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.
The new Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit at Metropolis at Metrotown is designed to inform and entertain kids and adults alike throughout these school-free summer months. I stopped by recently with my sister and my nephews to check things out and take their free guided tour.
We started off at the Grand Court (where I have previously experienced the World Vision exhibit… and Santa Claus) where they had two impressive animatronic dinosaurs on display. This included a feathered tyrannosaurus, the first one of its kind ever to be displayed in Canada.
The dinosaurs are interactive, meaning kids can sit at a control panel and push buttons that will make them roar, move their tails, blink their eyes and move their limbs.
Our guide was great with the kids and she shared some basic dinosaur know-how, leading us from the Grand Court to another exhibit over in the Atrium (on the Metropolis side).
The kids had fun and love dinosaurs (they’ve both been to Drumheller, Alberta to boot) and Cameron insisted on acting like a T-Rex most of the time, which seemed fitting.
Dinosaurs Unearthed will be on display (at both locations) in Metropolis at Metrotown until mid-September. While you’re there, the kids might also enjoy the Metropolis Express miniature train that runs through the mall. Rides are by donation and proceeds go to local charities.
Local realtor, and Twitter contact to many, Sebastian Albrecht (@salbrecht) will attempt to break the record for the most successful Grouse Grind climbs in a day on June 22nd. He shares the current record of 12 with Jason Chong however he’s taking it upon himself to break it — and all for a good cause.
According to the news release I received, “Each hike up the Grouse Grind is 2.9km or 9514 ft. When Albrecht hikes up the Grouse Grind 13 times, he will have hiked 37.7km or over 123,000 ft. The equivalent of walking up the Eiffel Tower 116 times, Toronto’s CN Tower 68 times or climbing the altitude of Mount Everest more then one and a half times in one day!” … and here I thought blogging for 24-hours straight for charity was a challenge.
You can visit Albrecht’s website to learn more about this campaign and donate to support his run. He’s added incentives such as an iPod Nano prize draw for one lucky supporter and if he doesn’t break the record, he’ll donate $500 out of his own pocket for each climb he didn’t make*.
Update: HE DID IT! Last night around 11pm Sebastian posted to Twitter: “Finished #grousegrind # 13 in 1:06. Woo hoo!”. He broke the world record and was updating his Twitter status along the way. He is still in the process of raising his goal of $10,000 for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation so please his website to donate and support this amazing feat.
Since June 7, 1957 the Albion Ferry has transported passengers for free across the Fraser River and this morning John sent me a link to an ad on Craigslist that appears to be selling off the ferry boats.
With the opening of the new Golden Ears Bridge the ferry will no longer be in operation, returning Glover Road to the quiet community of Fort Langley on July 31st, 2009. It’s a shame since outside of peak rush hours (that would sometimes see 7 sailing waits) it was a nice little boat ride across the river.
“It will be sad to see it go,” said Albion Ferry President Dave Miller in a statement. The ferry, introduced in 1957, makes about 80 trips per day, moving 4,500 vehicles; the bridge will provide for several thousand vehicles to cross in each direction per hour. [The Province]
The ferry terminal on the Maple Ridge side had been designated as an official historical place and there’s talk that they might keep it going if investors step up. However, with the ad already on Craigslist and only a few interested parties so far (including Washington State) the future of the ferries is still pretty uncertain.
I was recently able to spend a morning out in a kayak in Deep Cove and was reminded how special the North Shore truly is. From sea to sky there are natural wonders, tasty treats, and great communities to explore.
I was with a group and the first stop of the day was at Deep Cove Outdoors where we were treated to some legendary Rolly Polly doughnuts and coffee from Honey’s (just down the street).
General Manager Bob Putnam told us a bit about the services, products and special deals this summer from Deep Cove Outdoors:
Women on Water
Every Thursday evening at 6:00pm women are invited to come out for a paddle and to socialize with Women on Water.
Cheap Date Night
Every Friday evening is Cheap Date Night at the Cove where you can rent a single kayak (2 hour rental) for $20 and a double kayak for $30.
Explorer series: Full Moon
“We venture out on the night of the full moon with hopes of seeing it rise over the eastern mountains and flood Indian Arm with its silvery light.” Guides will take you over towards Belcarra where you will be able to float and watch this spectacle while learning about the moon and its effects on the tides.
You can rent a kayak for an afternoon, sign up for a guided tour, or take on one of the Deep Cove Outdoors multi-day adventures.
Even if you’re an experienced kayaker, if it’s your first time out in Deep Cove I would recommend having a guide as I learned a lot about local history, the dynamics of Deep Cove’s protected land and waters, and the Spanish explorers. While out on the water we were also told a story about how Belcarra came to be and that it’s a Celtic word meaning, “the fair land on which the sun shines”.
Getting out to Deep Cove you can take a transit bus, or choose between the scenic Dollarton Highway and Mount Seymour Parkway. Once you’re in the Cove, there are resturants, shops, an active community centre, beaches, Cates Park, Panorama Park and Deep Cove Park. You can also take walking tours to explore landmarks and the Cove’s history.
Before yesterday I hadn’t been out in a kayak in about 12 years and I realized I really missed the activity combined with being out on the ocean like that. I’m fortunate to have two more opportunities to kayak this summer and if I play my cards right, I just might get a special man in my life to treat me to an upcoming Cheap Date Night in Deep Cove.
