The following guest post was contributed by Naomi and Ryan of to be, inspired.

I’ve been going to the Cloverdale Flea Market for the past 10 years. It’s located right next to the Cloverdale Horse Track and costs a dollar to get in – totally worth it. If you like to people watch, this is the place for you.

Photo credit: Naomi & Ryan on Flickr

There’s a fantastic mix of all sorts of sellers trying to unload their wares – I’ve seen everything from old motorcycles to antique sewing machines, although the selection has shrunk a bit since I started going. In the Spring and early Summer months you’ll find a ton of bedding plants, hanging basket plants and any type of bushes and tree roses for almost half off regular retail prices. You’ll also find that the flea market is split into two sections. The outdoor section consists of anybody and everybody that buys a table and brings whatever they can haul in their cars. I’ve been lucky in the past – you just need to have a sharp eye. Some of the things I’ve managed to snag are:

The second half of the flea market is inside two buildings. Here you’ll find more of the “regular” sellers who sell a carefully edited selection of trinkets like glassware, watches, cellphone things (yawn) and other more fragile products.

Don’t forget to bring cash! If you do, there is a bank machine next to the concession stand. Don’t forget to haggle – that’s the best part, and as the flea market season progresses, I’m trying to hone my skills. The only piece of advice I have is to respect the seller’s item and don’t low ball an offensive price. If the seller really wants to sell you the item, you can make an offer and if he doesn’t accept it, just walk away slowly. I’ve had sellers run after me and say FINE FINE I’ll accept your offer.

Flea markets can be hit or miss. You can spend hours scouring the tables, rummaging through bins of trinkets and still come up empty handed. The Cloverdale Flea Market is no exception, however this summer I seem to be having a lot of luck finding fun and unique items. There’s nothing more satisfying than coming across that gem.

Cloverdale Flea Market
Cloverdale Fairgrounds
60 Avenue & 176 Street
Every Sunday (except special events and holidays)

Naomi and Ryan share a passion for all things old and the inspirations you can draw from them. Through their blog, to be, inspired, they explore (with a vintage twist): design, style, decorating, refinishing and other cool stuff both locally and globally.

After so many sunsets with John on the West coast, we enjoyed our first Carribean sunrise together this morning (and I’m not referring to the drink). We went on a mini photowalk down to the beach to capture this breathtaking sight and we’ll be back again later today to enjoy some of that sun, surf, and sand.

The resort is absolutely wonderful, even though we’ve only seen about 20% of the entire property so far. I’ll be exploring later today and look forward to trying out more of their cuisine (and perhaps a drink from the swim-up bar in the pool).

Since I couldn’t decide which sunrise photos to post (of the 9 I have uploaded) you can view the rest of my photos on Flickr and John has a set up as well.

This afternoon John and I landed in the Dominican Republic for a quick (albeit work-related) trip.

It’s my first time ever in any place considered tropical so it’s completely captivated me. The sights, the aromas, the sounds, and the instant humidity fogging up my camera lens. We’re in very good hands at the resort so I’ll have a full write-up upon our return but for now, check my Flickr stream for photos. I’ll have most of my trip updates in the form of photos over the next while — and boy I can’t wait to walk over and see that beach.

I would like to say a big Thank You to all those providing guest posts this week, there’s more interesting and unique content to come over the next few days.

The August long weekend is notorious for beach blanket parties, backyard barbecues, and swimming in lakes, however if you’re sticking around town here are some fun-in-the-sun activities to keep you entertained.

Photo credit: qousqous on Flickr

If you have a community event that you would like to promote, please feel free to leave a comment on this post or contact me anytime.

The following is a guest post contributed by Amber Strocel of TheV3H.com

I have lived in the Port Moody area for a little over 6 years. My children were born here, and our family is happy to call this place home. As we head into the BC Day long weekend I thought I would do a little digging and learn more about the history of Port Moody, which is intertwined with the history of British Columbia.

The mainland colony of British Columbia was created in 1858 following the discovery of gold on the Thompson River. With prospectors flooding in from the United States, Governor James Douglas wanted to exert British control over the region. A colony was established and Lieutenant-Governor Richard Moody was appointed to oversee the creation of a capital city. New Westminster was chosen because it was considered easier to defend than Fort Langley, where the colony of British Columbia was originally declared. It fell to Moody to build the city of New Westminster with the Royal Engineers under his command.

The backstreets of Port Moody today.

In addition to establishing the capital the engineers, or sappers, built roads connecting the city to other regions. One of those roads was North Road, linking New Westminster to Burrard Inlet. The terminus of the road was named Port Moody, for Lieutenant-Governor Richard Moody. The road was meant to provide a supply route from military ships docked in Burrard Inlet to the capital at New Westminster. When their work was complete the Royal Engineers returned to England in 1863. However most of the sappers elected to stay, and they received land grants of 150 acres as compensation. John Murray and three others chose to receive land in Port Moody, although John Murray was the only one of the four who ever actually lived in the community.

Things changed quite suddenly for Port Moody in 1879 when the town was named as the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Over the next few years land speculation became rampant and a town site was laid out. Murray’s son, John Jr., named the streets. He chose patriotic names such as Elgin Street for the Governor General of Canada and Queens Street for Queen Victoria. He also chose the names of family members. Jane Street was named for his mother, Kyle Street for his brother-in-law, Mary Street for his sister and Hugh Street for his brother. Clarke Street was named for his father’s partner Captain James A. Clarke and Murray Street was named for the whole Murray clan.

Railway line running through Port Moody.

St. John’s Street and St. George Street actually received their names due to clerical errors. The streets were meant to be John Street for John Murray Sr. and George Street for John Jr.’s brother-in-law. However, for some reason instead of writing ‘John St.’ or ‘George St.’ on the survey he wrote ‘St. John’ and ‘St. George’. The result is the saintly names Port Moody residents are familiar with today. Rumour has it that when Vancouver archivist J.S. Matthews learned the street name he said, “Johnny Murray was no saint.”

Sadly for the land speculators their gamble in Port Moody didn’t pay off. Although the first Trans-Canada train pulled into Port Moody in 1886 the rail line was extended to Vancouver in 1887. Land values plummeted back to earth and fortunes were lost. Many investors were quite upset and went so far as to launch lawsuits, which were not successful. And so rather Vancouver became the largest urban centre in the province and Port Moody did not. The streets, however, still bear the names of the people who built the community and had high hopes for the region.

This post was written by Amber Strocel, who contributes to TheV3H.com along with her husband, Jon. Their blog highlights news and events in and around Port Moody and the Tri-Cities. You can also catch up with Amber’s musings on life and parenting at Strocel.com.