Co-Editors: Susan Wright, Sharon Yandle
Contributing Editor: Karen Hausch
Production Editor: Robyn Chan
Contributors this Issue: Robyn Chan (RePlan Project Manager), Mendel Skulsky (False Creek Friends)
Your story ideas and news items are always welcome at [email protected]. Find this issue and all previous stories at falsecreeksouth.org/betweenthebridges.
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In This Issue
REPLAN UPDATE
Robyn Chan, RePlan Project Manager
Municipal Election - Conversations with Candidates
On Saturday, October 17, 2026, Vancouverites will go to the polls to choose a Mayor, Council, School Board, and Parks Board. This is a very important election for the future of the False Creek South neighbourhood.
The next council will determine the direction of the City’s landowner’s plan and the future of False Creek South. RePlan has been talking to candidates for several months about lease renewal, non-market housing solutions, the importance of mixed-income communities, and the best use of public land.
Leading up to the election, RePlan has organized a series of Conversations with Candidates, moderated conversations with members from each party where residents can learn more about each party’s platform and share their priorities directly with candidates.
Tuesday, September 15 – Green Party of Vancouver
7:00-8:30pm
Creekview Co-op
Tuesday, September 22 – Vote Vancouver
7:00-8:30pm
Sitka Square meeting room
Thursday, September 24 – COPE
7:00-8:30pm
Sitka Square meeting room
Thursday, October 8 – TEAM for a Livable Vancouver
7:30-9:00pm
Sitka Square meeting room
More election information, updated Conversations times, and Key Questions can be found at: https://www.falsecreeksouth.org/vancouver-votes-2026/
Election Promises for False Creek South
Throughout the election campaign, RePlan will be tracking promises and commitments made by political parties about False Creek South, lease extensions, and support for community land trusts.
COPE recently released a video announcing their support for fair lease extensions for co-ops in False Creek South. Check out the video on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dc65FtUyjax/
ALL CANDIDATES MEETING
The False Creek Community Centre is hosting an All Candidates Meeting on Thursday, September 17. Registration details are below.
READERS WRITE
Linda Heep writes:
First I want to acknowledge and thank you for the time and effort that goes into these regular community newsletters. My husband and I find your newsletters informative and a pleasure to read.
I’ve noticed signs on the trees posted with little wooden hearts by Granville Island regarding saving our ponds. I thought this might be something of interest for your readership to raise awareness of an important issues.
https://app.blockshare.ca/save-the-pond/
Thanks again for your efforts and all that you do you to support our wonderful community.
*
From Tracy Betel, West 6th Avenue:
Sometime during the pandemic, the beloved dog sculpture “Boots” was removed from the Laurel Street fountain at West 7th Ave. It has since been replaced by the current Minecraft-esque block dog.
In the interim, some playful little green dog sculptures appeared on the wall of the fountain. The sculptures were made from what look like leftover hardware parts and were finished with a green patina.
About a month later, another similar sculpture appeared on the steps of Choklit Park. This sculpture showed 2 people hanging out and enjoying the view of downtown.
Sadly both sculptures were removed, but I always wondered about them – who was the mysterious artist that created and installed these gifts to the people passing by?
My questions were answered in a recent Vancouver is Awesome article. The street sculptor is appropriately named “Oxide” and has created many more installations. Using the pictures in the article, I discovered one more sculpture hidden in our neighbourhood. It is even still there. Do you recognize the location? Now that I know about them, I will keep my eyes peeled for these little green treasures. I invite you to do the same.
Obituary
A WISE AND GENEROUS MENTOR SAILS ON
Mendel Skulsky, False Creek Friends Society
On Friday August 7 2026, our dear Zaida Schneider embarked on his last voyage, departing from his home on Bowen Island in the presence of his loving family.
Those who know him from before his activism in False Creek know him mostly as Mark Schneider, an accomplished TV journalist: Senior Reporter for CBC, Ottawa Bureau Chief for BCTV, inaugural “Internet Guru” for CTV National News, interviewer of Prime Ministers and Presidents (including Pierre Trudeau, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher), and one-time publicist of the Dalai Lama.
Photo by Angela Danyluk
Those who know him from the shores and waters of False Creek (usually aboard his Nordic Tug, Seren Claer, emblazoned with “Help Protect False Creek”) know him simply as Zaida, his chosen name, Yiddish for “grandfather”.
Living up to this name, he became a model grandfather figure to all that knew him: a kind, wise, passionate, generous, and ever-available mentor. From its founding in 2021 until he fell ill in early 2026, the False Creek Friends Society was powered by his immense personal capacity for love, friendship, and human connection.
We at FCFS are grateful that he lived to witness the growing momentum of what he set in motion in False Creek: a rising tide of public attention, his legal theory validated, and his tireless efforts recognized by name in Vancouver's City Hall. He called for us to find in our shared waterbodies the same care and curiosity we have for any loved one, and it is in his legacy that we continue to answer. When all can safely swim in False Creek, it will be thanks to him.
If you have stories or photos of Zaida you would like to share with his friends and family, please send them to [email protected]. A public memorial is planned for his birthday, March 30 2027.
Northeast False Creek
COALITION CALLS FOR DEVELOPMENT ACTION
At the Neighbourhood Association’s September meeting, delegates voted to endorse Beyond the Block, an election campaign started by a coalition of community organizations, including Hogan’s Alley Society, Hastings Crossing BIA, and Hua Foundation, calling on Vancouver's next City Council to move forward on developing Northeast False Creek.
The Northeast False Creek area is one of the last remaining parcels of vacant land around False Creek, and the plan includes a significant amount of affordable housing, plus the development of Hogan's Alley, led by the Hogan's Alley Community Land Trust, new park space, and community amenities for Chinatown.
Other community organizations, including the FCSNA, have been asked to endorse the plan. For False Creek South, the campaign represents an opportunity to push the City to focus on developing vacant land in the city, rather than redeveloping existing affordable housing. It is also an opportunity to support other communities and community land trusts working in neighbourhoods that are facing significant threat of redevelopment and gentrification.
Read more about Beyond the Block and the coalition at beyondtheblock.ca.
The community of False Creek South
FIFTY YEARS AND COUNTING
This year’s annual Grill’n’Chill marked a very special occasion - the 50th anniversary of False Creek South.
In all, over 450 people came out to Charleson Park to celebrate with a BBQ and piece of birthday cake, including current residents, past residents, municipal election candidates – and folks off the seawall wondering where the music was coming from.
Photos by Aaron Goodis
There was even a visit by two of the original team behind False Creek South; Michael Geller was the CMHC representative for the development, and Cameron Gray was head of the False Creek Development Group at the City of Vancouver.
Capping off the celebrations was a presentation by David McCann to both Sharon Yandle and Wendy Herdin, in recognition of their years of service to the neighbourhood and the Neighbourhood Association.
Photo by Aaron Goodis
Many thanks to Vincent Pierce, Wendy Herdin, Susan Dehnel, Karen Hausch, Tineke Hellwig, for their organization and hard work, to Robyn Chan from RePlan, and Jon Dron for organizing the music!
See you next year!
BOOK CLUB MEETING COMING UP
Sunday, September 27, 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Creekview Co-op meeting room
We will be reading Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution by David Harvey.
“Long before Occupy, cities were the subject of much utopian thinking. They are the centers of capital accumulation as well as of revolutionary politics, where deeper currents of social and political change rise to the surface. Do the financiers and developers control access to urban resources or do the people? Who dictates the quality and organization of daily life?
“Rebel Cities places the city at the heart of both capital and class struggles…Harvey asks how cities might be reorganized in more socially just and ecologically sane ways—and how they can become the focus for anti-capitalist resistance.”
This book has an extra-special place in our Book Club list. David Harvey is not only an acclaimed Marxist theorist, he was also Nathan Edelson’s thesis supervisor for his Masters degree..
If you can join us, help us plan refreshments and appropriate seating through an RSVP to [email protected].
OUR NEW NEWSLETTER
Since the newsletter’s inception we have been using an online tool called Mailchimp to send out Between The Bridges. While Mailchimp has served us well, we are trying something new! We have transitioned over to Beehiiv to manage email distribution to our newsletter recipients.
With any change, there may be some bumps along the way, so please let us know if you notice anything unusual by emailing [email protected].
CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES: ARTICLES AND PHOTOS
Between The Bridges welcomes readers’ contributions of story ideas, events of interest, original photographs, and completed articles relevant to the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association’s goal to “promote an economically, social and culturally diverse neighbourhood with a friendly, positive and vibrant sense of community”. Signed articles reflect the views of their authors. For details go to: