The Vancouver YWCA announced today that it is now accepting nominees for the 2011 Women of Distinction Awards. I am pleased to once again be the social media sponsor for the event and after the overwhelming support for the nominees last year (before the awards, with voting, and during my ceremony liveblog) I’m looking forward to another fabulous and inspirational event.
Women of Distinction can be nominated in the following categories:
- Arts, Culture & Design
- Business & the Professions
- Community Building
- Education, Training & Development
- Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- Health & Active Living
- Non-Profit & Public Service
- Technology, Science & Industry
- Young Woman of Distinction
- Innovative Workplace
Nominees must live and work (individuals) or operate (businesses and organizations) within the Metro Vancouver region bounded by and including Hope, Pemberton, Sunshine Coast and the United States border. Full details for the nomination process can be found online. Deadline for submissions is Monday, March 7, 2011 at 5:30pm.
Follow the awards on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for updates and specific event information.
The anniversary celebrations and events for Vancouver’s 125th anniversary will launch tonight in partnership with the PuSh Festival. From now until the end of 2011, the City and various organizations will be hosting events, workshops, exhibits and more to showcase 125 years of Vancouver. My weekly history series will remain but have a “Vancouver 125” focus on specific dates and events. This series is dedicated to the tremendous life and work of Chuck Davis.
January 17
1887: The Hudson’s Bay Co. opened up in Vancouver and sold items such as saws, axes and lanterns that were listed as “necessities of life”. It would have a more permanent location on Granville and Georgia in the 1890s.
1893 – Hudson’s Bay Co., looking North on Granville from Georgia.
Photographers: Bailey Bros. Vancouver Archives Item# Bu P560
January 18
1973: An old brewery on Granville Island was renovated and named the Creekhouse, becoming the first building on the island to be converted from industrial use.
January 19
1934: Prime Minister R.B. Bennett spoke to the Board of Trade at the Hotel Vancouver, saying “Canada is a world example of successful weathering of this depression.â€
January 20
1980: The newly renovated Carnegie Building opened its doors as a community centre. Built in 1903, it was Vancouver’s first public library.
January 21
1935: 43 centimetres of snow fell on Vancouver and with gale winds, temperatures dropped to -26C. This caused the roof on the Hastings Park Forum to collapse. The roof was repaired and as the PNE Forum it hosted the PCHL Vancouver Canucks from 1948 to 1969.
1931 – Hastings Park Forum. Photographer: Stuart Thomson.
Vancouver Archives Item# CVA 99-4015
Follow @Vancouver125 on Twitter for news and event updates. My applicable history posts also have the additional tag Vancouver125.
Last night I hopped on a Vancouver Trolley and I had no idea where I was going. As a guest of the Secret Supper Soirée, all I knew is that the trolley would take us to three locations (that were not restaurants) where we would enjoy four wine pairings and six dinner courses. As it is a secret supper tour, I will not divulge the locations, however some may be able to take a few guesses based on my photos.
Location One
Location Two
Location Three
The food almost took a back seat to the experience on this culinary journey as I visited locations in Vancouver that I have never had the chance of exploring before. With a glass of wine in hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the iconic, unique, and historic venues that I had only previously read (or written) about.
The Secret Supper Soirée runs for five more nights, January 15, 28, and 29 as well as February 4 and 5, 2011 departing from the Pacific Central station at 6:00pm sharp. You will have plenty of time at each stop to wander, purchase additional hand-crafted cocktails, and enjoy your courses. The tour host will give everyone 15, 10, and 5 minute warnings before the trolley departs for the next venue.
The cost is $79 per person without wine pairings, or $119 with wine, and guests can make requests based on dietary requirements/restrictions when you book. I would recommend the tour for a group (of at least 3) as it’s a very social experience — fancy dress is also encouraged.
Update All tours are sold out however you can check out other upcoming culinary events from the organizers, Swallow Tail Canada.
Disclosure: cmp.ly/2
Darren Barefoot, owner of Capulet Communications and one of the first-ever Vancouver bloggers, is currently on a mission to live all of 2011 “Canadian”. What this means is that for the next twelve months he will consume Canadian food, Canadian media, and wear Canadian-made clothing while blogging about the entire process.
When I asked Darren why he’s has made this challenge for himself he said that he’s mostly just seeing if it can be done. “I’m curious to discover how much of a Canadian life one can live, or how restricted my life will end up being by the end of the year. I’m also interested in thinking more about what I consume, so this seemed like a good way to make the research fun. Finally, I’m a bit of a patriot, so if there are
opportunities to uncover great Canadian products, services or ideas, that would be delightful.”
He will be dividing the year into 12 sections, one for each month, where he will layer on another level of restrictions. Starting off with ‘household goods’ the year will wrap up with ‘internet’ in December. “The categories are cumulative, so it’s pretty easy right now (though I have started carrying hand sanitizer everywhere, because I can’t use soap out in the world),” said Darren.
“The suffering will increase, and there’s a reason I put “Internet’ in December. That will be a challenge. So, too, will food, but only because I’m not a foodie at all, so it’ll be quite the effort to start to care that much about what goes in my mouth.”
Living in Vancouver it’s very possible to ‘live local’ or at least adhere to a 100 Mile Diet of sorts. I wondering if Darren were living and blogging from somewhere else (as he’s done in the past), if the game plan would be any different. “It’s definitely easier to be in Vancouver. Not only are there local farmer’s markets and organic grocery stores, but also local clothing and furniture designers I can connect with. If I was in a smaller town or away from the green ethos of the west coast, I’d have fewer options beyond big box stores and franchies. Mind you, I anticipate getting a lot of products shipped to me from other parts of the country, so the Vancouver advantage may not necessarily be enormous.”
You can follow Darren’s One Year, One Canadian blog or Twitter account for progress reports. He will also be running monthly contests starting with a $50 MEC gift card giveaway for January.
Granville Island is on almost everyone’s “must see” list when they visit or live in Vancouver. Whether you enjoy it for the arts or artisans, baked goods or butchers, restaurants or views, it has a little something for everyone and Granville Island Works would like to know what you love the most.
From now until February 10, 2011, you can enter the Granville Island storytelling contest online by telling your story (maximum 300 words) about why you love Granville Island. If you have an entry that includes photos or videos, you can email your story and accompanying documents to stories [at] granvilleislandworks [dot] com. The grand prize includes a full day out with dinner, a craft session in an open studio, and a boat cruise. Secondary prizes range from jewellery (designed on the island) to kayak rentals.
Personally, some of my favourite days in the city have been walking down to the False Creek Ferry dock near the Aquatic Centre and cruising over to Granville Island. With my husband or a group of friends we would get some coffee, pain au chocolat from La Baguette et L’Echalote, and stroll around the island on a photowalk. Children and tourists would be feeding french fries to hovering sea gulls while buskers sing acoustic folk tunes or slipped their way out of straightjackets. Snow-capped mountains peek out from behind a glass city while the murky waters of False Creek flow out into English Bay under the span of the Burrard Bridge. After picking up produce and fresh cuts of meat from the market for our meal that evening, we would reach for our return trip ticket on the ferry and sail toward home. Days like those are just one of the many reasons why I love Vancouver, and Granville Island.
Some Granville Island Storytelling contest entries are already posted online. Follow Granville Island Works on Twitter or Facebook for contest updates and other news.
