We’re a pair of 30-somethings in the city with no kids but that doesn’t mean that every time we go out that it’s a “date night”. Running to the grocery store or market, grabbing some take-out, and covering events (when John‘s got a camera in his face the whole time) aren’t the most romantic escapades. However, we do make time to focus on each other — how else could I put together a list of Truly Vancouver Date Ideas — and whether it’s a soccer match or a concert, we put make sure to put each other in the spotlight. Last week we had the opportunity to have a fantastic date night in downtown Vancouver, that really came together at the last minute.
St. Regis Hotel
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the St. Regis Hotel, located on the corner of Dunsmuir and Seymour. It’s one of those hotels that I have walked by, read about, and written about, but have never entered — until last week. We booked a night there last Thursday and after reading that it is ranked within the Top 10 hotels in Vancouver on TripAdvisor I knew we were in for a treat.
I arrived early so I waited in the business centre, using complimentary WIFI, while our room was getting made up. Once it was ready I headed up to the third floor of the beautifully restored boutique hotel. Dark woods, bright blue and green artwork, and textured wallpaper gave even the hallways a refreshed yet classic feeling.
Arriving in the room I turned on the universale power switch by the door. I had read up on the energy-saving elements at the St. Regis and it’s a good thing too because when I went into the bathroom, which was already soaked by natural light through the window, the light switch didn’t work. It’s kind of an automatic way to save energy when no one’s around or when you don’t necessarily need to have lights on.
There was a convenient power strip near the desk in the bedroom so I could plug in my laptop (and soak up some of that energy I was saving by leaving the blinds open and turning off the lights), a television in the living room area and the bedroom, and the bathroom was huge with double sinks and optional in-floor heating.
I walked down to the St. Regis Liquor Store in Granville SkyTrain station to meet John after work and pick up a bottle of Okanagan wine to enjoy in the room before we headed out for the night. We polished off some room service, which was reasonably priced for a hotel (about $35 for two large dinners), had some sips of the complimentary Fiji water in our suite, and we were on our way.
Les Misérables
I go to the Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, plays, musicals, and other performances all the time (for work, mostly) but it’s rare that I have John by my side in the audience. Luckily, he’s a fan of Les Misérables so I knew he would be game for this performance when it came to town. We walked out of the St. Regis on Dunsmuir, headed a few blocks east, and we were right at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre no more than 5 minutes later.
Photo credit: Deen van Meer. “One Day More” The Company of the New 25th Anniversary of Les Miserables.
Broadway Across Canada’s Les Misérables (presented by Cameron Mackintosh) was a bit different from previous shows I have seen based on the legendary literary work of Victor Hugo. Artistic elements in this all-new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s musical revealed imagery and scenery inspired by the paintings of Hugo himself. Deep, dark, and peppered with colour from the 19th century costumes that ranged from rags to uniforms and ball gowns.
Hooked from the start of the first act, chills ran from your spine to your finger tips during The ABC Café / Red and Black, Éponine’s On My Own and the powerful Do You Hear the People Sing?. Standouts for us were Gaten Matarazzo as Gavroche, Erin Cearlock as Little Cosette, and Briana Carlson-Goodman as Éponine.
Jean Valjean was played by Peter Lockyer who evoked even more emotion from the audience with his almost operatic performance. Crowd-favourites in any version of the show, Madame Thénardier and Thénardier played by Shawna Hamic and Timothy Gulan provided comic relief and garnered some great hoots n’ hollers during the standing ovation that followed the finale.
At the end of the night we walked the few quick blocks back to the St. Regis after the show and slept soundly until it was time for our complimentary breakfast (complimentary for every guest). Served from 6:30am until 10:00am on weekdays, this was a full-serve, sit-down breakfast with juice and coffee right in the hotel. John packed up and headed to work, and I packed us up to head for home, just across town. The staff at the front desk was incredibly helpful and pleasant, even when I absentmindedly mixed up my St. Regis Liquor Store charge with a charge from the hotel. Our date night in the city — in our own city — was a great way to slow things down mid-week and enjoy Vancouver’s hospitality and culture.
Les Misérables is only in Vancouver until June 23rd so be sure to book your tickets through Broadway Across Canada for one of the 2:00pm matinées or an 8:00pm performance. For more information about Les Misérables and Broadway Across Canada’s other productions, follow them on Twitter @BACTouring. Find out more about the St. Regis Hotel on Twitter @TheSTRegisHotel and on Facebook.
VIVA Vancouver, a summer program that transform city streets into art and performance spaces in collaboration with local businesses, returns at the end of this month.
800 Robson Street Summertime Plaza
Each weekend from June 21st and June 22nd until the weekend of August 31st and September 1st, the 800 block of Robson will be closed to vehicular traffic. Last year the Pop Rocks loungers (made from recycled sails from Canada Place) were a big hit in that space. Look for something new this year during and after the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
Parklets
Creating little parks where there were no parks before (or in the place of parking spaces), will once again appear. Parklets like the wooden deck outside Cafe Crepe on Robson (Urban Pasture, built by FSOARK) have been in place year-round. There’s also the cedar hot tub-inspired seating by Matthew Thomson and Erika Mashig on East 44th Ave, just west of Fraser. Look for new installations and ways to enjoy public spaces this summer.
Granville Street
Each weekend, from June 29th and June 30th until August 31st and September 1st, Granville will be closed to traffic 24 hours a day between Robson and Georgia. There you will be able to find live music, performances, street markets, dancing, art, and more.
New this year is a QR code treasure hunt of sorts along Granville. I received an email from Muprime Technology, who developed the artistic codes along with the Downtown Vancouver BIA, about how these will be placed around Granville, turning the whole area into an interactive game. Scan a code that you find and it will unlock information about local businesses and prizes.
Follow VIVA Vancouver on Facebook to hear the latest announcements about what we can expect to see around town this summer.
The boys of summer return to Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium as the two-time (and back-to-back) Northwest League Champion Vancouver Canadians kick off their Class-A short season this month.
Affordable tickets, sunny afternoons, the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park backdrop, and watching up-and-coming baseball stars of the Blue Jays affiliate are all a part of what make a great outing at the ‘Nat. On top of that, there’s the sushi mascot races, diverse concession menu options, and all of the great promotional giveaways and events hosted by the C’s throughout the season. Here’s what’s coming up for this summer:
![[PIC] Great night at Nat Bailey/Scotiabank Field:](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2878/9031193450_308cd9eafc_z.jpg)
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Downtown Vancouver will be bustling with patriotic festivities and family fun with the 26th annual Canada Day at Canada Place. On Monday, July 1st you can enjoy the 5th annual Canada Day Parade (7:00pm to 8:00pm), Burrard Inlet fireworks show (10:30pm to 11:00pm), and of course the waterfront party (10:00am to 6:00pm).
Coast Capital Main Stage
Location: Jack Poole Plaza | Times: 10:00am to 7:00pm
10:00am to 10:15am Blessing to ChiefIan Campbell Traditional First Nation Blessing
10:15am to 10:40am Beverley and the Billionaires Children
11:00am to 11:40am Kelly Brock Country
12:00pm to 12:40pm Show Stoppers Glee Choir
1:00pm to 1:40pm Wild Moccasins Aboriginal Cellist & FancyDance
2:00pm to 2:40pm The Cancons Rock Covers
3:00pm to 3:40pm Washboard Union Folk Rock
4:00pm to 4:40pm Santa Lucia Latin Funk Rock
5:00pm to 5:40pm The Boom Booms Pop Rock
6:00pm to 6:50pm Bif Naked Pop Rock
Celebration Stage
Location: Hall A at Canada Place | Times: 10:00am to 6:00pm
10:00am to 10:40am Sweet SoulGospel ‘O Canada’ Wrap Gospel
11:00am to 12:15pm Citizenship Ceremony Citizenship Ceremony
12:30pm to 1:30pm CHMB Variety Show: Chinese & Multicultural Traditional Dance
1:45pm to 2:25pm Uzume Taiko Japanese Drumming
2:40pm to 3:20pm Ache Brasil Latin
3:35pm to 4:15pm Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration
4:30pm to 5:10pm Alex Wells Aboriginal Hoop Dancer
5:25pm to 6:00pm Dusty Flower Pot Cabaret
The Point Stage
Location: North Pointe Canada Place | Times: 11:50am to 6:00pm
11:50am to 12:20pm Elea Saunier French Jazz/Pop
12:40pm to 1:20pm Bend Sinister Indie Rock
1:40pm to 2:25pm Playlist Cover Band
3:50pm to 4:35pm SideOne Band Cover Band
5:00pm to 5:40pm YUCA World Rock
On top of all the free concerts and performances, Canada Day at Canada Place will host a variety of activities and entertainment from the Vancouver Convention Centre down to Harbour Green Park. Canada’s Army, Navy & Air Force will be on-site, there will be an Extreme Sports Show, the Great Canadian Art Experience, a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony, the Port Metro Vancuver Zone, and many more attractions throughout the day.
You can keep track of all activities by using the Canada Place mobile app for iPhone and Android. Follow Canada Place on Facebook and Twitter too.
Miss604 is a proud media partner of Canada Day at Canada Place.
Free outdoor movies are a highlight of late spring and summer in the Vancouver area. After a day at the beach you can pull up a picnic blanket in a grassy meadow and watch new and retro fan-favourite films on Fresh Air Cinema‘s giant inflatable screens.
On top of reciting popular movie lines that have been burned into your memory over the years, the best part of these events is that they’re everywhere — not just in Stanley Park. Here are just a few of the confirmed free outdoor movie listings for the Greater Vancouver area:
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Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Britannia Community Services Centre
Film: Iron Monkey
Date: Saturday, June 22, 2013 at 9:30pm
Location: Vancouver Chinatown Night Market
Chevron Summer Cinema Series
Film: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Date: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at 9:30pm
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Chevron Summer Cinema Series
Film: The NeverEnding Story
Date: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Film: Enter the Dragon
Date: Saturday, July 13, 2013 at 9:30pm
Location: Vancouver Chinatown Night Market
Chevron Summer Cinema Series
Film: Clueless
Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Film: The Breakfast Club
Date: Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Film: Poltergeist
Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Film: TBD
Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 8:30pm
Location: Trout Lake Park
Film: Dirty Dancing
Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Chevron Summer Cinema Series
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2013 at 9:00pm
Film: Austin Powers
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Chevron Summer Cinema Series
Date :Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at 9:00pm
Film: Indiana Jones & The Raiders of the Lost Ark
Location: Second Beach, Stanley Park
Date: Thursday, August 29, 2013 at 8:00pm
Film: TBD
Location: Grandview Park
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Film: TBD
Date: Sunday, July 21, 2013 at 9:30pm
Location: The Shops at Morgan Crossing
Film: Hotel Transylvania
Friday, August 9, 2013 at 8:30pm
Location: Fraser Heights Recreation Centre
Film: Escape From Planet Earth
Date: Saturday, August 17, 2013 at 8:30pm
Location: White Rock/South Surrey Relay for Life
Centennial Park
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Film: Back to the Future
Date: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 11:00pm
Location: McLeod Athletic Park
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Film: Up
Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 8:30pm
Location: King George Park West (Cambie & Number 5)
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Film: The Goonies
Date: Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Winskill Park (56th St at 9th Ave)
Film: Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Date: Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 9:00pm
Location: Diefenbaker Park
Date: Saturday, August 24, 2013 at 9:00pm
Film: Pirates of the Caribbean
Location: Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall
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Free outdoor movie listings from Fresh Air Cinema — for communities around BC — are listed on their Facebook events page. There you can RSVP with your friends to see who else is attending. Remember to pack out what you pack into parks and public spaces to keep them looking great this season.
