Vaisakhi Day will be celebrated in Vancouver and Surrey this month with two major parades and surrounding festivals.
Vaisakhi marks both the New Year and the anniversary of one of anniversary of one of Sikhism’s most important events, the establishment of Khalsa in 1699 with the first Amrit ceremony [source].
Vancouver
Date: April 16, 2011 beginning around 11:00am
Where: Starts at the Ross Street Temple (8000 Ross Street at 64th) in Vancouver.
Info: Take transit as there will be many road closures nearby.
Surrey
Date: April 23, 2011 beginning around 10:00am
Where: Starts at the Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar Temple (12885 85th Ave) in Surrey.
Info: One of the largest Vaisakhi parades outside of India. Community businesses do food giveaways, there will be singing, dancing, and many festivities.
This global occasion is also a time to celebrate our local Sikh community, which has a very important place in Metro Vancouver history — especially rising above the tragedy of the Komagata Maru incident almost a hundred years ago. The Sikh temple in Abbotsford is a National Historic Site and there was even an older temple in Vancouver at one time. Vaiskhi is a great time to get out and enjoy the history and culture (and delicious food) of our diverse communities.
It’s my pleasure to introduce a new series on Miss604.com over the next few weeks, in partnership with backyardbc.com, that will promote and support local tourism.
backyardbc is a new travel website designed specifically for residents of British Columbia. Essentially a “be a tourist in your own backyard” program, participating hotels & resorts offer residents of BC exclusive rates and specials, designed to motivate BCers to travel more within the Province. Each offer has its own unique reservation code, and all bookings are done directly with our hotel and resort partners. Visit backyardbc online, on Twitter, or Facebook and see more of BC!
With the most beautiful province right at our doorsteps, staying local for family getaways and fun with friends is more popular than ever. backyardbc and I have hotel and resort giveaways stacked up and ready to go to one lucky reader every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks. Each BC Travel Tuesday will highlight the property that is sponsoring the prize, starting with…
Image courtesy of Delta Victoria
Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort and Spa
Website, Twitter, Facebook, backyardbc listing
Location: 45 Songhees Road, Victoria, BC
About: Ideally located on Victoria’s breathtaking inner harbour, it’s a short 5 minute walk from downtown. You can walk or hop a shuttle to the Legislative Buildings, the Royal BC Museum, popular restaurants & great shopping. Features include the indoor solarium pool, hot tub, 24-hour fitness centre, racquet/squash, outdoor tennis courts, along with the award-winning spa.
Prize: 2 nights in a Deluxe Inner Harbour Room overlooking Victoria’s Inner Harbour, including complimentary parking and high speed internet access.
Value: $600
To enter to win, leave a comment on this post and/or post the following on Twitter:
Winners will be announced every Tuesday on the latest BC Travel Tuesday contest post until the 10 weeks are up. Gift certificates for hotel and resort stays will be sent directly to each weekly winner so they can arrange their visit personally with the property. Some restrictions apply, based on availability.
Update This contest ended April 19th and the winner was Tamara.
The Vancouver Archives will be hosting a panel discussion at the UBC Robson Square Lecture Theatre April 26th called “Legacies, Lessons, and the Future: Harland Bartholomew’s Master Plan and Papers on the City of Vancouver, 1926-1948”.
1928 – Vancouver Town Planning Commission, Harland Bartholomew and Associates. Archives Item# PD 3113
In 1926, Harland Bartholomew and Associates were commissioned by the Vancouver Town Planning Commission to develop the first master plan for the burgeoning City of Vancouver. While A Plan for the City of Vancouver British Columbia including Point Grey and South Vancouver and a General Plan of the Region was never officially adopted, it was the first major document to unite the City which was, until then, divided between Point Grey, South Vancouver, and Vancouver. Beginning with this Master plan in 1926 until the end of his commission in 1948, Bartholomew wrote over 20 separate reports and documents and provided the first comprehensive urban visions and plans for today’s Vancouver.
Presented by Bing Thom Architects and UBC School of Community and Regional Planning, it will take a look at old plans for Vancouver and how our city has shaped up (and continues to be formed) through planning, building, and roadways. The panel is free to attend however registration online in advance is required. Track the conversation online using the Twitter tag #bartplan before and after the panel.
You can visit the Vancouver Archives’ extensive collection of digitized artifacts anytime online or visit them in near Vanier Park from 9:00-5:00pm Monday to Friday. You can also check out their cool new blog, AuthentiCity, to get a behind the scenes look at their volunteers, processes, and collections.
CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Play On!, the nation’s largest annual sports festival, announced its coast-to-coast line-up this week including a few of its stops in BC.
Photo credit:
kk+ on Flickr
Hockey will take to the streets in Kelowna May 14 & 15 and June 11 & 12 Burnaby as they join 16 other cities across Canada for this national event. Players of all skill levels and ages are invited to sign up online and register their teams.
With Canada becoming more culturally diverse, sport preferences changing, and with only approximately 3% of Canadians now actually playing ice hockey, it has been estimated that there are at least three times as many people in Canada who have played street hockey as who have played ice hockey.
Kelowna’s event will be at Prospera Place and Metropolis at Metrotown will host Burnaby’s. Partners for these two cities are the BC Ball Hockey Association, and the BC Floorball Association. Proceeds from these tournaments will also support the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
Miss604.com is a proud sponsor of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada Play On!
It’s been four years since I wrote my first “Downtown Vancouver Patio Guide” and since then dozens of new eateries, cafes, and lounges have opened up in the open air. When the springtime sun shines and the cherry blossoms pop, patio dining is on everyone’s mind. Relax at lunch, have a romantic dinner, people-watch, or enjoy panoramic vistas.
The Sequoia Company of Restaurants are fortunate to operate some of the very best patios that our fair city has to offer and to celebrate patio season, they are giving a $100 gift certificate to a lucky Miss604.com reader.
All you need to do is let us know which of their patios is your favourite. Leave a comment or publish one of these updates to Twitter (including your favourite patio’s handle).
Teahouse in Stanley Park
Website, my blog post
Located at Ferguson Point along Stanley Park Drive it was recently voted “Most Romantic” restaurant in the Georgia Straight’s readers’ choice awards.
Seasons in the Park (at QE Park)
Website, my blog post
Enjoy panoramic views of the city from the top of Queen Elizabeth Park where they host their popular Seasons Winebar series.
Cardero’s (Coal Harbour)
Website
Perched right above the water at Coal Harbour they host hockey nights, prime rib night, and fresh oyster specials.
The Sandbar (Granville Island)
Website
The Sandbar also picked up a Georgia Straight readers’ choice award for “Best Restaurant to Hang Out on a Rainy Day” but it’s patio along the bustling False Creek waterway is a highlight on Granville Island.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on April 25th and they will receive $100 to dine at the Sequoia patio of their choice.
Update The winner is Iain – congratulations!
