Acclaimed author Margaret Atwood joins the Vancouver Writers Fest this fall to discuss her forthcoming title, The Testaments. 

Margaret Atwood at the Vancouver Writers Fest

When: Thursday, September 26, 2019 at 7:30pm
Where: The Chan Centre for Performing Arts
Tickets: On sale on Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at 12:00pm, sign up here for updates.

In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, she answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades. When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end ofThe Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead. With The Testaments, the wait is over.

Margaret Atwood‘s sequel picks up the story fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.

Margaret Atwood, whose work has been published in thirty-five countries, is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. In addition to The Handmaid’s Tale, her novels include Cat’s Eye, short-listed for the 1989 Booker Prize;Alias Grace, which won the Giller Prize in Canada and the Premio Mondello in Italy; The Blind Assassin, winner of the 2000 Booker Prize; Oryx and Crake, short-listed for the 2003 Man Booker Prize; The Year of the Flood; and MaddAddam. She is the recipient of the Los Angeles Times Innovator’s Award, and lives in Toronto with the writer Graeme Gibson. 

The Vancouver Writers Fest is October 21-27, 2019. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to get the latest updates about this event and more.

On May 21st, the winner of the Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize 2019 will be announced at The Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver.

The Lind Prize

Opening Reception on Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 7:00pm
Where: The Polygon Gallery (101 Carrie Cates Ct, North Vancouver)

Established in 2016, the Philip B. Lind Emerging Artist Prize is awarded annually to an emerging BC-based artist. In past years, the nominations were limited to students enrolled in a BFA or MFA program working in the mediums of film, photography, or video. For 2019, the program has expanded to also include emerging artists working outside of academic institutions. This year, visual arts instructors, curators, and other colleagues across the province nominated over 50 candidates, who were then shortlisted by a jury to 11 finalists.

An exhibition of work by these finalists will be presented at The Polygon Gallery from May 17 – June 9, 2019. There will also be an art discussion on Wednesday, May 22nd from 1:00pm to 3:00pm, to take a closer look at the exhibition. All are welcome, and artists will be in attendance.

Finalists

The winner of The Lind Prize 2019, will be announced at the opening reception May 21st, and will receive $5,000 toward the commissioning of a new artwork to be exhibited at The Polygon Gallery in 2020.

For more information about The Lind Prize this year, follow The Polygon Gallery on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram #ThePolygon #TheLindPrize2019.

Canada Place has announced its lineup of entertainment and activities for the 32^nd annual Canada Day at Canada Place, the largest Canada Day celebration outside the nation’s capital. 

Canada’s 152^nd birthday party will feature a full day of festivities, great food, family fun and fireworks that will celebrate our nation’s values, innovation and diversity. 

Canada Day at Canada Place 2019

• Where: Canada Place, Jack Poole Plaza, surrounding city streets
• When: 9:30am on July 1st until fireworks at 10:30pm
• Admission: Free 

The day will begin with the traditional Citizenship Ceremony that will welcome 60 new Canadians to our multicultural family. At 11:00am, all zones and exhibits, including the Main Stage, will open with great entertainment and activities for guests of all ages. 

Event Highlights

• Daytime event performances: Featuring terrific musical acts and dance performances that reflect the talent and diversity of Canada itself (Dirty Radio, Blonde Diamond, Bitterly Divine, Marieme) with headliners Delhi 2 Dublin closing out the day.
• Coast Capital Savings Youth Zone: Located on the North Point of Canada Place, this zone will feature a lineup of fantastic music from artists including headliner Dirty Radio.
• Canadian Forces Zone (Hall B): Incredible displays and interactive exhibits that honour Canada’s Army, Navy, and Air Force.
• Innovation Zone: The Innovation Zone provides a peek into the future through displays, exhibits, and inspirational talks from some of the most interesting and forward-thinking organizations around.
• Kids’ Zone (Hall A): New for this year, the Kids’ Zone will feature a ton of activities to keep the kids entertained. Featuring emcee and music by Rock’N’Beau, and an epic mascot dance-off!
• Picnic Plaza: Picnic tables, buskers and family-friendly activities.
• Food trucks: Experience the great multi-cultural tastes of Canada.

Fireworks

Vancouver’s only two-barge simultaneous pyrotechnic extravaganza, viewable from Vancouver’s waterfront and the North Shore, with tickets (and best viewing) available at the family-friendly Fireworks Viewing Zone.

Canada Day fireworks in Burrard Inlet can be best viewed (for free) from Harbour Green Park; Coal Harbour; Stanley Park (9 o’clock gun); Crab Park; and West Vancouver Seawall (between Ambleside and Dundarave).

Get Involved

Canada Day at Canada Place in Vancouver is looking for performers, volunteers and exhibitors to be part of the 32^nd annual celebration. Join over 250,000 of your fellow Canadians and share your national pride.

Every year, more than 250 volunteers help welcome over 250,000 guests who take part in the free event festivities organized around Canada Place. Volunteering is a great way to build experience, get involved in your community, meet new people and show your Canadian pride. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old.

Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir presents what promises to be the blockbuster concert of the season with, The Return of Soul Gospel, on May 25th. To wrap up their 15th season, Good Noise will be joined by award-winning gospel singers Dawn Pemberton and Warren Dean Flandez in an exuberant celebration of gospel music filled with high energy praise songs that will have audiences raising the roof with pure joy and adoration.

Good Noise Vancouver Gospel Choir – The Return of Soul Gospel

When: Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 3:00pm & 8:00pm
Where: Christ Church Cathedral (690 Burrard St, Vancouver)
Tickets: Adults $30, students/seniors $25, children 12 & under $10. Available online now or by calling 1-800-838-3006

“Our 15th season has been nothing short of spectacular,” says Gail Suderman, Artistic Director of Good Noise. “We decided to celebrate our success by bring together two of Canada’s most powerful gospel singers as guest artists for our grand finale. Dawn and Warren don’t get the chance to sing together very often, so to have them both available was a minor miracle, given their very busy performing schedules —and having them both on stage along with Good Noise and the Good Noise gospel band will be exhilarating beyond belief. The Return of Soul Gospel will be a concert like no other and audiences for these two performances will be on their feet singing right along with us!”

Award-winning, JUNO-nominated Canadian recording artist Flandez describes his music simply as “songs with purpose”. Born in Yellowknife, Flandez grew up singing in the church, steeped in the rich tapestry of gospel music. Flandez has opened for the likes of Joss Stone and the late James Brown. Flandez’s songs have also been featured on the hit television series Being Erica, and campaigns for Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister. His most recent single, “Born for Greatness” features Riverdale actor KJ Apa.

A winner of the Western Canada Music Awards for her album “Say Something,” Pemberton performs nationally at major festivals and in concerts across the country. Pemberton has deep musical roots that take her immense voice from gospel and soul to jazz, funk and world music. She has become a staple of the Vancouver music scene and can often be found giving it her all as a vocalist, teacher, and facilitator.

Accompanying Good Noise, Pemberton and Flandez in this highly anticipated concert will be Michael Kalanj (Hammond B3), Laurence Mollerup (bass), Elliot Polsky (drums), Ingrid Stitt (saxophones), and Good Noise Artistic Director Gail Suderman (piano).

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to the performance on May 25th at 8:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, May 13, 2019. Follow Good Noise on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more info about their next season.

UPDATE the winner is Alan!

It’s a home tour, it’s a patio tour, it’s the Vancouver Catio Tour! For one afternoon, seven homes with their beautiful catios will open their yards to attendees in support of the BC SPCA.

Visit these outdoor cat enclosures in action and learn more about the building of the catios and how they have enriched the lives of the felines.

Vancouver Catio Tour with BC SPCA

Where: Various locations in Kitsilano and Mount Pleasant
When: Sunday, June 9, 2019
Tickets: $10 Register online now »

The self-guided catio tour shows off seven catios in the Kitsilano and Mount Pleasant. The catio tour guidebook will be emailed to registrants about a week before the tour. It will have photos, catio information, and maps so you can plan your route ahead of time. Catio hosts, BC SPCA staff, and volunteers will be available at each catio stop to chat with you about the catio features.

A catio is a screened-in space, a patio for cats! The structure can be attached to the home or free-standing and often includes perches, ramps and other enrichment for cats. Want to build your own catio? The BC SPCA has a helpful guide online.