Growing up I always had good eyesight although in the last decade or so, my vision has come down a notch when it comes to reading highway signs and things that are further away from my face than a computer screen. It’s times like these that you realize that eye health is a very important part of overall health.
The theme of National Eye Health Month this year is children’s vision:
- More than 80 per cent of a child’s learning is based on vision.
- Identifying eye health issues at this age is critical, as they can begin to affect children’s academic and social development.
- One in five children has a vision disorder. Not knowing any differently, many of these children accept poor vision and other eye problems as normal.
- Not all children’s eye conditions have obvious symptoms. The best way to protect your child’s eye health is with regular eye exams.
- BC Doctors of Optometry recommend children have their first eye exam at six months of age, again at age three, again before entering school and annually thereafter.
Should you have any questions before your next visit to the optometrist, there’s a new online resource that you can turn to. The BC Doctors of Optometry have setup a Facebook page to assist the general public with basic eye health questions.
It was launched in 2011 and this August they began a sweepstakes campaign, doing giveaways until the end of the year through the online forum on Facebook. The page is managed by 22 on-call BC Doctors of Optometry who provide answers typically within 24 hours of posting.
While the online tool is useful, it doesn’t replace an actual visit to the optometrist. Find a doctor online, anywhere in BC, for comprehensive eye exams, vision correction, eyewear (fittings and dispensing) and disease detection.
I have partnered with BC Doctors of Optometry to offer up a $350 prize voucher, good for products and services that they offer including eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment here (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm Thursday, October 18, 2012.
The prize can only be claimed with a BC Doctor of Optometry who is a member of the BC Association of Optometrists. The winner must be a legal resident of BC. The winner must be the age of majority in BC (19).
Update The winner is Sandra!
Bellingham is home to American history, Pacific Northwest pioneer stories, and shops with deals that Vancouverites cannot avoid. If you’re up for more than a slingshot trip across the border, consider spending some time in this historic town and learning about its sordid history from the entertaining and lively Good Time Girls and their variety of tours that focus on the area’s gritty past.
Sin & Gin (Summer)
Created (and led by) Marissa McGrath and Sara Holodnick in 2011, the walking tour winds through the back alleys of Bellingham unveiling its seedy saloon-era past. The costumed interpreters play the part as they tell tales of cunning Madames in the old Red Light District. History lessons are intertwined with seedy stories and entertainment from the guides who keep up the theme for entire tour. This tour is offered for $20 in the summer (for those 21+ as it does include a tavern drink at the end) but there is a seasonal fall tour available now with another fitting theme.
Gore & Lore (October)
This one hour walking tour operated by the Good Time Girls runs throughout the month of October in Downtown Bellingham and in Fairhaven.
“Join us for a creepy look into Bellingham’s scariest stories and real life horrors. Along the way we’ll set a while with a few ghosts and ghouls and reveal spine-tingling truths about some of Bellingham’s oldest tales of unsettling hauntings and strange happenings. This tour is not for the gentleman faint of heart, the lady of delicate constitution.”
The Gore & Lore tours are for ages 13+ and are offered Saturday nights in October for $15 ($12 for students with ID) and starts out from the Black Drop Coffeehouse (with a drink included). A 21+ tour is also available on Saturday nights in October for $20 and it ends at Bayou’s Oyster Bar with a stiff drink to liven you up after the terrifying tales told on your walk. Tarot readings are available, by donation, at both locations prior to the tours.
Over in Fairhaven, you can also take a Gore & Lore tour starting out from the indoor courtyard of the Sycamore Square Building. This tour is also 21+ and it takes place on Friday nights in October. Tickets are $20 and they include a drink at the Black Cat afterward.
Downtown Vancouver to Downtown Bellingham is about 80kms and takes about 1 hour in travel time, depending on traffic and the border waits. It’s fascinating to learn about a place that’s so close to us but has its own history and unique identity. Find out more about the Good Time Girls and their seasonal tours by following them on Facebook and Twitter.
It spent much more time as the provincial courthouse building but we know it today as the Vancouver Art Gallery (since 1983). 101 years ago tomorrow (October 10, 1911) the building first opened up as the courthouse. Perched between Hornby, Georgia, Howe, and Robson it’s a cultural melting pot both inside and outside of its walls.
1915-1925, Courthouse and old Hotel Vancouver. Archives # CVA 1376-131.
(Left) 1933 – VPL Number: 5877D. (Right) VPL Number: 5877F. Photographer: Leonard Frank
From rallies and protests to live entertainment, galas, pillow fights, zombie walks, and gatherings, the old courthouse/art gallery building is today’s Vancouver Icon:
The newspapers of October 10, 1911 were full of praise for the handsome new building, “the finest of its kind in Canada.” (It had replaced a much smaller structure that sat at the rear of what is now Victory Square.) The architect was Francis Rattenbury, whose other well-known B.C. works include the legislative buildings and the Empress Hotel in Victoria. [Vancouver History]
Other Vancouver Icons posts include: Dominion Building, Science World, Gastown Steam Clock, SFU Burnaby, Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.
It’s Homelessness Action Week in Vancouver and the Union Gospel Mission is inviting everyone to explore their neighbourhood in the Downtown Eastside to learn more about the community, its history, and the people who live there.
The Eastside Stride walking tour series is led by a community member who will take you from the UGM (at 601 East Hastings) to Oppenheimer Park, Gastown, Chinatown, Strathcona and the Hastings Corridor. The two-hour tour is free of charge but provides employment to community members. It’s safe, respectful, and a unique way to learn about this important part of Vancouver.
Tours are offered every day from Tuesday, October 9, 2012 to Saturday, October 13, 2012 at various times between 10:00am and 4:30pm. You can sign up online for a guided tour or check out the online audio tour to do a self-guided version.
From historically significant buildings (like the Carnegie Centre) to significant neighbourhoods that shaped Vancouver, participants on this free tour will have a chance to experience this pocket of Vancouver thanks to those who live in the heart of it.
The 8th annual Taste of Yaletown is coming up this month as restaurants serve up delicious deals and savoury specials celebrating this downtown neighbourhood.
From October 17th to 27th, 2012 you can visit some of Yaletown’s best eateries and dining establishments to enjoy set price 3-course dinners for $25, $35, and $45. A portion of profits from each participating restaurant will be donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.
As a media sponsor again this year, I have a pair of tickets available for two exciting signature Taste of Yaletown events:
CIBC Presents Taste of Yaletown: Premiere
The premiere will be held October 17th at Mini Yaletown. Attendees will sample menu items and drinks from participating restaurants such as Glowbal Grill Steaks & Satay, George Ultra Lounge, New Oxford, Hamilton Street Grill, Society, Yaletown L’Antipasto, Cache Lounge & Bistro, Killjoy and Minami. Tickets on sale now for $59.
Shake Up Yaletown
Sip and savour award-winning cocktail creations from Yaletown’s best bartenders on October 25th at Minami Restaurant. Guests will sample competing cocktails and feature menu items. Tickets on sale now for $30.
Here’s how you can enter to win tickets to one of these Taste of Yaletown events:
- Leave a comment naming which of these 2 events you would like to attend (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw two winners, one for each event, on Friday, October 12, 2012 at 12:00pm. Must be 19+ to enter and attend these events. Book your reservations now for the Taste of Yaletown and follow along on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Update The winners are Karen & Rosalie B!
