Sinclair Centre, who recently celebrated its 100th anniversary, is hosting Canada Day celebrations over the course of three days.
Where
Sinclair Centre (757 West Hastings Street)
When
June 28 – June 30, 2010
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I first heard of Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens when I played Vancouveropoly with my brother and sister when I was little and sadly it took me about 25 years to finally make my first trip to urban oasis.
Growing up in Surrey we didn’t make it into the city for many of our adventures. Instead, we headed East, went for drives through the valley, went camping, etc. This is the reason I haven’t done many typical “touristy” Vancouver things until recent years (such as my first trip up Grouse Mountain in 2009). It also wasn’t until 2009 that I took my first stroll through the garden in Chinatown and discovered its serenity.
I visited again a few months ago however I had never been in the “paid” part of the gardens until yesterday. Whichever way you chose to explore, this is certainly a special place in our city.
The white noise of the city fades away as giant koi swim by, passing turtles who slowly make their way from one lilly pad bed to another. Stone paths meander through groves of black bamboo and under the canopy of cascading willows.
I wandered in and out of the separate gardens and rooms with Bob from Vancouver is Awesome. It was a fantastic place to meet up and really chat for the first time about our various projects and the spotlight we each shine on our city.
The gardens are open daily from 10:00am until 6:00pm and while you can explore quite a bit for free however admission to the other half, which is much bigger than I imagined, is $14 for adults. They also host special events throughout the year and you can follow them on Twitter @VanGarden for updates.
This summer Pull Focus, an independent Gastown-based non-profit film school, will be partnering aspiring filmmakers and non-profit organizations as a part of their filmmaking for social change program.
Those interested in filmmaking can take one of five summer courses to learn everything from the basics of editing to producing documentaries. Students are not required to have a background in film but should have an interest in grassroots filmmaking and arrive prepared to plot out an idea for a documentary. The student films provide multimedia content that some organizations might not be able to afford on their own. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Last night I was a guest on CJSF 90.1FM‘s Sound Therapy Radio broadcast live from Gallery Gachet in the Gastown. Tuesday Night Live is a weekly program hosted by Jay Peachy and Ryan Fletcher aimed at exploring the Art of the Mind.
The program focuses on issues of mental wellness, creative expression and personal sustainability. Their work was recently recognized by the National Campus Community and Campus Radio Association (NCRA) for the Homelessness Marathon – Artist Edition broadcast. The live episode of Sound Therapy Radio was recorded live in front of a studio audience at the W2 Culture and Media House and was broadcast to over 30 stations across the country. The 3-hour episode featured homeless artists and musicians and gave them an opportunity for a voice and performance on air.
Now Jay Peachy and Ryan Fletcher (along with a crew of volunteers) have taken the award-winning series on the road for broadcasts from Gallery Gachet and will soon move back over to W2.
It was great to be a part of the experience last night along with Lara Fitzgerald as they hosted uber-talented local singer/songwriters Diane Reyes as well as Garrett Kato.
The next episode will be June 22nd on 90.1FM. Follow @soundtherapyrad on Twitter for upcoming live broadcast locations.
The Working Gear Clothing Society provides trade appropriate clothing at no cost to low income men who are looking for work.
Mission statement: To relieve poverty by providing interview clothing and/or industry appropriate clothing to low income or unemployed men in search of employment.
The Society says these are men who are job ready, but lack something as simple as a pair of work boots or even a suit and dress shoes for an interview — kind of along the lines of what Dress for Success does for women. This summer they’re launching the “No Small Feet” campaign to collect 400 pairs of steel-toed work boots by September 1st, 2010.
They are looking for steel-toed work boots and shoes although they will also accept financial donations that can be used to purchase these supplies. Volunteers are available to pick up goods and donations in person July 2nd, August 6th, and September 3rd.
Donations can also be dropped off in person at Working Gear Clothing Society (87 East Pender Street) on Saturdays from 10:00am-2:00pm. Please call ahead (604) 880-5040 or email workinggear[at]gmail.com to schedule a pickup or to let them know you’ll be stopping by.
Working Gear is a registered Canadian charity and monetary donations can be made online through CanadaHelps. You can follow updates about the campaign on Twitter @WorkingGear.
