This morning the organizers of the Bloom Abbotsford Tulip Festival announced that after four years of hosting one of the Fraser Valley’s largest and most colourful outdoor events, they plan to eventually rebloom in the North Okanagan.
Abbotsford Tulip Festival is Moving to the North Okanagan
“It’s a bittersweet feeling to say goodbye to the incredible community that supported our vision for the last few years but we’re hopeful for the future of the event in our new community in the Northern Okanagan,” said Alexis Szarek, Founder of Bloom, The Abbotsford Tulip Festival. “We want to thank all of our dedicated staff and volunteers who greatly contributed to our success in Abbotsford, as well as the many community stakeholders who helped us along the way.”
Bloom, The Abbotsford Tulip Festival held their first event in the spring of 2016 with the goal of bringing four generations of Szarek’s family’s passion for growing tulips to a broader audience.
The outdoor festival attracted up to 100,000 visitors each year over six weeks from April to May who gathered to marvel at the 2.5 million rainbow coloured tulips in full bloom. The event employed over dozens of staff and volunteers every year, and had a significant impact on the local economy while boosting tourism and putting Abbotsford on a global stage for its reputation as an agritourism destination.
Several recent factors impacted the decision to permanently close the Abbotsford Tulip Festival, including the forced cancellation of the 2020 event last April due to the pandemic, as well as the uncertainty of the 2021 season. In addition, earlier this year, the land where the festival had been held for four consecutive years was sold to new owners further compromising the future of the event. Szarek and her growing family have since relocated to Armstrong where she and her husband, Marc hope to re-imagine Bloom for the North Okanagan community.
In tribute to the contributions of Canada’s Black communities, and to help amplify inspiring voices and stories, the NFB is launching two feature docs online that have been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, and showcasing a selection of films from its extensive catalogue.
The NFB’s Black History Month Film Lineup
These must-see new films join more than 4,000 titles already available for free through the NFB online.
Starting February 1: Kenbe la, Until We Winby Will Prosper (2019, French Program Documentary Studio) Feature-length documentary (83 min)
Ranging from the lush Haitian countryside to the icy landscapes of Canada, this sensitive film chronicles the journey of the late artist, philosopher and activist Alain Philoctète, whose dreams remain universal, resonating across generations and continuing to inspire us. The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), winning the People’s Choice Award, and had successful theatrical screenings in Montreal as well as on a tour of Eastern Quebec.
Starting February 8: John Ware Reclaimedby Cheryl Foggo (2020, North West Studio) Feature-length documentary (71 min)
The filmmaker re-examines the story of John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta prior to the turn of the 20th century. Foggo’s research uncovers who this iconic figure might have been, and what his legacy means in terms of anti-Black racism, both past and present. The film had its world-premiere screening at the Calgary International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award for an Alberta Feature.
In these times more than ever, stories of Black communities in Canada deserve to be seen and heard. Explore the NFB’s collection of films by award-winning Black filmmakers, creators, and allies of Black communities, detailing a rich history to better understand the present.
Cool sunny days, and tasty hot chocolate! We have some mid-winter fun in the city, with gallery exhibits, online arts performances and more things to do in Vancouver this weekend:
There’s a new Kickstarter campaign that launched today for Something Better Change, a documentary about legendary band D.O.A., and Joe Keithley. The film will cover Keithley’s political pursuits which led to a campaign victory in 2018 in his hometown of Burnaby, and filmmakers will also follow him as he enters into the next election for his city councillor seat in 2022.
D.O.A./Joe Keithley Documentary Kickstarter
“I am always attracted to a good underdog story,” says Something Better Change director Scott Crawford. “Not only have I been a longtime fan of D.O.A., but Keithley’s David versus Goliath story of affecting change from within the political ecosystem is one that I think will resonate with audiences—especially given our current political climate.”
As an elected official, Joe Keithley continues to carry on the same battles and ideals he has always stood for in D.O.A.: the fight against racism, the fight for new climate-change policies and women’s rights issues.
While in office, Keithley has worked hard on securing affordable housing, daycare, helping the most vulnerable citizens in his hometown.
Directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Scott Crawford (Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC and CREEM: America’s Only Rock’n’Roll Magazine) and produced by Paul Rachman (director, American Hardcore, co-founder of Slamdance Film Festival) they’ve got a great team in place to share the story with the world.
Some of the Kickstarter pledge rewards include autographed LPs (by Joe Keithley), guitars, t-shirts, hoodies, patches and more. At the time of publishing the campaign was at $7,749 of the $37,855 goal.
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. The following post has been contributed by their team:
Looking Back with Gratitude
Looking back on 2020 it was a year with new and unique challenges, and these have been devastating times for so many youth in our community.
But at Covenant House Vancouver we knew we were never alone and that our community was by our side.
While CHV continues the fight to end youth homelessness, know we are so grateful to have the friendship of dedicated supporters, who walk alongside these vulnerable and courageous youth in their journeys to overcoming homelessness.
The Covenant House Family has come together in the video below to show you our gratitude.
