March is Music Therapy Month and you can celebrate by supporting Music Heals on Saturday, March 2nd. They are hosting A Night Out For Music Heals, thanks to the participation of over 20 venues, that will benefit local music therapy programs across BC.

When you visit one of these establishements on Saturday, March 2, 2013 they will donate $1 from every cover charge to Music Heals.

Support Music Heals by going out on the town, perhaps even do a pub crawl, and you’ll help make a difference. If you can’t make it out, you can also support the iPod Pharmacy by donating your old mp3 player to Music Heals. Follow Music Heals on Twitter and use the tag #NightOut4MH for updates on this Saturday’s campaign.

The Music Heals Charitable Foundation raises awareness of the healing powers of music and fundraises for music therapy and related services across Canada. Their mission is to unite music therapy-related charitable initiatives, and increase patient accessibility to music therapy in children’s hospitals, seniors’ homes, palliative care facilities, at-risk youth programs and more.

In a city where the skyline changes annually, it’s always fascinating to look back ten to one hundred years to see how it has evolved. Last week I had the opportunity to fly around the region with News1130’s Kim Seale and I had my cameras firing every few seconds as I tried to capture the sights. In the spirit of my old “Then and Now” series, I actually found some of my latest aerial photos could be matched up with a few from the Vancouver Public Library Archives and the City of Vancouver Archives:

1931: Archives item# Van Sc P15. Royal Canadian Air Force Photograph.

1952: VPL Number: 81816. Photographer: Art Jones.

1963: VPL Number: 42690. Photographer: Province Newspaper.

The Terminal City Rollergirls recently released their 2013 season schedule for their flat-track roller derby bouts at Kerrisdale and Minoru arenas. Almost everyone I know either wants to attend a bout or get into roller derby, is completely addicted to it or thinks it’s the coolest thing ever. For this reason, I followed up with the Terminal City Rollergirls to see if they could contribute a piece for my site explaining the allure of their sport. They kindly obliged and the following has been compiled and contributed by Erin “Miss E. Masculator” Morrisette:

Photo credit: Bob Ayers on Flickr

5 Reasons to Love Roller Derby

You’ve seen the posters on the Drive. You’ve overheard discussions on the Skytrain. You’ve even seen the skaters fly by on the seawall…and you still haven’t been to a roller derby bout? Don’t worry; there has never been a better time than now to check out the Terminal City Rollergirls, Vancouver’s first female roller derby league. Need convincing? Here are five reasons why we’re sure you will love roller derby:

1) The sport: Fast-paced and hard hitting, flat-track roller derby is the fastest growing women’s sport in the world. Since the first modern day women’s leagues formed in Texas and Arizona in 2002, there are now about 1400 active teams worldwide, including over 100 in Canada. And it’s no wonder. You won’t find balls, stunts or alligator pits; modern roller derby is not fake or pre-determined. With four blockers from each team trying to stop the opposition’s point-scoring jammer while also helping their own jammer score, roller derby is a highly strategic game where offense and defence happen at the same time. Teamwork is essential, but huge hits and breakneck speed play their part, too. Sit in the front row and you just might find yourself a part of the action – at your own risk, of course.

Photo credit: Bob Ayers on Flickr

2) The event: The Terminal City Rollergirls host big, lively events that look and sound great. Of course, the 2000 or so fans are treated to an action-packed sports event, but their appetites are also pleased with offerings from the beer garden and food trucks on site. During breaks in the action, DJ Shawn LaRock spins booty-bumping tunes, and there is half-time entertainment by the likes of the Vancouver Dodgeball League, EastVan Pillowfight League, Vancouver Bike Polo and more. After the bouts, little fans can collect autographs from their favorite players, and grown-up fans can buy their favorites a victory beer at the after-parties. Et tu, Canucks?

3) The crowd: Diverse and hilarious, people-watching at a roller derby bout is almost as fun as watching the sport itself. From families with bouncing kids to raucous bachelorette parties, roller derby events draw a wide range of people. The tattooed and mohawked sit next to hardcore sports fans and diminutive grandmas – everyone’s a roller derby fan once the whistle blows.

4) The players: Terminal City Rollergirls are hyper-competitive, strong and colourful women from all different backgrounds. Everyone has heard the old story of the shy-librarian-by-day-fierce-derby-girl-by-night – and the TCRG does have a couple of those – but the players represent so much more. From bank managers to architects, video game designers to elementary school teachers, these women take their sport very seriously and train hard to be the best players they can be. Their incredible athleticism and big personalities will make it difficult to pick a favourite player, but you’ll try.

Photo credit: Bob Ayers on Flickr

5) The league: TCRG is a member-run league that has been around since 2006. They have four house teams (the Bad Reputations, Faster Pussycats, Public Frenemy and the Riot Girls) with rabid local fan followings, and the TCRG All-Stars rep team that plays internationally. The All-Stars made history last year, making the biggest rankings jump in the history of WFTDA (the NHL of roller derby). The league has a reputation to uphold and a lot of fantastic neighbouring leagues to challenge. They’ll be holding one bout per month from April through September, so Vancouver fans will have ample opportunity to catch the rollergirls in action. More information on the upcoming season can be found on their website at terminalcityrollergirls.com.

Follow the Terminal City Rollergirls on Twitter and Facebook for more league and event information.

Gordie Howe – Mr. Hockey – is celebrating his 85th birthday with the Vancouver Giants on Friday, March 1, 2013. The Giants will take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes wearing Howe tribute jerseys while the crowd is treated to special guest appearances, giveaways, and plenty of activities.

Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Giants

Gordie Howe is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five different decades (1940s through 1980s). A four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, he won six Hart Trophies as the league’s most valuable player and six Art Ross Trophies as the leading scorer. He was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. He is also part owner of the Vancouver Giants.

VIP guests include legendary NHL brother act Bobby and Dennis Hull who will join Marcel Dionne, Orland Kurtenbach, and Johnny Bower onfor a special pre-game ceremony to celebrate Gordie Howe’s birthday. 500 randomly selected fans will also get to meet Gordie Howe and the legends during the game.

I’ve partnered with the Vancouver Giants a few times this season and we’re very excited for this particularly awesome giveaway. I have a pair of tickets up for grabs as well as a guaranteed meet & greet with the birthday boy himself, Gordie Howe! Here’s how you can enter to win this fantastic opportunity:

• Leave a quick comment here about why you want to meet Gordie Howe (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

This contest will end quickly as the event is fast-approaching. I’ll draw one winner at random from all entries at 2:00pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Follow the Vancouver Giants on Facebook and Twitter for more giveaways, events, team information, schedules, scores, and more from our local WHL team.

Update The winner is Greg!

The Vancouver Heritage Foundation has partnered with JJ Bean Coffee Roasters for an informative workshop focusing on the Marine Building, one of Vancouver’s most well-loved structures. As one of the building’s most recent tenants, JJ Bean will host Sunday Morning at the Marine and shine a spotlight on this art deco gem.

Photo credit: Vancouver Archives Item# CVA 586-4384 & Eugene’s Likeness on Flickr

Construction began March 13, 1929 with a ceremony attended by Mayor W.H. Malkin who blew a golden whistle to start the excavators in motion. The building formally opened October 7, 1930 with 21 floors at a height of 321 feet – it defined Vancouver’s skyline.

Where: JJ Bean at the Marine Building (355 Burrard)
When: Sunday, March 10, 2013 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
Tickets: Available online for $25 or call (604) 246-9642.

Sunday Morning at the Marine includes JJ Bean specialty coffee and baked goods, a coffee tasting with John Neate founder and owner of JJ Bean, a talk from Joost Bakker, Dialog, the Architect behind the renovation, and a guided tour of the historic Marine Building lobby.

Photo credit: kenmcall on Flickr

Follow the Vancouver Heritage Foundation on Facebook or Twitter for more information about this event, workshops, tours, and Places That Matter plaque presentations.