This has been my summer of helicopters and each time the door is shut, headsets are adorned, and the rotor blade spins, my heart races and prepares for not only the amazing scenery I am about to witness, but for the thrill of the ride.

While on our Alberta road trip in October, John and I stayed a night in Canmore which introduced us to some great food (at Murrieta’s), great beer (at Grizzly Paw Brewing), and the first of many Rocky Mountain adventures we would experience together on this trip.

Our Morning Helicopter Tour in Canmore

We walked over to Alpine Helicopters from our hotel (Solara Resort & Spa) where we walked into a warm and welcoming visitor centre with souvenirs, maps, charts, and freshly-brewed coffee. After checking in, we watched a safety and instructional video in an adjoining room. This outlined the procedures at Alpine Helicopter, what to do when we walk out to the aircraft, and other helpful bits of information for our flight.

Once the video was over, we were escorted out to the landing pads and hopped into a 6-seater. The sun was just making its way over the mountains to the east of us, painting the Three Sister of Canmore (Faith, Hope, Charity) in the warm orange glow of the morning. We then lifted off and climbed to 9,000ft, circling between Alberta and BC.

We spotted Mount Assiniboine (known as the Matterhorn of the Rockies), Brewster Mountain, glaciers, a reservoir, early season backcountry skiers, radio towers, patches of controlled forest burns, Spray Lake, Owl Lake, and other landmarks that revealed themselves as the sun painted the peaks and valleys with morning light.

The experience was very professionally-run and our pilot came on the radio often to tell us about points of interest. I liked that the bubbled windows allowed for some great photo-ops that included the helicopter itself as we flew. My window also had a small hole that was unplugged where I could pop my camera lens and get clear shots of the mountain ranges. John did not have the same advantage but I still love his photos from the other side of the craft as we circled around.

Following our flight we received a certificate and a laminated map so that we could identify some of the locations we flew above. We were up for about 30 minutes (the Royal Canadian Tour, and Alpine Heli also offer 12 minute and 25 minute tours from Canmore.

They have one of the largest Bell helicopter fleets in Canada and run private charters, tours, and heli-skiing/heli-hiking throughout the year. Learn more by following Alpine Helicopter on Facebook and Twitter. John’s photos are all available on Flickr here, and mine are on Instagram and Flickr as well.

The 19th annual Education & Career Fairs take place in 5 BC cities this fall and winter, with 2 right here in the Lower Mainland. The fairs connect visitors, young and old, with work and study opportunities, providing them with a chance to examine different career paths and to obtain labour market information.

Education & Career Fairs

The Education & Career Fairs are made easily accessible, by offering free admission to schools as well as clients of community organizations, such as WorkBC Employment Centres. The general public can take advantage of free admission between 12:00pm to 3:00pm at each of the Fairs.

Each fair is unique to the community it visits, featuring local and abroad:

• Employers & Associations
• Trades & Technology
• Career Training Institutes
• Colleges
• Universities
• and THINK!nternational, where attendees can explore study, work, volunteer options from around the world.

Free Seminars

The fairs offer a wide range of free seminars such as: “Trades: What is is like to be an apprentice?”; “Careers in Film, TV, Animation & Video Games”; “Business of Fashion”; “Being a Commercial Pilot: Steps and Tips”; “Careers and Lifestyle in the Tourism and Resort Industry”; and more.

Exhibitors

Education & Career Fair exhibitors span a wide range of industries, from employers and associations to trades & technology, career training institutes, universities, and THINK!nternational. You can connect with Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Tel Aviv University, Okanagan College, Canadian Tourism College, Vancouver Film School, Canadian Red Cross, AngusOne Professional Recruitment, The New York Times, Whistler Adventure School, just to name a few!

Education & Career Fair Abbotsford

Date: Monday, November 30, 2015
Hours: 9:00am to 3:00pm
Where: TRADEX in Abbotsford (1190 Cornell St)

Education & Career Fair Vancouver

Date: Friday, December 11, 2015
Hours: 9:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre EAST (Canada Place)
Tickets: Available online now

At the Vancouver event attendees can enter to win one of 5 Cypress Mountain gift packages. Enter by taking a photo at the event (selfie or otherwise) and posting it on social media with the tags @ECFairs #dayatcypress.

There will also be Education & Career Fairs in Nanaimo (at Vancouver Island Conference Centre on December 2nd); Kelowna (Prospera Place on December 7th); and in Kamloops (at Sandman Centre December 9th).

Follow Education & Career Fairs on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Returning after two sold out runs, The Cultch is pleased to once again present Ronnie Burkett’s The Daisy Theatre from Tuesday, December 1st to Sunday, December 20th at the Historic Theatre. Each performance will be different, daring, ridiculous, and on the edge of the hands of renowned puppeteer provacateur Ronnie Burkett and his resident company of over 40 marionettes. No two performances will be the same, making this a production to see more than once.

Photo courtesy of The Cultch

The Daisy Theatre is created and performed by Ronnie Burkett and is the 13th production from Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes, following the international successes Penny Plain, Billy Twinkle, 10 Days on Earth, Provenance and the “Memory Dress Trilogy” of Tinka’s New Dress, Street of Blood, and Happy.

Dates: Preview December 1st, 8:00pm; Opening December 2nd, 8:00pm
Times: December 3-6, 8-13, & 15-20, 8:00pm
Where: Historic Theatre (at The Cultch, 1895 Venables St, Vancouver)
Tickets: Tickets from $20. On sale now at The Cultch’s Box Office, by phone at (604) 251-1363, or online. There will be a lively post-show Q&A on December 3rd, 8th, and 15th.

Win Tickets to The Daisy Theatre

The Province says: “It’s some of the funniest, most brilliant theatre you’ll ever be lucky enough to see.” Now you can win tickets to opening night of The Daisy Theatre! Here’s how:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Saturday, November 28, 2015. Follow The Cultch on Twitter and Facebook for the latest performance information.

Update The winner is Tara!

The Bright Night Christmas Train in Stanley Park is a highlight of the holiday season in my eyes. Not only does everyone get to share in the the magic of Stanley Park, but under millions of sparkling lights this event raises funds for such a worthy cause.

Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Park

Admission

Admission to the train plaza is by donation ($4 suggested). Enjoy three million twinkling lights, displays, live performers, and get photos with Santa. Purchase snacks, hot and cold drinks, and light meals at the Railway Café concession stand. Or buy hot buttered popcorn at the Stanley Park Ecology Society’s Cob House in the plaza.

Train Tickets

You must buy a ticket to ride the train. Tickets are sold in half-hour time slots. Several trains will depart within each time slot. Your ticket is valid for one Bright Nights ride during the time slot shown on the ticket. Buy online or phone 604-252-3700 with TicketLeader online. Ticket sales start at 10:00am (12:00pm when there no matinee trains).

Special Offers

Dinner packages with the Old Spaghetti Factory are available through TicketLeader when you buy your train tickets. Add the dinner package after choosing the time slot for your train ride.

Bright Nights has on-site and overflow parking lots. All parking is free. Overflow lots include the Info Booth, Yacht Club, Totem Poles, Brockton Point, North Pipeline Road, and Beaver Lake lots.

A free shuttle trolley takes you from the overflow lots to Bright Nights. The shuttle trolley operates on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6:00pm to 10:00pm every twenty minutes.

Show your Bright Nights ticket or proof of purchase and get 10% off admission to the Vancouver Aquarium. See Scuba Claus and enjoy the extraordinary 4-D film adventure aboard The Polar Express. Offer expires January 2, 2016.

Bright Nights Charity Partners

Proceeds support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society and the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. Bring non-perishable food items for the food bank and a suggested $4 donation for the Burn Fund (upon admission).

Tips

Avoid the crowds and come out Monday to Thursday in the first two weeks.
Purchase your ticket online in advance, it’s going to be busy!

Follow Bright Nights in Stanley Park on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

The Surrey Tree Lighting Festival is happening Saturday, November 21, 2015 at Central City and Surrey City Hall plazas. It’s the biggest free, family-friendly event of the season in Surrey and is filled with live entertainment and activities. On top of the dozens of exhibits, rides, and activations, you can also give back:

Giving Back at the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival

Surrey Food Bank
Please bring non-perishable food items for the Surrey Food Bank to the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival. As a non-profit charitable organization, the Surrey Food Bank is able to operate only due to donations of money and food. These donations come from individuals, organizations and corporations as well as various fundraising efforts. Canned meat, healthy cereal, canned fruits & vegetables, baby formula, and diapers are some of the Surrey Food Bank’s most needed items.

Surrey Fire Fighters Association Adopt a Family Program
The Surrey Fire Fighters are collecting toys (unwrapped) for their Adopt a Family Program. Additionally, proceeds from the ferris wheel will go towards their Adopt a Family program. The toy drive and fundraiser are one of the many programs of the Surrey Fire Fighter’s Charitable Society.

Surrey Christmas Bureau
The Surrey Christmas Bureau (SCB) is a non-profit, charitable organization providing our city’s low-income families with toys, holiday gifts, stocking stuffers and grocery certificates each Christmas. You will also find them on site on Saturday.

Surrey Tree Lighting Festival Details

Get together with your family and friends at the Tree Lighting Festival and enjoy the Coast Capital Savings Photo Booth, Winterland, Storyville, Toddler Town, arts & crafts, trolley rides, miniature train rides, a craft market, road hockey, ice carving, a ferris wheel, various other family activities and great FREE performances.

What: Surrey Tree Lighting Festival
Where: The Plaza at New City Hall and Atrium (13450 104th Ave, Surrey)
When: Saturday, November 21, 2015 from 12:00pm to 7:00pm. The tree will be lit at 6:30pm. The stags at Central City will be lit at 4:15pm.

Rain or shine! There will be a lot to do both indoors and outside. View the full stage schedule online and follow Surrey Events on Twitter and Facebook for more information.