One of the best parts of summer in Vancouver is all of the free activities and festivals we get to enjoy. A highlight for the last seventeen years has been the weekly salsa dancing at Robson Square in Downtown Vancouver.
Salsa at Robson Square. John Bollwitt photo.
Free Salsa Dancing at Robson Square
Sunday July 17, 24, 31, and August 7, 14, 2022
Try the free beginner salsa dance lesson at 3:00pm, watch the dance performances at 5:00pm, or just check out the social dancing throughout the afternoon.
Want more salsa? Book a harbour tour with Vancouver Salsa Cruises and hit the water in style! Take a lesson, dance on three floors aboard the MV Britannia, enjoy DJs, catering, the beautiful sights and more.
Bard in the Valley believes in Shakespeare for all and they’re returning to three venues in the Fraser Valley this summer to present some of classic plays and tragedies in outdoor settings around Langley and Abbotsford.
Bard in the Valley at Eco Dairy Abbotsford. Photo submitted.
Bard in the Valley 2022
Since the group’s inception in 2009, Bard in the Valley (“BIV”) has presented a Shakespearean production every summer. More than 25,000 people have come out to enjoy these performances. Here’s the schedule this year, with a few fun add-ons:
Location: Eco Dairy (1356 Sumas Way, Abbotsford) Performance: Measure for Measure August 4-7, 2022 Tickets:Book online now for $35
Location: Douglas Park (20399 Douglas Crescent, Langley) Performance:Seussification of Romeo & Juliet July 21-23, 2022 Performance:Measure for Measure July 28-31, 2022 Tickets: Book online. Tent tickets are $25 otherwise general admission at Douglas Park is admission-free and by donation.
Location: Township 7 Winery (21152 16 Ave, Langley Township) Performance:Measure for Measure July 7-10; July 14-17, 2022 Tickets:Book online now for $35
Bard in the Valley at Douglas Park. Photo submitted.
Picnics Delivered
Enhance your experience with a Well Seasoned Gourmet picnic delivered right to your blanket at Township 7 Winery or Douglas Park. Be sure to include in order notes the date of your BIV show and your phone number. Use code Bard22 for delivery and order at least 48 hours in advance.
If you’re attending a show at the Eco Dairy, you can pre-order a picnic from Nature’s Pickins. Place your picnic order when you book your tickets at this location.
Enter to Win
I have a pair of tickets to give away to a performance of Measure for Measure at the Eco Dairy in Abbotsford. Here’s how you can enter to win:
June is a month for all to honour the cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis) in Canada. Seek firsthand experiences and education about living Indigenous cultures and realities, and be inspired to learn beyond the month of June. Here are some ways to connect and engage starting this Indigenous People Day, June 21:
Candace Campo of Talaysay Tours – Join an Indigenous-led tour of Stanley Park
Indigenous Peoples Day Events in Vancouver 2022
The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre is hosting a block party on June 21st from 11:00am to 3:00pm with performances, games, prizes and a special lunch.
Watari Counselling and Support Services is hosting a celebration at Maclean Park from 10:00am to 3:00pm on June 21st. There will be drumming, medicine pouch making, games, and giveaways. Lunch of sockeye salmon and bannock will be provided at 12:00pm.
Nations Skate Youth Indigenous Peoples Day is 2:00pm to 8:00pm on June 21st at Britannia Community Services Centre. Indigenous youth will have the opportunity to set up their very own skateboard, bead with others and custom paint their own pair of Vans. Enjoy music from live DJs and dinner courtesy of Mr Bannock.
The Carnegie Community Centre, in partnership with the UBC Learning Exchange and the City of Vancouver, is hosting an in-person “to-go” event on June 21 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm. There will be a to-go lunch, a t-shirt pop-up, cultural performances, giveaways from the Carnegie Cultural Sharing Program, Hives for Humanity, the Carnegie Vancouver Public Library and more. This cultural event will begin with a welcome from Chief Bill Williams Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) , Mary Point xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Carleen Thomas Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil- Waututh) and feature pop- up performances from Carnegie’s lexwst’i:lem drum group, Big Drum with John Sam, dancer Larissa Healey, and more.
Catch a movie with VIFF on June 21st at the Vancity Theatre and online, free on demand. Curated by Rylan Friday (Plains Cree & Saulteaux Ojibway, Cote First Nation), Finding Our Truth features work from First Nations and allied filmmakers, centering on Indigenous narratives with strong female leads, coupled with humour, determination, strength and resiliency. The films highlighted in this series challenge pervasive stereotypes by expressing the diversity of Indigenous experience – whether they are framed as historical or contemporary, speak to gender equality and sexuality, or are based in urban or rural settings, and all showcase Indigeneity in an equally authentic manner.
Enjoy free entertainment at the Indigenous Summer Stage June 24th at šxʷƛ̓exən Xwtl’a7shn (formerly the QET Plaza) hosted by the Talking Stick Festival, Vancouver Civic Theatres, and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Visit the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art and check out the new True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel exhibit. There will be free admission on June 22nd.
Co-produced by V’ni Dansi, Full Circle and Talking Stick, La Mitchin di Mitchifexplores similarities of knowledge within Indigenous cultures, landscapes and colonial experiences on stage at the Scotiabank Dance Centre June 21st. This vital work draws attention to plant medicines, their uses, and the intimate journey of connection to the land. Inspired by Métis artist Christi Belcourt’s painting Medicines to Help Us, La Mitchin di Mitchif is a heartfelt tribute to the intergenerational teachings passed down in Métis culture and the Indigenous relations to Mother Earth.
Join the Oxford Park Planting Day at 2050 Wall Street in Vancouver on June 21st from 10:30am to 12:30pm. You can help add Indigenous plants, a log seating area and a pollinator garden in partnership with Pacific Association of First Nations Women and Aboriginal Mother Centre Society. Learn about plants from Vancouver Urban Food Forest Foundation (“VUFFF”) board member and friend, Metis herbalist and educator, Lori Snyder, engage in sign and rock painting, enjoy snacks and community connection.
Ways to Honour Indigenous Cultures When Travelling This Summer
Add Indigenous tourism experiences in BC to your travel plans.Download the Indigenous Tourism BC app to find local tourism operators. Include Indigenous tourism in your travel plans.
Connection to Land, People and Culture. Commit to learning about the land where you live! Start with a tour with Talaysay Tours in Vancouver.
Support Indigenous digital economies. Resourceful entrepreneurs are now serving patrons through online orders, delivery service and virtual events. Shop online for Indigenous fashion, food, wine and art to show your support for Indigenous lands, cultures and businesses.
Last week at a ceremony at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations, together with partners at the City of Vancouver, Resort Municipality of Whistler, Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), officially revealed a concept for hosting a future 2030 Olympics and Paralympics in British Columbia.
Indigenous-Led 2030 Olympics Bid Concept Reveal
“As we navigated the feasibility phase, our Nations worked closely with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees, and our municipal partners, to not only determine if it is possible to host, but to truly explore what it would mean to host an Indigenous-led Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said yəχʷyaχʷələq, Chief Wayne Sparrow. “With the release of the Games concept, we can finally begin to share that we are ready to welcome the world back to our territory and create new paths towards reconciliation through sport.”
The concept reveal marks the end of the feasibility phase, one step in an Indigenous-led and privately funded process that can set a global model for partnerships between First Nations, governments, and the world of sport in the exploration of hosting transformative major events.
“This is an important step in our consideration of a potential Indigenous-led bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Squamish Nation Spokesperson Wilson Williams. “Now it is time to speak to our communities, and indeed the Canadian public, as we seek feedback on the more detailed proposal. In keeping with the traditions of our Nations, the communities will have an opportunity to add their voice to the discussion and help the Leadership Assembly as we move closer to a decision.”
Proposed 2030 Winter Olympics Venues
The hosting concept represents a proposed Winter Games that is sustainable, values-led and community-focused. The plan almost exclusively reuses and revamps existing venues – such as UBC’s Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre (ice hockey and Para ice hockey), the Richmond Olympic Oval (speed skating), and the Whistler Sliding Centre (bobsleigh, skeleton, luge) – ensuring that these important pieces of Canadian sport infrastructure are maintained and viable for generations to come. The concept also proposes a new partnership with Sun Peaks Ski Resort near Kamloops, which would host snowboard and freestyle skiing events on the traditional unceded territories of the Adams Lake, Little Shuswap Lake and Neskonlith Indian Bands.
“[This] is a very important day, as we enter into the next phase of this Olympic journey,” said Chief Jen Thomas, Tsleil-Waututh Nation. “Tsleil-Waututh is honoured to stand with our families from the Four Host Nations and our partners as we continue the good work to move towards the first ever Indigenous-led Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
In addition, the Games are designed to be climate-positive – the first Games mandated by the International Olympic Committee to have a net negative carbon footprint. This means sustainability is at the core of the concept, from venue reuse and construction to athlete transportation, with the aim of having a lasting impact on climate policy and action in Canada long beyond the Games.
The Indigenous-led process of exploring opportunities to bring the Games back to British Columbia began with a historic signing of an MOU between the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations, the City of Vancouver and the Resort Municipality of Whistler in December. The Four Host First Nations along with the two municipalities invited the COC and CPC into the process through a collaboration agreement in January.
As part of the collaboration agreement, all parties committed to participating in a feasibility assessment and the initial concept development to bring the Games back to Canada’s West Coast in 2030, while respecting the Truth and Reconciliation Call to Action 91, the Province of British Columbia’s legislation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and the federal government’s United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIP).
With an initial hosting concept developed, the project will advance into a broad and ongoing phase of community engagement and discussion with the public – a process that started within the communities of the Four Host Nations. The team is now actively seeking to discuss the project in greater detail with the public and other key stakeholders at the local, regional, and national levels. In the coming weeks, more details will be announced, including financial estimates.
This engagement will help inform the leadership assembly partners. Should the project proceed, the COC, on behalf of the partners, would continue dialogue with the IOC within the international bidding process.
Today FIFA confirmed that Vancouver has been chosen as an official host city for the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026. The Province will work with FIFA to confirm the number of matches that will be held in Vancouver.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico with matches held in select host cities across North America. This World Cup will be the largest ever held, and the first to feature 48 teams playing in 80 matches. It is expected that the United States will host 60 matches, with Canada and Mexico expected to host 10 matches each.
FIFA Women’s World Cup England Canada – Rebecca Bollwitt, Miss604 Photo
Vancouver to Host 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Matches
The selected cities in alphabetical order are:
CANADA: Toronto, Vancouver UNITED STATES: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle. MEXICO: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
“Soccer is a globally unifying sport. It is an important sport to Musqueam – just like it is important to so many communities around the world. We are thrilled to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup in our ancestral territory. There is no doubt that our youth will not only take pride in our involvement, but be inspired to continue playing the game that so many of us love.” – Chief Wayne Sparrow, Musqueam Indian Band
This is the first time that FIFA Men’s World Cup matches will be played on Canadian soil, and the tournament is watched by billions of people around the world. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to support the tourism sector, put the global spotlight on British Columbia and inspire the next generation of players.
“The Squamish Nation is thrilled the FIFA World Cup will kick off on our shared traditional territories in 2026! We look forward to working with our partners to make this world cup the biggest and best one yet. This event will promote Coast Salish cultures and languages to billions of soccer fans around the world and will inspire all Indigenous athletes to compete on the global stage.” – Sxwíxwtn, Wilson Williams, spokesperson, Squamish First Nation
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 – Rebecca Bollwitt Miss604 Photo
At this time, the estimated costs for planning, staging and hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 in BC range from $240 million to $260 million. This estimate is before considering offsetting contributions from the federal government and the City of Vancouver, stadium and training site rentals and other sources, and potential marketing opportunities that are expected to generate revenue. Additionally, early modelling from Destination BC and BC Stats estimates that the tournament could bring more than $1 billion in new revenue to BC’s tourism sector during the tournament and in the five years following, depending on the number of matches played in Vancouver.
“Soccer is incredibly important to the Tsleil-Waututh community, and we are pleased that this tournament will be hosted in our territory in 2026. Sport is like medicine to our people and can help heal and inspire our communities. We are excited to collaborate on these games and look forward to the opportunities they will bring to our people.” – Chief Jen Thomas, Tsleil-Waututh Nation
Vancouver (including BC Place Stadium) was invited to apply to plan and stage matches in summer 2026, and the city was approved as one of 22 candidate host cities in April 2022.
“We are ecstatic that Vancouver has been named a host city for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup. This is an incredible opportunity to welcome everyone back to Vancouver, as we did for the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and once again celebrate our special city. Vancouver Whitecaps FC are excited to support our partners at the Province of British Columbia, City of Vancouver, and BC Place Stadium as we get set to host the world in our home city and stadium.” – Axel Sschuter, Vancouver Whitecaps FC sporting director and chief executive officer.
The next FIFA World Cup will be held in Qatar in November 2022. The Canadian men’s national team qualified for a place at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, a first since 1986.
