VANCOUVER -- A North Vancouver woman is hoping to inspire her community with a unique, COVID-19-safe take on a flash mob.
Nicole Byrom told CTV News Vancouver she wants to help the community show its strength and resiliency after the deadly stabbing attack at Lynn Valley Village late last month.
"I just felt that we needed something to uplift us," Byrom said. "I thought, 'What better way to lift our community up than to bring us together through music and dance?'"
Under normal circumstances, a flash mob at the shopping centre would help re-establish it as a community hub, rather than a place of fear and sorrow, Byrom said.
With COVID-19 cases surging across B.C., however, Byrom felt a mass gathering would be inappropriate.
Instead, she's asking local residents and businesses to sign up online for a time slot, during which she will film them dancing in groups of no more than 10.
By staggering the crowd over several hours on Sunday, Byrom hopes to keep everyone safe while compiling a video that, once edited, will showcase the best of Lynn Valley.
"We're going to put markers on the ground, six feet apart," she said. "People will be wearing masks. And we're going to film these different groups of people, trying to showcase some different vendors from around the community."
RnB dance studio agreed to choreograph the dance for the video, Byrom said, adding that North Vancouver District firefighters, the Lynn Valley Lions Club and North Shore Rescue would all be participating in the video.
For music, the project will use a song by local artist Trevor Guthrie.
Byrom encourages anyone who lives in North Vancouver to participate, but asks that people don't just drop in unannounced. There were several time slots still available on the schedule Saturday afternoon.
