The Port Mann Bridge is now connected to the Surrey side of the highway and soon it will be fully connected to the Coquitlam approach. This massive project, part of a larger overhaul for the Highway 1 route through Surrey, Coquitlam, Burnaby, and Vancouver, is starting to take shape.
The Port Mann Highway 1 website and Twitter account have been actively providing updates on everything from lane closures, exit changes, and overpass openings. They have also shared some great photos and videos of the construction process so far:
Construction progress, taken from Johnson Hill between 2009 and 2011.
The total length of the new bridge will be 2,020 metres with 288 support cables (totalling 45kms in length) from towers reaching 160 metres in height. They will support 10 lanes of traffic and a 5-metre wide multi-user path for pedestrians and cyclists. Once complete, the new Port Mann will be the second largest main river span in North America.
Continuing on after a setback in February where a gantry crane collapsed, the bridge should be operational by winter 2012/2013 with full project completion in the end of 2013.
Euro 2012 kicks off in just a few days in Poland and the Ukraine with 16 European countries squaring off for the UEFA Euro Cup. This is the 14th championship for European national teams and with a huge soccer fan base in Vancouver, along with a melting pot of international visitors and residents, you will be able to watch the matches at various establishments around town.
Fans in Vancouver during World Cup soccer in 2010. Photo credit: Susan Gittins & Susan Gittins on Flickr
I’m a first generation Canadian, with parents from England and Germany, so this sporting event is always a highlight. I have put together a quick list (that I will be updating) for your reference.
The Charlatan Restaurant in Vancouver
1447 Commercial Drive Twitter, Facebook The Charlatan will be showing all Euro matches.
Doolins
654 Nelson Street Twitter, Facebook Doolins will have all of the matches live and will be hosting prize giveaways.
The London Pub
700 Main Street Twitter, Facebook
The London has been designated as London House showing all England matches live along with every other Euro 2012 match.
Vancouver Alpen Club
4875 Victoria Drive Twitter, Facebook
Watch all German soccer games live at the Vancouver Alpen Club starting June 9th versus Portugal.
The Euro Cup championship will run from June 8th until July 1, 2012. For radio coverage, check with TEAM Radio and TSN will have the matches on TV. It’s a big weekend of soccer with World Cup Qualifiers, Euro 2012, and Whitecaps FC taking on Houston.
Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver’s only cemetery, is no stranger to special events and tours. They host historical walking tours, self-guided tours [PDF], a bik tour, lantern workshops, and now… a food tour.
Chris Mathieson, who taught us all about the Vancouver Police Museum a few years ago, is a local historian with a passion for stories — and using social media to tell them. On Sunday, June 3, 2012 he’ll be hosting a Mountain View Cemetery Food Tour:
“A tour exploring the history of Vancouver’s relationship with food through introductions to fishermen, farmers, hunters, shopkeepers, brewers, and more. We’ll also discuss food traditions associated with death and cemeteries.”
I had to ask Chris about the appeal of visiting the cemetery, if not for obvious reasons. He told me that with over 150,000 people buried in Mountain View since it was established in 1887, there is a significant percentage of notable people through our city’s history among those laid to rest. If history isn’t your thing, he has a few other suggestions.
“If you’re into art, the cemetery is filled with artistic statements from other eras; there’s even one plot that is actually a piece of art.
If you like green space, there aren’t many other places in Vancouver where you’re going to find almost 100 acres of under-visited greenery.
If you like surprises, there’s so much to discover there: just yesterday, I was walking through one section when I heard a quiet tinkling sound. after a few minutes of searching, I fond a lovely little wind chime hung in a shrub over a particular grave marker. I don’t know what the connection is, but I’m eminently curious.”
When it came to his inspiration for the food tour, he said: “Quite simply, there are only a few things that we all have to do, and two of the key ones are 1) eat food, and 2) die.”
“The experience of getting to know fishermen and watching their product go from ocean to plate has fostered in me an interest in stories associated with food. Since I’m an historian by trade, it made sense to delve into the history of Vancouver’s connection with food.”
If you’re interested in Chris’ tour, you can join it tomorrow at 10:00am. Walking tours meet at Celebration Hall (5445 Fraser Street, enter at 39th) and are $10 per person.
A full list of Mountain View‘s tours can be found on this poster. Follow Chris on Twitter for more information about his tour and his special projects around the city.
The 25th annual BC Children’s Hospital Miracle Weekend takes place this Saturday and Sunday with live broadcasts on Global BC. It’s an event that is always on my calendar, sent to my inbox, and this year a very special reminder even arrived at my front door.
Tune into Global BC from 7:00pm to 11:00pm on Saturday, June 2nd, for unique programming and to learn more about the BC Children’s Hospital. On Sunday, June 3rd, the broadcast will begin at 10:30am and run until 5:30pm. Patient families, hospital staff, fundraisers from around BC, and special guests will be on air to share their stories.
BC Children’s Hospital is the province’s only full-service, pediatric acute care hospital and serves the one million children living in BC and the Yukon. All children who are seriously ill or injured are referred to Children’s Hospital and are either treated at the hospital facility in Vancouver or, with consultation from Children’s specialists, in their home community.
Last year, more than 78,000 children were treated at Children’s Hospital. BC Children’s Hospital Foundation received donations from more than 115,000 people last year and had revenues of over $85.5 million. Funds raised by the Foundation are used to support BC Children’s Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children and the Child & Family Research Institute.
The BC Children’s Hospital hosts various fundraising events throughout the year such as Jeans Day (in April), a Slo-Pitch Tournament (in May), the ChildRun (in June), and more. Miracle Weekend is an integral part of the hospital foundation’s fundraising for the whole year. You can make a donation throughout the weekend or online anytime.
Follow the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation on Facebook and Twitter for more information. Twitter updates this Saturday and Sunday will be tagged with #MiracleWeekend.
Barbecue might not be the sort of cuisine you would expect to come out of Vancouver but the fact is, from Korea to Carolina, it is actually very well-represented in the city. One of the first places I heard of that prepared brisket and pulled pork in town years ago was Memphis Blues — which is finger-licking, fill your belly good.
Image courtesy of Memphis Blues Barbecue House
It’s known for its Southern style barbecue and massive portions like the Elvis Platter which includes ribs, sliced beef brisket, pulled pork, barbecue chicken, rib ends, and smoked sausage — Meatatarians rejoice! They also have catfish, oyster po’boys, BBQ nachos, BBQ poutine, smoked chicken, and a variety of salads.
Memphis Blues has expanded from locations on West Broadway (near Granville) and on Commercial Drive, to several neighbourhood restaurants including two in Surrey, one in Kelowna, and soon Robson Street downtown. You can also find them in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
In July, Memphis Blues will be partnering with Okanagan Crush Pad Winery in Summerland for a BBQ on the outdoor patio that includes a tasting Haywire, Bartier Scholefield and Bartier Bros wines. If you can’t make it out to one of the restaurants or a special event, you can also pick up their sauces at a variety of local super markets like Nesters and Donald’s.
The Hillcrest Village location, on the border of Surrey and Langley along Fraser Highway, has graciously offered up a $50 gift card so that one of my readers can enjoy smokey, sticky, juicy barbecue with some friends and family. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment with your favourite menu item (or item you would like to try) (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win $50 for Hillcrest @MemphisBBQHQ in Surrey from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/bh4C4
Follow Memphis Blues BBQ House on Facebook and Twitter for more information. The $50 gift card is valid only at Hillcrest Memphis Blues, which is located at 302-18690 Fraser Highway in Surrey.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm next Thursday, June 7, 2012. Update The winner is Meghan!
