Halloween is a special time of year for children. They get to carve pumpkins, make crafts and decorate, dress up as their favourite characters, and bring in a haul of treats. As you get older the activities, parties, and experiences change until you’re fortunate enough to have a family of your own so you can re-live that childhood excitement with your own little ones.
There are activities you can both enjoy, like the Stanley Park Ghost Train but I thought I would also roundup a list of community events happening around the region that are all specifically for younger children.
Halloween Fireworks in Richmond
Your family can enjoy free fireworks displays on Halloween night from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at several locations in Richmond including Minoru Park, the West Richmond Community Centre, and the South Arm Community Centre. The events are for all ages and will include clowns, magic tricks, stilt-walkers, fire jugglers, hot chocolate, games and more.
Halloween on the Heights
Burnaby Heights is hosting a series of events October 29th to October 30th including a Spooky Boogie dance for ages 7 to 18, Halloween train rides on the miniature railway in Confederation Park, and Trick or Treating on October 31st. Families are also welcome to head over to Gilmore School on Halloween night for a fireworks display around 8:00pm.
Little Spooks & Friendly Ghosts at VanDusen Garden
For ages 9 and younger, there will be crafts, games, and performances at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Admission will be at a reduced rate from 5:00pm to 7:00pm on October 29th. Tickets are available at the front gate and activities include learning to juggle, making spooky wind catchers, and playing a giant Jenga game – presented by Aldor Acres.
PoCo Jelly Bean Dance
Happening from 6:15pm to 9:15pm on October 28th, this costumed Halloween dance is just for kids in grades 4 to 6. Presented by PoCo Youth in the Hyde Creek Recreation Centre gym, there will be games, prizes, and of course music and dancing. Parents are welcome and the event is supervised by Parks and Recreation staff. Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 on dance night.
Halloween Fun in New Westminster
The New Westminster Public Library presents a special Halloween event on October 28th for ages 4 to 10. There will be ghostly stories and crafts in the Children’s Room at the library on 6th Ave.
Pumpkin Power at the Surrey Museum
Drop into the Surrey Museum in Cloverdale for this event for kids on October 29th. Do some crafts, decorate pumpkins, view carved jack o’lanterns, and even eat some pumpkin pie from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. Admission is by donation.
Halloween Hoopla in Burnaby
Head to the Bill Copeland Sports Centre on October 29th from 12:30 to 3:00pm where kids can enjoy crafts, games, face painting and of course ice skating. Regular skate admission applies and costumes are optional, but encouraged.
Family Fright at the Fort
Wear your costumes to Fort Langley’s production of “Justine Beaver’s Halloween Adventure” on October 29th and 30th. Showtimes are 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm and 5:00pm with activities open around the fort from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
You can view a full list of October events in my monthly post. Should you have any to add, or any community events coming up in November, please feel free to contact me with details.
Having just passed the half-way point in the construction of the Port Mann Bridge I thought I would showcase photos of the impressive 10-lane superstructure this week. The following is a collection of Port Mann Bridge photos (past and present) that have been contributed to the Miss604 Group on Flickr. I also received permission to use a few from the project’s official account Flickr.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Unpaid, Personal Opinion — I was not paid or given any other compensation to write this review. We paid for our meal. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
I wanted to take John out for dinner and it was a toss up between barbecue and seafood. The one place where you can find both, within close walking distance, is Steveston village so we ended up at the Hog Shack Cook House. Located right on Bayview Street, the menu includes everything from Dinosaur Bones to grilled shrimp and pulled pork — although I heard through the Twitter grapevine that they serve up some killer burnt ends as well.
Sitting on the red and white checkered table when we arrived was the beer list. I should have known to expect an amazing selection as there was a CAMRA sticker on the front door when we walked in… but I didn’t expect this.
With a helpful guide to let you know how hoppy the brews are, well over two dozen craft beers were listed and sorted by category (lagers, stouts, IPAs and such). John immediately gravitated toward the most hop-filled beer he could find and once we posted where we were on Twitter, he received several other recommendations for his beer selection.
We both ordered the Smoke Lover’s combo off the menu that came with brisket, pulled pork, Texas toast, and your choice of two sides. Sides ranged from coleslaw and fries to mashed potatoes and rice pilaf. I went slightly less traditional and got steamed veggies and potato wedges. John opted for baked beans and cornbread. He told me he wanted to compare the cornbread to Jimmy Jack’s, where we ate last month in Iowa City.
The meal arrived very quickly and didn’t disappoint. My vegetables were crisp and fresh, and John said his baked beans were pretty stellar. The brisket and pulled pork were both tender and full of flavour. I dipped my potato wedges in some of the sauce that was on the table (not sure if I was supposed to) but that was pretty darn tasty as well. My portion was almost too much for me but I finished it all up save for one piece of Texas toast.
We were very happy to finally get to the Hog Shack especially after hearing so much about it on Twitter. John knows his barbecue, having grown up in the Midwest and spent plenty of time in Kansas City, and he gave it his stamp of approval. Our bill came to $49 with HST, which isn’t too shabby for two beers and overflowing platters. The icing on the cake was the spectacular Steveston sunset over the river.
The First Weekend Club has recently taken on a mission to create a Video on Demand (“VOD”) service that will host Canadian films.
Did you know that in 2010, so few people went to see Canadian films that only 3.4% of the total national box office went to Canadian films (83% went to US films and 8% went to other foreign films).
Founded in 2003, the club is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and raising awareness for great Canadian films. The goal is to create a buzz during the crucial first weekend of the film’s box office release.
You can join a First Weekend Club in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Victoria, Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal, and they hope to expand to other cities across the country in the future. I’ve been to several screenings in Vancouver and they are much more of a community event than a simple film screening – the band they had in to play after Global Metal knocked our socks off.
Supporting Canadian Film and giving it the legs to last in theatres is what the First Weekend Club does best but this new venture will help them grow audiences even more for homegrown productions. They have a goal of $20,000 to get the VOD service up and running and have launched a campaign/fundraising site.
I highly recommend attending a First Weekend Club screening in Vancouver (films and events are all listed on their website) and consider donating to help get their project up and running. Follow @1stWeekendClub on Twitter or Facebook to learn more.
The Stanley Park Ecology Society is hosting a special event during their Annual General Meeting next week. They’re inviting their members and the public to sit in on a presentation from Lyle Dick, Parks Canada Historian. The talk will be about the evolution of Stanley Park as a National Historic Site (designated in 1988) along with its historical and cultural significance within the region.
1900s – Cedar walk with a dugout canoe. Archives item# CVA 677-986. Photographer: Philip Timms.
1900s – Totem figure by a tree. VPL Accession Number: 6689. Photographer: Philip Timms.
1900 – The road into Stanley Park. Archives item# CVA 677-180.1.
The Stanley Park Ecology Society will meet in the Stanley Park Dining Pavilion Ballroom from 6:30pm to 8:30pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Admission is $10 or free if you’re a society member. RSVP by phone (604) 718-6523 or email.
