This Valentine’s Day you can escape the city and snuggle up at a beautiful riverside inn. Rowena’s Inn, at Pretty Estates, blew us away this summer when we visited and stayed in one of their signature log cabins along with Harrison River. It was one of the most romantic places we’ve been fortunate enough to visit and they’re offering up a Valentine’s package for you and your special someone.
Rowena’s Inn. Photo credit: John Bollwitt
Sweethearts can book the Valentine’s Weekend Package from February 9 to February 19, 2012 that includes a 2-night cabin stay, a bottle of bubbly from Domaine De Chaberton, a giftwrapped box of handmade chocolates and a welcome card containing $50 worth of “Romance Rewards” to be used at River’s Edge Restaurant. Chopped wood stacked by the fire, a dozen long-stem roses, and a fruit & cheese platter will await cabin guests as well. Breakfast is always included and a basket will appear at your door in the morning — filled to the brim with coffee, juice, and a two full breakfasts.
Rowena’s is right at Harrison Mills, around the mountain from Harrison Hot Springs and within a short drive from Hemlock Valley Resort for skiers, boarders, tubers, and snowshoers.
A variety of activities and services can be added-on to your Valentine’s experience such as in-cabin massages, Afternoon Tea, golfing at Sandpiper Golf Club (which is on the property), wine tastings, cooking classes, and adventures at Hemlock. When we stayed in the summer I booked us an eco-tour out of Harrison Hot Springs.
Afternoon Tea at the inn. Photo credit: John Bollwitt
The Valentine’s Weekend Package is $635 plus taxes and can be booked (over any 2-nights) from February 9 to February 19, 2012. We just fell in love with Rowena’s last summer and promised to return in the winter. A warning: there are no televisions in the cabins, just a roaring fireplace, a soaker tub, and tree-lined views. I haven’t booked our winter cabin stay yet but Pretty Estates is offering up the full Valentine’s Weekend Package to one of my readers — here’s how you can enter to win this dreamy getaway:
- Leave a comment here listing who you would like to share this experience with (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner next Friday, January 27, 2012 at 12:00pm. You must be 19 years of age or older to enter and win. No blackout dates for the prize but reservations are based on availability.
Update The winner is @DouglasFGrant!
Have you ever watched a movie down South with a cold beer in your hand at establishments like the Alamo Drafthouse in Texas or Cinebarre in Washington State? Have you ever wondered why you can’t do the same in BC? Well, our BC Liquor laws state that you cannot have bar service in a movie theatre, plain and simple. This is something that the Rio Theatre has been trying to change for a long time.
Earlier this week we heard news that the Rio Theatre was granted their primary liquor license. A huge victory, one would think. The East Vancouver movie house could now host 19+ performances and events with a bar service and return to their regularly scheduled, dry, movie nights. Cue the record scratch.
Yesterday it was announced that the BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch issued a condition to the Rio Theatre that stated that even though they’re not planning on serving alcohol during movie nights, with this new license they can’t have any movie nights. The Rio was notified of this condition orally and in writing ahead of time, per Karen Ayers, General Manager of the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch [Vancouver Sun].
“By regulation, movie theatres are prohibited from applying for a liquor primary license. Under current regulations and policies, you cannot operate as a licensed live theatre at some times and an unlicensed movie theatre at others. Therefore the following term and condition will be placed on your liquor primary license: This establishment is not permitted to show movies or any type of cinematic screenings at any time.”
Upon receiving this notice, Corinne Lea, General Manager and Owner of the Rio Theatre made the decision to stop having movie nights [Vancouver Sun]. No more midnight screenings in costume (which I believe is a right of passage as a Vancouverite), no more cheap matinees.
“We are very disappointed that this condition has been placed on us by the LCB, as this means we will no longer be able to show our community film events such as our Midnight Movies, Movies For Mommies, The Friends of Dorothy Queer Film series, the DOXA and Out on Screen Film Festival, to name a few. In addition, we will no longer be able to support Independent film screenings for local animators and filmmakers, creating a huge void in Vancouver’s cultural fabric.”
They will be taking this up with the government but until then Lea says that the Rio will be dark on days they don’t have live events scheduled.
Follow @RioTheatre on Twitter for updates and to show your support. Quotes used in this post were issued in a Rio Theatre press release this morning.
For additional reading, check out The Tyee’s recent article: BC’s Top Five Looniest Liquor Laws. The list includes prohibiting artists on stage from drinking, no cross provincial border wine smuggling, and no happy hours.
In case you’re wondering why Robson and Granville has been so busy with construction lately, there is a large project underway.
This involves an overhaul of the Power Block at 817-819 Granville, where Charlie’s Music was located. The building (circa 1888 rear & 1929 front) is designated a category “B” heritage building so its art deco facade is protected under a Designation By-law (circa 1976). The facade will remain intact as a new structure gets built behind it according to Heritage Vancouver.
That new structure will also take over the space right next to it, immediately on the corner of Robson and Granville. The fate of the current building at 720 Robson is looking grim at the moment. Gutted, taped, and boarded, it’s getting ready to come down completely.
720 Robson is not on the heritage reigster so it will be completely demolished. It used to house Granville Optical (on the corner), True Value Vintage, Hitz Boutique, and more.
The development proposal, for the building that will slip around behind 817-819 Granville’s facade as well as take up 720 Robson, is for a five storey building with two storeys of retail and three storeys of office space. This will sit above two levels of underground parking, accessible from the back lane.
According to the City’s Urban Design Panel (“UDP”) minutes, the developer wanted to achieve LEED Silver status with the new building but the City recommended going for LEED Gold — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) being the Canadian standard for green building. Other recommendations were made by the UDP including the addition of a green roof.
Rumours have been flying around about what might move into this space (and HMV’s old space on Burrard and Robson) and they all involve major American retailers.
Update February 2012 Here’s the latest shot of the building coming down. You can spot an old painted advertisement on the side of Charlie’s.
The PuSh Festival started this week and I’ll be covering the festival for Miss604. This particular festival happens at the exact right time of year; there is nothing like watching inventive performance art from around the world to distract you from the bleak cold January weather of Vancouver. And though I’m drawn to attend the pieces performed by artists whose homeland conjure up warmer thoughts and feelings (Mexico, Spain, etc), there is one local show I’m very excited to see.
Do you want what I’ve got? A Craigslist Cantata, by composer Veda Hille and CBC’s Bill Richardson, opens tonight at the Arts Club Revue Stage. I grew up listening to Bill Richardson on the radio and always considered him a renegade so it’s no surprise that he’s involved with PuSh this year.
Bill Richardson & Veda Hille. Photo by Bill Pechet.
In fact, he’s been involved with PuSh before. Do you want what I’ve got? A Craigslist Cantata actually originates from and is an expansion on a 20-minutes show he and Hille put on at the PuSh festival in 2009.
Inspired by the huge volume of ads on Craiglist, Richardson and Hille decided to create a musical based on the site as they thought the ads suggest a bigger story.
After two workshops conducted by the Arts Club in Vancouver, as well as performances at the Spark Festival in Victoria, Do you want what I’ve got? A Craigslist Cantata has finally coming back to the PuSh festival in its newly-evolved 80-minutes state.
“The workshops were really useful,” says Richardson. “They helped us fine-tune the work and cover things we were missing.”
He said they got a lot of great feedback from people from various demographics.
“At one of the workshops, a young woman in university suggested we do something on roommates. So now we have a part on that and it’s great. There is also a section of misconnections.”
Richardson says what surprises him the most about the show is the visceral reaction audience members have toward it.
“Although it’s light and comic, there is a lot tenderness and it’s unexpectedly emotional for people. There is a lot about longing, tenderness and hunger.”
The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival runs until February 4, 2012.
The Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) will be rung in on Monday, January 23, 2012. Vancouver has a very strong and very proud Chinese heritage so it comes as no surprise that there is a wide variety of festive celebrations happening around the region.
I was about to put together my own list but found that Dianne Chow of Fabulously in Frugal Vancouver already published a great event post. Here are my picks from her list along with a few of my own recommendations:
Richmond
Location: International Buddhist Temple, Richmond (9160 Steveston Hwy)
Date: Wednesday, January 18 to Monday, January 23, 2012
Event: Visitors can enjoy flower arrangements, foods, gift items, and more. On Chinese New Year’s Eve (January 22), the Temple will be open for its late night festivities until 1:00am. At midnight there will be a large group ceremony to bless all sentient beings. A vegetarian luncheon will take place on January 23 to celebrate the arrival of the new lunar year. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Event Website
Location: Aberdeen Centre, Richmond (4151 Hazelbridge Way)
Date: Sunday, January 22 to Monday, January 23, 2012
Hours: Mall Hours (fair runs until 12:30am on January 22nd)
Event: On New Year’s Eve there will be a countdown spectacular by Fairchild Radio with a live television special on Fairchild TV. The following day there will be a golden dragon and lion dance at 11:00am in the courtyard.
Event Website
Location: Aberdeen Centre, Richmond (4151 Hazelbridge Way)
Date: Saturday, January 28 to Sunday, January 29, 2012
Hours: 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Event: Chinese New Year Flower & Gift Fair with presentations from the BC Chinese Music Association, Vancouver Academy of Dance, BC Zhong Yang Music Association, Colors of Dance Academy
Event Website
Location: Landsowne Centre (5300 No.3 Road)
Date: Sunday, January 22, 2012
Hours: 12:30pm to 4:30pm
Event: Celebrations with a lion dance, martial arts, Chinese opera, karaoke, and more.
Event Website
Burnaby
Location: Lougheed Town Centre (Austin Ave & North Road)
Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012
Hours: From 10:30am
Event: Lion dance and variety of other festivities
Event Website Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
