In recent years something has sprouted up alongside condo towers and the new library in my hometown: Surrey pride. Proof of that lies in the creation of blogs and websites that have the sole purpose of showcasing and featuring our province’s second largest city.
Scott Graham started up Surrey is the Bomb last summer and has been a champion of the city on social media ever since. He has provided a guest post today, shining a spotlight on one of his favourite local businesses:
Warehouse stores and positive community impact aren’t two things that usually go together but Price Pro is so much more than a warehouse store. Price Pro is an integral part of the Welcome Home Addiction Recovery Academy and their main purpose is to provide young men and women with the opportunity to free themselves from addiction while learning real world job skills.
Price Pro is 100% non profit and all of it’s proceeds go towards the Welcome Home program. The benefit to the community, other than the addiction recovery program, is a store that offers very high quality products at prices that are the same if not less than other major retailers. Their meats are free range, hormone free and local whenever possible, their procuce is local and organic when in season. They sell quality furniture which is also locally made whenever possible and everything else you’d expect at any other warehouse store.
![Price Pro Surrey](http://surreyisthebomb.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/dsc_0617.jpg)
As a food blogger I can tell you that the butcher shop is one of the best in town, their house made sausages are amazing. As someone who grew up in Newton, I can tell you that Price Pro is exactly what the neighbourhood needs. I love Surrey and it pains me to see parts of it in turmoil. When I was young I would ride my bike all over Newton, I would go to Newton Rocky Cycle to buy parts for my BMX, I would go to Bev’s Stationary to buy hockey cards and I would go to the Newton Wave Pool because all of my friends from other cities were jealous that we had a wave pool!
![Price Pro Surrey](http://surreyisthebomb.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/dsc_0618.jpg)
Time moves forward faster every year, my daughter is two now and it seems like she was born yesterday. It feels like those days of riding my bike all over Newton were a few weeks ago. I chose to stay in Surrey after high school. I love this city, every square inch of it is a part of me and places like Price Pro validate my passionate and sometimes irrational feelings about Surrey. If you’re in the area or even if you’re not make a trip out to Price Pro (at 6911 King George Blvd), do some shopping and help people in need who are trying so hard to change for the better. It actually feels good to shop there.
Follow Welcome Home Society on Twitter and Facebook for more information and updates. Scott Graham’s updates can be found on Twitter @SurreyistheBomb or @WhatsForLunchBC.
Mother’s Day is May 13th this year as cards, flowers, and fancy perfumes fly off store shelves with the help of gift-giving children.
It’s as good a time as any to show mom that you care and if you’re looking for an event or brunch around town, there are some great resources available to help you plan something special.
- Tourism Vancouver’s helpful blog offers up two great resources: Top Spots for Mother’s Day Brunch and where to find Mother’s Day tea.
- The main Tourism Vancouver site also features options for relaxing: 8 Spa Treatments to Make You Melt.
- If you’re looking for a wide variety of brunch options, Erin Ireland has bee curating a list of the city’s best brunch spots: Best Brunch in Vancouver.
- The online reservation system Open Table has a list of restaurants accepting reservations: Mother’s Day Brunch.
- Back to tea, the Westender (now WE Vancouver) also has a list of their top picks for afternoon tea: Mother’s Day Afternoon Teas in Vancouver.
You could check out a DOXA Festival film, the EPIC Expo, or another local event.
There’s also a bevy of free options like talking a seaside walk around Stanley Park, smelling the flowers at Queen Elizabeth Park, checking out the catch of the day at Granville Island Market, or shopping along Robson, West 4th, or South Granville (warning: you may need to open your wallet for this last option as spring/summer fashions are now in stock).
The supermoon appeared over Vancouver last night, rising up and glowing brightly as it closely orbited the earth. Photographers who camped out with their tripods captured this effect and have graciously shared the results with the Miss604 Flickr Pool. Enjoy!
I’ll have a regular “From the Miss604 Flickr Pool” roundup early this week but for now — and as always — please click through on these images to view more work from the photographers and feel free to share your own photos with the Miss604 Flickr Pool.
As declared by the Legislature of British Columbia, BC Mining Week returns May 13th to 19th with events and community celebrations throughout the province. From Kamloops and Princeton to Prince George and Terrace here are just a few of the highlights:
Mining Day in Kamloops
When: Saturday, May 12, 2012 from 11:00am to 4:00pm
Where: Big Little Science Centre, 985 Holt Street, Kamloops
What: Come try New Gold’s heavy equipment simulator, have a close up look at some heavy equipment, bring in your rocks to be identified, try the hands-on activities, visit the displays, and learn about rocks and fossils from around Kamloops. The Valleyview Lions Club will be on site cooking hamburgers and hotdogs for sale.
More information
BC Mining Week Community Fair
When: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 10:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Creekside Community Centre, Vancouver
What: The Community Fair provides an opportunity to inform the general public and school students about mineral exploration and mining and the relevance of mining. The event features both indoor and outdoor exhibits showcasing a variety of mining activities and interactive displays.
More information
Women in Mining Gala Reception
When: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Pan Pacific Hotel, Ocean View Suite, Vancouver
More information
Teck’s Annual Celebrity Pie Throw
When: Thursday, May 17, 2012 from 11:30am to 1:30pm
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery, front lawn
What: The Teck Celebrity Pie throw is part of the Mining for Miracles campaign in support of BC Children’s Hospital, BC’s mining industry Charity of Choice for 24 years .
More information
Hedley Stamp Mill & BC Mining Day
When: Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 11:00am
Where: Hedley Heritage Museum
What: Hedley Museum invites you to come and enjoy events at the Museum organized in celebration of Hedley Stamp Mill Days and BC Mining Day.
More information
Prince George Mining Day
When: Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 12:00pm
Where: Railway and Forest Museum, 850 River Road, Prince George
What: Have a rock you’d like identified? Have a question about geology? Come and visit our geologists at the Railway and Forestry Museum.
More information
Visit the I (Heart) Mining website for more details and to enter their iPad2 giveaway series.
Last year I helped promote BC Mining Week 2011 with a very successful giveaway of my own and organizers would like to once again award a brand new iPad to a Miss604.com reader. It’s a WIFI + 4G iPad3 in white, 16GB. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
For more information you can find the Mining Association of BC on Facebook and Twitter, and follow the tag #miningweek. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm next Friday, May 11, 2012 as Mining Week in BC begins.
Fine Print: This contest is open to residents of BC only. The prize has been furnished by the Mining Association of BC and is no way connected to Apple Computers. Mining Association of BC employees and their relatives are not eligible to win.
Update The winner is Danika!
Nominees for this year’s Leo Awards have just been announced, celebrating the best of the British Columbia film and television industry.
![Leo Awards Red Carpet](http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5194/5825265125_8963fed134_z.jpg)
Some of the standout nominees in the film category include Carl Bassai’s Sisters&Brothers with 12 nominations, Hamlet with 8, Marilyn with 8, Sunflower Hour has 7, and Donovan’s Echo has 6 nominations. Everything and Everyone, which I sponsored at VIFF 2011 also has 2 nominations for best Lead Male and Lead Female performances.
In television, Sanctuary leads the pack with a whopping 18 nominations. CBC’s new hit series Arctic Air has 9 nominations, Blackstone has 6, Smallville is still being celebrated with 4, and big names south of the border like Once Upon a Time, Heartland, Flashpoint, End Game, Fringe, Being Erica, and Alcatraz all have nods in various categories as well.
I Am Bruce Lee leads the documentaries with 7 nominations, while Vancouver’s Said the Whale also received a nomination for their short, Winning America. Music videos, student productions, web series and animated series are also up for awards.
The Leo Awards will be handed out over the course of two evenings. The Celebration Awards Ceremony will be Friday May 25th and the Gala Awards Ceremony will be Saturday, May 26th – both at the Fairmont Vancouver. Tickets will be go on sale later this month.