Today is election day in Canada and if you haven’t already cast your vote in advanced polls, you have from 7:00am until 7:00pm (Pacific Time) to do so. If you’re in Vancouver Centre like me, here are your candidates:

Adriane Carr Green F / T
Jennifer Clarke Conservative T
Hedy Fry Liberal F / T
Karen Shillington NDP F / T
John Clarke Libertarian
Michael Hill Marxist-Leninist
Michael Huenefeld Progressive Canadian
Travis McCrea Pirate Party

To find the polling station in your area, go to Vote.ca and enter your postal code (or follow the prompts and enter your full address). Vote.ca will tell you where to vote, pinpointing the station on a Google Map, and list candidates in your electoral district along with their websites and social networks.

If you have not received your voter information card, head to Elections.ca and again, type in your postal code or address for more information. Find out your riding, and where there polling stations are located. You can look up what forms of identification you will need to bring with you, either if you have or haven’t received your voter card in the mail.

Results will begin to be broadcast at 10:00pm Eastern Time, once polls close in our time zone.

You can check the CBC “Canada Votes” live map for results.

The BMO Vancouver Marathon takes place this Sunday, May 1st and while we welcome participants from around the globe, with the run comes many road closures around Vancouver and in particular the downtown core.

Photo credit: Susan Gittins on Flickr

The start and finish lines are at Pacific Boulevard, just south of Rogers Arena and here are a few notices and detours to look over:

Stanley Park
Vehicle access to Stanley Park will be restricted between 6:30am and 10:30am, with both Park Drive and Pipeline Road closed to traffic due to the BMO Vancouver Marathon . The Stanley Park Causeway (Lions Gate Bridge/Georgia Street) will remain open. The seawall will remain open, though at times during the early morning portions near Coal Harbour will be congested with runners. [source: Vancouver Park Board]

Community Centres
Road access to Coal Harbour, False Creek and Roundhouse Community Centres, Vancouver Aquatic Centre and Burrard Marina will be impacted. [source: Vancouver Park Board]

Bridges
Burrard: Closed to traffic 8:00am – 1:00pm, south. Northbound traffic will have one lane from 8:30am – 1:30pm. All access to Pacific Boulevard will be closed until 2:00pm.

Granville: Off ramp to 4th Ave southbound will be closed from 6:00am – 10:00am, otherwise unrestricted.

Cambie: Off ramp to Pacific Boulevard closed from 12:00am – 5:00pm Sunday. Off ramp to 6th Ave will be closed 6:00am – 10:00am. All other lanes are otherwise unrestricted.

Lions Gate: Entrance into Stanley Park off the causeway near Prospect Point & Lost Lagoon will be closed from 6:00am – 10:15am, otherwise uninterrupted access north & southbound along Highway 1A/99.

Downtown
View the marathon website for detour information for the following access points:
Canada Place, Cruise Ship Access
Coal Harbour (use Denman, Georgia, and Burrard. Runners will be on West Hastings).
English Bay (use Davie, Robson, Georgia between 7:00am and 12:00pm)

Expect significant crowds at the corner of Denman & Davie and barricades in place to access Beach and Pacific. The event organizers do not recommend driving through any residential neighborhoods and to remember to be respectful of the people living near the course when cheering for participants.

Chinatown
Expect delays around Main & Cordova one block north of Hastings. Delays may appear at Terminal and Main due to the closure of Quebec and 2nd Ave.

Strathcona
Expect delays at Clark and Venables due to road closures west of Clark.

Translink Bus Re-Routes
The following routes will be effected from 6:00am – 1:00pm on Sunday: 3, 8, 4, 6, 7, 4, 19, 22, 50, 84, C21, and C23. Read full details and view maps via Translink’s Alerts and Advisories.

Best of luck to all those participating in the 8km, half and full marathon!

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to tour ArtStarts on Richards, just off Robson. This is the headquarters of a province-wide not-for-profit program to bring schools together with local artists through performances, programs, and exhibitions.

Founded in 1996, ArtStarts programs have reached half a million students each year and in 2006 they became the first public gallery in Canada dedicated to young people’s art.

The ArtStarts space is currently hosting “Grow“, an exhibition consisting of works from various children and youth around BC. New Westminster, Chemainus, and Mount Pleasant all currently have student works on display after working with artists in residence at their schools.

The theme of “Grow” was to learn about the environment and ecology around their schools. Some classes went to salmon spawning streams, others collected dried leaves and petals to create their art. Often the program merged with a science lesson or even performance art.

While the gallery hosts two exhibitions a year (with “Grow” lasting until late summer) they also have monthly activities that are free for the community.

Tomorrow they will present “Act Up with DuffleBag Theatre” at 11:00am and 1:00pm. Parents and children are welcome to drop-in to watch fairy tales come to life. The next performance will be May 28th with West African songs presented by “Drumming with Fana Soro” also at 11:00am and 1:00pm.

ArtStarts is located at 808 Richards Street and you can also find them on Twitter or Facebook. They have a full online directory of the artists in their program that are either on tour or available in-classroom. Their gallery and meeting space is also available for rent.

The Canadian Red Cross is hosting its 4th annual Red Carpet Soiree at Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar May 12, 2011.

This is one of my favourite annual events in Vancouver, and I have attended since 2009 with my good friend Keira-Anne. Aside from the dozens of coveted silent auction items, the deliciously addictive canapes, and the warm and jovial atmosphere, you will be supporting a fantastic cause when you attend.

Tickets are still available online until May 10th and can be purchased at the door May 12th, that is unless it completely sells out (which is very possible). Last year they had 300 guests and raised over $15,000 for the Canadian Red Cross’ Lower Mainland Region Disaster Management Program. Funds raised are staying local again this year with the 2011 event supporting Lower Mainland Region Humanitarian Support and Engagement Programs. If you are unable to attend, please consider making a donation.

I have two pairs of tickets to give away to a reader and their guest (value $250). If you would like to feel like a star at the Red Carpet Soirée, here’s how you can enter to win your way in:

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm next Friday, May 6th. Must be 19 years of age or older as there will be wine served throughout the night.

Update The winner is Mae (@sliveroflight) congratulations!

The Vancouver Canucks start their second round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs tonight against Nashville and after a heated battle with Chicago, the team and the fans are certainly fired up.

After a few suggestions on Twitter that I find a blogging counterpart in Nashville, I contacted Nashville Scene – a source for all things Nashville with news, reviews, food, and of course, music. A few quick emails later and we have a blogger battle.

Nashville Scene – Nashville Declares War on Vancouver, Sort of:
“This politely worded Canadian aggression will not stand. Yes, Miss 604, we accept your “friendly challenge.” The terms, agreed upon by our dueling partner in the godforsaken frozen North — OK, the lushly green, conifer-scented, beautifully landscaped North — are as follows: The blog from the winning team’s city will receive a hotly coveted, generously apportioned, lavishly assembled (yet small enough to sneak through Customs) package of goods from the losing city’s hometown.”

The Mayors of Vancouver and Nashville have a similar challenge, that was announced today as well: “If Vancouver wins best out of seven games, Mayor Dean will help Vancouver celebrate by sending a country ham and CDs representing the broad spectrum of Nashville’s music scene to Mayor Robertson. If Nashville wins, Mayor Robertson has promised to send a Fraser River Sockeye Salmon along with a CD of Vancouver’s musicians.”

Nashville Scene and I will be putting together prize packages featuring the best out cities have to offer (and whatever can fit in a shipping box). The winner will keep their prize pack and be shipped the prize put together by the losing city. So technically when the Canucks defeat the Predators I will be receiving a prize package from Nashville that I will be happily sharing with you all. It’s pretty much a win-win situation, except for when it comes to the action on the ice. So, before the puck drops tonight at Rogers Arena, I would like to call upon my readers for suggestions.

What should I include in a super Vancouver prize package? Some Raincoast Crisps? Mink Chocolates? Smoked Salmon? An autographed 8×10 glossy of Fin? A “Bike Lanes Make Me Hornby” t-shirt?

Photo credit: JeremyLim.ca on Flickr

Best case scenario, the package never leaves my office. But, just in case, please leave your suggestions below or Tweet them to @Miss604 & @NashvilleScene using the tag #nashclash (per the @VanCanucks account).

Update Confirmed prize package items so far include:

Update May 9, 2011: The Canucks have defeated Nashville so I’m going to roll over the Vancouver prize pack to the next series. In the event that I do not need to send the package to the opposing team’s city, it will all be donated to KidSport.