Today, the City of Seattle and King County announced a proposal to build an arena that could bring the NBA back to Seattle and possibly welcome the NHL.
There has been an “Arena Review Panel” formed to review the full proposal. During today’s press conference it was said that “Private investor would bear the project risk” and that there would be no public subsidy. From the Seattle PI:
The plan was spearheaded by Seattle-born investor Chris Hansen, who with his investment group is planning to purchase an NBA franchise and bring it to Seattle. He also is searching for an partner to acquire an NHL team and bring it to Seattle.
Under the plan, which must still go through a newly appointed city and county panel, any teams at the new arena would be bound to stay in Seattle for 30 years. That means there could be no repeat of the Sonics fiasco for at least 30 years.
The proposed arena would take two years to construct and would be located south of the Safeco Field parking garage, where Hansen already owns a three-acre chunk of land. It would be jointly owned by the city of Seattle and King County. Several businesses would need to be relocated and several buildings would need to be demolished.
Rumours are now flying about the Sacramento Kings moving to Seattle’s court and the Phoenix Coyotes heading to their rink. The NBA left Seattle after the 2007-2008 season when the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City. As for hockey, Seattle has the WHL Thunderbirds and Everett Silvertips but there has never been a National Hockey League team between Vancouver and San Jose.
Seattle is actually quite the hockey town. Its name graces Lord Stanley’s Cup several times thanks to the domination of the Seattle Metropolitans, 1917 to 1920. I found a great piece of Seattle hockey history online:
In April of 1974 the NHL announced that Seattle and Denver had been awarded franchises, both scheduled to begin play during the 1976-77 season. This contributed to the folding of the WHL following the 1973-74, and the Totems moved to the Central Hockey League (CHL) to await the launching of their NHL team… …Things went from bad to worse for Seattle in the spring of 1975, as Vince Abbey had trouble coming up with the money required by the NHL for the new franchise. He also tried to strike deals to buy either the San Francisco or the Pittsburgh franchises so that he could move them to Seattle for the 1975-76 season…
…Eventually both the Seattle and Denver deals fell apart, and Denver got a WHA franchise. Abbey opted to sue the NHL for anti-trust violations, and the case dragged on until 1986 when it was finally thrown out by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In the meantime, Northwest Sports counter-sued Abbey for his share of the losses suffered by the Totems, eventually winning a judgment of over $1.3 million. So ended professional hockey in Seattle… with a whimper. Seattle would never again have a professional hockey team, and no hockey at all until the junior league Seattle Breakers came to town in 1977.
I’d love to know what Vancouver hockey fans think of a potential NHL rival in Seattle. Would this be good for the Canucks or bad in terms of splitting the fan base?
The Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival, voted the Best Wine Festival in Vancouver and regarded as the best consumer wine show on the continent, returns February 27th to March 4th, 2012. Over 30,000 bottles of wine from 15 countries will be showcased (and enjoyed) at this annual affair.
International Tasting Room – Photo credit: David Niddrie.
Here are just a few highlights and event categories:
Opening Gala Tuesday, February 28, 2012 at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.
Gold Pass Tasting Lounge March 2nd & 3rd at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.
Winery Dinners February 28th through March 4th at partner restaurants Boneta, Ensemble, Fishworks, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, C Restaurant, and Edible Canada.
Saturday Lunches on March 3rd ranging from the Aussie Barbie at the Vancouver Rowing Club to Passionate Pairings from New Zealand at the Boathouse in Kitsilano, and more.
Wine Seminars February 29th through March 3rd with hosts like Chilean wine pioneer Eduardo Chadwick, the blind tasting challenge, Sherry renaissance, and more.
International Tasting Room March 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. “The big room is home to all 181 participating wineries, who will be pouring 791 different wines. Wineries are organized by country in alphabetical order with Chile in their own section and all are listed in the free Festival Program handed out at the door to help you keep track of the wines you like.”
Many of the events are sold out and selling out very quickly. Tickets are still available for some but you’ll need to act fast. View the full festival brochure online.
I will be speaking at the Social Media Symposium on Wednesday, February 29th and to help promote the festival, I have been offered two tickets to give away to a lucky reader and their guest for the signature International Tasting Room event on Friday, March 2nd. The value of the ticket is $190 and the tasting room will be open from 7:00pm until 10:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post naming your favourite international wine (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 10:00am on Thursday, February 23, 2012. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter, win, and attend this event. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe trip home.
Update The winner is Wendy!
Molson Coors launched their Community Cheer program last fall and saw over a hundred communities across Canada apply to receive special funding for their projects. The field has been narrowed down to 64 finalists and it’s up to the public to “cheer” for the program they support the most. Winners will receive a piece of up to $1-million available in funding from the campaign.
Of the 64 projects still in the running, there are only two in British Columbia:
Osoyoos
Enhance and develop the BMX track as an addition to the existing recreation facilities.
Currently at 43 cheers at the time of posting. Cheer Here.
Vancouver
BC Wheelchair Basketball Society: Providing a first class event to wheelchair basketball participants from across Canada.
Currently at 59 cheers at the time of posting. Cheer Here.
All of the other 62 finalists are East of the Rockies. To support these BC community projects visit OurCommunityCheer.com to make your vote count. “Cheering” ends tomorrow, February 17, 2012 at 2:00pm PT. According to Molson Coors: “The public will determine which projects make it through as finalists – provided they receive 225 cheers or more. A committee formed by Molson Coors will evaluate the successful finalists and the donation recipients will be announced on March 21st.”
The Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (“VOKRA”) is hosting an Oscar viewing party for a cause. This non-profit organization is dedicated to rescuing cats around the Lower Mainland and placing them in foster homes, covering costs and providing support. They’ll be hosting a fundraiser at The Morrissey on Oscar night to benefit their programs.
Date Sunday, February 26, 2012
Time 3:30pm (earlybirds get free appetizers). Red carpet 4:00pm, broadcast 5:00pm
Location The Morrissey (1227 Granville St)
Tickets Admission is a suggested donation of $20 for VOKRA. Reservations can be made for groups of six or more by calling (604) 682-0909.
While Vancouver is a very dog-friendly town, I am a cat person and grew up with a kitty (she passed away in 2009 when she was 19 years old). I love following VOKRA on Twitter and Facebook for information, current campaigns, and heart-warming stories.
The National Ballet of Cuba Presents Don Quixote in Vancouver starting tomorrow and running until Saturday night at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Photos courtesy of the National Ballet of Cuba. Vancouver Dates: February 16, 17, and 18, 2012.
According to organizers, “The production was to be the last for Vancouver impresario David YH Lui, who very sadly passed away in September while working on the project, leaving his business partner Brent to carry on without him. Brent is now Vancouver’s newest impresario.”
Choreographed by Alicia Alonso, from the original work by Marius Petipa, members of the company have recently been dubbed some of the best in the world. Featuring the music of Ludwig Minkus, the score will be played by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, which I have had the pleasure of hearing during several of the VO’s productions. This legendary tale promises not to disappoint and I will also have a guest contributor provide a full review.
Tickets are available online for $47 to $97 and I have a coveted pair of tickets to opening night tomorrow as well. Here’s how you can enter to win my opening night tickets:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Since opening night is tomorrow, this is a quick giveaway. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 10:00am tomorrow morning, February 16, 2012. The winner will need to confirm their attendance by 12:00pm (following email notification) otherwise another winner will be declared. Update The winner is @StreetStyleStef!
Update I was fortunate enough to send someone to review this ballet who has been passionate about the medium for her entire life. The following review was written, and contributed exclusively to Miss604, by Kelli Smith.
Opening Night Review “I was beyond excited to have the chance to see the National Ballet of Cuba tonight, and not only were Vancourites honoured enough to watch this world renowned classical ballet company, but we watched them preform the epic Don Quixote.
Don Quixote is an old tale, and showcases many pieces of highly challenging classical ballet choreography. Ballet Nacional de Cuba were wonderful at bringing their energy and cultural representation to this performance.
The dancing left me breathless at times, and I was literally almost brought to tears with Kitri’s magnificent solo’s and duets with Basilio in the third act. I was nearly on the edge of my seat at one point, leaning forward in anticipation and to more clearly see the astonishing talent.
You could feel the excitement in the crowd as soon as the orchestra started. By the end there were standing ovations DURING the performance (which I have never seen before at any ballet). The strength, fluidity, softness and gracefulness of the National Ballet of Cuba was truly amazing.
I truly believe it makes the experience, the closer you are, being able to see the expressions on the Corps de Ballet, as well as the effortless leg work of the Soloists. Definitely worth the price of the best seats in the house!”
