Missing the good old Clova Theatre in downtown Cloverdale no longer playing movies?
The current occupants are playing a few classic Christmas movies this month. Admission? Food bank donations.
Friday, December 11, 2015 at 7pm: Elf
Friday, December 18, 2015 at 7pm: It's a Wonderful Life
Monday, December 21, 2015 at 1:00 and 3:30 in the afternoon: Arthur Christmas
More information - http://clovatheatre.com/christmas-classics-at-the-clova/
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Cloverdale Santa Parade December 6, 2015
Cloverdale's annual Santa Parade featuring the big rigs from Vancouver Island will be happening on Sunday, December 6, 2015 starting around 5pm.
This is a fun way to kick off the Christmas season watching the big trucks and floats decorated with Christmas lights.
The parade route through Cloverdale seems to be a well kept secret this year, though if you find a spot on 176th Street or on 58th Avenue just east of 176th, you should be good. I noticed a lot of barricades ready to be set up along 177B Street between 60th Avenue and Highway 10 blocking off the avenues inbetween. I'm not sure if this means the Santa Parade will be doing something similar to the Rodeo Parade and using those streets for set up, in which case the parade might go down Highway 10, turn north on 176th Street, and then head east along 58th Avenue. This is all guess work on my part because the route is not disclosed anywhere. In the past the Santa Parade has started around the fairgrounds, come down 177B Street, then along 58th Avenue to 176th. The final float with Santa used to stop at Hawthorne Square and Santa turned on the lights on the Christmas tree on the Dale Building across the street.
Parade route unknown. What is known is that there is no tree on the Dale Building unless they put it up lickety split today or tomorrow. In the past a man waited on the roof waiting for Santa to pull the switch, and then he'd plug the tree into the extension cord. Don't expect that to happen this year. There are also no strings of Christmas lights in Hawthorne Square, and the large trees further north on 176th Street near the ambulance station have not been decorated this year.
I still think the parade will loosely follow what its down in the past and come down 177B Street, turn west on 58th Avenue, and turn right on 176th Street. I only think this will happen is because when the Santa Parade ends in Cloverdale the trucks are making a beeline to City Hall in the Whalley Area, where the rigs will be available for viewing for a couple of hours. Their best escape route is either by staying on 176th Street to Highway 10 and then proceeding west, or turning right up 57th Avenue to the Cloverdale Bypass, and getting onto Highway 10 from there.
The City of Surrey has made a big deal out of promoting the lit up rigs at City Hall and pretty much ignored that Cloverdale will be lit up with a parade.
If you want to find parking get to Cloverdale by 4pm. Streets may be barricaded after that. There is parking parking lots on 176A Street at 58A Avenue and 57th Avenue. There's another public lot behind the firehall on 57th Avenue. Try the Legion's parking lot on 57th Avenue between 176th Street and the Cloverdale Bypass. If you come any later than 4:30 you'll be stuck in a big traffic jam.
Weather doesn't look good this year, supposed to be pouring rain. This is a fun event so come out and don't forget to bring a donation for the food bank. Have a great time!
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Open House at Fraser Downs Backstretch on September 19, 2015
Fraser Downs in Cloverdale is holding their annual open house in the barn area on Saturday, September 19, 2015 from 10am to 3pm.
The barn area is on 62nd Avenue, accessed off 176th Street. Turn at the rec centre and drive down a block. The backstretch is on the right side. The parking lot in the backstretch might be packed with cars belonging to the horsemen and women, so park in the lot across the street and walk over.
They do barn tours - come out and meet the horses and the people who work with them. They have rides on jog carts and last year they had a BBQ with hot dogs. No word on snacks this year, but they've always had something in the past.
In the past they've also had a colouring station for kids and prizes, so it's likely they'll have them again this year.
This is a great opportunity for a behind the scenes look at the Standardbred racing industry.
The barn area is on 62nd Avenue, accessed off 176th Street. Turn at the rec centre and drive down a block. The backstretch is on the right side. The parking lot in the backstretch might be packed with cars belonging to the horsemen and women, so park in the lot across the street and walk over.
They do barn tours - come out and meet the horses and the people who work with them. They have rides on jog carts and last year they had a BBQ with hot dogs. No word on snacks this year, but they've always had something in the past.
In the past they've also had a colouring station for kids and prizes, so it's likely they'll have them again this year.
This is a great opportunity for a behind the scenes look at the Standardbred racing industry.
No Leadership from City of Surrey in Emergencies
Huge failto the City of Surrey in the recent major power outages that plagued much of the Lower Mainland over the weekend and continuing into the week. Our tax dollars at work. Or not. Bad communication from the City to the residents.
Power outages caused by a windstorm that swept through the Greater Vancouver Area on Saturday morning and afternoon, August 29, 2015.
About 100,000 homes in Surrey lost power, the area greatest affected by power outages in the Lower Mainland. Our power went out on Saturday morning around 11:30am. Shortly after that I used my iPhone to check the BC Hydro outage list to see when it would be back on. Our area was not listed. I tried to check half an hour later but BC Hydro’s web page was down due to being overloaded by many of the 500,000 customers who had no power. I checked the City of Surrey web page – nothing on there about the power outage, no direction, and no assistance.
There were lots of complaints on BC Hydro’s Twitter feed about their crashed website and questions about when the power would be back on. There was very little information from BC Hydro but as the day went on, they became better about updating their Twitter feed. No big surprise - there was nothing on City of Surrey’s Twitter feed, though eventually some fool showed up and left a few Twitter comments that BC Hydro is working as fast as they can to restore power. The problem with the BC Hydro Twitter feed was that Twitter got so overloaded with people looking for information that it slowed down and couldn’t reload tweets. Information was slow to nothing.
There was NOleadership from Mayor Linda Hepner and nothing helpful from the Twitter bots managing the City of Surrey feed.
Is this what we can expect from the City of Surrey in future emergency situations?
1. The City of Surrey handled the power outage situation badly. Epic fail. They need to find a better way to communicate when power is down. Instructing residents to tune into the local TV news station does no good when people don’t have electricity to watch TV. Same with the radio unless they’re in the car. Not everyone has a Smartphone with data to access the Internet. And without a power source, how will these people recharge their mobile devices to get information?
2. In emergencies, the City of Surrey needs to get information out to the residents ASAP! This should be done on the front page of their web page and through social media and also through opening up libraries, recreational facilities, and civic centres for people to make their way to for information.
3. The first thing people want to know is when are they going to get their power turned back on. A rough estimate is OK, but when the estimate is off by 24 hours, that’s a problem. If residents can’t get that information from BC Hydro then that information should be provided by the city leaders. People need to make plans for the perishable items in their fridge and freezer. It does no good for the City of Surrey and BC Hydro and other news sources to say as long as you don’t open the door to your fridge items will stay cool for 4 hours and if you don’t open your freezer items will stay frozen for 24 hours … if the power is going to be out longer than that! If the power is going to be out for several days people will lose a lot of money in perishable items. If people get correct advice on how long the power will be out they can find a hotel with power on that has a fridge and book a room. In many cases the cost of the hotel room might be cheaper than losing a few hundred dollars in perishables. If we get better information on how long the power will be out, then we can make arrangements. The City of Surrey could provide a database relying on people/businesses who do have power to phone in and offer space in their fridge and freezers for others to bring groceries in for storage. What about generators? Someone who isn’t using their generator because they have power could list it available for loan until power comes back on.
4. BC Hydro tweets a phone number to call for an update or report a power outage – 1-888-POWERON. The problem when you phone this number they’re swamped with calls and waiting times are huge. People on cell phones with limited battery life don’t want to stay on hold for an hour or longer. Their cell phone battery will probably die before they talk to a real person. An overpaid paper pusher at city hall could be sitting on hold getting updated information for the residents and putting it on their social media. Staff at City of Surrey should be updating the Twitter feed constantly in an emergency situation and answering resident’s questions. The power outage happened on a weekend and there is no on call staff to work on the weekend in an emergency? Why are City staff refusing to work on call in emergency situations? Our tax dollars at work. Or not.
5. The next thing people want to know is a place with power so they can charge up their mobile devices. Libraries, shopping malls, civic centres and other places should be listed on the City of Surrey website where people can go to power up. The City of Surrey should provide these places with multi outlet power bars so several people can charge up their devices at the same time instead of a line up while people wait for one person’s device to charge.
6. The next thing people want to know is what to do with their spoiled perishables. The City of Surrey has garbage pick up every second week. They should schedule an immediate garbage pick up so people can get rid of their rotting food right away so it doesn’t attract raccoons, rats, and bears. Perhaps a dumpster can be set up at city hall where people can drop off their rotting food.
7. What about traffic? There were some traffic lights out at major intersections. I sent Tweets to the City of Surrey and the RCMP that they needed flaggers immediately at Highway 10 and Highway 15 in Cloverdale on Saturday afternoon. This is the Cloverdale Bypass, where it’s 176thStreet a few blocks in either direction from this particular intersection. It was chaos. People do not do the 4 way stop procedure. There’s honking and drivers going or not going whether or not it’s their turn. I also tweeted about the lights out at Fraser Highway and 176th Street, though they’d been working on Saturday, they went out on Sunday. Same with Fraser Highway and 168thStreet. The traffic lights were out through Monday. When I came down Fraser Highway on Saturday afternoon the lights were out at 184th Street and traffic was backed up 4 blocks. I tweeted all these major intersections to the Surrey RCMP and the City of Surrey that they needed flaggers and they did nothing. There’s a lot of people out there who are unemployed or could use extra money. It seems the City of Surrey could give interested people a quick course in how to direct traffic and call them in emergencies like this to keep traffic moving at major intersections. The City sending out Tweets telling people to use the 4 way stop procedure at intersections where the traffic light isn’t working is useless. This information was on the driver’s handbook when we wrote our test for a driver’s license. Drivers should know this information, so tweeting about it is stupid. Knowing about the 4 way stop procedure and how to perform it are 2 different things for many drivers – therefore flaggers are needed to keep traffic flowing smoothly at major intersections so they’re not backed up for blocks. Another huge FAIL to the City of Surrey for ignoring my tweets about which major intersections needed flaggers based on me driving through that intersection earlier.
8. Cleanliness is a big concern to many. No electricity means the water in the hot water tank is going cold and depending on the water system, an electrical pump might be in place for both water and sewer, rendering these two options useless in a power outage. The City of Surrey should be listing places where people can go to shower and clean up – perhaps recreational facilities. The City of Surrey did not assist their residents in finding this information during the power outage.
9. People also want to know where they can get Internet. People know they can head to their library, McDonald’s, Tim Horton’s, Starbucks, and other places that offer free WiFi, but there’s no point heading there if there’s no power. The City of Surrey did not list any places with electricity and working Internet on their web page or Twitter feed. I drove past several Tim Hortons, two Starbucks, and several other places with signs on the door saying closed due to power outage. The City of Surrey claims they have free public WiFi spots at hundreds of places around Surrey, and most people know about libraries, but the city also lists free WiFi in parks. Has anyone tried to get this “free” WiFi? I tried at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. The “free” WiFi is only available if you’re a Roger’s customer and you have to log in using your Roger’s account information. There is an option for a guest user but it doesn’t work. People need to access Internet for many reasons in a power outage. They’re trying to find information about the outage and when power will be restored to their area. They’re looking for news updates. They want to check their email. Maybe they run a home business and need Internet to keep up with clients. The City of Surrey gets a FAILfor not providing a list of places where the Internet is working for their residents. And no, we don’t want to hear about the hundred places on city property with “free” WiFi. If we’re not a Rogers customer that “free” WiFi doesn’t help us.
The City of Surrey and Mayor Linda Hepner need to get their act together and show their leadership when disaster strikes. Engage with the city’s residents and answer their questions. Yes, that might mean giving up your weekend but bank your hours and take time off later on. Disasters strike on weekends too, you know.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Cloverdale Blueberry Festival 2015
Let me just start off with the sad news. Cloverdale will not be hosting a blueberry festival in 2015.
This news was broken by the Cloverdale business association a few months ago due to lack of sponsors and lack of funds. There has been no update that it's back on.
In the past, the Cloverdale Blueberry Festival is held early August with the main attraction a Show 'n' Shine. I love seeing those classic cars!
It also has entertainers, pie eating contest, and vendors with produce for sale.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for next year.
This news was broken by the Cloverdale business association a few months ago due to lack of sponsors and lack of funds. There has been no update that it's back on.
In the past, the Cloverdale Blueberry Festival is held early August with the main attraction a Show 'n' Shine. I love seeing those classic cars!
It also has entertainers, pie eating contest, and vendors with produce for sale.
Let's keep our fingers crossed for next year.
The Healthy Earth coming to Cloverdale
I noticed a sign up in the former location of King Tut's on 176th Street near 56A Avenue, that The Healthy Earth deli, juice & smoothie bar is opening in July.
Overall a good idea but perhaps a little ambitious for Cloverdale. This is a town with at least one of every fast food restaurant out there. A cowboy town. Check your discerning tastes at the edge of town type of place.
For more information their website is www.thehealthyearth.com
Overall a good idea but perhaps a little ambitious for Cloverdale. This is a town with at least one of every fast food restaurant out there. A cowboy town. Check your discerning tastes at the edge of town type of place.
For more information their website is www.thehealthyearth.com
Cloverdale Canada Day celebration July 1, 2015
Once again Cloverdale is hosting a big Canada Day celebration at the Cloverdale Millennium Park which has been renamed Bill Reid Millennium Park. The Millennium Park is located on the corner of 176th Street and 64th Avenue.
The gates open at 10am and the festivities end around 10:30pm with the fireworks.
This year's featured performers are Blue Rodeo at 9pm. More information on the entertainment line up can be found here http://www.surrey.ca/canadaday/42.aspx
In past years over 100,000 people have been in attendance so the big question is where to find parking in a town that's going to become a traffic nightmare. Free parking at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, enter off 60th Avenue, east of 176th Street. They usually open up the racetrack for parking. This usually fills up at some point in the afternoon on July 1 and the lot is closed. People also look for parking west of 176th Street in the subdivision between 60th Avenue and 64th Avenue. There is a park and a school in the area and the gates are open for cars. Lord Tweedsmuir on 180th Street and 60th Avenue has the gates open for parking too and not too many people park here until its time for the fireworks. It's a good spot to sit on the football field and watch them from.
Surrey's fast moving parking enforcement officers are all over Cloverdale on Canada Day making big bucks in fines. Make sure you don't park in a 2 hour parking zone if you're going to be away from your car longer than that. Other normal rules of the road apply. I see cars with tickets because they parked too close to a stop sign or they parked the opposite way from the traffic direction or they parked in a no parking zone. Don't even think of parking in the Cloverdale Crossing Mall across the street from the Millennium Park. They put up big signs at each entrance warning people there is no special event parking. And they hire security guards to watch where people are going when they get out of their car. If you go into a business, no problem. If you walk across the street, they'll call a tow truck. Don't risk parking, going into Tim Horton's and then cross the street with your goodies. The security guards might not see you, but if you leave your car there too long it'll be towed.
So there you have it. Plenty of free parking around Cloverdale, just do it legally.
Now for the big traffic nightmare part around Cloverdale, getting out. If you don't want to see the fireworks, then get moving. If you stay for the fireworks getting out of Cloverdale requires lots of patience. Around 10pm the police close off 176th Street between 57th Avenue and 64th Avenue. This is due to pedestrian safety. The streets will be clogged with people walking back to their cars. For some reason drivers think it's a good idea to head into one of the subdivisions and go around in circles and then end up back where the street is closed. Your best bet wherever you are is to head east to get out of Cloverdale even if its a bit out of your way because most everyone else is heading west. Drive up to 184th Street. From there head to either Highway 10 or Fraser Highway or further along if that suits your destination better. The farther away you get from Cloverdale the lesser the traffic, so don't try to navigate any of the subdivisions close to the fairgrounds unless you like circling back to where you started from.
Happy Canada Day!
The gates open at 10am and the festivities end around 10:30pm with the fireworks.
This year's featured performers are Blue Rodeo at 9pm. More information on the entertainment line up can be found here http://www.surrey.ca/canadaday/42.aspx
In past years over 100,000 people have been in attendance so the big question is where to find parking in a town that's going to become a traffic nightmare. Free parking at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, enter off 60th Avenue, east of 176th Street. They usually open up the racetrack for parking. This usually fills up at some point in the afternoon on July 1 and the lot is closed. People also look for parking west of 176th Street in the subdivision between 60th Avenue and 64th Avenue. There is a park and a school in the area and the gates are open for cars. Lord Tweedsmuir on 180th Street and 60th Avenue has the gates open for parking too and not too many people park here until its time for the fireworks. It's a good spot to sit on the football field and watch them from.
Surrey's fast moving parking enforcement officers are all over Cloverdale on Canada Day making big bucks in fines. Make sure you don't park in a 2 hour parking zone if you're going to be away from your car longer than that. Other normal rules of the road apply. I see cars with tickets because they parked too close to a stop sign or they parked the opposite way from the traffic direction or they parked in a no parking zone. Don't even think of parking in the Cloverdale Crossing Mall across the street from the Millennium Park. They put up big signs at each entrance warning people there is no special event parking. And they hire security guards to watch where people are going when they get out of their car. If you go into a business, no problem. If you walk across the street, they'll call a tow truck. Don't risk parking, going into Tim Horton's and then cross the street with your goodies. The security guards might not see you, but if you leave your car there too long it'll be towed.
So there you have it. Plenty of free parking around Cloverdale, just do it legally.
Now for the big traffic nightmare part around Cloverdale, getting out. If you don't want to see the fireworks, then get moving. If you stay for the fireworks getting out of Cloverdale requires lots of patience. Around 10pm the police close off 176th Street between 57th Avenue and 64th Avenue. This is due to pedestrian safety. The streets will be clogged with people walking back to their cars. For some reason drivers think it's a good idea to head into one of the subdivisions and go around in circles and then end up back where the street is closed. Your best bet wherever you are is to head east to get out of Cloverdale even if its a bit out of your way because most everyone else is heading west. Drive up to 184th Street. From there head to either Highway 10 or Fraser Highway or further along if that suits your destination better. The farther away you get from Cloverdale the lesser the traffic, so don't try to navigate any of the subdivisions close to the fairgrounds unless you like circling back to where you started from.
Happy Canada Day!
Friday, May 15, 2015
Free Rodeo Pancake Breakfast Saturday May 16, 2015
I have seen the sign!
That would be the sandwich sign in front of the Cloverdale Canadian Reformed Church (17473 60th Ave.) once again serving up a free pancake breakfast before the Cloverdale Rodeo Parade. Come between 8am and 10am for pancakes, eggs, sausages, and a morning beverage.
Thanks to the church for offering this special breakfast again this year!
That would be the sandwich sign in front of the Cloverdale Canadian Reformed Church (17473 60th Ave.) once again serving up a free pancake breakfast before the Cloverdale Rodeo Parade. Come between 8am and 10am for pancakes, eggs, sausages, and a morning beverage.
Thanks to the church for offering this special breakfast again this year!
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Cloverdale Rodeo weekend May 15 to 18, 2015
It's only a few days away! The Cloverdale Rodeo hits town again on the May long weekend, May 15 - 18, 2015.
The rodeo and country fair is held in the Cloverdale Fairgrounds on the corner of 176th Street and 60th Avenue, also home to Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino. Same parking lot but due to the special event pay parking is in effect - $10 and main parking lot accessed off 60th Avenue. If the lot is full, there is free parking on the residential streets surrounding the fairgrounds. Before you park in the downtown shopping area of Cloverdale, along 176th Street, pay attention to the parking signs, especially if it says 2 hour parking. The City of Surry parking enforcement is out in full force on the rodeo weekend. They make a lot of money. Make sure you don't park within 6 metres of a stop sign, block a fire hydrant, or park facing the opposite direction of traffic. I've seen parking tickets on cars that do this. The old Cloverdale Mall parking lot is blocked off with fencing, so don't head there if you haven't been in Cloverdale in a couple of years. No parking access. Also don't think of parking in the Cloverdale Crossing shopping plaza, corner of 176th Street and 64th Avenue. They have signs up warning there is no event parking and they hire security guards to keep an eye on people exiting cars to make sure they're going into one of the shops and not crossing the street to the fairgrounds. And they quick call tow trucks.
Things kick off on Thursday night, May14, 2015 with the bed races. Held on 176A Street between 57th and 58th Avenues starting around 6pm. They usually last for an hour.
On Friday, May 15, 2015 go to the Clover Square shopping mall on the corner of Highway 10 and 177B Street for the chili cook off between 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Many businesses and individuals compete and its free for the consumer as long as they're voting on the favourite chili. Each station gives out a small cup of chili. Sometimes there'll be extra goodies like a bun or tortilla chips or something to drink. There's a stage set up with live country music.
The fairgrounds opens at 4pm on Friday. Check their website for operating times and rodeo performances. http://www.cloverdalerodeo.com/rodeo-and-country-fair/
The parade (free) gets underway Saturday morning May 16, 2015 around 10am depending on where you're at on the route. The parade staging areas are on all the avenues from 56A to 58A between 176A and 177B Streets. There is no public parking on these areas on Saturday morning until the parade has ended. The rest of the weekend its up for grabs. The parade starts off along 177B Street while all the participants get ready, heads south to Highway 10 where half the lanes have been blocked off up to 176th Street. The parade heads north along 176 Street and this is where most of the spectators take up viewing spots. If you plan to watch on 176th Street, be sure to arrive by 9am for a good spot. When the parade reaches 58A Avenue, it turns east and at 176A Street, turns north and goes to the fairgrounds. However the parade always seems to peter out at this spot, and instead of continuing all the way to the fairgrounds, the participants turn back to the staging area.
Various pancake breakfasts happening all weekend for around $5 at the Cloverdale Legion on 57th Avenue just west of 176th Street, and the Lions holding a pancake breakfast at Hawthorne Square on 176th Street, between 57th and 58th Avenues. I haven't seen a sign in front of the church that usually does a free pancake breakfast on Saturday morning before the rodeo. I'll do a quick update if I see that one's going ahead.
Have a great weekend!
The rodeo and country fair is held in the Cloverdale Fairgrounds on the corner of 176th Street and 60th Avenue, also home to Fraser Downs Racetrack & Casino. Same parking lot but due to the special event pay parking is in effect - $10 and main parking lot accessed off 60th Avenue. If the lot is full, there is free parking on the residential streets surrounding the fairgrounds. Before you park in the downtown shopping area of Cloverdale, along 176th Street, pay attention to the parking signs, especially if it says 2 hour parking. The City of Surry parking enforcement is out in full force on the rodeo weekend. They make a lot of money. Make sure you don't park within 6 metres of a stop sign, block a fire hydrant, or park facing the opposite direction of traffic. I've seen parking tickets on cars that do this. The old Cloverdale Mall parking lot is blocked off with fencing, so don't head there if you haven't been in Cloverdale in a couple of years. No parking access. Also don't think of parking in the Cloverdale Crossing shopping plaza, corner of 176th Street and 64th Avenue. They have signs up warning there is no event parking and they hire security guards to keep an eye on people exiting cars to make sure they're going into one of the shops and not crossing the street to the fairgrounds. And they quick call tow trucks.
Things kick off on Thursday night, May14, 2015 with the bed races. Held on 176A Street between 57th and 58th Avenues starting around 6pm. They usually last for an hour.
On Friday, May 15, 2015 go to the Clover Square shopping mall on the corner of Highway 10 and 177B Street for the chili cook off between 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Many businesses and individuals compete and its free for the consumer as long as they're voting on the favourite chili. Each station gives out a small cup of chili. Sometimes there'll be extra goodies like a bun or tortilla chips or something to drink. There's a stage set up with live country music.
The fairgrounds opens at 4pm on Friday. Check their website for operating times and rodeo performances. http://www.cloverdalerodeo.com/rodeo-and-country-fair/
The parade (free) gets underway Saturday morning May 16, 2015 around 10am depending on where you're at on the route. The parade staging areas are on all the avenues from 56A to 58A between 176A and 177B Streets. There is no public parking on these areas on Saturday morning until the parade has ended. The rest of the weekend its up for grabs. The parade starts off along 177B Street while all the participants get ready, heads south to Highway 10 where half the lanes have been blocked off up to 176th Street. The parade heads north along 176 Street and this is where most of the spectators take up viewing spots. If you plan to watch on 176th Street, be sure to arrive by 9am for a good spot. When the parade reaches 58A Avenue, it turns east and at 176A Street, turns north and goes to the fairgrounds. However the parade always seems to peter out at this spot, and instead of continuing all the way to the fairgrounds, the participants turn back to the staging area.
Various pancake breakfasts happening all weekend for around $5 at the Cloverdale Legion on 57th Avenue just west of 176th Street, and the Lions holding a pancake breakfast at Hawthorne Square on 176th Street, between 57th and 58th Avenues. I haven't seen a sign in front of the church that usually does a free pancake breakfast on Saturday morning before the rodeo. I'll do a quick update if I see that one's going ahead.
Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
King Tut's Donairs Back in Business
King Tut's Donairs closed down their 176th Street location a few months ago, but they are back in business in Cloverdale.
For your $5 donair, head to the Corner Store on the corner of 177B Street and 57th Avenue. King Tut's has set up their new restaurant at the back of the store with their own entrance.
For your $5 donair, head to the Corner Store on the corner of 177B Street and 57th Avenue. King Tut's has set up their new restaurant at the back of the store with their own entrance.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Clova Theatre Christmas Movies
The Clova will be showing Christmas movies in December. This appears to be an event organized by the current building owners, Crossridge Church, instead of the former Clova staff.
Admission is by donation to the food bank. Bag of popcorn and a pop for $2. Free coffee and hot chocolate.
Showtimes are at 7pm.
December 12: It's a Wonderful Life
December 19: A Christmas Carol
December 22: The Polar Express
If you miss the Clova and want to see a movie on their screen again, don't miss your chance to enjoy some holiday favourites and help out the food bank.
The Clova is located at 5732 176th Street.
Admission is by donation to the food bank. Bag of popcorn and a pop for $2. Free coffee and hot chocolate.
Showtimes are at 7pm.
December 12: It's a Wonderful Life
December 19: A Christmas Carol
December 22: The Polar Express
If you miss the Clova and want to see a movie on their screen again, don't miss your chance to enjoy some holiday favourites and help out the food bank.
The Clova is located at 5732 176th Street.
Cloverdale Santa Claus Christmas Parade December 7 2014
The Cloverdale Santa Claus Parade will be on Sunday, December 7, 2014. The organizers say between 5 and 7pm but the parade only lasts about 45 minutes. Perhaps it just depends on where you stand on the route, but its not a huge route.
The parade consists of big truck rigs decorated with lights and Christmas decorations. Plus there'll be a lot of local business and organizations taking part in the parade. The parade finale is Santa Claus, who gets off at Hawthorne Square on 176th Street between 57th and 58th Avenue and lights the Christmas tree atop the Dale Building across the street. This is normally the most populated place on the route to find a spot. If you want to get up close with Santa, arrive early to scope out a spot on 176th Street. Don't forget a donation for the food bank. Volunteers will be walking the parade route collecting them.
Signs are up on street posts around downtown Cloverdale warning of no parking between 2 and 7pm. The closer you get to 176th Street the harder it will be to find a parking spot and you'll get snarled in traffic. I've seen traffic backed up for a block because people waited for the last minute to show up and look for parking. Plan on arriving by 4pm to get a parking spot and find a place on the street to watch the parade.
The parade route begins at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. Don't look there for parking because Fraser Downs has Sunday afternoon racing and usually the parking lot is full. The parade leaves the fairgrounds and goes south along 177B Street. At 58th Avenue the parade turns west and proceeds to 176th Street. At 176th the parade turns south and ends around 57th Avenue. The trucks head west to the Cloverdale Bypass and then back to the fairgrounds.
Don't look for parking at the old Cloverdale Mall between the Cloverdale Bypass and 176th Street, and 57th and 58th Avenues. Its fenced in while construction workers do .... nothing. Its a vacant lot and will likely stay like that for years. However there is very limited street parking in the alley behind 176th. The public parking lots are at: 56A Avenue, just west of 176th Street behind the fire station; or 176A Street near 57th Avenue (behind the old Clova Theatre) or beside the Bank of Montreal parking lot; and further down 176A at 58A Avenue. Between the 3 lots there are only about 150 or so parking spaces. You'll have to look for street parking on 176A Street, or east of 176A down 57th and 56A Avenues. There are street closures in effect where the parade route takes place so don't wait till the last minute to show up in Cloverdale to look for a parking spot.
The parade consists of big truck rigs decorated with lights and Christmas decorations. Plus there'll be a lot of local business and organizations taking part in the parade. The parade finale is Santa Claus, who gets off at Hawthorne Square on 176th Street between 57th and 58th Avenue and lights the Christmas tree atop the Dale Building across the street. This is normally the most populated place on the route to find a spot. If you want to get up close with Santa, arrive early to scope out a spot on 176th Street. Don't forget a donation for the food bank. Volunteers will be walking the parade route collecting them.
Signs are up on street posts around downtown Cloverdale warning of no parking between 2 and 7pm. The closer you get to 176th Street the harder it will be to find a parking spot and you'll get snarled in traffic. I've seen traffic backed up for a block because people waited for the last minute to show up and look for parking. Plan on arriving by 4pm to get a parking spot and find a place on the street to watch the parade.
The parade route begins at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. Don't look there for parking because Fraser Downs has Sunday afternoon racing and usually the parking lot is full. The parade leaves the fairgrounds and goes south along 177B Street. At 58th Avenue the parade turns west and proceeds to 176th Street. At 176th the parade turns south and ends around 57th Avenue. The trucks head west to the Cloverdale Bypass and then back to the fairgrounds.
Don't look for parking at the old Cloverdale Mall between the Cloverdale Bypass and 176th Street, and 57th and 58th Avenues. Its fenced in while construction workers do .... nothing. Its a vacant lot and will likely stay like that for years. However there is very limited street parking in the alley behind 176th. The public parking lots are at: 56A Avenue, just west of 176th Street behind the fire station; or 176A Street near 57th Avenue (behind the old Clova Theatre) or beside the Bank of Montreal parking lot; and further down 176A at 58A Avenue. Between the 3 lots there are only about 150 or so parking spaces. You'll have to look for street parking on 176A Street, or east of 176A down 57th and 56A Avenues. There are street closures in effect where the parade route takes place so don't wait till the last minute to show up in Cloverdale to look for a parking spot.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Surrey Leader - Litterbugs
It's been awhile since I last wrote about the Surrey Leader, mainly past posts have been lack of it being delivered, just showing up randomly every now and then. Oh yes, those were the good days!
Here's a link to a post I wrote about the Surrey Leader a few years ago http://cherylrhodes.blogspot.ca/2009/12/surrey-leader.ht
ml and today's post will cover some of the same topics.
I don't read the newspaper myself, a lot of it stemming back to my mother's views and quite rightly nicknamed the Shitty Leader.
I sent the photos and what I thought of them littering to the Surrey Leader. I'm still waiting for a response. I won't hold my breath. It's not like this company actually cares about pissing off the residents of Surrey.
On April 24, 2014 the Surrey Leader plus all the advertising inside is scattered all over my garden, front yard, side yard, and down the street. There is more than one copy. I've had to spend time picking the Shitty Leader up and putting it in the recycle bin again.
I've tried to think up what can be done about this seeing as how the Surrey Leader won't respond to complaints about being litterbugs. I thought about driving it over to their new digs on 152 Street and scattering it around their parking lot to see how they like it. But in this day and age of video cameras and surveillance that would be dumb and lowering myself to their level by being a litterbug. The things I can come up with are box them up, phone a courier that does COD, and ship it back to the Surrey Leader. What about writing about an invoice for $25 for cleaning up their mess and submitting it to them. If they don't pay, take them to small claims court. I'm reminded of a time my father took someone to small claims court over $10 just for the principal of the thing.
I struggle with the decision to ask Surrey Leader to stop all delivery to my house. I know some poor person who can't find a job anywhere else is stuck delivering this local paper and getting paid by each one delivered. I hate to take that money away from someone who obviously desperately needs it to take this kind of job.
I've come up with a report card for the Surrey Leader or the Shitty Leader, whichever you want to call it:
Litterbugs - A+
Responding to complaints - Fail
Being a good corporate citizen - Fail
Being a good Surrey, BC citizen - Fail
Caring about the environment - Fail
Here's a link to a post I wrote about the Surrey Leader a few years ago http://cherylrhodes.blogspot.ca/2009/12/surrey-leader.ht
ml and today's post will cover some of the same topics.
The building in downtown Cloverdale on the corner of 176th Street and 57th Avenue will always be known to me as the Surrey Leader building. They moved out of there many years ago and a pawn shop was there for years and now currently houses a home décor shop, La Belle Vie.
When I was growing up the Surrey Leader was delivered on Thursdays by Canada Post. It was a paid subscription service. The paper came folded up like most newspapers did back then and you had to unfold it and read a big paper. My mother got fed up with the views of the Surrey Leader and cancelled the subscription. One day it showed up on our doorstep and she phoned in to the Surrey Leader to see why they'd delivered it. She was told it was a new free service and was asked how she liked it. "I don't," said my mother, "I cancelled my subscription because all you ever write about is abortion and the school board. Today when I opened up the paper you delivered I see that's what you're still writing about: the school board and abortion."
Around then she coined the term for this new free delivery service as the Shitty Leader. The name has stuck with me all my life. That's the perfect name for this newspaper. I actually read a copy a few years ago and although they had some other articles in it, yes abortion and the school board were covered too.
I don't read the newspaper myself, a lot of it stemming back to my mother's views and quite rightly nicknamed the Shitty Leader.
When we bought our house in 2007 we were getting multiple copies of the Leader delivered to our house. The delivery person must have been used to the house being vacant and the doorstep and over the backyard fence became dumping grounds for the Shitty Leader. I did complain. How many copies of the newspaper do they think I need to read? Not stacks. If I was going to read it I'd only need one copy. To be fair they did act on my complaint and got the multiple newspapers being dumped at my house cut back to one.
I've also seen copies of the Surrey Leader dumped under hedges and around Cloverdale Creek in the 57th Avenue section. This is one newspaper that is very comfortable being labeled litterbugs.
On April 2, 2014 I came home to find the Surrey Leader in multiple pieces scattered all over my yard and down the street. I took photos:
I sent the photos and what I thought of them littering to the Surrey Leader. I'm still waiting for a response. I won't hold my breath. It's not like this company actually cares about pissing off the residents of Surrey.
On April 24, 2014 the Surrey Leader plus all the advertising inside is scattered all over my garden, front yard, side yard, and down the street. There is more than one copy. I've had to spend time picking the Shitty Leader up and putting it in the recycle bin again.
I've tried to think up what can be done about this seeing as how the Surrey Leader won't respond to complaints about being litterbugs. I thought about driving it over to their new digs on 152 Street and scattering it around their parking lot to see how they like it. But in this day and age of video cameras and surveillance that would be dumb and lowering myself to their level by being a litterbug. The things I can come up with are box them up, phone a courier that does COD, and ship it back to the Surrey Leader. What about writing about an invoice for $25 for cleaning up their mess and submitting it to them. If they don't pay, take them to small claims court. I'm reminded of a time my father took someone to small claims court over $10 just for the principal of the thing.
I struggle with the decision to ask Surrey Leader to stop all delivery to my house. I know some poor person who can't find a job anywhere else is stuck delivering this local paper and getting paid by each one delivered. I hate to take that money away from someone who obviously desperately needs it to take this kind of job.
I've come up with a report card for the Surrey Leader or the Shitty Leader, whichever you want to call it:
Litterbugs - A+
Responding to complaints - Fail
Being a good corporate citizen - Fail
Being a good Surrey, BC citizen - Fail
Caring about the environment - Fail
Sunday, November 9, 2014
King Tut's Donairs has Closed
The other day I walked past King Tut's Donairs and noticed a big "for rent" sign in the window.
The restaurant was on 176th Street, almost across the street from 56A Avenue. Prior to being King Tut's Donairs it was a Mexican restaurant called Rico Burrito and then Clover Creek BBQ. The odd thing about the 2 previous restaurants, circa 2009 to 2011, was that they were hardly ever open. Hit and miss. I don't know why they bothered putting a sign on the door with their hours. They also had the same phone number, speculating the same ownership.
After being empty for awhile, King Tut's opened up in this location, home of the $5 donair. They were open late at night until 2 or 3 in the morning. Cloverdale is a sleepy little place and I didn't think there was that much business to stay open well after Midnight. Eventually the hours changed to close at 8pm. King Tut's was definitely open daily and they served a good product, and had about 30 different types of donair types. The big problem was half the time they couldn't complete the donair ordered due to lack of ingredients, and this might be in the afternoon, not even the dinner rush. After asking the clerk for 4 or 5 different choices, none available, we often went elsewhere to eat. They also had a product called donair fries but everytime we ordered it the clerk said they hadn't received training. I'm not sure if that was true or if they were missing ingredients. I ate donairs there easily a dozen times, but the last time I had a donair there it was moldy and I couldn't bring myself to go back there.
The restaurant was on 176th Street, almost across the street from 56A Avenue. Prior to being King Tut's Donairs it was a Mexican restaurant called Rico Burrito and then Clover Creek BBQ. The odd thing about the 2 previous restaurants, circa 2009 to 2011, was that they were hardly ever open. Hit and miss. I don't know why they bothered putting a sign on the door with their hours. They also had the same phone number, speculating the same ownership.
After being empty for awhile, King Tut's opened up in this location, home of the $5 donair. They were open late at night until 2 or 3 in the morning. Cloverdale is a sleepy little place and I didn't think there was that much business to stay open well after Midnight. Eventually the hours changed to close at 8pm. King Tut's was definitely open daily and they served a good product, and had about 30 different types of donair types. The big problem was half the time they couldn't complete the donair ordered due to lack of ingredients, and this might be in the afternoon, not even the dinner rush. After asking the clerk for 4 or 5 different choices, none available, we often went elsewhere to eat. They also had a product called donair fries but everytime we ordered it the clerk said they hadn't received training. I'm not sure if that was true or if they were missing ingredients. I ate donairs there easily a dozen times, but the last time I had a donair there it was moldy and I couldn't bring myself to go back there.
Thursday, September 11, 2014
Pancake Breakfast at the Cloverdale Legion on Saturday, September 13, 2014
The Cloverdale Legion is having a pancake breakfast this Saturday, September 13, 2014 from 8am to 11:30am. The price is $5 and includes pancakes, eggs, sausages, coffee, tea, and an orange juice/drink.
The Legion is across the street from the Cloverdale firehall, 17567 - 56th Avenue.
The Legion is across the street from the Cloverdale firehall, 17567 - 56th Avenue.
Open House at Fraser Downs Barn Area September 13, 2014
Fraser Downs barn area will be hosting an open house on Saturday, September 13, 2014 from 9:30am to 2pm. There will be barn tours and opportunities to pat a horse and talk to the people who work in the backstretch. There will be cart rides and a BBQ and they usually have contests going on to win small prizes like baseball caps or other Fraser Downs merchandise.
Saturday is forecast to be a nice day so come out and meet some Standardbred racehorses and the people who love the horse racing industry.
The barn area is at 17740 62nd Avenue. You get to it off 176th Street, turn at the lights and drive almost all the way down the road. Its better to park across the street in the big parking lot next to the red Agriplex barn instead of trying to find a spot in the backstretch parking lot.
Saturday is forecast to be a nice day so come out and meet some Standardbred racehorses and the people who love the horse racing industry.
The barn area is at 17740 62nd Avenue. You get to it off 176th Street, turn at the lights and drive almost all the way down the road. Its better to park across the street in the big parking lot next to the red Agriplex barn instead of trying to find a spot in the backstretch parking lot.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Last Few Days of The Clova
If you're thinking to catch one final show at Cloverdale's Clova Theatre, you only have a few days left. If you're like me and you still have a few stamps left on your "the what you want" pack, pay it forward and give the people behind you in the line a free night at the movies.
This week the shows are Tammy playing at 7pm and Jersey Boys at 8:55pm playing until Thursday July 31, 2014. Admission is $8, stay for one or both movies.
On Friday August 1, 2014, the Clova is playing The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the last time at 9:30pm. Admission is $10.
On August 2, 2014 the Clova is once again hosting their version of The Amazing Race. Register at noon for $10 each. Car is needed this year.
Later on August 2, catch a live act at the Clova: ABRA Cadabra! A tribute to the popular 70's group ABBA. Starts at 7:30pm and tickets are $30 each.
On Sunday, August 3 at 1:30pm the Clova will be holding an auction. Your last chance to get some Clova memorabilia.
The Clova opened in 1948. I went to many Saturday matinees here when I was growing up. Saw just about every Disney movie and cartoon of the time. This was also where I first saw Star Wars. The line up for that went down the street, around the Clover Inn (now Henry's) and down 57th Avenue!
If we want to watch a movie we'll have to leave Cloverdale and head to Langley or other parts of Surrey.
Goodbye Clova. We'll miss watching movies here and seeing the marquee lit up at night.
This week the shows are Tammy playing at 7pm and Jersey Boys at 8:55pm playing until Thursday July 31, 2014. Admission is $8, stay for one or both movies.
On Friday August 1, 2014, the Clova is playing The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the last time at 9:30pm. Admission is $10.
On August 2, 2014 the Clova is once again hosting their version of The Amazing Race. Register at noon for $10 each. Car is needed this year.
Later on August 2, catch a live act at the Clova: ABRA Cadabra! A tribute to the popular 70's group ABBA. Starts at 7:30pm and tickets are $30 each.
On Sunday, August 3 at 1:30pm the Clova will be holding an auction. Your last chance to get some Clova memorabilia.
The Clova opened in 1948. I went to many Saturday matinees here when I was growing up. Saw just about every Disney movie and cartoon of the time. This was also where I first saw Star Wars. The line up for that went down the street, around the Clover Inn (now Henry's) and down 57th Avenue!
If we want to watch a movie we'll have to leave Cloverdale and head to Langley or other parts of Surrey.
Goodbye Clova. We'll miss watching movies here and seeing the marquee lit up at night.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Surrey Night Market in Cloverdale
The Surrey Night Market will be starting this weekend, Friday July 5, 2014 running Friday and Saturday nights ending August 30, 2014.
The Surrey Night Market will be held in Cloverdale on 62nd Avenue, accessed only from 176th Street, the north end of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. Head towards the Agriplex, across the street from the backstretch of Fraser Downs.
There is lots of parking in the fairgrounds but no parking in the backstretch or the rec centre.
The Surrey Night Market will have lots of food vendors and other vendors. There will also be entertainers. The market is open from 6pm to 11pm and admission is $2.
For more information see their website. http://surreynightmarket.com/
The Surrey Night Market will be held in Cloverdale on 62nd Avenue, accessed only from 176th Street, the north end of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. Head towards the Agriplex, across the street from the backstretch of Fraser Downs.
There is lots of parking in the fairgrounds but no parking in the backstretch or the rec centre.
The Surrey Night Market will have lots of food vendors and other vendors. There will also be entertainers. The market is open from 6pm to 11pm and admission is $2.
For more information see their website. http://surreynightmarket.com/
Monday, June 30, 2014
Cloverdale Canada Day Party July 1 2014
Once again Cloverdale is hosting Surrey's big Canada Day bash at the Millennium Park on the corner of 176th Street and 64th Avenue.
The festivities start at 10am and continue until 10:30pm or until the fireworks end.
There'll be performers and amusement park rides and other activities going on all day. For more information, see Surrey's Canada Day web page http://www.surrey.ca/canadaday/default.aspx
With 100,000 attendees showing up at past Canada Day celebrations, the best option is to walk if you live close enough. Or take transit. For everyone else, the big question is where to park. The most convenient place is the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, parking lot entrances off 60th Avenue between 176th and 177B Streets. They open up the racetrack for lots more parking. Even with hundreds of parking spots available on the grounds, they'll probably all be spoken for by mid-day. Parking is free. Other parking options are the residential streets west of 176th Street between 60th and 64th Avenues. The parking lot at Lord Tweedsmuir High School is open but mostly the people parking there are the ones catching the fireworks at the end of the day.
Whatever you do, don't park in the Cloverdale Crossing Shopping Centre on 64th Avenue across the street from the park. The mall puts up signs at the entrances warning people not to leave their cars there to attend events or they'll be towed. The mall hires security guards who watch where people go when they get out of their cars. If you go to a business to buy something, no problem. If you park and walk across the street to the Canada Day celebrations, you might be hiring a taxi for the drive home.
Happy Canada Day everyone!
The festivities start at 10am and continue until 10:30pm or until the fireworks end.
There'll be performers and amusement park rides and other activities going on all day. For more information, see Surrey's Canada Day web page http://www.surrey.ca/canadaday/default.aspx
With 100,000 attendees showing up at past Canada Day celebrations, the best option is to walk if you live close enough. Or take transit. For everyone else, the big question is where to park. The most convenient place is the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, parking lot entrances off 60th Avenue between 176th and 177B Streets. They open up the racetrack for lots more parking. Even with hundreds of parking spots available on the grounds, they'll probably all be spoken for by mid-day. Parking is free. Other parking options are the residential streets west of 176th Street between 60th and 64th Avenues. The parking lot at Lord Tweedsmuir High School is open but mostly the people parking there are the ones catching the fireworks at the end of the day.
Whatever you do, don't park in the Cloverdale Crossing Shopping Centre on 64th Avenue across the street from the park. The mall puts up signs at the entrances warning people not to leave their cars there to attend events or they'll be towed. The mall hires security guards who watch where people go when they get out of their cars. If you go to a business to buy something, no problem. If you park and walk across the street to the Canada Day celebrations, you might be hiring a taxi for the drive home.
Happy Canada Day everyone!
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Parking in Cloverdale during May 2014 Rodeo Weekend
Here's the scoop on parking around Cloverdale during the rodeo weekend May 16 - 19, 2014.
The huge parking lot at the former Cloverdale Mall is no more. The area has been fenced in for construction. There are about 100 parking spots in the area surrounding the Cloverdale Legion, the last of the old Cloverdale Mall parking lot. However the Legion is holding pancake breakfasts and barbecues all weekend and won't be too impressed if people park there and aren't coming inside to eat.
The first suggestion is to pay $10 and park at the Cloverdale fairgrounds. That gives you a close walk to the fair and the rodeo. Get there early. Last year drivers refused to believe the fairgrounds parking lot was full and kept getting into the left hand turn lane on 60th Avenue and trying to convince the lot attendant to let them in.
Also try Greenaway Park next to the fairgrounds on 60th Avenue and park there for free. The gates are locked at dusk so get back to your car by then or look for another way home.
Another choice is to park on residential streets around Cloverdale. That'll be a longer walk but parking is free. Keep an eye on the parking signs. Downtown Cloverdale is a maximum of 2 hours and there are a few no parking areas around town. The parking bylaw officers are in full force in Cloverdale this weekend. Huge payday for them because people park where they shouldn't be. The most popular parking spots are everything in-between 176A Street and 180th Street and 56A Avenue to 59th Avenue.
Cloverdale has a few free public parking lots. One is located on 56A Avenue just west of 176th Street, in the alley behind the firehall. There's about 60 parking spots here. On 176A Street just north of 57th Avenue, behind the Clova and next to the Bank of Montreal is a large parking lot. A couple hundred spots available here. A little further down 176A Street on the corner of 58A Avenue is another parking lot with about 100 or so parking spots.
On Saturday morning the streets between 176A Street and 177B Street 56A Avenue to 58A Avenue are temporarily closed from 6am to noon for the parade participants to set up. After noon they are up for grabs the rest of the weekend. 176th Street is closed during these times because of the parade route. Tow trucks are standing near by and I always see a couple of cars being towed off this street. Not a good idea to park here the rest of the weekend anyway because its 2 hour parking.
There is a lot of street parking in residential areas west of 176th Street between 60th and 64th Avenues. The problem with this subdivision is if you're not familiar with it, it twists and turns and cul-de-sac's all over the place.
Some residents offer parking in their driveways and front lawns for a few bucks and some of the local churches also sell parking spots.
Don't even think about parking in the Clover Crossing Mall on 64th Avenue and 176th Street. They have security guards watching all weekend. If you park and walk off the premises they'll call a tow truck. They watch real closely to make sure everyone who parks a car goes into one of the businesses there.
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