I recently discovered that the City of Vancouver Public Art Program has a blog. Our City Our Art features photos and information about art pieces, installations, and local artists.
The blog was created by two media students from Emily Carr University who were doing an internship with the City in 2010. Diego Rodriquez and Sophie Bégin wrote about their personal investigations of public art works in the city and the blog is kept up today by City of Vancouver Public Art program staff.
Our City Our Art features the latest public art news as well including information about the installation of five new marble and granite structures (weighing from 5,000 to 10,000 pounds) that will be installed at the Queen Elizabeth Plaza today. These pieces by Cameron Kerr are “associated with images and forms that we see around us but don’t necessarily register”.
There are so many forms of public art in Vancouver that fall into the following categories: Olympic, Gift, Civic, Community, Park Board, Private Development, or Purchase.
Public art pieces that have been gifted include the A-Maze-Ing Laughter statues at English Bay (recently bought by Chip Wilson of Lululemon), the LightShed along the Coal Harbour Seawall, and even the Lord Stanley statue in Stanley Park. Public art by private developments includes pieces like the lights on West Pender Place, The Drop at the new convention centre, and the pendulum in the HSBC building.
While content has just picked up again on the blog — there’s a gap between 2010 and 2012, with nothing for 2011 — I’m hoping that Our City Our Art will provide more insights and news stories about public art in Vancouver in the future. I would love to see it grow, either where it is now or hosted through the City’s new website network.
Related links: Artist Opportunities Page, City of Vancouver Cultural Services, City of Vancouver Public Art Registry, Vancouver Cultural Services Mailing List. For even more public art check out Vancouver Biennale.
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 Fair at the PNE will close and the kids will return to school but summer isn’t over just yet. Between more festivals, outdoor activities, film and theatre festivals, there’s plenty on tap for September in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Gastown BBQ & Chilli Festival
Invergarry Bike Park Grand Opening in Surrey
Compassion In Action / Pet Blessing by Kyabgon Phakchok Rinpoche
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Victory Square Block Party
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Monday, September 3, 2012
Labour Day Fall Fair at Burnaby Village Museum
Music in the Park at Cleveland Dam
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Britannia Fresh Air Cinema Volunteer Movie Night in Grandview Park
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Fashion’s Night Out Vancouver
Where’s My Flying Car?! at the Vancouver Fringe Festival (until September 16)
Zanna, Don’t! at the Vancouver Fringe Festival (until September 16)
The FOG Theatre presents Tom Stoppard’s HEROES (until September 30)
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Vancouver International Fringe Festival
Friday, September 7, 2012
Etsy Craft Party Vancouver
Mexi-Go! Travel and Trade Expo
Vancouver Theatresports League: Scared Scriptless, The Comic Strippers
The Bills Album launch for Yes Please
Vancouver Latin American Film Festival
Vancouver International Fringe Festival
Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
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.
