Thursday, January 27, 2022

Mary Brown

 Mary Brown was the tree walk, tree festival coordinator for many years. But she was much more than that. I know that even the attached obituary notice hardly touches on the many accomplishments that she helped.  A founder of the local Hospice is one that comes to mind. Mary gave of her time freely.

She will be greatly missed.


 

Saturday, September 1, 2018

Tree Fest 2018

25 year anniversary of the Tree Festival

 at the Riverview Hospital site, kept alive by the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society ( RHCS

   September 9th  10:45am - 4pm


Walk Schedule (approx. 45 min.) more information at the INFO TENT
11:15 – 12:00
12:15 – 1:00
1:15 – 2:00 
2:15 – 3:00 
3:15 – 4:00 

Talk Schedule (approx. 30 min.) all talk at the TALK TENT
Time     Speaker    
11:15 – 11:45      tba    
12:15 – 2:45     Donald Luxton, BC Housing Heritage Consultant for Riverview,
                                        sponsored by BC Housing. 
1:15 – 1:45     tba    
2:15 – 2:45     Margot Long, BC Housing Landscape Architect,
                                       sponsored by BC Housing. 
3:15 – 3:45     tba    

Tour Schedule (approx. 60 min.) meet beside the INFO TENT
         
11:05 ; 12:00 ; 1:00 ;  2:00  and the final at 3:00


OPENING CEREMONY 10:45am
Kwikwetlem First Nation - Music & Dance
Meet representatives of Kwikwetlem First Nation First Nation's Lands & Resources department - learn the history of S?miq? ???el? and see territorial maps. 

TREE TOURS

Guided tours of significant and unusual trees leave each hour. Tours are approximately 60 minutes and are led by local arborists and botanists

FINNIE’S GARDEN
RHCS-Riverview Horticultural Centre Society & BMN-Burke Mountain Naturalists will have displays in the garden. Ask at the RHCS tent for a TOUR of the Garden.
Explore this 2 acre natural garden that was started in 1951 for horticultural therapy. Today you can still see the original fish pond, stone terraces, flower beds, plots for different wards, and lawns. Access the garden on foot or drive up to the Parking lot beside the garden & just down the lane from the 2 Radio Societies holding Tours of their facilities all day.

SPARC RADIO MUSEUM

SPARC antique radio museum where a guide will show you the progress of electronic technology through the decades.
SPARC Radio Museum on Kerria Drive showcases a large collection of antique consumer, military, marine and amateur radios and broadcast equipment where you can see the progress of electronic technology through the decades. Exhibits include a replica of the Carpathia radio room, the steamship famous for rescuing survivors of the Titanic.

HERITAGE BUILDING WALK (Sponsored by BC Housing)
1:20 pm Join heritage consultant and Author, Donald Luxton, BC Heritage Consultant for Riverview, for a guided outdoor tour of the original hospital buildings. (BC Housing Tent)

HISTORY WALKS
Join the History WALKS through the Riverview Lands where they will point out historical features, and speak to the past and future of Riverview. Tours will be approx. 45 minutes.

TREE SPECIFIC WALKS
Join the Tree Specific WALKS through the Riverview Lands where they will point out Special or Unique trees in the Riverview Arboretum. Tours will be approx. 45 minutes.

WASHROOMS
Porta-potties in the Arboretum area, Flush toilets in Finnie's garden near the pond area.

BEVERAGES
No Food Concession is planned. We will try to have water &/or pop for sale.

DISPLAYS
Visit the tents in the Arboretum area for displays presented by: Riverview Horticultural Centre Society, Kwikwetlam First Nations & BC Housing.

Visit Finnie's Garden          for tours of the Garden hosted by Riverview Horticultural Centre Society. Tents & displays presented by Burke Mountain Naturalists & Riverview Horticultural Centre Society
While at Finnie's walk down the lane to take a Tour of the 2 Radio Societies:
Society for Preservation of Antique Radio in Canada (SPARC  ) & Coquitlam Amateur Radio Emergency Services Society (CARESS ).

PARKING
For the Arboretum Event Area; park along Pine Terrace. Obey all Parking signs on site - Park only in areas where the Signs have been covered.
For Finnie's & the Radio buildings Event Area please Drive from Holly west along Fern Terrace, veer right on to Violet Way & then a very quick right on to Kerria Dr. DRIVE SLOWLY on the dirt road. There is a large Parking lot with free parking for all 3 events; Finnie's, S.P.A.R.C. & C.A.R.E.S.S. Park & then walk.

NO BLACKBERRY TEA  
The Ladies of the Blackberry Tea have retired. We'd like to thank them for years of bringing us the delicous treats.

NO CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
No Specific Children's events, children are welcome on the walks & tours.

This Event is FREE no registration required. Lots of Parking!
If you require more information phone 604-290-9910 or email rhcs@rhcs.org

Bring the entire family to this free annual celebration of trees on the Riverview Hospital Lands.

2018 Treefest Site Plan (pdf)      Poster (pdf) 

The Riverview Horticultural Centre Society, RHCS
"Speaking for the Trees since 1992'

Thank you for visiting. Hope to see you there!!

Monday, August 14, 2017

Tree Fest 2017

Well the location has been moved this year, BC Housing has been exerting its new powers over the site, and this years Treefest has been located on the far edge of the property in a very wet, noisy site.


Treefest 2017 will be held on Sunday, September 10th from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Riverview Hospital Grounds located at 2601 Lougheed Highway. Bring the entire family to this free annual celebration of trees.

Activities include: hourly guided tree tours, history bus tours, antique radio museum tours, a heritage building walking tour, community displays, live music, food truck, and a Blackberry Tea.

The festival site is located on the Riverview Hospital Grounds at 2601 Lougheed Highway at the baseball diamond at Pine Terrace and Holly Drive.  Access the site via the Colony Farm Road entrance off of Lougheed Highway.  There is free on-site parking.

For more information, visit the

     Riverview Horticultural Centre Society Treefest page.

Treefest is presented by the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society ( RHCS ) and supported by the BC Housing, Burke Mountain Naturalists ( BMN ), City of Coquitlam, Kwikwetlem First Nations( KFN ), and Maple Creek Streamkeepers( MCS ).

Media Contact:  Carole Edwards
Tel: 604-461-3864
Email: cedwards6@gmail.com


A poster for this event  is available for download here

So where is it you say?, click on this Google Earth file, to find out ( must have Google Earth installed )

Monday, September 14, 2015

Tree Fest 2015



TREEFEST 2015 – RIVERVIEW HOSPITAL SITE, COQUITLAM, BC

The Silver Lindens are nearly a century old. A family of elephants could shelter under the canopy of the tall Smooth-Leaf Elms.  For 22 years, Treefest has celebrated these and the hundreds of other remarkable trees as well as the historic buildings and landscapes of Riverview. 

Treefest will be held on Saturday, September 19th from 11 am to 4 pm.  It is hosted by the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society in partnership with the City of Coquitlam and the Burke Mountain Naturalists.

Treefest is a celebration of environmental stewardship. The day will be filled with family-oriented activities. The always popular arborist-led Tree Tours will be held on the hour; plus a Children’s Walk. Well-known Vancouver heritage consultant Donald Luxton will lead a tour of some of the Heritage Buildings (exterior only).  Blackberry Tea will be served in the Serenity Garden by Maple Creek Streamkeeper volunteers. The SPARC antique radio museum will be open for visitors, and the hosts of the History Bus Tours will offer insight and stories on Riverview/Essondale history. Bus seating is very limited and can be reserved with a $2 donation.

Since 1992 the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society has increased public awareness of the Riverview Lands in Coquitlam.  The Society’s goal has been to have the site preserved for its original purpose of supporting people with mental illness and to protect the Riverview landscape and collection of trees for horticultural education, retention of urban green space and public community uses. 

The future of Riverview is uncertain.  The public process conducted by BC Housing continued this year.  More information should be available in September.  Riverview has historically been a sanctuary for the mentally ill.  It is hoped that it can once again be a refuge for people living with mental illness. 

The Treefest site is outside the HenryEsson Young (“HEY”) Building, accessible from the Lougheed Highway at the Colony Farm Road or Orchid Drive entrances.  Banners and signs will mark the way and maps of the Riverview grounds are available online at rhcs.org.
For more info visit Coquitlam Treefest   or call 604-927-3583 or 604-290-9910.

Donna Crosby, RHCS    
Phone 604-939-4064
Email    donna@rhcs.org

Caresse Selk, City of Coquitlam
Phone 604-927-3583
Email     cselk@coquitlam.ca

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Tree walks 2014

This is not a complete listing, this year a few more walks with various themes will be added see the Riverview Horticultural Centre Society  Events page at their website for more information.
Also Burke Mountain Naturalists will host a few walks, as they do every year, visit  their home page for more information.

EXTRA WALKS not listed above

April 6, 1 pm  "Backyard" walk at Riverivew.  Discover the beauty of the natural spaces on the Riverview Hospital grounds with Don Gillespie and other BMN members.  Wear waterproof boots and dress appropriately for the weather.  Meet at 1 pm on the uphill side of the Henry Esson Young buildingfor a 2-3 hour walk.

June 1 at 1 pm
. Meet on the uphill side of the Henry Esson Young building  Discover the historic old orchard area at Riverview and view the enhancement work done on Riverivew Creek to improve fish
habitat.  Join Don Gillespie and other BMN members for a 2-3 hour walk.  Wear water-resistant shoes and dress appropriately for the weather.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

A few pictures of the 2013 Treefest


Tree tour led by Doug Justice, saying hello to a pine tree





Gay Mitchell drawing in the Serenity Garden. 
The garden is also where the Maple Creek Watershed Streemkeepers were serving shortcake with blackberries and cream, Yummy

Arborist, Lanny Englund talking about a Dawn Redwood, Metasequoia glyptostroboides
just behind him on the porch at West Lawn