Grouse Mountain has released its plans for a phased reopening after closing during the COVID-19 pandemic. They will be welcoming Annual Passholders and download-only guests back to Grouse Mountain starting Monday, June 22, 2020.
Grouse Mountain Reopening
In this first phase of reopening, guests will experience the new operating procedures outlined in Grouse’s PureClean Commitment, including:
- Starting with Skyride capacity reduced by 70% to allow for physical distancing
- Mandatory use of face masks while boarding, travelling on and disembarking from the Skyride (you are encouraged to bring your own mask, however they will have masks available if needed)
- Required temperature screening prior to boarding for both uphill and downhill travel
- Additional hand sanitizing stations available throughout the Resort
- Enhanced Skyride cleaning, sanitization and disinfection protocols
- Mandatory advanced bookings for the Skyride
Grouse Grind, Download Only
The Grouse Grind remains closed while the Skyride is not in operation since hiking down Grind is NOT permitted.
In order to manage capacity on the Skyride and reduce wait times, they have implemented a timed booking system for both passholders and ticket purchasers. All travel on the Skyride must be pre-booked in advance using the online booking system. This includes download-only (for those doing the Grouse Grind).
With the purchase of a Mountain Admission ticket, you will be required to select an upload and download time as part of the checkout process. Download ticket purchase will require you to select a download time as part of the checkout process. Passholders need to login using their pass number and book either their roundtrip Skyride times or just a download time.
Annual Passholders and download-only guests will be able to start booking their upload and download (or download-only) admissions for the reopening date of Monday, June 22, 2020 and beyond. The next phase, including general admission for the public, will be announced at a later date. Stay tuned on Grouse’s Facebook page for updates.
UPDATE! All guests are welcome back starting Monday, June 29, 2020
Related: Sea to Sky Gondola Reopening in Phases
The Indian Summer Festival is in the middle of presenting 10 weeks of programming to celebrate its 10th anniversary. It began May 16th and until July 18th, you can tune into livestream events on Saturdays and a few other special presentations during the week.
Indian Summer Festival Online
Cost to Participate: Free!
Where: On the ISF Facebook page or YouTube channel.
When: Saturdays at 7:10pm until July 18, 2020, with special events in between.
From Grammy Award-winning musicians to emerging poets, razor sharp economists to visionary environmental warriors, this year’s programming spans literary dialogues, intellectual debates, musical performances, and interactive culinary experiences. Indian Summer Festival has built its reputation on its loving and audacious curatorial punch, and this 10th anniversary edition sees a stunning global cast of talent applying its creative power to address this unsettling time.
Schedule
Here are the remaining events you can enjoy:
Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 7:01pm
ISF2020: Joseph Stiglitz on ‘People, Power, and Profits’ with Arjun Jayadev
In this special event for Indian Summer Festival, Joseph E. Stiglitz speaks with the brilliant Indian economist Arjun Jayadev who has worked extensively on income distribution and inequality, and was the Co-Editor of ‘The Journal of Globalization and Development’.
Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 7:01pm
ISF2020: Night of the Raga
To feel raga in all its variety, ISF2020 goes to some of the most outstanding classical musicians in India. In the middle of a nation-wide lockdown, they dig deep into their repertoires and offer us songs of solace, inspiration and empathy. This is a rare chance to visit these outstanding musicians in the intimacy of their homes and, thanks to technology, sit with them virtually in the same room, rather than the giant concert halls that these musical legends usually fill. Featuring Dr. L. Subramaniam, Kavita Krishnamurti, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan and Ayaan, Shubha Mudgal and her partner in music and life Aneesh Pradhan.
Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 12:30pm
Mandala Workshop with Sheniz Janmohamed #ISFMandalaProject
#ISFMandalaProject is a digital community arts-meets-volunteerism campaign, inspired by Sheniz Janmohamed‘s “mandala a day” project. Volunteers are invited to a workshop to learn from Sheniz Janmohamed about principles of mandala making, intuitive design, and good ways to take pictures of them.
Saturday, June 20, 2020 at 11:00am
ISF2020: Tea with Waris
In this special online event, Waris Ahluwalia invites you to pause and take a cup of tea with him. “Tea is about taking a moment in your day to reflect”, he says “For centuries, tea has brought people together.” Waris drops in on a host of creative people around the world, for a series of interactions that last the length of a cup of tea. Travel the globe with one of the planet’s most charming companions, with a cup of tea as the nucleus for conversation, art, performance or maybe a meditation or a dance party.
Saturday, June 27, 2020 at 11:00am
ISF2020: 5×15 Global Edition
5×15 is a speakers series that originated in London, with its home in the Tabernacle in Notting Hill, a beautiful heritage building where Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones used to rehearse. Featuring speakers like Salman Rushdie, Gloria Steinem, Ben Okri and Brian Eno the series was quick to captivate. From there it spread to New York and Milan. Indian Summer Festival has hosted the only Canadian iteration of 5×15 every year, featuring the likes of Kamila Shamsie, Kamal Pandya, Wade Davis, Pico Iyer, Vivek Shraya, and Eden Robinson.
ISF presented a global edition, curated and hosted jointly by Eleanor O’Keefe (co-founder of 5×15) and Sirish Rao (co-founder of ISF). The format will be a little different for screen: 6 speakers talking for 10 minutes each, but no less brilliant. The curators will draw from a combined pool of 1500 speakers from around the world – watch this space for the lineup.
Saturday, July 4, 2020 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Tiffin Talks – Zanani / Zamana / Zameen
oin writer Shauna Singh Baldwin, filmmaker Baljit Sangra, and visual artist Sandeep Johal for an in-depth discussion moderated by Suvi Bains on how place and society affect how we imagine the feminine.
Saturday, July 11, 2020 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Vij’s at Home
Vikram Vij is a Canadian culinary gem. Anyone who has experienced Vikram’s trademark hospitality knows that he always manages to create a distinct dining experience. In this special online event for Indian Summer Festival, Vikram gives a masterclass in Indian cuisine, creating a meal together with you in real time, in the intimacy of your own kitchen. Leo Award-winning actor Agam Darshi plays host, drawing out Vikram’s life story, and the deeper things that a cuisine signifies – culture, gathering, affection, relationships… not for nothing is food referred to as ‘the sixth language of love’.
Saturday, July 18, 2020 7:00pm to 9:00pm
10th Anniversary Closing Party
Follow the Indian Summer Festival on Facebook for updates.
The 44th annual Powell Street Festival was cancelled this year as a physical gathering, due to COVID-19, but the spirit of the festival lives on in the new online telethon happening August 1, 2020.
Powell Street Festival Telethon
When: August 1, 2020 from 2:00pm to 7:00pm
Where: On the Powell Street Festival website. An online pledge campaign will be live on July 1st.
Celebrate Japanese Canadian culture while giving back to your community! Watch live performances, highlights from previous festivals, appearances from festival vendors, and so much more. Tune in with your family and friends to experience the spirit of the festival right from your home.
The Powell Street Festival Society (“PSFS”) produces the annual Japanese Canadian (“JC”) outdoor festival that takes place in the historic JC neighbourhood, Paueru Gai located in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Side (“DTES”).
The Powell Street Festival is the largest JC festival in the country and the longest running community arts celebration in Vancouver. The mission is to cultivate Japanese Canadian arts and culture to connect communities. The festival thrives on community engagement, collaboration, and accessibility, offering space to Downtown Eastside Organizations among community booths at the festival.
100% of the telethon proceeds will go toward the year round DTES Community Care program. This program brings the JC community together to create a monthly meal program for people in the DTES in partnership with the DTES Community Kitchen network. The funds will also support existing DTES seasonal celebrations including: the Hanami Cherry Blossom Event, Asahi Tribute Game, and Minori Harvest.
The telethon pledge campaign will be launched on July 1, 2020 through CanadaHelps, where you can also make an immediate donation. For updates, follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #PowellStFest.
This weekend, Central City Fun Park opens its doors to the public, becoming the largest indoor amusement park in Metro Vancouver.
Central City Fun Park
Location: 11125 124 Street #100A, Surrey (near Scott Rd Station)
Tickets: Available online here
The team behind the Fun Park has in the entertainment business for over 30 years and currently operates a small bowling alley in Aldergrove and a couple of playcenters in Surrey and Langley (Funky Monkey & Go Bananas).
“Additionally, we used to operate Central City Arena (former Stardust), where we had public skating every Saturday evening before the building was sold for redevelopment,” owner Glen Vilio told me this week. “When the former Skyzone space became available we jumped at the opportunity to finally open a much larger facility which could be attended by people of all ages.”
They already had a strong following of roller skaters from Central City Arena so the roller rink was their first confirmed attraction followed by the new style bowling alley (10 pins using 5 pin balls and regular shoes). They then added the miniature golf course, arcade/redemption games & Hologate VR.
Due to COVID-19, they won’t be opening up to hundreds at a time, instead they have the following measures in place to ensure everyone’s safety:
- Reduced occupancy from 300 to 40 people
- Providing free masks (or bring your own)
- Spaced out the Arcade to allow for social distancing
- Limited Roller Skating to 12 skaters at a time
- Reduced the number of Bowling Lanes in half
- Enhanced sanitation & cleaning procedures
- As an extra precaution, they are enforcing the use of masks (free or bring your own) at this time. Safety precautions will be re-evaluated on an ongoing basis and are subject to change.
All guests must purchase tickets ($20) prior to arrival. Tickets include a designated entrance time & $20 Fun Card. Access is limited to 20 people per hour. Max stay is 2 hours.
With their very limited capacity (and to conform to social distancing guidelines) they also decided that the Hologate VR, pizzeria, and party rooms will remain closed for the time being.
Win Passes
It’s really exciting to see something new – and super fun – open its doors in my old neighbourhood. To celebrate, I have 2 x 4-packs of tickets (value $80 each) to give away so you can enjoy Central City Fun Park with your family/bubble. Here’s how you can enter to win:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win passes for the new #CentralCityFunPark in Surrey – Metro Vancouver’s largest indoor amusement park http://ow.ly/eUPG30qMFiM” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, June 11, 2020. UPDATE The winners are Selina and Noy!
