Live at Squamish will be hopping in just a few weeks as local and international artists rock out in one of the most picturesque venues around.
From Friday August 24th to Sunday August 26th you can catch acts like The Matinee, Lights, The Sheepdogs, Mother Mother, Plants and Animals, The Airborne Toxic Event, Chromeo, City and Colour, and The Tragically Hip. You can still find a few tickets available from $89 (plus fees).
If you’re not camping or glamping, there is a shuttle service setup between Vancouver and Squamish this year, available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There are several pick-up locations downtown in the afternoons with a return shuttle leaving Squamish at midnight each night. Passes are available now, in advance.
Giveaway
Virgin Mobile is inviting a Miss604 reader and their guest to experience Live at Squamish in style. They have offered up access to the Virgin Mobile VIP Member Lounge for all three days of the festival and a brand new HTC One S™ smartphone to keep!
The HTC One S comes complete with Android™ 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 8MP camera, and built-in Universal Beats Audio. The Virgin Mobile VIP area at Live at Squamish has a great view of the main stage, its own food vendors, and its own washroom facilities. This is just a taste of the perks Virgin Mobile members can enjoy.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post naming what you use (or would use) your smartphone for the most (voice, text, social networking, photos, etc.) – (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Virgin Mobile Canada everywhere on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. I am also the official Virgin Mobile blogger of Live at Squamish so I’ll be sharing my own content using the tag #VMSquamish throughout the weekend.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at 2:00pm. Update The winner is @eshizzi from Twitter!
Before you gasp in disbelief as City crews patch potholes on Water Street with asphalt, covering and replacing what look like historic cobblestone bricks, you should know that they are actually a product of an early disco era.
The concrete pavers were put in place 40 years ago in an effort to preserve Gastown’s history, avoiding a deeper slide into disrepair.
From Gastown.org: “With talk of demolishing the area becoming more widespread, a group of dedicated citizens took it upon themselves to save Gastown’s distinctive architecture and character. The city rallied around them. Gastown was not just saved, it was reborn.”
Maple Tree Square, where Gassy Jack first arrived from New Westminster by canoe, was built up in 1972 and the brick-like blocks were installed on formed plazas and roadways.
1968 Before reconstruction at Maple Tree Square (Powell, Water, Carroll, Alexander):
Archives item# CVA 780-689.
1968 Mockups for Maple Tree Square
Archives item# CVA 780-698 & CVA 780-705.
1972 Maple Tree Square Construction:
Archives item# CVA 780-578
Archives item# CVA 780-581 & CVA 780-587
Archives item# CVA 780-602. Photos Courtesy of the Vancouver Archives.
There was a push to have Gastown declared a historic site in 1971 but it wasn’t actually officially designated as a National Historic Site until 2009.
City Engineer Peter Judd told Metro News that the roadways won’t be all asphalt. The City of Vancouver plans to repair the road while maintaining the old-timey feel that locals and tourist have come to enjoy.
The Vancouver Pride Parade is set to welcome over half a million people downtown this Sunday, starting at 12:00pm. One of the biggest events of the year in BC, the Pride Parade and Pride Week draw revellers from around the globe to this inclusive festival.
What Vancouver Pride Parade
When Sunday, August 5, 2012 starting at 12:00pm
Where The staging area is on Robson between Burrard and Thurlow then the parade route will start at Robson and Bute. It will turn off Robson and onto Denman and curve along Beach Avenue. The parade is followed by a festival at Sunset Beach.
The Grand Marshalls will be Jenna Talackova (Miss Universe Canada’s first transgendered contestant), Bill Monroe (drag performer and local activist) and a posthumous honor goes to David Holtzman for his work with A Loving Spoonful and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.
The parade is always a smashing good time with music, dance, beautiful costumes, bright colours, and a jovial spirit celebrating peace, love, and family. It’s heartwarming, it’s energetic, and you will have a smile on your face as each float passes by. Get to your spot early as crowds can be 10-20 people deep in some places.
Check out the complete Pride Guide and follow @VancouverPride on Twitter for details about events this week and the parade on Sunday, August 5, 2012.
Update August 5, 2012: Here are some photos and tweets from the Pride Parade so far.
We’re fortunate to have extensive coverage of the London 2012 Olympics here in Canada as the official media partners feed our insatiable appetite for athletic news and highlights. According to a Bell Media release issued this morning, the Olympic audience here has grown 74% over Beijing and the CTV websites (English and French) and apps received nearly 6 million visits by the end of Day 3, 11% higher than Vancouver 2010.
Despite all of this, the coverage I’m missing is from the ground, outside of the venue walls — the type of stories my friends were sharing during our Games. Where are the best pavilions? What are the free attractions? What is the general sentiment in and around the city? For a quick glimpse at London through the eyes of a non-accredited media outlet, I asked Jay Minter of Vancouver – who has been in England for the last 10 days – if he would put together a guest post with a few thoughts:
GoBeeGee!
By Jay Minter, for Miss604.com
Since the start of London 2012 Olympics, just a few days ago, a change has come over the City. After years of the angst and political wrangling of planning an Olympics during the worst economic downturn in modern history it’s understandable that the populace had grown indifferent and weary of the Olympics.
However, after the brilliantly British Opening Ceremony many Londoners have had a change of heart. More than a few times I have heard people saying “I’m totally onboard now” or “I’m proud to be a Londoner / British”. Suddenly, the Games have gained new appeal and people are coming out in droves to take in whatever they can of the Games.
Whether it’s on TV, in the nearly sold out BT London Live sites in parks around the Capital or by luckily getting their hands on some of the newly released event tickets there is a new desire to be a part of the ‘event of the summer’.
The predicted traffic and travel woes have not materialized so people are getting around the city with relative ease as people stay out of Central London glued to the Games. The streets, homes and offices are dressed with flags, banners and bunting.
Usual British decorum and cynicism is fading away and being replaced with national bravado. For a population normally used to only cheering on their home country; England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, cheering on the nation is unusual but these home Games have made cheering on Great Britain and wearing the Union Flag more than alright. Cheers of “Go GeeBee Go” are echoing across the country from venue to venue in a friendly show of support for their athletes and perhaps themselves.
Follow Jay Minter on Twitter and Instagram for more photos and updates.
BC Travel Tuesday has returned this summer as I partner up once again with Backyard BC to highlight properties and destinations around the province. We have six weeks of contests which means six difference getaway packages for BC hotels are up for grabs.
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 first giveaway of the 2012 BC Travel Tuesday campaign is Mark! 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 week campaign.
Today the second getaway of the series is for one of the brightest destinations in the province, getting an average of 2,047 hours of sunshine a year:
Photo courtesy of the Beach Club Resort
Beach Club Resort
Website, Twitter, Facebook, Backyard BC listing
Location: 181 Beachside Dr Parksville, BC (30 minutes North of Nanaimo)
About: Rated 4 stars by Canadian Star Quality Accommodations, guest rooms offer private balconies, spectacular ocean and mountain views, thoughtful amenities, and feature beautifully appointed West Coast décor. The hotel’s amenities include: seaside pool and hot tub, fitness centre, Stonewater Spa, and Pacific Prime Steak & Chop Restaurant with its famous beachfront patio just off the Parksville Beach Boardwalk.
Prize: 2 nights in a ocean-view 1-bedroom with breakfast
Value: $650
Parksville is one of my favourite Vancouver Island destinations with its sandy beaches and proximity to places like Milner Gardens, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, and the quintessential summer activity — mini golf.
To enter to win the weekly contest:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Weekly winners will be announced every Tuesday on the latest BC Travel Tuesday contest post until the six weeks are up. 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.
This week’s contest is now closed
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.
