We Day Vancouver has returned and throughout the day today I’ll be posting photos, quotes, information, and other coverage to help spread the word about this motivational and inspirational event.
This is the 4th year that We Day has come to Vancouver, filling Rogers Arena with 20,000 school kids and motivational celebrities and storytellers on the main stage thanks to Free The Children.
Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner that has more than 1.7 million young people involved in its programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children believes in a world where young people are free to achieve their fullest potential, and empowers youth to remove barriers that prevent them from being active local and global citizens.
Today’s speaker line-up at Rogers Arena includes:
Dr. Holly Branson – Free The Children ambassador, daughter of Sir Richard Branson
A performance by ONE DROP, a Cirque du Soleil Founder’s initiative
Premier Christy Clark – Premier of British Columbia
Shawn Desman – Platinum selling and Juno Award winning recording artist
Magic Johnson – Basketball Hall of Fame legend
My name is Kay – Canadian singer and songwriter
Demi Lovato – Singer-songwriter and X Factor judge
OneRepublic – Platinum selling, Grammy nominated, American pop/rock band
Archbishop Desmond Tutu – Nobel Peace Laureate
If you are not one of the lucky attendees today you can watch online through MuchMusic and they will also air television broadcasts on Sunday, November 11th and Sunday, November 24th 2012 starting at 3:00pm Pacific Time.
Download the We Day application for iPhone for more information and follow the conversations on Facebook and through @FreeTheChildren #WeDay #Vancouver on Twitter.
I will pick up the coverage around 9:00am today. Stay tuned!
Update After an introduction from Premier Christy Clark and Mayor Gregor Robertson, Free the Children founders Mark and Craig Kielburger kick off We Day Vancouver 2012. They also announced the We Create Change program where you can gather up your Canadian pennies (which are no longer being made) and drop them off at a local RBC branch.
They will go toward a program that provides clean water in developing countries. Just $25 can ensure that one person has access to clean water for life.
"Welcome to We Day! Since last year, WE have volunteered over 1.7 million hours of our time!" –@craigkielburger#WeDay
Following the introduction, Magic Johnson is up as the first speaker. The young crown chants “Magic! Magic!” as he takes the stage to talk about today’s message: “Be The Change”. The most memorable message from his talk about the HIV education he does and also acceptance: “Let’s hug and support people, and high five them, instead of bringing them down.”
Update Honorable Justice Sinclair, first judge of Aboriginal descent in Manitoba, is up next to educate the audience on the residential schools that were run in Canada throughout the last century. “Racism in its purest form was practiced in those schools”. He speaks about awareness and education about this history, asking the audience to pass along the message that this was not okay, and is not okay. “Talk to and about aboriginal people with respect, just as you want to be respected.”
"I need you to stand up, take charge, and be that change!" -@Sincmurr #WeDay
Update Craig and Marc are back on stage for their keynote and to explain the various programs and campaigns that kids can campion and lead at their school. There’s We Scare Hunger (formerly Halloween for Hunger which is coming up next, followed by We Are Love around Valentine’s Day, and We Are Silent in the spring. There are also Mini We Days that can be hosted at your school.
"Silence can be powerful and silence can be loud. Together we will act as one!" -MollyMetoWe
Update This We Day has been unique for me compared to previous years. Instead of running from the press room to the media box and to the arena floor I was a guest of TELUS and I brought my niece with me to experience the event. We were stationary most of the day, looking out over the crowd from the TELUS guest suite. I wanted her to see We Day as it has always moved me, and this year was no different.
Update After lunch Craig Kielburger sat down with Archbishop Desmond Tutu to talk about his incredible life in South Africa during Apartheid and that memorable day when he was first able to vote in an election in his country. “Racism is awful because it condemns you for something you cannot control.”
The Archbishop said that everyone there was a VSP — very special person. Craig asked him about the role of young people to which he responded that they would not be freed today, Nelson Mandela would not have left prison, and more if not for the supporters — many of which were students. He said, “what is a leader without followers?”
Craig asked him what he felt the day he was able to vote for the first time in his country. “How do you tell someone who is blind that a flower is a red, red rose? How do you tell someone who is deaf about great music?” He said that he vent into the voting tent one man, and came out another. A free man. Despite the strong and powerful message that the Archbishop brought to We Day, he was also very sweet and delivered a few hearty chuckles — he has such an infectious laugh, you can’t help but smile.
Update Demi Lovato came out for her performance and had a message about depressing and bullying for the thousands of screaming fans. “I have been through a lot of the same issues as you. This is something you can get through, it will not bring you down!”
Update Holly Branson made a special announcement that there will be a We Day UK next year. She was joined by a video message from British pop singer Ellie Goulding on the big screen. Holly said one of the most memorable quotes of the day: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This touched on the point the Kielburger brothers made as well. They demonstrated this by having Marc snap a pencil on stage. Then he snapped two. But Craig handed him two dozen and he was stumped. It was the power of many, the power of “WE”.
Update Last year, motivational speaker Spencer West told the We Day crowd that he was going to raise funds for clean water in Kenya by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. This past June he did just that. What’s remarkable about Spencer — aside from his great stories and fantastic outlook on life — is that he has no legs. He was told from a young age that they wouldn’t amount to much. The theme of his mountain climb, which he did with his arms and with the help of friends, was “Redefine Possible”. He emphasized that he couldn’t have done it alone either. “We all forget to ask for help because we’re afraid it might be seen as a sign of weakness.”
Update The Kielburger brothers rounded out We Day with a closing address that demonstrated their 3 Laws of Social Change: Law of the Few (never underestimate the power of a few to create change); Law of Will (they quoted Nellie McClung who led the suffrage movement in Canada. (“Never retract, never explain, never apologize; get things done and let them howl.”); Law of We (quoting Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”)
After another performance from One Republic everyone left We Day with ideas of “Be The Change” floating around in their heads. They may go back to their schools and start a We Scare Hunger (formerly Halloween for Hunger or We Create Change campaign. They may tell their friends what they saw and heard today. There are now 20,000 more young people around BC who are empowered with the knowledge that they can each make a different locally and globally, and that’s pretty magical.
Metric is returning to Vancouver on November 10th for a show at Rogers Arena in support of their latest album Synthetica.
Metric at Live at Squamish 2011. Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr
The concert will take place on Saturday, November 10, 2012 with doors at 7:00pm. Tickets are on sale now starting at $29.50 for reserved seating and general admission on the floor. Book now by calling 1-855-985-5000, visiting a Ticketmaster outlet, purchasing online, or by using the Rogers Wireless Box Office.
Vancouver is the second stop on Metric’s tour that will set out from Victoria on November 9th and will finish up in Toronto on November 24th. Synthetica debuted at #2 on the Soundscan Album chart and the first single “Youth Without Youth” debuted at #1 on the Canadian Mediabase Alternative Radio chart. It stayed there for several weeks making them the first artists in the history of the chart to ever hold that spot continuously.
Special guest Stars also released their album North just a few weeks ago. If you would like to catch the show that’s sure to rock Rogers Arena, here’s how you can enter to win a pair of tickets:
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RT to enter to win tix to see Metric at Rogers Arena from @LiveNationWest & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/ez3be
I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 12:00pm.
Sitting in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport I decided to feature airplanes in this edition of the Archives Photos of the Day series. Even more fitting, it just so happens that today is the 92nd anniversary of the first trans-continental flight from one end of Canada to another.
On this day in 1920, Air Commodore A.K. Tylee of the Canadian Air Board and his crew aboard a DeHavilland D-H-9-A biplane landed at Minoru Park in Richmond after setting out from Halifax 10 days before. All in all, there was 45 hours of flight time. [Source: Vancouver History]
1929 – Group of men standing beside a DeH. Moyh airplane with Goodyear balloon landing gear. VPL Accession Number: 9373. Photographer: Leonard Frank.
1931 – Wedell Williams Leaving Vancouver Airport in his Airplane. VPL Accession Number: 9398. Photographer: Leonard Frank.
United Airlines’ inaugural flight from Seattle to Vancouver. Archives #CVA 1376-81.
The Bay in downtown Vancouver, at the bustling corner of Georgia and Granville, has been undergoing a small facelift recently. Removing bulky awnings and replacing them with heritage style pieces, a restoration of the facade, and creating a hole on the Georgia and Seymour side to make room for Topshop.
Topshop started out life way back in 1964. Since those humble beginnings in the basement of a department store they’ve grown up and now have over 300 stores in the UK alone. They ship to more than 100 countries and our eclectic British style is known all over the world. The Oxford Circus flagship is a mecca for cool girls, whether they’re holidaying in London or living in the capital, and they’ve spread the love across the pond with flagships in Chicago and New York!
Over the years they’ve built a strong bond with industry insiders and in 2002 they joined forces with NEWGEN, a scheme which allows us to foster new design talent and provide a global platform for the scene’s brightest new stars. They’re also the only high street brand to show on schedule at London Fashion Week, and Topshop Unique has become the style set’s hottest ticket.
This will be the largest Topshop in the world outside of the location in London’s Oxford Circus. This new flagship, nestled in The Bay, will carry both Topshop and Topman brands (for men and women) and have luxury elements like customized shopping experiences for birthdays and special events.
On Thursday, October 18, 2012 the public is invited to the official opening of the 33,000 store in The Bay. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony (with Bonnie Brooks) at 9:30am with a breakfast food truck parked out front and a DJ spinning inside. The store will then be open from 9:30am to 9:00pm offering exclusive deals like an iPad case giveaway when you spend $75 or a hat giveaway with each Topman spend of $75 or more. Everyone receives a opening celebration tote bag with purchase, free treats will be served all day, and you can get a complimentary makeover by Topshop Beauty Queen.
Topshop joins a line of high-end and highly sought-after stores that will be opening in Vancouver over the next year or so including a new anchor department store in Pacific Centre and a Victoria’s Secret that will move in at Robson and Burrard.
