoration efforts in the ravine. An optional potluck picnic will take place after the walk, so participants can bring something to share or their own picnic. It starts at 11 a.m.
Beer and Donuts: Gavin McLeod is leading a walk from the 22nd Street SkyTrain station through Grimston Park, across the new overpass and down the parkway to Steel and Oak Brewing for beer and donuts. It starts at 11:45 a.m.
Vic Hill to New Westminster's Other Brewery: Reena Meijier Drees is heading up a walk that will explore the route from Victoria Hill to ABC Brewery, via Sapperton Landing Park and the new greenway extension along the Brunette River. Walkers will have a pint at the brewery before heading back – either the same way they came or via the Sapperton station overpass (which requires a Compass card or credit card, and involves lots of stairs with no elevator). The route will be determined based on who takes part. It begins at 3 p.m.
Unwind at Sapperton Landing: Bereket Kebede is leading a relaxing stroll through Sapperton Landing Park. It starts at 4 p.m.
Sunday, May 8
Downtown Geology: Patrick Johnstone is leading a walk through downtown, where he’ll talk about geology – with an emphasis on building stones of New Westminster's historic buildings. It begins at 10 a.m.
A Fistfull of Trees: Ross Arbo is heading up a walk through the Brow of the Hill neighbourhood, where he will locate and identify several different fruit trees you may not know about. It gets underway at 11 a.m.
Slow Easy Walk in Uptown: Vic Leach is leading a stroll from the New Westminster Public Library to the nearby Queen’s Park and Glenbrook North neighbourhoods, ending up at Anny's Dairy Bar on Sixth Street. Along the way, folks will and chat about the history of the area, walking for health, safety concerns and how inclines affect travel routes for seniors. It starts at 2 p.m.
Off the Beaten Track: An Unusual West-side Walk: Wilson will lead this walk (starting at 2 p.m.) that looks at old places and new structures, industrial, residential and playground areas – and speeding traffic. The route includes some uphill sections (a bit steep but they're short) and one short flight of steps to climb.
Queen's Park Cultural Precinct: Stephen O’Shea will lead a walk through Queen’s Park to check out all the cultural amenities. It gets underway at 9 a.m.
For more information, including details on meet-up locations, go to www.walkerscaucus.ca/janeswalk.
Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter @TheresaMcManus
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