♻️ Pink recycling bins + A family membership hack

Here’s what’s inside this issue:

🧸 Papa's Playground: Free Wednesday Nights for Dads

Dads, this one's yours. West Side Family Place runs a free weekly drop-in just for fathers and their kids. No sign-up sheets, no craft glitter emergencies, just a chill space to hang with your little ones and meet other dads doing the same thing.

Indoor and outdoor play depending on the weather, WSFP staff on hand if you need support, and a room full of dads who also have no idea what they're doing. (Kidding. Mostly.)

The Move
Registration is recommended but not required — sign up here to save your spot, or just show up. This runs weekly, so if this Wednesday doesn't work, next one's waiting.

👨‍👧 Dads' Drop-In — Saturday Mornings at Mount Pleasant Family Centre

Another one for the dads.  Mount Pleasant Family Centre runs a free Saturday morning drop-in for fathers and male caregivers with little ones — play-based, songs, stories, outdoor time, the works.

And here's the part that might actually be the biggest perk: it's a cell phone free zone. No doomscrolling. No work emails. Just you and your kid in a well-resourced play space with other dads doing the same thing. Honestly? That sounds kind of great.

The Move
Between this and Papa's Playground on Wednesdays, dads in the Corridor now have two free weekly options for hanging with the kids and meeting other fathers. Wednesday nights or Saturday mornings — pick your window.

🚧 Broadway Reminder: That Closure Is Still Happening

If you've been blissfully ignoring this — E. Broadway between Main and Quebec is closed. Has been since January 26. Will be for roughly four months.

Subway construction crews are currently pulling up the traffic deck, relocating utilities, and rebuilding the road. While the standard hours are Monday to Saturday, expect the occasional overnight or Sunday surprise thrown in for fun.

📍 Where: E. Broadway (Main to Quebec)
📅 Timeline: ~4 months (started Jan 26)
⏰ Work Hours: Mon–Sat, 6 AM–10 PM
🚌 Transit: Buses detoured to 8th Ave

The Move
If you missed the full breakdown of alternate routes and impacts, check out last week's issue here.

♻️ The End of the "Bag of Bags": Pink Bins Are Here

If you live in a condo or apartment, you probably have a "bag of bags" stuffed under your sink—full of chip bags, and wrappers waiting for a trip to the depot that never happens. Good news: your procrastination just paid off.
Collection officially started Monday, and about 4,500 pink carts are being delivered to apartments and condos across the city.

📍 Where: Condo & Apartment recycling rooms (Recycle BC buildings)

🩷 Look For: The new Pink Bins

🍬 What Goes In: Flexible plastics (crinkly wrappers, chip bags, Ziplocs, produce bags, mesh bags).

Until now, flexible plastics were a "depot only" item. Recycle BC is currently rolling out about 4,500 of these pink carts to multi-family buildings across the city. It’s a massive shift that keeps thousands of tons of plastic out of the landfill (and out of your kitchen cupboards).

The Move
Check your building's recycling room tonight. If the pink bin has arrived, you can finally purge that stash of wrappers without the guilt.

Full details on what goes in the bin

🏛️ The MOV Math: $85 and You're In All Year

Quick one for the museum families. A Family Membership at the Museum of Vancouver is $85. That covers two adults and up to three kids under 18. Unlimited visits. All year.

For context — a single visit with two adults and three teens costs ~$105 at the door. So the membership is cheaper than going once. And MOV has four feature exhibitions lined up this year, plus member perks like workshop discounts and VIP event invites.

If you've ever stood in front of a rainy Saturday morning with zero plan and zero motivation, a museum membership is the "break glass in case of emergency" option you didn't know you needed.

The bonus
Buy or renew before the end of February and they'll tack on an extra month free — 13 months for the price of 12. Not life-changing, but hey, free is free.

The Move
Grab it online or pick it up at the front desk next time you're there.

💎 Hidden Gems

Two spots you probably walk past all the time but keep forgetting to actually go to — and February is the perfect month for both.

🌿 VanDusen Botanical Garden — The Quiet Season

Here's a secret: VanDusen in February is practically a private park. The crowds don't show up until spring, but the early blooms are already starting and the Visitor Centre café is warm, cozy, and has good coffee. If you need an hour that feels like a deep breath, this is it.

📍 Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
💸 Cost: ~Adult $11.19, Youth (13–18) $7.85, Child (5–12) $5.60, 4 and under free

🦜 Bloedel Conservatory at QE Park — Tropical Escape Without the Airport

200 free-flying birds inside a tropical dome, right in the Corridor. Your kids will lose their minds. You will forget it's February for 45 minutes. Everybody wins.

📍 Where: QE Park- Bloedel Conservatory

💸 Cost: Adult $9.50, Youth (13–18) $6.65, Child (5–12) $4.75, 4 and under free

The Move
Combine it with lunch at Seasons in the Park. That's a full family outing for the price of a Tuesday.

The insider play
A Vancouver Park Board garden membership gets you free admission to both VanDusen and Bloedel all year. If you're the type who needs a low-effort rainy day backup on rotation, it pays for itself fast.