heritage by Trevor Coroian The Local Legacy of Group of Seven Artist F.H.Varley conifer w o o d s , it passes a small clearing high and t o the left near its n o r t h w e s t axis where Varley often held picnics and sketching sessions w i t h students and friends. E n o r m o u s c e d a r heritage stumps, s o m e 10 t o 12 feet across, are also f o u n d along t h e trail, giving s o m e sugg e s t i o n of t h e i m m a n e n c e V a r l e y felt f r o m the t h e n - r e c e n t l y logged o v e r and b u r n e d t e r r i t o r y b e t w e e n l o w e r G r o u s e M o u n t a i n and Blueridge t o the east of Lynn C r e e k . T h o s e familiar w i t h t h e s u p e r b b o o k " V a r l e y " w r i t t e n and s e l e c t e d by his son P e t e r V a r l e y will n o t e i n t u itively the a l t e r e d landscape t h e n and n o w -- a c o n s e q u e n c e of s e c o n d - and t h i r d - g r o w t h fir. cedar, h e m l o c k , and a f e w residual big t r e e s p r u c e . A s the trail h u m p s and b u m p s t h r o u g h f o r e s t duff, s t r i k i n g v i e w s r e m a i n of t h e upland G r o u s e and rear o f S e y m o u r / B l u e r i d g e c o u n t r y Varley p a i n t e d so o f t e n . Trail w o r k w a s c o m p l e t e d by c r e w s f r o m the D i s t r i c t of N o r t h V a n c o u v e r and G r e a t e r V a n c o u v e r Regional D i s t r i c t , t h e latter funded by a F o r e s t R e n e w a l grant that b r o u g h t the expertise o f displaced, skilled timb e r and mill w o r k e r s t o t h e p r o j e c t . T h e i r l a b o u r is w i t n e s s e d in a series of b o a r d w a l k s that t r a v e r s e e n v i r o n mentally sensitive boggy areas critical t o t h e s u s t a i n e d health o f the a r e a . T h e b o a r d w a l k s t h e m s e l v e s are c o n s t r u c t e d of y e l l o w c e d a r planks milled from recycled telephone p o l e s -- a n approach the frugal V a r l e y w o u l d have admired. T h e trail leads ultimately t o t h e o l d M i l l H o u s e and dam at L y n n C r e e k in L y n n H e a d w a t e r s Regional Park. T h e c o u n t r y o p e n s here and m u c h o f V a r l e y ' s Lynn p e r i o d w o r k is instantly identifiable f r o m this p o p u l a r viewing site. Indeed, the original c o m m e m o r a t i v e p r o j e c t idea f o s t e r e d by Kelly Phillips, U n i t y Bainbridge. D a n i e l Izzard, and o t h e r N o r t h S h o r e artists f o c u s e d o n Photo left from left to right Trevor UBC Carolan, fine arts John and Photo North District Trevor parks committee ber Kitty North Don District above from left to right Vancouver councillor Carolan, advisory memCastle, Mayor l i f t e e n years of advocacy by N o r t h S h o r e artists and c u l t u r a l heritage enthusiasts c a m e t o f r u i t i o n o n S e p t e m b e r 19, w i t h m u c h a n t i c i p a t e d launch c e l e b r a t i o n s f o r the Varley Trail in N o r t h V a n c o u v e r ' s H e a d w a t e r s area. The commemorative project hono u r s G r o u p of Seven p a i n t e r F r e d e r i c k H. Varley, w h o lived and w o r k e d in t h e u p p e r Lynn Valley area of N o r t h V a n c o u v e r d u r i n g the early 1930s.The trail's inauguration d r e w an u n e x p e c t e d l y large, lively c r o w d b e n e a t h a m o t t l e d early a u t u m n sky. Varley, w h o s e f o r m e r r e s i d e n c e still sits o n the little h i t c h r o a d t o Rice Lake, k n e w t h e trail r o u t e w e l l . Years of c h a t t i n g a b o u t the painter's life in Lynn Valley w i t h local residents w h o k n e w -- o r m o r e o f t e n k n e w o f -- V a r l e y d u r i n g his w o r k i n g tenure there helped produce for o r g a n i z e r s a r i c h t a p e s t r y of details a b o u t his painting forays into the Lynn H e a d w a t e r s area.This i n f o r m a t i o n h e l p e d l o c a t e the trail's r o u t e w h i c h was defined and flagged by w e l l - k n o w n N o r t h S h o r e hikers G a b r i e l and Suzanne M a z o r e t . T h e w a l k begins at a n e w D i s t r i c t H e r i t a g e trail m a r k e r adjacent t o the Rice Lake parking l o t in the S e y m o u r Demonstration Lynn Vancouver Bell, and N o r t h Shore Arts Commission chair Don Williams the sign S. unveil marking of the Varley Trail in honour F.H.Varley. Photo by Marian Dodd. Forest. F r o m t h e r e , it leads w e s t across t h e small pipeline bridge at Lynn C r e e k w h i c h V a r l e y p a i n t e d in a n u m b e r of important works.Varley's form e r h o u s e and s t u d i o is l o c a t e d o n the rise d i r e c t l y in f r o n t of t h e bridge, and t h o u g h s h r o u d e d in dense hedge is still i m m e d i a t e l y r e c ognizable. T h e trail t u r n s n o r t h and skirts Lynn C r e e k , s e l d o m m o r e than 15 o r 20 feet f r o m t h e steep d r o p s d o w n t o the boulder-strewn watercourse b e l o v e d by Varley. A f t e r an a p p r o x i m a t e l y h a l f - h o u r walk t h r o u g h a mix of c o l o u r f u l d e c i d u o u s and professor O'Brian, artist Rudi Diesvelt on the Varley Trail on opening Photo by Dodd. day. Marian