Mitsubishi City Chase returns to Vancouver this month as teams compete in the world’s largest urban adventure series.
Photo credit:
tyfn on Flickr
Last year over 30,000 people participated in City Chase around the world, enduring various physical, intellectual, adventurous and humourous challenges. Taking off from Granville Square on the morning of August 27th, teams can only get from checkpoint to checkpoint by city bus, ferry, train, subway, or streetcar — so be sure to wear your running shoes.
Photo credit:
tyfn on Flickr
For registering, each team will receive a reserved entry, a participant gift bag, official City Chase t-shirts, race numbers, one-day all access transit pass, access to the ChasePoints Challenges, access to the City Chase after-party, and a memorable experience exploring Vancouver.
If you’re up for the challenge, Urban Rec has offered up three team spots to Miss604.com readers. Here’s how you and a partner can enter to win your place in City Chase Vancouver:
Leave a comment about why you and a partner would like to participate (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw three winners, who will each be able to sign up their team, at 9:00am on Friday, August 12, 2011. Each registration is worth $150. Read full City Chase rules and regulations.
Find City Chase on Twitter & Facebook and sponsor Urban Rec on Twitter & Facebook.
Update The winners are Jessa, Julia Falci, and @chrisvales!
I’ve been tracking the BC Place construction progress since it began in May of 2010, following the Vancouver Winter Olympics, and this past weekend public were able to check out the renovations in person during an Open House.
With BC Place being the home of the BC Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (as of this September) there has been speculation over sponsors and in particular naming rights for the refurbished stadium. It was announced that Budweiser will be the official beer of both teams, and Bell has rights with the Whitecaps. However, Telus has stepped into the picture as well.
This morning Bob Mackin shared a link to an article he wrote for the Vancouver Courier where questions about naming rights for BC Place come up with BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo) chairman David Podmore. “I can’t comment on any Telus deal,” David Podmore told the Courier during Sunday’s public open house. “We’ll have an announcement around naming rights and sponsorship, probably I’d think around the middle of September.”
Seeing as how BC Place is next door to Rogers Arena (which already has nicknames like the “Call Centre”), I put the word out on Twitter asking what the area around Rogers Arena and (potentially) Telus Place would be called. Here are a few of the responses I received:
With more and more corporate sponsorships of prominent buildings (like Telus World of Science aka the Telusphere aka Science World) and even talk of having sponsored SkyTrain stations, this step comes as no surprise for the currently un-attached BC Place. We’ll have to wait until mid-September, around the time of the re-opening, to get any official word or confirmation.
The forecast for the rest of August is looking a lot brighter than our soggy summer so far and with that, more people are taking to the beach to enjoy picnics, sunbathing, swimming, and strolls. One thing I noticed this weekend was a lot of traffic congestion downtown and in West Vancouver near the beaches. The same thing happened when the Summer Live festival was taking place in Stanley Park. Although sometimes there’s no choice but to bring the car out, if you’re capable and willing, here are some transit options for some of the region’s most popular beaches:
Taking Transit to the Beach
English Bay & Sunset Beach
Facing West, these are two of Vancouver’s most popular beaches and are usually sun-soaked (when we don’t have a wet June and July like this year). You can take a #6 Davie bus to the corner or Davie and Denman to get the closest to English Bay and a C21 community shuttle (originating at Main Street) to get between the two along Beach avenue.
Trip Planning Link
Second Beach & Third Beach
Stanley Park’s beaches are right along the sea wall so they have great pedestrian, cycle, and rollerblading access. If you’d like to transit in, you can walk over from English Bay or take the #19 Metrotown/Stanley Park bus into the park. It will let you off near the miniature railway and you can enjoy a stroll under the cool tree-lined canopy before reaching your seaside destination at the end of one of the park’s many trails.
Trip Planning Link
Kitsilano Beach
Lined with bodies, bikinis, and beach-goers year-round, Kits is a local favourite. Take the #22 MacDonald bus from downtown or Burrard SkyTrain or the #32 Dunbar and hop off along Cornwall.
Trip Planning Link
Cates Park
Nestled along Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver, Cates is great for family picnics, renting a kayak, or laying out along the rocky shore. Take a #212 Deep Cove bus along Dollarton Highway, via Phibbs Exchange (just across the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge) and originating at Burrard SkyTrain.
Trip Planning Link
Spanish Banks, Locarno, Jericho Beaches
Kayak and boat rentals, ponds, grass and sand (that goes on as far as the eye can see during low tide) are features of these West side beaches. To get to one or all, grab a C19 community shuttle that will loop along Marine Drive (update: this runs on weekends only). You can also get close to Jericho with a #4 along 4th Avenue.
Trip Planning Link
Ambleside
With grassy areas, sandy beaches, athletic fields, a playground, pitch & putt and more, there are dozens of activities to enjoy at Ambleside and almost as many route options. #250, #251, #253, #255, #256, and #257 buses, will all get you between Park Royal and 13th Street where you can access the beach.
Trip Planning Link
Crescent Beach, White Rock
Surrey’s own beaches have concessions, sand flats, views of Washington State, and more. Access them with a C51 White Rock Centre community shuttle or C52 Seaside, Ocean Park shuttle. Both go through White Rock Centre bus exchange which has connections to Surrey SkyTrain stations and the Bridgeport Canada Line station.
Trip Planning Link, Trip Planning Link
If driving is a must, remember to carpool if you can and avoid idling when waiting in lines.
The Canadian Little League Championships are taking place in North Vancouver this year as the best in BC will take on the top teams in the country to see who will move on to the Little League World Series.
Each year more than 40,000 kids and youth across Canada participate in Little League within 5 key regions: Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, the Prairies, and BC. You have to hand it to our local programs and clubs as every single BC team (20 in total) has won a Canadian Championship and competed in the Little League World Series at least once. They hold the record for most titles won thanks to notable teams like Trail Little League (5 titles) and Whalley Little League (5 titles).
2006 Canadian Little League Champions. Photo credit:
Uncleweed on Flickr
This past weekend Langley Little League won the provincial championships in Victoria earning them a spot at the Canadians Championships. The national tournament will feature the top teams from each province as well as the host team (Mount Seymour Little League) in a round-robin tournament August 6 to August 13, 2011 at Chris Zuehlke Memorial Park in North Vancouver.
The “Battle of BC” will have our province’s top team (Langley) squaring off against the host team (Mount Seymour) on August 13th at 1:00pm.
Our national champions, as-decided at this tournament, will then fly over to Toronto and drive down to Williamsport, Pennsylvania when there Little League World Series will be held August 18 to August 28. Last year Little Mountain Little League won the Provincial Championship in New Westminster and represented BC (and Canada, after winning nationals) at the Little League World Series.
Head out and support our local teams next week in North Vancouver or catch the games on Sportsnet and follow our Canadian Champions to Willamsport later this month.
Update August 9, 2011 You can catch the action on Sportsnet starting at 1:00pm Pacific on Saturday. From the press release: “The final game of the 2011 Canadian Little League Championship will be broadcast on Sportsnet, immediately following Roger’s Cup Tennis, Saturday, August 13 at 4:00 pm EDT.”
Latest Standings
Update August 13, 2011 Team BC, Langley Little League, advances to Williamsport, PA to play as Team Canada in the Little League World Series!
