Garry Point Park concession stand - a must for picnic lovers

Garry Point Park concession stand

The grass is still green but the concession stand appears lifeless today. The air is calm and the stillness unruffled by barking dogs and children's laughter. The service windows are tightly shut and the picnic tables look sadly abandoned.


Empty picnic tables

Once more I asked myself why, given its proximity to the village, didn't I ever grab fish and chips and frozen cones from here last summer.

Believe me, I don't get an adrenaline rush from racing down the plank to Pajo's on the dock or elbowing my way to the line-up at Timothy's on the landing.

The sad truth is, the existence of the concession stand on the corner of Garry Point Park, totally eluded me. I wonder if this happens to anybody else.

Which is remarkable, given all that it has to offer, such as:


Public washrooms and a drinking fountain


Strategically placed public benches


The Fisherman's Memorial


Japanese style Kuno memorial garden

And don't forget a spectacular view of the Fraser River and the Gulf Islands.

This year, I plan to make regular use of this outdoor food stand. Just in case you plan to join me, here's the schedule of hours of operation tacked onto the bulletin board.


Believe me, they won't be able to keep me out!

Yes, Virginia, there is a Candy Aisle

Like Virginia, I was not sure if there was a Candy Aisle in Steveston.

Sure, I had heard about the great selection, the friendly owners, and the fact that they hire local high school kids for part-time help now and then. But up till a few weeks ago, it was as abstract as the black swan.

Then I decided to check it out for myself. I sent an email to the Candy Aisle website and asked if I could feature them on this blog. Of course I could, came the enthusiastic answer!

The Steveston shop is actually Candy Aisle’s first franchise. In addition to the head office in Burnaby, there are two Vancouver locations, one on Robson Street and the other on West 4th Avenue.

“My partner and I met with Candy Aisle owner Jason about opening a Candy Aisle store. Within one week, a retail space opened up in Steveston. Thirty days later, on July 18, 2009, we were up and running,” says shop owner Nicole. “It was as though it was just meant to be.”

Six months after opening day, Nicole has yet to meet a grumpy customer. “We have been getting a great response from the community. We get a real mix of happy customers. One of my favourite customers is a two-year old who walked confidently through the door last December and said, ‘Oh ya.’ The 50+ group also admits to feeling like kids when they set foot in the store. ”

And no wonder. Everywhere you look, you see the sweet stuff. You can get local goodies, of course, but the store’s inventory also hails from as far away as Australia, Great Britain, and South Africa. “A lot of candy and novelty stuff are from the US and we also have licorice from the Netherlands,” adds Nicole, “and, of course, we carry chocolate bars.”

Out of this plethora of lip-smacking treats, Nicole couldn’t pinpoint a single bestseller. But the bulk section tends to draw a crowd. Customers just naturally gravitate towards the wall of gumballs, Gummi bears, Jelly Bellies, caramels, salt water taffy, etc., which they can mix and match for $1.99 per 100 grams.


Bulk food section

The M&M's corner also attracts hardcore candy devotees. Two rows of tall plastic dispensers are stacked vertically and hold twenty rainbow colours. That’s enough colours to inspire the creative streak in just about everybody. Think pink and blue for baby showers, red and yellow and blue for home-made cookies, and seasonal colours for whimsical Christmas confections. "There is a lady who is a Seattle Seahawks fan and she buys the blue and grey ones," adds Nicole.


The M&M's section

The gross candy section also holds a peculiar fascination for the younger set. It offers treats that test even the most adventurous palates. Would you believe scorpions, larvae, and insects? Last fall, at a little girl's tenth birthday party, a game was arranged where, to win an extra point, a team must eat chocolate covered crickets and worms. Real crickets and worms. Ugh! I couldn't crunch on creepy crawlies, even if they are embedded in a lollipop, dipped in white chocolate, or smothered in BBQ and Cheddar Cheese flavourings.


Gross candy, anyone?

You will be glad to know that Candy Aisle is open seven days a week. Just make your way down Second Avenue and look for the bright red and white sandwich board. And here’s a juicy tidbit for you, Nicole is planning a surprise for her customers in honour of the 2010 Olympics.


Nicole in candy land

While you’re wondering what this delicious surprise could be, let me leave you with some candy factoids I pulled off the Candy Aisle Twitter site:

· The world's largest chocolate bar weighs 2.67 tons at the Plaza Singapura of Singapore
· The world's Biggest Dispenser of Pez stands 7 foot 10 inches tall - over 20 times the size of a normal Pez dispenser
· The Gummi bear is a German creation by Hans Riegel, invented in 1922.

The Arts Connection provides free outdoor art show

Have you ever visited an outdoor art gallery before?

I have. Just a couple of weekends ago, as a matter of fact.

It was a dark, cold, and rainy afternoon - the kind that drives everyone indoors. But, as I walked past The Arts Connection building, something caught my eye.

I retraced my steps and entered the parking lot. And there, arrayed in a line just above my head, was a set of bold, colourful, and delightfully folksy looking paintings. I was so smitten that I whipped out my Canon camera (yes, I almost never leave home without it) and started snapping photos, one at a time, walking crablike from one end of the wall to the other. Then my batteries went dead and a disheveled looking man appeared from behind a dumpster and sent me running for safety (did I tell you that no one was about?). So much for being a serious photo-blogger.

It turned out that the outdoor collection comprises two sets of paintings that were done at different times.

The first set of four paintings date back to 1990, when The Arts Connection first opened in the back half of what is now the SOS Children’s Village store. They were done by art students under the guidance of Anne Tait, an Emily Carr Art School graduate and winner of numerous awards. The second set of paintings was completed nearly a decade later by students of Adrianne Moore, a Richmond artist. Together they still captivate the eyes and warm the hearts of passersby.

Obviously, I was not the only one charmed by them.

"When the paintings were first done and hanging on the side of our building facing what is now the SOS Children’s Village parking lot, someone came during the night and stole one of them right off the wall," says The Arts Connection director Linda Shirley. "An appeal and photo was published in an article in the local newspaper and the painting was returned in the middle of the night."













Want to see all of them again without scrolling up? Here's a slide show:


OK, enough of this personal commentary. Just grab your coat and head down to 12191 First Avenue and have a look for yourself. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, in this case, there are eleven pictures, so you do the math.

As far as the rumpled-looking gent is concerned, however, well – you’re pretty much on your own.

Remember January 1, 2009?

Just thought I'd start our new year off with some photos I took exactly a year ago.

Do you remember what was going on at that time?

According to my photo file, it was all about the weather - which was uncharacteristically snowy and cold. I recall my husband dragging the shovel across the sidewalks fronting our and our neighbours' front yards. Over and over again, it seemed.

I also remember our growing concern with the birds' ability to scavenge for food that laid deep under the unforgiving blanket of snow. To lend nature a hand, we drove to a big box store, bought bags of birdseed, and scattered it all over the backyard.

Then ... nothing. Hours elapsed. More time passed.

Just when we felt that our good intention had been for naught, some birds fluttered down from the bare branches and alighted on the snow. A pecking frenzy followed as more and more birds partook of the feast. We kept on replenishing the food supply as quickly as we could and pretty much kept at it until all the snow had melted and the ground emerged once again.

Here are photos of those first few brave feathered critters that weighed the risks against the benefits and decided, wisely in this case, to go for the goodies:


At first the birds remained guarded and aloof, preferring to stay on the fence or tree branches


Once the precedent was set, however, more and more of them decided to set their caution aside


Finally, they grew so bold that they started pecking on our patio and in our flowerbed

Do you remember and perhaps have photos of what you did last year today? Email me at tmathewsster@gmail.com and I will be happy to publish them on this blog.

Happy New Year, everyone!