Burns Bog is the largest domed peet bog on the West Coast of North America and is vital to our entire region’s ecosystem. Over the last 40 years, it has been used as a landfill by the City of Vancouver although what they are now proposing is even more vile. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
This year’s Deep Cove Daze festival will happen this Sunday, August 30th, from 11:00am until 8:00pm at Panorama Park.
The festival, that will have a Caribbean twist, will have free admission, a free bike valet, the Cayman Island Artisan Alley, the Barbados Beer Garden, a cardboard kayak race, and plenty of entertainment for the entire family. Things kick off with a Kids Parade in the morning. Children are encouraged to decorate their bikes for this opening ceremony. They will also run Deep Cove Idol, a talent search for 13-19 year olds, and also 12 year olds or younger. The winner will receive a 3hr demo recording session. Auditions are already taking place but you can email info [at] musart.com for more information.
You can get to Deep Cove by transit (which may be recommended as parking could fill right up) by taking the 290 Deep Cove bus.
I have promoted this post to the front page of my site for October 4th, 2009. Scroll down to see updates from the 2009 Run for the Cure.
The CIBC Run for the Cure has a special place in my heart. After the second year that I ran it, I came home, showered, and hopped in the car to go pick up John from the airport. That was the day he moved to Vancouver and soon after he became my husband. The following year, we did the run together and I raised funds for the first time through my blog (2006, 2007).
The Run for the Cure is an amazing event with such a great vibe that raises funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It recognizes battles, it celebrate lives, and it joins people across the country on a single day for a single cause. This year’s run takes place Sunday, October 4th. You can sign up for the kids run (1km loop) or the main run (5km) which you are welcome to walk.
You can sign up online, place a donation, or read the Finding Hope blog for inspiration.
Update, Sunday October 4th 2009: This morning John and I headed down to Concord Pacific Place in False Creek to cover the CIBC Run for the Cure. Thousands showed up to run, walk, cheer, and participate in this inspiring event.
Survivor Tracy Di Venanzo gave a motivational talk on stage after Premier Gordon Campbell welcomed everyone to the event. All around us were people walking and running in honor of a loved one (or the loved one of someone else).
There were numerous dogs (and even a cat), countless strollers, children running in honor of their grandparents or mothers, and thousands of others wearing costumes or proudly displaying their “I’m running for” badges.
I stood at the finish line and clapped as people completed the course and was almost moved to tears whenever someone wearing a pink “survivor” t-shirt went by.
There were also several local celebrities taking part, including news anchor Pamela Martin (CTV), Dave Genn (54-40) and his wife Tamara Taggart (CTV). I also heard that Bif Naked, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, was doing the run as well.
This is the 18th annual run and over 1 million people have participated in the Run for the Cure since it began. In 2009, Canadians in 56 communities from Victoria, BC to St John’s Newfoundland took part.
The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation can be found on Twitter (@CBCF_Run) and also over on their Finding Hope blog. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and is the perfect reminder for women to get themselves checked.
You can view the rest of John’s amazing photos in his Flickr set.
Since the first two installments of my Vancouver History: Before and After Photos have been a big hit (1, 2) it has become a weekly feature. This week is a bit of a hodge podge, featuring landmarks and views.
Carnegie Library, Main & Hastings
190?
2005
We pulled up to Venturi-Schulze Vineyards and were greeted by Marilyn Venturi who was about to introduce us to her family’s legacy. For 22 years she and her husband have run the winery at Venturi-Schulze, to which they have an undying commitment.
As we walked through her dozens of acres of vines, flanked by evergreen forests up on Cobble Hill, a member of our group asked Marilyn which grape would she grow if she could only do a single varietal. “That’s like asking which one of my children I’d like to keep,” she said with a chuckle.
At Venturi Schulze they have never irrigated, never used fertilizer, never sprayed with anything harsh (or that you couldn’t eat), and the run a fully sustainable operation. They encourage natural weed cover and use resources from the surrounding woods, such as nettles for the wines and making tea.
Standing between rows of pinot grapes, we had a discussion about Vancouver Island wines, and cooking as of late. “Chefs here don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk,” said Marilyn with regards to eating and preparing food with local ingredients. With Vancouver Island being under 50km away from Vancouver, it’s a great resource for cooks and foodies.
Being so used to taking wine tours operated by guides in enormous architectural facilities, it was refreshing to walk in the dirt alongside Marilyn and get a true sense of her work, dedication, and creations. “This isn’t a business, this is our life,” she told us. “This is just what we want to do.” She told us some great stories about her children growing up with the vineyard, problems with pesky rabbits, and how she’d go as far as camping out overnight among the vines to catch grape robberies in progress. Most of the time the culprits were raccoons although she said she’s always know the best grapes of the bunch because the animals would go straight for them.
We walked back towards the house and stopped in at the vinegary where they produce four varieties of traditional balsamic vinegar, of Modena style. We learned about the different types of barrels used, the five types of wood, the process of simmering over an open flame, and the 7-20 years it takes to age.
The room was crisp and the air was sweet with the smell of aging balsamic. There were separate barrels for each one of her children, containing their own special vinegar that has been aging their entire lives. Marilyn’s husband Giordano was born in Italy and she noted, “for him, it’s a legacy.” All of it — the vineyard, the wine making, the balsamic, and passing this on to his children and one day grandchildren. The family has invested so much into the operation that you can truly see it is a labour of love.
Heading into the house for some tastings Marilyn said for her it’s also about making things happen in an organic, environmentally-friendly, and sustainable manner. “I just want to prove it can be done, especially on Vancouver Island.” We sampled their Brut Naturel, their Pinot Noir, and the Brandenburg No.3. We also had some amazing sorbet made from Ver Jus (from unripened grapes) a little corn syrup, grapefruit peel and lemon peel (see all recipes here). The Ver Jus has a strong citrus taste and it would make the perfect lemon substitute for cooking with local ingredients. “When you taste this, it’s pure here,” noted Marilyn motioning to the land and region that surrounds the vineyard.
You can stop by Venturi-Schulze for tastings which are $5 but fully refunded should you make a purchase in the shop. Calling ahead to inquire about a tour is recommended as the family is out in the vineyard most days. They would like the heads up so they can come down and greet you. All of their contact information, including a map, is available online.
If you can’t make it over to Cobble Hill, Venturi-Schulze wines are served at Spinnakers in Victoria, online, and some are available (along with the balsamic vinegar) in specialty shops around Vancouver Island and around the Lower Mainland. You can also catch them at various events, including the annual EAT! Vancouver festival.
I recently toured the South East portion of Vancouver Island with Tourism BC. You can read all of my posts from the trip under the tag: ‘Cowichan‘.
