live ■ MARIA SPITALE-LEISK
When you cross over the bridge, you just begin to breathe easier. Everything feels serene and calm. These words encapsulate why North Shore newcomer Jalaine Lewko has chosen to raise her family here. “I still am in awe that my children have this as their backyard,” says the Calgary transplant. “One day we can be exploring through the forest, collecting the largest maple leaves we have ever seen, to spending the next afternoon at the ocean, combing one of the many beaches for all the seashells.” Seeing her four-year-old son, Ty, playing and learning in a natural environment cements Lewko’s belief that she has found a slice of B.C. that is truly special.
Home is where the heart is.
Every North Shore community boasts its own unique qualities – from charming Deep Cove village, through the canopied trails of Lynn Valley, down the vibrant Lonsdale corridor, across scenic Marine Drive and into breathtaking Horseshoe Bay. Today it’s the spot where tourists jockey for parking spots, but the lower lot in Panorama Park actually holds cherished memories for Eileen Smith. It’s the site of her grandparents’ waterfront summer home where Smith grew up. “The Cove has changed drastically over the years,” says Smith, a director of Deep Cove Heritage Society. In the 1980s, the rustic flavour of the area changed as small cottages and country lanes gave way to streets lined with large homes. Deep Cove has also evolved into an outdoor recreation mecca, teeming with hikers, mountain bikers and kayakers. Social media has revealed that celebrities such as Neil Patrick Harris and Kate Winslet have also been beguiled by the Cove’s charms. An ambassador for the area, Smith will tell you Deep Cove’s main street alone, called Gallant Avenue, has amazing restaurants, intriguing shops, an impressive art gallery and two companies producing some really great theatre.
“This is why I have no intention of looking elsewhere to live,” says Smith. “This is my home.” Framed by vast forested terrain, Lynn Valley embodies a small-town feel at its core. Where Lynn Valley Road and Mountain Highway meet is the living room of the community. The village plaza hosts summer concerts and movie nights, while wintertime sees a visit from Santa in the square. Silvana Stagnitta-Francis hears all the community news inside Lynn Valley Barbershop, which her dad opened in 1967. “I have clients who are second and third generation, so the conversation is about their families and their weekend activities, from hockey to soccer and softball,” says StagnittaFrancis. “Many clients who grew up in Lynn Valley but moved away because they couldn’t afford a house in this neighbourhood still come back regularly to get a haircut and a delicious sausage roll from the bakery.” Sentiment runs high for traditional services and mom-and-pop shops that have been nestled inside Lynn Valley Centre for generations. You’ve got your baker, ➞
EXPLORE THE SHORE • JULY 2019 5