The stars are coming to town in 2010 but not for rock shows at GM Place, they’ll be playing medal ceremonies and public open-air concerts from Whistler to Surrey.
Here’s a quick guide to who will be here, where they will be, and if you’ll be able to attend:
Vancouver
Vancouver Victory Ceremonies
To be held nightly inside BC Place during the Games. Tickets will be required for these performances. Go to the Vancouver2010 website and search for tickets under “Vancouver Victory Ceremonies”.
Sunday, February 14: Nelly Furtado
British Columbia night
Update January 15th, 2010: Just announced at LiveCity Vancouver… Constantines, Matisyahu, Marianas Trench, Corb Lund, Jessie Farrell, Colin James, Mother Mother, Coeur de Pirate, Jill Barber, Daniel Wesley, The Arkells, Keisha Chante
Molson Canadian Hockey House
Located on the North side of False Creek, there will be entertainment daily at Molson Canadian Hockey House.
Cultural Olympiad
The Cultural Olympiad will also be taking place during the Games and will include everything from drummers, dancers, singers, and every other kind of entertainment you can imagine around the City.
Richmond O Zone
Richmond’s O Zone is their official Celebration Site that will also host many forms of entertainment (art shows, big screens, ice skating, athletes and exhibits). It is completely free and taking place at Minoru Park (which is accessible by the Canada Line).
Bands listed so far include: Our Lady Peace, Hawksley Workman, Bedouin Soundclash, Tokyo Police Club and Wintersleep. There will also be World Beat rhythms, South Asian dance and music to Pan Northern sounds from above the Arctic Circle. The full schedule will be posted here.
Whistler
Whistler Medal Ceremonies
Performers will play one night each February 13 to 27 at the Whistler Medals Plaza. Tickets fare not for sale but will be given away for free through an online contest run by Tourism Whistler beginning January 4th.
The Crazy8s Film Festival is back for its 11th year in Vancouver. The festival challenges local filmmakers to write, direct, edit, and produce short films in 8 days using a budget of $800 and 60 minutes of HD tape.
Last Sunday at the Pitch Registration event, 115 teams signed up and they will now they have until January 15th to submit a 5-minute video pitch of their film idea. The teams responsible for what will be selected as the top 40 ideas will be invited back to pitch in person January 29th and 30th.
The field will then get narrowed down to 12 teams and after another round of jury selections, 6 teams will go into production on their film ideas, shooting and editing between March 18th and 26th.
To wrap up the Crazy8s festival, there will be a gala screening of the 6 finalist films at the Vogue Theatre March 27, 2010.
Crazy8s script-writing workshop from 2008
The films that come out of the Crazy8s festival go far, having been screened at over 150 international festivals with the filmmakers securing international distribution deals and licensing deals for TV or online. “There is nothing like Crazy8s anywhere else in Canada,†says event producer Erik Paulsson. “We are developing a reputation for producing some of the strongest short films coming out of this country. This has led to a significant number of our alumni going on to make their first feature films.”
You can follow their updates on Twitter or Facebook and stay tuned over the next few months to see how the teams’ pitches, ideas, and creations all come together.
With snow on everyone’s mind right now, and with the local mountains slightly occupied this February, I thought I would find out a bit more about going on a ski getaway.
The very first time I strapped on a pair of skis (which was also the last time I strapped on a pair of skis) I was on a school trip to Blackcomb back in 1992. The beauty of the big group trip to a ski resort is that there are so many activities and things to do so if you don’t end up being a fantastic skier (and say, end up being a snowboarder instead) you can still have a fantastic time.
Destination Snow has been in the ski trip business for 11 years and has grown to be the largest group ski & snowboard tour operator in British Columbia. When you book a package with a group tour operator like Destination Snow, usually you have the following included: 2 nights accommodation at a resort hotel, 2 day lift pass for the mountain, round trip deluxe bus transportation, movies & prizes along the way in the bus, daily ski or board tours with a guide.
Cameron said that they make it easier on people, you don’t need to worry about accommodation and especially about driving to these fabulous resorts (whose highways might not always be the friendliest in the dead of winter). Destination Snow currently operates trips to Sun Peaks, Big White, Silver Star, Revelstoke, and Whistler so you can choose your getaway accordingly.
They are also currently offering $50 off per person for trips January 8th-10th and January 15th-17th to Big White. Book now and just enter the code: “Facebook” to get the discount.
During the 2010 Winter Games it won’t just be Vancouver and Whistler bubbling with excitement, events, and festivities of global proportions. The City of Surrey is an official Celebration Site during the Olympics with Holland Park being the centre of it all.
From February 12th until February 28th you can check out daily concerts and activities at Holland Park in Surrey. Right between King George & Surrey Central SkyTrain stations it’s super easy to get to and you won’t have to worry about driving through “red zones” or finding a meter to park [Google Map]
“Staff have put together an impressive line-up of top-notch artists for Surrey’s Celebration Site at Holland Park,†said Mayor Dianne Watts. “I can’t think of a better way to be a part of the Olympic Spirit than enjoying some of Canada’s best LIVE talent!â€
Surrey House Stage
3:00pm Surrey 2010 Celebration Site Opens
4:00pm Uzume Taiko
4:30pm Wild Moccasins
5:00pm Surrey Celebration Dance Team
5:15pm Goh Ballet
5:30pm Jeremy Fisher
6:00pm Live Games Coverage – Opening Ceremonies
9:00pm Destineak featuring Westcoast Contortion
10:00pm Dehli 2 Dublin
Celebration Stage
4:00pm Surrey 2010 Celebration Site Launch
5:45pm Fire Show
6:00pm Live Games Coverage – Opening Ceremonies
9:00pm Fireworks
9:15pm Blue Rodeo and Friends
Saturday February 13, 2010
Surrey House Stage
12:00pm Chinese Parade
1:30pm Korean Traditional Art
2:30pm Ralph Shaw
3:30pm Langley Ukelele Ensemble
4:30pm Ariane Maryke Lemire
5:30pm George Leach
6:30pm Turanga Ararau Dancers
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:30pm Ache Brasil
8:30pm En Karma
10:00pm KS Makhan
Celebration Stage
12:00pm Chinese Parade
1:00pm Lion Dancers
2:00pm Martial Arts Demonstration
4:00pm Surrey Celebration Dance Team
6:00pm Wil
7:00pm Current Swell
8:00pm Jets Overhead
9:00pm Five Alarm Funk
10:00pm Daniel Wesley
Surrey House Stage
3:30pm Halifax Wharf Rats
4:00pm Live Games Coverage
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:30pm Ryan Dahle
8:15pm Bend Sinister
9:00pm Hot Hot Heat
Thursday February 18, 2010
Surrey House Stage
3:30pm Tainted Lovers
4:00pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Hockey – Canada vs. Switzerland
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:15pm Dustin Bentall
8:00pm Ridley Bent
9:00pm Corb Lund
Celebration Stage
ALL DAY Live Games Coverage
Friday February 19, 2010
Surrey House Stage
3:30pm Pan North
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:30pm Classical Nouveaux
8:30pm Alex Cuba
10:00pm Jully Black
Surrey House Stage
1:00pm Punjab Beat
1:45pm Shan E Punjab
2:30pm Vancouver Korean Dance Society
3:30pm Allez Ouest
4:30pm Shane Phillip
5:30pm Zuco 103
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:30pm Said The Whale
8:30pm Hey Ocean
10:00pm Mother Mother
Celebration Stage
12:00pm Mike Battie
2:00pm Kids Choral Group
6:30pm DRUM!
8:00pm Dal Hothi and the Headlines
9:00pm Tiger Style
10:00pm Malkit Singh
Sunday February 21, 2010
Surrey House Stage
12:00pm Flamenco Dancers
1:00pm Lyric Singers
2:00pm Gorky Park
3:30pm Tainted Lovers
4:40pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Hockey, Canada VS USA
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:30pm Odds
9:00pm 54-40
Celebration Stage
ALL DAY Live Games Coverage
Wednesday February 24, 1010
Surrey House Stage
3:30pm The Wheat In The Barley
4:00pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Hockey Quarterfinal
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:30pm The Paperboys
9:00pm The Irish Descendants
Celebration Stage
ALL DAY Live Games Coverage
Thursday February 25, 2010
Surrey House Stage
3:30pm The Headlines
4:00pm Live Games Coverage – Women’s Gold Medal Hockey
7:00pm Welcome Ceremony
7:30pm Headpins
9:00pm Streetheart
Celebration Stage
ALL DAY Live Games Coverage
Friday February 26, 2010
Surrey House Stage
12:45pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Hockey Semifinal
3:30pm Dr. Strangelove
5:15pm Ben Stigson
6:00pm Jaydee Bixby
6:45pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Hockey Semifinal
9:00pm The Higgins
10:00pm Doc Walker
Surrey House Stage
12:00pm Cheung Doong Korean Drum
1:00pm Mukutano
2:00pm Ezeadi Onokwulu and One Human Race
3:00pm Mani Khaira
4:00pm Jon and Roy
5:15pm Kuba Ohms
6:00pm Steve Riley & The Playboys
6:45pm Welcome Ceremony
7:00pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Hockey Bronze Medal Game
9:30pm Wide Mouth Mason
Surrey House Stage
11:30 AM Kutapira
12:15pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Gold Medal Hockey
3:00pm Roma Zhigan
4:00pm Tainted Lovers
5:30pm Live Games Coverage – Closing Ceremonies
Celebration Stage
12:15pm Live Games Coverage – Men’s Gold Medal Hockey
3:00pm Maurice
4:00pm Randy Bachman
5:30pm Live Games Coverage – Closing Ceremonies
The Celebration Site will be open Wednesdays through Sundays from 3:00pm until 10:00pm with extended hours on Fridays and Saturdays where the festivities will go until 11:00pm. Everything will also be simulcast on five massive video screens along with televisions placed throughout the site.
This will kind of be like their annual Winterfest (with skating rink, sliding zone, sustainability zone) but on a much larger scale including the torch relay and an art showcase.
John and I have been attending and covering Surrey events for a few years now and I can personally attest to how well-organized, well-planned, and flat out entertaining they are. I must also add that the absolute best thing about this is that it is completely and totally FREE.
With the first snowfall of the season cities in the area are bracing themselves for the white, wintery months ahead. Each year it seems as though citizens and businesses alike forget how to prepare for the snow — sidewalks go unswept and car tires spin and squeal along the icy roads outside our house. The job of removing snow and clearing traversable passages for pedestrians and vehicles alike is not solely the responsibility of the city.
Shovelling snow: All Vancouver property owners and occupants are responsible for clearing snow and ice from the full width of sidewalks that surround their property by 10 am on the morning following a snowfall, seven days a week. This responsibility is detailed under Section 76 of the “Streets and Traffic Bylaw” No. 2849.
Property owners and occupants who fail to remove snow and ice, as required by the by-law, may be fined, or the City may, without further notice, clear the snow or ice from the sidewalk and bill the owners or occupants for the costs incurred. This charge may include labour and materials as well as any administration, fringe benefits and overhead costs.
Help others: The City encourages everyone to clear their sidewalks and help others who can’t. Please make arrangements for someone to clear your sidewalk of snow and ice if you are away or are unable to clear it yourself.
Helpful hints and safety tips: If the storm is over, the City has plowed, and snow begins to melt, please clear the snow around the catch basin in the gutter fronting your property. This will help the melt water runoff into the storm sewer system, and reduce flooding problems.
Helpful hints and safety tips: Warm-up and stretch before shoveling. Choose a snow shovel that is right for you. Push the snow instead of lifting.
Helpful hints and safety tips: If your car is on a major street, move it (if possible) to a side street. This will help City staff in plowing major arterial streets more effectively.
Things will be warming up towards the end of the week so we can think of this first snowfall as a practice run for now. Please feel free to reference these tips in the future or visit your city’s official website to read about their winter weather plans.
