The Davie Day street Festival is a day of fun, laughter and music in Vancouver’s West End.  Come and Experience Vancouver's West End!

On September 10, 2011 Davie Street was closed from Burrard to Broughton with each block being crammed with entertainment for all the family.  Folk danced away at our main stage, puttered through the market stalls, watched some local entertainment, and grabbed lunch from one of the many patios.  And enjoyed it all in the sunshine!

Smiling Faces! That is what you saw on Davie Day!

“Whenever I see your smiling face ~ I have to smile myself”
James Taylor will not be at Davie Day singing “Your smiling face”, but there is sure something in the air that puts smiles on the faces of the folk on Davie Day!

What does make people smile?
The question of why we smile is still being studied and observed by our scientists. However, current line of evidence suggests that human smiling is an automatic, cross cultural response to certain stimuli – internal and/or external – that produce certain pleasant reactions in the person smiling. Further evidence points to smiling being both instinctive and hard-wired while also learned and social. A study of feral children who lived in isolation from human contact and have remained unaware of human social behaviour and unexposed to language found that such children were unable to smile, even after contact was established. This suggests that social interaction plays a large role in either smiling as a reflex, or helping to biologically develop the brain to be able to be able to pick up this kind stimuli reflex. Has a stranger ever done something that made your whole day look brighter? Perhaps they opened the door at the bank for you or let you go ahead of them in the queue? Remember how good it made you feel?

Making someone smile and brightening their day is one of the most generous things you can do. It has a ripple effect that touches the whole community. So that’s what we do at Davie Day.

"Most scientists believe that the reason we use facial expressions like smiling is because it helps others to know how we’re feeling. In fact, it’s believed that some facial expressions are understood the same way all around the world! Some research also suggests that smiling when we’re happy helps us to experience the happy moment even more thoroughly! Smile on!”

Twelve ways to make someone smile
and brighten their whole day

1. Smile first
2. Be chivalrous
3. Be self deprecating
4. Listen
5. Surprise someone
6. Take on some work
7. Be humble
8. Make eye contact
9. Offer a random compliment
10. Ask people their name
11. Shake hands, hug or physically interact
The final thing I am going to offer is one of the most powerful. It is physical interaction. This is a truly wonderful way to cheer someone up and brighten their day.
12. Come to Davie Day!
I want to say a big “thank you” to anyone who is out there in the world making people smile. It is a truly admirable thing to do. Besides – it’s easier to smile than doing the opposite – you actually use less muscles while smiling than while frowning or making an angry face. Well, that’s probably what you have heard at least. But still, if you start smiling more your smiling muscles will soon become stronger than your frowning muscles. And it will become easier and easier to smile than doing the opposite.

Davie Day ~ a chance to meet neighbours and make new friends!

That's what Spencer wrote before Davie Day!

I’m looking forward to the 8th Annual Davie Day here in the West End, where I always get the opportunity to chat with my neighbours, local business owners, and a whole host of Westenders that I might not normally meet in my community office.

At a previous year’s Davie Day I had the chance to meet a constituent whose apartment was destroyed in a fire and was luckily able to help her to find a new home! It’s these kinds of encounters that make me just love community events that bring people together.

I am also a big fan of Davie Day because it gives me an opportunity to speak with Westenders about the issues that I am most passionate about in our community.

Since becoming your MLA I have worked hard to ensure that the more than 80 percent of renters that live in the West End are properly protected by the Residential Tenancy Act. For too long the Provincial Government has turned a blind eye to the loopholes in the Act that hurt renters, which is why I have introduced two Private Members Bills in the BC Legislature to try and change that.

Another big focus for me is St Paul’s Hospital. St Paul’s Hospital has long served as an anchor point in our community both supporting our local businesses but most importantly serving as a vital health care centre for the people of the West End and Downtown Vancouver.

But a lack of investment and the Hospital’s aging infrastructure means that it may not be able to continue to serve this role in the future.

That’s why I have been working with local businesses, community groups and Westenders to encourage the Provincial government to invest in St Paul’s so that it can continue to serve as our community’s hospital. I invite you to stop by my booth at Davie Day to sign a petition to support St Paul’s.

I hope to see you at Davie Day. Stop by to let me know what’s on your mind and what matters to you, or just to say hello!

Sincerely,
Spencer Chandra Herbert
Your West End MLA