Ice skating at Fry’s Corner in Surrey was something we looked forward to as kids as soon as it turned cold. Decades later, those who run God’s Little Acre farm in Surrey have taken it upon themselves to rekindle those magical memories on their own piece of land, flooding their field for a cause.
Ice Skating on a Farm in Surrey
Where: God’s Little Acre – 16582 40th Ave Surrey
When: December 7, 2013 to December 31, 2013 from 10:00am to 8:00pm
More info: (604) 375-1172
The outdoor rink was created by Jas Singh, the farmer behind God’s Little Acre, a hay field-turned-vegetable farm in Surrey that has provided fresh food to local food banks and soup kitchens since 2011 [Source: The Province]
From Desi Events: The farm, which also runs a produce bank, grows vegetables for local soup kitchens and pre-registered hamper groups from Vancouver to Chiliwack. Proceeds from the skating rink this weekend will go toward the purchase of seeds for the upcoming season. Organizers have set a goal of $7,000, which would allow the farm to buy enough seeds to grow approximately 500,000 pounds of produce. Staff have been working over the course of two days to perfect the ice, with the help of local firefighters. Skate rentals are being donated by Sports Replay, and there will be hot chocolate and music.
God’s Little Acre Farm has been working tirelessly to put this amazing attraction together and it all paid off on Friday and Saturday. Here’s what they had to say on Facebook:
Long story short…I spent two days getting this rink together….13 years waiting for the perfect storm since the last time I did it….made many people go insane like Superman…Kriss…Traya and especially Penni to help me do this so I’m not alone….I told them all my homies will show up LOL. We have washrooms, lots of parking….open at ten….going to go to pawn off my bass guitar and amp right after this post to see if I can rent those big lights to light the place up….have music….dance lights…and fun. Surrey Fire Fighters coming back at 1:30 today to smooth over my mess like they did last night. Skates are coming in from Sports replay (Langley Bypass) who just called me and will offer used skates for free….that’s a corporate hero…buy your skates from them used because they are good and cheap. Rick and Sue diamond bringing barbecue wagon..bring your own chairs if you are watching….we will have wagons to sit on. If anyone has a generator…night lights…a pa system….a dj they know…..any kind of heating so people can get warm please text me because my phone is already going nuts….remember that in August???1200 phone calls…lol….if you cant afford to make a donation do not hesitate to come and please bring your children. Anyone really wanting to help out with the seed in any other way…please come and see me….much appreciated….texting is the way to go and I will call you back accordingly….feel free to ask questions on here as well. Will look at the fb page later today. If you have any of the above items to help….we are setting up tonight if we get the gen. and the lights otherwise we will only be open from 10-dark.
Please send this and share this to anyone and everyone you can. This is a family event and no alcohol permitted. Please tweet media….they can meet me and the fire department at 130 today to take a peak.16582-40th ave surrey bc….my number is 604-375-1172…please come and help as you have done before…dont know skate sizes call sport replay in Langley!….Thanks again!
So far they have raised over $2,200 and I’m sure much more will come flooding in as word spreads. Skating is open again today and parking is available along with skate rentals and refreshments. Please bring a cash donation to help this incredible cause. Follow God’s Little Acre Farm on Facebook for more information.
Update Monday, December 9, 2013 — They are just shy of their goal, as Jas posted on Facebook.
This weekend average joe family and single people came and took over and said “We’ve got your back Jas” and donated what they could because they believe in good. Yesterday we raised almost $4,000 for the seed we need to buy to give away 500,000 lbs. of product. This means we have raised $6,100.00 less expenses for the event which I estimate to be $600 so far. This includes the $300.00 we spent getting more food for the barbecue yesterday. We are short $1500 dollars for seed and then we will tackle the operating costs / repair costs and get that seed in the ground come march. Anyone interested in looking at our budget numbers to see if they can help will be great…just email me at [email protected].
There’s still plenty of time to head to the farm and skate this week and next. Be sure to stop by and play some pond hockey, skate around with the kids, and enjoy some hot chocolate to help the farm’s produce bank.
Holiday craft season is in full swing and Got Craft? is a must-see event if you love to shop handmade and shop local. Got Craft? aims to bring together a community that fosters handmade and D.I.Y. culture. Founded in 2007, Got Craft? is held twice a year in May and December featuring handmade designers, craft workshops, tasty treats, DJs, FREE swag bags, and everything from chocolate to cards and clothes.
The 14th annual Got Craft? will be at the Maritime Labour Centre (1800 Triumph Street in Vancouver) on Saturday December 14th (10:00am-8:00pm) or Sunday, December 15th (10:00am-5:00pm). Admission is $3 and children 10 and under are free. New for this show, beer and wine will be available for purchase between 12:00pm and 8:00pm on Saturday.
The first 50 people in line each day receive a swag bag. Designed by The Beautiful Project and hand printed by Locomotive Clothing, each bag is stuffed with a selection of goodies from our vendors and sponsors including MailChimp and UPPERCASE magazine.
Got Craft Vancouver Gift Bag Giveaway
If you would like to check out Got Craft? I have a 4-pack of tickets to give away. My contest winner will also receive one of the coveted Got Craft? swag bags AND these special items exclusive to my contest:
The winner plus three guests will be added to the guest list at the show. Here’s how you can enter to win tickets and this gigantic gift bag giveaway:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at 12:00pm on Thursday, December 12, 2013. The winner must pick up the swag bag at Got Craft? Saturday December 14 (10am-8pm) or Sunday, December 15 (10am-5pm).
Update The winner is Brent!
Broadway Across Canada presents West Side Story in Vancouver at the QE Theatre from February 4th to 9th, 2014 and today you can get a head-start on your ticket purchase.
Photo credit © Carol Rosegg. Courtesy of Broadway Across Canada
More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever. Now it’s back and mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time. This revival, based on Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents’ Broadway direction, remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway’s finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as “Something’s Coming,” “Tonight,” “America,” “I Feel Pretty” and “Somewhere.” As the Associated Press says, “West Side Story remains Broadway’s best dance-driven musical. Five decades have not dimmed the extraordinary choreography or the score that pulsates throughout.”
Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents’ Broadway direction is recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. The original Jerome Robbins choreography is reproduced by Tony Award-nominee Joey McKneely (The Boy from Oz, The Life).
West Side Story Vancouver Pre-Sale
Tickets for the West Side Story pre-sale go on sale at 10:00am today (Friday, December 6, 2013) using this pre-sale link and this code: JETS.
The pre-sale will end on Sunday, December 8, 2013 and the general public can purchase tickets starting at 10:00 Monday, December 9, 2013 via Ticketmaster online of by calling 1-855-985-5000. Groups of 10 or more can access discounts at 1.800.889.8457.
Give the gift of a theatre experience this season or plan your own night out in downtown Vancouver. Follow Broadway Across Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shows this season.
The 2014 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic will take place Sunday, March 2, 2014 at BC Place as the Vancouver Canucks take on the Ottawa Senators in an open-roof stadium match. The teams’ official jerseys were unveiled last week and today, the NHL hosted a media kick-off event at BC Place with special guests.
In attendance today: John Collins/NHL Chief Operating Officer; Michael D. Gillis/Vancouver Canucks President & General Manager; Bill Moir/Tim Horton’s Chief Brand & Marketing Officer and President of the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation; Jeffrey Orridge/CBC Executive Director of Sports Properties and General Manager of Olympics Sports Properties; George Stroumboulopoulos/CBC; Julie Bristow/NHL Revealed™ Executive Producer; Dana Hayden/BC Pavilion Corporation President & CEO; Steve Webb/NHLPA Divisional Representative; Canucks players Ryan Kesler, Kevin Bieksa, and Daniel Sedin.
Vancouver’s Mayor Gregor Robertson took the opportunity to reference the Vancouver Millionaires defeating the Senators to win the Stanley Cup at Denman Arena in Vancouver in 1915. The Heritage Classic in March will be just shy of the 99th anniversary of that event.
Following a sit-down chat with all parties involved, the Vancouver Canucks players in attendance headed to centre field to see if they could launch a puck through the uprights at BC Place. The record was held by Sidney Crosby, however today it was shattered by Kevin Bieksa.
The NHL also took this opportunity to promote the NHL Revealed series that will go behind the scenes this season to five outdoor games (featuring nine different NHL teams) and the NHL’s participation in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. NHL Revealed: A Season Like No Other, in the spirit of HBO’s 24/7: Road to the Winter Classic, will debuts January 22, 2014 on NBCSN and January 23, 2014 on CBC (with a re-air January 26th on Sportsnet in Canada). Sportsnet will provide additional viewing opportunities on January 26th, February 2nd, February 23rd, March 2nd (two hours), March 9th and March 16th.
Rendering of the Heritage Classic in Vancouver at BC Place. Image courtesy of the NHL.
I have to admit that at first I wasn’t sold with the idea of and indoor/outdoor hockey game at BC Place but being there today with the sun beaming down and the frigid cross winds pinching my nose, I looked up at the stands and imagined them filled with over 50,000 hockey fans. My pond hockey-playing, toque-wearing, maple syrup-loving Canadian heart just melted and I found myself extremely excited for the upcoming match.
NHL Heritage Classic Tickets on Sale Now
Tickets went on sale to the public today via Ticketmaster.ca/NHL and 1-855-985-5000. The game will be broadcast live on CBC and RDS in Canada and NBCSN in the U.S. beginning at 1:00pm (Pacific) on Sunday, March 2, 2014.
As a supporter of the 2014 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic, the 37 downtown hotel members of the Vancouver Hotel Destination Association will be featuring great prices on their booking site at BeVancouver.com. Official fan packages for all NHL signature events will be available from Global Event Forum, the Official NHL Events™ Fan Package Partner.
Take the train to Vancouver and back for holiday festivities and shopping over the next two Saturdays. The West Coast Express Santa Train is back on track, providing same day return trips in exchange for your donations to local causes.
West Coast Express Santa Train Toy Drive
On Saturday, December 7th and Saturday, December 14th, 2013 customers will receive a return ticket for the day in exchange for a new, unwrapped toy.
Santa Trains will be departing Mission City at 10:00am, stopping at all stations before arriving at Waterfront Station at approximately 11:15 am. Once in Vancouver, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season before returning home from Waterfront Station at 4:00pm.
Santa will be onboard the westbound trip in the morning to say hello to travelers young and old. In the afternoon, our North Pole Station (at Waterfront) will be open at 3:00pm, so you can come back early to enjoy some music, fun activities and photo opportunities with Santa.
All donations support the Christmas Bureau in Mission, the MRPM Hamper Society and the Share Society of the Tri-Cities.
West Coast Express Santa Train Food Drive
Because the Santa Train has grown in popularity and has been very successful over the years, it expanded beyond its traditional toy drive role in 2010 as a way of providing even more help to those in need. As a result, between December 7th and 14th canned goods and non-perishable food items will be accepted; they can be dropped off at the food collection bins located at Waterfront Station.
*Though donations of canned food will be especially appreciated, to hop onboard the Santa Train riders will still need to bring a new unwrapped toy. This means that we will not be able to exchange a Santa Train ticket for a food donation; it is, however, a wonderful gesture of added generosity.
Donation drop-off locations and exact train times are listed online.
