TransLink is celebrating 75 years of trolley bus service in Vancouver with new Mini-Trolley Compass Keychains and free vintage bus tours on August 16th. Since their first appearance in 1948, trolley buses have been providing vital zero-emission transit services to Vancouverites.
Vancouver Trolley Buses – TransLink Photo
TransLink Celebrates 75 Years of Trolley Bus Service
Now, over 100,000 zero-emission transit trips are taken on trolley buses every weekday. By running trolley buses instead of conventional diesel buses, over 18,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are saved every year, leading to less pollution and cleaner air.
2008 – Photo by John Bollwitt
To celebrate this milestone, TransLink is releasing a new limited-edition Mini-Trolley Compass keychain, and free tours riding one of Vancouver’s first trolley buses.
Mini-Trolley Compass Keychains
The new Compass product will be available August 16th, starting at 8:00am, at TransLink’s Customer Service Centre. There will be 4,000 Adult Mini-Trolley keychains, and 1,000 Concession Mini-Trolley keychains available. Each works to tap at fare gates and on buses, just like a Compass Card. Customers will be limited to purchasing two Mini-Trolley keychains. Each bus can be loaded with your favorite Compass pass or stored value and the headlights light up when tapped on a reader. Each Compass Product can be paid for with a $6 refundable deposit.
Trolley Bus Tours
Free rides on a historic brill trolley bus are available outside of Waterfront Station between 9:00am and 4:00pm on August 16th. Those interested should meet on the south side of Cordova Street, across from the entrance to Waterfront Station (601 W Cordova St. Vancouver). Tours will commence approximately every 20 minutes. Availability is limited and on a first come first served basis.
1948 BC Electric Trolley Bus – Vancouver Archives # CVA 586-10665
Trolley Bus History in Vancouver
Vancouver is the only city in Canada with trolley bus service! With 262 buses, TransLink has the second largest trolley bus fleet in Canada and the US.
Vancouver’s first trolley bus went into service on August 16, 1948. It was operated by BC Electric Railway Company. The first trolley bus was a Canadian Brill T-44, which was built in Thunder Bay Ontario at the Canadian Car and Foundry bus manufacturing plant. These vehicles had a 140-horsepower motor and drew 550 volts of power from overhead wires.
The first trolley bus route was called the Fraser-Cambie. It started service at Queen Elizabeth Park, went over the Cambie Street Bridge, through Chinatown, and down to Marine Drive and Fraser Avenue. The last brill trolley bus was retired in August of 1976 after 28 years serving Vancouver streets. A total of 364 Brill Trolleys were in service over that period.
The Circles Festival happening August 26th at Sunset Beach features a talented selection of Indigenous performers, an Indigenous marketplace, traditional foods, youth workshop, children’s play area and so much more!
Circles Festival Indigenous Art & Music Festival
When: Saturday, August 26, 2023 1:00pm to 10:00pm
Where: Sunset Beach Park (1204 Beach Ave, Vancouver)
Presented by Decolonial Clothing and ALIVE Society (Aboriginal Life in Vancouver Enhancement Society), the groundbreaking event made history with 4,000 attendees in its first year, and Circles Festival is now the largest Indigenous music and arts festival across Turtle Island.
“Often, Indigenous people don’t have safe spaces for our creative expression. We are building those safe spaces, we are grassroots, and doing the groundwork needed to bring healing to our community,” says award-winning hip-hop artist, activist and entrepreneur, Dakota Bear. “Music is a vehicle to drive our messages and amplify our voices, music is a universal language that brings people together. We will continue to build off the strength of our ancestors, and bring our truths to light and use our platforms to fight for justice.”
Performance and Presenter Lineup
Opening ceremony by Audrey Siegl, hosted by Casey Desjarlais.
Performances by Boslen, Drezus, Dakota Bear, Fawn Wood, Notorious Cree, Hayley Wallis, North$ide Baby, SouFy, Dem Rosé Boys, DJ Nyla, JAYMAK, Lil Smudgin, YB Nakota, Pisim. Featuring a fashion show by Decolonial Clothing and Native by Nature.
There will be youth workshops with LBHS & Nations Skate Youth, and a showcase with TALON & Dushine of Raycam.
VIP tickets include meet and greets with headlining artists, exclusive festival merch shirt and poster, swag bags, access to the VIP area right by the stage, food and snacks, private washrooms and entrance, and more.
Update: Wildfire Relief Fundraiser
Nations Skate Youth will be selling t-shirts for $40, on-site at the festival. “ALL proceeds are going towards NWT and the local communities we lost due to the on going fires.”
Celebrate the tastes and sounds of South Asian culture with Punjabi Market Live, a huge outdoor street party happening August 27th in the heart of Vancouver’s Punjabi Market. The event showcases the spirit of multiculturalism and diversity with live performances, DJ’s, dance, music, fashion, food, visual art and more.
Punjabi Market Live in Vancouver
When: Sunday, August 27, 2023 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm
Hosted by CBC’s Baneet Braich, Punjabi Market Live will feature Internationally renowned DJ’s spinning the sounds, performances by Canadian Artist and composer Cinnamon Sandhu, multi award winning music producer and artist Pav Dharia and the soulful sounds of rising star Gurtêj aka NY Virtuoso.
A new addition this year is The Vancouver Canucks and Warriors Kids Zone, a place where families can connect. Fin the Canucks mascot will be on hand to take pictures behind the blue, green and white inflatable. There will be arts and crafts, face painting, and Vancouver Warriors lacrosse will have a net set up to practise your shots.
Shops along the corridor will be open and foodies will fill their appetites with traditional dishes from local restaurants. Food trucks will also be on site and there will be free chai and jalebis, a favourite Indian sweet available for all to enjoy.
The Punjabi Market Collective is a group of passionate advocates, artists, students and entrepreneurs who are working towards revitalizing Vancouver’s historic Punjabi Market by beautifying the market, developing and promoting businesses and creating a hub for arts and culture.
The 8th annual Monsoon Festival of the Performing Arts, presented by the South Asian Arts Society, runs August 17- 31, 2023. It has become the place for art and culture enthusiasts, attracting generations of families and friends who gather each year to celebrate South Asian culture through diverse and exciting programming.
The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver (“CHV”). Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV. This month’s post has been written by Jason Bosher.
Covenant House – Food for Thought
Covenant House Rights of Passage – Photo Submitted
Nutrition and Cognition
Your brain is always on and consumes an incredible amount of energy, compared to the rest of your body. We receive energy from the foods that we eat. What you eat can affect how you think. “Dietary factors can affect multiple brain processes by regulating neurotransmitter pathways, synaptic transmission, membrane fluidity and signal-transduction pathways.”
Foods like salmon, kiwi, and citrus fruits enhance cognition, whereas foods high in saturated fat and sucrose can reduce cognitive performance. Diets high in refined sugars negatively affect the regulation of insulin, as well as promoting inflammation and oxidative stress. Those diets can also worsen the symptoms of mood disorders, like depression.
Vulnerable Youth and Nutrition
A study conducted on Toronto’s homeless youth population found that youth facing homelessness were nutritionally vulnerable. Being nutritionally vulnerable has significant ramifications including: poor health, which is a barrier to obtaining and maintaining employment; possible impairment of cognitive and physiological functions; and exacerbation of depression and substance use.
Why are homeless youth nutritionally vulnerable? In a word — barriers.
Financial barriers: Nutritious food is prohibitively expensive. Many youth have to use all of their financial resources to stay in an SRO, which results in little or no money for food. Many SROs do not have fridges, or allow any kind of cooking (for fire safety reasons).
Storage barriers: Many youth do not have refrigeration facilities available for milk and other perishables. If youth are living on the street, they have no storage facilities. A lack of fruit, vegetables, dairy, and protein can contribute to food insecurity. Some services only provide food that requires the use of kitchen facilities.
The rising costs of food makes it even harder for vulnerable youth to attain foods that support their nutritional needs. Many youth show up to Covenant House Vancouver malnourished.
These Abbotsford wineries are serving up the best of the season at their vineyards, farms, and tasting rooms. Sip locally-crafted wines and spirits surrounded by green vineyards and floral gardens, the perfect backdrop to a summer wine tasting.
Cannon Estate Winery – Tourism Abbotsford Photo
Abbotsford Wineries to Visit This Summer
Enjoy refreshing whites and fruity reds under blue skies in the Fraser Valley at these local wineries. Hours may vary so be sure to visit their websites for the most up-to-date info:
Cannon Estate Winery 30523 Burgess Ave, Abbotsford New kids on the block, with a lot of depth! The Cannon Estate Winery vineyard was first planted in 2018 and the first harvest was in 2021. Today, approximately 12.4 of the 20 acre property are under vine with 16 varietals planted on 23 different plots. Dedicated to showcasing how exceptional the Fraser Valley is for producing great wines, be sure to sip their signature Wick wines which blend old and new world methods.
