The 5th annual Homelessness Action Week is happening right now in Vancouver with the goal of increasing awareness about the issue, finding solutions, and taking action.
Actions that you can take include learning about the causes of homelessness, adding your voice to the discussion and call to action, and volunteering in the community.
Events this week include:
October 13th, 11:00am – 2:00pm
The Gathering Place (609 Helmcken St)
Event will provide services for the homeless including meals, hair cuts, foot care, basic medical care, bike repair and more.
October 14th, 1:00pm – 5:00 pm
Broadway Youth Resource Centre’s 11th Annual Open House (691 E Broadway)
The celebration coincides with Homelessness Action week so they are asking those attending to bring a non-perishable food item, or a pair of new socks.
October 15th, 10:00am – 3:00pm
Vancouver Homeless Connect (151 W Cordova St)
Event will provide services for the homeless including meals, hair cuts, foot care, basic medical care, bike repair and more.
You can fill out an online survey to inquire about volunteer opportunities or stop by one of these events. You can also help year-round by supporting organizations such as the Union Gospel Mission, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, and Covenant House.
Jumping between mud puddles and crunchy multicoloured leaves on the forest floor, Fall is my favourite time of year to enjoy the trails and scenery of our local parks. It’s not too late to leaf peep around Metro Vancouver as lush green leaves slowly turn to fiery orange on rain-soaked branches. One of the best places to enjoy the season is Queen’s Park in New Westminster.
Getting Here
Coming from the Valley, take the Pattullo Bridge’s Royal Ave exit. Loop around and then turn right on 1st Street then right on 3rd Avenue. From Vancouver, you can take the Canada Way exit, following it all the way down to McBride and turning right into the park before you get to the Pattullo exit. You can also come up from Queensborough or Richmond via Royal Avenue, turning left at 6th then right on 3rd Avenue. By transit, you can take a 155 bus from the Braid Millenium Line SkyTrain station.
View Larger Map
Features
Queen’s Park has one of the best adventure playgrounds around and when I was little, we would play hide and seek with wild bunnies (or those that escaped the childrens farmyard). Within the park’s 75 acres there are sports fields for soccer, rugby (with uprights) or baseball, a waterpark, washrooms, rose gardens, a bandshell, tennis courts, and the arena (home of the Salmonbellies). There are also picnic shelters and a concession stand.
The trail network connects to the New Westminster Greenway system. I found an interesting self-guided walking tour outlined on this site that includes a stop at Irving House, the arena, and the park.
The neighbourhood around Queen’s Park (on the West side) is a great place to view Christmas lights during the holiday season as well. There are some beautiful homes that are always lit up in style.
1918 – Lovers Walk, Queen’s Park, New Westminster
Photographer: W. Brown,
Archives Accession Number: 3165
History
New Westminster Parks & Recreation was established in 1861, while the city was still the capital of BC (and five years before they moved the capital to Victoria). Queen’s Park was established in 1886, the same year that Vancouver was incorporated as a city.
Should you have a suggestion for the next Metro Vancouver or Fraser Valley park profile, please feel free to leave a note in the comments. I also accept guest posts should you wish to contribute your own piece about a local park.
The award-winning Peak Performance Project is now in its final stages. The top 20 musicians, artists and acts were announced, they all went to bootcamp, they all performed in live showcases over the last month, and now it’s time to vote for your favourite.
The finalists are:
Adaline (Vancouver)
41st and Home (Vancouver)
Acres of Lions (Victoria)
Aidan Knight (Victoria)
Behind Sapphire (Vancouver)
Ben Sigston (Vancouver)
Bodhi Jones (Vancouver)
Christina Maria (Surrey)
Christopher Arruda (Nanaimo)
Debra-Jean (Vancouver)
Greg Sczebel (Salmon Arm)
Jess Hill (Vancouver)
Kuba Oms (Victoria)
Kyprios (North Vancouver)
Parlour Steps (Vancouver)
Said the Whale (Vancouver)
Steph Macpherson (Victoria)
Vince Vaccaro (Victoria)
Yes Nice (Burnaby)
YUCA (Langley)
Public voting is open until midnight on October 18th. One vote per IP address is allowed. Be sure to support these talented local artists by way of voting, heading out to their shows, and requesting them for radio play.
Year two of The PEAK Performance Project will see an increase of overall funding to B.C. artists from $275,000 to $315,000 in development cash awards and will see all Top 20 artists receive artist development funding. The 1st place artist will receive $100,500, 2nd is $75,000, 3rd is $50,000, 4th is $10,000, 5th is $5,000 and all 20 finalists will receive $3500 each in initial artists development funding.
The $5.29 million PEAK Performance Project is designed to educate, promote, develop and hopefully launch the careers of some of British Columbia’s top emerging artists. It also hopes to foster the province’s music industry and create a sense of community amongst music professionals.
For over 80 years the Orpheum theatre on Granville Street has been far more than an iconic neon sign. Hosting concerts, comedy showcases, the VSO, and even my high school commencement ceremony, this gorgeous venue is an magnificent slice of Vancouver history.
The Orpheum
1929 –
VPL Accession Number: 11035. Photographer: Leonard Frank.
“All around the theatre, on every floor, are ornamental grace notes – murals, paintings and other art work, decorated wall fabrics, tiling, fancy balustrades, gilded mirrors, ironwork, ornate chandeliers, sconces, corbels, tapestries, plush carpeting, varied and exotic architectural embellishments – a never-ending feast for the eye.” – VancouverHistory
The theatre was built for $1 million in 1927, hosting Vaudeville acts and the latest motion pictures from Hollywood.
“Architect B. Marcus Priteca is recognized as the most accomplished theatre designer of his era in the American Northwest and Western Canada. This is the only surviving Canadian theatre designed by Priteca.” – City of Vancouver
Photo credit:
Pomax on Flickr
Over the years names like Garbo, Gable, Bogart, Bacall, Hepburn, Monroe, Olivier, Lancaster, Bette Davis, Jack Benny, and Alec Guinness graced the stage.
“By 1969, the Orpheum’s days appeared numbered. Cinema was facing heavy competition from television, and Famous Players was looking for ways to increase the return on its valuable downtown real estate. The planned conversion meant turning the large theatre into a multiplex. Rhonna Fleming a Community Arts Council (CAC) volunteer discovered the plans for the Orpheum when she began documenting its history in 1972. This was the beginning of the ‘Save the Orpheum’ campaign.” – City of Vancouver
The Orpheum was indeed “saved” by donations topping $432,000 and funding from various levels of government. In 1977, after a restoration process it re-opened featuring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
In 1994 it also became the starting point for the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame Starwalk that loops up and down Granville.
In 1995 it was upgraded and in 2009 it was refurbished once more as it was designated a National Historic Site. Coming up this year the Orpheum will host artists such as Sufjan Stevens, Great Big Sea, The Canadian Tenors and the 2010-2011 season of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Thanks to GayVancouver for recently hosting a night at the VSO which inspired this post.
Changing up the theme and pace of their usual annual fundraiser, the BC Hospitality Foundation presents Dish N’ Dazzle October 25th.
Dish N’ Dazzle will showcase 13 of BC’s top chefs and 6 high-caliber bartenders who will be participating in a cocktail contest throughout the evening.
Participating bartenders include Danielle Tatarin (Keefer Bar at The Keefer), Simon Ogden (Veneto Lounge at the Hotel Rialto), Shaun Layton (L’Abattoir), Lauren Mote (The Refinery), Shawn Soole (Clive’s Classic Lounge at Chateau Victoria), and Jacob Sweetapple (Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel).
Taking place in the Summit Room atop the Vancouver Convention Centre, Dish N’ Dazzle will have plenty of food, wine, live music, and a celebration honoring members of the hospitality industry.
The fundraising component will assist the BC Hospitality Foundation in taking care of their own — from servers to hosts, industry publicists, vintners and chefs — by way of providing financial assistance beyond traditional medical benefits.
Tickets are currently available along with package deals should you wish to stay overnight at the Pan Pacific Vancouver following the event that runs from 6:30pm – 9:30pm.
