Hi friends!
First, last Thursday's issue: if it hit your inbox late, you're not imagining things. The issue went out at 6:00 AM sharp on my end, but our email platform had other plans. About 25% of the community got it late, which kind of defeats the purpose of a morning newsletter. I’m escalating it with our email provider. If you missed it entirely, check your spam folder or promotions tab.
Second, no Thursday issue this week. Family Day long weekend starts on Pro-D day Friday, and a Thursday morning email doesn't give you enough time to actually plan anything.
So I'm doing it now instead. I put together a Family Day Weekend Guide so you can get ahead of the weekend while it's still Tuesday.
Here’s what’s inside this issue:
🚧 Granville Bridge Drama: South ramps are closing. Reroute immediately or you will be late.
🐱 Gabby's Dollhouse Live: Tickets are on sale. Prepare your cat ears.
🦉 Glowing Forest Walk: Pacific Spirit Park at night. Free, but register ASAP.
✍️ Kid Authors Wanted: A writing contest for Grades 4–8. Real book deal potential.
Let's get into it. 👇🏼
🐱 Gabby's Dollhouse Is Coming to Town (Live and In Person)
If the phrase "a pinch on the left, pinch, pinch on the right" is permanently burned into your brain, we have big news. The Dollhouse is opening up IRL.
📍 Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
📅 When: Sunday, March 15 — doors at 3:00 PM, show at 4:00 PM
🎟️ Tickets: On sale now via Ticketmaster (limit of 8 per person/card)
💸 Cost: Check Ticketmaster for pricing; these tend to move fast
The Move
Buy now, tell the kids later. These family shows don’t reward hesitation. The “we’ll decide next week” move often turns into “cool, now we’re paying more for worse seats.”
Why It Matters
Live shows hit different at this age. Your kid won't remember another episode on the iPad. They will remember the time you took them to see Gabby in real life.
🧩 A Storytime Where Wiggles Are Welcome
If your little one finds regular storytime a bit too much — too loud, too fast, too everything — the Central Library has something worth knowing about. Their Sensory Storytime is specifically built for kids who need a different pace.
📍 Where: Vancouver Central Library
📅 When: Thursdays, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, upcoming date: Feb 12 - Thursdays through March
👶 Ages: 2–6, designed for children with developmental disabilities, atypical sensory processing, and/or other conditions
💸 Cost: Free
⚠️ Registration required — call 604.331.3657 or email [email protected]
The Move
Small group, so spots are limited. If this sounds like your kid, don't wait until Thursday morning.
Why It Matters
Finding programs where your child is genuinely welcome — not just tolerated — is hard. This is one of the good ones.
👉🏼 Know a family who might need that Sensory Storytime? Forward this their way. Sometimes the most helpful thing is knowing it exists. 💛
📌 The Notice Board
🚧 Granville Bridge Is a Construction Zone (Again)
Just when you thought we were done with bridge drama, the Granville Bridge is asking for some serious "me time" on the south side.
What: Structural repairs on the south ramps (fixing concrete and joints).
Closures:
📍 Off-ramp at West 4th Avenue — closed until late February
📍 On-ramp at Hemlock Street — closed until spring 2026
📍 Anderson Street (below the ramps) — expect random road closures, detours, and parking weirdness
⏰ Work hours: Weekdays 7 AM–5 PM, sometimes longer. Weekends too, because of course.
The Move
If your morning commute usually involves shooting down Hemlock to get downtown, time to rethink that one. Reroute to Burrard or Oak. If you're heading to Kits, don't rely on that 4th Ave exit—you'll need to detour earlier. 🫠
This whole project runs until summer 2026, so get comfy with your new route
Why It Matters
The Hemlock on-ramp is a major artery for the Corridor. This is the kind of closure that quietly turns a 12-minute errand into a 35-minute ordeal… and somehow the kid still needs to pee the second you hit traffic.
‼️Reminder - Parking Heads-Up: Hillcrest (and a Couple Other Centres) Are Going Pay-Parking
The start date is Tuesday, Feb 17 — They have delayed it by a day.
If you missed the details, here's the full breakdown from last week's issue.
🌙 Night Quest: A Forest Walk With Glowing Animals (Yes, Really!)
Pacific Spirit Park is going full enchanted forest next month. Think glowing animal lanterns along the trails, friendly forest characters telling nature stories, and your kids absolutely losing their minds in the best way.
📍 Where: Pacific Spirit Regional Park,
📅 When: Friday, March 13 & Saturday, March 14, 7:00–9:30 PM
👶 Ages: All ages
💸 Cost: Free
⚠️ Registration required for a specific entry time
Good to know: Allow ~1 hour to complete; concession is cash only
The Move
Register early and pick an entry time that matches your household reality (aka: don’t choose “ambitious bedtime-adjacent”).
Why It Matters
It’s outdoors, it’s novel, it feels like an event… and you didn’t have to plan anything beyond showing up.
✍️ Kids Write 4 Kids Contest Is Open (Grades 4–8) — Deadline March 31
Got a kid in Grades 4–8 who's always scribbling stories, writing poems, or narrating elaborate worlds from the backseat? The Kids Write 4 Kids Contest is open and this one's actually worth the effort.
📍 What: A national writing contest run by Ripple Foundation (100% volunteer-run Canadian charity)
📅 Deadline: March 31, 2026
👶 Ages: Grades 4–8, Canadian residents
💸 Cost: Free to enter
📝 Format: Original stories or poetry, up to 5,000 words, English only, one entry per kid
⚠️ Must be submitted by a parent, guardian, or teacher. Not the kid directly
⚠️ Single-author only (no co-authors)
The Move
March 31 sounds far away until you remember your kid still needs to finish the story. Start now. Keep it manageable. A polished 900-word story beats an unfinished 4,000-word epic. ✏️
Why It Matters
Winners get professionally published. Like, actual print and digital books available worldwide. Proceeds from sales go to a charity the winner picks. And here's the kicker: winners get invited to judge next year's contest. That's a pretty serious confidence builder for a 10-year-old.
👉🏼 Forward this to their teacher too, they can submit on behalf of students.
✨ 120 Twinkling Trees on the Seawall (Free Date Night, Anyone?)
The Coal Harbour Seawall is lined with over 120 lit-up trees right now, stretching from the Convention Centre to Cardero Park.
📍 Where: Coal Harbour Seawall, from Canada Place to Cardero Park
📅 When: Through February 28, 2026
👶 Ages: All ages — stroller-friendly along the seawall
💸 Cost: Free
The Move
This works as a post-dinner family walk or, dare I say, a rare parent outing without the kids.
Why It Matters
Sometimes the best outing is the one with zero logistics. No registration, no tickets, no time slots. Just show up and walk.
That’s a wrap for this week.
We’ve got this!
Saba Yazdani
The Cambie Memo
P.S. Know a family still figuring out the long weekend? Forward them this email. The Family Day Guide alone will save them 30 minutes of Googling.