This is probably the most specific theme topic I’ve had for my Archives Photos of the Day series however when you’re on the trails of Stanley Park as much as John and me, finding a single image showing “Tree Felling Using Springboards” is pretty fascinating. There is still evidence all over the park – and in any other previously logged forests in the region – of this spring board technique. Once you spot these notches on familiar old stumps, you get an idea of how old they are and just who might have been (painstakingly) chopping away at them.

Left: 2013 – Stanley Park.
Right: 1900s – Tree felling using spring boards. Archives item# Tr P35.

Left: 1900s – VPL Number: 4102. Photographer: Leonard Frank.
Right: 1890 – Shawnigan Lake. Archives item# Log P29.

Left: 1890s – Archives item# LGN 727.
Right: 1890 – Men on spring boards felling a tree near 9th Ave & Waterloo. Archives item# Log P11

1891 – North Arm Fraser River near Vancouver, George Oliver’s contract. Archives item# Tr P44. Photographer: Bailey Bros.

For more information, photos, and artifacts about early logging in the area, I recommend paying a visit to the North Vancouver Museum and Archives.

In true Pacific Northwest fashion, Vancouver is definitely known for its coffee shops. Packed so densely that they occur more frequently than bus stops on major routes, it’s sometimes hard to stand out from the crowd. However, WE Coffee in the West End of downtown Vancouver has managed to do just that by permeating the Robson Street air with the aroma of freshly-roasted coffee beans, even when situated kitty-corner from a major fast food chain. I caught up with owner William Chu to learn more about how they’ve managed to survive — and thrive — in the neighbourhood.

“Our coffee is always fresh, that’s the most important thing to us, it’s quality,” William told me as we sat in their recently remodelled cafe. Over the last two years the business has shifted from offering desserts and coffee to simply focusing on producing a quality cup of coffee. William said it was more comfortable to put coffee in the spotlight and shift solely in that direction.

“What we focus on is quality and friendship. We want to build that friendship with our customers.”

Originally from Taiwan, William has lived in Vancouver for 20 years and his love for the city and the neighbourhood (which is also my neighbourhood) shines through with every cup. As the original roaster for WE Coffee, William laid out the practices used by their roaster Michael today and he’ll also be overseeing a new roasting facility they are developing in South Vancouver. He could easily talk your ear off about sources, grades, beans, processes, and everything there is to know about the coffee business — as one could expect from a passionate owner.

Although he admits that when he was younger he despised coffee (like many of us did), he knew there had to be more to the whole process than creating a warm beverage to keep you caffeinated — and there had to be a way to make it taste better.

By the time he was 30, William wanted to start a business and the first thing that came to mind was opening a cafe. However, in order to run a cafe he wanted to know his product very well and in this case it meant getting to know coffee. “From a green bean to a cup of coffee there’s a really long way to go. There’s so much effort in between to create that cup of coffee.” During his quest to learn more, he fell in love with coffee: “Each little process is charming,” he told me with a smile.

WE Coffee (located right behind a #5 Robson bus stop) offers the chance to grab your morning cup of joe on the run as well as the comfort of a quiet refuge to sip, savour, and enjoy a warm beverage. All of their baked goods are made in house (including the ham breakfast panini that John and I have come to adore) and they also offer up Erin Ireland’s To Die For Banana Bread, waffles, and other treats. Their signature blends — roasted right there on Robson at Bidwell — are available in store.

Follow WE Coffee on Facebook and Twitter for updates and specials.

Wine country, live music outdoors, and talented BC artists — what could be better? Tinhorn Creek Winery is gearing up for another season of their Canadian Concert Series in their Golden Mile vineyard amphitheatre with confirmed acts that include: Brickhouse May 25th, Jackie Treehorn June 22nd, The Matinee July 27th, Five Alarm Funk August 24th, and Blackie & the Rodeo Kings September 7th.

Photo courtesy of Tinhorn Creek

Tinhorn Creek has a wineshop, barrel cellar, demonstration vineyard, tours, and Miradoro Restaurant which are complimented by sweeping views of the South Okanagan valley between Oliver and Osoyoos. It’s a one-of-a-kind venue for a concert series that celebrates so many great things about our beautiful province.

You can purchase single tickets for $20 to $65 or season tickets for $100 that include a complimentary Go Vino stemless plastic wine glass. All concerts start at 7:00pm, gates open at 6:30pm.

Tinhorn Creek and Walnut Beach Resort have teamed up to offer a spectacular giveaway for one lucky Miss604 reader so that they can enjoy the region with a guest and dance the night away at the Canadian Concert Series. The prize package includes:

• A one night stay in a luxury lake view suite at Walnut Beach Resort located directly on Osoyoos Lake. Relax on the licensed and private beach. Take a dip in the year round out-door pool and enjoy the hot-tubs underneath a starry sky. It’s good to be in the heart of wine country.
• Two tickets to the Tinhorn Creek Canadian Concert Series on Saturday, June 22, 2013 that features the high energy and phenomenal musicianship of Jackie Treehorn. Funky, upbeat original tunes with a retro flavour and sassy dance choreography will have the dance floor bumping when this six-person troupe hits the stage.

Here’s how you can enter to win this awesome giveaway from Tinhorn Creek and Walnut Beach Resort:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow: Walnut Beach Resort on Facebook and Twitter & Tinhorn Creek on Facebook and Twitter. I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 12:00pm. You must be legal drinking age to enter this contest. Please enjoy responsibly. Walnut Beach Resort stay to be redeemed during the weekend of June 22, 2013.

Update The winner is Courtney Catherine!

The Museum of Anthropology (“MOA”) is launching a groundbreaking exhibit this month called “Safar/Voyage: Contemporary Works by Arab, Iranian and Turkish Artists”. This is a collection of 16 contemporary works from some of the world’s most celebrated artists from within the Middle Eastern region.

The Merchants by Ali Banisadr

Safar/Voyage will be the first major exhibition of contemporary art from these regions to be shown in Vancouver. It is constructed as a journey in the company of 16 artists, each of whom is neither fixed inside the territories of the Middle East nor permanently diasporic. These artists define themselves and the world according to their own creative representations, often informed by culturally specific conditions.

The exhibit, curated by former MoMa curator Dr. Fereshteh Daftari, expresses the universal themes of voyage and journey. The exhibit’s journey through geographical, emotional, existential, and spiritual voyages, acknowledges the realities of war, revolution, and diaspora conditions, as well as the engagement of these artists with cultures outside of the Middle East.

The exhibition will foster thought-provoking dialogue coupled with a deep appreciation and understanding about a culture and region of the world that – despite their constant presence in news and media – are simplified, reduced, and misrepresented in most North Americans’ conceptions.

Tehran by Mitra Tabrizian

Featured Artists

Safar/Voyage featured artists include: Adel Abidin, Tarek Al-Ghoussein, Nazgol Ansarinia, Kutlug Ataman, Ayman Baalbaki, Ali Banisadr, Taysir Batniji, Mona Hatoum, Susan Hefuna, Raafat Ishak, Y.Z. Kami, Farhad Moshiri, Youssef Nabil, Hamed Sahihi, Mitra Tabrizian, and Parviz Tanavoli.

Exhibit Details

Safar/Voyage: Contemporary Works by Arab, Iranian and Turkish Artists will run April 20, 2013 until September 16, 2013 in the MOA’s Audain & O’Brian Galleries. There will be a public opening on April 20th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. The Museum of Anthropology is located at 6393 N.W. Marine Drive at UBC.

Follow the MOA on Facebook and Twitter for more information about this exhibit, special events, and their collections.

On June 13th 1933, Major J.S. Matthews declared the Vancouver City Archives officially open and on April 7th, 1993 (20 years ago yesterday) a group was formed to support Vancouver’s archives. The Friends of the City Archives hold regular meeting, sponsor talks, promote awareness about the archives, encourage appreciation of the city’s history, and much more.

For their anniversary, I contacted author Michael Kluckner (Vanishing Vancouver, Vancouver Remembered) who is on the Board of Directors to see if he could contribute a few words about the Friends:

“Public institutions like the City of Vancouver Archives need support groups to publicize their activities and supplement their programs. The Friends of the Archives, celebrating its 20th anniversary on April 7th, has been just such a group. With a volunteer board, it has received more than $80,000 in provincial gaming funds between 2000 and 2012 and has raised $78,830 through its own programs – lectures, field trips, special events and donations from its members.

What’s become of all this money? The main project in this Internet age has been the ongoing description and digitization of archival photographs in the archives’ holdings, a project that has hired numerous technicians and made Vancouver’s history accessible to anyone who can get on the web. Even the search engine that makes the archives’ holdings accessible on-line was funded by the Friends.”

I have been using the archives for research purposes for years and now you can even find people taking images from the online database and posting them to their Instagram profiles. It’s always good to be reminded that these resources take time to produce, preserve, catalogue, store, and share — and we should be supporting the source.

If you would like to learn more about upcoming events to support the archives, just follow the Friends of the Archives site for listings and donation information. Follow the City of Vancouver Archives’ blog, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube as well.

As Michael puts it: “…Remember that any city with an interesting future is likely to have had a fascinating past.”