Vancouver’s annual Around the Dome Science Festival, presented by Genome British Columbia, is taking over Science World for the next month. Starting this weekend with a FREE day of admission on Sunday, September 27th (thanks to BC Hydro) the fun continues with special events and workshops through to October 25th.
Saturday, September 26 & Sunday, September 27, 2015
Community Science Celebration from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Explore eye-popping science shows and lots of exhibitors, demonstrations, activities and programs for the whole family. Meet the people in our community doing cool science each and every day.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Enjoy a free day of science Under the Dome from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (OWL)
Learn about OWL from 11:00am to 3:00pm. They provide care to over 400 birds of prey each year. Meet a raptor and learn about the work that OWL staff and volunteers do to rehabilitate injured and orphaned birds.
Saturday, October 3 & Sunday, October 4, 2015
Make Your Own Origami Whale
Create your own origami whale with the help of staff and volunteers. This program is inspired by Science World’s new OMNIMAX film, Humpback Whales.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Café Scientifique: Keeping Animals Happy and Healthy
Join Science World for ideas, discussion and refreshments as you hear from professionals working in animal behaviour, health and welfare on current issues and how we can improve the lives of animals in our care.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Water Education Day
Interact with water and the water cycle. Where does your water come from and what happens to the water that you use? Chat with scientists, researchers, specialists and employees to better understand and appreciate your water.
Saturday, October 24 & Sunday, October 25, 2015
City Farm Fest
Celebrate urban agriculture and backyard biodiversity. Learn about composting at home, take a tour of our gardens, meet city chickens and more.
Throughout the month there will also be a City of Vancouver Viaduct Display, the ACEC—2015 Awards for Engineering Excellence Road Show, First Responders Weekend, BC’s Waste Ace Contest, and more. Check out the full schedule of events online.
Guests are encouraged to experience more of their community and help reduce our carbon footprint by taking public transit. For more information follow Science World on Facebook and Twitter.
Festivals of film, the moon, reading, writing, flamenco, and… bacon are all happening this weekend as autumn brings on a deluge of events and activities. If you’re looking for something low key, check out these 10 Parks for Fall Colours and enjoy a stroll through the leaves.
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend
Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green below.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Culture Days – City of Vancouver Public Art Tour Burrard Corridor and Downtown
Global Physics Photowalk
Fine French Dinner
Vancouver Accelerate Your Life
FROM BYRD TO BARD The Glorious English Tradition
North Vancouver Museum and Archives: Family Records Workshop
Beyond the Inferno // UBC
Vancouver Startup Week Open House
Free Word Vancouver Festival of Reading and Writing
Vancouver International Film Festival, VIFF
IDS West
Vancouver Flamenco Festival Events
Snowbird RV Show
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Etsy Made in Canada Marketplace at Robson Square
MetamorFest 2015 Community Street Festival
Baconfest at Urban Digs Farm
Surrey Art in the City Tour
Real Ugly (For Lovers of the Unloved)
Hot One Inch Action, Button Fest
Surrey Library Maker Showcase
Harvest Festival and Food Swap
Vancouver Startup Week Open House
Vivian Fung: Biennale Snapshots At The VSO
Ryan Gander: Make Every Show Like it’s Your Last
Hamelin: A New Fable with Axis Theatre Company
Annual Retail Job Fair at Metropolis at Metrotown
Surrey Library: Screening: The LEGO Movie
North Vancouver Museum and Archives: Mathias Joe Totem Pole
North Vancouver Museum and Archives: Behind the Scenes
SocialLIGHT Conference
Chinook Wawa Immersion Weekend
13th Annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Mushtari Begum Festival of Indian Classical Music and Dance
Railtown Tailgate Summer BBQ Series
Brilliant Gala for St Paul’s Hospital
Fraser Valley Food Truck Festival – Maple Ridge
Mount Pleasant Metamorfest
Vancouver Heritage Foundation: Mid-Century Modern House Tour
HypeSound: Music Production Workshop with Tigerstyle
Trout Lake Farmers Market
West End Farmers Market
Vancouver, Plaza of Nations Night Market
Richmond Night Market
International Night Market, Richmond
Free Word Vancouver Festival of Reading and Writing
Vancouver International Film Festival, VIFF
IDS West
Vancouver Flamenco Festival Events
Snowbird RV Show
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Free Day at Science World
Township 7 Grape Stomp
World Rivers Day at Burnaby Village Museum
North Vancouver Museum and Archives: Pleasure Faire Walk
The Emerge 15 Fundraiser
Surrey Art in the City Tour
The Family’s Pasta & Italian Cooking Classes
Hello Happy Market
Special Afternoon with Dr. Kevin Zakresky – Lecture Only
Hamelin: A New Fable with Axis Theatre Company
Portobello West [Van]
MEC Big Wild Challenge
Chinook Wawa Immersion Weekend
SocialLIGHT Conference
The Inspiration and Craft Behind the Image
Who Killed Kraft Bier?
Sunday Seafood Boil at Boulevard
Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market
Kitsilano Farmers Market
Vancouver, Plaza of Nations Night Market
Richmond Night Market
International Night Market, Richmond
Free Word Vancouver Festival of Reading and Writing
Vancouver International Film Festival, VIFF
IDS West
Vancouver Flamenco Festival Events
Snowbird RV Show
Check out the full September event listings here and if you have an event to include, please send it in by email for a free listing. Follow Miss604 on Twitter for more daily updates.
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It was like a scene from an action movie or survivalist reality show. The clouds had rolled in and the first hesitant raindrops began to fall. I had to put away my camera and my phone, which I had used to document our 6km hike along unnamed ridges, peaks, and grassy alpine slopes, at 7,000ft elevation.
Our guide, Jeff Honig with Selkirk-Tangiers, radioed for the helicopter to come and pick us up as our group of eight descended from the rocky terrain down to a creekside clearing on the edge of two turquoise lakes. We had to stay ahead of the weather.
The rain now fell in full force and the pitter-patter of its drops on my coat echoed the beat of the helicopter rotor blades. Jeff found the first flat portion of land we had seen all day, crouched on one knee, and stretched his arms out straight in front of him, as though he was about to welcome the helicopter with a big hug.
The landing skids touched down next to Jeff and four of us grabbed our soaked gear, ducked like characters on M.A.S.H., and ran into the cabin. Our pilot, Jacques Auger, would drop us off and return for the rest before the black clouds completely overtook the mountains.
So how did it come to pass that I would be a part of an alpine helicopter evacuation? I was on an adventure tour in the Kootenay Rockies region and it was all a part of our day of heli-hiking. Selkirk-Tangiers is an established heli-skiing company based in Revelstoke, BC and during the summer months they run heli-hiking tours.
After meeting in the Revelstoke Mountain Resort Retail Store in the village, you can get picked up by helicopter at the base of Revelstoke Mountain Resort and dropped off high on a peak somewhere between Mount McDonnell and Mount Cartier in the Purcell Mountain range backcountry. Selkirk-Tangiers offers heli-sightseeing tours, heli-biking, heli-picnics, and heli-hiking (and we had a picnic lunch during our hike as well).
From our drop-off point, we set out along rocky ridges –I highly recommend hiking poles and definitely make sure you have adequate hiking footwear. There was no path, only the guidance of Jeff who is Selkirk-Tangiers’ Lead Guide and Operations Manager. He lead us on an interpretive hike, up and over blocks of stone and beds of heather. The mountain terrain was unlike any other I had encountered, and I have hiked our Coastal Mountains and at Whistler Blackcomb before.
The rocks were otherworldly. Some looked volcanic, others looked like lumber, and others were slick and sharp (and managed to cut my finger open with the slightest touch later on in the hike). It felt like we were on the surface of the moon at times, and others it felt like we had the entire mountain range to ourselves as autumn colours crept in and painted the flora that added a softness to the otherwise harsh topography.
I pushed myself to keep up with the pack, but Jeff was very good at taking breaks when needed so that we could either catch our breath (I’m a sea-level girl after all), take photos and selfies, gulp down some water, or enjoy our picnic lunches that came with hearty sandwiches and delicious cookies.
I had a lot of trust in Jeff, and he was an encouraging guide — who even used the word “skookum” naturally in a sentence, which made him even more cool in my books. I think it makes a world of difference to have a good group of people, and a great guide with you, when you’re so out of your element.
We summited a peak, we crossed a glacier, we descended muddy slopes, we had very strong feelings of accomplishment. I can’t even recall how long we were out, perhaps it was 4 hours, we just had to get to our exit point before the rain came. We made it, just in time, and the sense of wonder, joy, and rushing adrenaline still fills me today as I go through my photos. It was a thrilling adventure but I wasn’t afraid, I was – and am – empowered.
Learn more about Selkirk-Tangiers by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instgram. I highly recommend you check out their summer or winter tour offerings when you plan your trip to Revelstoke and the Kootenay Rockies. More resources are available through Destination BC.
BC Craft Beer Month returns this October and the BC Craft Brewers Guild is launching a month full of craft beer events with a #BCFirst kick-off event at Central City on Beatty on Thursday, October 1st at 6:00pm.
The taps will be taken over at Central City on Beatty as BC Craft Brewers showcase the hottest seasonal and specialty craft beers from 24 of BC’s finest.
Tickets for the BC Craft Beer Month kick-off event at Central City on Beatty are $20 and they include four 10oz BC craft beers, with full ticket proceeds going to support the BC Craft Brewers Guild.
#BCFirst BC Craft Beer Month Kickoff
The 24 BC breweries taking part in the kick-off event at Central City on Beatty include:
Bridge Brewing Company
Persephone Brewing Company
Bomber Brewing
Phillips Brewing Company
Cannery Brewing
Powell Street Craft Brewery
Central City Brewers + Distillers
Ravens Brewing Co.
Dead Frog Brewery
Russell Brewing
Driftwood Brewing Company
Steamworks Brewing Company |
Fernie Brewing
Steel & Oak Brewing Company
Howe Sound Brewing
Storm Brewing
Moody Ales/Fuggles & Warlock
Strange Fellows Brewing
Off The Rail Brewing Company
Tree Brewing Company
Old Yale Brewing
Vancouver Island Brewing Company
Parallel 49 Brewing
Whistler Brewing Company |
About BC Craft Beer Month
Now in its fifth year, BC Craft Beer Month includes several events throughout October, including:
Win Tickets
I have two tickets to give away to the #BCFirst BC Craft Beer Month kickoff at Central City on Beatty, here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment naming a participating brewery (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Central City on Twitter and Facebook for more information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, September 28, 2015. Must be 19+. Please enjoy responsibly. NOTE: This event takes place at Central City in Downtown Vancouver at 871 Beatty St.
Update The winner is Albert!
Vancouver’s Seawall has been a work in progress since 1917, and over the last 100 years it has grown from a retaining wall into a 28km seaside path for runners, walkers, strollers, and cyclists. The Vancouver Seawall stretches from Coal Harbour, around Stanley Park, through to Sunset Beach, False Creek, over to Granville Island, under the Burrard Bridge, to Vanier Park and through Kitsilano to Spanish Banks. Today, it’s actually the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path!
While on a walk on the popular route with my father a few weeks ago he commented about how he never did the full Seawall loop around Stanley Park as a kid growing up in Vancouver – he couldn’t have. It wasn’t until 1980 that the paved circumference path around the park was completed.
1930, James Crookall, Archives# CVA 260-312.
TIMELINE 1917: Park Board master stone mason Jimmy (James) Cunnningham began building the Stanley Park Seawall. Much of its incremental progress was overseen by Cunningham from the late 1920s until his retirement 35 years later.
1940s: The extent of the Sea Wall at the time. Photo by Jack Lindsay. Archives# CVA 1184-2402.
Jimmy (James) Cunningham was born in 1878 on the Isle of Bute in Scotland. He came to Canada from Scotland in 1910, then served in WWI with Canadian Expeditionary Force. He worked extensively as a stonemason, including UBC, Vancouver homes, pools at Lumberman’s Arch, Second and Kits beaches, Empress and Banff Springs hotels. In 1917, he began building the Stanley Park seawall. In 1931, he was named master stonemason for Vancouver Parks Board to secure Stanley Park’s shores. Cunningham began the route at Brockton, supervising the building of the lighthouse and seawall around the point. He retired in 1955 but supervised the wall until his death, completing three miles. [Source]
1948 Photo by W.E. Frost, Archives# CVA 447-129 // 2010 Photo by
Junnn on Flickr
TIMELINE 1968: The Stanley Park Seawall had had 1,200 lineal feet added
1966: Archives# CVA 1502-1000.
TIMELINE 1980: The remaining 1.5 miles in the Siwash Rock area were completed
1890s, Siwash Rock, Archives# M-3-17.1 // 2009 Photo by
m1i1k1e1 on Flickr
TIMELINE September 26, 1971 from the Vancouver Sun via Vancouver History: “The last stone was laid in the Stanley Park Seawall. Midway between Prospect Point and Siwash Rock a small group of dignitaries—watched by about 150 spectators—gathered with trowels and dollops of cement to tap the wall’s last block into place. The group included H.H. Stevens, 92, who as Conservative MP for Vancouver riding at the time had been one of the seawall’s original promoters. In 1920 Stevens would arrange for 2,300 unemployed men to work on the wall.
One person who, regrettably, wasn’t present at the ceremony—he had died in 1963—was a man who had spent more than 30 years working on the wall. His name was Jimmy Cunningham, a master stonemason, and so dedicated to the work that he once left his sickbed and went down to the wall in his pyjamas to see how his crew was doing. His ashes are tucked away within the wall in an unmarked location. Jimmy and his crew gave us something wonderful.”
TIMELINE September 21, 1980: The entire Seawall loop around Stanley Park was declared officially completed with the final paving between Third Beach and Second Beach. A plaque at Siwash Rock was erected in memory of Cunningham.
I love this quote from the Vancouver Sun on the day of the Seawall’s completion: “The wall was conceived to prevent erosion of the park’s foreshore, but would accomplish something else just as important: the most magnificent 9-kilometre 28-kilometre walk in Canada.”
For more Stanley Park Seawall history and information, check out my two part series for Tourism Vancouver: Waterfronts 1 and Waterfronts 2.
