Vancouver MINI Cooper Club

VMCC Photo Contest Winner

2012-01-23T09:21:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of the Members of the VMCC who supplied us with a picture of you enjoying your MINI!! ... and we have a Winner!!!

Congratulations to Linda Green!! Despite the vast amount of entries, Linda's picture had it it all: a clean car, the VMCC members badge, a massive canoe strapped to her roof, and of course, a massive smile!!!

Linda is now stuck with the choice of either a Weekend in Whistler in a Countryman ALL4, or a Week's Drive in the New MINI Coupe Roadster!!

VMCC Membership Renewal

2012-01-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

Event Date: NOW

Hello and Happy New Year!

We hope that all our members enjoyed the recent holiday time, and were able to take advantage of the unseasonably great weather with a spin out and about in our magnificent Minis!!

The time has rolled around to think of renewing your membership. Our membership period runs from Jan – Dec. The good news is that there is no increase in this year's membership dues. They will remain the same as last years; $35.00 per full member, and $5.00 per associate member.

The great news is that this year marks the VMCC's 10 year anniversary, and to commemorate this, we have a surprise for all members, a new, commemorative, anniversary grill badge for your pride and joy!

Please send your renewal remittance to:

VMCC Treasurer,
British Columbia Mini Cooper Society
9566 Willowleaf Place
Burnaby BC V5A 4A5
treasurer@vancouverminicooperclub.com

What do you get for your membership?

Membership with the VMCC has its privileges. Your membership fees not only allow a great club to bring you great events ... they also give you a growing selection of discounts at participating Vancouver businesses, allow you access to Member-only events, and offer further discounts on VMCC-organized public events, such as the annual fun rally.

Looking forward to seeing you all in the very near future,

Happy Motoring!

Sincerely,

Denise Roberts,
Membership Coordinator
membership@vancouverminicooperclub.com

B and D Tech Session

2011-06-14T09:48:00.000-07:00

Event Date: July 30, 2011 - 10 AM - Noon

Event Location: B and D Auto Body
Address: 1488 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC

Join Vancouver MINI Cooper Club sponsor B and D Auto Body at their East Vancouver shop for a tech session on repairing MINIs from a collision and paint perspective. Graham Price of MINI Yaletown Service Centre will also be in attendance. B and D is a fully accredited ICBC Collision Repair centre that specializes in painting and repairing MINIs as well as handling the painting of JCW aero kits, wings, roofs and other parts. We'll get the full tour and get a chance to ask all sorts of questions! Coffee and doughuts will be provided. B and D has a MINI lift in the floor of their shop ... if any member would like to place their MINI on the lift for a "peek underneath" they're welcome to do so.

NOTE: there is lots of parking available at the side of their shop ( east side of Clark drive). This event is no charge to all VMCC members. There will be a short drive afterward back into Yaletown to the New Oxford pub for lunch following the session.

VMCC Facebook page has now moved

2011-04-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver MINI Cooper Club's Facebook page has now moved to: http://www.facebook.com/VancouverMINICooperClub

AllCare Auto Solutions hosts tech session

2011-03-05T11:03:00.001-08:00

Event Date: March 20, 2011
10 am - Noon

Event Location:

AllCare Auto Solutions
641 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam, BC

Join VMCC MINI Cooper Club member Rick Hollingshead at his Coquitlam shop for a tech session on detailing and car care. Rick's shop does interior and exterior detailing, stone chip repairs, including window tint, 3M paint protection, exterior paint work and more! Rick also advises if any member would like to place their MINI on the lift for a "peek underneath" you're welcome to do so. This event is free to all VMCC members and interested parties. There will be a short drive afterward to a local pub for lunch following the session.

MINI Countryman Launch at MINI Yaletown

2011-01-13T14:25:00.001-08:00

Here's a 4W All-Wheel 2011 MINI Countryman that was pre-sold at the Launch event.

2011-01-13T14:24:00.005-08:00

Great sushi was served ... (and great Margaritas that don't show!) Great fun was had by all!

2011-01-13T14:24:00.003-08:00

Accessories at 20% off for the night.

2011-01-13T14:24:00.001-08:00

The truly British MINI

2011-01-13T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ross Creasy, President of Vancouver MINI Cooper Club with a truly British MINI Cooper.

Renew Your VMCC Membership for a Chance to Win!

2011-01-10T10:45:00.000-08:00

From: Vancouver MINI Cooper Club
To: All Members

Dear Vancouver MINI Cooper Club Member:

Happy New -Vancouver MINI Cooper Club- Year!

Thank you for your current and past membership in the Vancouver MINI Cooper Club (hereinafter called VMCC). Without enthusiastic MINI drivers like you, this club and the gusto for driving and living the MINI-lifestyle wouldn’t exist.

Some highlights of events we enjoyed during 2010:

1. The 2010 Classic All British Field Meet at beautiful Van Dusen Gardens where VMCC members took home the hardware and awards for their shiny Coopers and Clubman vehicles.

2. VMCC members “crossed the line,” joining 35 MINI friends of the Puget Sound MINI club for a spirited interclub day trip to Mount Baker, WA, starting in sunshine and ending up at the top surrounded by snow banks!

3. Our ‘Almost to Harrison Run; took us along country back roads of the eastern Fraser valley, where we made it ‘almost to Harrison’ before stopping for a great pub luncheon with old and new friends.

4. We capped 2010 with a fabulous drive to Whistler, highlighted by our ‘colour coordinated’ picture stop at Porteau Cove and a scrumptious meal in the village. The new whistler highway was a dream to ‘MINI’!

5. The new club executive has a full schedule of events planned for 2011 including several social, driving, track and road trip events to the interior and even to the southern USA. We’ve also renewed our partnership with MINI Canada and are pleased to announce several exclusive discounts and sponsorship deals, exclusive savings only available to paid-up VMCC members.

MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS $$$ REWARDS!

With all this in store for you, please renew your VMCC membership by going to our online renewal form:

Go here: http://vancouverminicooperclub.com/signup.html. Simply click on VMCC sign up button to go to web form.

If you want your partner or friend to join you in all the MINI advantages, please enter them as ASSOCIATE MEMBER and add $5.00 to your total membership first time or renewal fee.

Mail with your cheque or MO payable to the BC MINI Cooper Society, 9566 Willowleaf Place, Burnaby, BC, V5A 4A5 and your updated, paid-up membership card showing 1 year renewal will be mailed to you.

Note: Past or existing member who renew their 2011 VMCC before the end of January 2011 are entitled to a 15% discount ($5.25 subtract from $35.00) on their membership fee of $35.00 for 2011. They will also be entered to win one of three custom made VMCC domed grill badges - A MINI exclusive from Gobadges.com.

Join us for fun and savings as we MINI into 2011!

Yours sincerely,

BC MINI Cooper Society – A Non-Profit Organization

per: Ross Creasy, President
per: Thomas Pajur, Vice President
per: Rahoul Ghose, Webmaster
per: Klaus Kaufmann, Treasurer – for inquiries please email: treasurer@vancouverminicooperclub.com

VMCC and MINI Yaletown partner on Memberships

2010-12-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

NEW MINI OWNER?

Congrats!

You, as a proud MINI owner, are probably not just enthusiastic about the MINI brand, but are also a fan of the fun MINI lifestyle that goes with it.

The Vancouver MINI Cooper Club (VMCC) offers new MINI owners a FREE one-year Membership – A MINI Yaletown exclusive benefit!

The VMCC organizes fun motoring events, meets, and other activities geared toward expanding the enjoyment of owning and driving a MINI.

Members also enjoy a wide range of MINI-related driving and social activities like:

• Day and Road trips (single-day and multi-day drives)
• Product launches and lifestyle events
• Social gatherings to exchange MINI know-how
• Tech sessions at the MINI Yaletown Service Centre
• Advanced Driver training days with Driving Unlimited
• Cooperative events with other Car Clubs
• And much, much more!

Membership has $$$ benefits!

As a Member you receive discounts on genuine MINI parts as well as exclusive club discounts at specialty shops and online retailers to help individualize your very own MINI!

Find out full information from your MINI Yaletown Sales Advisor, or visit us on our website www.vancouverminicooperclub.com or look us up on Facebook.

Let’s MINI!

Ross Creasy,
VMCC President
president@vancouverminicooperclub.com

Driving Skills - Slalom Day

2010-12-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

Driving Unlimited, Pitt Meadows BC
Sunday, January 30, 2011 · 9:00am - 4:30pm

A full day of 'dancing with cones' and of Skills practicing and challenge with our friends from the BMW Car Club of BC and other car enthusiasts.

This is basically a FULL DAY behind the wheel with skills practice on a slalom course and Driving Unlimited instructors on hand to cover important basic safety skills and provide feedback and coaching.

Driving Skills Day Course Includes:
Catered On site Lunch
Professional Instruction by Driving Unlimited
Full day session limited to 30 Participants
Course Fee - $155
Early Bird Fee until Jan. 3 - $150

register at: http://www.karelo.com/register.php?BID=49&BT=10#Ev10138

MINI-Madness Pre-Holiday Sale

2010-12-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

A MESSAGE FROM THE NEW BOARD PRESIDENT

2010-12-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hello! As the newly minted president of the Vancouver MINI Cooper Club, I would like to to take this opportunity to welcome back existing members as well as extend a warm welcome to those new 2010 and 2011 MINI owners.

With our recent AGM behind us, we've set several goals for the club going into 2011:

1) Increase participation and membership.
2) Plan and participate in interesting events
3) Provide value to our members
4) Have Fun!

With the holiday season upon us, we've already put out thinking caps on for ways we can hit these goals!

Watch for regular updates, here on the VMCC Blog, and on the VMCC Messageboard.

In closing I would like to take this opportunity to thank our 2010 executive for their contribution in guiding the club last year. We're all busy folks - but if you want something done, ask a busy MINI owner!

Ross Creasy, VMCC President
president@vancouverminicooperclub.com

Visit us on Facebook
Twitter (coming soon)

June 12, 2010 - ANNUAL SQUAMISH RUN

2010-06-10T10:31:00.001-07:00

Our annual VMCC Squamish run is almost here. Join us Saturday, June 12, for a drive from the North Shore along Marine Drive, then up to Squamish for lunch at the Howe Sound Inn.

Please meet at the Park Royal shopping center, south side, in the parking lot close to Starbucks and Home Depot at 10:30 AM. Always a fun drive ... hope to see you there.

GPS co-ordinates: Lat 49°19'33.76"N; Lon 123° 8'24.82"W.
Bring along your FRS radios to stay in touch.

June 28 - July 1, 2010 - MINI MEET WEST

2010-06-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

EVENT: Sponsored by the Vancouver Mini Club, Victoria Minis and the VMCC, Mini Meet West 2010 is set to kick off in Penticton, BC at the end of June. The annual event, back in BC for the first time since 2003, when Victoria was chosen as the lucky host city, features a Car Show, Rally, Funkhana, an Autocross, Awards Banquet and the usual group MINI/Mini photo.

Penticton is located in southeast corner of BC in the Okanagan Valley, part of BC wine country, with fabulous highways and twisty back roads.

For more info visit the MMW 2010 website.

Registration is still open. The host hotel has been selected -- Penticton Lakeside Resort, Convention Centre and Casino -- and is taking reservations. Be sure to tell them you are park of the Mini Meet West 2010 event to get your discount.

Upcoming Events and News

2009-08-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

Once the Hells Gate/Harrison drive is complete, I will post the details of the AGM. I don't want to take away from participation in the drive and I want to give Thomas an opportunity to book the hall.

I will also post possible events for the coming months to gauge interest. They are:

1) A tour of Nu-Brite's new wheel repair centre

2) A tour of a body shop specializing in old British vehicles. He usually has one or two Minis in the shop and will have our BugEye in for final bodywork

3) A drive to Reiffel Bird Sanctuary and possible wander through

4) A second carting day as an end of season event as discussed earlier in the year

Stay tuned for updates and more info.

Kathy Hahn
VMCC President

Hells Gate and Harrison Hotsprings Drive

2009-08-24T14:44:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009
Time: Meet 9 AM
Place: Scottsdale Mall

From Beken: I have penciled in September 12 for a drive to Hells Gate with a stop at Harrison Hotsprings on the way back. I think a photo opp amongst the sand castles (if there are any) would be fun. This will be close to an all-day drive. Hopefully, everybody should be home by around dinner time so as not to interfere with your family BBQ schedules.

I plan to leave Scottsdale Mall around 9:00 am, possibly make Coquitlam Centre around 10:00 am with other meetup spots along the way. If others want to join in the run somewhere along the route, post a message. We will take Hwy 7 (Lougheed highway) to the Fraser Canyon. Return via Hope and then Highway 1. The drive will officially end when we return to Highway 1 from Harrison Hotsprings. That means if you live in Chilliwack or Abbotsford or Mission, you can drop out of the drive anywhere along the route home. Remember to start with a full tank of gas and bring your radios. More details soon.

Please post here if you plan to attend.

VMCC Upcoming Events: April 2009

2009-04-06T09:02:00.001-07:00

Saturday, April 18, 2009 - BMW Club

Dyno day with the BMW club at Miller Performance in Abbotsford. There's still room. Register before April 11

http://www.bmwccbc.org/index.shtml

Sunday, April 19, 2009 - LAMB

4th Annual St George's Day British Car Show in Fort Langley. Maximum numbers of cars is 55 on site but there are a lot that show up to look. Join Langley Area Mostly British Motoring Club for a day to celebrate the British vehicle, either by entering a car or just dropping by for a bit.

http://www3.telus.net/lambmc/lambmc.htm

Events page has photos of previous shows.

Sunday, April 26, 2009 - VMCC - Drive Styles of the Rich and Famous

Meeting Time: 10:30 for an 11:00 AM departure

Meeting Place: At the parking lot to the immediate north east of the Starbucks at Home Depot Park Royal, 840 Main Street, West Vancouver, V7T 2Z3, (it's on the Marine Drive side of the South Mall).

Eventual Destination: Holiday Inn, North Vancouver. 700 Old Lillooet, North Vancouver (604-985-3111) for a 12:30 Lunch at the Pantry Restaurant.

Marty is leading this popular annual drive of the ritzy part of the North Shore. The Pantry restaurant has a buffet on Sundays or you can order from the menu. If you plan to join us for the drive and brunch or even just brunch, please post here with your intentions and the number of people coming. The restaurant does not take reservations but will be trying to keep space available for us. Currently, they are working with "between 12 and 18." Thanks to Marty for prepping this drive.

This is the 50th Anniversary of the MINI. It would be great if we could have a large showing of MINIs at VanDusen on Saturday, May 16, 2009. Check out their website.

http://www.westerndriver.com/

And, of course, don't forget that membership dues are due the end of April. Dues are $35 for the year and help pay for the website and forum. Dues also subsidize events like karting at TBC.

All cheques mailed to: BC MINI Cooper Society, 7231 - 120th Street, #303, Delta, BC, V4C 6P5

Membership runs from May 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010. In 2010, membership will be changed to January 1 to December 31. Current members will pay a pro-rated membership rate in 2010. For this year (2009), though, business as usual. More information will appear on the club membership page.

As always, if you see an event in which you wish the club to participate or you have an idea for a drive or social, feel free to e-mail myself or any of the other executive and/or post on the forum.

See you soon.

Kathy

2006 MCS JCW CE

1974 Mini 1000

UPCOMING VMCC EVENTS: MARCH 2008

2009-03-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 28
A Dickens of a Drive by VMCC
Start time: Meet 10 AM. Leave 10:15 AM

Start point: Campbell Valley Parking Lot south side of 16th Avenue in Langley at approx 203/204. Camp Coyote is on the North side. If you curve up the hill, you've gone too far. If you need to contact me while trying to find the drive start I'll try to remember to turn my cell on: 604-312-8403.

Drive the South Roads to Dickens Sweets in Chilliwack for lunch. They have a museum, small car collection, British grocery store, tea house and the new "pub" may even be open by then.

Thursday - Sunday, March 26-29
AMVIV

And in April for those of you who want to see what kind of horsepower your car is making: The BMW club is hosting a dyno day on Saturday, April 18. There will be two runs per car with Dyno Graph printouts provided. Non-BMW club members are welcome at a price of $65. Regular price is $75.

Miller Performance, 2009 Abbotsford Way, Abbotsford, BC

Winter Go-Carting: Feb. 21

2009-01-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

Mark Saturday, February 21 on your calendars. That is the date for our annual late winter karting event at TBC.

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2009
Time: 10:30 AM
Place: TBC Indoor Kart Racing 2100 Viceroy Place, Richmond BC http://www.tbcir.ca/
Either a half hour or an hour depending on interest.
Cost: Approximately $45-50 per person depending on numbers to be paid to VMCC at event.

Please let Thomas know if you intend to attend so we can book the appropriate amount of time. vicepresident@vancouverminicooperclub.com

Preliminary 2009 VMCC Calendar now live

2009-01-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Hello again MINI fans,

The 2009 calendar of events is up on the site now. As you can see, we have quite a variety of events planned for this year in addition to the popular VMCC events of the past.

Since this is the 50th Anniversary of the Mini, I hope we get a really good turnout at the Van Dusen ABFM, which is co-featuring the marque this year. Let’s show the public why the Mini/MINI is still going strong 50 years later. Mission Raceway is holding Vintage Races July 17-19 this year, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Westwood Racecourse, which is now very upscale housing. Sunday, July 19 is club corral day at the races and an opportunity to do parade laps around the track at lunch.

I’m hoping we can join the Mini Club in their Pat O’Brien Rally in March and maybe they can join us in a rally around September.

We are starting the year off in January with an open house for current members only, followed by the ever popular TBC karting day in February. There will be a car collection tour as well, hopefully in February. And late in the year, you can see a bit of the history of the British automobile by visiting a restoration shop in Surrey.

We are planning to borrow an idea from the Calgary club and Stuff-a-MINI with toys for the toy bureau. Hopefully, I can get the dealerships involved and we can parade to the Pan Pacific breakfast in early December with a whole lot of toys for kids who would otherwise get nothing.

Reminders of events will be made on the forum as well as sent via email . If you are a member and we don’t have your email address please send it to me so I can get you on the list. The calendar will be updated as dates become finalized.

Any suggestions for events or drives, please let me know.

Kathy Hahn
President VMCC
president@vancouverminicooperclub.com

Welcome to the VMCC Blog

2008-12-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

Welcome to both existing and new VMCC members. The club blog, the latest addition to the VMCC's online presence, will now be the prime location for members to get the latest news from the club's executive.

Together with the VMCC's main website and messageboard, the blog will add more life to vancouverminicooperclub.com with announcements, links to the latest events galleries, photos of the week, daily MotoringFile MINI news updates, a host of useful MINI links and even club questionnaires.

If you have a great MINI photo of the week, please e-mail it to editor@vancouverminicooperclub.com with cutline information and your name for attribution.

Message from New VMCC President

2008-12-12T12:47:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow MINIacs,

Let me start by thanking all previous executive members for their hard work and dedication. Marty and Desmond, I hope we haven’t burned you out and that you will be available to join us in events or maybe even lead one or two drives. Louise and Jim, glad you are still on board and Thomas, thanks for taking on the Vice-President duties. Rahoul, thanks for the website.

For those of you who don’t know me, I have had two names on the forum. First, I was Velveteen_MINI with a 2003 Velvet Red Cooper. Velveteen was traded in on a 2006 Cooper S JCW Competition Edition in January 2008 and the car and I are now known as works4me.

I have been involved in car clubs for a lot of years, from member to events coordinator to newsletter editor and, most recently, President of Langley Area Mostly British Motoring Club.

I plan to build on the great things that have already been done with the club and hope to expand on the annual events.

Please, e-mail me with the things you want to see the club do. It might be a summer drive and BBQ or a museum tour. It’s your club after all. I’m just your representative.

Kathy Hahn
president@vancouverminicooperclub.com