This past Saturday I had a book signing event at London Drugs. Earlier this year, I co-authored Blogging to Drive Business along with Eric Butow of California. This was my first book signing event and it was a fantastic experience.
Many people came and went throughout the day including my Blogger Starter Kit contest winner, Karm. As there were plenty of cameras in the crowd, I have already spotted some photos from the event online.
A few weeks ago I took a behind the scenes tour of the Sinclair Centre buildings, one of which just celebrated its 100th anniversary.
To share this milestone with all Sinclair Centre is hosting an entire week of festivities including entertainment and snacks for all.
The first 50 people to bring in the Sinclair Centre birthday ad from the Georgia Straight get a free cupcake. House of Q will also host tastings while you can get work done from Tattoos 4 Now.
There will be appearances by magician Matthew Johnson, caricaturist Ted Couling, Mark James Fortin (jazz standards), Steve Walker & Lucie Elliott (country music), Kelly Brock (contemporary) and more.
The entertainment (and cupcakes) can be found in Sinclair Centre’s food court daily 11:00am until 2:00pm today until April 16th, 2010.
You can follow them on Twitter @SinclairCentre for updates throughout the anniversary week.
This morning John and I headed out to Iona Beach in Richmond for a brisk Sunday walk.
I have profiled Iona before thanks to Stewart Marshall who contributed a guest post. The regional park consists of several kilometers of sandy beaches sandwiched by Fraser River outlets. As we set out, the warm sea air rolled across the sand dunes, weaving its way through the vegetation.
Airplanes took off and landed at YVR to the South, where you can walk out along the pipeline. We hung a right along the Northern shoreline and out to a spit along the Fraser River, across from UBC and the Endowment Lands.
There is a curious mix of river industry debris blended with whatever the Georgia Straight tides rolls in. We walked between century-old logs, washed up truck tires, old fishing nets and styrofoam pebbles dancing in the wind.
A bald eagle soared overhead as glistening tidal pools rippled in the breeze. After about 2 hours of walking on the sand we could feel its soft impact in our legs — but the trek was well worth it.
The next time we visit Iona it will hopefully be at dusk so we can witness the sun tucking itself behind the snow-capped peaks on Vancouver Island.
If you’re into local history there are a few events coming up with Heritage Vancouver this month that may be of interest.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Annual Top Ten Endangered Sites Release and Bus Tour
Each year Heritage Vancouver publishes a list of its Top Ten endangered heritage sites and this ride (inside a Transit Museum Society vintage 1958 BCE bus) will take participants around to visit the 2009 finalists including.
Unfortunately the event is currently sold out and the endangered sites for 2010 will be revealed at that time. The 2009 tour included: 1. Pantages Theatre (1907), 2. Vancouver School – Kitsilano High School (1928), 3. Historic Precincts: Gastown, Hastings, Chinatown, 4. First Shaughnessy Neighbourhood, 5. Heatley Block (1931); Houses (1889 & 1898), 6. Historic Monuments, 7. Firehall #15 (1913), 8. Shaughnessy Hospital (1940), 9. Robson Square Complex (1973-79), 10. Hollow Tree (Stanley Park).
Thursday, April 22, 2010
An Evening at the Marine Building (1929-30) Penthouse
Known as the Daily Planet from Smallville and an office tour in films such as Fantastic Four the iconic Marine Building is home to this Heritage Vancouver fundraiser. Aside from having access to the penthouse, your $100 ticket includes wine and hors d’oeuvres along with stories told by Chuck Davis. Tax receipts will be issued for your contribution.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Heritage & the Arts: Inaugural Long Table Social
The first event of its kind for the organization, the Long Table Social will take place in the legendary Page Building at 330 West Pender. Tickets are $!5 in advance, $20 at the door. Inside this “1907 Neoclassical Revivalist BC Permanent Loan Building†there will be a cash bar and raffle prizes up for grabs.
Tickets for these events can be purchased online (via PayPal) or by calling the number on the Heritage Vancouver website.
Heritage Vancouver was incorporated as a non-profit society dedicated to the conservation of Vancouver’s built, cultural and natural heritage, and has now achieved charitable status. All proceeds from the events assist Heritage Vancouver with their programs, advocacy and education. You can follow them on Twitter @HeritageVan.
The Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival is happening April 16 – 25th in Whistler, BC and with it comes special events and promotions. One of which is the Olympus Pro Photographer Showdown.
As the pre-eminent action sports photography contest in the world, the Pro Photographer Showdown celebrates still images and the commitment required to build a body of work that captures time and captivates the human spirit.
It all starts with the re:Action event where the finalists will be featured and the 2010 winner will be announced. This will be followed by a showcase April 22nd at Whistler Conference Centre (Sea to Sky Ballroom).
I have two VIP “Black Market” tickets to give away to the showcase on April 22nd… but there’s a catch. The organizers wanted participating sites to ask for a trade. As such, if you would like to enter to win these VIP tickets to the Pro Photography Showdown, you’ll need to make me a unique trade offer.
It can be for something you made yourself, some type of service you can offer my readers, trade a prize to win this prize, or offer to donate to the non-profit of your choice.
I’ll go through the entries and award the tickets to the person who I think is offering up the best trade.
You can make your trade offer either on Twitter (please @Miss604 and use the tag #BlackMarketPhoto) or through a comment on this post.
Please note, I have a soft-spot for the Union Gospel Mission, Developmental Disabilities Association, the Vancouver Food Bank, and of course chocolate. I’ll decide the trade winner April 14, 2010 at 12:00pm.
Fine print: Regular ticket price is $21 each, not including VIP access. The trade winner will receive two tickets. I may consult friends, family, Twitter or a reader poll for help with my selection.
Update April 15 I have decided to take pussck up on their offer of: “$500 to kidsport Wendy Ladner-Beaudry Fund – for the Foodbank Sports program” in exchange for the tickets. Thank you to everyone for their generosity!
The winner also told me by email, “Wendy worked on a project with the Vancouver Food bank that gave access to sport for low-income immigrant families. Wendy was an inspirational person to many people.” I’m so very pleased that the KidSport Canada Wendy Ladner-Beaudry Memorial Project can benefit from this trade.
