The BC Entertainment Hall of Fame is giving you the chance to tour The Orpheum Theatre this summer. Take a 90-minute guided walk around the “Grand Old Lady of Granville Street” and learn about all of the city and entertainment history it contains (and maybe a ghost story or two).
1946: The Orpheum on Granville. Archives# CVA 1184-2290. Photographer: Jack Lindsay.
Where The Orpheum’s Smithe Street Entrance (between Granville and Seymour) When 11:00am on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays July 2 to August 31, 2013 Cost Admission is a $10 donation to the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame
The theatre was built for $1 million in 1927, hosting Vaudeville acts and the latest motion pictures from Hollywood.
“Architect B. Marcus Priteca is recognized as the most accomplished theatre designer of his era in the American Northwest and Western Canada. This is the only surviving Canadian theatre designed by Priteca.” – City of Vancouver
Over the years names like Garbo, Gable, Bogart, Bacall, Hepburn, Monroe, Olivier, Lancaster, Bette Davis, Jack Benny, and Alec Guinness graced the stage.
Orpheum Tours are limited to a maximum of 30 people on a first come first served basis. However you can guarantee yourself a spot by calling the reservation line: (604) 665-3470. All proceeds will go to further the work of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame which honours British Columbians who have excelled in all disciplines of entertainment.
“Minter Gardens has been a huge part of our lives,” Minter said in a press release. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime dream to create one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.” Since opening its gates 33 years ago, Minter Gardens has been a popular destination for gardening enthusiasts of all ages.
In recent years, however, the Minters said attendance was down, in part because of “a changing climate that offers up more cold, rainy days than the abundantly sunny ones that attract visitors to the grounds.” This has “significantly impacted the long-term viability of operating an outdoor destination garden,” the press release said.
What will become of the property is not certain but the Minter family is exploring options to develop it in an eco- and community-friendly manner. [Chilliwack Times]
I’ve enjoyed my recent visits to Minter Gardens, with a self-guided tour of the beautifully crafted and maintained groves, shrubs, flowers, trees, plants, and ponds. Before this 32-acre show garden closes its gates, I highly recommend taking the drive down the highway and stopping in to Minter Gardens for the day. The have a Garden Cafe, Nature Preserve, Gift Shop, and more on-site.
The gardens are open Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 6:00pm; Saturdays from 8:30pm to 5:30pm; Sundays and Holidays from 11:00am to 5:30pm. Admission is $38 (Family Rate, 2 adults and up to 4 youth under 19); $17 (Adults); $15 (Seniors); $9.50 (Youth 12-18); $6.50 (Children 6-12); Free (Children 5 and under)*.
Find them at 52892 Bunker Rd in Chilliwack once you take the Agassiz exit from Highway 1 (and visit the Garden Centre just down the road from there too at 10015 Young Road N). Follow Minter Gardens on Facebook and Twitter for more updates leading up to the closure.
*These rates may or may not include tax. Official rates are posted at the gardens.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — Circle Farm Tours are free (excluding any extra tours or purchased products at specific locations). Our experience was facilitated by Tourism Abbotsford along with Vancouver Coast & Mountains. Views are my own. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
Ever since my first Circle Farm Tour in Harrison and Agassiz back in 2009 I’ve been hooked on these free, self-guided farmgate programs that can be found in Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows, Langley, Chilliwack, and Abbotsford as well. These tours introduce you to the great people who cultivate the bounty that grows in our region as they open their barn, shop, and studio doors to the public.
Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour Stops
Plan your route accordingly by following the suggested routes and maps that are provided online and in brochures that can be found at each Abbotsford Circle Farm Tour destination (14 in total). Tourism Abbotsford along with the Vancouver Coast & Mountain regional tourism authority invited a group of Vancouver media to do a tour last week and despite the drizzly weather, we had a great time at the following locations:
This family-owned and operated farm is celebrating its 22nd anniversary this year. They have 10-12 acres of pumpkins and about 18 acres of apples. Inside the warm, sweet air of the greenhouse we passed row upon row of peppers, heirloom tomatoes, and eggplants that were to be grown, picked, packed, and sent to local grocery stores. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
On my daily search of the Vancouver Public Library and City of Vancouver Archives I come across the work of local photographers from the last century (and beyond). While a photo from the archives makes us reflect, compare, and contemplate “early Vancouver”, it’s always important to note who took that photo, which is my aim with the Vancouver Photographer series. This week’s feature is Harry Torkington Devine — “H.T. Devine“.
Born in Manchester England in 1865, H.T. Devine came to Vancouver in 1886 by way of Brandon, Manitoba where he worked for a few years as a photographer. In Vancouver he set up shop with a partner, J.A. Brock, but by 1889 he had stopped working as a photographer. He returned to photography for a short period between 1895 and 1897. [Source: Vancouver Public Library]
The most iconic “Vancouver Real Estate” office photo that ever was:
1886: J.W. Horne’s real estate office in hollow log at approximately Georgia and Granville (today). Archives# LGN 454.
He moved to Vancouver in 1886. After the Great Fire of June 13, he photographed the first city council and first police department in front of a tent. His partnership with Brock ended in 1887. He worked again as a photographer from 1895 to 1897, then went into other work. [Source: Vancouver History]
Celebrating local food and agriculture around the beautiful province of British Columbia, the brand new We (Heart) Local Awards is a new popular choice awards program. The We Heart Local Awards will recognize key players throughout the industry through a nomination process followed by a public vote.
How it Works
Nominations will be open July 1st to July 15th, 2013. Anyone living in BC can nominate one or more favourites in the categories listed below.
Voting will be open July 16th to August 5th, 2013. Anyone living in BC can vote for their favourite nominees in the categories listed below by visiting the Facebook campaign page.
All voters and nominators are automatically included into a prize draw, for a chance to win 1 of 20 $100 gift cards to their local Farmers Market, as well as the deluxe prize: a weekend wine getaway in the Okanagan.
Categories
We Heart Local Award Categories:
Favourite Store to Buy Local
Favourite BC Farmers Market
Favourite Local Meat or Poultry Supplier
Favourite Local Seafood Supplier
Favourite Local Cheese Maker
Favourite Local Sweet Treat
Favourite Local Advocate
Favourite Local Winery
Favourite Local Brewery
Favourite Local Food Truck
Favourite Local U-Pick Farm
Favourite Local Orchard/Fruit Supplier
Favourite Local Restaurant or Café
Favourite Local Chef
Favourite Local Florist or Greenhouse
The celebration of local BC farming communities and the ‘Buy Local. Eat Natural.’ movement are actively supported by formal organizations such as the British Columbia Dairy Association (BCDA), British Columbia Agriculture Council (BCAC) and British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture. Partners for the We Heart Local Awards are BC Association of Farmers’ Markets, Vancouver Farmers Markets, Georgia Straight and Loco.
Nominations open up next week and to raise awareness about the awards, I have a $250 Vancouver Farmers Market gift certificate to offer up to one lucky reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment here naming your favourite farmers market products (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win $250 for @VanMarkets from @EatLocalNatural + @Miss604 #WeHeartLocal http://bit.ly/HeartLocal
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, July 3, 2013. Get your nominations in next Monday and be sure to vote for your favourites. Follow ‘Buy Local. Eat Natural.’ on Facebook and Twitter for more information about the awards and their other initiatives across BC.
