It’s become a tradition in Vancouver towards the end of the year: The leaves start to fall, Halloween costumes are being planned, and the holidays are right around the corner, and I get to purchase my Hope in Shadows calendars from my local vendor.
The winning cover photo by Arden Gillespie
Hope in Shadows: Low-income Photographers Share Stories through Their Own Lens
Hope in Shadows is a photography project that shares the stories of homeless and low-income people through their own lens, and in its 17-year history, it has put more than one million dollars directly into the pockets of people experiencing poverty in BC. In an award ceremony in the Downtown Eastside this morning, Hope in Shadows launched what’s expected to be another busy season of street vendor sales for the iconic community project and calendar.
The calendar challenges stigma around homelessness and poverty by making space for people to share their own stories through photography. Street vendors who sell the calendar – all people impacted by poverty – take the photographs in a 5-day contest each spring using single-use disposable film cameras.
This year, vendors were asked to capture images on the theme of “Belonging”. After narrowing down roughly 1,500 photographs to a Top 30, a community jury and public vote selected 13 photos to make up the 2020 calendar.
The 2020 Cover Photo
The winning photo and cover of the 2020 calendar was taken by vendor Arden Gillespie (Kispiox). Called “ Best Friends,” it’s a portrait of a couple, Jeremiah Kitch Kessic (Lakota, Sioux and Cree) and Auntie M (Coast Salish) outside of the Savoy Pub on East Hastings.
Photographers are involved further in the calendar’s creation, with each photographer and anyone captured in a photograph invited to share the story behind the image. It’s an important avenue for self-expression for those whose voices are often silenced and ignored.
Hope in Shadows is a project of Megaphone magazine, a non-profit that offers meaningful work to people experiencing poverty and homelessness.
People with low-income work as vendors, selling the monthly Megaphone magazine and annual Hope in Shadows calendar on the streets of Vancouver and Victoria to make community connections and earn income. Vendors buy each calendar for $10 and sell it to customers for $20. They keep the profits. It’s flexible work for people who may have barriers to traditional employment.
Janet let me partner with her for the day to sell Megaphone magazines
A few years ago I got to partner up with a Megaphone vendor and sell copies of the magazine in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Janet had an incredible story and it was an honour to tag along with her for the day.
As of today, Megaphone street vendors in Vancouver will sell the calendar as long as supply is available. Customers can find and pay vendors directly with their smartphone using the Megaphone App, available for free download from the iTunes and Google Play stores, or find where vendors usually sell by looking at the map online. Follow Megaphone on Twitter and Facebook for more info.
The temperatures are dropping as quickly as the leaves, and pumpkin spice has taken over our palettes. It’s a lovely time to be in Vancouver, despite the occasional downpour, because the air is crisp, the trees are stunning in all their colours, and there is so much to do between harvest and Halloween. Here’s your big list of things to do in Vancouver Thanksgiving Long Weekend:
Things to do in Vancouver Thanksgiving Long Weekend
Were you at Sunset Beach on Friday, riding the carousel or the Ferris Wheel overlooking the bay? Variety Week on Global BC raised $682,239 and this family carnival was just the icing on the cake! Variety Week introduced the province to some of the kids and families that Variety helps throughout the year, and you responded by being so incredibly generous so that Variety can continue to do the awesome work that it does. Thank you, BC!
Variety Week on Global BC Raises $682,239
“With our average individual grant for a child being $2500, this means we’ve raised enough money to help 273 kids and their families. Absolutely phenomenal,” said Cally Wesson, Variety BC CEO.
“We are truly grateful to our listeners and viewers for their incredible generosity this past week,” said Kenton Boston, VP National & Network News, Global News. “It’s because of their amazing compassion and dedication that we’ll be able to continue making a difference in the lives of children with special needs.”
Throughout the week’s newscasts, Global BC viewers were introduced to children and families supported by Variety and saw firsthand how their lives have changed as a result. The week-long campaign culminated with the Variety Week Wrap Party Presented by Accent Inns at Sunset Beach which was open to the public and featured carnival attractions including a 60-foot tall Ferris Wheel, a carousel and games.
Global BC’s Global News Hour at 6 and 980 CKNW’s The Lynda Steele Show were both broadcasting live on-location and featured interviews with Variety families. CFOX and Rock 101 were on-site as well offering interactive activities as was The Gaming Stadium. Partygoers were also treated to live musical entertainment from the Collage Vocal Ensemble, Lions Gate Chorus and UBC’s The Undeclared Majors.
Additionally, the week included Variety’s official launch of “Club Heartly”, a new fundraising initiative centered around kids helping kids and the announcement of their “Families Helping Families” campaign which will be aimed at raising much-needed funding to support even more families. “Families Helping Families” will begin with a focus on helping children with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) by providing Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs), a device that is both life-changing and lifesaving for kids living with T1D.
Those who missed out on making a donation during the week can still do so online at variety.bc.ca or by texting “KIDS” to 45678 to make an automatic $20 contribution. For more information about Variety follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Miss604 is a proud media sponsor of Variety Week and Rebecca Bollwitt is Secretary of the Board of Directors, Chair of the Marketing Committee, and Chair of the Membership Committee at Variety.
V2V Vacations, the catamaran cruise experience that sails daily between Vancouver and Victoria has announced details of its new Salish Pass entitling locals to sizeable savings on tickets for the remainder of its 2019 season, ending October 31st.
V2V Vacations Adds Deal for Locals This Season
BC residents can bookfour one-way trips for $299 on the premium service, representing a 33% savings, and gain an additional 50% off all further adult bookings in Royal and Premium Class for the remainder of the year. Recipients will also have the first offer of a Season Pass for 2020.
The move adds to the strategic vision, which has primarily marketed its service as a tourist product and now ensures our local market is provided with an affordable product, connecting the 2 cities.
“We received a large amount of feedback through our guests from British Columbia, that our premium service is the convenient and comfortable connection between Vancouver and Victoria that they have been wishing for, however they want a cost effective way to take advantage of the trip on a regular basis,” says General Manager of V2V Vacations, Julian Wright. “It inspired us to develop the Salish Pass, exclusively for BC residents to benefit from our daily service.
V2V is the only cruise boat that connects the centre of Vancouver and Victoria’s historic Inner Harbour. A travel time of less than three hours and thirty minutes aboard the 242-seat V2V Empress, makes it a time-efficient and comfortable alternative .
“For breakfast it was three courses: A warm raspberry scone with butter; a choice of frittata, quiche, or croissant sandwich as a main; followed by a fruit parfait with sweet mascarpone. Bottomless coffee complimented the meal service, which lasted from Prospect Point to the Haro Strait, and warmed my hands whenever I came back in from taking photos on the deck.”
Aboard the V2V Empress, complimentary services include Wi-Fi, leather seating, one carry-on and one luggage, and access to the sundeck perfect for wildlife watching. An impressive on-board menu features fresh local foods, BC wines and local craft beers.
For 2019 high-season, V2V announced a new selection of Victoria day tours and experience options, to accompany its later 4:30pm departure time from Victoria to Vancouver until 30 September. Guests can enjoy sunset as they cruise through the Active Pass and Strait of Georgia and capture the perfect Vancouver skyline.
About the Salish Pass
The Salish Pass is named after the Salish Sea, a combination of three bodies of water, the Strait of Georgia, the Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound. It honours and recognizes that this area is the unceded territory of the Coast Salish nations. By purchasing the Salish Pass, BC residents will receive:
4 Premium Tickets / 4x individual sailings
50% off adult bookings for Royal Class and Premium Class made for the remainder of the year.
Entitlement to first offer of season pass for 2020
For more information, visit V2V Vacations or follow the regional travel tips and adventures of V2V on social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Chutzpah Festival returns in a new season, October 24 to November 24, 2019 with performances happening all across Vancouver.
Chutzpah Festival
Where: Norman Rothstein Theatre, Vogue Theatre, Rickshaw Theatre, and The WISE Hall.
When: October 24 to November 24, 2019
Tickets: $24 to $60 (plus applicable fees and service charges) online or by phone at (604) 257-5145.
Now in its 19th year of celebrating culturally rich works in comedy, music, theatre and dance, the Chutzpah! Festival has established a reputation for presenting Vancouver audiences with new and exciting, critically acclaimed artists from all over the world. This year’s Festival will also showcase live music with film, and shines a light on artists from the U.K., Israel, Italy, U.S.A., and Canada.
Festival Highlights
Iris Bahr – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Nov 12 & 13
Daniel Cainer – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Oct 24
Gary Lucas – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Oct 30
AvevA – Rickshaw Theatre, Nov 14
Yemen Blues: Hallel – Rickshaw Theatre, Nov 9
Guy Mintus Trio – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Oct 29
Rami Kleinstein – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Oct 27
The Rescue: A Live Film-Concerto – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Nov 23
The Diary of Anne Frank LatinX – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Nov 6-9
Holocaust Brunch – Wosk Auditorium at the Jewish Community Centre, Oct 27-28
ProArteDanza – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Oct 26-27
MM Contemporary Dance – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Nov 1-4
UNA Productions – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Nov 15-17
Chutzpah! Dance & Comedy Inclusion Performance & Project – Norman Rothstein Theatre, Nov 24
Sandra Bernhard at the Chutzpah Festival
“Quick Sand” at the Vogue Theatre on October 31st at 8:00pm Tickets available online now » She’s always three steps ahead of the crowd. She has to be. She’s “Quick Sand”. In these fast-paced times, a lady can’t stop moving. You never know what you might encounter next in this fun house world we’re living in. So, Sandra takes control, bringing a mélange of musings, music, and whimsy – “never boring, j’adoring” is her motto, covering the waterfront of the outrageous, quotidian, and glamorous! Performing with a three-piece band, this iconic performer will make for a fun and memorable Halloween night.
Chutzpah! Festival will also pay tribute to the Jewish Community Centre and celebrate the 25th anniversary of its long-standing and renowned musical theatre summer camp created by Perry Ehrlich – Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!; present a Shticks & Giggles comedy night with local comedians Ivan Decker, John Cullen, Lisa Person, Yisrael Shurack, and more; and host multiple workshops as well as creation residencies for artists in dance and theatre in urban and rural BC settings.
I have a pair of tickets to give away to see Sandra Bernhard at the Vogue on Halloween night, 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 see @SandraBernhard at the @ChutzpahFest on Oct 31st http://ow.ly/Yl6F30pGIcb” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, October 15, 2019.
