The devastation is still sinking in following aftershocks, fires, and scrambles to connect with loved ones. This was the 7th largest earthquake in recorded history.
With the wave now making its way across the Pacific Ocean, many coastal nations have been issued either a tsunami warning or being designated as a ‘tsunami watch’ zone. Some communities in BC have also been told to evacuate.Â
Preparedness in BC
Just this past January, the Great BC ShakeOut for raising awareness about our risk of earthquakes in BC. Free workshops were also held to inform the public on how to be prepared. Japan is a very earthquake-ready country and this disaster has been overwhelming to many communities and major cities. This is also following destructive earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. Please take some time to review the following resources: City of Vancouver Earthquake Tips and BC’s Provincial Emergency Program.
Vancouver will celebrate its 125th anniversary April 6th, 2011 with “Birthday Live” at Jack Poole Plaza downtown. From 2:00pm until 9:30pm the Olympic cauldron will be lit, birthday cake will be sliced, and acts will perform free concerts for the public.
Guests include First Nations representatives, City officials, the Vancouver Bach Choir, singer Leela Gilday, Japanese drumming group Uzume Taiko, indie band Bend Sinister and dance ensemble mmHoP. Local legends 54-40 will close out the night.
Follow @Vancouver125 on Twitter for all official “Vancouver 125” city events happening throughout the year.
Update Here is the schedule for Vancouver’s Birthday celebration April 6, 2011 per the City of Vancouver:
Street Hockey 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Adult Teams Drop-In until 3:30pm
Join Five Hole For Food for street hockey benefiting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Bring your gear and food bank donations.
Youth Exhibition Games will take place 3:30pm to 5:15 p.m. Youth groups (ages 9-12) from the Thunderbird, Sunset, West End, Britannia, Riley Park and Killarney communities will face off.
Official ceremonies 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Official ceremonies to mark Vancouver’s 125th anniversary will include: Coast Salish Witness Ceremony by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations; speeches by Mayor Gregor Robertson and other dignitaries; and Olympic Cauldron Lighting and Birthday Cake.
Main stage performances 4:00pm – 10:00pm
The Birthday Live event will include free performances by: 54-40, Leela Gilday, Bend Sinister, Uzume Taiko, Vancouver Bach Choir and mmHop Dancers with MCs Jacob Cino and Ndidi Cascade.
‘Time Drifts’ video & light art installation 8:20pm
Time Drifts by Berlin-based multi-media artist Phillipp Geist will flood Jack Poole Plaza and the surrounding buildings with stunning visual imagery. Geist works internationally using video, performance, photography and painting.
Update April 5, 2011: Ariane went to Vancouver Community College this morning for a sneak-peek at the birthday cake that will be presented tomorrow at Jack Poole Plaza:
Yesterday I was along for the ride as Trevor Linden ran around Vancouver unloading $7,000 in 7 hours for the THRiVEtastic campaign. He was selected by ING Direct to compete against Henry Burris (Calgary), Amber Mac (Toronto), and Tammy Verge (Montreal), by spending money using their new Thrive ‘fee free’ chequing account. Each participant received $15,000 for the charity of their choice upfront (Linden supporting the Trevor Linden Foundation), and if they clocked the best time, they would get an additional $15,000.
Stop 2: Covering admission for 3 bus-loads of young students at the Space Centre.
Stop 3: Heading to Vancity Sports to purchase jerseys and t-shirts.
Stop 4: Buying bundles of rain coats at MEC for donation that afternoon.
Stop 5: Visiting Templeton Secondary School in East Vancouver. We met in their Sacred Room for a presentation, talk, and viewing of one of the student’s own music videos (below). It was so powerful and so well-done. The student wrote the song and made this video himself, inspired by his own struggles and his mother’s story.
The following video contains some mature language
After the private meeting, Trevor bought over $600 worth of pizzas for students to devour in the cafeteria. He presented two students with signed jerseys and donated a signed jersey to the school for future fundraising purposes.
Stop 6: Donating the rain coats to a shelter on the Downtown East Side as well as making a cash donation. For privacy purposes I won’t say which but, the t-shirts were also handed out to passers-by and Trevor was signing them on the spot.
Stop 7: Visiting the ING Cafe on Pender and Hornby where Trevor met with Meena Sandhu and paid bills for several people who stopped by. He also made a donation to KidSport BC.
Stop 8: Picking up some treats at the Candy Aisle on Robson.
Stop 9: Making a donation at the Vancouver Public Library, then handing out the candy along the plaza.
Henry Burris ending up being the winner yesterday however the Trevor Linden Foundation still received a nice boost, as did the rest of the causes we visited.
The following was contributed to Miss604.com by Jodi McIsaac Martens.
One of the best things about raising a family in Vancouver is that our mild climate lets us get out and enjoy nature pretty much year-round. And there is no shortage of places to go! With over 150 parks in the City of Vancouver alone – not to mention a few hundred more options in the rest of the Lower Mainland – urban-dwelling families don’t have to go far to be surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty and lots of room for kids to run, explore and fall in love with the great outdoors.
So if you and the kids are feeling a little stir crazy, start by checking out these five family-friendly parks in Vancouver. I’ve chosen these parks in particular because (a) they’re parks that mom and dad can enjoy too and (b) they offer more than your average neighbourhood playground – these parks are great for exploring, hiking, running and observing. Pack a picnic and head out into nature.
Stanley Park
What doesn’t Stanley Park offer for families? This is a park families can go to again and again and still experience something new. There are over 27 km of nature trails to explore, a salmon demonstration stream, a beaver lake and two glorious beaches perfect for swimming. In the summer months, kids can also cool off at the Second Beach pool or the huge water park at Lumberman’s Arch. Older kids will enjoy biking or rollerblading along the 8.8-km seawall. Unfortunately, the Children’s Farmyard closed its doors in January, but the famed miniature train is still chugging away. If you plan on spending a lot of time in Stanley Park, consider getting an annual membership at the Vancouver Aquarium. It pays for itself in just two visits and is a great way to break up a day in the park, especially if you’re looking for a place to either cool off or warm up!
Jericho Beach
Another park that has it all. The beach itself can provide hours of entertainment – from digging in the sand, chasing the seagulls and watching the huge boats offshore. But there’s also a beautiful duck pond surrounded by willow trees and filled with dozens of friendly ducks. As if that wasn’t enough, there are trails to walk or ride bikes on, lots of open, grassy spaces for playing catch and Frisbee, and – in case you left the picnic lunch at home – a concession stand during the warmer months. But no matter what time of year you visit, there’s so much to do and see you’ll have to drag the kids away! at any time of year this is a great place for a family to spend the day.
Queen Elizabeth Park
For many kids, the highlight of Queen Elizabeth Park is the Bloedel Conservatory (which, I know, technically doesn’t count as “outsideâ€). But especially if you’re visiting the park during the cooler months, it’s a great place to go to warm up! The tropical birds, massive fish and amazing plants captivate children – as does the giant water fountain just outside the conservatory! There are brightly-coloured gardens, exotic trees and grassy spaces galore (although some of them are “look-but-don’t-touch†spaces). As Vancouver’s highest point above sea level, it’s also a great place for star-gazing on clear nights.
Pacific Spirit Regional Park – East Side
Pacific Spirit Park’s 763 hectares wrap themselves around the University of British Columbia. The two sections of the park – between the university and the city on the east side, and between the ocean and the university on the west – are so different (and yet both so great) they really need to be considered as two separate destinations. The east side includes 50 kilometres of trails for hiking, biking or horseback riding. These trails are smooth and stroller-friendly and come in many different lengths and combinations, so you can explore for as long or as short as you please. And if the kids want a little beach time, head to Spanish Banks, just to the north of this park.
Pacific Spirit Regional Park – West SideÂ
I know it might seem odd to include a park with a clothing-optional beach on a list of best family-friendly parks! But this section of the park is one of our favourite winter destinations – the trails (which are not clothing-optional, FYI) are rugged enough that you and your kids will have no problem keeping warm, and the weather is chilly enough that even if you do decide to head down to the beaches, your chances of running into clothing-optional sunbathers are pretty slim. The hiking trials that wind along the shoreline are great for kids who love to climb and explore. They can climb over and under (and sometimes through!) the fallen trees, cross wooden planks over small streams and get wonderfully muddy head-to-toe. If you’re so inclined, you can also head down to the beach to watch the boats and play amongst the driftwood. But keep in mind that it’s a 478-stair climb down to the trails from the road – and what goes down must come up!
Jodi McIsaac Martens is a copywriter and business owner by day and a novelist by night. Somewhere in there she is also a blogger, wife and mother. Visit her at Inkwood Communications and on her blog. This post was inspired by Jodi’s original article about Kid-Friendly Parks in Surrey.
Founded by high school student Perri Tutelman in 2009, Cures for Kids is a Vancouver-based organization that raises funds and awareness for Cancer research programs in BC. This month, they will be hosting the second annual Making Magic Show at the River Rock.
When she returned from the National Science Fair in 2009, Perri (who has since been named one of Canada’s “Top 20 Under 20“), knew she wanted to do more with her knowledge of the cellular mechanics of diseases.
Already a volunteer at Canuck Place, she wanted to do more. “I told myself can do more than being a physical help once a week for 4 hours,” Perri told me during our telephone chat last week.
“I do it all because I love to do it – and my age isn’t an obstacle, it just pushes me further.”
Perri’s been able to rally and impressive Board of Directors for Cures for Kids, from Dr. David Suzuki to Seth Rogan. “I just wrote a letter,” added Perri. “I told them about my passion and drive to support research.”
Cures for Kids currently supports pediatric health research projects at UBC and the BC Children’s Hospital, with plans to go national in the future. With the support of traditional media and social networking (Twitter & Facebook), word is spreading quickly about this initiative. Perri’s goal is to finish up high school and continue her studies to become a doctor in pediatrics. “I want to be helping kids no matter what.”
Tickets for the Making Magic Show are just $15 and are currently on sale. The event will include carnival activities and of course a magic show for all ages. It’s happening March 20th at 2:00pm which is during Spring Break for most kids so it would be great way to spend time with the family, for a cause.
