4 Pop-up library checks out for this year Burnaby Public Library will bring the book-sharing event back in January By CLARE HENNIG to do 60 community outreach events this year for their 60th an- niversary and ended up doing nearly 80, the last of which was a ‘pop-up’ li- brary at Wesburn Community Centre yesterday. Kelsey Jang, a community outreach librarian, said making the library’s ser- vices and resources more readily avail- able to the public is a priority. At the pop-up library, people can borrow or browse through books without having to commute to one of the branches. “We realize that it’s hard for people to get out into the libraries,” Jang said. “There are a lot of people who aren’t able to get to the libraries easily from this area, especially families with young ones.” This is the third time this year the library has partnered with Burnaby parks, recreation and cultural services to host a morning of children’s activi- ties, such as a craft table and build- your-own-playground, with the pop-up library. Laura Meehan, a community recre- ational leader at the centre, said the initiative is designed to bring the com- munity together. “It’s essentially to give people a place to come and meet each other and create a space to see what services the city has,” said Meehan. Alda Llabani, who came with her four-year-old daughter, said she enjoys the event because it’s a chance to do something different and meet new peo- ple. Jang said creating a feeling of com- munity is part of the magic of libraries. “Library services are more than just about getting books these days, it’s about being able to interact with other community members and take advan- tage of the things that the community has to offer,” said Jang. Although the anniversary initiative is almost over, there are plans to con- tinue bringing the pop-up library to Wesburn Community Centre in the new year, starting again on the last Monday of January. Te Burnaby Public Library set out “Waray ; as, wi Lp Sar Oe tee y SS eal Pa bh Se 8 op i uae dd (RS By ae x Sees VT AIS Tce é if SA te fit oe g << (a ede trate relent : Pree Bor ns Weis ont Q Me a oy ae ae ny Ny MOLI in ae: 4 $2 &. - A, x % < % 28 + : 2 ta or <5 re > sv so x rd oe. re QO ria Te ¢ 2 a ly Ly, & C5, ae Ss = = es <4 > feos Ly xe < Se ow Ge aS at Nv Ci & IW) ey Je; eee Tt ikea i seh pS ti r “J 7 Phen art : : r “A . Mae WS “a 41 2 here My: : As @e' ss! a tats Wy 9s y =, ft, eer os Ke cy" i ae pel AIOE BS et OE fe es eh ye : wth ak ee Sg Mae hd : ay (ewes pen $4 ‘@ Mii 1 Beued? 8 BS. a oe erage allay 3 Se ti era ee er St Oo Be Sue Rei Aa CL eae = Vue ee Fiera: Rs, Cor x A ¢ a4 qt 3 cae ASE ase CHERYL WHITING photo A lighted walkway in the Enchant Christmas Light Maze. The event runs every Wednesday-Sunday nights at 4-10 pm, until Dec. 31. Vancouver's a-mazing gaze Enchant Christmas Light Maze takes inspiration from corn mazes By CHERYL WHITING hat’s being touted as the find them. His wife later published it as a children’s book, and Johnston trans- formed the idea into his maze. Thursday night, and she said she was happy to come out despite the rain. “They have to find the reindeer so 66 world’s largest light maze Johnston said his company decided they came for the reindeer,” said Ho. Seeing had its origins in a humble to do a show of their own after doing “They found them all. I think it would Santa children’s story. mall displays for years. be better if it wasn’t raining. I will come The Enchant Christmas Light Maze “Originally we were planning on back next year but will check the fore- after I and Market, an outdoor instalment of more like a corn maze with lots of cast first.” went over 5,100 sq. metres of illuminated walls,” said Johnston. “You could actu- Kyanan Wright, 22, came with his sculptures, from Christmas trees to ally get really lost in it but then the city mom. through reindeer, opened Nov. 24 in Vancouver. The maze is the creation of Kevin Johnston, who owns Shine Lighting Group, a Christmas lighting company in North Vancouver. Johnston dreamed up the story, in which Santa’s reindeer are lost in a snowstorm and the children must go didn’t like the idea of people getting too lost and so we had to create a more simplistic version.” There’s also a Christmas market place, food trucks as well as a small pop up bar with live music. Jennifer Ho brought her four-year- old and her one-year-old children last “It was really nice to actually see a maze with lights but it’s not a maze where you actually get lost so I was a little bummed out,” said Wright. “See- ing Santa after I went through the ici- cle lights was really cool,” he said. “I think anyone can go and appreciate Santa.” the icicle lights was really cool KYANAN WRIGHT VISITOR Market vendors love new home at Jack Poole Plaza 2 rns : CHARMAIN LARDNER New Christmas market location now bigger to accommodate more guests, vendors than old venue By ALYSE KOTYK style Vancouver Christmas Market opened in its new home at Jack “The new location can hold 5,300 ver Christmas Market founder and In spite of the rain, many came to try German cuisine, drink glithwein — a hot, spiced mulled wine — and to check out the collection of vendors. Krysten Nutcracker House his weekend, the annual German- vendor I r4 4 Poole Plaza. The people, with the average is about 1,000 . at a time,” said Malte Kluetz, Vancou- spacing for the president. customers is absolutely Snelgrove has been to the market ev- fanta stic ery year since it first opened in 2010. “Tt’'d be nice if it wasn’t raining, but it doesn’t feel as cramped,” she said about the new space. “It’s not as crowd- ed as before.” Kluetz said the market had out- grown its previous location near the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Now there is an additional 20,000 square feet of space and can accommodate nearly 2,000 more guests and 18 more vendors. “Tt’s the most iconic place in Vancou- ver so we’re really excited,” he said. “Thanks to the bigger space we can fi- nally include a couple things we’ve had planned for quite some time.” One of these additions includes the Alpine Haus, a heated, covered tent where visitors can escape Vancouver’s wet weather. Kluetz was particularly excited about the new 23-foot tall tradi- tional German Christmas pyramid: a Christmas tree with wooden sticks tied at the top and decorated with orna- ments and candles. Charmain Lardner, a vendor in The Nutcracker House is returning for her fourth season at the market, said she liked the new location. “T love it. The spacing for the custom- ers is absolutely fantastic,” she said. “The new assortment of vendors adds a nice cinnamon spice to it.” The Christmas market will run daily until Dec. 31, except on Christmas Day. eee — ALYSE KOTYK photo Canadian musicians Paul Filek (right) & Co. play covers of hit songs at the opening weekend of the Vancouver Christmas Market.