It’s Mining Week in BC and to celebrate, the Britannia Mine Museum — our favourite Sea-to-Sky mining attraction — is hosting their annual Family Fun Day.
Activities throughout Family Fun Day include: An all-day Lego scavenger hunt for minifigures; yummy chocolate chip cookie mining, where kids can learn about exploration, extraction and remediation while enjoying a tasty treat; EPCOR water treatment experiment; face painting and temporary tattoos; costume photo booth; a special display by Finning; and fan favourites like the underground mine train, the 20-storey Mill building and gold panning.
John’s photos from our first visit to Britannia Mine
Family Fun Day will also feature two special Japanese taiko drumming performances by Sansho Daiko inside the Mill building at 11:00am and 2:00pm. A blacksmith will also be on site demonstrating his craft as he forges and shapes metal into interesting objects.
It’s fun for kids to explore and get hands-on, while I personally love the local history lesson and learning about the area’s past.
The Britannia Mine Museum has an important role in educating the public about the contributions of mining and minerals to society, the 110-year history of the storied Britannia Beach community and the ideas and practices of environmental renewal and sustainability. The Britannia Mine Museum is open seven days a week from 9:00am to 5:00pm with guided tours throughout the day. Follow on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Last month was the City of Vancouver’s 128th birthday, this weekend we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Vancouver Whitecaps, and Science World is celebrating its 25th anniversary over the next few days. April and May have always been active months in the region, with projects taking off new doors opening, and of course the jump from spring to summer.
The following happened in the month of May in Vancouver’s history…
May 1, 1942: Canadian Pacific Airlines, a new national airline, was organized on this day with BC bush pilot Grant McConachie’s name was most associated with it.
May 2, 1986: Expo 86 opened, predicting 14 million paying visitors by the end of the event in the fall 22 million had visited.
1984: City of Vancouver Archives# CVA 780-505.
May 6, 1959: Oakridge shopping centre opened in Vancouver.
May 7, 1927: The Hotel Georgia opened for business.
May 11, 1907: Eight graduates of UBC, headed by Mrs. J.W. deB. Farris, founded The University Women’s Club. Their home today is Hycroft Manor.
May 12, 1954: Columnist Jack Wasserman began a daily items column in The Vancouver Sun. Virtually everyone read it over the next couple of decades.
May 13, 1907: A chunk of the District of North Vancouver broke away to form its own city, the City of North Vancouver.
May 15, 1943: Six paintings by Emily Carr went on sale for $50 a piece.
May 16, 1982: The night that “White Towel Power” was born when the Vancouver Canucks were defeated in their quest for the Stanley Cup by the New York Islanders.
May 21, 1934: The first sod was turned at the Marion Malkin Bowl, which was paid for by former Vancouver Mayor Malkin as a tribute to his late wife.
1940s – Photographer: Jack Lindsay, Item #: CVA 1184-1963
May 23, 1914: The Komagata Maru incident began with a ship’s arrival from India.
May 24, 1912: Charles Saunders made history of a sort at Richmond’s Minoru Park when he went up in a plane and performed the first parachute jump in Canada.
May 25, 1868 the capital of British Columbia was moved to Victoria from New Westminster.
May 29, 1939: The Lions Gate Bridge opened to traffic in November, 1938 but the official opening was on this day by this royal couple, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
1939 – VPL Accession Number: 3036. Photographer: Leonard Frank
May 29, 1964: The “Last Spike”… of the Stanley Park Miniature Railway was hammered into place.
It’s Emergency Preparedness Week in Vancouver (May 4 to May 10), which is part of a national campaign to encourage Canadians to get prepared for disasters. To spread the word, the City of Vancouver supplied the following information for me to share:
Vancouver Emergency Preparedness Week
Vancouver is in an earthquake zone–just two weeks ago, you may have felt the effects of an earthquake near Vancouver Island. Massive destructive earthquakes have occurred here in the past, and since we can’t predict when they might come next, it is important to be ready ahead of time. What can you do to be prepared? It’s not as hard as you think. The top three steps to getting prepared:
1. Know the risks: Understand the emergencies that you might face and what the risks might be.
2. Make a plan: Learn how you, your family, and your pets can stay safe during an emergency, and how you can communicate and find each other afterward.
3. Get a kit: Emergency kits can help you survive for up to three days if you are evacuated or if you lose services like electricity, water, or communications.
And this week, make sure to take the City of Vancouver’s survey on how prepared you are for an emergency, to help the City better support you in an emergency.
Experience shows that people who are prepared for disasters survive and recover more quickly. Taking a few simple precautions could make all the difference for you and your family when disaster strikes. Plan ahead for peace of mind, knowing that your loved ones are safe, and be prepared to weather life’s uncertainties.
We’re always working hard to prepare for disasters: the City of Vancouver just completed an earthquake preparedness strategy, and maintains a team of highly-trained rescue professionals. But mobilizing a rescue effort takes time, so all Canadians need to be ready to survive on their own for 72 hours (three days) following a disaster.
Additional Info
Did you know that the City of Vancouver offers free disaster planning workshops? Sign up here.
WICKED, one of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters is coming to Vancouver and I have an exciting opportunity to offer to one lucky Miss604 reader.
Back by popular demand! Variety calls WICKED “a cultural phenomenon” and it continues to break box office records across North America. Winner of over 50 major awards including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards. WICKED is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times).
Long before that girl arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One – born with emerald green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for “the most complete – and completely satisfying – musical in a long time”. (USA Today).
Broadway Across Canada is presenting WICKED in several cities, stopping in Vancouver May 28th to June 29th at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It’s probably the most entertaining Broadway Across Canada show that I’ve seen (it was here in 2011) and I’m going to be sure to get tickets again this time around. Once you see it, you may even find yourself looking up the musical numbers on YouTube when you get home – they’re that catchy.
WICKED Night Out Prize
I have partnered with The Westin Grand to offer up a fantastic night in the city to compliment this exciting show. Along with two tickets to opening night of WICKED, you can enter to win a 1-night stay in a one bedroom suite at The Westin Grand after the show.
The Westin Grand, Vancouver Hotel is a tranquil oasis amid the thriving, coastal city of Vancouver, BC. This all-suite Vancouver accommodation boasts easy access to all downtown Vancouver attractions, dining, shopping, and entertainment. Explore one of British Columbia’s most exciting cities and enjoy complete renewal in our Vancouver accommodation, where soothing amenities including Westin’s Heavenly Bed® and Heavenly Bath®, deep-soaker tubs and picturesque windows highlighting cityscapes or mountain views encourage you to relax and unwind.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post naming who you would bring with you to enjoy a WICKED Night Out in Vancouver (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win a WICKED Night Out from @BACTouring @TheWestinGrand @Miss604 http://ow.ly/wpAbX
Follow Broadway Across Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shows coming to Vancouver in 2014-2015. Connect with The Westin Grand on Facebook and Twitter as well.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, May 9, 2014. Must be 19+. Hotel stay is only valid for May 28th in conjunction with the opening night of WICKED in Vancouver on May 28, 2014.
During the month of 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. Although it’s the first day of May, I thought one last burst of colour wouldn’t hurt!
Back by popular demand! Variety calls WICKED “a cultural phenomenon” and it continues to break box office records across North America. Winner of over 50 major awards including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards. WICKED is “Broadway’s biggest blockbuster” (The New York Times).
I have partnered with 