Canada Place would like to know why you love Canada and what you feel makes it the best home for you with their Our Canada campaign.
Until June 21st they would like you to submit up to 50 words about what Canada is to you — what is your Canadian identity. You can enter your “Why I Love Canada” message online or by texting (604) 767-9990. A panel of “Canadian luminaries” will present the responses on Canada Day at Canada Place, noting the top three themes across the nation.
“We know Canadians are proud of their country and we’re starting a national conversation to uncover what defines us as Canadians,†said Mike Shardlow, President & CEO, Canada Place Corporation. “Since our inception at Expo ’86, Canada Place has been a symbol of national pride and now we’re calling on the Canadian people to tell us what they love about Canada.â€
Another way to participate is by tagging your uber-Canadian photos on Flickr with the words “Our Canada” and they could be used by Canada Place in future promotions (permissions/compensation would be discussed with the photographer).
Do Vancouverites really hike and ski in the same day while having skin made of GORE-TEX? Do all Canadians say “EH” and “aboot” while talking about bacon and hockey? The goal all around is to seek out Canada’s identity for 2009 and see what the people of this country consider to be unique and special with regards to their truly Canadian culture and way of life. Submit your theme and you can also follow @Our_Canada on Twitter for updates.
On Friday June 12th the Vancouver Aquarium will host their annual fundraising gala, Night at the Aquarium.
Tickets are available online for $250 and you can preview the silent auction items online as well. 100 percent of the proceeds from this event will go to the aquarium.
The evening will feature delectable dining options from Ocean Wise restaurants such as: Aqua Riva, Bishop’s, Blue Water Cafe & Raw Bar, C Restaurant, Culinary Capers Catering, Grouse Mountain: The Observatory, A Kettle of Fish, Le Gavroche Restaurant, O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar, Vancouver Aquarium Catering, Wild Rice, Zen Japanese Restaurant, and the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts.
Over the last few years I have become re-acquainted with the Vancouver Aquarium and the work that they do. I’ve been fortunate enough to attend events, talk to staff, and even tour the jellyfish labs to learn more. Their mission is clear as they remain dedicated to research, conservation and education. Through the work that they do in Vancouver, across the province, through Ocean Wise, and things like the Shoreline Cleanup, I believe they are an organization worth supporting.
Canon has announced the Nurture Nature Awards, which is “an environmental program that encourages Canadians to help protect or improve the natural habitat of an endangered or threatened species in their community.”
They will be accepting applications online (from now until September 1st) containing your written plan on how to positively impact a threatened habitat in your area. Enter online by submitting a video, outlining your proposed plan along with a short written outline.
Three winners from across the country will be chosen in September and receive $20,000 to see their proposal come to fruition. They’ll also get decked out with a digital SLR from Canon as well as a video camera so they can document their projects.
Now is a great time to think about what you would do for your local ecosystem as we’re in the middle of Canadian Environment Week. This includes tomorrow’s Clean Air Day, the Commuter Challenge, and Friday’s World Environment Day.
Sunday June 14th is Car Free Day in Vancouver Day with festivals and street parties happening in four neigbourhoods.
Photo credit:
Rob__ on Flickr
The festival came out of the original 2005 car-free day on Commerical Drive, which lead to two events in 2006, another in 2007, and in 2008 we had the first city-wide event with several neighbourhoods going car-free.
The first annual Car-Free Vancouver Day, on Sunday June 15, 2008 ushered in the next phase in this bold experiment that had been gradually happening in Vancouver for many years. It took the car-free meme to the whole city, and represented the next level in our evolution toward healthy communities, authentic cultural celebrations, and car-free streets. On that day, FOUR communities presented their own Car-Free Festivals: Kitsilano, West End, Main Street, and Commercial Drive. Each Festival was envisioned and organized by the local core organizers, and each had a unique flavour.
Major sites this year include Kitsilano, Main Street, West End, and Commercial Drive. If you’d like to be a volunteer, performer, or vendor, you can contact your local organizing body through the website. They’re currently in need of volunteers to man barricades so contact the organization if you’re available to help out.
Each neighbourhood has its own feel so you’ll be able to join a knitting circle and roller disco on Commercial Drive, enjoy tunes from the music stages on Main, pop into the spoken-word tent in the West End, and visit a collection of block parties in Kitsilano.
You can download your own Block Party Toolkit if you’d like to host on in your nighbourhood. Whichever location you visit on June 14th, please remember to walk, cycle, or take transit.
Update: City Council has just approved car free Sundays in four Vancouver neighbourhoods this summer, as a part of “Summer Space”. On several Sundays this season Collingwood, Mount Pleasant, Gastown, and Commercial Drive will be closed to vehicle traffic. [CBC]
We had some more time to explore San Francisco this afternoon and our post diner breakfast walk turned into a 6-hour trek across town and back with John, Dale, and Duane.
Related posts: WordCamp Day Blog, San Francisco Photowalk. View my entire set on Flickr and John’s got some great pics as well.
