Here in British Columbia, we’re surrounded by natural beauty. It’s hardly a news flash. And yet, sometimes it helps to be reminded of how lucky we are. From Vancouver’s snowcapped mountains to Coquitlam’s remote hiking viewpoints, our backyard is vast, wild and waiting to be explored.
This month, why not trek the trails less travelled in Coquitlam? Or introduce your kids to fishing for trout? From a free fishing derby to affordable group hikes, it’s time to shake out those boots, mark your calendars and get ready for some new adventures.
Hiking and Fishing in Coquitlam
Steve Chapman Photo
Go for a Hike
Coquitlam’s three prime hiking areas include Westwood Plateau/Eagle Ridge, Pinecone Burke Provincial Park and Minnekhada Regional Park. Trails vary in difficulty, from the intermediate High Knoll walk at Minnekhada to urban forest trails for beginners at Mundy Park. Read pg. 22-23 in Coquitlam’s Travel & Experience Guide for further details, including important tips about travelling safe outdoors and being bear smart.
Hiking Groups
New to hiking or don’t know Coquitlam’s trails? No problem – you can join a group with an experienced leader.
The City of Coquitlam’s outdoor recreation programs include guided hikes, including one coming up on May 23 that is perfect for newbies. The Line Trail Loop is a 5.4 km round-trip trek that starts by ascending up steep mountain bike trails and old roads to the top of the power lines on Burke Mountain, taking in views of Eagle Ridge and Pitt Meadows (register online). For more hikes, including Baby and Me Hiking, also check out Coquitlam’s Spring/Summer Guide.
The Burke Mountain Naturalists also conduct guided hikes. Non-members are able to join them three times at no cost before becoming a member.
Do the Crunch
Up for a challenge? The Coquitlam Crunch is a fitness hike from the base of Eagle Mountain to the summit on Eagle Mountain Drive. You start by climbing more than 400 stairs, followed by an uphill hike that gains 250 metres in 2.2 km. Run it, if you dare … The Crunch is easily accessed by transit and is completely free.
Go Fishing
Two of Coquitlam’s urban lakes have recently been stocked with rainbow trout and conditions are ideal for fishing.
At Lafarge Lake in Town Centre Park, it’s as easy as stepping off the SkyTrain at Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain station, fishing rod and tackle box in hand, and casting your line into the water. You can access fishing by shore, dock or float tube.
Como Lake is also accessible by transit and has ample parking, with fishing accessible by dock, shore or row boat. For more information about fishing in Coquitlam, including fishing licence requirements, read Coquitlam’s Travel & Experience Guide.
Free Fishing Events
Want to introduce your kids to the experience of reeling in a trout? Mark your calendars for these two free fishing derbies coming up in Coquitlam.
- Como Lake Fishing Derby (May 27, 2018) – This free event at Como Lake is for kids under age 16, with prize giveaways for a variety of catches. It’s a fun day out at Como Lake Park, attracting hundreds of children each year.
- Lafarge Lake Free Fishing Day (June 17, 2018) – Fishy fun and prizes during BC’s free fishing weekend, when licences aren’t required. Lafarge Lake will be stocked in the morning with rainbow trout, so there are plenty of opportunities to reel in a fish.
Learn How to Fish
Kids aged 5-12 can learn the basics of freshwater fishing during a free (by donation) two-hour session with Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. Rods are provided. For further details, see pg. 25 in Coquitlam’s Spring/Summer Program Guide.
Salmon Leave Home
The name Coquitlam comes from the Coast Salish word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), which means “red fish up the river.” At this free festival, you will learn about the salmon life cycle and celebrate the release of young coho into the creek to start their journey to the Pacific Ocean. It takes place Sunday, May 6, 2018 11:00am to 2:00pm, at Hoy Creek Fish Hatchery, near Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain station.
Places to Eat & Drink
Make it a full day out! If you’re passing through the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain area, you’ll find many cafés and restaurants in the area, including some excellent options on Pinetree Way and along Glen Drive.
Looking for recommendations of places to grab a bite to eat or a cold drink? Read Coquitlam’s Travel & Experience Guide.
Share your photos on social media by tagging #ExploreCoquitlam! For more things to do and see, visit the Explore Coquitlam website.
The 5K Foam Fest in Abbotsford returns June 2nd as a part of a 15 city stop on 365 Sport Inc.’s 2018 national tour. With over 22 obstacles, 2.5 million cubic feet of foam, mucky mud pits, kids’ zone, 20-foot ‘sky fall’ drop, bouncy castles, the world’s tallest portable inflatable waterslide, food and drink vendors, and an on-site DJ, everyone can participate in good clean fun.
5K Foam Fest in Abbotsford
Where: Clearbrook Park / Abbotsford Exhibition Park (32470 Haida Dr)
When: Saturday, June 2nd, 2018
Register: Available online now as an individual or as a team.
This all-ages event is all about having fun. You can walk it, run it, charge it, however you like.
365 Sport is excited to team up with Make-A-Wish® Canada, the official charitable partner for the Canadian 5K Foam Fest Tour in 2018. This partnership is a great opportunity for Canadian families to help others in need. Make-A-Wish will receive all the money raised through participant fundraising and all revenue generated from the Make-A-Wish gear check on the website. Fundraising teams can register online.
Follow the 5K Foam Fest on Twitter and Facebook for more info.
Arts Umbrella is thrilled to unveil the lineup of the 2018 Expressions Theatre Festival, running May 17 to 26, 2018 at the Waterfront Theatre. Showcasing the talented young artists in Arts Umbrella’s Intensive, Pre-Professional and Theatre Conservatory Programs, this annual festival boasts a bevy of captivating productions.
Arts Umbrella Expressions Theatre Festival
When:Thursday, May 17 to Saturday, May 26, 2018
Where: Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island (1412 Cartwright St)
Tickets: Available online from $15 to $20
Outside In.
From the whimsical family fun of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to the frontier hijinks of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, the audacious programming capitalizes on students’ exceptional range and skill.
This year, audiences will be treated to an array of thought-provoking works, including a modern take on the classic Greek tragedy The Phoenician Women and the perceptive student-created original Outside In. Additionally, the Theatre Conservatory Program will be make their festival debut with a performance of Charles Way’s Missing, a riveting modern interpretation of the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel featuring Vancouverite and Arts Umbrella graduate, Douglas Ennenberg.
While developing their presentations for this year’s Expressions Theatre Festival, Arts Umbrella students have the opportunity to collaborate closely with professional directors and designers. Before staging each festival production, the students perform their works in schools across the Lower Mainland, while learning the important operations involved in mounting and producing technically demanding works. This process allows students to experience the collaboration, creativity, and dedication that goes into a successful theatre production. For the 17-22 year olds who are preparing to audition for professional theatre schools in the Theatre Conservatory Program, the festival gives them a preview of the life of a professional actor.
The 2018 Expressions Theatre Festival Lineup includes:
Outside In
May 17 at 7:00pm and May 25 at 9:00pm
Cabins, campfires, games and a culminating gala make for an entertaining time as eight teens join a weeklong camp. However, sometimes reality flips and each character finds themselves weaving in and out of their own self-image. With the prevalence of social media focused on curating the ‘perfect image’ Outside In explores how self-image can play a role in how we feel about ourselves. Created and performed by the Arts Umbrella Laboratory Theatre Troupe, who learn the process of developing original works, this astute play will leave audiences contemplating their own self-image long after the final curtain call.
Oklahoma!
May 18 to 20 at 2:00pm and May 18, 20, 22, 23 & 26 at 7:00pm
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s first collaboration remains their most innovative, having set the standards and established the rules of musical theatre as we know it today. Join the Arts Umbrella Musical Theatre Troupe as they take audiences to the Western American frontier just after the turn of the century. A high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a rugged cowboy, and Laurey, a charming farm girl, play out their love story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love’s journey is as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road.
The Phoenician Women
May 17 & 19 at 9:00pm and May 24 at 7:00pm (Double Bill with Missing)
The Arts Umbrella Senior Theatre Troupe presents a modern take on Euripides’ classic Greek tragedy, The Phoenician Women. Using a blend of homemade masks to hide each actors gender and daring physicality, the Senior Theatre Troupe explores the repercussions of fate and the ever-present power of will, and delves into the consequences of war, control, innocence, and patriotism. Set in Thebes, the play is centred on the fateful history of the house of Laios following the tragic fall of Oedipus Rex. As the two sons of Oedipus battle over control of the city, the chorus of Phoenician Women find themselves trapped in Thebes by war on their way to Delphi.
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
May 19 & 25 at 7:00pm
Join Charlie Bucket in his adventurous tour of Willy Wonka’s world-famous Chocolate Factory. Willy Wonka opens his factory doors to five lucky children and their parents. Meet food-loving Augustus Gloop, gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde, spoiled Veruca Salt, TV obsessed Mike Teavee, caring Charlie Bucket and many more fascinating characters in Roald Dahl’s well-loved story, adapted for the stage by Richard George and performed by the Junior Theatre Troupe.
Missing
May 24 at 7:00pm (Double Bill with The Phoenician Women)
A contemporary fairytale about two poor children surviving desperate circumstances through a rich mix of imaginative power, loyalty, and love. Inspired by true events and performed by Arts Umbrella’s Theatre Conservatory with special guest actor and Arts Umbrella graduate Douglas Ennenberg, currently starring in Little Mountain Lion Productions Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play, Charles Way’s Missing is a gripping take on the story of Hansel and Gretel as their dysfunctional family life spirals from bad to worse.
Theatre and Music Showcase, performed by Theatre Intensive Program students
May 26 at 11:30am & 4:00pm
One of the highlights of the season, the Theatre and Music Showcase reveals the accomplished and compelling talent of Arts Umbrella’s Theatre Intensive Program students through a kaleidoscope of short musical and theatre performances across a range of genres from improv to film.
Win Tickets
One lucky Miss604 reader can win a family pack of 4 tickets to 2 productions of their choosing! Here’s how:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to 2 Expressions Theatre Festival shows from @artsumbrella http://ow.ly/QgLi30jPMjZ” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 5:00pm on May 8th. Follow Arts Umbrella on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Update The winner is Jane James!
Browsing shops in the late afternoon, meeting up for dinner, and following up with a show at the Stanley. South Granville date nights are some of my favourites and there’s so much more to this classic Vancouver district to explore.
South Granville
South Granville is an inviting urban village centrally located uptown along Granville Street, stretching from the south end of the Granville Street Bridge to 16th Avenue. Boasting some of the best experiences for shopping, dining, and culture in the city, you can find your perfect style of fashion, beauty, décor, art, entertainment, and food.
You can visit South Granville to shop for the things you love, to relax with a beauty treatment, to savour great dining experiences, to enjoy fun events or stay later for jazz music and (my favourite) live theatre. See What’s On, as there’s always something to surprise, entertain and delight you in this charming neighbourhood.
West Restaurant in South Granville Launches New Spring Menu
Pre-show drinks at West are part of our date night tradition as well but with their new Spring Menu, you’ll definitely want to plan to stay a little longer!
West Restaurant + Bar, celebrating 18 years at its iconic location in vibrant South Granville, has proudly established itself as one of the city’s leading dining rooms. Executive Chef Bobby Milheron helms the kitchen today and continues the tradition of supporting local and peak-of-the-season ingredients to showcase his cooking and ultimately West’s regionally focused, contemporary cuisine.
New Spring Prix Fixe Menu
To celebrate the arrival of spring, Executive Chef Bobby Milheron and Pastry Chef Maxime Sander have created the restaurant’s first seasonal prix fixe menu featuring a three-course dinner for just $39 per person in May from Sundays through Thursdays. This month, make a date to dine at West Restaurant + Bar for a night out, post-shopping or pre-theatre in South Granville and enjoy the best picks of the season in three delightful courses, choosing from highlights such as:
FIRST COURSE
SAWMILL BAY OYSTERS
horseradish creme fraiche, sorrel
CHILLED SPRING PEA VELOUTE
lightly smoked coho salmon, ikura
ASPARAGUS SALAD
wild garlic, focaccia, grana padano,
white balsamic
burrata cheese from puglia, italy
($6 supplement)
|
MAIN COURSE
BIODYNAMIC RISOTTO
porcini mushroom puree, fava beans,
peppercress
WILD SALMON
potato gnocchi, kale, preserved lemon
GRILLED AAA BEEF FLAT IRON
roasted spring onion, sunchokes,
sunflower, peppercorn jus
5oz AAA beef tenderloin ($6 supplement)
|
For dessert, select from MASCARPONE BAVAROIS (hibiscus poached rhubarb, rhubarb sorbet); an ASSORTMENT OF PETITS FOURS; or GUANAJA CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE (vanilla creme anglais $6 supplement)
Win Dinner for 4 People at West Restaurant
West Restaurant + Bar in South Granville is offering a dinner for 4 people to enjoy the new spring menu! Here’s how you can enter to win:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win dinner for 4 people at @WestRestaurant in @SouthGranville & try the new spring menu #SouthGranville #WestOnSouth http://ow.ly/NTx730jOurE” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
Follow West on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and follow South Granville on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for all the latest updates.
Total value is $160 exclusive of alcohol/gratuities. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on May 10, 2018.
Update The winner is Rick!
This weekend, Miss604 is proud to sponsor BC Youth Week and the Surrey Youth Showcase Basketball Tournament. These events and more are listed below:
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend
Friday, May 4, 2018
Sponsored by Miss604: BC Youth Week
Surrey Pro-D Day Activities
Mexican Sol Fiesta
Place des Arts May Exhibitions Opening Reception
Jane’s Walk Vancouver: Off the Beaten Path in Gastown
Youth Week Dance “May the Fourth be with YOUth”
Nikon Granville Island Photo Walk with Craig Minielly
Beauty and the Beast: The Musical
West Coast Amusements Surrey Carnival
The Drowsy Chaperone
Sheldon Elter’s Métis Mutt
Cashless at Havana Theatre
Vancouver Opera Festival
DOXA Documentary Film Festival
Art in the City at the West End Community Centre
The Release Party at the Roundhouse
Art Smash on Granville Island
Crafted Vancouver Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
