Last year John and I were able to fully cover the Dragon Boat Festival, from land and the water. We’ll be out of town this weekend however it’s a fantastic free event for all happening June 20-21st in False Creek that is definitely worth checking out this year.
The races are fun to watch, participants are up-beat, there are entertainers, food vendors, a marketplace and there are tons of activities on the shore for the whole family. As a side note, if you’re interested in following someone who lives the Dragon Boat lifestyle, check out @PaddlingGeek on Twitter, or check out her blog.
The 11th Annual Whalley Community Festival is happening this Saturday from 10:00am until 6:00pm. There’s no shortage of activities happening this weekend, from the Ride to Conquer Cancer, to Chip’s Not Dead Yet, and Vancouver’s first ChangeCamp however, this one’s special for me. I’m proud of my hometown, and to say that I’m a former West Whalley Trojan, so I think community events like this are great.
Highlights include entertainers, bands, crafts, magician for the kids, a strawberry tea, silent auction, and a barbecue. The City of Surrey has plenty of fun, free, family events this summer and this is just the first of the season. I’m a media partner and official blogger of Surrey’s Canada Day celebration as well as the Fusion Festival so stay tuned for updates about these festivals in the coming weeks.
How to Get There: There are three main destinations in Belcarra Regional Park that include Buntzen Lake in Anmore, White Pine Beach at Sasamat Lake, and Belcarra beach / day-use recreational area.
If driving, head into Port Moody and take Ioco Road North/West, continue to 1st Ave and turn right following 1st as it becomes Bedwell Bay Road where you’ll find White Pine Beach (often crowded since it’s so popular). Continue on Bedwell Bay Road to the three-way stop, turn left, then keep right to the picnic area parking lot. By transit you can take the C26 community shuttle from Port Moody Station to Belcarra Road right down to Midden Road or hop off earlier if you have another destination along the way.
Belcarra Picnic Area & Ocean Beach – Photo credit: bchow on Flickr
Features: Dogs are allowed on-leash, there are picnic areas (two covered), concession, swimming, tour bus access, boat launch, and many more facilities.
History: On August 22, 1979 the Village of Belcarra was incorporated but the history of the region runs far deeper. “Belcarra was a traditional camping area for the Tsleil-waututh, the First Nations people whose territory it is in.” [wiki] Mr John Hall from Ireland purchased the a land in 1882 (Lot 229), which included the entire present-day Belcarra picnic site, more than half of the Belcarra Peninsula and all of the Turtlehead and Whiskey Cove areas [pdf]. Hall got caught up in a murder and promised his attorney, William Norman Bole, all of his land in exchange for his defense. “William Norman Bole gave Belcarra its Celtic name that means “the fair land on which the sun shinesâ€. In 1886 he became an MLA and in 1889 a judge of the County Court of New Westminster. In 1908, he subdivided Lot 229 and it was registered in the name of Belcarra-Bedwell Bay Land Company.” [pdf]
Notes: When I was little I used to affectionately call Belcarra’s picnic area the “goose poop” park because of all the Canadian geese that would hang out on the lawn. There’s plenty of wildlife, from geese to sea stars, and it’s the ideal beach for an afternoon nature walk. Take a stroll along the water’s edge, making discoveries in tide pools, and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.
If you’re a long-time reader of Miss604.com you’ll probably know that the band Death Cab for Cutie has a special place in my heart. John introduced their music to me when we were dating and a song by Ben Gibbard will forever remind me of him. We even played Death Cab at our wedding and we walked out to the receiving line to a song by The Postal Service (one of Gibbard’s side projects).
It just so happens that Death Cab for Cutie will be playing the Pacific Coliseum on July 16th, and we’re going to be there. Here are some tunes from their latest album, Narrow Stairs, that you might have heard on that fine local radio station, The Peak.
The New Pornographers are comprised of solo artist Neko Case, members of Limblifter, Age of Electric, The Evaporators (I swear that’s Nardwuar in the video above) and other talented individuals. Tickets are still available for the concert on July 16th so if you’re planning on attending I’d be all for a Death Cab Tweetup.
This weekend thousands will set out on their bikes in support of the Ride to Conquer Cancer. For months participants have been training to ride from Vancouver to Seattle while raising funds for the BC Cancer Foundation.
The Ride kicks off with an official opening ceremony this Saturday at 7:00am in the Guildford Town Centre parking lot (adjacent to Empire Theatres). There are also designated cheering sections so that the public can encourage participants while they face this two-day, 200+km challenge. The first cheering station will be over at Enver Creek Secondary, from 7:00am until 9:00am and from there other cheering stations include Marine Drive in Bellingham, Cady Park in Snohomish, and DeYoung Park in Woodinville, Washington on June 21st.
