Cities have their own vernacular. Some boast unique architecture, a common sense of style and still others, a mode of transportation favored by the citizens. Certain cities, however have their own scent or combination of scents – both good and bad.

Autumn is beautiful, and mysterious. Autumn knows how to wear her clothes; earthy colours, and bright too, all held in balance, and slightly bohemian. She’s cool.

I’ve been a frequent viewer of Tenth to Fraser for some time now, looking over all the great articles focused around this town, which I have now lived in for over ten years. The negative image of our beautiful city has begun to bubble up inside of me, inspiring me to put on display the inner beauty and character that the Royal City emanates from the century old buildings and remarkable landscapes.

My memory of growing up around Lord Kelvin school and Moody Park area in the ’50s was mostly of unrestricted roaming and fun, with groups of boys and girls from the post-war baby boom filling the neighbourhood houses. Younger kids would move through the back lanes, neighbourhood streets, over back fences and through yards and the neighbourhood streets in packs, older kids in groups of 4 or in pairs. This was all without supervision of course, at any age, but there was a curfew for children in the 50s.

We often hear that New Westminster is a small town, not just in size but in style. And that can be both good and bad. This week, in the Moody Park Youth Centre’s campaign to win a $25,000 grant in an online contest, there was a whole lot of good going around.

“I want to go to Columbia. Because it’s a really good place, and they have toothbrushes there.” So said The Girl, my four-old daughter to me on the SkyTrain just yesterday.

It’s not late, but it’s dark. There are two men near the 123 bus stop near 4th. They’re looking down the street, and whispering to each other. I think nothing of it, and keep going. And then, I see what it was that they may have been whispering about.