The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, are set to soar over British Columbia as part of their biggest-ever tour to North America.  There is a lineup of free public engagement events next week including a full day event at Jack Poole Plaza.

RAF Red Arrows Over Vancouver

It is the first time the Red Arrows have ever visited Vancouver and it comes as part of the team’s most ambitious tour of Canada and the United States. In total, the team will visit more than 20 cities, including 4 in Canada, over 11 weeks. 

Tuesday, September 24, 2019 at Science World
Join an exclusive screening of the UK documentary Red Arrows: Kings of the Skies followed by a Q&A with members of the team. Register here »

Thursday, September 26, 2019 at Jack Poole Plaza
Aviation Day with the Red Arrows 10:00am to 6:00pm
Discover the world of aviation and learn more about the UK during a full-day of celebrations for the Red Arrows visit. From past to present, visitors can also get an up-close look at an iconic Sopwith Camel kindly provided by the Canadian Museum of Flight and then don a VR headset to take a ride in the cockpit during a Red Arrows flypast.  Science World and the H. R. MacMillan Space Centre will also be on-location to explain the science behind flight with interactive demonstrations including a friendly rocket launcher competition. 

This full-day event will culminate in back-to-back non-aerobatic flypasts by the Red Arrows over Victoria and Vancouver. The Red Arrows will first take to the skies of Victoria, passing over the provincial capital’s historic inner harbour and the British Columbia Parliament Buildings at approximately 4:40pm. Then at 5:00pm, they’ll do a flypast along the iconic Vancouver waterfront, trailed by their signature red, white, and blue smoke.

Red, White and Blue
To celebrate the Red Arrows visit, iconic Vancouver landmarks will be illuminated in red, white, and blue. These include Science World (September 24 & September 26), BC Place (September26), the Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza and the Vancouver Convention Centre (September 26) and the five sails at Canada Place at the Port of Vancouver (September 24-25). 

As part of their visit, the Red Arrows will make a special visit to Canuck Place Children’s Hospice for a chance to connect with the young children receiving care.

They will also meet with local students to promote careers in aviation, science, and technology. Taking place over four different sessions, the Red Arrows will showcase the importance of STEM in their work with students from the British Columbia Institute of Technology, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Templeton Secondary, Britannia Secondary and an organization aimed at inspiring female leaders from shop floor to top floor in high-tech STEM fields, Achieve Anything Foundation.

Follow the RAF Red Arrows on Facebook and Twitter for more info about these #RedArrowsTour events.

Hockey is back, and it’s back in Coquitlam! The Coquitlam Express kick off their season this weekend at the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex vs Chilliwack (home opener Saturday) and Prince George (Sunday).

It’s the heart of most Canadian communities, and there’s nothing like catching a game at the rink (on a rainy day it’s even better) cheering on the local team with family and friends.

Coquitlam Express Hockey

See the NHL stars of tomorrow in your own community! Here’s a bit of background on the Express:

The club entered the BCHL in 2001, and after 4 successful seasons which saw the team begin their climb to the top ranks in the BCHL, the team moved to Burnaby while the City of Coquitlam renovated our home arena, the Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex. Their 1st season in Burnaby was a banner year for the franchise winning the 2006 RBC Cup National Jr. “A” Champions. Assistant Captain, Kyle Turris, was selected 3rd overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, making him the highest Jr. A player ever selected.

In 2010, Coquitlam’s team returned home to a beautifully renovated Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex and in 2014 they captured the BCHL Championship. The Express has helped many players begin their journey to the NHL. Their most recent NHL draft pick is Alex Kerfoot who graduated with the Express and captained Harvard University. He currently plays in the NHL for Colorado.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to the both games this weekend: Chilliwack (Saturday, September 21) and Prince George (Sunday, September 22). Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

Click to enter via TwitterClick To Tweet

Follow the Coquitlam Express on Facebook and Twitter for more info about their season. I will draw two winners at random from all entries at 10:00am on Friday, September 20, 2019.

UPDATE The winner for Saturday is Becky @didyoumeditate, and Sunday is Laurel!

With over 50 exhibitors to visit, the Snowbird RV Show and Sale (happening September 19-22, 2019 at the TRADEX in Abbotsford) has something for everyone. Exhibitors include destinations, camping gear, travel accessories, truck customizing, diesel engines and hitches, and so much more.

Snowbird RV Show

• Where: TRADEX (1190 Cornell St, Abbotsford)
• When: Thursday, September 19 to Saturday, September 21 from 10:00am to 9:00pm; Sunday, September 22 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
• Tickets: $9 adult (19 – 59); $7 senior (60+); $6 youth (13 – 18); FREE child admission (12 and Under)

Experience the RVing lifestyle and discover all the new and exciting RV trends. With over 200 RVs to explore, you will find the latest models, products, and have the opportunity to talk to the experts all under one roof.

Over 120,000 square feet of display space, both indoors and outdoors. All kinds of new recreation vehicles on show and for sale. Plus over 50 booth exhibitors including parts and service exhibitors, resorts, accessories, truck customizing, diesel engines, hitches and more. There is also an area for Private Sales of RVs by the public.

Include The Seminar Stage in your visit, where experts discuss techniques for making your life on the road that much easier. Speakers will share their interesting insights on cross border travel, RV maintenance, and more. You will have the chance to see brand new RV’s up close and personal and can also visit the Private Sales RV lot to find used RVs for sale by owner.

The closest to an RV experience I’ve had was when John and I recently camped in the Yukon – and as lifelong tent-camper, I felt really, really spoiled. How dreamy it was to have a well-equipped vehicle/home on wheels for our adventure!

Win Tickets

Here’s how you can enter to win a 4-pack of tickets from Miss604:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

Click to enter via TwitterClick To Tweet

Connect with the RV Shows BC on Facebook and Twitter for more info. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.

UPDATE The winner is Ron!

On Saturday, September 21, 2019, Canuck Place Children’s Hospice will welcome guests to the Parq Hotel for their 15^th annual Gift of Time gala, presented by Nicola Wealth where over 750 donors, sponsors and friends of Canuck Place will come together to raise funds for care and celebrate timeless love. 

A Night of Generosity at the Gift of Time Gala

The success of the evening can be attributed to the generosity of our corporate partners, the dedication and leadership of the three gala co-chairs Karley Rice, Lee Rennison, Pippa Morgan, and the volunteer gala committee.  “It is always an incredible evening,” says Margaret McNeil, CEO at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. “We are so grateful for the support of our community partners and honoured guests.”

It is through the support of our Gift of Time donors, that Canuck Place is able to reach more children and families this coming year. Each and every gift ensures that Canuck Place can continue to provide care for children with life-threatening illnesses and families. 

Unique live auction

The Gift of Time is an elegant evening that includes an exquisite meal, live entertainment, and the opportunity to bid on exclusive silent and live auction items. This year’s live auction has an incredible selection of unique and exclusive items. Here is a sneak peek at a few:

• The ultimate girls trip to Southern California – complete with a shopping spree, private styling at the goop Lab, and to top it all off, a visit to the Conan O’Brien set with VIP seats to a live taping of the show.
• Get ready for romance with a year of date nights – some of Vancouver’s most iconic and noteworthy restaurants have teamed up to offer an unforgettable dining experience, complete with limo rides to each dinner out. 
• VIP trip to Napa Valley for 6 – the ultimate Napa experience includes a private jet, exclusive Napa wine tours and tastings, and first class accommodations. 

About Canuck Place

For almost 25 years, Canuck Place has been providing paediatric palliative care for the most medically complex and ill children in the province. This past year alone, over 765 children and families across BC and Yukon received care through Canuck Place programs and essential services. 

Follow Canuck Place Children’s Hospice on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Miss604 is the proud blog partner of the Canuck Place Gift of Time Gala for the 7th year.

This month’s guest post is written by Kathleen Stormont, Communications Specialist with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”).

Stumps in Stanley Park

Stanley Park has no shortage of awe-inspiring giants: towering old growth Douglas firs, burly Western red cedars and the province’s largest broadleaf maple tree.

These remnants of the original forest remain a century and a half after loggers’ saws first cut through the rainforest. It’s not hard to spot evidence of  this 19th century industry in the massive stumps dotting the Park’s forest – each bearing the scars of springboard notches or platforms upon which two men would balance drawing a saw across the expansive tree trunk between them. Though most of us stand in awe with craned necks under the giants, the stumps below are compelling in their own way.  

Second and third growth forest rises around the stumps, and even from them. The old “nurse” stumps support young hemlocks sprouting from the seeds of tiny hemlock cones dropped from branches above.

As these trees themselves age and fall, their value to wildlife is immeasurable: standing snags offer nesting cavities for wood ducks and woodpeckers. The rotting wood serves up an insect buffet for insectivores like the woodpeckers, while the decomposing trees and stumps refresh the soil with a heavy nutrient load. So important are these dead trees and rotting stumps to forest health, that the Park Board only removes fallen trees that may pose a hazard to Park visitors. The rest are left to provide their vital ecosystem services. 

 The most famous stump of Stanley Park is, of course, the “Hollow Tree”. At its prime, this remnant of a Western red cedar was about 800 years old and measured 5.5 meters in girth. Likely killed by lightening, this landmark was already a stump decades before the Park was established in 1888. It has been one of the most popularly photographed landmarks of the Park, captured for all time in photographs of buggies, horses, families and early vehicles parked in its centre.

Severe windstorms in 2006 cemented the Hollow Tree’s decline, forcing the Park Board to either lay it to rest or engineer a solution. An interior steel scaffold now supports the popular giant, while its likeness has been immortalized in Douglas Coupland’s  eye-popping life size gold sculpture displayed on a plaza at the south end of Cambie Street.

For Park wildlife and visitors alike, it’s the real stumps that are most precious with both history and sustenance housed in their crumbling bark. This fall, come wander the quiet forests of Stanley Park and be sure to include the not-so-lowly stumps in your contemplations. 

Join SPES on a guided tour of the Park’s giants during Big Tree Weekend, September 21 & 22, 2019. Our Hollow Tree and Friends Walk begins at 1:30pm on Sunday, September 22, 2019.

About the SPES Monthly Feature

As a member of the Stanley Park Ecology Society, Miss604 wanted to offer the organization an opportunity to share their news, events, so we created the “SPES Series” years ago. This is where SPES can contribute and share stories with the Miss604 audience once a month. Follow SPES on Facebook for more information.

Sponsored by Metropolis at Metrotown

Work where you love to shop! More than 50 retailers are participating in the 12th annual Metropolis at Metrotown Job Fair on Saturday, September 28, 2019.  There are more than 500 positions to be filled including opportunities with Hudson’s Bay, Toys R Us, T&T Supermarket, Dynamite, Nespresso, Roots Canada, H&M, and many others. 

Metropolis at Metrotown Job Fair

Where: Metropolis at Metrotown’s Atrium and Grand Court
When: Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm

One of my very first jobs was working at a retail story in Metropolis at Metrotown and I still use the skills I learned today; from customer service to invoicing and management, to looking for the very best products.

This holiday hiring season, retailers will be looking to fill over 500 part-time and full-time entry-level or managerial positions. Hundreds of job seekers are expected to attend, many of them seeking their first job experience. Retailers are also looking for experienced talent who may want to grow their career in retail management. 

Candidates are encouraged to bring several resumés and make a list ahead of time of the retailers they are interested in visiting. As some retailers will hold on the spot interviews, candidates should dress accordingly and arrive prepared to meet with hiring managers. 

Follow Metropolis at Metrotown on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more information.