Vancouver is spectacular from almost any angle but I really love getting above it all when I’m taking a seaplane flight, helicopter ride, or am fortunate to do a ride-along with a traffic plane. There’s quite a bit of aviation history here in BC, as you can find in the Canadian Museum of Flight and just across the border at the Heritage Flight Museum in Bellingham. Today I found some aerial gems featuring biplanes thanks to the City of Vancouver Archives:

Archive Photos of the Day: Biplanes

1912. Wright biplane in Hastings Park. Archives# Air P47. Photograph concerns the first parachute drop from an aeroplane in Canada by “Professor” Charles Saunders.

1919. First international mail flight from Vancouver to Seattle. W.E. Boeing of Seattle leaving Vancouver. Archives# Trans P44. Photographer: Stuart Thomson.

1940. A Supermarine built “Walrus” seaplane in flight. Archives# CVA 371-356. J. Howard A. Chapman Commercial Photographer.

Between 1940 and 1948. Biplane over the Lions Gate Bridge. Archives# CVA 1376-712.

1937. Biplane of the Lions peaks. Archives# CVA 1376-713.

Between 1940 and 1948. Biplane boat stationed at Jericho. Archives# CVA 677-380. Photographer: Philip T. Timms.

Everyone loves brunch! It follows a session of sleeping in, combines the best of breakfast and lunch, and can be accompanied by a bubbly beverage. For Dine Out Vancouver this year Richard Wolak of Vancouver Foodster and the West End BIA are hosting the West End Brunch Crawl to get you better acquainted with brunch spots in this downtown Vancouver neighbourhood.

When: Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 10:00am

Where: Meet at Marquis Wine Cellars, 1034 Davie

Tickets: Available online now for $46.25.

Visit over 8 restaurants throughout the West End and taste a variety of dishes on this unique food crawl. Using your “passport” as your guide, you will enjoy everything from fresh juices, smoothies and coffees, to eggs benny, pancakes, French toast, omelettes, pulled port, bacon, seafood, desserts and much more.

Participating venues include some of the West End’s finest dining establishments including: Buckstop, 1789 Restaurant, WE Coffee, Le Parisien, Just Juice, Central Bistro, Milestones, De Dutch and others.

If you can’t make it on the 19th, there’s also the East Side Brunch Crawl on January 26th.

Doolin’s presents the Women’s Drinking Club this month featuring the Wines of Spain. On January 29th, Sommelier Lesley Saito will host an interactive wine tasting seminar giving local women the chance to sip and savour interesting wines from around the county.

Women’s Drinking Club: Wines of Spain

Where: Doolin’s, 654 Nelson St at Granville in downtown Vancouver
When: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 6:30pm
What: Wines of Spain seminar featuring 5 wines paired with appetizers
Tickets: Available online for $20. For more information email info [at] doolins.ca or call (604) 605-4328.

I have a pair of tickets to give away for this event thanks to Doolin’s, here’s how you can enter to win:

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I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, January 20, 2013. Must be 19+ to enter, win, and attend the event. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe trip home. Note: The event and prize is for women only. A man can enter the contest but should his name be drawn, the prize must be gifted to a lucky woman in his life, supplying her name for the guest list. Follow Doolin’s on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Update The winner is Lynn Montes!

The Winter Farmers Market at Nat Bailey is hosting a food truck festival during this month’s Saturday markets so that the public can vote on which truck should join the regular line up this summer. For all of January, they are hosting twice as many food trucks as usual including:

Blue Smoke BBQ Le Tigre JJ’s Trucketeria Chilitank Creperie La Boheme Transylvania Fresh Yolk’s Breakfast Feastro – The Rolling Bistro Eli’s Serious Sausage West Best Coffee

Taser Grilled Cheese Aussie Pie Guy The Bean Buggy Guanaco Salvadorian Cuisine and New Recruits: Culver City Salads Mogu Soho Road Mangal Kiss Chou Chou Crepes

The January Food Truck Festival has covered seating, live music, and all of the greatness of Vancouver Farmers Markets. Cast your vote at the market every Saturday in January (there are two left at this point) between 10:00am and 2:00pm at the Winter Farmers Market located in the Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot (30th and Ontario in Vancouver). Vote for “Best Market Menu Item” and “Best of the New Recruits”.

Follow Vancouver Farmers Markets on Twitter and Facebook to learn more about the winter market and shopping locally and in-season.

Just ahead of the 48th annual Variety Show of Hearts Telethon on Global BC, January 25th and 26th, legendary BC rocker Jerry Doucette is teaming up with four other local bands and putting on a concert on January 18th in New Westminster that will also benefit Variety.

Jerry Doucette and Bands in a Show of Hearts for Variety

This is the second year in a row that Doucette and band mate Ken Boychuk have pulled together a group of musicians to show their hearts to children who have special needs.

Doucette, who shot to fame in 1977 with his platinum selling album Mama Let Him Play, has built a reputation for philanthropy throughout his career. Joining Doucette are the R&B Allstars, The Mojo Stars, The Simpson Brothers and Taylor Clarke.

Proceeds from the concert benefit Variety and go towards providing life-saving, life-changing and life-enriching support to families with children who have special needs in British Columbia.

The show will take place at the Columbia Theatre in New Westminster (530 Columbia St) on Saturday, January 18th, 2014 with doors at 6:00pm, showtime 7:00pm. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online or by calling (604) 522-4500.

If you would like to attend this rockin’ showcase for a fantastic cause, I have 4 tickets up for grabs. Here’s how you can enter to win:

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Variety – The Children’s Charity raises funds and distributes grants throughout British Columbia to inspire hope, enrich lives and build a better future for children who have special needs. Since 1965, Variety has raised over $170 million to provide life-saving, life-changing and life-enriching support.

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 10:00am on Thursday, January 16, 2014. Follow this year’s Variety Show of Hearts Telethon on Twitter using the tag #SOH2014 and tune in on Global BC.

Update The winner is Sherri!