Shop West 4th in Kitsilano Giveaway

Comments 231 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Kitsilano is a big part of what makes Vancouver such a great city – from beaches and restaurants to fashion and yoga. At the core of the community is West 4th avenue, linking the East and West sides of the city and providing a walkable shopping district.

ShopWest4th

“Kits is a very, very healthy part of Vancouver. People can enjoy a Yoga or Pilates class, buy their organic groceries and multi-vitamins and even learn more about health and wellness without leaving West 4th. Kitsilano residents have a unique lifestyle and a unique way of staying healthy and our merchants are making it easier for people of all ages to meet their goals for 2013.” – Russ Davies, Executive Director of the Kitsilano 4th Avenue Business Improvement Association

Refresh your mind and spirit at Semperviva and YYoga, pick up natural ingredients for dinner at Whole Foods, supplement your diet with vitamins from Pharmasave, YVS, and Reflex, and take a moment enjoy a few sips at The 05 Tea Bar. The Kitsilano 4th Avenue Business Improvement Association wants to get the word out about how the shops, studios, and services along its popular thoroughfare can encourage and promote healthy living so they have put together an impressive prize pack (valued at $385) for me to give away. This includes:

Here’s how you can win this health-conscious prize pack from the Kitsilano 4th Avenue Business Improvement Association:

RT to enter to win a @ShopWest4th prize pack from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/iA8Wr

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013. Follow Shop West 4th on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shops, services, and special events.

Update The winner is @kickingbabe!

PlayDome at BC Place 2013

Comments 1 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Spring Break wouldn’t be complete without PlayDome at BC Place, Western Canada’s largest indoor carnival with over 45 rides and attractions.

PlayDome @ BC Place
Photo credit: John Biehler for Miss604

Where: BC Place Stadium
When: Saturday, March 16, 2013 to Sunday, March 24, 2013
Hours: Open daily from 10:00am to 9:00pm (until 6:00pm on March 24th)

PlayDome at BC Place Dome Passes are $29 (valid for full day, all rides) and Ultimate Passes are $49 (unlimited-day Dome Pass). Guest passes (for spectators and guardians) are $6 and children under 2 years old are free (although for safety reasons they cannot go on the rides).

PlayDome 2012 at BC Place PlayDome 2012 at BC Place
Photo credit: Vancouver4Life & Vancouver4Life on Flickr

Rides this year include Zero Gravity, the Ring of Fire, and the Super Shot. Popular favorites such as 1001 nights, The Ferris Wheel and the Zipper are all back to be enjoyed. Follow @BCPlace and the tag #PlayDome on Twitter for updates.

An Evening to Conquer Oral Cancer

Comments 55 by Rebecca Bollwitt

An Evening to Conquer Oral Cancer is coming up next month in support of the BC Cancer Foundation. It aims to increase awareness about oral cancer and raise funds for putting cutting-edge research into action.

eveningtoconqueroralcancer

Oral cancer is one of the major human cancers (more common than cervical cancer) with one of the worst survival rates of all cancers. Even among survivors, treatment can be disfiguring and debilitating. Oral cancers are unpredictable and may affect the throat, mouth, and tongue. Currently, oral cancer is often identified late and is usually at an advanced stage by the time it is noticed by either patients or medical professionals. However, if caught early, patient survival rates can be significantly improved and chances of disability from treatment are much lower.

An Evening to Conquer Oral Cancer takes place Thursday April 25, 2013 at 6:00pm (registration) and 6:30pm (cocktail reception and silent auction) at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The reception will be followed by dinner at 7:00pm then a live auction along with entertainment from The Agency Girls and a special “up close and personal” appearance by Colin Arthur Wiebe. CTV Morning Live’s Norma Reid will be the MC for the evening.

Last year, The Province’s Fred Lee named it the “Most impressive inaugural event of 2012” and 2013 won’t disappoint. Tickets are on sale now for $400 per person or $3,200 for tables of eight.

If you don’t want to miss out on this event, I have a pair of ticket available to give away as well. Here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
  • Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win tickets to @conqueroralcanc from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/ixbxB

Follow An Evening to Conquer Oral Cancer on Facebook and Twitter for more information about the event and the cause. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, March 15, 2013. Must be 19+ to attend.

Update The winner is Heather!

Herons Return to Stanley Park

Comments 2 by Rebecca Bollwitt

The Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”) is reporting that the Pacific great blue herons have returned to their nesting site in Stanley Park after successful 2012 season. This is the 13th year the herons have nested in the park and they have started to return to the trees above the Park Board’s Administrative Offices and the tennis courts over the last week.

Herons // click image to enlarge
Photo credit: CogitoErgoShoot on Flickr

Kits Beach Heron Great Blue Heron
Photo credit: kerberos25 & Steve Goodyear on Flickr

PHOTO - Today in Vancouver: Serenading the Herons
[travelfox] on Flickr

According to the SPES, last year, 117 nests were counted in the colony and 86 of these were occupied by heron pairs. In total, an estimated 169 young herons fledged from the colony in 2012, 69 more than in 2011 and 49 more than in 2010.

The nests are quite the sight to see but you don’t want to get too close. There are fences in place to reduce disturbances to the colony and to protect visitors from falling debris. The colony is also at risk from predators like raccoons.

Stanley Park Seawall 002
Photo credit: Kyle Bailey – Da Big Cheeze on Flickr

English Bay
Photo credit: Clayton Perry Photoworks on Flickr

To support the research and protection of these birds you can join the SPES Adopt-a-Nest program and follow updates from the Stanley Park Ecology Society on Facebook and Twitter.

Spring Break Skate at The Shops at Morgan Crossing 2013

Comments 1 by Rebecca Bollwitt

The Shops at Morgan Crossing are hosting the third annual Spring Break Skate from Thursday, March 21st to Sunday, March 24th.

spring-break-skate

Each day from 10:00am to 6:00pm shoppers, neighbours, and visitors are invited to skate on the artificial outdoor skating surface, rain or shine.

Skate rentals will be available by donation to the Semiahmoo Secondary School’s Dry Grad and the school will also be selling BBQ hot dogs, soft drinks, and other snacks. On Saturday, March 23rd from 1:30pm to 3:30pm there will be a mascot skate-off, an RCMP bait car demo, the ParticipACTION funmobile, and more.

The Shops at Morgan Crossing are located at 15765 Croydon Drive in Surrey and include BC’s largest wine merchant, high-end fashion shopping, and the only Gap, Banana Republic and Olsen Europe outlet locations in BC. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter for more shopping and event info.