This post has been contributed by Ben Hill, Communications Volunteer Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”). I have been following SPES since I moved into the West End almost a decade ago and I have been a member for two years. I wanted to offer the team an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I have created “SPES Saturday” where they contribute and share stories with my audience once a month.
Stanley Park’s Changing Shores
Restoring the Beaver Creek estuary
Stanley Park’s spectacular seawall no doubt influenced TripAdvisor’s June 2014 decision to name it the world’s best urban park. The scenic 8.8 km stroll is one of the best ways for both locals and tourists to explore the Park perimeter and take in the stunning views of downtown and the North Shore. But the seawall hasn’t had the same positive impact on the marine life at its edge.
Fish access to Beaver Creek is limited by the seawall. (SPES photo)
A good example of this can be found where Beaver Creek meets Burrard Inlet. Before seawall construction began in 1917, this site was home to a small estuary supporting an array of aquatic life. Now the stream is no more than a trickle and the intertidal habitat is much less varied. But Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) is working towards rehabilitating this.
This fall and winter, SPES is embarking on a major project to return this part of the Park to a semblance of its former function while enhancing salmonid access to Beaver Creek. Before restoration work begins, SPES has been and will be conducting surveys to record the site’s current intertidal life. This baseline data will help us measure the ultimate success of the restoration taking place over the next few months and the years following. Once completed, we aim to see more animal and plant life, particularly sea grasses, which provide great habitat for everything from juvenile fish to crabs to tiny insects.
Surveys began this past July as our Conservation Technician and a team of SPES volunteers waded out into the ocean with a seine net to document the fish found here. At low tide the next day, the team surveyed the exposed beach to record the plants and animals living on the shore.
(L) SPES staff and volunteers conduct a beach seine at the Beaver Creek outfall.
(M) SPES staff identify fish netted in the beach seine.
(R) A Pacific staghorn sculpin is identified and released. (SPES photos)
The seine netted a variety of fish, which is a good sign for the health of this shallow water area. They included Pacific staghorn sculpin, starry flounder, surf smelt and – best of all – two young salmonids (the collective scientific name for both salmon and trout).
Since Beaver Creek is an historic salmon bearing stream, it is heartening to see young salmonids taking advantage of the inshore habitat. The shore survey turned up the familiar bull kelp, sea lettuce seaweed, limpets and barnacles along with the often overlooked creatures including marine worms, purple shore crabs and other assorted arthropods.
SPES Conservation Technician Brian Titaro conducts a shore survey at the Beaver Creek outfall. (SPES photo)
With the restoration of Beaver Creek’s estuarine habitat, we’re one step closer to increasing the diversity of life along Stanley Park’s shores while reviving the original natural landscape of this beloved urban park.
Generous supporters of the project include: EcoAction (Environment Canada), Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, HSBC Bank of Canada, Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program (Fisheries & Oceans Canada), Pacific Salmon Foundation.
Information on SPES’ other habitat restoration activities in Stanley Park can be found online.
It’s been an incredible summer in Vancouver this year and it still isn’t over. In a single day you can hike, climb, paddle, swim, and golf — and I did just that last week. Our home is such a great place for adventure or a sip on the patio, appreciating the arts or for lounging at the beach. Pictures say a thousand words but I really love seeing how visitors and locals alike put together video postcards for this fair town, with different angles, cameras, music, and effects. Please enjoy this roundup of Vancouver summer videos:
Mark Kleiner could write the definitive guide to being in a indie glam rock band in Vancouver in the 1990s and it would be something far more insightful and entertaining than a BuzzFeed-esque mega list with animated GIFs — although his bright orange Wally’s Burgers t-shirt would have to make an appearance.
His band, the Mark Kleiner Power Trio, is playing its first live show in 12 years in Vancouver next week. Along with drummer Kurt Dahle (New Pornographers, Neko Case) and bassist Pete Mills (Flash Bastard), the trio will rock a selection from their 2002 album Love to Night, some new songs, and tunes from Mark’s 90s Vancouver-based bands Jungle and Sister Lovers.
This week I called Mark in his hometown of Biggar, Saskatchewan, a small town of about 2,500 people outside of Saskatoon where he has been serving two congregations as an ordained Lutheran minister for the last three years serving PALS (Presbyterians Anglicans & Lutherans in Service). We talked about his career, music, many facets of living in Vancouver, and coffee.
“I still love rock and roll, and I probably do more music now than I ever did.” Mark, who describes himself as a father, minister, and musician, says that all of these roles cross-pollinate. “I love music and I had a fallow period of close to a decade and you know, which is actually been nice because now I just have a different relationship to it and I’m just really excited to share the new material.”
While he hasn’t yet been working in the studio, he has been writing and recording will come next. “I’ve just been raising kids, getting a degree, and doing a lot of other things. I’m looking forward to getting back at ‘er and sharing the music.”
“Mavis Staples said people talk about ‘the devil’s music’. She said ‘the devil doesn’t have any music’ and I like that.”
It seems like a pretty big leap to go from opening for bands like Mötley Crüe to leading church service every Sunday but Mark finds parallels in his professions, that both involve his unwavering love of music.
“It’s been very freeing for me to not only accept but to celebrate music. I love the conversation that happens between the church and culture, and that happens in music. If you look at rock and roll — that’s what I grew up on with like 50s rock and roll, all that stuff — that came out of gospel and it came out of a conversation between gospel and the blues. I’m fascinated by that conversation and it doesn’t mean that things are always an easy fit.”
Mark credits the power of music as being a connective force for him over the years, allowing him to stay in touch with friends he met in Vancouver when he made his way out here in the 1990s, and even leading to our conversation.
When he gets back to town within the next few days he has plans to meet up with old colleagues and to visit his favourite coffee shop, Gene Cafe on Main Street, for which he’s even writing a song called Slang for Gene. “Gene is where time gets lost and the day gets found, and I love being there.”
“I’m on the orange handle now cause I really blew out my system on East Vancouver coffee back in the day so now I have to resort to decaf, and they have the best decaf Americano in the world at Gene.” He told me he knew their secret ingredient, revealing that it’s probably caffeine. He laughed and shared a great Vancouver coffee story:
Another Vancouver institution close to Mark’s heart is Wally’s Burgers, which used to be on Kingsway as well as a lineup of independent record stores like Red Cat and Zulu. Other than that he’ll check out their venue, Fox Cabaret, and find a place where he can read some local zines.
“Vancouver is such a physically attractive place that it attracts so many people, but also people who are running and looking for something else. It bears a lot of the advantages and challenges of being that place.”
“I share a lot of artists’ concerns with how global capital is really making Vancouver’s affordability out of reach for so many people and yet when I go back there’s a resiliency that I witness in the city. People do find ways to endure and I just really hope that the arts community in Vancouver can continue, because it is threatened by the cost of living. The health of a city is really measured by what would be called its biodiversity in nature but in this city it’s more like economic diversity. Having people of many different earning levels being able to co-exist and to live in the same postal code.”
While Commercial Drive and Mount Pleasant tend to be his epicentre on every visit, Mark also wants to stop by Cherry Grove in Coal Harbour, which is said to be the world’s first AIDS memorial. Back in 1985, three cherry tree were planted across from the Vancouver Rowing Club to commemorate friends and family who died of AIDS. Mark informed me that the Vancouver Park Board recently approved a plaque to be installed about this memorial for which he’s also written a song.
Cherry Grove on the left of this image. Photo credit: Rikki / Julius Reque on Flickr
Although only Kurt lives in Vancouver now, Mark says this is the city that spawned them as a group. “As of late I’ve really started to write more literally about [Vancouver] and about how it kind of lives in my heart. I’m really excited to come back, reconnect with Kurt and Pete, and play the show and we’ll do some old songs, we’ll do some new songs, we’ll do some covers, basically we’ll celebrate what we do and hopefully raise some money for refugee relief at the same time.”
Mark Kleiner Power Trio at Fox Cabaret in Vancouver
The Mark Kleiner Power Trio will play the Fox Cabaret (2321 Main Street) on Friday, August 15, 2014 with guests Zed Dreppelin at 7:00pm (early show). Tickets are available for $12 in advance from Red Cat and Zulu Records. All proceeds from the evening go towards Syrian refugee relief.
The BC Seniors Games are coming to Langley September 9th to September 13th, 2014 and over 800 volunteers are still needed to help make this event a success.
Volunteers are needed for: Sports Set Up & Management; Lost & Found; Traffic Control; Security; Medical Services; Hosting & Medal Presentation; Results Centre; and Participant Accreditation. This could be a unique team-building opportunity for your company and the chance to give back to the community.
“Volunteers can take part from as little as half a day to the full week event,” says President Milt Kruger. “From directing participants along race-routes to helping at the awards podium, there is something for everybody and for all age groups.”
The BC Seniors Games will host participants from around the province who will compete in events such as archery, badminton, darts, equestrian, tennis, swimming, track & field, ice hockey, slo-pitch, golf, floor curling, ice curling, and more.
To register as a volunteer for the BC Seniors Games in Langley simply call (604) 533-8065, email [email protected], or visit in person at 101-20560 Fraser Highway, Langley (Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 4:00pm).
Pirate Pak Day is an extremely popular annual restaurant fundraising tradition in Vancouver as it allows adults to feel like a kid again, kids to get an awesome treat they love, and it supports a great local cause for kids.
Coming up Wednesday, August 13, 2014 when you visit your local White Spot they will donate $2 from ever Pirate Pak sold to Zajac Ranch for Children, an established BC charity that provides a once-in-a-lifetime summer camp experience to kids and young adults with life-threatening illnesses and chronic disabilities.
The Pirate Pak is a legendary favourite that has been enjoyed by millions. It was first created by Nat Bailey in 1968 to provide an exclusive dining experience for kids age 10 and under. It includes a complete meal from drink to entrée to dessert, and even comes with a chocolate gold coin – all served in the legendary Pirate Pak boat.
Pirate Pak Day 2014 at White Spot
Pirate Pak combo meals are traditionally on the kids menu but on this very special day, everyone can order a Pirate Pak to support the cause — and enjoy it in the signature paper boat!
Adult Pirate Pak options
Legendary Burger
BC Chicken Burger
Bacon Cheddar Bigger Burger
Provolone Veggie Burger
Legendary Burgers are proudly made with 100% fresh Canadian beef, specially baked artisan buns and premium toppings, and the BC Chicken Burgers feature fresh BC chicken breasts. Each choice is served in the nostalgic Pirate Pak boat, filled with mouth-watering treasure: fresh-cut ‘endless’ fries, creamy coleslaw, a soft drink, premium rich ice cream and a chocolate ‘gold’ coin.
Pirate Pak Facts
Exactly 845,789 Pirate Paks were sold last year.
Since 1968, more than 23 million Pirate Paks have been sold.
With the option of substituting salad, juice, feature sundaes and shakes for classic favourites, there are more than 675 different Kids Pirate Pak combinations – including vegetarian options.
Since 2008, White Spot has raised $268,386 for Zajac Ranch, providing more than 100 children and young adults the opportunity to create summertime memories and empower them to experience traditional camp activities – an opportunity that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. You can donate directly to Zajac Ranch online and visit your local White Spot on August 14th to show your support. You can also donate $10 directly by texting ZAJAC to 20222.
Enter to Win
To spread the word about Pirate Pak Day this year, White Spot has offered up a $25 gift card to one lucky Miss604 reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment here naming your favourite White Spot menu item (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Support #PiratePakDay Aug 13 + RT to enter to win a $25 @White_Spot gift card from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/A4wlF
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 3:00pm on Pirate Pak Day, Wednesday, August 13, 2014. Follow White Spot on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on their latest menu offerings and promotions.
This post has been contributed by Ben Hill, Communications Volunteer Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”). I have been following SPES since I moved into the West End almost a decade ago and I have been a member for two years. I wanted to offer the team an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I have created “SPES Saturday” where they contribute and share stories with my audience once a month.
Volunteers are needed for: Sports Set Up & Management; Lost & Found; Traffic Control; Security; Medical Services; Hosting & Medal Presentation; Results Centre; and Participant Accreditation. This could be a unique team-building opportunity for your company and the chance to give back to the community.