After the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics ended the city was cold, quiet, and left like an empty ballroom after the wedding party and guests took off for the night. However when the Paralympics began a few days later, what we thought we be a warm rekindling of Olympic spirit turned out to be an all out bonfire of energy, pride, patriotism, and awe.

The Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games are coming up March 7th to March 16th and while supporting Team Canada is a given, I thought I would put together a quick list of extra reasons to get behind our para-athletes this year:

The Canadian Paralympic Committee

Knows How To Get You Excited

With their “It’s not what’s missing, it’s what’s there” campaign the Canadian Paralympic Committee has once again managed to show us the power of the Paralympics through a clever marketing campaign. When we witnessed the Paralympic Games first-hand in Vancouver they were definitely “bold, formidable, energetic”.

Our Para-Athletes Dominate

At the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics Canada took home 10 gold, 5 silver, and 4 bronze. They were the most successful Winter Paralympics ever for our country. Viviane Forest became the first para-athlete to win a gold in both the Winter and Summer Games, by winning the Women’s Downhill for Visually Impaired.

Brian McKeever

Brian McKeever will once again lead Canada’s cross-country team at the Sochi Paralympics. The 10-time medallist has won seven Paralympic gold medals in his career and he’s ready to go all out again in Russia.

Brian McKeever (right) celebrates winning the gold medal in the visually impaired 20km cross-country event with his guide and brother Robin at Vancouver 2010. (Bogetti-Smith Photo. Copyright Canadian Paralympic Committee)

Yves Bourque and Josh Dueck

Also watch for Yves Bourque who picked up a gold, two silver, and a bronze at the 2013 Canadian Nationals in Para-Nordic skiing. Josh Dueck won a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in the men’s slalom sit-ski event and he was also the first person to perform a backflip on snow in a Sit Ski in 2012.

Yves Bourque and Josh Dueck arrive prior to the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. (Photo: Matthew Murnaghan/Canadian Paralympic Committee)

Wheelchair Curling

Canada was golden at the Sochi Winter Olympics and we’re hoping to sweep the curling world at the Paralympics as our reigning gold medal curlers take to the rink at Sochi.

Jim Armstong and Linda Ferguson & wheelchair curler Ina Forrest arrive prior to the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. (Photo: Matthew Murnaghan/Canadian Paralympic Committee)

Skip Jim Armstrong will try to repeat his gold medal performances from 2006 and 2010 with the co-ed team.

Lauren Woolstencroft

While Lauren Woolstencroft (retired) won’t be competing I can’t possibly make a list of awesome things about the Paralympics without including her. Known as the Paralympic Winter Games “Golden Girl,” Lauren Woolstencroft is one of the best Alpine skiers in the world winning eight gold, one silver, and one bronze medal won over three Paralympic Games. She has inspired and created an amazing legacy for young athletes and para-athletes. Read more about Lauren at the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

Sledge Hockey

Extremely exciting to watch, our men’s team won gold at the World Championships in South Korea in 2013 so look for them to regain medal standings at the Paralympics this year too.

Team Canada Sledge Team practices before the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. (Photo: Matthew Murnaghan/Canadian Paralympic Committee)

John Biehler and I covered the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics extensively and this high-energy compilation of John’s 2000+ sledge hockey photos embodies the excitement we felt during both of these major events.

About the Canadian Paralympic Team

There are 28 sports at the Paralympics between Para-Alpine, Para-Nordic, Biathlon, Sledge Hockey, Para-Snowboard, and Wheelchair Curling.

Learn more about Team Canada online and follow the Canadian Paralympic Committee on Twitter. They also have a full Twitter list of Sochi 2014 Para-Athletes on Twitter.

Our wedding anniversary is fairly close to Valentine’s Day but John and I have decided that each year we’ll celebrate our holiday instead of the other. With the date drawing near we wanted to find a special getaway destination and it wasn’t long before we decided on Victoria, recently named “Most Romantic City in Canada“. We’re pretty good at escaping the city and finding cozy inns in which we can hide away but we wanted to get out and about, have some fun, and especially enjoy the Dine Around and Stay in Town tourism promotion in our province’s capital city.

Recalling a fantastic stay at The Magnolia Hotel back in 2010 with Keira, I made the arrangements to make it the home base for John and I for four days in February.

The Magnolia Hotel

We walked into the aroma of cinnamon-spiked cider that filled the lobby as we checked in for the weekend and I was reminded about what I love most about The Magnolia Hotel; it has the ability to roll luxury and comfort into one, welcoming package.

This award-winning 4-Diamond boutique hotel has fewer than 65 rooms so as you enjoy its downtown Victoria locale and proximity to shops and attractions, you can also relish the personal care, detail, and attention you receive from the friendly staff.

Since I visited in 2010, The Magnolia has stepped up its green initiatives including the welcome refreshments in our room after we checked in: a glass bottle of water, mint chocolates, and apples. The hotel recently switched to re-usable glass bottles (in rooms and Catalano Restaurant & Cicchetti Bar), reducing the waste of 30,000 plastic water bottles each year.

Our Signature Diamond Room had views of inner harbour area and the BC legislature. I want to say that we spent our afternoons gazing out at the falling snow and rippling maple leaf flags on nearby heritage buildings, but we spent the most time in front of the fireplace, sipping BC bubbly, ordering treats (like the artisanal meats and cheese platter) from room service, and planning our next Dine Around meal.

Every room has lamps with electrical outlets (so handy for charging phones without crawling around on the ground to find a connection), USB connectors on the phones to also charge devices, complimentary WiFi and wired internet, Aveda amenities (including rosemary mint bath bars for the tub), in-room pod coffee maker, and more.

The rooms were renovated within the last year and the updated colour palette, rich textures, and patterns reflect the hotel’s overall theme of providing modern, luxurious accommodations that are also approachable. Meaning while the armchair, ottoman and throw pillows looked lovely and decorative, you still felt comfortable lounging.

Other perks? The Spa Magnolia is adjacent to the lobby and they have relaxing private treatment rooms for everything from pedicures to couples massages. They also provide oncology esthetics, offering a safe, calming environment with a professional Certified Oncology Esthetician.

We didn’t go to the spa on this trip but we did dine at Catalano Restaurant & Cicchetti Bar every single day so that will be the topic of an upcoming blog post. Needless to say that the high quality and care that goes into the hotel also translates to the restaurant, which offers Mediterranean fare and unique savoury breakfasts, which were our favourite of the trip.

Keira also returned to The Magnolia with her husband in recent months, and they even brought their four-legged friend who enjoyed the room as much as we did.

Spring Break for Grownups

If you’re looking for a getaway, the Spring Break for Grownups package at The Magnolia Hotel is just $185 per night. It includes accommodation in an elegant room, $50 per day credit (for spa, restaurant, parking, mini-bar or in-room dining*), a continental breakfast each morning, local calls and internet, a welcome plate at check-in, and nightly turn down service (with more chocolates).

*$50 per night credit may be used towards mini-bar, parking, Catalano Restaurant or Spa Magnolia. The credit will not be applied to the nightly room rate. Starting rates are for Superior Rooms, single or double occupancy; additional person and room upgrade charges will apply. Rates do not include tax or gratuities. This offer is valid for stays March 1, 2014 through March 31, 2014, based on availability. Must be booked by March30, 2014.

The Broadway hit WICKED is coming back to Vancouver this summer and judging by the reaction on Twitter whenever I mention the show, it will be one hot ticket.

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 Pre-Sale Vancouver

Starting today (February 28, 2014) at 10:00am you can use the following information to access pre-sale tickets: Use this PRE-SALE LINK and enter the unique passcode: GRAVITY.

The pre-sale will only be open from 10:00am February 28th until 10:00pm this Sunday, March 2nd, 2014. Regular ticket sales will then start Monday, March 3rd.

Follow Broadway Across Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shows coming to Vancouver in 2014-2015.

The Academy Awards (Oscars) are taking place on Sunday, March 2, 2014 and when I was browsing the City of Vancouver Archives recently, I found the iconic statuette in a most unusual place: perched outside a building on Burrard and Georgia.

Zoomed in. May 1955: Photograph by Walter E. Frost. Archives# CVA 447-330

Oscar’s Steakhouse was located on this busy downtown corner, across from the Hotel Vancouver and the Christchurch Cathedral. Unfortunately the only information I have been able to find about Oscar’s in the Vancouver Sun archives. In April of 1954, a year before this photo was taken, owner Oscar A. Blank passed away in a plane crash in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan along with 36 others.

May 1955: Photograph by Walter E. Frost. Archives# CVA 447-330.

You can spot the Palomar, which has a rich entertainment history, on the left of Oscar’s in this photo (about where Tiffany’s is located today) on Burrard at Alberni.

Chuck Davis writes: “In its day the Palomar was the place in town for big-name entertainers: the Ink Spots appeared there frequently in the 1940s and ’50s, and for those of you younger folk who just said ‘Who?,’ here are a couple of other names you will recognize: Louis Armstrong (February 2, 1952) and Duke Ellington (April 11 to 15, 1952.)

Dal Richards joined the Sandy De Santis house orchestra at the Palomar in the fall of 1937, and was there in the fall of 1938 when it changed from a ballroom to a night club. A Vancouver girl named Peggy Middleton joined the chorus line, and Dal remembers that she pestered him and the club’s owner, Hymie Singer, to do a solo number. “It was Top Hat, White Tie and Tails,” Dal said, “And she’d gone out and bought the stuff she needed for the number.” They okayed the solo, and maybe that’s what persuaded 15-year-old Peggy Middleton that showbiz was for her. She changed her name to Yvonne De Carlo and went on to become a movie and TV star.“

Pepsi is launching Pepsi Next in Canada, naturally sweetened with sugar and stevia, delivering the great taste of Pepsi but with 30 per cent less sugar and calories than Pepsi. It contains no artificial sweeteners.

The first chance for Canadians to sip and savour Pepsi Next will be right here in Vancouver at the NHL Heritage Classic on Sunday, March 2, 2014. Pepsi is the official soft drink of this exclusive hockey experience and they would love to share some sweetness with one lucky Miss604 reader.

Pepsi Next NHL Heritage Classic Giveaway

Pepsi Next wants to give you a couple of really sweet seats. The first is a pair of tickets to the NHL Heritage Classic. The second is pretty epic as well, it’s a Muskoka chair made of hockey sticks and signed by some of your very own Vancouver Canucks — and you get the take that seat home with you.

Here’s how you can enter to win both of these prizes:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow Pepsi Canada on Twitter for the latest Pepsi Next information and to learn more about their support of the NHL Heritage Classic.

Since the big event is coming up on Sunday, this will be a very quick contest. I will draw a winner tomorrow, Saturday, March 1, 2014 at 11:00am. The winner will have until 5:00pm on Saturday to confirm/claim their prize otherwise a new winner will be drawn.

Update The winner is LINDA! (comment at 7:20am today)