Growing up in Surrey, one of my favourite Christmas memories was when our whole family would bundle up and pile into our van for a night of Christmas light hunting. First things first, we’d stop somewhere to pick up hot chocolate that would warm our mittened hands, and then we’d always head to New Westminster to check out the homes near Queen’s Park. “Oohs” and “Ahhs” from our lips fogged up the back windows as brilliant heritage homes dazzled with the most impressive light displays that just got better from year to year.
VanDusen – Photo credit:
Ann Hung on Flickr
Christmas Lights in Vancouver
If you’re on the hunt for twinkling light displays around the Lower Mainland, here are some of your best bets:
Attractions- Paid
Bright Nights in Stanley Park (by donation), Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden, Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Bear Creek Park Christmas Train.
Jack Poole Plaza – Photo credit:
Zorro1968 on Flickr
Attractions – Free
Burnaby Village Museum, Jack Poole Plaza Christmas Tree, Surrey City Hall Christmas Tree and Central City Plaza, Dundarave Festival of Lights, St Paul’s Hospital Lights of Hope, Spirit Square, Town Centre Park’s Lafarge Lake and the Inspiration Garden in Coquitlam.
Residential Christmas Light Maps
Local news organizations crowdsource the best residential light display information each year to put into interactive maps. Check out the Vancouver Sun and News 1130 for those helpful tools. The Now has a guide posted for Surrey and Delta as well.
Chimp a local Vancouver company that empowers people and organizations to manage and amplify their charitable impact.
Used by individuals, groups, companies, and charities, Chimp allows you to host an online account from which you manage donations to your favourite charities or give the gift of a cause neutral charitable contribution to friends, family, and colleagues.
How Chimp Works
When you deposit money into your Chimp account, you receive a tax receipt immediately. The funds can then be given away or simply saved to give another day. If you’re familiar with charitable lingo, your Chimp Account is like your own private foundation, or you can think of it as a savings account for charity.
You can give to any registered charity in Canada with Chimp, and you can choose whether you wish to remain anonymous. You can also support a group that’s raising funds for a good cause by contributing to their Giving Group.
Give the gift of giving. Send a friend a gift of charitable dollars through Chimp, and let them decide the recipient. Your friend does not need to have a pre-existing Chimp Account; they’ll receive a personalized invitation to claim your gift, and can give it through Chimp to whatever cause they care most about.
Chimp lists every registered charity in the country and they display public data (from the Canada Revenue Agency) for each organization on our Charity Pages. This helps users research their giving options, and learn more about organizations working in their area of interest. Charities will receive any gift a Chimp user makes to them through Chimp. They don’t have to sign up to receive this money.
Chimp’s customizable and automated matching technology makes it simple for companies to empower employees, customers, and community members to give to what they care about. Companies can match contributions to personal Chimp Accounts, or they can match any gift to a charity or Giving Group they want to support.
How I’ve Used Chimp
I had funds in my Chimp account which I recently used to contribute to my Covenant House Sleep Out campaign, which raised over $4,100 for their work with at-risk youth in Vancouver.
I simply logged in, clicked on “Give Money”, found Covenant House Vancouver on the list of charities, and within a few more clicks of the mouse the funds were off.
Until December 31, 2014 another local company, Hootsuite, is covering fees on gifts to charities. This means that more of the money you give through Chimp goes to the charity of your choice.
Chimp Charitable Giving Giveaway
I have $80 in my Chimp account right now that I will be giving away to a Miss604 reader, to empower them to support the cause of their choice. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment (1 entry) with the name of the cause you would support (optional)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
You can use your gift to support any registered Canadian charity via Chimp and $80 can go a long way with many organizations, providing meals and supplies for dozens of people, or you can pay it forward and help a friend who currently has a donation campaign going for a charitable fun run or event. There are many possibilities!
Follow Chimp on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their powerful giving tools. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, December 18, 2014. The winner will receive the $80 prize via a direct Chimp account in their name for which they can then use to support the cause of their choice.
Update The winner is Shirley!
The White Spot Christmas Day lunch for charity is back again this year as management and staff at two locations continue a decade-long tradition of donating their time, tips and proceeds to the Richmond Hospital Foundation and Variety – The Children’s Charity.
White Spot Christmas Day Lunch for Charity
The Kingsway Vancouver and Richmond Centre White Spot restaurants will serve legendary classics – such as award-winning Legendary burgers, Spot Classics, pastas, salads and ribs – in support of two local charities. Last year, the restaurants raised more than $16,000, and hope to set a new record this year.
Where: Richmond Centre (Unit 1902 – 6551 No. 3 Road)
When: Wednesday, December 25, 2014 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Cause: Richmond Hospital Foundation
Where: Kingsway (1476 Kingsway at Knight Street)
When: Wednesday, December 25, 2014 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Cause: Variety – The Children’s Charity
Since the Christmas Day Luncheon’s inception, more than $160,000 has been generated for a good cause. Follow White Spot on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on their latest menu offerings and promotions.
For decades the North Shore mountains have been a playground for locals and visitors, especially during ski season. Grouse Mountain had one of the first double chairlifts in the world when it was constructed in 1949, Mount Seymour has been enjoyed since 1938, and Mount Strachan & Black Mountain make up the popular Cypress Mountain Ski Area that was in the spotlight during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Thanks to the City of Vancouver Archives, we can catch glimpses of what skiing (and ski equipment) on the North Shore has looked like over the years.
10 Vintage Ski Photos
Bonus
Of course I can’t leave out that epic Empire Stadium ski jump:
1958: Empire Stadium Ski Jump. Photo: Leslie F. Sheraton. Archives# 2008-022.007.
Dogtopia, an award-winning, national dog daycare, boarding and spa provider opened their first Canadian location in Coquitlam this November. Starting out as a doggie daycare centre in Virginia in 2002, Dogtopia is now expanding to Canada with 35 locations planned to open across the country along with the new Coquitlam location.
Among Dogtopia’s services are webcams, so owners can tune in to view their pets when they’re apart, and multiple play areas where dogs are separated by size and attitude. Dogs can also enjoy spa grooming services and specialty gourmet treats.
Visit Dogtopia in Coquitlam (at 822 Brunette Ave) for open play dog daycare, overnight boarding or spa services and experienced, personalized care and exceptional customer service. Their accessible and affordable 4,000 square foot location is a great spot for any size or breed of dog. Their self-serve dog wash, extensive grooming menu as well as overnight boarding make this the perfect place for your favourite K-9.
Win a Dogtopia Prize Pack
To celebrate the launch of the Coquitlam location, Dogtopia is offering up a prize pack valued at $150 to one lucky Miss604 reader. This includes a $75 gift card (for Dogtopia services) and a $75 gift basket filled with assorted toys and treats. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Like, share or comment on this post on Facebook (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, December 19, 2014. Follow Dogtopia’s head office on Twitter and the Dogtopia Coquitlam on Facebook for more information.
Update The winner is Judy!
