It’s Autism Awareness Month and that means that the Canucks Autism Network (“CAN”) is hosting its CAN Family Festival on Saturday, April 12th.
What: Canucks Autism Network Free Family Festival
Where Jack Poole Plaza (Vancouver Convention Centre)
When: Saturday, April 12, 2014 from 10:00am-2:30pm
Cost: Free. Open to the public. All ages welcome.
The day will include a fundraising walk, lighting of the cauldron, live entertainment with a special performance by the Vancouver band ODDS, a BBQ lunch provided by Moderne Burger and Dougie Dogs, and family-friendly activities including a Family Fun Zone sponsored by Ledcor with activities hosted by the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Vancouver Canadians, BC Lions and Seattle Seahawks. Canucks alumni Dave Babych and Kirk Mclean will also be at the festival.
You can help support individuals and families living with autism in BC by fundraising, walking on Saturday, or by making a contribution in support of a team or individual participating in the walk. Find the Canucks Autism Network on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
The Rio Theatre is presenting a very special full day binge-watch session of the hit IFC series Portlandia, airing seasons 1 through 3 on the big screen for Portlandiapalooza on April 13th.
There will be birds on things. Pickled popcorn. Artisanal grilled cheese sandwiches. A selection of some of Portland’s very best craft beer courtesy of the fine folks at Copper & Theory. Official Portlandia swag (vinyl! t-shirts! DVDs!) signed by stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein.
To top is off, series co-creator and star Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers) will be joining in for a live Skype Q&A.
This event is open to all ages. Those under 19 will be strictly limited to the balcony. Tickets are $13 in advance online or $15 at the door. Doors at 1:00pm.
If you would like to win your way in (and are 19+) I have a pair of tickets to give away. Here’s how to enter:
- Leave a comment on this post naming your favourite sketch or character duo from Portlandia (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, April 9, 2014. Miss604 is a media partner of Portlandiapalooza at the Rio Theatre.
The Rio Theatre is an independent art and movie house located at 1660 West Broadway, at Commercial Drive, and is easily accessible by transit. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter for more film screenings, comedy showcases, and special event information.
Update The winner is Luke Matthew!
If you’re looking to escape to wine country this spring you will have a full calendar of events and activities to choose from in late April and May at the Spring Okanagan Wine Festival.
Spring Okanagan Wine Festival
May 1st to May 11th, 2014 | Various Locations
Signature Events include:
May 1: Best of Varietal wines in British Columbia for 2014
May 2-3: The WestJet Wine Tastings
May 8: Comforts of Grilled Cheese and Wine presented by the Dairy Farmers of Canada
May 10: Blind Wine and Cheese Soiree presented by Valley First
Go to Bubbly Bootcamp May 1st, sample spring releases from May 1st to May 10th, book a spot at the Quail’s Gate Spring Release Dinner Series from May 1st to May 11th, and Sip Into the Sunset May 1st to May 10th at Summerhill Pyramid Winery.
Leading up to the Spring Okanagan Wine Festival there are a few events taking place the last week of April including: 2013 White and Rose Wines, and 2012 Red Wines New Releases; Budbreak at Crowsnest; and Celebrate the Season with a Taste of Heaven.
Throughout the season you can search events by region so whether you’re in Kelowna or Oliver, you can see what’s happening at one of the local vineyards and join in the fun. Follow the Okanagan Wine Festivals Society on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
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. 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!
The canopy is filling in at the Stanley Park Rose Garden. Blossoms lead you to forest paths and if you know where to look, just around the corner from here is a permanent tribute to Shakespeare himself.
View more photography posts on Miss604 along with the Vancouver Photos of the Week.
This post has been contributed by Ben Hill, Communications Volunteer with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”). I have been following SPES since I moved into the West End almost eight years ago and I recently became a member. I wanted to offer the team an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I have created “SPES Saturday” where they will be contributing stories with my audience once a month.
Co-Existing with Coyotes
ere’s a common conversation in Vancouver neighbourhoods these days: “Did you see that? Was it a dog? No, I think it was a coyote!” Since they first arrived in the 1980’s from the deserts and grasslands of the Midwest United States, coyotes have successfully adapted to living in an urban environment. Vancouverites frequently spot them in parks, school grounds, golf courses and neighborhoods.
Photo by Robin Worcester
For the large coyote population that calls Vancouver home, spring is an important time of year. Breeding takes place between January and March and the female coyote will dig a den, or use a past den to rear her pups. Although you may encounter a coyote loping along your street, you’ll rarely come across their dens. They are well hidden to keep the pups safe. Ideal denning locations include secluded parts of parks and golf courses, behind blackberry bushes, and underneath abandoned buildings.
Photo by Mark T. White
The female gives birth to the pups in March and April and the coyote parents spend the next four months raising them. The average litter size is between four to seven pups, but this can vary depending on how much food is available. By the end of August the pups will be ready to start life alone. Usually one or two pups will remain in the family pack to assist with the next pup rearing season, helping to find food and train young coyotes to hunt. The rest of the surviving pups will start their lives alone in the city, searching for new territory and food sources.
Report a Den or Coyote Sighting
While coyotes are naturally afraid of people, during breeding season coyotes tend to be more territorial. Like most animals, they take the safety of their young ones very seriously and this can also make them defensive. If you come across an active den site or pups, please report it to the Stanley Park Ecology Society online or call 604-681-WILD and avoid the area.
What Else Can You Do?
There are several simple things you can do to make living around coyotes safe for you and the animals. It’s extra important at the moment because over the next couple of months, young coyotes will be learning the skills they need to survive in the city. If we aren’t careful, the young coyotes may learn to depend on people for food, rather than learning how to hunt for their own favourite foods like rats and squirrels.
Never feed coyotes: Feeding coyotes is bad for the health and safety of both coyote and community. Unfortunately when coyotes are fed, they lose their natural fear of people and will become aggressive. It is only a matter of time before aggressive coyotes behave badly and will have to be destroyed.
Keep your house and yard clean: Sometimes we feed coyotes by accident. Coyotes are generally scavengers and will take any opportunity for an easy meal.
Photo by Mark T. White
Garbage: Keep a secure lid on all your garbage, and don’t litter.
Compost or leaves: Keep compost covered and reduce food smells by adding newspaper.
Pet food: Do not feed pets or store food outside.
Tree fruit: Coyotes don’t mind a tasty fruity snack; pick your tree fruit before it falls.
Rodents: Clean up anything – including spilled bird feeder seed – that attracts rodents to your yard. Rodents attract coyotes as they make up at least 75% of a coyote diet.
For more tips on how to co-exist with coyotes, check out Stanley Park Ecology Society website.
