There is a flourishingly dreamy 70 acre oceanfront estate on Vancouver Island that has been home to British aristocracy, a retreat for royalty, and as I saw last summer, even a refuge for fairies.
Fairy House at Milner Gardens
Each June, Fairy Houses magically appear at Milner Gardens in Qualicum Beach, which is owned and operated by Vancouver Island University.
Milner Gardens History
Horatio “Ray” Milner was born in Sackville, New Brunswick in 1889. He attended Kings College, Nova Scotia and was graduated at age 20. He was called to the bar in 1911 after receiving a law degree from Dalhousie University. After serving in WWI, he was made Kings Counsel…As one of his many achievements, Mr. Milner was a founding director of Canadian Utilities and was instrumental in the formation and growth of the company. He was made a companion of the Order of Canada in December, 1969. Three universities awarded him honorary doctorates.
The best part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics (aside from the incredible athletic feats during the competitions) was all of the fun, FREE attractions and activities that were happening all over town. That’s why the Yaletown BIA is bringing back Illuminate Yaletown this year, with a Van2010 tribute!
Illuminate Yaletown is Downtown Vancouver’s premier arts and technology festival. Simon Sees Photography
Illuminate Yaletown Van2010 Tribute
When: February 14-15, 2020 from 5:30pm to 9:00pm Where: 1200 Block of Hamilton Street & Bill Curtis Square
Synonymous with incredible light art installations and virtual-reality experiences, Illuminate Yaletown will take place for the first time ever for two-nights, with new activations and illuminations from Vancouver-based tech giants Go2 Productions and Tangible Interaction, set to unveil installations to pay tribute to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Olympic rings will be available for guests to sit in and take photographs, and special Olympic themed cocktails mixed by participating restaurants available for the two-night celebration only.
Visitors looking to turn the two-night celebration into a stay-cation are encouraged to book in early at Yaletown hotels the Opus Hotel or Rosedale on Robson.
Notable and new installations this year include giant inflatable game pieces from Tangible Interaction, a virtual
game room by Go2 Productions, and a neon jungle perfect for selfies presented by Hfour Productions. For the
adults that are young at heart, an outdoor LED playground will transform Yaletown into a schoolyard, complete
with swings and teeter-totters. Lastly, visitors can relive the 80’s in an arcade sponsored by Soho Bar and Billards
featuring all the classics like Frogger and PacMan.
For those wanting a beverage after touring the attractions, West Oak, Banter Room, Sciué Italian Bakery Caffé, House Special, Robba da Matti, Yaletown Brewing Co. and The Distillery Bar + Kitchen will be mixing up Olympic themed cocktails to pay tribute to the 2010 Winter Olympics 10th anniversary.
Whether it’s exploring a local park or visiting a museum it’s all about quality time together! For inspiration here’s a roundup of Family Day events in Metro Vancouver happening this year:
Join an Evening with Roy Forbes to celebrate the release of this long-awaited album Edge of Blue on February 21st. The new songs all grew from Roy and his Gurian guitar and that’s how you’ll hear them at this special event. One guy, one guitar.
An Evening with Roy Forbes
When: Friday, February 21, 2020 doors at 7:00pm Where: Mel Lehan Hall at St. James (3214 West 10th Ave, Vancouver) Tickets: $32 / $28 Rogue Folk Club members, available online now or by calling (604) 736-3022
Roy Forbes, photo by Riley Forbes
A new Roy Forbes recording is a rare occurrence, he takes his time, working slowly to get it right. Edge of Blue may just be the Vancouver singer-songwriter’s best yet- a summation by an artist who has been doing this for a long time. On this album both Roy’s roots and routes are showing; the influences he’s absorbed and where he’s been. Edge of Blue is 10 songs full of wisdom, confessions, vulnerability, sensuality, self- reflection and celebration. More of a soul album than country or folk; it has nothing to do with what is ‘hip’ and ‘happening’ in the mainstream music business. This is art song – memorable words, compelling compositions, spare production and a voice every bit as original as when the “Kid Full of Dreams” first came to town almost fifty years ago- pure Roy Forbes.
Roy Forbes (formerly known as “Bim”) is one of Canada’s best known and best loved songwriters and performing artists. He’s been at it for almost fifty years and has picked up some tokens of appreciation from his peers. There is a street named after him in his hometown of Dawson Creek in Northern BC and a star on Vancouver’s Granville Street where the names of the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame members are enshrined.
Roy has made his mark for generations of listeners as a solo, band leader, ensemble member, interpreter and songwriter. This is not to mention his work as a record producer, radio host at CBC Radio & CKUA, and popular music historian of 78 RPM records.
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away to this special event, here’s how you can enter to win:
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Click below to post an entry on Twitter
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I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, January 31, 2020. For more show info, follow Rogue Folk Club on Twitter and Facebook.
This morning I askedTony Pierce, a former Uber and Lyft driver in L.A., for some insights since ride hailing/ride sharing has just come to Vancouver. He provided so much info (cause he’s awesome and generous like that) so I knew I had to create a separate guide for his tips for Uber and Lyft passengers in Vancouver:
Tips for Uber and Lyft Passengers in Vancouver
The following was contributed by Tony Pierce, who drove for Uber (5 years) and Lyft (4 years) in Los Angeles and completed over 5,000 trips:
1. Don’t drop your pin at an intersection. Walk up about half a block if you can and summon your car there. Intersections are the worst place to get picked up or dropped off. Plus your driver can often get confused on exactly which corner you are standing on.
2. Drivers don’t make money unless the wheels are turning. This is a huge difference between rideshare and taxis where that meter clicks as time passes. Technically the meter is also clicking in rideshare, but it’s pennies. So if you MUST make a driver wait as you run into a store or fast food joint, do yourself and your driver a favor and tip them in cash before you make them wait. It will cool them off and it is the right thing to do.
