I had to get confirmation from several different sources but it turns out the rumours are true: we’ve finally stepped into spring. It’s that time of year when “the world is puddle-wonderful,” (so says E.E. Cummings) and “Orange orioles hop like music-box birds and sing.” (Amy Lowell)
Today we’ve got good food and strong drink but we begin with coronavirus news.
Both the Poirier Forum and its neighbour the Centennial Pavilion are set to serve as vaccination facilities operated by Fraser Health until Nov. 30.
All in play: Both the indoor spaces and parking lots will be used by the clinics.
- The City of Coquitlam is working with Fraser Health for the anticipated April 1 launch of Phase 3 of the province’s immunization plan, according to the province.
Sports groups bumped: “City staff will also continue to work with sports user groups and other facility users to minimize the impacts of taking these facilities offline for up to eight months,” stated a press release from the city. The city is currently offering tips on staying fit at home and outdoors.
Book it: If you’re 77 years old you can book with Fraser Health beginning today at noon.
- For more information on registering call 1-855-755-2455 or book online
There’s good news for Port Coquitlam’s itinerant lounge lizards as city council is considering throwing their support behind two lounge proposals.
Up first: A 50-person lounge for Boardwalk Brewing’s craft brewery on 2115-575 Seaborne Ave. near Dominion Avenue in a largely light-industrial area.
Howdy, neighbour: KFW Foods Ltd, a wholesale distribution business located next door, welcomed the brewery with a letter of support and offered up their six parking spots outside of regular business hours.
- The brewery is proposing nine parking spots instead of the required 13.
Up next: Council may also back a 33-person lounge at Provincial Spirits on Sherling Avenue. (The liquor blending business currently boasts a 15-seat lounge.)
- The expanded lounge would be allowed to operate as late as 8 p.m. on Sunday, 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Neighbouring businesses including Discovery Glass, Impulse Fitness, and Index Construction have all backed their bid to expand.
The last word: In both cases, the final authority rests with the province’s Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.
Moving on up: Port Moody Panthers defenseman Brenden Pentecost is set to suit up for the Vancouver Giants for the 2020-21 season, according to a press release from the organization.
- Pentecost, 17, had one assist for the Panthers before COVID-19 cut the season short.
“I would like to thank the Panthers for the opportunity to practise and play games during this unusual season,” Pentecost stated in the release. “I enjoyed my time with Port Moody and wish we could have played more games before the shutdown.”
- Farsi Story Time offers rhymes, fingerplays and, of course, stories (all through Zoom) this Friday
- YA IQ: Think you know your teen fiction trivia? Prove it Thursday night
- Outdoor explorers needed: Home learners in grades 4-6 are invited to do some socially distanced outdoor learning at Mossom Creek this spring. $40 per day.
- That’s a stretch: Gentle Yoga (virtually) starts April 7 for people 60 and older. Register by phone at 604-933-6166
- B.C. hits highest total of active COVID-19 cases since January
- Canada-United States-Mexico railroad a possibility
- They’re not the army, but they play them on TV: Motherland: Fort Salem invades Coquitlam
- Read this wonderfully told story about Port Moody’s Reid Demelo and the shot that put him in the middle of March Madness
One more thing
It’s time to digest a little history.
With the pandemic pushing us indoors, Coquitlam Heritage has gone online to launch Feasts of Coquitlam: Virtual Cookbook, a series of videos and recipes designed to pass on cultural traditions and celebrate Canada’s culinary history.
Click to see how to make mango chutney and bratwurst with sauerkraut.
