Tweetups (Twitter meetups) “back in the day” used to be when you were out at a restaurant or pub, picked up your phone, and told others on Twitter to spontaneously join you. Arriving with a pint in their hand, you would chat up new friends and old thanks to social media.
Now that things are a little more organized in the online realm, Vancouver has its very own, official beer Tweetup that organizers hope will become a monthly event.
@YVRBeerTweetup was founded in early 2012 by Jonathan Evans (@JonnyBeers) and Nick (@VancityBeerGuy).
“We just had a few tweets back and forth about how there was a lack of Tweetups in Vancouver, in January,” Jonathan told me over the phone. “We both like beer so we said ‘let’s do a beer Tweeetup’, then we both laughed about it… then thought ‘why not?’.”
The very next day Jonathan and Nick started up the Twitter account and saw a rush of 100 followers almost instantly. Within 2 days, they already had the interest of 8 local breweries and venues.
The first YVRBeerTweetup happened at Doolins just 2 weeks following their brainstorm and the second is on its way. The instant popularity can be credited to the wide reach of Twitter, pulling in audiences from all professions and corners of the region and of course, as Jonathan says, the common denominator is the beer.
The plan is to make YVRBeerTweetup a monthly occurrence and now with over 10 venues interested, they’re looking to diversify the event’s activities. “We don’t want to have the exact same thing every time,” Jonathan added. Beer dinners, bus tours, and expanding beyond Vancouver – reaching out to Howe Sound, Surrey, the Fraser Valley, and the interior could be next.
Join the next Tweetup at Malone’s on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. The beer special will be $5 sleeves for a Central City cask espresso vanilla bean oatmeal stout. You can also order a BC beer taster paddle (five x 4 ounce samplers) for $6. For food, there will be poutine for $5 and burgers for $6. Just show up and enjoy.
Find out everything you need to know about upcoming events by following @YVRBeerTweetup on Twitter.
The 8th annual Vancouver Diversity Health Fair is happening this Saturday with a theme of Cancer Prevention and Early Detection. The fair will feature cooking demonstrations, a kids activity zone, free health screenings, multicultural performances, and over 50 health-related exhibitors.
Where Croatian Cultural Centre (3250 Commercial Drive)
When Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 10:00am to 3:00pm
Tickets Admission is free, no tickets are required for entry.
The Diversity Health Fair is in initiative of the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Services Agencies of BC (“AMSSA”), which also operates the Safe Harbour workplace campaign. AMSSA is “committed to a vision of a just and equitable society in which everyone benefits from social and economic inclusion.”
Follow the Diversity Health Fair on Facebook and Twitter to find out more about this weekend’s event and other AMSSA projects. Miss604.com is a sponsor of the 2012 Diversity Health Fair.
A few weeks ago we spent the weekend at Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet, just ahead of Valentine’s Day. We did a rain-soaked late night drive across the Tofino Highway, arriving on a Friday, and took the ferry home from Nanaimo on Sunday afternoon.
Probably one of the best hotel room views in the world.
We had an unbelievable spacious 2-bedroom suite — I only managed to snap photos of 1 of the bedrooms and bathrooms since we were using the others. We spent the evening sipping wine by the fireplace as the incessant chorus of waves crashed on the rocks below.
In the smaller of 2 bedrooms. The view of the bed, and the view from the bed.
Living area view.
On Saturday we went for a walk around the Wild Pacific Trail and enjoyed lunch in our suite. We had a full kitchen, with a dishwasher, hidden fridge, a coffee maker, kettle, stemware, dishes, and more. The little things make all the difference when it comes to the comfort of one’s stay at a resort. Top of the line amenities, cedar beams, slate tiles, and coastal artwork, to gas fireplaces, wall-mounted flat-screen televisions, iPod docks, in-floor heating, and open WIFI. Consider the location, setting, and views, I have to say that it’s quite magnificent.
Wrap-around patio.
Another view from the other side of our balcony.
Later that night we enjoyed the “Sweetheart Dinner & Chocolate Addiction Dessert” at Fetch Restaurant downstairs. It is a beautiful restaurant with modern, West Coast decor, looking out on the sharp and ominous ocean rocks of Ucluelet. Their seasonal menus are a reflection of Vancouver Island’s local ingredients and the best of BC’s wine offerings. This was our second dining experience at Fetch, the first was in 2010, and it did not disappoint.
The meal was capped off with the chocolate buffet in the wine cellar complete with a chocolate fountain, brownies, trifle, mousse, a cupcake tower, and chocolate-covered bacon. The dinner package was $58 per person and we did the wine pairing as well which was $35 per person.
Another balcony view and the patio for Fetch Restaurant, bottom right.
Coming up at Black Rock in March, you can enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day Phillips Beer Tasting Event (in Float Lounge) March 17th and Barnacle Blues: A Whale Festival Tasting Event (in the Rainforest Ballroom) on March 23rd with live music from Headwater and the legendary Jim Byrnes.
The resort is always offering various packages such as the Gourmet Getaway or Storm Watching package starting at $195 per person, including 2-nights accommodation and dining credits. They also habe a package for the Whale Festival where you can stay for four nights and only pay for three.
Black Rock also has a spa facility and banquet rooms for large events and weddings.
Last summer I sponsored Burnaby Heights‘ Hats Off Day which, as I quickly found out, is an annual summer highlight for tens of thousands. Since that time, I have worked with Burnaby Heights Merchant Association a little more and have now partnered with them for a fantastic contest where you can enter to win $250 gift cards every day, all day this week.
Experience Burnaby Heights
Every day this week they will post a new prize theme. You can enter the contest 3 different ways daily by visiting the new Burnaby Height website, Liking them on Facebook, or following @BurnabyHeights on Twitter and re-tweeting the daily contest code. I will also update this post with their daily prize information:
1. Monday’s prize theme is Beauty and Fashion. You can enter to win $100 to spend at Chickadee Boutique and $150 to spend at Athena Day Spa.
2. Tuesday’s prize theme is Dine the Heights from morning till night. You can enter to win $250 to spend between Chez Meme Baguette Bistro, Anton’s Pasta Bar, and The Pear Tree Restaurant.
3. Wednesday’s prize theme is Get fit and have fun on the Heights. You can enter to win $250 to spend between Dance Addicts Studio and Moksha Yoga & Heart.
3. Thursday’s prize theme is Gourmet shopping made easy. Enter to win $250 to spend between Cioffi’s Meat Market & Gourmet Kitchen, Valley Bakery, Regent Fish Market, and Rocky’s Meats.
They will draw a winner daily at 12:00pm then open up the next stage of the contest, which will be another shopping prize valued at $250, until Friday afternoon.
Experience Burnaby Heights with Miss604
They have also offered up $100 to spend on the Heights exclusively to one Miss604 reader. To enter, just leave a comment on this post with the name of a Burnaby Heights merchant. There are over 350 businesses located along East Hastings from Boundary to Gamma to choose from. Drug stores, coffee shops, bakeries, beauty, fitness, services, and more.
I will draw one winner at random from all of my entries at 12:00pm on Friday, March 2, 2012. Update My winner is Angie!
In honor of International Women’s Day in March, the Stanley Park Nature House will feature an exhibit about E. Pauline Johnson – Canadian poet and stage performer.
I have profiled Pauline a few times before, even making a few pilgrimages to her modest monument between Ferguson Point and Third Beach in Stanley Park. Pauline, whose father was a Mohawk chief and mother an English immigrant, performed and wrote tales back east before coming to Vancouver at the turn of the century.
She first began to publish poems in 1884, and two of her poems appeared in Songs of the Great Dominion, one of the first anthologies of Canadian poetry, in 1889. She was praised as being an “authentic” Native voice, a notion reinforced by her performances. For half of her readings, Pauline would appear wearing traditional Native dress; the other half she would wear traditional Victorian attire. She was a popular and compelling performer, touring Canada, the United States and England. [Athabasca University]
When she arrived in Vancouver, after retiring from the stage, she produced a series of articles for the Daily Province based on stories relayed by her friend, Chief Joe Capilano of the Squamish nation. As her health failed her in 1911, friends put together a collection of her stories and formed the book “Legends of Vancouver”. It included how she gave Lost Lagoon its name, told the story of the Two Sisters (aka The Lions on the North Shore), Siwash Rock, and more.
In 1886, she changed her name to Tekahionwake, after her Grandfather. Her attempts to resolve both her Native and European heritage was also a subject of some of her poems. She was the first Canadian woman, Indian and writer to be honored with a commemorative stamp in 1961. [Athabasca University]
Pauline succumbed to breast cancer in March of 1913. Her funeral was the largest in Vancouver history until that time. “Legends of Vancouver” gained in popularity in the 20th century and it is currently available in the public domain – you can even download it for free in iBooks.
What International Women’s Day Celebration: E. Pauline Johnson Exhibit
Date Saturday, March 10, 2012 (Pauline’s birthday)
Time 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Where Stanley Park Nature House on Lost Lagoon
The event is organized by the Stanley Park Ecology Society & Stanley Park History Group. Stop by to learn more about Pauline, the history of Stanley Park, and enjoy a complimentary cup of tea (bring your own mug if you can). The first three visitors will also receive an original Pauline Johnson 1961 Canadian 5cent stamp. This is a one-day event, no tickets required (just drop-in), and admission is by donation.
