Easter arrives in early April this year as it brings spring showers, blooming flowers, and the ability to finally wear all that white you put away at Labour Day. There are several family-friendly Easter events happening around the Lower Mainland including egg hunts, swims, and afternoon tea.

Photo credit: jamieanne on Flickr

Burnaby
What: Easter Egg Hunt
Where: CG Brown Memorial Pool, 3702 Kensington
When: Sunday, April 8, 2012 from 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Who: For ages 7 and younger, bring your bathing suit
Cost: Loonie swim rate

Surrey
What: Eco Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Surrey Nature Centre at Green Timbers (off 96 Ave)
When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 10:00am to 3:00pm
Who: 0-3 (10:30am), 4-6 (11:30am), 7-8 (12:30pm), 9-12 (1:30pm)
Cost: $5 per child

Richmond
What: Easter Party
When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 10:00am to 11:30am or 12:30pm to 2:00pm
Where: Steveston Community Centre (4111 Moncton St)
Cost: $9 per child. Preschool to 5 years, and 6 years to 12.

What: London Heritage Farm Easter Tea (all ages)
When: Saturday, April 7, 2012 from 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Where: London Heritage Farm (6511 Dyke Rd)
Cost: Free to explore the gardens, $8.50 for Easter tea inside

Vancouver
What: Easter in Stanley Park
When: Friday, April 6 to Monday, April 9, 2012 from 11:00am to 4:00pm
Where: Miniature railway area in Stanley Park
Cost: Free to explore, regular miniature train rates reply for rides

The Great A-Mazing Egg Hunt at VanDusen Garden is old out.

North Vancouver
What: Easter Bunny Hop
When: Sunday, April 1, 2012 from 9:00am to 12:00pm
Where: John Braithwaite Community Centre
Cost: $1 drop-in, for parents and tots ages 0-5 years.

Should you know of any other community events, Easter or generally happening in April, please feel free to submit them for possible listing in my monthly event roundup.

If you live in Vancouver, chances are that you’ve passed a building designed by architect Francis Rattenbury. From Victoria and Nanaimo to Revelstoke and Jasper, several of Rattenbury’s houses, commercial buildings, and CPR-commissioned hotels still stand today.

Photo credit:

1892: Roedde House
This is arguably the first structure that Rattenbury built in Canada. It was for Vancouver’s first bookbinder, Gustav Roedde, and his family. Today, the restored heritage home is a museum in the heart of the West End. It hosts school programs, teas, and tours. Read my post about Roedde House & Barclay Heritage Square.

Photo credit:

1893-1898: BC Legislature
An icon in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, our capitol building is home to BC’s legislative assembly. Rattenbury won the contract for the building when he was 25 years old. Adorned with white marble and Baroque decadence, it was originally budgeted at $500,000 but the final cost was $923,000. It is open for free tours, both self-guided and guided.

Vancouver Archives item# M-3-8.

1888-1900: 1st Hotel Vancouver
The current Hotel Vancouver that we know on West Georgia between Burrard and Hornby is the third iteration of the building. The first was located at Georgia and Granville and I found sources that say Rattenbury added a wing onto it. However, I have also found that he helped with the second Hotel Vancouver. Given the timeline, I believe it was the first since the second was built between 1913 and 1916.

1904-1908: Empress Hotel Victoria
The Fairmont Empress is another icon of Victoria’s Inner Harbour famous for its Royal visits, celebrity guests, high tea, craft cocktails, and some say — ghostly presences. The hotel underwent $45 million in renovations in 1989 to update the guest rooms, adda health club, indoor swimming, and more. In Victoria Rattenbury was also responsible for the CPR steamship terminus and Crystal Garden.

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1906-1911: Vancouver Courthouse
The courthouse was understandably a huge part of the local political and justice system. Rattenbury also won this contract in a contest. The building’s design features columns, a central dome, porticos, and ornate stonework. The marble was imported from Alaska, Tennessee and Vermont. The Vancouver Art Gallery didn’t move into this space until 1983.

View Rattenbury’s full resume online including several banks, and train stations throughout BC. Born in Leeds, England in 1867, Rattenbury came to British Columbia in 1892. He met an untimely death back in England in 1935 when he was murdered by the family’s 17 year old chauffeur [source].

The Surrey Museum in the city’s historic Cloverdale neighbourhood will be featuring a Titanic exhibit starting next month.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons: Leoboudv

Unsinkable: Remembering the Titanic, 1912-2012
This exhibit marks the 100th anniversary of the launch and sinking of the infamous luxury liner Titanic. Learn about life on board this “unsinkable” ship and the tragic tales of those who found themselves affected by this iconic event. Remarkable accounts of survival will be told of those aboard the ill-fated “ship of dreams”. In partnership with Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Beginning April 10, 201, stop by Tuesdays to Fridays from 9:30am to 5:30pm or on Saturdays from 10:00am to 5:00pm. This will be on until June 12, 2012 afterwhich a new LEGO exhibit will open. Museum admission is by donation, thanks to the Friends of the Surrey Museum & Archives Society.

James Cameron’s epic Hollywood blockbuster, Titanic (now in 3D) will be back in theatres on April 4, 2012. The Surrey Museum is located at 17710 56A Avenue.

The Georgia Straight’s 15th annual Golden Plate Awards, celebrating the best in local dining, have been handed out for 2012. The people have voted in over 150 categories and winners are now listed in this week’s issue and online. Here are just a few of the honorable mentions:

Tapenade Bistro. Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Top neighbourhood picks are The Pear Tree Restaurant (Burnaby), Tapenade Bistro (Steveston), The Salmon House (West Vancouver), Uli’s in White Rock (for Surrey, Delta, White Rock, Langley), and The Boathouse in New Westminster (for New Westminster, Port Moody, Coquitlam or Port Coquitlam).

Vancouver’s best burger can be found at Vera’s Burger Shack while Burgoo has the best comfort food. The best diner is Save On Meats, Fritz European Fry House has the best fries, and the best seafood is at Blue Water Café + Raw Bar in Yaletown.

View complete list online and follow StraightFood on Twitter for more information.

Hello, Dolly! is taking to the stage at the Massey Theatre in New Westminster next month with a full orchestra, brilliant costumes, and fabulous music.

Photo credit: David Cooper Photography for Royal City Musical Theatre

Hello, Dolly! is the story of a turn-of-the-century widowed matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi, who after cunningly negotiating marriages for others through a series comic and romantic entanglements, ultimately finds her own match. Adapted from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, Hello, Dolly! was a hit with musical score by Jerry Herman and book by Michael Stewart. The show has many memorable musical numbers including Put on Your Sunday Clothes, Elegance, Hello, Dolly! and The Waiters Gallop.

Presented by the Royal City Musical Theatre (now in its 24th season), the 10-time Tony Award winning Hello, Dolly! will be at Massey from April 12th to April 28, 2012. Tickets are available online and start at just $20 for students and children, or $29, $39, $43 for adults.

Massey Theatre is at 735 Eighth Avenue in New Westminster. Performances are at 8:00pm Wednesday through Sunday with matinee performances Saturday and Sunday 2:00pm.

I have a pair of tickets for opening night on April 12th, here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Friday, March 30, 2012 at 12:00pm. Follow Royal City Musical Theatre on Twitter and Facebook for information on upcoming shows.

Update The winner is Debbie!