This week I’ll be participating in the Nokia Xplore Challenge that will see me trade places with a suburban blogger for a day while she comes downtown and we both complete tasks that we planned for each other. Using a Nokia X7 handset, we’ll navigate and document our separate adventures. You’ll see me tweeting throughout the day on Wednesday from Abbotsford and Jodi from Rants and Rascals will be doing the same from Vancouver.

While I was waiting for my Nokia X7 to arrive (disclosure: courtesy of Nokia) I was approached to run a giveaway for a different handset, the Nokia C7. Given that I’ll be doing the Xplore Challenge this week, I signed on to spread the smartphone wealth and give away a bundle of Nokia C7s to my readers.

This week you can enter to win 1 of 10 Nokia C7 handsets + 1 month of free service from WIND Mobile ($45 Genius Plan + $10/Data Add-On); approximate value, $405.

More about the Nokia C7: Full-touch glass display, integrated social networks, thousands of apps at Ovi Store, three customizable home screens, 8megapixel camera and HD video.

If you would like to win a Nokia C7 handset with a month of free service from WIND Mobile, here’s how you can enter the contest:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw all ten winners at 9:00am this Friday, July 29, 2011. You can find out how Jodi and I do when we swap cities on Wednesday by following the #NokiaXplore tag on Twitter.

Update My winners are Cheryl L, Toby, Eran, Garrett, @neilfisher, @schmidtec, @vancitygirl83, @small_trio, Amrit Grewal – congratulations!

Over the last year the city’s been watching as our iconic stadium, BC Place, has been getting a makeover. With marshmallow top deflated and a new retractable cloth roof being installed, it will change the way we watch live sport in Vancouver. Your chance to check out the renovated stadium will come July 31st as they host a free public open house of BC Place.

When Sunday, July 31, 2011 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm
Where Enter through the West Entrance (adjacent to Expo Blvd near Smithe)

In an online poll I conducted in January of this year, 55% of my readers said they were excited about the new look (while the other 45% weren’t). Visitors will be able to walk onto a section of the floor at BC Place as workers continue to install the retractable roof, seats, and other interior upgrades.

May 2010. Photo credit: Bev Davies on Flickr

July 2011. ©BC Place, PavCo on Flickr

“People see a lot of the exterior changes as they pass by BC Place, but there’s just as many changes inside,” said David Podmore, Chair of PavCo. “In fact, BC Place looks and feels like a new building. So, we’re inviting the community to bring their cameras and take a look inside as we continue our work and head towards our first event, the BC Lions home game on September 30.”

BC Place will also host the 2011 Grey Cup Festival and championship game in November.

Update Here’s a video in case you missed the open house:

The Jericho Wharf, originally constructed as a sea plane base during World War II, will soon be demolished and the beach beneath it will be restored.

Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr

Mark Hasiuk of The Vancouver Courier wrote in November of 2010: “Built for the former Royal Canadian Air Force, the wharf’s exact construction date is unknown although archival evidence dates the wharf back to 1940. During the Second World War, Jericho Beach was home to an RCAF station, which launched coastline air patrols for Japanese submarines. During the Cold War, the wharf (160 metres long, 40 metres wide) helped connect personnel and equipment to amphibious aircraft. In the storied history of wartime installations, the Jericho Wharf barely registers. But in Vancouver, a city isolated from the great conflicts of the last century, it remains a proud symbol of a perilous and bygone era.”

Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr

“Since the 1980’s the Wharf has been owned and operated by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. Wharf condition survey reports from 2002 and 2005 conclude that the Wharf is at the end of its serviceable life and that it requires demolition or significant repairs to ensure public safety. Presently, the Wharf is fenced and inaccessible to the public.” [source: Vancouver Park Board via Stephen Rees]

Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr

Over the last few years there have been many discussions about the wharf, its historic significance, and what should ultimately be done about the structure.

Photo credit: Stephen Rees on Flickr

The Jericho Sailing Centre Association (“JSCA”) said the majority of the wharf was properly demolished in 1978 and the resulting natural beach you can see on one side of the site today. According to The Vancouver Sun, public consultations in 2008 revealed that residents wanted the wharf removed and the beach restored. The JSCA also said it posed a hazard to sailors, and the DFO warned of environmental damage caused by its old pilings.

In 2010, after public consultations and open houses, the Vancouver Park Board voted unanimously to have the wharf removed for “public safety and ecological restoration”. This month, they entered into a contract to officially get the job done. The cost of the wharf’s removal and the restoration of the beach will be about $3 million.

Centre of Gravity, Kelowna’s ultimate summer beach festival and concert series, returns to the shores of Lake Okanagan July 29th to July 31st.

The festival has several key components of music and sport. 150 athletes will compete in five sports: pro beach volleyball, freestyle mountain biking, FMX, wakeboarding, and basketball. As for concerts in City Park, there’s Dragonette, Sweet Thing, Dirty Radio, and many more artists with headliners Busta Rhymes, Calvin Harris, and Chromeo on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

There’s also the Dirt Zone (featuring FMX freestyle mountain bike shows), the Water Zone (with wakeboarding), Hot Sands Beach (for the beach volleyball tournaments), Hoop Zone (for 4 on 4 basketball), and the Urban Zone (for BMX, skateboarding and street DJs).

Download the Centre of Gravity mobile app to keep on top of schedules and events for each day. 3-day passes and tickets for Friday are sold out but there are still tickets available for Saturday and Sunday. I also have a VIP prize pack available to give away to one lucky reader including:

There are two ways you can enter to win my VIP prize pack for Centre of Gravity:

Since the festival is next weekend I will quickly draw a winner at 10:00am Monday, July 25, 2011. While the festival is for all-ages, you must be at least 19 years of age to enter and win this contest (for the after party). Please enjoy the festival and parties responsibly and have a great time in the Okanagan sunshine!

Update The winner is Lauren!

We are in the middle of a global crisis and the Horn of Africa region needs all the help it can get. It wasn’t struck by a tsunami and it wasn’t rocked by an earthquake but there is a massive draught of epic proportions and it has been slowly growing into the largest humanitarian disaster our generation has seen. 10 million people have been affected.

Very poor rainfall in the region (which includes Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda) has led to the driest period in 60 years for some areas, leading to crop failures and deaths of livestock. High and increasing staple food prices, as well as regional conflict, are combining with the weather to worsen the food crisis.

The rate of refugees from Somalia arriving in southern Ethiopia has increased from 5,000 a month to more than 30,000 in the second week in June. Almost half the children arriving in Ethiopia from Somalia are malnourished. The Red Cross has already acted early to mitigate the impact of drought in the region, but it is now in an extreme situation and we urgently need more funds to address emergency needs.

The Canadian Red Cross announced today that the government of Canada it will match every dollar Canadians donate to the Horn of Africa cause.

The Red Cross is on the ground in all affected countries and is currently scaling up operations to help the most vulnerable. Red Cross officials are helping by delivering emergency supplies and clean water, as well as operating health clinics and feeding centres in Somalia. In Kenya, the Red Cross is supporting children with food assistance and water, and providing seeds and tools to farmers.

Canadians are generous people and those in Vancouver, I know, support many causes both local and global. We defend the rights of animals, host bake sales to help our neighbours, and even raise funds through social media for causes in which we truly believe. Please take the time to learn more about this issue, how it came about, and what is being done around the world.

There is no SMS (texting) code for donations for this campaign but you can read more from the Canadian Red Cross on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and make a donation online or by calling 1-800-418-1111. I’d like to thank my readers for their continued support and generous nature when it comes to promoting and getting behind causes.

Update The Red Cross has released an SMS code for donations. Text AFRICA to 3033 to donate $5. The Canadian government will match these donations as well, making your $5 turn into $10 for the cause.