In Vancouver, rain is more than just a verb and a noun. It’s a mood and a season. Some days are so wet you think you’ll never see sun again. You can’t fight it, so try to enjoy it – and the best way to do that is from behind a window.

And for over 50 years, Vancouver’s Blue Horizon Hotel has had some of the city’s best windows for watching the world below – and any weather incoming. The 30-floor Blue Horizon Hotel has dominated Vancouver’s West End skyline at 1255 Robson Street since 1967.

The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (“JCC”) is bringing back the Chanukah: Market in person! The parking area at the JCC will transform into a bustling and festive marketplace for all to enjoy.

JCC Chanukah Market

“Another name for Chanukah is the Festival of Lights and we would like to bring light into the community as we come together in person.“

• When: Sunday, November 28, 2021 from 11:00am to 5:00pm 
• Where: In the JCC Parking lot, with heated tents available (950 W 41st Ave, Vancouver)
• Admission: Free with Donation to the Jewish Food Bank. Proof of Vaccination required for ages 12 & over.

Under large heated tents, market visitors can shop at arts and crafts vendors, peruse amazing affordable art, seek out that perfect gift, enjoy live, all-ages entertainment, participate in fun family activities — or just stroll, soak up the friendly ambiance and enjoy a yummy nosh from one of the food vendors on site. The day’s festivities culminate in the lighting of the first candle on the menorah at sundown. 

The day promises a rich feast of music and performance, including the brilliantly eclectic music of Tzimmes, singer/guitarist Anders Nerman, children’s entertainer, Monika Schwartzmann, The Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir and the Klesbians plus bands, singers, dancers, and many fun surprises!

For kids and families there will be mini golf and bouncy inflatables, and hands-on art-making specially designed and delivered by the JCC Early Childhood Department. 

Shop more than 20 vendors offering jewelry and other creative, useful and decorative items. Glass Sipper, Mink Chocolates, Simchalligraphy, Retrophiliac, L + S Crafts, and many more will be on site.In addition, an eleven-member arts and crafts group is presenting an exhibition and sale offering items such as Giclée prints, ceramics, wood work, glass design, photographs, textiles and more. 

There will be plenty of food options as well, like Coffee Bike Vancouver, Meet2Eat, BurgerHolic and more along with special Chanukah treats, such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (jelly donuts).

For more information, follow the JCC on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Following the Atmospheric River which brought torrential rains with subsequent mudslides and floods that have cut the Lower Mainland off from the rest of Canada by road and rail, there is a potentially catastrophic situation playing out in Abbotsford tonight.

7:30pm Tuesday, November 16, 2021:
The City of Abbotsford issued an immediate and urgent notice to all residents that did not evacuate the Sumas Prairie earlier today to evacuate immediately.

DanceHouse, in partnership with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, presents the Vancouver premiere of Red Sky Performance’s highly kinetic contemporary dance work Trace, on stage November 24 to 27 at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

Red Sky Performance’s Trace

• When: November 24 to 27 at 8:00pm and November 27, 2021 at 2:00pm
• Where: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings, Vancouver)
• Tickets: From $25, available online now or call (604) 801-6225

Under the direction of Executive and Artistic Director Sandra Laronde, Trace is inspired by the ancestral celestial legends of the Anishinaabe people, which hold within them an Indigenous worldview of the interconnectedness of all creation. Closing out a six-week, 15-city tour across Canada and the U.S., Trace features a live percussive score infused with Indigenous motifs from composer Eliot Britton and athletically-charged choreography by Red Sky Performance Associate Artist Jera Wolfe.

Trace made its world premiere in Toronto at Canadian Stage in November 2018, followed by its international premiere at the iconic Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the US in 2019.

The work is Red Sky Performance’s ode to the origin stories of the Anishinaabe people and the mythological figure of Geezhigo-Quae (Sky Woman), who fell to earth, bringing with her the beginnings of life. Lauded by The Globe and Mail for its “physically demanding sequences that rely on the dancers’ swiftness and vigour,” Trace is the recipient of two Dora Mavor Moore Awards in 2019, for Outstanding Choreography and Outstanding Sound Design & Composition.

Featuring a backdrop of graphic projections designed by Marcella Grimaux, tracing humanity’s existence from single atom to expansive cosmos, the work offers a glimpse into an Indigenous perspective of the origin of humanity as well as its future evolution. An inventive, acrobatic work choreographed by Wolfe, a renowned Toronto-based choreographer and dancer of Métis heritage, for an ensemble of six dancers, Trace underscores Red Sky Performance’s athleticism and versatility. The work swiftly moves from fast-paced, synchronized choreography and athletic throws to slow, graceful lines and meditative movement.

Trace features an original, percussive score composed by Britton, a member of the Manitoba Métis Federation and an inventive composer who integrates electronic, audiovisual, and instrumental elements into his body of work and, performed live by three musicians, interspersed with the recorded throat-singing vocals of Orla Barlow-Tukaki and Nelson Tagoona and the dancers’ own rhythmic breathing. 

Red Sky Performance is one of Canada’s leading contemporary Indigenous performance companies, led by Artistic Director Sandra Laronde of the Teme-Augama Anishinaabe (People of the Deep Water). With a mission to create inspiring experiences of contemporary Indigenous arts and culture that transform society, Red Sky Performance is in its 21st year of creating and producing original, interdisciplinary works of dance, theatre, music, and media.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away, for the closing night performance on November 27th at 8:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Copy/paste the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, November 23, 2021. Update: The winner is mary ann!

A campaign to provide vital housing to women fleeing violence, refugees, seniors and others in need has reached its fundraising goal thanks in part to a donation from a group of maritime employer companies. 

Women of Options Campaign Reaches Its Goal

I was a part of the 50 Women of Options campaign for affordable housing which launched in February, 2021.

The group of waterfront companies largely operating south of the Fraser River, informally called South of the Fraser Maritime Employers, will donate $36,000 toward the new affordable housing project, capping an impressive fundraising effort steered by women leaders in the community. The group is comprised of Ceres Terminals Canada, DP World Fraser Surrey, Global Container Terminals Canada, Western Group, and BC Maritime Employers Association. 

The facility, which will be operated by Habitat Housing Society, a sister organization of Options Community Services, will be constructed at King George Hwy. and 81st Ave. in Surrey. Once complete, 70 per cent of the complex will offer below-market housing rentals, starting at $375 per month, targeted to those with the greatest needs. 

“Options Community Services is one of the most respected not-for-profit organizations in the South Fraser region. We couldn’t be prouder to answer their call and support their critical work building affordable housing for women, youth and others at risk of homelessness in our communities,” said Jennifer Perih of Global Container Terminals on behalf of the group. 

The fundraising campaign, called Women of Options, raised more than $1.5 million through the efforts of 50 women in the community. The campaign was supported by Penny Priddy, a dedicated community leader in Surrey and former board member of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority who recalled the great corporate citizens in the waterfront community and reached out to them. 

“For more than fifty years, Options has been working hard to help the residents of Surrey, Delta, White Rock and Langley, and it became the obvious choice for our five organizations to come together to support more meaningfully,” said Perih. “In making this donation, we hope to encourage others to consider ways they can support those who may be struggling in their communities.” 

According to the 2020 Metro Vancouver Homeless Count, Surrey had the second largest number of people impacted by homelessness in the region. The new housing complex will cater to women fleeing violence, refugees, seniors, at-risk youth and others facing barriers in finding decent, affordable homes.

“What a wonderful way to wrap up our campaign to raise $1.5 million to build affordable homes for Surrey women and others in need of support,” said Christine Mohr, CEO of Options Community Services and Habitat Housing Society, its sister company managing the project. “Thanks to Penny Priddy, we have forged new relationships within our waterfront industry. Together, we are making a big difference.” 

Women of Options Gala

On April 8, 2022, Women of Options is hosting a fundraising gala to raise additional funds to support Options Community Services. The gala will feature international entertainment, dinner and dancing along with live and silent auctions. For more information about how you can support Options Community Services, visit the website.