One place I have always wanted to visit when in San Francisco is Alcatraz, which is as notorious as some of its former prisoners. The 9 hectare island sits about 2.4kms from San Francisco and has had many lives. First as a lighthouse, military fort and military prison in the 1860s, then as a federal prison from 1933 until 1963.
“Break the rules and go to prison, break the prison rules and you go to Alcatraz.”
It was then occupied by Aboriginal peoples from San Francisco throughout the 1970s, and finally it became a National Historic Landmark in 1986. Commonly referred to as “The Rock”, it’s known most for being a federal prison that housed the worst of the worst offenders from across America.
Our group (of Canadian journalists who are touring California with Disney Canada this week) was booked on Alcatraz Cruises, thanks to San Francisco Travel, so we made our way down to San Francisco’s Pier 33 to board at 9:30am on a sunny Sunday morning. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Based in Vancouver, Turning Point Ensemble is a dynamic group of some of Canada’s most exceptional musicians. They are a large chamber ensemble dedicated to increasing the understanding and appreciation of music composed during the past hundred years, linking the music of earlier times to the music of today through innovative programming and outstanding musicianship. With a commitment to Canadian music, the Ensemble also has an impressive repertoire of new commissioned work.
Photo: Turning Point Ensemble
The upcoming season includes four shows and I have the exclusive opportunity to give away two season passes to a lucky reader to enjoy this impressive contemporary music throughout the year.
Forbidden Music
Presented with SFU Woodwards
When: October 27th, 2013 at 2:30pm and 8:00pm
Where: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
Entartene Kunst! Degenerate Music! The Turning Point Ensemble plays composers and music banned by the Third Reich including Kurt Weill’s ‘classic’ Little Threepenny Music and the virtuosic Kammermusik No. 1 by Paul Hindemith. The concert includes music of Erwin Schulhoff and Pavel Haas, who both died in concentration camps during the Second World War.
Grace Symmetry
Presented with Ballet BC
When: February 20th, 21st and 22nd, 2014 at 8:00pm
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Ballet BC and the Turning Point Ensemble reunite in an exciting collaboration of live music and dance featuring a new work from the internationally acclaimed choreographer Kevin O’Day (Ballet Mannheim) with music written for the Ensemble by New York’s John King, and the reprise of the elegant and playful In Motion (choreographer Wen Wei Wang, composer Owen Underhill).
Thirst
Presented with Chan Centre
When: March 29th at 7:30pm and March 30th, 2014 at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
Where: Telus Studio Theatre
The captivating vocal world of musica intima meets the rich instrumental textures of Turning Point Ensemble and Nu:BC Collective in a powerful concert featuring three of North America’s most inventive and in-demand composers. The program will unveil premieres by Ana Sokolovic and Michael Oesterle, and include New York composer Julia Wolfe’s meditation on the poetry of water, Thirst.
TPE HyperEnsemble
Presented with SFU Woodwards
When: May 2nd and 4th, 2014 at 8:00pm
Where: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
Robots! Metacreation! Live interaction of computers and large ensemble! In this groundbreaking concert, the TPE is transformed into a technology expanded ensemble with the assistance of leading composers and researchers Arne Eigenfeldt, Keith Hamel and David Eagle. The program will include the sophisticated and magical Les Cloches by Keith Hamel and a new work by Arne Eigenfeldt in which the ensemble plays from IPADS computer generated music in real time.
Season subscriptions are on sale now. Here’s how you can enter to win a pair of passes (two tickets to each of these four shows) to enjoy contemporary music and a fabulous night out in downtown Vancouver throughout the season:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on August 31st. Follow Turning Point Ensemble on Facebook and Twitter for more information about performances.
Update The winner is Luc!
A&W Cruisin’ for a Cause Day will take place Thursday, August 22, 2013. For every Teen Burger sold at all A&W Restaurants across Canada that day, $1 will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, which helps fund MS research and provides life-changing services for people living with MS.
Photo courtesy of MS Society of Canada on
FacebookA&W Cruisin’ for a Cause Day unites A&W’s Canadian Cruisin’ history and delicious burgers with the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada’s goal to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis, an ailment that affects Canadians at a significantly higher rate than average. Our goal on Cruisin’ for a Cause Day is to raise the most funds we can to help End MS in Canada and worldwide.
Last year, through Teen Burger sales, paper car cut-outs and social media support, over $1.3 million was raised for the cause. Throughout the course of the day, more than 730 A&W restaurants from coast to coast will host events like classic car gatherings, retro music and car-hop service, hula hoop and root beer chugging contests, and more.
A&W will also donate $1 for every #CruisinforaCause retweet or Facebook MS Cruisin’ for a Cause 2013 event RSVP (up to $20,000) from now until August 22nd.
Look online to find your nearest location and you can also donate online anytime.
Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. Most often, it’s diagnosed in adults between the ages of 15 to 40. The disease is unpredictable, affecting vision, hearing, memory, balance and mobility. Every day, three Canadians are diagnosed with MS. There is no cure – yet.
The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada believes no one needs to face MS alone. They provide support and resources for those living with the disease and are a leader in funding MS research in Canada.
Show your support for A&W Cruisin’ for a Cause Day by using the tag #CruisinForACause from now through Thursday, August 22nd. Follow the MS Society of Canada on Facebook for more information.
I love to showcase the works of local photographers as there are so many talented camera-wielding folks in this town of all skill levels. I never thought of myself as a photographer but after publishing over 14,880 photos to Flickr and writing over 5,550 photo-filled blog posts, I guess I have quite the library at my disposal. As such, I have taken a cue from my friend Duane Storey and have decided to offer up a selection of my Vancouver photographs as Facebook cover images.
Feel free to download and use any of the following Vancouver Facebook Cover Photos. I simply ask that you do not crop out the Rebecca Bollwitt/Miss604 credit. Enjoy!
Vancouver Aerial Photo
Right-click and “Save As” to download the file at 851×315 Facebook cover size standard.
Lions Gate Bridge
Right-click and “Save As” to download the file at 851×315 Facebook cover size standard. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
When I married a nice Midwest man from Iowa I had no idea that with that union, I would soon begin to learn many things about corn. From the late summer aroma of sweet corn to processes like detasseling. While his Iowa corn is grand, I still love our fresh Fraser Valley corn and thanks to Maan Farms, there’s an entire weekend dedicated to this beautiful golden crop right in our backyard.
Maan Farms August CornFest
The 2013 Maan Farms August CornFest will take place Saturday, August 24th and Sunday, August 25th during their weekend hours of 9:00am until 7:00pm.
Highlights include a corn cannon, a corn maze, a kiddy labyrinth, the Critter Corral Petting Zoo and Kidz Zone Play Area, and pony rides. All of the food on their country kitchen menu will be corn-based like special topping corn on the cob, corn dogs, popcorn, corn chowder, and more.
The Estate Winery will also offer tastings of Maan Farms’ strawberry and raspberry blends. If you are 19+ you can RSVP to the official CornFest invitation to enjoy a free wine tasting.
CornFest Package
Get access to the labyrinth, petting zoo, play area, and a bag of homemade popcorn for $8.
Corn Cannon Package
Shoot the corn cannon, explore the corn maze and the labyrinth, access the petting zoo and play area, and take home a bag of popcorn for $10.
Maan Farms is located at 790 McKenzie Road in Abbotsford. Follow them on Twitter and Facebook throughout the season for the latest information about their produce and special events.
