It’s the return of BC Youth Week, with events and activities planned for youth, by youth, all across the province May 1-7. This is an internationally celebrated event that aims to recognize the positive contributions youth make in our communities, and to celebrate the valuable work youth do all year round.
BC Youth Week 2021
I had the pleasure of speaking to youth leaders last week and got a preview of what some of them are planning around Metro Vancouver. From yoga and trivia, to a Mario Kart challenge, art talent show, community cleanups, and mental health workshops, here are just a few of the events each community group is organizing and hosting:
The Chilliwack Tulip Festival, which was cancelled last year at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is returning for one month starting today with Chilliwack Spring Blooms followed by the full Chilliwack Tulips attraction later in the month.
2019 Chilliwack Tulip Festival
Chilliwack Tulips Open for Spring 2021
When: April 11 to May 2, 2021 Where: 41310 Yale Rd, Chilliwack Tickets: April 11 to April 15 $10 general admission (Chilliwack Spring Blooms), April 16 to May 2, $20 (Chilliwack Tulips). Purchase online in advance.
In terms of blooming times, the “Chilliwack Spring Blooms” (featuring full bloom Hyacinths and Double Daffodils, along with a 4-acre field of budding Tulips) will take place April 11 to 15. “Chilliwack Tulips” (the remaining acres of Tulips) will be in bloom from April 16 until at least May 2.
Due to the current provincial travel advisory (avoiding non-essential travel outside of your region), they are only encouraging only residents of the Fraser Valley to visit the fields at this time. Additional COVID protocols include:
The fields’ capacity will be limited to 25%
Tickets will be sold online only, in one-hour blocks
Masks are mandatory in all areas of the grounds at all times; however, they may be removed briefly for photos so long as social distancing can be maintained
Hand-sanitizing stations will be available in multiple locations
Staff will be sanitizing high-touch areas throughout the day
Directional pathways will be 3 to 5 metres wide
Guests can roam among more than 20 acres of 25-plus tulip varieties, and over 16 types of double daffodils, and almost a dozen types of hyacinths. There will be more than 6.5 million bulbs in all. There are numerous photo-op props throughout the grounds, including 7 sets of swings, and several raised platforms. The Farm Shop will be open daily, offering fresh cut and potted tulips, dahlia tubers, sunflower seeds for the garden, tulip-themed souvenirs, along with individually wrapped frozen treats and bottled refreshments.
Launched in 2006, Chilliwack Tulips was the first attraction of its kind in the Fraser Valley — and it’s still the largest in BC, with millions of tulips each year. It returns this year with health and safety protocols in place to celebrate 15 years of bright, beautiful blooms.
The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver. Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV to share and tell their stories, like this month’s feature about the Crisis Program:
Crisis Program at Covenant House Vancouver
At Covenant House Vancouver’s Crisis Program, youth receive compassion and support from our caring team of Youth Workers, Social Workers, and Registered Clinical Counsellors.
When youth first arrive at Covenant House they are often scared, sick, hungry, and exhausted. At the Crisis Program the priority is to meet young people’s basic needs by providing:
A safe place to sleep
Nutritious food
Hygiene supplies and a shower
Clean clothing and pajamas
Medical attention
Relentless Support for Youth
There are 63 beds in CHV’s short-term, live-in Crisis Program:
28 beds for female-identified youth (including LGBTQ2S, gender queer, gender non-binary and self-identified young women)
35 beds for male-identified youth (including LGBTQ2S, gender queer, gender non-binary and self-identified young men)
At the Crisis Program, youth also receive:
Food, clothing, and hygiene supplies
A consistent Youth Worker for support, goal setting, and planning
Access to Social Workers who help create an individual plan
Referrals to other social services
Help with finding employment and referrals to job centres
Financial assistance to get back home, if that’s a safe option
Recreational opportunities including yoga, soccer, hockey, and baseball
Help finding and securing a safe place to live when they decide to leave
Young people can stay in the Crisis Program free of charge for as long as they need to; because getting through a crisis takes as long as it takes.
Crisis Program in Action
Rhiannon, a Youth Worker at CHV’s Crisis Program shares how a young woman named Tammara approached a unique challenge with hope and optimism:The pandemic has been a significant challenge for so many of us, but for drug users and those who are doing their best to stay sober it has been particularly difficult.
Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”) is celebrating Earth Day (April 22nd) with a lineup of events throughout the month that will inspire you to take action for our local and global environments. Designed with COVID-19 safety in mind, Earth Month activities bring participants online, outside and into Stanley Park with individual or collective actions to support our planet.
Earth Month with Stanley Park Ecology Society
SPES is offering five free webinars surveying the actions of people making a difference locally and nationally – touching on environmental rights across Canada, climate change impacts in Vancouver, Indigenous law and ecosystem protection, youth activism and youth stewardship projects.
The Role of Indigenous Ways in Community and Ecosystem Health When: Wednesday, April 14, 2021 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm Tickets: Free, register online
Action for Environmental Rights and Racism When: Thursday, April 15, 2021 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm Tickets: Free, register online
Seed Generation Youth Stewardship When: Wednesday, April 21, 2021 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm Tickets: Free, register online
Tsleil-Waututh Land and Water Stewardship and Activism When: Thursday, April 22, 2021 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm Tickets: Free, register online
Action for Climate (Online) When: Wednesday, April 28, 2021 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm Tickets: Free, register online
For those wanting to get outdoors and make a difference, SPES is inviting locals to bring their bubble to Stanley Park and join the SPES Earth Month BioBlitz! Community scientists can help update the Stanley Park Life List by taking photos of plant and animal species in Stanley Park and submitting them to iNaturalist.
Photo: Greg Hart / SPES.
Follow SPES on Instagram every Friday (#SPESEarthMonth) for new BioBlitz tasks. Participants may discover new species to add to the growing list of over 1030 different species in the Park! Unique species like carnivorous sundew plants can be spotted in the hidden Beaver Lake Bog, a rare remnant of bog wetland left in the city.
This Mother’s Day you can give the very best of our own bountiful backyard when you send a mom in your life the Langley Fresh Mother’s Day Gift Box. This perfectly packaged parcel features an assortment of carefully curated products, all sourced from the Township of Langley.
Langley Fresh Mother’s Day Gift Box
Where to Order:Online here Cost: $65 which includes a $5 donation to the Langley Food Bank How to Receive: From Tourism Langley (5385 216 Street, Unit #220, Langley). Pick up is available as of Monday, April 12th, open 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
There are fewer than 100 gift boxes available so book yours soon. Here’s what’s included:
Chuckling Duckling brings you a line of bath, body, and home products to delight and soothe your skin and enrich your senses all while respecting the planet. All their products are hand-made using natural ingredients, growing what they can and buying locally when possible to support local farmers and producers.
Product: This soothing soap is the perfect blend of goat milk, oatmeal and organic honey. Oatmeal gently exfoliates while the honey is naturally antibacterial, so it’s great for acne prevention and treatment. It is rich in antioxidants and is extremely moisturizing and soothing.
Festina Lente Estate Winery: Pure Wildflower Honey (250ml/340g)
The words “Festina Lente” in Latin mean “make haste slowly,” and that is exactly what Festina Lente Estate Winery’s philosophy is in regard to creating Mead (Honey Wine). On a 5-acre hobby farm in Langley, owner Teresa Townsley began her journey into the creation of Festina Lente. As both a professional beekeeper and winemaker, Teresa believed that it was in her best interest to explore the lost tradition of Mead.
Product: Pure Wildflower Honey is made by the happy bees that call Festina Lente home. This coarse filtered honey makes a great substitution for sugar in your baking or drinks and is a great addition to a charcuterie board.
Full Bloom Lavender Farm: Dried Lavender Bundle
Located in South Langley, Full Bloom Lavender Farm is one of Metro Vancouver’s only public Lavender Farms. Come walk among the rows of lavender and take in the scent of a field in bloom. Fresh and dried lavender is available for purchase, as well as an assortment of lavender products.
Product: This fragrant bundle of dried lavender will add a pop of colour to your space and leave it smelling fresh.
Juliet 925: Moon Disc Pendant 18” Necklace
Anita Bisset of Juliet 925 shapes sterling silver, recycled 10k gold and gold-filled metals into beautiful jewellery. Each link of every chain is hand-crafted to produce pieces of exceptional, unique style. You can shop online or book an appointment to visit the studio in the Fort Langley village. Beyond chains, Anita creates rings and earrings: from funky and chunky, to delicate and fine.
Product: You’ll be singing “By the light of the silvery moon” when you put on this shiny, hammered silver moon pendant. This 18” necklace was hand-forged in the Juliet 925 studio from solid North American refined sterling silver.
Tracycakes Bakery Café: Scone Kit
Tracycakes is a quaint restaurant and bakery that specializes in high tea, scrumptious baked goods, made-from-scratch soup, sandwiches, paninis, and over 40 flavours of delectable cupcakes. With locations both in the heart of downtown Abbotsford and the charming community of Murrayville, the cafes provide a welcoming escape from the busy outside world with their elegant décor, hospitable staff, and homemade treats.
Product: Tracycakes has put together everything you need to make their mouth-watering scones from the comfort of your own home, it even comes with an instruction card and a container of raspberry jam.
Enter to Win
I have a Langley Fresh Mother’s Day Gift Box to give away to one lucky winner! Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Click below to post an entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a #LangleyFresh Mother’s Day Gift Box from @TourismLangley http://bit.ly/LangleyMom” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Winner must be able to pick up the prize from the Tourism Langley offices. UPDATE: The winner is Sharon!
