Springtime in Vancouver marks the return of the iconic Pacific Great Blue Heron colony. For their 23rd consecutive year, the 64-strong heron colony has made its way high above Park Lane in Stanley Park to raise the newest generation.
Photo: Greg Hart / SPES.
Herons in Stanley Park
Last year the colony brought approximately 90 new heron chicks into the world, overcoming persistent eagle raids and a late nesting season, due to more severe winter weather. Throughout these challenges, this heron colony has proven to be above all else, resilient. With 80 per cent of British Columbia’s great blue heron population found in and around the Fraser River, the productivity of this heronry has signification implications for the viability of the whole subspecies.
Now in its eighth year, the Heron Cam provides the ultimate close-up view of this remarkable species as they go about their daily rituals, including courtship and mating, nest building, egg laying, and of course, hatching! Viewers can access a birds-eye view of the 40 nests and even take control of the camera by zooming in on multiple nests, using different angles. Witness the chicks take their first tentative steps by viewing the Stanley Park Heron Cam online.
Heron Coexistence
To ensure herons are given space to nest and raise their young peacefully, between mid-March to mid-July, visitors should:
Observe herons from outside of fenced areas
Avoid making loud noises of playing amplified music within 30 metres of the colony
Keep dogs on-leash
Refrain from flying drones; drones are not allowed in parks without a permit, and should strictly not be flown around nesting birds
Report a fallen or injured chick via the Van311 app or by calling 311; please do not handle any injured wildlife
Stanley Park Heron Cam
Pacific Great Blue Herons were first documented in Stanley Park in 1921. Since then, the colony has changed nesting locations several times before settling in its current location in 2001. Vancouver is proudly one of North America’s largest urban heron colonies.
Pacific Great Blue Herons are federally protected and classified as of ‘special concern’ in British Columbia. The population of these herons has declined steadily since the 1980s as a result of nesting failure, eagle attacks, human disturbance and habitat loss. In Canada, there are around 4-5,000 nesting adults, with the majority living around the Salish Sea. Pacific Great Blue Herons are also unique in that they do not migrate as most great blue herons do.
Working in conjunction with the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES“) has been supporting herons in this urban environment and monitoring the heronry in Stanley Park since 2004.
Learn more about the history of the Pacific Great Blue Herons at Stanley Park here or by visiting the Vancouver Parks and Recreation website. To keep up to date with the herons activities and how to support the Stanley Park Ecology Society, visit them online.
Tickets for Coast Mental Health’s 25th anniversary Courage To Come Back Awards, presented by Wheaton Precious Metals, are now available. The event recognizes British Columbians who have overcome tremendous odds, yet selflessly give back to their communities.
Courage to Come Back Awards
When: Friday, June 9th, 2023
Cocktail reception at 5:15pm, event begins at 6:00pm
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre West (1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver)
Tickets: Available online now for $400 each with a $285 tax-deductible receipt. A table of 10 is $4,000 with a $2850 tax-deductible receipt
The awards will honour five recipients and raise funds for critical community mental health services and programming. Each and every single dollar raised at this event will make a difference to the lives of people living with mental illness. You provide critical programs and services to your neighbours in need.
Coast Mental Health – an independent registered charity – is the largest provider of community-based services for people living with mental illness in British Columbia. Each year, many crucial programs are made possible through donors’ generous support of Coast Mental Health Foundation at the annual Courage To Come Back Awards – which has raised $22 million to date.
Your generosity provides outreach services, housing support, food security, mental health support for youth and adults, peer support services, training and employment and many other programs that are vital to the long-term recovery of vulnerable people living with mental illness.
Miss604 is a proud sponsor of the 2023 Courage To Come Back Awards
The Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is a two-day student-led film festival which features exclusively Indigenous filmmakers and creatives from across Canada, March 31-April 1, 2023.
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival
When: Friday, March 31 & Saturday, April 1, 2023
Where: Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema is located on the 3rd floor of Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings St, Vancouver)
Founded on the principles of truth and reconciliation, Carr Sappier (Wolastoqew) and Grace Mathisen created SIFF in 2019. Skoden is an Indigenous slang term that stands for ‘Let’s go then!’. According to Sappier: “Skoden represents a sense of happiness, inclusion and a space where all filmmakers can feel like they are part of something that holds them up in respect.” Instructor Kathleen Mullen adds: “We are sharing experiences and knowledge through this course with humour, dialogue, and respect!”
With welcoming comments by Elder Xwechtaal Dennis Joseph, who is also witnessing the Festival, this year’s edition of SIFF is split into five programs: Activating the Landscape; It’s a Long Story, with feature Ever Deadly; The Deepest Part of my Heart; Who I Am, Who We Are; and Our Connections.
The audience will enjoy an eclectic selection from both new filmmakers such as Robbie Tait Jr. (A Rainbow to Turtle Island) and Laura Fontaine and Yasmine Fontaine, (Our Way) and well-established artists such as Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan (Ever Deadly), Amanda Strong (Spirit Bear: Fishing for Knowledge, Catching Dreams), and Ma-Nee Chacaby, Zoe Gordon, Shayne Ehman (Return to Ombabika).
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is organized and led by a class of students from all over SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, and co-taught for the last three years by Carr Sappier and Kathleen Mullen.
BC Place has just announced their new $5 menu available at all stadium events, effective immediately. The pilot project was launched in an effort to make the stadium experience more accessible, providing classic fare at a low price. The menu features a list of marquee items including $5 beer, hot dogs, nachos, and popcorn, with the potential for rotating items throughout the year.
BC Place $5 Menu at All Events
The $5 Menu was developed in collaboration with BC Place’s food and beverage partner, Sodexo Live! and is available at Dawson’s Hot Dogs stands at sections 201 and 227.
“We know that for some, buying tickets to a game or a concert can be a big financial commitment, and we want to ensure that everyone has the ability to enjoy a meal at our stadium,” said Chris May, General Manager at BC Place. “We want fans to know they have options – whether it’s a Slow Roasted Prime Rib sandwich or a beer and hotdog for $10. The $5 Menu helps ensure there is something for everyone.”
The announcement follows the recent launch of BC Place’s new 2023 menu features, including premium items such as the Footlong Lobster Roll and Porky Pine Sandwich on a house-made pineapple bun. BC Place’s new menu items, from their $5 Menu and beyond, can be enjoyed at the upcoming Red Hot Chili Peppers concert on March 29th, and all major events following.
April is here and that means so are the cherry blossoms, the tulips, some favourite festivals, and many more events! This month Miss604 is a sponsor of the Portobello West Spring Market (April 22 & 23). Find this event and many more things to do around Metro Vancouver listed below.
April Events in Vancouver 2023 Monthly Calendar of Things to Do
