Tomorrow will mark 100 years since Canada’s Governor General, the Duke of Connaught, visited Vancouver with the Duchess to officiate the naming ceremony of the Connaught Bridge.
(Left) 1923 – Archives# CVA 371-283. (Right) 1940 – VPL Accession Number: 7978.
The Connaught Bridge replaced a bridge in the same location that was built in 1891. The name Connaught didn’t catch on and it became commonly known as the Cambie Bridge. It was once again replaced in 1985 by the structure we use today.
September 18, 1912. Archives #Arch N6.02
September 18, 1912. Archives #Duke of Conn P7
During their royal visit, the Duke also officially opened the provincial courthouse (now the Vancouver Art Gallery Building) and the first Lumbermen’s Arch was erected above Hamilton and Pender. After the visit, the arch was disassembled and moved to Stanley Park. The arch is still in place today but was re-modeled in 1952 to the simple version we see today.
Information from this post was researched thanks to Chuck Davis’ Vancouver History.
Vancouver is a dog-friendly town but we must not forget about the cats out there that patrol our neighbourhoods, keep our laps warm, and pose for incredibly adorable photos that we can’t help but post online and share with the world. This weekend VOKRA (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association) is hosting their 3rd Annual Walk for the Kitties.
“The Walk for the Kitties is our largest fundraiser of the year and it is crucial for us to raise the funds we need to keep the organization going,” says Alexis Baran who does communications and public relations as a volunteer with VOKRA.
VOKRA provides public education about cat care, a trap/neuter/return program, a feral cat program, re-homing program, and a pre-natal/natal/orphan program. Since its founding 12 years ago, the organization has gone from assisting 150 kittens and adult cats per year to over 800 in 2008 and over 1,420 in 2009. The Walk for the Kitties came about in 2010.
“We love to get the community involved and it is really inspiring to have a day when so many of us come together and are able to meet and share stories, and see how many lives we all impact.. And I don’t only mean the cats.”
Baran says that their members and volunteers have rescued animals of all kinds including the infamous skunk downtown who had a bubble tea lid stuck around its neck. “Maria Soroski (Co-Founder) is an expert cat trapper, and has trained other volunteers in the art of rescue. Rescuing Bubbles the skunk in the West End came from that expertise, and our volunteers are often happy to extend their cat rescue knowledge to help other animals in need whenever they can.”
Karen Duncan (Co-Founder) rescues cats and kittens and cares for them night and day, which includes bottle-feeding motherless kittens who would not otherwise survive. She has also rescued a giant mastiff and has assisted in the rescue of other large dogs.
“Because we are animal lovers, we don’t give up on cats who are deemed “unadoptable.” We work with them and provide what they need to thrive, be that attention from some of our amazing fosters who are able to get “feral” cats to trust people again or be it extra special medical attention. We think these animals deserve a chance and do everything within our power to provide that.”
You can join VOKRA on September 23rd for the 5km walk at Jericho Beach. Registration is still open and it should be a great day to get out for a walk and support a good local volunteer-run organization. Follow VOKRA on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
My sister and I drove the four hours along the Crowsnest Highway on Friday night to attend this weekend’s O! Osoyoos Celebrates, an inaugural food and wine festival in the South Okanagan. On Saturday, we joined up with a small group of media to experience a winery tour, visiting vineyards in Osoyoos and neighbouring Oliver, where 55% of BC’s grapes are grown.
Greg Byron from Great Horned Owl Eco-Tours picked us up in his van and was our guide for the day. As we rolled by roadside orchards and fruit stands, he told us a variety of information about the region — from the importance of desert species like the Antelope Brush to the history of the highway. At each stop we hopped out to do tastings and upon our return, boxes of purchases in hand, Greg organized them for us in the back of the van. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
It will be a weekend of books, magazines, story-telling, and “literary mayhem” when the 18th annual Word on the Street Festival comes to the Vancouver later this month.
The three-day festival starts on Friday, September 28, 2012 at Banyan Books & Sound and at Historic Joy Kogawa House. On Saturday there are events at the Central Branch (Library Square) and the Carnegie Branch (on Main and Hastings). Sunday, September 30, 2012 will take the festivities to the streets around the Central Branch downtown (click here for Sunday’s site map).
Exhibitors, tents and booths will be setup around the Library Square Marketplace for the weekend as well as along Homer Street, Hamilton Street and inside the Library. There’s also event space downstairs for The Word Under the Street. There will be activities and entertainment for every age group and level of reader. Check out the Family Literacy Tent and Kids Tent for the young ones, meet writers at the Authors Tent, and enjoy Visual Exhibits.
Follow the Word on the Street Festival on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and their blog.
I attended my first Interesting Vancouver conference in 2008 at the Vancouver Rowing Club and through a line-up of diverse, knowledgeable, and creative speakers, I walked away feeling inspired and motivated. What did they each talk about? Something completely different. Interesting Vancouver invites speakers to share some time on stage to talk about anything. Really, anything.
Confirmed speakers for September 2012:
Toby Barazzuol – lessons learned from the Downtown Eastside
Lloyd Bernhardt – adoption and capitalism
Aamer Haleem – reflections on a career in television
Ron Shewchuk – BBQ and how it can benefit the workplace
Roy White – an unexpected opportunity at an unlikely time
Tori Holmes – rowing across the Atlantic
Corinne Lea – bureaucracy and the limits it imposes on culture
Boris Mann – sailing the South Pacific in a tall ship
The evening’s aim is to impart new knowledge, things you’ve never known, or thought about. Open up parallel thinking ports. Activate parts of your brain that for even the brainiest person may have been neglected or unexplored. There will be a degree of spontaneity, unexpected moments, and learnings. It is a splendid collage of interesting ideas and passionate people.
The audience is as interesting as the speakers. It will be a mix of artists, photographers, lawyers, librarians, social marketers, micro finance specialists, university professors, accountants, visual effects artists, journalists, marketing strategists, and more. The people sitting around you will be just as interesting as those on stage.
At the event in 2008 I walked away with stories of comic books, museums, social spaces, media, and Pikachu floating around in my head. All in all, it was a very interesting evening.
The next Interesting Vancouver will take place Friday, September 28, 2012 from 6:00pm to 10:30pm at the Museum of Vancouver. Tickets are currently on sale for $25 or $21 if you’re a Museum of Vancouver member.
The event is already about 80% sold but I have a pair of tickets to give away, here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment stating what you think is the most interesting thing about Metro Vancouver (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 10:00am.
Update The winner is Steve!
