One of the things I love about Stanley Park is that it’s a natural oasis on the tip of a bustling metropolitan area. Taking a few steps under the canopy of evergreens, city sounds fade while the tune of rushing creek water amplifies. Raccoons prowl by the lagoon, bushy-tailed squirrels greet visitors, and harbour seals poke their heads up along the Sea Wall. Then there’s the blue heron.
It’s a staple of any Stanley Park or Sea Wall trek, and often spotted at water’s edge. Earlier this month a colony of pacific blue herons returned to their Stanley Park nesting site for the 12th year in a row.
The Park Board has setup a fence around the colony to protect the birds and to also protect the public from any falling debris. Last season the bird occupied 110 nests and produced more than 100 fledglings. That number was down from previous years but it’s great to see them back.
The Pacific great blue heron is considered a blue-listed species-at-risk in British Columbia. An average bird stands about one metre tall, has a wing span of 180 cm and can live as long as 17 years. Reports of herons nesting in Stanley Park were first documented in the mid-1920s and although the herons have been regular inhabitants of the park, they have tended to migrate from one area of the park to another over the years. Predators include bald eagles, raccoons and owls. [Park Board]
Roller derby leagues and teams always have the coolest names but no other rolls off the tongue like the Terminal City Rollergirls (“TCRG”). The host Vancouver’s derby scene since 2006, TCRG will be opening its 6th season on Friday, April 6, 2012.
With over 60 members and 4 teams, Terminal City Rollergirls is a member of North America’s Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. Their season will run from April through to September.
TCRG is a 100% player-owned and operated league. This means each and every TCRG event has been conceived, orchestrated, and run exclusively by our members. The league is made up of a diverse group of women including everything from nurses to construction workers, graphic designers, television producers, teachers, stay-at-home moms, Downtown Eastside outreach workers, dental assistants, PhD students and aspiring rock stars. Dipping into this talent pool allows TCRG to operate as a successful and dynamic organization.
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by Michelle KimDisclosure: Review — Miss604.com was not paid to write this review or any other. Michelle Kim did receive complimentary media tickets to the show in order to write her review. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
On Saturday I went to the Vancouver Opera’s opening night of The Barber of Seville. Now, I love going to the opera. Not only because I love the operatic voices, but also because I love the experience that comes with going to the opera. I usually get there a half-hour early, have a drink, and watch as the audience members walk in all dressed up (some in ball gowns and tuxes, even) — a rare occurrence in Vancouver. It’s always a glorious evening.
Photo by Tim Matheson for Vancouver Opera
And while The Barber of Seville did make me chuckle, and everyone else in the audience, I must admit (and it pains me to say so) but that this was my least favourite Vancouver Opera production I’ve seen.
I found the blocking (how the performances move across the stage) very awkward and distracting. Between the chaotic way the male extras ran around he stage in their underwear, to the tiny space used as Figaro’s barber shop, to how crowded it got up in Rosina’s dressing room, I felt the production to be a bit claustrophobic. I think that operatic sets should have the space and room for its performers’ big voices — which these performers did have.
I loved Joshua Hopkin’s (Figaro) beautiful baritone voice and I felt like jumping up and cheering after he sang “Figaro”. I also really liked the steadiness in Thomas Hammons’ (Doctor Bartolo) voice as well as the sensuality that Mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy brought to Rosina’s songs.
All in all, it was a fantastic evening but I just wished there was less clutter and busyness to properly showcase the performers.
The Barber of Seville is on now until Sunday, March 25th (matinee). Check out this classic and enjoy the local opera experience yourself.
As a child growing up in Surrey — the former city of parks — walking trails, forest explorations, and playgrounds were what made me the most happy on a warm spring day. Winter is gone for another year and that means I need to dust-off my Metro Vancouver Park Series to showcase more great green spaces in our region starting with today’s feature: Peach Arch Provincial Park.
Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr
Basics Peace Arch Provincial Park is located at the Canada, USA border crossing in South Surrey with a total of 16 hectares of space, 9 of which are on the Canadian side.
How to get there
Take Highway 99 South toward Blaine, Washington. The highway will turn into the Peace Arch border crossing and then into Interstate 5 in Washington State. To get to the park, you’ll want to turn off the highway before you get to the border. Turn right at Beach Avenue (there will be signs) and you’ll find the parking lot.
The Arch was constructed to commemorate the centennial (1814-1914) of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. The Treaty of Ghent ended the war of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, a conflict that was waged in North America and involved Canadians, as well as Americans and British. [source]
Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr
The Peace Arch, dedicated in 1921, was the first such structure in the world. It was built on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States to commemorate the lasting peace between the two countries. School children from the United States and Canada donated money for the purchase of the land surrounding the Peace Arch and in 1939 the Canadian portion of the Peace Arch Park was officially dedicated. [source]
Features
The biggest attraction is the Peach Arch itself but there is a vast lawn, picnic area (with 42 tables), picnic shelters, playground, and full washrooms. You can book the picnic shelter (for a fee) between April 1 and November 15 by calling (604) 541-1217. The landscape is beautifully decorated with flower gardens, a lily pond, and capped off with views of Semiahmoo Bay. Pets are allowed but must be on-leash.
Since park visitors will technically be picnicking and romping on the grass of no man’s land between the two countries, you may be asked to provide identification if a border officer requests it. Also of note, there was construction affecting access to the Arch field but it should be completed this season.
Vancouver’s a great city for a walking tour and now we can add murals to the list of sights to see. The City of Vancouver has outlined four self-guided mural tours, that take about 30-60 minutes each, which you can explore in advance through an interactive online map.
Each tour has a map and a mobile phone component. Download the PDF map for your tour of choice then follow the instructions to call-in and hear audio about the various pieces.
The mural tours are a part of the Great Beginnings Program. Developed by the City of Vancouver in 2008, Great Beginnings aims to celebrate history, heritage, and culture in Vancouver’s first urban areas. These include the neighbourhoods of Gastown, Chinatown, Japantown, and Strathcona. Through a provincial commitment of $10 million over three years, a large part of the program will restore the original public appeal of these neighbourhoods through improvements to streets, buildings, public space, and public safety. These centres have a foundation that can be built upon to support cultural activities, celebrations, and festivals for residents and visitors.
