When you dine out on Thursday, March 26th — for breakfast, lunch or dinner — you’ll have the opportunity to support members of your community through this year’s Dining Out for Life campaign. Participating restaurants will donate 25% of their food sales that day to registered not-for-profits Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful, which assist living with HIV/AIDS right here in Vancouver.
Dining Out for Life happens each year across North America, with funds raised going to each city’s own causes. Find a restaurant partner anywhere in the 604, from Whistler to White Rock and across the Lower Mainland. Participating restaurants include Ask for Luigi, Belgard Kitchen, Burgoo, Dockside, Forage, Mamie Taylor’s, Milestone’s, Nook, Trattoria, and dozens more.
All proceeds directly benefit the programs and services Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful provide free-of-charge, including:
- Over 110,000 meals per year delivered to those affected by HIV/AIDS in Metro Vancouver and surrounding regions
- Nutritional counselling and meal planning
- 60+ support therapies ranging from therapeutic massage to naturopathy, music therapy to yoga
- End-of-life care to people in their own homes
On March 26th, get a group of friends together or plan a date night, and when you pay your bill you’ll know that it’s making a difference in someone’s life.
In 2011, the Public Health Agency of Canada estimated 71,300 people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada — with over 25% residing in British Columbia. Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside maintains the highest HIV prevalence in the Western world, reaching as high 27%. While new infection rates in BC have thankfully decreased, advanced therapies mean people with HIV/AIDS are living longer and the number of people who depend on the services of Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful continues to grow.
Follow Dining Out for Life on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information.
It’s surprising how much I remember about Expo 86, given that I was only 6 years old when the World Exposition on Transportation and Communication took over Vancouver from May until October in 1986. I remember going to Guildford Mall to get our family photos taken for our season passes. I had found something to cry about and threw a tantrum so the pass I used for those eventful months featured a soggy, red-faced, woeful little girl. My brother convinced me that I’d have to cry every time I entered the Expo 86 gates so that they knew I was the rightful pass holder.
I remember the gondola, the monorail on which I got lost as I boarded without my family. I watched the distance between us grow as the train left the station only to have us reunited on the next station’s platform.
I do have good memories of Expo 86 though. Getting my passport stamped at each pavilion, the unique little cars and boats that transported us over and around the fair grounds. The smell of the food wafting out of McBarge, the dance of the boom boats, riding Highway 86, and the enchanting theme song.
Here are a few images sourced from the City of Vancouver Archives, from the Ernie Reksten fonds, that just might bring back some fond memories for you too:
15 Nostalgic Photos of Expo 86
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.395. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.394. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.392 © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.509. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.409 © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.496. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.401. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.435. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.396. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.453. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.387. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.385. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.495. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.422. © City of Vancouver
Archives# AM1551-S1-: 2010-006.397. © City of Vancouver
See also: The Best Old PNE Photos 1914-1980 »
During March and April I will be featuring a Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day, sourced from the Miss604 Flickr Pool and/or the #Photos604 tag on Instagram. You can barely walk a full block in the city without encountering a photographer capturing this pink blooms — or stopping yourself — so it’s the perfect time to start this series. Enjoy!
Lane near Buchanan Street and Rosser Street in Burnaby. Photo credit:
Rochelle on Flickr
View more photography posts on Miss604 along with the Vancouver Photos of the Week – and be sure to tag your photos with #Photos604!
Party for the Planet, BC’s largest Earth Day event returns to Surrey City Hall on Saturday, April 25th with free family fun all day long.
Photo credit: John Bollwitt for Miss604
Surrey Party for the Planet
Attended by over 25,000 last year, Party for the Planet is adding more activities and entertainment to the lineup this year with things to do both inside City Hall and outside on the plaza.
Surrey’s Party for the Planet, presented by TD, will showcase some of the most popular bands in Canada. Headlining the event is Five Alarm Funk. Five Alarm Funk’s high energy performances feature gruff funk vocals, psychedelic rock guitars, Balkan-inspired horns, intricate arrangements, and a few well timed explosions. The band will release Abandon Earth, their fifth studio album, on June 7th. The concept album, describing the destruction of planet Earth by a giant robot, is the culmination of 10 years of touring and the nine musicians’ love for high octane, delirium-inducing dance music.
The event will also showcase local band, Good for Grapes. The band recently wrapped up their third Canadian tour, supporting their new single “Skipping Stone”, which has received airplay on CBC and radio stations across the country. Good for Grapes has gained national traction on the strength of their debut album: a recording that captures their energetic stage presence, bombastic rhythms, and tight harmonies.
The YVR Global Stage will be located in Council Chambers, inside Surrey City Hall, and will offer environmental speakers and popular family entertainers including: children’s singer Charlotte Diamond, cartoon superstar Curious George and reptiles from Urban Safari Rescue.
Photo credit: John Bollwitt for Miss604
Additional attractions at this year’s event will include: Sustainability House, a Birds of Prey Demonstration, Surrey’s Urban Farmer’s Market, the annual tree and native plant sale, rock climbing wall and the Salmon Parade.
Miss604 is a proud sponsor of Surrey’s Party for the Planet
Party for the Planet takes place Saturday April 25, 2015 from 10:00am to 6:00pm at Surrey City Hall Plaza, 13450 104 Avenue, Surrey. It is accessible by transit (Surrey Centre Station) and a bike valet will be on site.
2016 Update: This event isn’t happening this year but check out the NEW Abbotsford Tulip Festival from March 25-May 1 and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival throughout April, 2016!
The Tulips of the Valley Festival in Agassiz opens for the season on April 1st, with millions of bright and beautiful petals blanketing the valley below majestic Mount Cheam.
Tulips of the Valley Festival in Agassiz
My first visit to this spectacular site was back in 2009 and I’ve returned to enjoy the stunning sights and scenes in this lovely 40 acre pocket of the Fraser Valley.
You only have about two weeks to enjoy the Tulips of the Valley Festival, which ends April 12th unless the weather cooperates to extend the event, and there’s plenty to do once you get there. Enjoy fresh Dutch Stroopwafels, Bannock, and several vendors from the local Agassiz Farmers market including Tasty Chicken and Honeyview farms. Stop by the store to buy your fresh cut greenhouse tulips, potted flowers and photo cards, and be sure to pose for photos when among the flowers.
Tulip Festival Hours
April 1st to April 12th, 2015
Wednesday and Thursday: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
Friday: 12:00 to 6:30pm
Saturday to Sunday: 9:00am to 6:30pm
Mondays and Tuesdays: Closed
Holiday Weekend Hours (Friday to Monday): 9:00am to 6:30pm
2016 Update: This event isn’t happening this year but check out the NEW Abbotsford Tulip Festival from March 25-May 1 and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival throughout April, 2016!
Location
3971 Lougheed Highway, Agassiz, BC
In past years the parking area has been about 1km away from the fields, so be prepared for some walking. To put this in perspective, it would be like walking from Davie to Georgia in Downtown Vancouver — it’s not that far and is very worth it, but just be aware. Bring boots and shoes that can get muddy in the fields too, along with a warm coat for the rain or wind, and of course your camera to take photos.
Admission
Cash only. Weekend Admission (including holiday weekends) is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, free for kids 12 and under. Groups of then or more are $4 per adult. Weekday Admission (excluding holidays) is $3 for adults, $2.50 for seniors, and kids 12 and under are free. Weekday groups of ten or more are $2.50 per adult.
Parking is $10 cash on weekends and holidays, $5 cash weekdays per vehicle paid at the designated parking lot. To park tour buses it’s $10 (small) and $15 (large).
Photo credit:
Gemy on Flickr
Fresh Cut Tulips
Located at 1694 Tranmer Road in Agassiz, the tulip stand is open daily from dawn to dusk, now until Mother’s Day 2015. Follow the festival on Facebook for more information.
Interested in checking out two tulip festivals this season? Read more about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival as well. It’s just over the border and we have enjoyed visiting both of these events every year.
