The 31st season of Bard on the Beach and the 80th season of Theatre Under the Stars have been cancelled, and now the 110th season of the PNE up in the air — among many other events and summer traditions in Vancouver.
PNE Summer Night Concerts (supplied photo)
A Summer Without the PNE (as we know it) in Vancouver
Because of COVID-19, this summer will look different at the PNE. The opportunities to celebrate will be different and we absolutely recognize that our plans for the PNE Fair and Playland will need to adjust accordingly. We continue to monitor progress and work with Government officials and, when the time is right, we will be ready to welcome the province back in ways that makes sense for all our health and safety.
These are challenging times but we are resilient. Yes, the summer months are vital for us financially, and hearing confirmation today that all large summer gatherings are unlikely to happen, will of course, make the coming year very difficult. We are deeply concerned about the thousands of our youth, staff, vendors and partners that depend on us each summer to pay their way through school and to support their families and businesses each year. But the PNE succeeded through impacts of two wars, a great depression and the economic recession in early 2000’s. We were the site where British Columbia came together to wrap our arms around each other in celebration following both world wars. The PNE celebrates community resiliency, innovation, creativity and fun, even during extremely challenging times. We are the home of generations of great memories – we’ve been down before, but we’ve never been out.
We will be the place where British Columbia will come together again – to laugh, clap, cheer, sing, ride and scream through the lazy days of summer. As British Columbia’s largest employer of youth and the largest ticketed event in this great province, we thank you for 110 years of your support British Columbia.
So stay tuned, the events may be smaller, and protocols may be different, but we have a few bright ideas up our sleeve for when the time is right.
PNE Food Options in 2016
We’ll get through summer without the Coaster, fried onions, the lumberjack shoes, and free nightly concerts. We’ll get by without bumper cars, pickle cotton candy, a tour of a prize home, and even the SuperDogs. But, we’ll sure miss them all. Even the fried crickets.
The BC Museums Association has been a website consulting client of mine for the last few years (through my company) and while doing some recent website updates for them I noticed that they are as busy as ever! I reached out to their Programs Coordinator, Lorenda Calvert to find out more about how BC museums are coping with their doors closed during COVID-19.
How BC Museums Are Coping During COVID-19
My Q&A with Lorenda follows:
What kind of resources does the BC Museums Association provide?
One of the many resources we have created in partnership with Arts BC is CultureOnline.ca; a directory of online programs and resources that museums, art galleries, and cultural organizations are sharing with British Columbians during the COVID-19 shutdowns. This has provided one central platform for organizations to share and seek inspiration.
We’ve prepared a list of resources and links that explore best practices, innovative ideas, and administrative support for cultural organizations as they cope with prolonged closures and remote work. We’ve also increased our webinar offerings on topics related to addressing the COVID-19 shutdowns such as digital programming and DIY videography to support our members and community as we adapt to these changing times.
We’ve partnered with the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance and BC Alliance for Arts + Culture to help quantify the impact that COVID-19 is having on the province’s arts, culture, and heritage sector through and impact survey and have used that to keep government informed of the impact COVID-19 is having on our sector and to advocate for the necessary support to ensure that we can continue to protect and promote BC’s arts, culture, and heritage now and into the future.
And to address social isolation during this time of social distancing we’ve launched a weekly informal online group chat where community members can catch up, chat, ask questions and seek advice.
What are some of the ways museums are continuing to engage British Columbians while their doors are closed?
Museums, are rising to the challenge of engaging, educating and inspiring members of the public via online initiatives such as virtual exhibit tours, engaging podcasts, live stream lectures, activity packages, digital science experiments, virtual events, engaging social media and so much more. Great examples of ways museums are continuing to engage BC residents while doors are closed can be found at CultureOnline.ca which is an online directory where institutes can upload listings of their content.
What are some really creative examples of engagement from members?
There are so many! The Exploration Place in Prince George has been doing daily live streams with their Animal Ambassadors where they do live feedings, playtime, and bath time with their animals will answering viewers questions. The Reach Gallery in Abbotsford has created a self-guided driving tour of public art in and around Abbotsford.
The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC in Vancouver has an amazing podcast series called The Kitchen Stories – food provides such comfort during these crazy times. The Vancouver Art Gallery has created Art Connects where they host bi-weekly interactive live streams with local and international artists.
The Maritime Museum of BC in Victoria has created a slew of virtual programs for youth, adults and seniors. They’ve even launched a digital trivia night. The list goes on and on.
How can British Columbians continue to support their museums at this time?
There are many ways to show support including: engaging with institutes on online and via social media and sharing the content they are creating, partaking in virtual programs or lectures, purchasing or renewing memberships, making a donation and advocating to their friends, families, and politicians about the value museums and cultural institutes provide to their communities.
For more information, follow the BC Museums Association on Facebook and learn about their members and the support they are offering — including their Animal Crossing presence!
This week the BC Government announced an early launch of its mental health counselling and referral service for post-secondary students. The service, called Here2Talk, is a new aid for those currently struggling with the uncertainty brought about by COVID-19.
Here2Talk is a New 24/7 Mental Health Service for Students
How to Access the Service:Sign up online or download the app in the Google Play or Apple App Store. No appointment needed. All calls, chats, and conversations are strictly confidential.
Here2Talk’s resources and professional counsellors can help address common concerns such as:
Tensions with family members, friends, or instructors
Feelings of isolation, loneliness or depression
General stress and anxiety
Frustration or uncertainty related to studies or post-grad plans
Creating balance between personal and academic priorities
Building better communication and time management skills
Adapting to a new campus culture, learning style or city
and more
“Many students struggle to access mental health supports on campuses and in their communities; this has only been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tanysha Klassen, Chairperson of the BC Federation of Students. “The early implementation of this service is going to help so many people struggling right now, and in the future.”
The service, developed in consultation with students, will help students dealing with depression, anxiety, loneliness, stress, racism, relationships, and more.
All post-secondary students in every region of the province will be able to access it at any time, removing barriers associated with geography, work, and school schedules. It offers confidential, free, single-session services by app, phone or online chat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A Bc Government press release about the new service states: A survey of students by the National College Health Association found that 60% of Canadian students reported feeling things were hopeless and 89% of students felt overwhelmed by the amount of work they had to do in the previous year.
Two decades of underfunding in the post-secondary education sector have caused tuition fees to dramatically rise, which has resulted in students working longer hours, multiple low-paid jobs, and taking on financial insecurity to complete their studies. Additionally, underfunding has strained institutional budgets, and on-campus supports like counselling have not been able to keep up with the demands of growing student populations. All of this, compounded with a global pandemic, has created insecurity, stress, and exacerbated the lack of supports available for students.
The Here2Talk program aims to provide students more tailored support and get student who require long-term supports into community-based programs.
Today is Thursday which means it’s time to look toward the weekend and all the fun things we can do – virtually. Thanks to talented and creative folks, there are quite a few online events in Vancouver this weekend. I have a full list below and you can check out the April list here as well including a LOT of events today!
My Facebook memories in April are filled with photos of John eating garlic fries at opening day games and I have come to the realization that I truly miss baseball. When I came across a Vancouver History milestone recently, about Vancouver’s Mr Baseball, I knew I had to write about it:
In April of 1913, Bob Brown opened Vancouver’s fabled Athletic Park.
1919 – Robert Paul “Bob” Brown at the Athletic Park. Photo by Stuart Thomson. Archives# CVA 99-722
Known as Vancouver’s Mr Baseball, Bob Brown’s contribution to the sport span 60 years in the Pacific Northwest. He was a successful athlete at Notre Dame University in the 1890s, and a pro ball player from 1900-09 in Montana, Oregon, and Washington, the latter where he led the Spokane Indians to the Pacific Coast League pennant win in 1908.
He became the owner manager of the Vancouver Beavers who after several metamorphoses over the years, have become the successful Vancouver Canadians. Brown was also responsible for the first night games played under lights in Canada. Brown was the first to be inducted into the BC Baseball Hall of Fame.
He opened Vancouver’s Athletic Park, after physically clearing the site himself with pickaxe and dynamite. Athletic Park burnt down twice over the years in 1927 and 1946. Opening day saw a crowd of over 6,000. Under Brown, the Beavers won the pennant in 1911, 1913, and 1914 and in a new league (Western International League), won again in 1922, their last season.
In 1939, with the help of Capilano Brewery, Brown purchased the Vancouver Capilanos from Con Jones. In 1945, he sold the ball club but stayed on as vice-president and general manager. Brown served as president of the Western International League from 1938-53.
Cars outside Athletic Park in 1920. Archives# CVA 99-870.
“The baseball fan is born every spring,” is a Bob Brown quote. It’s true. When he passed away in 1962, the Vancouver Sun ran this obituary, written by Dick Beddoes:
