It’s time for students of all ages to return to school to begin another year of academic growth. I always enjoyed back to school shopping even though it meant we were that much closer to returning to class. Highlighters, binders, duo-tangs, pencil crayons, Trapper Keepers and geometry kits (always a new geometry kit even though kits from previous years were barely used). Fall also means snuggling up with a blanket and a good book while multicoloured leaves float to the ground outside your window.
Chapters Indigo recently released their Fall Gift Guide that includes Notable Books for Fall like Neil Young’s Waging Heavy Peace, and J.K. Rowling’s Casual Vacancy. For business-minded readers they have a Dragons’ Den Collection, and for the home chef there’s a collection of farm-to-table and comfort food reads like A Country Cook’s Kitchen and The Best Soups in the World.
They have also stocked up on lifestyle items, games, home accessories, journals, and everything that compliments a good book in your home. Tea pots, throw pillows, candles, headphones, radios, party supplies and gadgets. These items are available at Chapters Indigo locations throughout Canada (including Robson/Howe, and Broadway/Granville) and online.
To celebrate their new fall items, Chapters Indigo has put together a prize pack for a lucky Miss604 reader. This includes: Play Video Memo Pad, Water-Powered Clock, Magic Bonasi Tree, Apples to Apples Junior, Tea Forte World of Teas, Alphabet Journal, Spot it!
Here’s how you can enter to win this bundle (valued at $150):
- Leave a comment recommending a book that everyone should read (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Chapters Indigo on Twitter and Facebook for deals, specials, and product information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 12:00pm.
Update The winner is Maureen!
The London 2012 Paralympics get underway today and our Team Canada members are ready to represent and make us proud. You can find a list of BC athletes competing in the Paralympics here and a full Team Canada roster is available online.
Television & Web Broadcasts
Paralympic.ca will also have coverage along with the CTV and RDS websites which will have five digital streams offering a total of 580 hours of live coverage.
The opening ceremony of the Paralympics will be streamed live on Paralympic.org at around 12:30pm (PT) on Wednesday, August 29th. RDS2 will carry the opening ceremony live and then replay at 6:00pm (PT) on TSN2 and AMI with described video. CTV will air the opening ceremony on Saturday, September 1st at 1:00pm (ET).
The Broadcast Schedule for all competitions is available online. TSN2, Sportsnet ONE, RDS, RDS2 will have live coverage.
Competition Schedule
The schedule is available online and the Canadian Paralympic Committee has noted in which events Canadians are competing. The first events will be archery, cycling, equestrian, judo, swimming, and wheelchair basketball. Our flag-bearer Garett Hickling and the rest of the rugby team will be in action starting September 5th.
Social Media
The main tag is simply #Paralympics but you can follow @CDNParalympics and #London2012 on Twitter to join the conversation about the games.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is also on Facebook and YouTube, and they’re encouraging the use of #GoCanadaGo on Twitter. They also have a full Twitter list of Team Canada members that you can follow.
The London 2012 Paralympics will wrap up with the closing ceremony on September 9, 2012.
The BC Travel Tuesday series concludes for another season as we’ve given away over $3500 worth of hotel stays and experiences for properties around BC. Thanks to everyone who entered and to my contest partner, Backyard BC.
Featuring a variety of hotels and resorts located throughout the province, Backyard BC provides residents of British Columbia with free access to exclusive discounts on accommodation. If you live and travel in BC, we’ll make sure you pay less than the lowest rates available to anyone else. Travel local. Save big. Visit Backyard BC online, on Twitter, or Facebook and see more of BC!
The winner of the fifth giveaway of the 2012 BC Travel Tuesday campaign is Elizabeth Sales! The final giveaway of the series takes us back over to Victoria, to the hotel I’ve probably stayed in the most.
Photo courtesy of Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe on
FacebookDelta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
Website, Twitter, Facebook, Backyard BC listing
Location: 45 Songhees Road, Victoria
About: “Situated on Victoria breathtaking Inner Harbour, the newly renovated Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa is just steps from downtown shopping, restaurants and attractions. This beautiful hotel offers a modern waterfront setting for unsurpassed guest service, exceptional dining, and full resort amenities, including an award-winning Spa, complimentary health club, indoor swimming pool and tennis/racquet courts. Take pleasure in our fully renovated guestrooms where each element has been chosen to reflect comfort, convenience and thoughtfulness for our guests. Pets are welcome!”
Prize: Two nights in a ModeRoom & $100 for dinner (not including alcohol)
Value: $625
Every year my sister, mother, and niece do a girls weekend in Victoria and over the last 10 years we’ve spent 8 of them at the Delta Ocean Pointe. We can walk right over to downtown or hop a water taxi to get to the Inner Harbour or Fisherman’s Wharf. Its location, friendly staff, and amenities keep us coming back.
Here’s how you can enter to win the last BC Travel Tuesday hotel getaway of the season:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
The final week’s winner will be announced on September 4th, on this post. Gift certificates for hotel and resort stays will be sent directly to each weekly winner so they can arrange their visit personally with the property. Some restrictions apply, based on availability.
Grand Prize
If you haven’t already, you can still enter to win the grand prize which includes stays at every property we’re showcasing over the full six weeks.
Update The winner is Andrew!
View all posts in the series by following or subscribing to my BCTravelTuesday tag. Open to residents of BC. Backyard BC’s grand prize draw for stays at all 6 properties will take place September 4, 2012.
Summer isn’t over yet as free, music-filed events still take to the streets in downtown Vancouver. On Sunday, September 2nd you’ll be able to enjoy the Victory Square Block Party presented by Megaphone Magazine and Music Waste.
Soak up entertainment from local bands (The Ballantynes, Indian Wars, Mode Moderne, Manik 1derful, Too High Crew, Weed, and Love Cuts), DJs, an aboriginal drumming group, and more. Actor and comedian Ryan Beil will be the master of ceremonies and all proceeds from sponsors and a raffle will support Megaphone Magazine, which is sold on the streets by homeless and low-income vendors.
The Victory Square Block Party is more than a one-day music festival, it’s a celebration of the neighbourhood and community causes like Megaphone.
Stop by anytime between 2:00pm and 9:00pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012 for all of the free festivities. Victory Square is located between Pender and Hastings, Cambie and Hamilton, and is accessible by bus or SkyTrain (walk down from Waterfront or Stadium).
Follow @MegaphoneMag and @MusicWaste on Twitter for more information and event listings and use the tag #VSBP2012 when posting your tweets about the event.
A boy and girl playing with a chained bear in their front yard in Kitsilano, a horse-drawn taxi rolling down Cordova Street, the Hotel Vancouver on the corner of Granville and Georgia. These are all images that I have featured during my weekly history photo series and have mostly been sourced from the City of Vancouver Archives or the Vancouver Public Library’s collection.
Last year a reader, Christine, wrote to tell me about the CBC Archives: “The gallery features selections from the CBC Vancouver Still Photograph collection. A collection of historic photographs documenting early TV production, radio production and the city of Vancouver. The images date from 1954 to the late 1970s.”
I couldn’t resist taking a look and sharing a few shots:
View of Downtown Vancouver. [ca. 1955]. From Little Mountain, Queen Elizabeth Park. (CBC/Alvin Armstrong)
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