It has been 7 years since I first wrote a blog post about the Nine O’Clock Gun in Stanley Park. It’s one of those things that my husband and I walk by and he says to me: “You should blog that!” — and thanks to his suggestions over the years I’ve “blogged that” over 5,570 times, but I digress. The boom of the Nine O’Clock Gun is a part of life in Vancouver, just like the O Canada! Heritage Horns at Canada Place that chime at noon. Firing in Vancouver since 1898, today’s Vancouver Icons photo post features the Nine O’Clock Gun:
1930: Archives #St Pk P121, Leonard Frank Photos.
Nine O’Clock Gun
The cannon was more than 70 years old before it ever got to Vancouver. What had it been doing all that time? Probably poking out of the side of a British ship, but there’s no record of what ship, or where the ship served. Back around 1816, most of Britain’s troubles seemed to be happening inside its own borders … but India was being subdued and maybe the gun saw service there.
[Read more from Chuck Davis: History of Metropolitan Vancouver]
1943: Archives #CVA 586-1645.
Why was the cannon set up in the park? The usual explanation is that it was originally installed by the federal department of fisheries to be shot off at 6pm to alert salmon fishermen in the harbor that it was closing time for fishing. Some variants of that add it was used for that reason on Sundays only. Then, the story continues, as fishermen moved farther out of the harbor in pursuit of fish, the use of the gun for signalling the fishing curfew became an anachronism, but it was decided to retain the gun as a time signal with the boom re-scheduled to 9pm.
[Read more from Chuck Davis: History of Metropolitan Vancouver]
Previous Vancouver Icons posts: Malkin Bowl, Search, Vancouver Rowing Club, Echoes, Point Atkinson Lighthouse, English Bay Inukshuk, Hollow Tree, Hotel Europe, Lions Gate Bridge Lions, LightShed, Granville Bridge, 217.5 Arc x 13′, Canoe Bridge, Vancouver Block, Bloedel Conservatory, Centennial Rocket, Canada Place, Old Courthouse/Vancouver Art Gallery, Dominion Building, Science World, Gastown Steam Clock, SFU Burnaby, Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.
Metro Vancouver’s only garlic festival is coming up on Sunday, August 25th at The Sharing Farm, a non-profit farm that is run by community members for community members. The Sharing Farm Garlic Festival is also the largest agriculturally-based festival in Richmond.
Photo credit: The Sharing Farm
This free, family-friendly festival will bring together all things garlic along with cooking demonstrations from West Restaurant and Graze Restaurant, live entertainment from the Sybaritic String Band, exhibitors, community partners and… garlic ice cream!
What: The 5th Annual Sharing Farm Garlic Festival
Where: Terra Nova Park at 2631 Westminster Hwy in Richmond
When: Sunday, August 25, 2013 from 10:00am to 3:00pm
Steveston Pizza will be making an exclusive garlic creation in the cob oven and Earnest Ice Cream will be serving up treats. Garlic lovers will rejoice with Italian Softneck and Traditional Harneck as well. Kids will love the garlic-themed craft station and there will be plenty of opportunities to stock up on garlic to take hope.
The Sharing Farm grows food to feed Richmond families in need. The Farm is run by community members for community members, and is dedicated to providing fresh, healthy, local produce to our less fortunate neighbours. The Sharing Farm operates on a tiny budget, but thanks to the generosity of our over 1,000 yearly volunteers and the devotion of a small core of part-time staff, the Farm is able to provide thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables every year to community meals throughout the city and the Richmond Food Bank.
Find out more about the festival and The Sharing Farm by following along on Twitter and Facebook.
Motionball is hosting a daytime fundraising gala in support of Special Olympics Canada Foundation (“SOCF”) on Sunday, August 25th at The Keg in Yaletown. The Port and Starboard Brunch, presented by AIR MILES, will be a swanky Hamptons-style event with a “chic nautical” dress code, delicious canapes and chilled mimosas — all for a great cause.
Date: Sunday August 25th, 2013
Time: 10:00am to 3:30pm
Where: Keg Yaletown @ 1011 Mainland St
Tickets: Available online for $60
The Port and Starboard Brunch will be hosted by TSN’s Cabral “Cabbie” Richards and your ticket includes two drinks, canapés, door prizes, games, entertainment and ticket to the after party.
motionball’s mandate is to introduce the next generation of volunteers and donors to the Special Olympics movement through integrated social and sporting events, creating relevant, meaningful experiences that help bring the fun back into giving. Since its inception in 2002, motionball is organizing events in 7 Canadian cities and as a result of the many individuals, partners and organizations who have supported the movement over the past several years, motionball delivered to the SOCF its original financial goal of its first donated $1 million four years ahead of its planned schedule. motionball has currently donated over $3,260,000 net.
If you would like to attend, I have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Motionball Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for more information about their local fundraisers. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 5:00pm on Tuesday, August 20, 2013. Must be 19+. Please enjoy responsibly.
Photo: Michelle Kim for Miss604
Ever since I attended the magical Araxi Longtable event at the breathtaking North Arm Farm in Pemberton back in 2011, I’ve been obsessed with the concept of farm dinners — where people sit down at table that stretches as long as a length of an Olympic swimming pool and communally experience eating food from the land on which they dine.
After some research, I soon learned that Outstanding in the Field, a company that tours and hosts dinners at farms worldwide, was a pioneer of the concept of farm dinners.
The company has hosted over 430 events worldwide since 1999, feeding 55,000 guests at over 200 farms in North America, South America, and Europe. And more importantly, through my research, I learned that Outstanding in the Field came to BC annually to host a couple dinners, and was coming to UBC Farm.
Photo credit: Michelle Kim for Miss604
Outstanding in the Field at UBC Farm opened with some delicious rose from LaStella Winery in Osoyoos, BC, along with a talk about the company by founded Jim Denevan, as well as a guided tour at UBC Farm. Encompassing 24 hectares of farm and forest land, UBC Farm is managed by the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, which offers learning, research, and community programs (including a summer camp, introducing children to the concept of farming).
Many local restaurants get their food from UBC Farms, including La Quercia, whose chefs Adam Pegg and Lucais Syme cooked the meal for the event, along with wine pairings from LaStella. Each course contains fruits, vegetables, and flowers from the farm, and I loved how everything was served family-style so you got to know your neighbours, asking to pass dishes along, which really enforced a sense that sustainable, local eating is the responsibility everyone at the table, and in this community.
Photo credit: Michelle Kim for Miss604
I loved the first course: a plate of cold gravlax spring salmon & hot smoked spring salmon, with rye berries, crème fraîche, and rye crisps. The contrast between the differently-prepared salmon was superb, and I never had tried rye berries before and thought they added a perfect amount of sweetness and tartness to the dish.
The second course was with a pasta called casarecce, with an arugula pesto, almonds carrots, and zucchini. I’ve never had casarecce before and loved the long shape of the pasta it held the sauce and how the arugula embedded in it’s long grove found on the pasta beautifully.
The third course was a quail dish and since I’m not a quail fan (though it was prepare beautifully), I’m going to skip right to dessert: aerated white chocolate, with blueberries, nasturtium, olive oil & elderflower. To die for.
At the end of the meal, the Outstanding in the Field team, along with the chefs, came out for a final bow, and I know for one, I’m hoping for an encore next year.
Ocean Park is a lovely area to pass through in south west Surrey when venturing between Crescent Beach and White Rock’s waterfront but it’s also a very nice place to visit and live. In fact businesses and residents have been celebrating with the Ocean Park Day festival for the last 14 years and they’re inviting you to come and discover what their community has in store.
Ocean Park Day
This year’s festival will take place on Saturday, August 17th from 10:00am to 4:00pm at 128th Street and 16th Avenue. The Ocean Park Library will have storytelling in the garden, there will be a a vendor marketplace, giveaways from local businesses, popcorn, slushies, BBQ hot dogs, gift basket draws, a White Rock Rotary book sale, Leo the Lion, and more. The main stage line-up includes:
Michele Partridge (Ocean Park’s The Drama Class) as the MC
10:50am Antoinette Libelt (singer/guitar)
11:15am The Rhythm Well Percussion Group
11:40am Ron Fairbairn (singer/guitar)
12:05pm Portal a Tango (Tango dancers)
Spotlight on Ocean Park youth talent
12:30pm Arden Reimer (singer/piano)
12:40pm Curtis Heimburger (singer/guitar)
12:50pm Jasmine Stacey (singer)
1:00pm Alanna & Brianna Finn-Morris (singers/guitars)
1:25pm Yasmine Dance Productions (Belly Dancing)
1:50pm Chris Hamilton (Children’s Entertainer)
2:15pm Ava Carrich (singer/guitar)
2:40pm Brigadoon Highland Dancers
3:05pm Kelly McQuillan (singer/guitar)
3:30pm John Nicholson Jazz Group
For more information you about this event and other community happenings in Ocean Park Village you can follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
