National Wear it Pink Day in Canada is May 27th, 2010. The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers (formerly known as the Weekend to End Breast Cancer) started the campaign in order to raise awareness for their upcoming event this summer, benefiting BC Cancer Foundation.
One in seven women will be diagnosed with breast or gynecologic cancers in their lifetime
The campaign joined forces to fight all women’s cancers and this will be the first year under the new banner title. Women’s cancers include Breast, Ovarian, Cervical Cancer, Uterine, Vaginal, and Vulvar. The Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women’s Cancers will take place August 14-15, 2010 and will travel throughout Vancouver along with other major cities across the country.
Registration is now open and you can show your support early by wearing pink on May 27th.
After a bit of a break from the Then and Now series I’ve decided to get it up and running again. Usually I explore the Vancouver Archives online database however I’ll be pulling from the Vancouver Public Library‘s collection for today’s “then” images. The “now” images have been captured from Google Maps.
1908 – Hamilton & Pender. Photographer / Studio: Timms, Philip
2009 – Google Maps
1922 – Main & Broadway. Photographer / Studio: Timms, Philip
2009 – Google Maps
1900s – Homer & Dunsmuir. Photographer / Studio: Timms, Philip
2009 – Google Maps
1900 – Georgia & Thurlow. Photographer / Studio: Carre, W.H.
2009 – Google Maps
If you would like to suggest a theme for next week please feel free to do so in the comments or by contacting me online.
Zachary Stevenson in the Arts Club’s
Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Photo by Tim Matheson
The Arts Club presents Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at the Stanley Theatre on now until July 12, 2010.
It’s the world’s most successful rock ‘n’ roll musical and has been viewed by more than 20 million people across the globe.
“Peggy Sue,†“That’ll Be the Day,†“Oh Boy,†“Not Fade Awayâ€â€”the list of hit songs penned by Buddy Holly goes on and on. By his untimely death, the legend had already changed popular music forever.
Vibrant and celebratory, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story highlights the talent and passion that lives on in his music and continues to thrill audiences long after they dance out of the theatre.
Engagement: On now until July 11th, 2010
(12 shows already sold out)
Location: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, 2750 Granville Street
Information: Arrangement with Alan Janes for Theatre Partners – By Alan Janes and Rob Bettinson
I have two tickets to give away for the performance May 27th and I also have a special dinner pairing to offer as well.
The winner of this prize will enjoy a four-course meal for two at West, a South Granville restaurant that recently won Gold for Best Service, Bronze for Restaurant of the Year, and Bronze for Best Last Course per Vancouver Magazine.
Dinner at West will be arranged for 5:00pm on the 27th so that the winner and their guest may enjoy their meal and then head across the street to see the musical at the Stanley.
To enter to win please leave a comment on this post. I’ll draw the winner Monday May 24th.
Update May 25th I drew the winner’s name randomly and it was… Lacy. Congratulations and have a fantastic night out! I’d like to thank everyone for sharing their stories and experiences, it was so interesting to read all the entries. Please do get some tickets for the show if you can, it will be amazing.
Fine print: The approximate value of the dinner for two is $150 (beverages & gratuity are additional).
The Vancouver Art Gallery is icon in our city and was a central hub of activity during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and although the building won’t be going anywhere… it’s what’s inside that counts.
A relocation, that would see it move out of the old courthouse building, has been in the works for a few years. The first plan was to build a new facility for the art gallery in North East False Creek to accompany the expanding collection however plans have changed.
The 604 Homes Blog covered the then-approved move in 2008:
“Late last week the City of Vancouver approved the plan to build a brand new art gallery on the site of the old Plaza of Nations. The re-development would also include the a number of new highrise condo buildings, a new retractable roof for BC Place and retail opportunities around a new plaza. Although this area is a bit dead at the moment. I do see the possibilities for this area in the future. It could work as a link between the International Village / Tinseltown area condos and False Creek, especially once Concord Pacific builds its last False Creek towers (in the area that looks like a parking lot to the left (east) in this photo.”
However, that plan became unraveled as Frances Bula explains in her post from 2009:
“As I mentioned in my previous post, there are lots of simmering undercurrents in the city’s attempts to plan Northeast False Creek. One of the biggest is what is happening with the Vancouver Art Gallery. If you’ll recall, Premier Gordon Campbell made the strangest announcement of all time last May when he said the gallery would be relocating to a site near the old Expo Plaza of Nations. That was even though he is 1. not the owner of the land 2. not the director of the art gallery 3. not a city planner or council member. Whatever.
There was an obscure line in the news release saying that the landowner, Canadian Metropolitan Properties, which now owns the Plaza of Nations land, was willing to allow the gallery to move there in return for ‘future development considerations’ from the city. We’ve NEVER had the details on what all of that meant and neither has the city. Staffers to this day will talk about how the announcement came as a ‘total surprise’ to them, even though they were in the midst of allegedly trying to plan this area.”
With the North East False Creek expansion and relocation squashed, the next candidate property is the old bus depot at Cambie and Georgia. There is even a website up to provide information about the proposed move. “We’ve outgrown our Robson Square site and need a new building built specifically for our needs,” states the website.
Reasons to Move the Art Gallery
As listed on the New Van Art Gallery website…
- Only 3% of our permanent collection is on view at any given time. Our vault is full to overflowing. The Gallery has had to resort to costly off site storage for part of the permanent collection.
- Line-ups and overcrowding during exhibitions. The Vancouver Art Gallery’s permanent exhibition space is 10 times smaller than the average North American museum.
- We have no dedicated space for educational and school programs.
- We have no theatre, lecture hall or gathering space. That means no room for family and adult programs, artist’s talks, lectures and special events.
- We believe we have a responsibility to look to the future. That means a new, purpose-built Gallery that will serve and excite visitors and residents for decades to come.
To many who live in or visit Vancouver, the Art Gallery is a centrepiece of the downtown core. It’s home to rallies, protests, festivals, entertainment, and steps to sit and people-watch. Originally the city’s courthouse, the building was designed by architect Francis Mawson Rattenbury, who also designed the provincial legislature buildings and the Fairmont Empress in Victoria.
1910s – Archives item#: CVA 789-94
The first Vancouver Art Gallery opened in 1931 at 1145 West Georgia – a property donated by Henry Reifel. In 1945, Emily Carr donated 145 paintings and sketches to the collection. It wasn’t until October 15, 1983 that the Vancouver Art Gallery opened in its current location, in the old courthouse building.
Having lived in its current location for just under 30 years, many are vehemently opposed to having the gallery move outside of its central location downtown. “The City asked people to show their support by contacting council but today’s Globe and Mail reports, they’ve counted only seven emails so far,” says News 1130.
If you have an opinion about the move for the Vancouver Art Gallery the City would really like to know. There is a public forum regarding the proposed move tonight at Robson Square starting at 7:00pm.
One of my favourite websites about our city, Vancouver is Awesome, is venturing into late night next week. While they don’t plan on rivaling Leno’s scripted laughs or Fallon’s dance moves, they just might top Craig Ferguson’s awesomeness. The best part is, we’re all invited to take part.
A Night at MOV with Conor Holler, Volume 1 will take place next Friday, May 28th and will be hosted by Conner Holler whose web series Mental Beast has recently been nominated for a Leo Award (aka the Canadian Oscars).
Bob Kronbauer, Managing Editor and Executive Director of Vancouver is Awesome gave me the rundown. “It’s kind of like a classic talk show – desk, couch, host, intro, musical interlude – all that sort of stuff except with a Vancouver angle and for a younger audience.”
Holler will interview and host Charles Demers (comedian and author of Vancouver Special), Grant Lawrence (CBC Radio 3 personality and author of the forthcoming book Adventures in Solitude) and musical guest Dan Mangan.
“We’re putting a lot of work into it,” said Bob. “The guests will be super interesting, there will be sketches in between, a video component, and it should just be really fun.” The evening will also be co-hosted by writer Craig Anderson.
Doors (and the cash bar) for the evening open at 7:00pm with the show beginning at 8:00pm. Audience members will also get to enjoy an after party and the chance to stick around and explore the Museum of Vancouver’s exhibits such as Fox, Fluevog, and Friends.
Vancouver is Awesome is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated to the study, promotion and preservation of Vancouver arts and culture, with a positive spin. They have partnered with the Museum of Vancouver to host events as “programmers in residence” so this is the first of several prime-time specials to come.
Add yourself to the Facebook event to mark your calendar and be sure to scoop up your tickets for $25 (or $30 at the door).
