The Vancouver Sun Run, the third largest 10K in North America, has been cancelled. Scheduled to take place on Sunday, April 19th, organizers have issued the following statement:
After careful consideration and in light of the latest information from federal and provincial health agencies, the 2020 Vancouver Sun Run has decided to cancel the 2020 event. The health and safety of our registrants, staff and volunteers is our top priority and at this time several health agencies in North America have recommended cancelling large gatherings. Although the Federal Ministry of Health continues to assess the health risk to Canadians as low in regards to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) the Vancouver Sun Run feels that is in the best interest of our participants to cancel the event. Read on »
The Vancouver Sun Run has been Canada’s largest 10K road race since its inception in 1985, and is currently the third largest timed 10k in North America. Founded by former Canadian Olympians Dr. Doug and Diane Clement along with Dr. Jack Taunton. The run’s purpose was to promote the benefits of running, to improve health and fitness, as well as support elite amateur athletics.
This weekend (and month) is a tough one for events, due to the current pandemic. All major sports leagues have been suspended, festivals cancelled, and events postponed. Please take this into consideration when browsing this event list and check official websites of the organizers to see if the event is still happening as-planned.
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend Mar 13-15, 2020
“You can work in your pyjamas all day!” is one of the excited responses I usually receive when someone asks about my home office. With the COVID-19 pandemic has come the cancellation of major events and social distancing being practiced out of an abundance of caution. Many companies are encouraging employees and team members to stay home from the office and telecommute.
“How do you stay motivated?” is another FAQ. While #PJsALLDAY sounds fun, it does take a bit of effort to stay motivated. Over the last 12 years, working on projects for sixty4media and of course Miss604.com, I have identified a few tips and tricks to stay productive in my home office:
How to Be Productive While Working from Home
Of course your company will hopefully get you setup with all of the technology and co-working tools you’ll need (shared project management apps like Slack, Asana, Basecamp, etc.) but here are some more personal self-care tips:
It starts with a fauxcommute. We live in the heart of Downtown Vancouver so John’s walk to work only takes 10 minutes. He’s on a schedule so I decided to follow his pattern. When he’s dressed and out the door by 9:00am, so am I. We walk to a coffee shop together for provisions and then part ways. He continues on to his office and I walk back home. Those 20 minutes get me up and about, and put me into a “work” mode.
I shared this once with a fellow travel writer who said he literally gets on his bike, cycles around the block, and parks his bike at his laneway office to simulate a commute and get in the right mindset for work.
Separate home space from work space. One thing about working in your home and that work can BECOME your home, then there’s no escape. I have a designated area/room where I keep all of my work items (files, laptops, cameras, tech) and when John walks through the door at 6:00pm, I LEAVE that space. My work is done too and we can enjoy our evening together.
For those other social media managers following along, I use Hootsuite to schedule my posts days in advance so the only work I do in the evenings is feed-monitoring from my phone here and there.
Make sure you still take a lunch break. One thing about working from home is the lack of distractions. like coffee breaks, meetings, lunch breaks. You’ll sit down at your desk, zone out with some tunes, starting clacking away on your keyboard and before you know it, it’s 2:00pm and you’ve completely lost steam. Stand up, walk around, have some water, get a coffee, refresh, stretch, then get back to it.
Have a virtual work buddy. I chat online throughout the day with John, my sister, and various friends also working from their home offices. We take synchronized breaks – or John will send me a Skype message: “Have you eaten yet?” To drop the hint.
Please, mute your phone. Meetings still have to take place and when you have 5-20 people on a conference call now it’s important to mute your own mic when you’re not speaking. Clicks of a mouse, firetruck sirens, family members in the background, construction noise, all of that can disrupt what should be a productive session.
Sync your wireless headphones or use your smartphone’s headphones so you can still be handsfree to take notes during the call.
Update: Everyone is being very understanding about background noise at this time, so don’t stress about this one too much!
You don’t have to work for 8 hours straight. Break up your day. Cook a meal. As long as you get the work in, it doesn’t have to be in a 9-to-5 window. Offset your hours, stretch, and come back.
Enjoy your time alone. Put on some music (I discovered that Cut Copy helps me code better), sing your heart out or dance in your chair like no one is watching — because no one is. Discover something new about your work patterns and what really helps you concentrate on tasks. It can help you when you get back to the office – but maybe lose the dancing and singing unless everyone will be totally into that now and lip-dub videos will come back in style… but I digress.
Last but not least, be sure to clean your keyboard, mouse, and phone regularly, as well as your headphones and cables. If you’d like to chat during the day, or remind me to take my lunch break, find me on all social media @Miss604.
Locals know, that about now the Accolade cultivar is sprouting in the West End and at English Bay but it will take just a few more weeks for the Akebono puffs to pop. There are 54 different varieties of flowering cherry trees that can be found in Vancouver neighbourhoods, with over 43,000 individual trees, and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates them all.
My favourite, Akebono blossoms
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival 2020
When: April 2 to 26, 2020 Where: Various locations
The 14th annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (“VCBF”) presented by Coromandel Properties and Vancouver Board of Parks & Recreation officially launches April 2 to 26, 2020 to celebrate the arrival of spring.
Haiku Invitational Contest (until June 1, 2020)
Submit up to two unpublished poems on the theme of cherry blossoms to the internationally acclaimed Haiku Invitational Contest presented by Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel.Participants have the chance for their haiku to be recognized as a Top Winner in six categories, Sakura Award or Honourable Mention. The contest will be judged by Beth Skala (Vancouver), Gary Hotham (USA), and Agnes Eva Savich (USA) and celebrated in creative ways! Over 10,000 entries from 40 countries have been submitted since 2006.
Report on the cherries! Help keep track of the bloom by tagging @vancherryblossomfest in your social media posts. Or, check out the online Neighbourhood Maps tool and What’s Blooming Now page to discover which favourite cherry blossom hotspots are in bloom.
Cherry Jam Downtown Concerts (Thursday April 2 & Friday April 3, 2020)
Extended two-day Cherry Jam Downtown concerts presented by Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association at Burrard SkyTrain Station. The event is also sponsored by G&F Financial Group and made possible in partnership with TransLink.
BC Blossom Photo Watch (April 2-26, 2020)
BC Blossom Photo Watch presented by TELUS wants to capture your best cherry blossom photos! Submit your favourite cherry blossom moments on social media using both #VCBFBCBW20 and #TELUS hashtags for a chance to win awesome prizes.
Blossom canopy. Photo by Ann Hung.
Tree Talks & Walks (April 2-26, 2020)
Tree Talks & Walks, a guided exploration of the blossoms at more than nine Vancouver parks and neighbourhoods.
The Big Picnic (April 11, 2020 from 12:00pm to 4:00pm)
The Big Picnic presented by TD Bank Group unites hundreds of cherry blossom fans under the highly Instagrammable blossom moments at Queen Elizabeth Park. A variety of food trucks will appeal to diverse palates and community vendors will have interactive kid-friendly activities for all ages. The event has been extended for an extra hour this year to bring more cherry blossom joy to everyone. Cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak and ban on events over 250 people.
Sakura Night (April 23, 2020 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm)
The 6th annual fundraiser returns on a weekday at Stanley Park Pavilion, and early bird tickets are on sale NOW until March 20th for $125 at vcbf.ca (regular tickets are $150). Enjoy culinary creations from chefs at The Victor at Parq Vancouver, Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver, Chef Will Lew (previously at Fairmont Pacific Rim and Vancouver) and Benkei Ramen. ARC Iberico Imports will also be sampling gourmet Spanish products. Alcohol partners include: Winemaker’s CUT, Salt Spring Wild Cider, Stanley Park Brewing, Central City Brewers + Distillers. The event promotes the work of our charitable non-profit society and to raise money to help fund our free, accessible events focused on “connecting our communities”.
Sakura Days Japan Fair which was to take place April 18-19, 2020 at VanDusen Botanical Garden during the Cherry Blossom Festival will not take place in 2020. The volunteer organization which organizes the event, Japan Fair Association of Vancouver, has made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event.
DanceHouse connects Vancouver and the local arts community to the international world of dance by presenting exceptional companies that are recognized for their excellence, innovation, and international reputation. This spring, they have two shows to delight audiences and I have a double DanceHouse Giveaway!
These events have been cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreak & band on events with over 250 attendees.
DanceHouse Presents RUBBERBAND’s Ever so Slightly
Where: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver) When: March 20 & 21, 2020 at 8:00pm Tickets:Available online now from $35
RUBBERBAND by Marie-Noële Pilon
DanceHouse presents the powerhouse Canadian company RUBBERBAND in Ever So Slightly. In their inaugural presentation with DanceHouse, the company kicks off with a roar. Melding the forces of two musicians and 10 extraordinary performers, choreographer Victor Quijada takes apart the mechanisms of compliance and control with surgical precision. One moment, the dancers look like inmates in an asylum, the next, street dance warriors in boiler-suited conformity. Balancing chaos and catharsis, Ever So Slightly carves a path towards genuine resistance and liberation.
DanceHouse Presents Compañía Rocio Molina, Fallen from Heaven
Where: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings, Vancouver) When: April 1–4, 2020 at 8:00pm and April 5, 2020 at 2:00pm Tickets:Available online now from $35
Image of Compañía Rocío Molina by Simone Fratini
DanceHouse and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, in partnership with Vancouver International Flamenco Festival, present the Vancouver premiere ofCompañía Rocío Molina’s fearless workFallen from Heaven (Caída del Cielo). Choreographed by Spain’s ‘enfant terrible of Flamenco’ Rocío Molina and choreographer Elena Córdoba, with co-artistic direction by Carlos Marquerie, Fallen from Heaven is a radical celebration of womanhood and its many nuanced gender roles. Performed to live musical accompaniment, the daring work infuses flamenco’s fiery passion with a contemporary feminist aesthetic, revolutionizing the traditional dance form for a new generation.
For more information, follow DanceHouse on Instagram, Facebook, and a Twitter. Since 2008, DanceHouse has presented vibrant and inspiring companies from Canada and around the world. In addition to the performances on stage, DanceHouse offers a suite of engagement opportunities and a chance for the general public and local artistic community to engage with the presented artists and their work.
Double DanceHouse Giveaway
I have a pair of tickets to give away to Ever So Slightly on opening night March 20th AND to opening night of Compañía Rocio Molina on April 1st. Here’s how you can enter to win this date night ticket pack:
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 tickets to two @dancehouse_van shows! http://ow.ly/bine30qp8oE #DanceHouseVancouver @RUBBERBANDance and @SFU_W @flamencoviff @RocioMolinaOfic” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one contest winner at random from all entries at 9:00am on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
