It’s Power Smart Month in BC, raising awareness about energy consumption, offering tips and tools for saving at energy home and a handful of deals and money-saving opportunities. One feature of Power Smart Month each year is the BC Hydro Candlelight Conservation Dinner. Close to 40 local restaurants are now accepting reservations for Thursday, October 24th where you can dine by candlelight.
Each participating restaurant will be extending an exclusive discount or special offer on the night, anything from a free appetizer, to 2-for-1 entrées, featured menu items and other awesome deals. Offers valid October 24, 2013 at participating restaurants only. Mention the Candlelight Conservation Dinner at time of reservation or ordering; please contact individual restaurants for any restrictions and/or additional promotions. Not in the Lower Mainland? The Candlelight Conservation Dinner will also take place at a number of restaurants across BC in Dawson Creek, Quesnel, Fort St. John, Powell River, Victoria, and Prince George.
To celebrate and promote the Candlelight Conservation Dinner I have a collection of gift cards up for grabs thanks to some of the participating restaurants. You can enter to win a $100 gift card for Biercraft, Herons at the Fairmont Waterfront, The Pear Tree in Burnaby, or The Observatory on Grouse Mountain.
Biercraft: “Since opening on “The Drive” some six years ago, BierCraft Tap and Tapas has been wooing Vancouverites with the City’s premiere selection of Belgian and Craft Beers, a mouth-watering menu, great service and exceptional value.”
Herons at Fairmont Waterfront: “Executive Chef Dana Hauser’s seasonal menus are inspired by the bounty of the Pacific Ocean, and Vancouver’s best Seafood, hand-picked herbs from our terrace garden, honey from our rooftop apiary and the freshest local, sustainable ingredients we can find.”
The Pear Tree: “The Pear Tree Restaurant is a destination outside the mold, bringing together world-class cuisine & downtown elegance with approachability and a sense of community. Owned and operated by Scott and Stephanie Jaeger, The Pear Tree Restaurant is the destination whether it be a special occasion, catching up with friends, or a relaxed weekday dinner.”
The Observatory: “The Observatory’s contemporary BC menu harnesses the remarkable confluence of local flavours and worldly techniques that give the province its unique character. Chef Dino L. Gazzola is dedicated to sourcing the finest and freshest regional ingredients available, creating memorable dining experiences for the discerning palate.”
Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post naming which of the four restaurants above you would like to visit (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win a $100 restaurant gc from @Powersmartbc Candlelight Conservation Dinner + @Miss604 http://ow.ly/pQ9bS
Four winners (who will each receive one gift card) will be drawn at 12:00pm on Saturday, October 19, 2013. I will draw contest winners’ names before the date of the Candlelight Conservation Dinner so they can use the gift cards then, or save them for use at a later date. Be sure to call and book a reservation for this cozy, autumn date night at one of the participating restaurants on October 24th to take part.
Update The winners are Rachel (Pear Tree), Darcie (Biercraft), Jonathan Parminter (Herons), @DaleVancouver (Observatory)!
The ShakeOutBC Earthquake Drill is coming up on Thursday, October 17th at 10:17am. Drop, Cover and Hold On! Practice how to prepare yourself during an earthquake and enhance your awareness of earthquake hazards at home, work, or school.
The province-wide drill, that will also take place around the globe in New Zealand, the United States, and Italy, follows the internationally-recognized “Drop, Cover and Hold On” protocol for up to 60 seconds during this simulated earthquake event.
British Columbia is overdue for a mega earthquake, but a new survey shows while British Columbians are somewhat aware that the big one is coming, they are not very knowledgeable when it comes to basic preparedness. Fifty-eight per cent are aware of a one-in-three chance of a significant earthquake striking in the next 50 years, and 75 per cent expect their home could be damaged by an earthquake. [GlobalBC]
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic Sherlock Holmes adventure, The Hound of the Baskervilles, is coming to the Newton Cultural Centre in Surrey for performances this Halloween season. Adapted by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, this spoof is a three-man version of the legendary mystery directed by Ellie King for Bad Dog Productions.
Starring: Michael Charrois, Mark Carter, James Rowley
The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most famous and admired detective stories ever written. Published in 1901 and 1902, it originally appeared in nine monthly installments in The Strand magazine. Like Dickens’s serialized novels of the same era, each installment ended with a suspenseful “cliff-hanger” that kept author Arthur Conan Doyle’s audience clamouring for more.
In the story, the old and noble Baskerville family is threatened by a curse: “A great, black beast, shaped like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon” terrorizes and kills any family member who comes to live at the Baskerville estate. As the story opens, the Hound seems to have claimed its latest victim, Sir Charles Baskerville.
Originally created by Steven Canny & John Nicholson for Peepolykus, an innovative theatre company in Yorkshire, England, this imaginative and hysterically funny retelling of the classic Sherlock Holmes story has enjoyed a hugely successful tour of the UK and Bad Dog is proud to be presenting the Western Canadian Premiere of this wonderful piece of theatre.
When: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 (preview/premiere) 7:30pm; Thursday October 24th to Saturday, October 26th at 7:30pm; Tuesday, October 29th to Thursday, October 31st at 7:30pm. Saturday, October 26th also has a matinee at 3:30pm and there is a school matinees at 1:00pm on Wednesday, October 30th.
Where: Newton Cultural Centre (13530 72nd Avenue, Surrey)
Tickets: $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and students, $55 for family packs of 4, and school/groups are available. Purchase tickets online or by calling the Newton Cultural Centre box office at (604) 594-2700.
Full of fun, this is also a fine piece of theatre and is recommended for all ages. If you would like to check out The Hound of the Baskervilles, I have a pair of tickets to give away to opening night on Wednesday, October 23, 2013. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, October 17, 2013. Follow the production on Facebook for more information.
This post has been contributed by Rebecca Eames, Fundraising and Communications Specialist 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.
We Love Creepy Creatures
Halloween is fast approaching and everyone is suddenly talking about mummies, ghouls, witches and werewolves! But here in Stanley Park we’re pretty excited to have some real creepy creatures! Does Stanley Park have wolves? Nope. No wolves here, let alone werewolves! But there’s no shortage of creepy crawlies like sinister spiders and slimy slugs. And maybe, just maybe, as you enjoy that evening stroll through the park you might feel the watchful eyes of an owl spying on you from deep within the forest.
Listed below are SPES’s Top 4 Creepy Creatures. We even rated them between 1 and 5 in terms of their scare factor (1 being knee-trembling and 5 being utterly blood-curdling). Look out for them next time you visit to the Park!
The Wolf Spider (araneae lycosida), can reach up to 33mm in body length, some species can reach up to 5 cm. This may be small as far as arachnids go, but they are incredible predators. Larger females have been known to prey on small mammals like amphibians or reptiles. Unlike many other spiders that spin webs, these animals are known for burying themselves in a small hole (or burrow) and waiting for prey to walk by. If a prey item doesn’t conveniently pass by, they are not averse to running after their food as they are incredibly fast and can usually chase down any meal. So, watch your step when walking through the park. You never know what might be dwelling in a small burrowing hole! Scare Factor = 3.5
Bat
Photo: Michael Schmidt
There are lots of different species of bats that could swoop past you on a walk through Stanley Park. The little brown bat (myotis lucifugus), Yuma bat (myotis yumanensis), and the big brown bat (eptesicus fuscus) all call the Park home. They have wings made of a skin membrane and they rely on echolocation for finding their food at night. Contrary to popular myth, bats are not blind: their vision is very good. These nocturnal mammals spend the majority of the day roosting in places such as caves, cracks in rocks, under tree bark or in trees cavities. Scare Factor = 4.5
Garter Snake
Photo: Erika Hyde
These slithery serpents are very common on Stanley Park’s forest floor. The western terrestrial garter snake (thamnophis elegans) often goes unnoticed to the untrained eye. A large garter snake is approximately 90 cm, pretty small as far as snakes go – considering the world’s largest snake is 7.6 m! This highly diverse reptile might not be dangerous for humans, but the same can’t be said for many small animals. They eat fish, amphibians, lizards, small mammals, birds, insects, snails, worms, snakes and leaches. Scare Factor = 5
Banana Slug
Photo: Don Enright
There’s no slimier creature than the Banana Slug (arionidae arilomax), the only native slug in British Columbia. This animal gets its name from its brownish-yellow colour and more often than not, it looks like an over ripe banana. But don’t let their colouration fool you; you don’t want to put this slimy critter in your mouth. The slime covering its skin will numb taste buds in an effort to dissuade predators from making a meal out of it. Scare Factor = 4
To find out more about these and other spooky creatures, join Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPES) for, a theatrical 30-minute lantern-lit journey through the forest. Your guide will help you find some of Stanley Park’s most elusive nocturnal animals and uncover the truth behind a mysterious animal disappearance. This event is run in conjunction with the Ghost Train and leaves from the Stanley Park Miniature Railway area.
What: Creatures of the Night (a lantern-lit walking tour) Dates: October 11th to November 2nd, 2013 Times Thursday through Sunday from 6:30pm to 9:00pm (departs every 30 mins) Where: Stanley Park Miniature Railway Tickets: $5 Adults, $3 Children & $15 Family of four. Lanterns provided.
For more info visit the Stanley Park Ecology Society website or to pre-register contact programs[at]stanleyparkecology.ca or (604) 718-6522.
Fans will have the chance to see Paramore at the PNE Forum in Vancouver on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 as they set out on their “The Self-Titled Tour” across North America.
The eagerly anticipated tour celebrates Paramore’s new album, “PARAMORE,” which debuted at #1 on the SoundScan/Billboard 200 upon its April release. In addition, “PARAMORE” scored an array of #1 debuts around the globe, marking Paramore’s second consecutive chart-topper – following 2009’s “brand new eyes” – in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, as well as its first to reach the top position in such countries as Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.
Always a festival favorite, Paramore will be among the top stars appearing at this year’s Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, November 2-3 in New Orleans. “Still Into You,” the latest single from “PARAMORE,” is currently lighting up CHR/Top 40 and Hot AC radio outlets nationwide, while its companion video is in rotation at MTV, mtvU, MTV Hits, VH1, Nickelodeon, and FUSE. “Still Into You” has earned more than 17 million individual views at Paramore’s official YouTube channel. Paramore’s first all-new release in more than three years, “PARAMORE” was greeted with the best reviews of the band’s already acclaimed career.
Paramore band members Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis, Taylor York. Image courtesy of Live Nation.
Due to production related issues, the Paramore show previously scheduled at the PNE Coliseum building on October 16 has now been moved to the PNE Forum. Previously purchased tickets will be honoured at the door. Seating options will be available onsite for ticketholders that had previously purchased reserved seats at the $49.50 price level.
I also have a pair of tickets to give away to see Paramore at the PNE Forum on October 16th. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win tickets to see @Paramore in concert from @LiveNationWest + @Miss604 http://ow.ly/pHaL5
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Sunday, October 13, 2013. Follow Live Nation on Twitter and Facebook for the latest concert and event information.
This post has been contributed by Rebecca Eames, Fundraising and Communications Specialist with the 
