Tickets for Coast Mental Health’s 25th anniversary Courage To Come Back Awards, presented by Wheaton Precious Metals, are now available. The event recognizes British Columbians who have overcome tremendous odds, yet selflessly give back to their communities.
Courage to Come Back Awards
- When: Friday, June 9th, 2023
- Cocktail reception at 5:15pm, event begins at 6:00pm
- Where: Vancouver Convention Centre West (1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver)
- Tickets: Available online now for $400 each with a $285 tax-deductible receipt. A table of 10 is $4,000 with a $2850 tax-deductible receipt
The awards will honour five recipients and raise funds for critical community mental health services and programming. Each and every single dollar raised at this event will make a difference to the lives of people living with mental illness. You provide critical programs and services to your neighbours in need.
Coast Mental Health – an independent registered charity – is the largest provider of community-based services for people living with mental illness in British Columbia. Each year, many crucial programs are made possible through donors’ generous support of Coast Mental Health Foundation at the annual Courage To Come Back Awards – which has raised $22 million to date.
Your generosity provides outreach services, housing support, food security, mental health support for youth and adults, peer support services, training and employment and many other programs that are vital to the long-term recovery of vulnerable people living with mental illness.
Miss604 is a proud sponsor of the 2023 Courage To Come Back Awards
Related: Coast Mental Health
The Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is a two-day student-led film festival which features exclusively Indigenous filmmakers and creatives from across Canada, March 31-April 1, 2023.
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival
Founded on the principles of truth and reconciliation, Carr Sappier (Wolastoqew) and Grace Mathisen created SIFF in 2019. Skoden is an Indigenous slang term that stands for ‘Let’s go then!’. According to Sappier: “Skoden represents a sense of happiness, inclusion and a space where all filmmakers can feel like they are part of something that holds them up in respect.” Instructor Kathleen Mullen adds: “We are sharing experiences and knowledge through this course with humour, dialogue, and respect!”
With welcoming comments by Elder Xwechtaal Dennis Joseph, who is also witnessing the Festival, this year’s edition of SIFF is split into five programs: Activating the Landscape; It’s a Long Story, with feature Ever Deadly; The Deepest Part of my Heart; Who I Am, Who We Are; and Our Connections.
The audience will enjoy an eclectic selection from both new filmmakers such as Robbie Tait Jr. (A Rainbow to Turtle Island) and Laura Fontaine and Yasmine Fontaine, (Our Way) and well-established artists such as Tanya Tagaq, Chelsea McMullan (Ever Deadly), Amanda Strong (Spirit Bear: Fishing for Knowledge, Catching Dreams), and Ma-Nee Chacaby, Zoe Gordon, Shayne Ehman (Return to Ombabika).
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is organized and led by a class of students from all over SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts and the Faculty of Communication, Art and Technology, and co-taught for the last three years by Carr Sappier and Kathleen Mullen.
Follow the festival on Facebook and Instagram for more info.
Related: Film
BC Place has just announced their new $5 menu available at all stadium events, effective immediately. The pilot project was launched in an effort to make the stadium experience more accessible, providing classic fare at a low price. The menu features a list of marquee items including $5 beer, hot dogs, nachos, and popcorn, with the potential for rotating items throughout the year.
BC Place $5 Menu at All Events
The $5 Menu was developed in collaboration with BC Place’s food and beverage partner, Sodexo Live! and is available at Dawson’s Hot Dogs stands at sections 201 and 227.
“We know that for some, buying tickets to a game or a concert can be a big financial commitment, and we want to ensure that everyone has the ability to enjoy a meal at our stadium,” said Chris May, General Manager at BC Place. “We want fans to know they have options – whether it’s a Slow Roasted Prime Rib sandwich or a beer and hotdog for $10. The $5 Menu helps ensure there is something for everyone.”
The announcement follows the recent launch of BC Place’s new 2023 menu features, including premium items such as the Footlong Lobster Roll and Porky Pine Sandwich on a house-made pineapple bun. BC Place’s new menu items, from their $5 Menu and beyond, can be enjoyed at the upcoming Red Hot Chili Peppers concert on March 29th, and all major events following.
Related: New on the BC Place Menu: Vegan Tenders, Korean Fried Chicken, Lobster Rolls and More
On Saturday, April 29, Canadians can support community, culture and diversity by shopping local and engaging in a variety of celebrations during Canadian Independent Bookstore Day (“CIBD”). This cross-country, annual event highlights the importance of independent bookstores in Canadian culture and encourages readers to show support by visiting their local store online or in person.
Canadian Independent Bookstore Day in Vancouver
Many independent bookstores will launch their own creative ideas, ranging from maps of local indies in the neighbourhood, to events and readings, scavenger hunts, contests and displays. Here are some ways you can participate in Canadian Independent Bookstore Day:
Buy books
Purchase books and other items in-person, online, or by phone to show your support and to enter the annual Contest for Book Lovers. This contest gives readers the opportunity to win one of three gift cards worth $250, $500, and $1,000 to an independent bookstore of the winner’s choosing. Each book purchased at a participating bookstore counts as one entry into the contest. Books by Canadian writers and illustrators are worth double.
Check out bookstore activities
Local shops across Canada are planning celebratory activities for the big day including customer giveaways, discounts, exclusive products, author events, and more.
In Vancouver, follow Iron Dog Books, Massy Books, Paper Hound, PulpFiction, Black Bond Books and Book Warehouse, Kidsbooks, Banyen Books, Spartacus Books, Hager Books, and Upstart & Crow to see what they have planned for April 29th.
Independent Bookstores in Canada
There are more than 275 bookstores and counting in Canada. Many stores have weathered the pandemic and across North America there has even been a 49% growth in the number of independent bookstores opening between 2009 and 2018. For many book buyers, the pandemic underscored the importance of community and culture.
The initiative has significant benefits for independent bookstores. 2022 sales during the week of CIBD increased by an average of 17% compared to the preceding week, and 175 bookstores across the country reported an increase in sales of 25% or more.
This, in turn, supports Canadian creators. Independent bookstores sell more books by Canadian contributors than their counterparts — sales by Canadian contributors made up 20% of independent bookstore sales, compared to 13% sold from other retailers.
Canadian Independent Bookstore Day grew from “Canadian Authors for Indies Day,” launched in 2015 by Janie Chang, who encouraged hundreds of authors to support independent bookstores on a particular day through readings, signings and other activities.
Follow CIBD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our info about the campaign throughout the month of April.
