Hockey is back and that means Hockey Night in Canada gets to celebrate its 60th anniversary more publicly this season. To get fans (especially those who might need a bit more encouragement) pumped up for the quick season that is about to start, CBC Vancouver is hosting a special event in honor of NHL hockey’s return.
Where: Rogers Arena’s north plaza
When: Saturday, January 19, 2013 starting at 5:00pm
Fans will have the opportunity meet CBC personalities Shane Foxman, Karin Larsen and Renee Filippone, sit behind a sports anchor desk, take a spin at a prize wheel for Hockey Night in Canada swag, snap photos with Ron and Don cutouts, get faces painted, and more.
Peter Puck will be on location that day as well as around town today from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Georgia and Granville, on Thursday, January 17th from 7:00am to 9:00am at Waterfront Station, and on Friday, January 18th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at the Atrium Court at Metropolis at Metrotown.
Follow CBC Vancouver on Twitter along with the tag #HockeyIsBack for more information.
The Vancouver Canucks, like most other teams around the league, have offered up specials to entice fans back to their arena. During the first three home games, all Canuck Team Store merchandise will be 50 percent off and during the first three home games, hot dogs, popcorn, nachos and soft drinks will be $1 each. Follow the Canucks on Twitter for more offers and contests.
Twitter is a great source of information but it’s also the home of many quirky and entertaining accounts. You can find out how tough Chuck Norris tweets, engage with Angelina Jolie’s right leg or the Queen of England, and Star Wars fans can see what Lando Calrissian is thinking in 2013. In Vancouver, parody accounts tend to be created for animals who find themselves in the spotlight.
The bear that hitched a ride into downtown on top of a garbage truck last year posts as @downtownbear, and the whale the found itself in False Creek also tweets @FalseCreekWhale. The invasive species discovered in a Central Park pond in Burnaby also had a short-lived online life as @iamthesnakehead.
https://twitter.com/iamthesnakehead/status/210979750460657664
Not in the news for any particular reason, but a part of daily life around town, there’s also @StreetCrow (thanks to clammeh for the reminder).
The latest animal to tweet is the inanimate poodle statue in East Vancouver, @MainStreetPoodle.
The shelf life of most of these Twitter accounts is a few months at the most, then they fade away with the hype (or at the end of the movie in the case of Ferris Bueller).
The Vancouver parody accounts that tend to stick around the longest have to do with transit, oddly enough, coming up with material that lends itself to “everyday” Vancouver experiences.
Many of these accounts add much-needed entertainment value to our daily Twitter streams of news, facts, and data. Should you know of any other Vancouver-themed parody accounts or accounts on behalf of local objects, feel free to pop a note in the comments.
The Arts Club Theatre Company and the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival present Ride the Cyclone this month at the Granville Island Stage. This Atomic Vaudeville production is described as a “musical thrill ride”, written by Jacob Richmond with music and lyrics by Brooke Maxwell and Jacob Richmond.
The original cast of Ride the Cyclone. Photo by Fairen Berchard.
A high school chamber choir from Uranium, Saskatchewan, perishes in a freak roller-coaster accident, and the Amazing Karnack, a mechanized fortune-teller, feels responsible. To make amends, he brings the teens back to life to sing about their thwarted dreams and desires in one final concert. Created by Victoria’s Atomic Vaudeville, the wildly imaginative and darkly hilarious Ride the Cyclone is already being lauded as a contemporary musical masterpiece.
It runs January 17th to February 16th, 2013 with special performances on January 31st at 6:30pm (Thursday Theatre Talks), on Tuesday January 29th and February 5th (Talk Back Tuesdays), and on Thursday, February 7th at 8:00pm (VocalEye live audio description).
Performances will be at 8:00pm Mondays to Saturdays (7:30pm on Tuesdays) with 2:00pm matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays as well. Book your tickets by calling the box office at (604) 687-1644 or by making an online purchase.
If you would like to experience Ride the Cyclone, the Arts Club has offered up a pair of tickets to the performance on Thursday, January 24th. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 at 12:00pm. The Granville Island Stage is located at 1585 Johnston Street on Granville Island. On the day of your show, take your ticket to the adjacent Backstage Lounge beforehand to receive a 15% discount on your food purchase. Follow the Arts Club on Facebook and Twitter for more information throughout the season.
Update The winner is Jocelyn!
It’s not as old as the Pattullo or as iconic as the Lions Gate but today the Knight Street Bridge turns 39. It was on January 15, 1974 that the Richmond and Vancouver bridge opened to traffic. Over the years it has served a purpose and its most noteworthy and newsworthy moments haven’t usually been the most flattering.
January 1974: The Knight Street Bridge opened and replaced the Fraser Street Bridge (located 1.6 km to the west) that was built in 1905.
1955 – Fraser Street Bridge repairs. VPL Number: 39785. Photographer: Province Newspaper.
1955 – Fraser St Bridge repairs. VPL Number: 39785
1956 – Traffic at the north end of the Fraser St Bridge. VPL Number: 39798.
Photographer: Province Newspaper
November 2000: The bridge was shut down when a crane floating on a barge hit the deck from underneath, moving the bridge about 15 centimeters, causing major structural damage and bursting a water line.
June 2008: As a part of Translink’s Major Road Network the bridge received seismic upgrades that included reinforcing the bridge piers and foundations, resurfacing the southbound lanes of the Marine Drive overpass, and replacing the bridge deck joints.
November 2009: All of BC’s Top Ten crash sites were in Metro Vancouver this year with the Knight Street Bridge on and off ramps listed at number three.
October 2011: The bridge received the VRCA Innovation Award for a comprehensive upgrade of distribution and lighting (by Houle Electric).
January 2013: Transport Canada listed the Knight Street Bridge and SE Marine Drive’s on and off ramps as Canada’s most dangerous intersection.
Two years ago John and I had our first Bed & Breakfast experience at Humboldt House in Victoria. The historic 1893 inn exceeded any expectations we had and we have yet to experience another bed and breakfast quite like it. We returned this past weekend as WordCamp Victoria put me up at Humboldt House for being a speaker. This time we tried the Gazebo Room (having previously stayed in the Oriental Room) to get another feel of the luxurious accommodations.
Homemade chocolate truffles and a small bottle of bubbly awaits every guest and each room at Humboldt House has a jacuzzi tub, wood-burning fireplaces, a guest journal, complimentary WIFI and parking, and a CD player with iPod dock.
There are three rooms on the main floor along with a library where you can do some reading or enjoy some brandy that’s left out for guests, and three rooms on the top floor.
The Gazebo Room features floral prints, greenery, a lace bed canopy, and a ceiling that reaches up to a point making it the largest room in the house. Kicking off our shoes and settling in for the night, we huddled together with flutes of prosecco as the fire crackled and popped. It was good to be back.
When we first arrived we signed the breakfast sheet which is located in the foyer. We jotted down our desired breakfast time and made our selection from the menu. Eggs benedict, crepes two ways, or continental. Free-range eggs from Highland Ranch Farm, Fair-Trade coffee from Level Ground Trading Co., fresh herbs and produce from their own garden.
The hot meal (accompanied by fruits, croissants, and tea or coffee) is great but it’s the delivery method that makes me giddy. I like to call it a “magic cubby”, they call it a “two-way pantry” and I’ve heard it’s called a “butler’s pantry”. Basically there is a small door in the hallway that opens up to a cupboard that also has a door on the inide of the room. In the morning your breakfast basket is delivered into that cupboard and quick ‘tap tap’ lets you know it has arrived. I may have also referred to this as “Breakfast Santa“.
Pulling John out from under the goose-down comforter was quite a feat but I won him over when he laid eyes on the bounty from the basket that I setup on the glass-top table by the window. Lighting another fire in the morning to warm up, sipping hot coffee, a warm and crumbly croissant, we really didn’t want to leave.
We appreciate the little things at Humboldt House. The wood-burning fireplace, the hot breakfast, the free WIFI, and its convenient location being about 5 minutes walking distance from downtown Victoria. You could lock yourselves away with the comforts of your room or explore the city all day and return to soak in the tub. It’s a destination and an accommodation, with modern conveniences and classic comfort.
Victoria is a beautiful city to visit in the spring and summer with all of its gardens and blossoms however you can get great deals on rooms during the off-season — and lighting that wood fireplace ands so much warmth to an already comfortable and romantic stay.
From October 16 to April 30 (Sun-Thu) the Gazebo Room in which we stayed can be booked for $189* CDN a night (breakfast and everything I mentioned is included for all guests). They do have packages, last-minute specials and great rates on the other rooms starting at $145. *Check the online reservation system for the most accurate pricing information.
