Rooted in the French-Canadian community and heritage of the Maillardville area in Coquitlam, Festival du Bois is the largest and most popular celebration of francophone music and culture in BC.
Festival du Bois 2025 in Coquitlam
When: March 7-9, 2025
Where: Mackin Park/Maillardville
(1046 Brunette Ave, Coquitlam across the highway from IKEA)
Tickets: Early bird pricing is in effect until February2nd.
Single day and full festival passes available. Children under 5 years are free.
Sunday, enjoy a pancake breakfast for $10 (adults) & $5 (children) – not included in admission (purchase tickets on site).
This year’s lineup of performers offers music and dance rooted in French Canadian, Celtic, Folk and World traditions, along with new and contemporary sounds for all ages. From New Brunswick to BC, the 2025 festival artists promise an exciting weekend featuring both the familiar and well-loved and some musical adventures.
The festival opens Friday March 7th with a contradance – now a very popular festival tradition – in the Grand Chapiteau (Big Tent) in Mackin Park. You can can attend this evening for free to dance to the music of Vancouver’s premiere contradance group, TheSybaritic String Band.
On Saturday and Sunday the festival presents outstanding music artists from Québec, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba and BC. The concert Main Stage and dance floor of the Grand Chapiteau welcomes the following groups and artists: LeFLOFRANCO, Jocelyn Pettit, La Patente, La Déferlance, Kutapira, Alouest, and more. View the full schedule and lineup of artists online.
In the Children’s Tent (Petit Chapiteau), kids and families will thrill to performances and presentations by Will’s James, Isabelle Kirouac, Micah and Profaqua.
Also on-site in Mackin Park, audiences can enjoy exhibits, participatory activities, food truck fare including French Canadian cuisine traditionnelle – tourtière, maple taffy on snow, poutine and other delicacies, licensed beverages, as well as some unique shopping.
Nearby Mackin House, located across the street from the festival’s main gate, hosts a range of fun and informative workshops with festival artists.
Starting this summer, BC Ferries is launching the new Seascapes, a new on-board lounge featuring a selection of food and beverage options in a quiet, more relaxed setting.
BC Ferry in Active Pass – Miss604 Photo
New Seascapes Lounge on BC Ferries
In June, 2023, BC Ferries announced that the Pacific Buffet would not return. It closed down in the pandemic and the company decided against reopening the venture, which lost $1.2 million annually. [Source: Times Columnist] Customers were invited, however, to take part in a three-week survey, and more than 10,000 shared their ideas.
Located in the former Pacific Buffet space on board the two Spirit class vessels, Seascapes will be a paid-access dining lounge offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For an entry fee of $6 including tax, passengers can access the lounge and enjoy unlimited coffee, tea and fountain beverages.
A curated menu of high-quality dishes made from fresh ingredients and an assortment of local beer, wine and non-alcoholic craft beverages will be available for purchase separately.
Customer input was central to the development of Seascapes Lounge. More than 10,000 people participated in surveys to share what they wanted from the space, expressing strong support for premium food options and a quieter atmosphere. BC Ferries is delivering on this feedback while also exploring innovative ways to maintain its role as an essential public service.
Passengers travelling on the Spirit of British Columbia and Spirit of Vancouver Island will continue to have access to other onboard dining options, including the Coastal Café and Arbutus Coffee Bar.
Customer Feedback
BC Ferries placed customer and crew feedback at the heart of the Seascapes Lounge concept by conducting two extensive surveys:
June 2023 Survey: Designed to gather input on the customer experience and understand what passengers wanted in a replacement for the Pacific Buffet. Over 10,000 responses revealed strong support for creating a dining space that was distinct from the Seawest Lounge and cafeteria spaces.
Key feedback included:
A dedicated dining space rather than repurposing the area for another use.
Comfortable seating with scenic views.
High-quality food options, including plated entrées, artisan foods, and desserts.
November 2023 Survey: A follow-up survey to gather more detailed input on menu preferences and pricing formats. Insights from this survey, combined with detailed research and analysis, informed the final menu design and concept for Seascapes Lounge.
“Customers have been clear in their feedback – they want a space that is special and distinct from the other dining areas, offering a quiet and comfortable setting,” said Melanie Lucia, VP Customer Experience. “Seascapes Lounge is designed to meet those expectations, offering an elevated dining experience with a curated selection of food and beverage options, while also reducing congestion in the Coastal Cafe.”
Seascapes Lounge is projected to generate approximately $1.3 million annually, directly supporting BC Ferries’ operational budget. Revenue from the lounge will help offset rising operational costs while maintaining BC Ferries’ role as an essential public service.
Seascapes Lounge will officially open ahead of the peak summer travel season, offering travellers an exciting new way to enjoy their journey.
BC Ferries will launch Seascapes Lounge on the Spirit of British Columbia and Spirit of Vancouver Island first, as these vessels require minimal modifications. The Coastal Celebration may follow based on the performance and reception of the lounge on the Spirit class vessels.
The 54th annual JUNO Awards are happening Vancouver on Sunday, March 30th and with the national celebration of musical excellence comes a bundle of shows and events including the Road to the JUNOS concert series later this month.
Road to the JUNOS Concert Series
Dates: January 26 to January 30, 2025
Location: The Pearl (881 Granville St, Vancouver)
Tickets: Just $15, available online now
All ticket proceeds will go to MusiCounts, the music education charity associated with the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Juno Awards.
We’re in a typically slow season for events around Vancouver, this is usually when I plan to take vacation time, but there are still some shows, workshops, concerts, and activities to enjoy around the region. It’s also a good time to visit any local attractions since they’re much less busy right now. The calendar will start picking up again towards the end of January and for now, enjoy these equally fun things to do around Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley:
TransLink is seeking public engagement, and announcing station locations for two future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes serving customers travelling in Surrey, Maple Ridge, and the Township of Langley.
TransLink Announces New Bus Rapid Transit Station Locations
Planned locations for the route’s stations are also being released as part of the engagement. In Surrey, the King George Boulevard BRT route has 12 planned stations, and the Langley–Haney Place BRT route has 13 planned stations. When operational, each route will speed up service on these corridors by approximately 40 per cent.
