Developed from a graffiti symbol that has circulated for several decades, the Monument for East Vancouver sculpture (known also as the East Van Cross) was created by Ken Lum as an expression of hope and defiance. Installed in 2010 at the corner of Clark and East 6th Avenue, Lum once told the Vancouver Sun that he recalled seeing the phrase while growing up on the eastside. He also talked to someone almost 80 who recalls seeing it as far back as the 1940s and 1950s.
The East Van Cross has its own following and whether you’re just settling into the neighbourhood or your family has deep roots in the community, everyone has an opinion of what the sculpture means to them. One Yelp user even says: “Brooklyn has their bridge — East Van has our cross.”
Sarah Milroy said in the Globe and Mail: Drive by [Ken Lum’s] cross at night and the letters reassemble themselves in the mind in a fleeting double take: Is it East Van or Evangelist that we see glowing against the night sky? “I liked that people might experience that momentary misrecognition,” Lum says. It’s complex, like the city itself. “People say Vancouver is such a beautiful place, and obviously that’s true. But I have always thought Vancouver is very complicated. There’s a lot of layers to it.”
Last year designer Susan Fiedler conceived a fundraising initiative called the East Van Cross Project to benefit Pivot Legal Society. Inspired by this meaningful piece of public art, Fiedler was the first individual to be granted a license from the City of Vancouver to reproduce the iconic East Van Cross in the form of jewelry, beginning with two sterling silver pendants. You can follow the East Van Cross Project on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
This week it was confirmed that Vancouver is the second least affordable city in the world — but at least we’re not a No Fun City! The Robson Square ice rink is still open for free skating, we have a boat show and motorcycle show, the PuSh Festival, winter farmers market, and more all happening this weekend.
The return of the Gastown steam clock. Photo credit: Philip Tong on Flickr
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend
Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green below.
View the full monthly event list to plan ahead at any time. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for frequent updates about local events and community happenings.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Views expressed in this post are my own. I would like to thank Rogers Communications for organizing the trip to use Roam Like Home. With Roam Like Home, Rogers customers can use their Share Everything plans (data and unlimited talk and text) in the U.S. for just $5/day. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
John and I recently had the opportunity to get away, thanks to Rogers Communications, and the Palm Desert was calling our name. Resort spas, cocktails, brunch, and shopping were all on our list of things to enjoy but at the very top was a nature walk (or two). The first was Joshua Tree and the second was to the San Andreas Fault Coachella Valley Preserve and the Thousand Palms Oasis.
San Andreas Fault at Coachella Valley Preserve
Staying at the Westin Mission Hills Resort, it only took 12 minutes to drive over to the Coachella Valley Preserve, which I found on a list of nature walks in Palm Springs.
Surrounded by dry, rocky valley peaks and pale desert sand, this pocket of wetland was a true desert oasis with lush, towering palms and Desert Pupfish swimming in the Salton Sea tributary fed by underground springs.
From the USGS: “The Coachella Valley Preserve is located on the trace of the San Andreas Fault between the towns of Palm Springs and Indio, California. The main groves of the preserve are called the Thousand Palms Oasis. A visitor center is located in the Paul Wilhelm Grove along Thousand Palms Canyon Road. Springs rising along the Mission Canyon Fault and Banning Fault (parallel strands of the San Andreas Fault System) are the water source for Desert Fan Palms (Washingtonia filifera) (Howard, 1994).
The preserve began with the purchase of 1,920 acres of the proposed site by the California Nature Conservancy. It was expanded with the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The preserve now encompasses 17,000 acres, protecting three separate desert dune fields and six palm forests (over 1,500 palms). It is part of a 20,000 acres dedicated to protect the habitat of the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard and other species. The preserve covers a large portion of the Indio Hills in the valley west of Joshua Tree National Park (Coachella Valley Preserve, 2009).”
We pulled up and parked, passing a park map and donation box along a sandy path before reaching a small visitor centre filled with pioneer artifacts and old photographs. We set out along the McCallum Trail boardwalk first, ducking under palm branches then following another loose sand path to the visitor centre.
We looped back around as we both wanted to get above the oasis, having previously spotted some hikers on a ridge as we drove in.
Curious about the geology of the West Coast, particularly when it comes to earthquakes, we both wanted to pinpoint the location of the San Andreas Fault. This continental transform fault extends roughly 810 miles (1,300 km) through California and forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.
We found a winding path on a mound that rose above the oasis on the south end of the park and made our way up to where we could spot the highway on which we drove in, surrounding mountains, and a lovely early sunset.
I called up an interactive Google Map of the San Andreas Fault on my phone and our blue location beacon overlapped with the red line of the fault. We were standing directly along the fault line.
Living in Vancouver I’m constantly in awe of our coastal rainforests, islands and ocean shores and it was so interesting to explore a totally different and unique geographic and geological area. The walk along the McCallum Trail was about 30 minutes there and back with a mix of boardwalks and soft paths in the desert gravel.
The hike up the mound, where we stood atop the lookout, was very steep but there were small children who managed to get up and down right before us. Always check the weather when hiking in Palm Springs (it could be scorching or very breezy in the winter) and bring water with you all the time.
On the way out we also dropped a few bills in the donation box as there was no park fee and we felt we definitely got a lot of value out of this true oasis.
Upon entering Stanley Park, either by turning east off Georgia Street from Vancouver or from the Coal Harbour Seawall, the first statue you will come across is that of Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns.
According to the Vancouver Archives: “In February 1924, inspired by a recently published critical analysis of Burns’ work, the Vancouver Burns Fellowship was formed to encourage the study of Burns’ life and works and the singing of his songs. The group also hoped to erect a statue of Burns in Stanley Park.”
Archives# CVA 1184-2705. Photographer: Jack Lindsay.
“The unveiling ceremony was August 25, 1928 and was followed by dinner at the Aztec Room of the Hotel Georgia. The Honourable Ramsay MacDonald, ex-Prime Minister of Britain, arrived by train that day with his three daughters. It has been reported that a large crowd welcomed him in spite of his arrival time of 7:30am. He was, coincidentally, in Canada on vacation and agreed to unveil the monument.”
The inscription on the monument’s front plaque reads:
1759-1796. Robert Burns’s sincere desire or friendship and brotherhood among all peoples is clearly shown in his many poems and songs. His poetry and letters, both serious and humorous are worthy of study by those who value liberty and freedom.
On the side plaque is an excerpt from To a Mountain Daisy (1786):
On turning one down with his plough
Wee, modest, crimson-tipped flow’r,
thou’s met me in an evil hour;….
to spare thee now is past my pow’r
thou bonie gem.
Robbert Burns Day (January 25th) is widely celebrated and in Vancouver several organizations, businesses and groups keep the tradition alive by hosting a supper, as the Centre for Scottish Studies will do on Friday, January 23, 2015. One of the most unique events in honour of The Bard is Gung Haggis Fat Choy (February 8th) which blends the Chinese New Year with a Burns Supper.
The RunGo app, a running app with turn-by-turn instructions for popular running routes in cities like Vancouver, London, New York, and Seattle, is hosting the Dash for Dogs in February. This is a guided 10km, 5km or 2km run or walk through Stanley Park with 100% of proceeds going to BC & Alberta Guide Dogs.
Where Stanley Park trails, starting and ending at Brockton Point When Saturday, February 21, 2015 Registration Register online for the 2km Walk (optional donation); 5km Run (minimum $20 donation); or 10km Run (minimum $20 donation).
This is a fun, non-competitive race so start times are anytime between 9:00am and 11:00am. There will be no route markers as participants will be encouraged to use the RunGo app to make their way around the course. Participants are asked to please leave their dogs at home as there will be guide dogs working.
Download the RunGo app for Android or Apple devices.
BC & Alberta Guide Dogs makes a profound difference to blind/ visually impaired people by partnering them with a certified guide dog at no cost. These guide dogs provide tangible and immediate help; making a significant difference in their partner’s safety, independence, sense of well being and belonging.
