Metro Vancouver has just launched their weRecycle application for the iPhone. Within just a few seconds you can look up recycling locations within Metro Vancouver for everything from mattresses to car tires.
You can search by material, recycling location, or find out what items are suitable to put in your city’s blue recycling bins. The application is free and will soon be available for other smartphones. If you would like to use a similar service from a desktop computer, you can find information online.
Walking past the box office of the Spanish Revival style building, I opened the doors to the Patricia Theatre and was greeted with the haunting aroma of buttered popcorn. A poster board propped up in the entranceway spelled out the future of the historic Powell River theatre rather bluntly: Digital or Dark?
The Patricia is Canada’s longest standing continuously running movie house as its two able film projectors crank out screenings for local film festivals and new releases. However the looming digital conversion, that was set to happen in 2014, has been bumped up. As of this summer, film prints will no longer we sent out by the studios and to accomodate the digital upgrade the Patricia’s owner, Ann Nelson, needs to come up with $90,000 — and fast.
Ann, who bought the theatre 15 years ago, greeted me near the concession stand and held up a film card in front of me, allowing light from the window to shine through the coaster-sized object. “This is how they used to advertise upcoming pictures in the old days,” she said. On the blue, pink, and yellow tinted slide were Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. It was essentially the trailer for Casablanca.
We sat in the sunshine that beamed through the windows and lit up boxes of Hot Tamales, Nerds, and Reese’s Pieces. Ann told me all about the history of Powell River and how the Patricia came to be.
Patricia’s Past
Ann began my history lesson with the first movie theatre in 1913. “It was a tent down by the mill gates and it used to blow down in every storm. Then, They built a building shaped like a shoebox on end down near the cenotaph.” Through a naming contest “Patricia” was selected given the popularity of Princess Patricia who had just visited Canada with her father, the Duke of Connaught. The theatre hosted everything from traveling trunk shows fresh off the steamships, to boxing matches and the latest Charlie Chaplin films – it was the social hub of town.
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Book Warehouse, one of Vancouver’s most beloved local book stores, will be closing its remaining locations after a final sale blowout that began today.
“Who knows what we’ll be doing as the weeks go on? We sort of forgot to stop ordering books, so our warehouse is jammed with thousands more books. We’ll keep putting them into the stores, which should give many opportunities for our customers to say their goodbyes to their favorite booksellers, and walk away with even more incredible bargains.” Founder Sharman King (via Press Release)
Photo credit:
Roland on Flickr
Book Warehouse started out in 1980 and you may remember their old commercials if you grew up around Vancouver that featured King playing a tuba or trombone.
Within a week of the Vancouver Playhouse closing down its operations, and the announcement that the Ridge Theatre will be demolished, this is salt in the wound of Vancouver’s creative communities. A theatre company, a movie house, and a book store chain, gone.
Let’s support the Book Warehouse during its final days. Go online, visit their locations in person, and scoop up some books that are going for bargain basement prices. As a writer, published author, book reader, and Vancouverite, I encourage everyone to take a few minutes, put down the smartphone, close the laptop, and open up a book. On your lunch break, with your children, at the beach, or curled up on the couch.
Visit the Book Warehouse on Broadway, West 10th, Lonsdale, or Davie until the shelves are empty. Follow the Book Warehouse on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
I had been by Caya before but had no idea that it was a series of boutiques setup by TELUS that connects phones, photography, accessories, Optik TV, and imaging services. Their focus right now is on gadgets for spring break — capturing and sharing your adventures with friends and family. Whether you’re heading to Whistler, Sun Peaks, staying in town, or off to a warm and sunny vacation destination.
1. Glider Gloves ($29.99)
Thick, warm, and you can still use your smartphone without removing them. The anti-slip grip will work with any touch-screen device.
2. X-Mini II Capsule Speaker ($29.99)
Pocket-sized speaker that can broadcast your tunes from your mobile phone, laptop, mp3 player.
3. Fuji Finepix XP20 Camera ($169.99)
Take this waterproof camera up the mountain without worry. It’s shock and freeze proof, captures 14 megapixel images, can do HD video recording, and has a 5x optical zoom.
4. Urban Ears Medis Headphones ($59.99)
These headphones have a patented EarClick solution which secures the earpiece at two separate points to relieve pressure while keeping it firmly in place.
5. Liquid Image Dive Mask on sale until March 29th ($99.99. Regular price $129.99)
Integrated waterproof digital camera and dive mask. It is depth tested to 16 feet, has a five or an eight mega-pixel sensor and allows you to shoot 18-25 frames per second.
6. Liquid Image Ski Goggles on sale until March 29th ($199.99. Regular price $279.99)
Document your powder-packed runs with your own goggle-cam. Completely hands-free, capture 5 mega pixel HD video, record up to 30 frames per second, and store up to 711 minutes of footage.
To promote the spring break gadget campaign, Caya has offered up a prize pack for one lucky Miss604.com reader. This includes the Liquid Image Ski Goggles (with built-in camera) and a $25 print plus card for photo-finishing at Caya.
Stop by any of the four Caya stores (Davie, Gastown, Denman, South Granville) to print or enlarge photos. Caya also offers printing services to produce your own keepsakes like canvas prints, photobooks, calendars, and mugs.
Here’s how you can enter to win the goggles and the $25 print plus card:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Caya on Twitter and Facebook for news and product information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 12:00pm.
Update The winner is @ClaudiaWan!
Kitsilano residents love their community and it shows. One of the first local blogs I ever read in 2005 was Kitsilano.ca and I’ve had the pleasure of speaking in front of dedicated business owners at the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce. In a new joint effort by Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, Kitsilano 4th Avenue BIA, Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce and West Broadway BIA, they want you to show off your Kitsilano pride.
Kits Me… Love the Hood You’re In!
Kitsilano residents, past and present, are encouraged to submit a story about why they love their neighbourhood. A panel of judges will select 90 stories from the entries and have them printed up and hung as banners along West 4th between Burrard and Balsam.
Organizers of the interactive contest also hope it will raise awareness of local organizations and shine a light on the work they do on the Westside. ‘Kits Me’ buttons are another component of the campaign that will benefit both local businesses and customers. They will be sold in stores along West 4th and West Broadway with all proceeds going directly to Kitsilano Neighbourhood House to support the accessible community programs and services they provide to families, youth, newcomers and seniors on the Westside.
They are accepting entries starting today and until April 5, 2012. You can share your story online or drop it off at the Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (“Kits House”), office located at 3683 West 4th at Alma. The banners will go up in June this year and feature a photo of the story’s author along with a quote.
