The Robson Square ice rink will be opening for its 2022-2023 season on Thursday, December 1st. With free skating and live entertainment leading up to the holidays, it’s a highlight of the annual activities calendar in the heart of Downtown Vancouver.

Robson Square Ice Rink Open Dec to Feb

The rink will be open through to February 28, 2023. Skate rentals are $5, ice cleats $2, and sharpening $5 when available. VISA, Master Card, AMEX and Debit. Includes tax. Helmets free with skate rental. Helmets are mandatory for everyone 12 years and under.

This year they are introducing a RELEASE OF LIABILITY, WAIVER OF CLAIMS AND ASSUMPTION OF RISKS AGREEMENT when you choose to skate at the Robson Square Ice Rink. As a condition of skating at Robson Square, you will be required to agree to this Release Agreement at the time of purchase.

Twelve Days of Christmas – Entertainment Schedule

Enjoy free, live entertainment December 13-24 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm nightly.

Enjoy a hot chocolate, the Downtown Vancouver atmosphere, and this low cost activity for the whole family. Follow the rink online here for updates throughout the season.

Find more free holiday activities here.

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Chor Leoni presents its seasonal celebration of light, hope, and connection with Christmas with Chor Leoni this month at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United. With a diverse program ranging from the holy to the hilarious, the annual Yuletide tradition will share an inspiring repertoire of timeless holiday classics and hope-filled winter harmonies, including two world premiere commissions from Canadian composers and three holiday treasures that have been newly arranged.

Christmas with Chor Leoni

• When: December 16, 2022 at 8:00pm; December 17 at 2:00pm, 5:00pm & 8:00pm; December 19 at 5:00pm & 8:00pm
• Where: St. Andrew’s-Wesley United (1022 Nelson St, Vancouver)
• Tickets: Available online now for $20-$50

“Christmas is a time to gather and lift light to one another through song,” says Erick Lichte, Artistic Director of Chor Leoni. “Christmas carols and winter songs are vessels for hope, connection and warmth, and Chor Leoni’s diverse mix of sacred music, fun carols, and popular tunes is an opportunity to bring joy and meaning to our audiences during the holiday season, regardless of religious affiliation. And with its theatrical lighting and extraordinary acoustics, our home at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United is the perfect place to experience the spirit of the season. Our hope is that audiences will leave our celebratory winter concert with renewed hearts full of warmth and light.”

In addition to beloved classics such as the hopeful O Little Town of Bethlehem and jaunty Jingle Bells, Christmas with Chor Leoni will introduce audiences to a series of world premieres brimming with the warmth and magic of the season. Exciting new arrangements will be debuted by Chor Leoni’s 65-voice choir, including the New Year’s anthem Auld Lang Syne arranged by Saunder Choi, the upbeat Hanukkah tune S’vivon arranged by Nancy Grundahl, and Melissa Dunphy’s peaceful Halcyon Days.

The choir will also premiere two brand new works, commissioned by Chor Leoni. Cold Moon is written by up-and-coming B.C. composer Nicholas Ryan Kelly, a past finalist in Chor Leoni’s C4 composer competition. The hopeful and empathetic new carol, including text also written by Kelly, reflects the experience of those who may struggle to find joy during the holidays. A Fantasy of Carols is written by award-winning B.C. composer and Chor Leoni’s Composer in Residence Don Macdonald. A three-time Leo Award winner, Macdonald’s compositions include music for theatre and dance, published choral works, and more than 50 film music credits.

The joyous celebration will conclude with Chor Leoni’s signature candlelit encore of Silent Night, where audiences are invited to lift their voices in wondrous awe of the season.

Enter to Win

Chor Leoni will be accompanied by several special musical guests, including harpist Vivian Chen, who performs with different ensembles including Vancouver Opera, Elektra Women’s Choir, and her own chamber group, the Elysian Trio; violinist/fiddler Cameron Wilson, recognized as one of Canada’s most versatile violinists who performs with Van Django, Hard Rubber Orchestra, and Mariachi del Sol; pianist Tina Chang, who performs with Vancouver Opera, Arts Club Theatre, and City Opera; and guitarist and Chor Leoni vocalist Keith Sinclair, whose arrangements are sung by choirs around the world.

Known internationally and loved locally, JUNO-nominated Chor Leoni is recognized as one of the vanguard male vocal ensembles in North America. Founded by the late choral luminary Diane Loomer and now led by Artistic Director Erick Lichte, Vancouver’s Singing Lions have enriched and transformed people’s lives through singing for thirty years. With stylistic grace and an adventurous spirit, Chor Leoni performs in many languages, styles and genres, always aiming to communicate, engage, and entertain.

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Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”) has once again launched a symbolic Adopt-An-Animal fundraising campaign where you can help make a positive difference for wildlife in Stanley Park. With your adoption, which can also make a wonderful gift, you’ll be supporting SPES’s hands-on conservation efforts and unique environmental education programs.

Adopt-An-Animal in Stanley Park

Your symbolic adoption will contribute to conserving the ecological health of 1,000 acres of forest, wetland and seashore shared by over 2,000 species. 

Become a monthly donor ($5 or more/month), or make a one-time donation of $40 or more, and receive a stylish fridge magnet of your adopted animal. Collect all 6 animals! A special certificate accompanying every adoption recognizes your support for Stanley Park. Donate in honour of someone special and they’ll personalize the certificate for whomever you wish.

Adopt by December 10th to receive your magnet in the mail by end of year. After December 10th, magnets will be available for pick up from the Nature House at Lost Lagoon on weekends between 11:00am and 4:00pm.

Adopt-An-Animal Options

Adopt a Hummingbird to support habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring (hummingbirds love native salmonberry blooms!), and the “Birding with Me!” nature program that provides an inclusive, safe space for members of the IBPOC and 2SLGBTQAi+ communities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

Adopt an Owl to support habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, and the “Birding with Me!” nature program that provides an inclusive, safe space for members of the IBPOC and 2SLGBTQAi+ communities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

Adopt a Salamander to support SPES’s water quality monitoring in Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake, the habitat of beavers and many other species in Stanley Park. Your support also provides fun, educational opportunities for kids in SPES’s Spring and Summer EcoCamps and in the popular Critter Club for wildlife-loving kids.  

Adopt a Racoon to support habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring in Stanley Park. Your support also provides fun, educational opportunities for kids in SPES’s Spring and Summer EcoCamps and in the popular Critter Club for wildlife-loving kids. 

Adopt a Beaver to support SPES’s beaver surveys and water quality monitoring in Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake, the habitat of beavers and many other species in Stanley Park. Your support also provides fun, educational opportunities for kids in SPES’s Spring and Summer EcoCamps and in the popular Critter Club for wildlife-loving kids.

Adopt a Mason Bee to support our annual bumblebee survey and mason bee cocoon cleaning where cocoons are cleaned to kill parasites and preserved in torpor in SPES’s fridge until the Spring when they are released at our Air Bee ‘n Bee.

For more information about this campaign, EcoCamps, events and activities in the park, follow SPES on Facebook.

Related: Stanley Park Winter Day Camp for Kids

Miss604’s Rebecca Bollwitt is a Board Executive at SPES.

Bright Skies powered by Best Buy will be Canada’s biggest drone show and it’s happening this Friday and Saturday to launch Christmas at Canada Place. The public is invited to the free event featuring over 300 drones moving in sync to tell a special holiday story with twinkling lights.

Canada’s Biggest Drone Show at Canada Place

• When: December 2nd and 3rd at 6:00pm
• Where: Canada Place (999 Canada Place, Vancouver)

UPDATE as of Saturday morning: Unfortunately both shows have been cancelled.

From Best Buy: “We’re heartbroken to have had to cancel the drone show for Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3. Our co-creators and North America’s leading experts in this field – North Star – advised that the drones were unable to fly safely due to unexpected signal interference. While we’re hugely disappointed, safety of course will always be our number one priority. We hope all visitors had a chance to enjoy the other attractions at Canada Place.”

The 10-minute show will feature several holiday scenes, festive images and animations, all set against the city’s iconic North Shore backdrop. Local spectators, families and friends are invited to watch the spectacle in-person before walking through the festive Avenue of Trees and checking out the Woodward’s Windows, all underneath the iconic Sails of Light.

The drone show will be visible from the vicinity of Canada Place, including railings on the west side or at the north end of the building. In addition to the drone show, Best Buy will dazzle Vancouverites with share-worthy light installations at Canada’s Great Bright North light installation. Guests will be able to snap holiday photos and interact with light displays at the north end of Canada Place from December 2, 2022 – January 2, 2023.

Christmas at Canada Place 2022

• When: December 2, 2022 to January 2, 2023
• Where: Canada Place (999 Canada Place, Vancouver)
• Admission: Free! Just show up and stroll

Presented by the Port of Vancouver, this free, family experience captures the spirit of the season with beautifully decorated Avenue of Christmas Trees, the nostalgic Woodward’s Windows and a winter wonderland display of lights. For more information about Christmas at Canada Place and other happenings this season, follow Canada Place on Facebook.

Miss604 is a proud Media Sponsor of Christmas at Canada Place

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Visitors of all ages are invited to create new memories and a winter fun, holiday tradition this year with the Sea to Sky Gondola Spirit of the Season.

Winter Fun at the Sea to Sky Gondola

• Where: Sea to Sky Gondola’s Summit Lodge, a 45 minute drive outside of Vancouver
• When: December 3 – 31, 2022 from 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Tickets: A variety of tickets (ranging from $19.05 to $141.95 for a family pass) are available on Sea to Sky Gondola’s website.

Details

Enjoy Spirit of the Season from the base of the mountain to the summit for festive activities and decorations and endless views of the wintry landscape.

Through the month of December guests can enjoy everything from a decorated forest walk, photos with Santa, outdoor story time to holiday lunches with family and friends. Adding to the holiday experience and offered all season long are snowshoe tours, tubing rides at the park, nordic and backcountry skiing in the alpine forest. Additionally, these activities complement winter walks on the suspension bridge.

“During the season, the Sea to Sky Gondola summit turns into the ultimate winter wonderland,” says Christy Allan, Director of Sales, Marketing & Guest Services. “With our endless line up of activities and outdoor fun, there is so much for locals to experience and enjoy, right in their own backyard.”

About Sea to Sky Gondola

Just a short 45-minute drive from Vancouver, Sea to Sky Gondola is one of British Columbia’s premier attractions. Located in Squamish, BC between Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief, the attraction is within the unceded traditional territory of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam First Nations. Since its opening in 2014, Sea to Sky Gondola has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe.

Follow the Sea to Sky Gondola on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information.

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