It may just be my English blood, or the fact that I saw a great movie recently, but I have become increasingly interested in the visits of British royalty to Vancouver throughout the last century.

May 1939 – King George VI & Queen Elizabeth greeted by Mayor & Mrs. Telford at the C.P.R. Station.
Archives Item# Q P3.2

It was in the summer of 1939 that His Royal Highness King George VI toured across Canada with his consort Queen Elizabeth, “to bolster trans-Atlantic support in the event of war, and to affirm Canada’s status as a self-governing kingdom sharing with Britain the same person as monarch.” Vancouver was included in the trip by rail and the regal pair stopped at the CPR station in Gastown, City Hall, New Westminster, and Surrey.

May 1939 – King George VI & Queen Elizabeth arrive in Vancouver. Archives Item# CVA 371-100

While parks, theatres, and schools bear the name Elizabeth or Elizabeth II today, King George VI has but King George Boulevard (formerly King George Highway & Peach Arch Highway) and subsequently King George SkyTrain station in Surrey named in his honor.

May 1939 – King George VI & Queen Elizabeth. Archives Item# K and Q P8

King George VI passed away in 1952 and was succeeded by his daughter, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. His wife Elizabeth – or as I she was referenced when I was growing up, The Queen Mother – took kindly to Canada and visited more often than others on official and private trips. She was even quoted as telling two war veterans in Quebec, “I am a Canadian!”

May 1939 – King George VI & Queen Elizabeth on viewing stand at City Hall. Archives Item# K and Q P2

His Majesty’s name may not be emblazoned on the title line of plaques or building names in Vancouver however his visit in 1939 was monumental. George IV and Elizabeth II officially opened the Lions Gate Bridge on May 26, 1939 and in 1958 a statue was carved of the king, which now stand by the Woodward Biomedical Library at UBC.

If you have some extra time one day, and if you search very carefully, you may even find the King George VI oak tree that was planted near Brockton Point in Stanley Park on May 12, 1937 on the day of his coronation.

Surrey Winterfest returns for the fourth year next month for a full day of free family fun at Central City. John and I have been covering Winterfest since it first started in 2008 and it’s been fun to watch it grow — especially last year when it transformed into one of the most successful Vancouver 2010 celebration sites. This year the kids activities, food vendors, and maybe even the stilt walkers return Saturday, February 26th, 2011.

Festivities and concerts will run from 12:00pm until 10:00pm with an Olympic Flashback Ceremony at 6:00pm over on the main stage. Free activities include the toboggan hill, the outdoor skating surface, curling zone, road hockey, Kids World, Storyville, the Sustainability Zone, Right to Play / Adaptive Sports, and more.

Live entertainment includes performances by Stef Lang, Shaun Verreault of Wide Mouth Mason, Dr. Strangelove, Kyprios, and headliners Hot Hot Heat. On the secondary stage on the SFU mezzanine they’ll have the Surrey City Orchestra, Surrey Celebration Dance Team, SOULdiers & B-Boys, and Elite’s Most Wanted Bhangra. All shows are free and open to the public.

Winterfest is accessible by SkyTrain, located near the Surrey City Centre station and you can follow @Surrey_Events on Twitter for updates and information.

It’s no secret that Vancouver breeds and nurtures some amazing artistic talents; from Group of Seven members to the contemporary artists of today who get to showcase their works in cafes, galleries, and under the spotlight of the PuSh Festival or last year’s Cultural Olympiad. Some of my favourite Vancouver art is that which depicts our own surroundings — and it’s not always created by locals.

Our colleague Jason has been putting together a wonderful blog called Illustrated Vancouver where he simply posts images of Vancouver that have been sketched, drawn or painted, throughout modern history.

Windy Day, Vancouver from the 1940s, a numbered print seen
for sale by alexandremaps.com at the Vancouver Antiquarian Book Fair, 2010.
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Seabus by Jessica Gabriel; a large scale oil paint, mixed media and carving on board.
Opening Tuesday, November 30, 2010 till January 2, 2011 at the Cultch.
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Ode to Kingsway, Volume One, featuring Wally’s Burgers, drawn by Bambi Edlund
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Ovaltine Cafe, 2010 oil on canvas by Will Rafuse, as seen at the Ian Tan Gallery
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The site is updated several times a week so I recommend browsing the archives and visiting often to check out the street scene and landscape eye-candy from the talented artists whose works are featured.

This morning Premier Gordon Campbell, author and artist Douglas Coupland, and Terry’s parents gathered to unveil Coupland’s design for the new Terry Fox Memorial at BC Place.

Artist: Douglas Coupland. Illustration by: David Weir, Mauricio Pommella, Douglas Coupland.

“In creating this piece, I wanted to ensure we captured the very essence of what Terry’s run was all about,” said Coupland at this morning’s press conference. “By creating four sculptures depicting the four distinct movements that made up his unusual gait, the aim was to help people understand the pain and suffering he endured to reach his goal. For those of us who actually remember seeing his run on the nightly news 30 years ago, the four sculptures will always remind us of the commitment he made, and his unwavering courage.”

Artist: Douglas Coupland. Illustration by: Mauricio Pommella, David Weir, Douglas Coupland.

“Doug Coupland has always been willing to call on his writing and artistic talents on our behalf to help ensure future generations have an appreciation for Terry’s efforts,” added Betty and Rolly Fox, Terry’s mother and father. “We were confident, based on Doug’s considerable knowledge of Terry’s story and his enthusiasm, that he would capture Terry’s values of courage, hope and determination, and he’s certainly done that in this new memorial.”

Located at the foot of Robson Street the new bronze memorial (that has Terry running West, growing in size) will be complete in the fall in line with BC Place’s grand re-opening. “The work by acclaimed author Coupland is part of B.C. Pavilion Corporation’s $380,000 replacement of the 1984-installed, Roman-inspired triumphal arch.” [Bob Mackin, 24 Hours]

Learn more about the Terry Fox Research Institute and the Terry Fox Foundation online.

Vancouver launched its 125th anniversary celebration campaign last night, in conjunction with the opening night of the PuSh Festival. It was announced that the City has 125 events planned throughout the year which are being made possible by various levels of funding, including the grants that come with being a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2011. Aside from community events, workshops, lectures, history series and exhibits, there will be two major city festivals.

Birthday Live
Date: Mid-afternoon and evening, April 6, 2011
Location: Jack Poole Plaza (Vancouver Convention Centre West)
The Olympic cauldron will be re-lit for Birthday Live which will celebrate with a free, fun-filled, family-friendly event that honours our city’s diversity, First Nations heritage and distinction as a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2011. The will include live music and entertainment, innovative visual art, children’s activities and more. Vancouver’s Mayor Gregor Robertson and other dignitaries will be on hand for official ceremonies including lighting the cauldron and cutting a big birthday cake.

Summer Live
Date: July 8-10, 2011
Location: Stanley Park
Summer Live will be a free, family-friendly, multi-day festival in Stanley Park. There will be a chance to explore First Nations heritage, participate in sporting events and demonstrations, dance, watch live music, experience local food, and more.

Your source for all events, information, volunteering and more is CelebrateVancouver125.ca. You can also follow @Vancouver125 for updates on Twitter.