Today kicks off Bike to Work Week in BC as people are being encouraged to leave their cars at home for their commute and when they head to the polls to vote.
To challenge workplaces (and offer a reward for their participation) you can register your office & your school and win prizes for making the switch this week while logging your progress. To make the ride a safe one, should you have any troubles with your bike this week while participating, you can also call BCAA’s bike assist to come and give you a hand, free of charge.
Check out the Bike to Work Week site to see if your community is participating, discover resources and events happening this week.
On a related note, having a city that is accessible to cyclists, with paths, transit compatibility, bike lanes etc. is vital to a place like Vancouver. The monthly Critical Mass rides to reclaim the city from motorized vehicles and create a car-free space for riders as they cycle as a group, giving a steady reminder of the need for change. The latest decision from City Council to dedicate a lane on the Burrard Bridge to cyclists seems to have this in mind, although not all are in agreement.
Under the trial, which will begin in mid-to-late June, all pedestrians will have to use the west sidewalk. Bicyclists will use the east sidewalk and the west curb lane, separated from traffic with barriers.[CBC]
In honor of this decision, and it being Bike to Work Week, here’s a quick poll:
[poll id=”33″]
I discovered a new iPhone app today called Mo Discovers: Stanley Park and as I spend much time trekking through Stanley Park’s trails, slipping in its mud, photographing its natural beauty and have blogged about it for the last five years so, I figured this application was worth a download.
The Mo Discovers: Stanley Park was produced by the folks at CellMap Inc., whom I’ve heard of thanks to various tech events around town. It features a very basic map of Stanley Park along with video highlights of several areas of interest: Beaver Lake, Storm Damage, Salmon Stream, Lost Lagoon, Nature Centre and Seawall.
When you click on any of these destinations you get a great-looking video with information provided by hosts Peter Graham-Gaudreau and Jennifer-Juniper Angeli. The 1-2 minute clips show some of the park’s captivating scenery while providing history notes and other facts researched by Margo Langford and the Stanley Park Ecology Society.
I can see this being useful for children (since there are some cute icons like Mo) for locals who want a refresher about the city’s crown jewel, and for tourists.
However personally, I was really hoping for a full trail map and maybe even other highlighted points of interest like Siwash Rock, or the Seven Sisters. Something like the trail map would make the app continuously useful (for each trip we take in the park) instead of just a one-time viewing experience.
If you’d like to check it out for yourself, it’s available in the iTunes App Store for $2.99.
Disclosure: I purchased the app for review
BC Youth Week took place over the last few days (May 1-7) however there are still a few events happening this weekend that will be fun for the whole family.
Playland Extravaganza – Yes, Playland is open and today hosts special events for youth with a discounted day pass that you can get from various community centres around the city including Britannia, Hastings, Renfrew, Champlain, Killarney, Thunderbird and Trout Lake.
East Vancouver Amazing Race – You may notice teams making their way around your neighbourhood today from 11:00am – 3:30pm as a part of this event.
Skateboard event – Happening at Union Plaza Skate Park (Union and Quebec Street Vancouver) from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. This is “a non-competitive, family friendly skateboard event, celebrating and showcasing the practice, culture and history of skateboarding.” There’s a BBQ, music/bands, and swag booths. Presented along with the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition.
This could be a great way to spend the sunny day before heading over to GM Place for the Party on the Plaza ahead of tonight’s Canucks game.
The last stop on my Circle Farm Tour last week in Harrison & Agassiz was at Canadian Hazelnut [Google Map].
A team of brothers run the family operation, growing, processing and selling a variety of hazelnut products. We got a tour of the grounds, where their dogs came out to greet us and nibble on some leftover hazelnuts on the ground.
The nuts are roasted, candied, and turned into delicious chocolate snacks (including chocolate hazelnut butter). They also press it into hazelnut flour, protein powder, and hazelnut oil (perfect for summer salads).
Health facts bout hazelnuts:
The high concentration of vitamin E in hazelnut oil prevents oxidation of the polyunsaturated fats
They are one of the few nuts which contain vitamin A, which is a natural antioxidant and has cancer-preventing properties
Hazelnuts also contain vitamin B5 and B6 & high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid that helps to lower cholesterol
They lower blood pressure because of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium & contain cardioprotective arginine, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels.
[source] [source]
I picked up some beer nuts for John and we polished them off in one evening, they were so tasty.
Canadian Hazelnut is open year-round for self-guided orchard tours and they do “u-pick” during October & November. You can contact them by phone (604) 796-2136 or email Canadianhazelnut [at] telus.net. It’s worth the drive to head out there and stock up on hazelnut products, either for cooking, baking, snacking, or as a gift.
I’m a big fan of Stanley Park — the park that hosts dozens of trails and pathways, not simply the paved and cemented Prospect Point lookout. As such, I’ve often wondered where the names for the trails originated. The other day I was poking around on the internet, as it is sometimes useful to do, and I came across a list of trails and their namesakes.
These are a few that we often walk along…
Merilees Trail namesake: Harold Merilees
Merilees was the General Manager of Tourism Vancouver in the 1960s (then called the Vancouver Tourist Association). He was known as “Vancouver’s first great ad man” and began the Spencer’s Department Store direct mail advertising department. He also worked for the B.C. Electric Railway Company, the National War Finance Committee to promote sales of Victory Bonds, and was President of the Advertising Association of the West. He also worked on several public projects such as Vancouver’s diamond jubilee celebrations in 1946, the British Empire Games in 1954 and the B.C. Centennial in 1958. [VancouverHistory]
Rawlings Trail namesake: W.S. Rawlings
This is the longest trail in the park so it’s only fitting that it’s named after the longest-serving Parks Superintendant. Rawlings was also credited with having the idea to build the Sea Wall around the park. “It is not difficult to imagine what the realization of such an undertaking would mean to the attractions of the park and personally I doubt if there exists anywhere on this continent such possibilities of a combined park and marine walk as we have in Stanley Park.” [wiki].
Tatlow Trail namesake: Robert Garnett Tatlow
Having moved to Vancouver from Ireland, Tatlow married into the Cambie family, and CPR wealth (as noted in this post). He then served as Park Commissioner from 1888 until 1905.
Thompson Trail namesake: Charlton William Thompson
Served as Fire Department Chief in 1929 following John Howe Carlisle who served for 42 years. Thompson was also Park Commissioner from 1937 to 1938 and again from 1940 until 1942.
Tisdall Trail namesake: Charles Tisdall
Vancouver Board of Trade member and Park Commissioner 1904 to 1909 and 1926 to 1934, Tisdall was also elected Mayor of Vancouver in 1922. In July of 1923 50,000 Vancouverites gathered in Stanley Park to hear U.S. President Warren Harding speak. “Premier John Oliver and Mayor Charles Tisdall hosted a lunch in his honor at the Hotel Vancouver.” [VancouverHistory]
You can read more local history tidbits in my series or feel free to suggest a local topic you’d like to know more about.
