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by Guest AuthorDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Published in partnership with SnowSeekers and the #SkiNorthBC campaign Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
The SnowSeekers team has once again headed to Terrace, Quesnel, Wells, Barkerville, and Smithers to explore and report on some of the amazing conditions, terrain and experiences in Northern BC. This season, follow the second annual #SkiNorthBC on social media and through this story series.
Contributed by Abby Cooper. Photos by Andrew Strain.
Leaving with a feeling of contentment and tired legs we knew we had done Smithers right. A whirlwind of ski excitement had swept over us as we made the most of a short stay. As a collective our priorities included resort powder skiing/boarding, a backcountry experience and the engaging in the Smithers skiing culture as much as possible.
We arrived at dusk and with out a moment to loose we headed to the main down town area of Smithers. We strolled the streets filled with locally made goods while sipping coffee from Bugwood Bean before having our gear turned at Local Supply Co for our upcoming adventures! New friends at every interaction offered us advice on where to head and when for our ski agenda, and with that we slept soundly knowing tomorrow would be filled with faceshots.
Early ups gave us first light from the top of Hudson Bay Mountain ski resort. No lines and bottomless powder entertained us all day. Occasionally sneaking in a groomer lap to mix it up, but the perfectly gladded trees begged us back to their powder filled pockets. From sun up to sun down we explored all aspects of Hudson Bay Mountain only stopped by last chair sign hung on the chairlift we headed into the lodge for après ready to share highlights of our day.
Backcountry bound we headed to the experts at Skeena Cat Skiing to chauffeur us straight to the good stuff! Our first glimpse out the snow cats window was a wild one, better than anything we could have dreamt. Alpine peaks with snow cat roads right to the tippy top and long, steep, beautiful lines ready for us. Lap after lap we couldn’t believe the epic terrain offered at Skeena Cat Skiing, and that we were lucky enough ski it all day long in excellent bluebird powder conditions.
Feeling productive for crossing so much off the list yet craving more we ventured on to our next ski destination knowing that we’d be back for another dose of Smithers sometime soon!
When I crossed paths with prominent travel writer John Lee a few weeks ago at Robson Square he told me that his cat was writing reviews for his new MyVancouverChristmas.com website. I stopped in my tracks (although I was already standing still) and I knew I had to find out more about his project.
“Max is a massive Christmas fan, so I gave him the job of writing gift reviews for the site,” says Lee. His business card for the new website features a photo of his cat, Max, and the tag line Feeling Curious. “He’s covered beer, soap and books but he’s hoping to review cat treats as well.”
John Lee is a multi-award winning travel writer, known for his Lonely Planet guidebooks (over 25 of them), and for recently proclaiming Vancouver as the Craft Beer Capital of Canada in the LA Times. Max is an SPCA adoptee from Vancouver’s Catfe who writes his Christmas reviews using mouse ratings.
“I’ve always been a huge Christmas fan and every year I try to hit as many festive happenings around here as I can. But I always seem to miss a few. So I created this online guide to find all the Christmas attractions, shows and events that I want to go to – and to help locals and visitors plan their own festive days out.”
MyVancouverChristmas.com lists up-to-the-minute information on more than 75 seasonal events, attractions and shows running throughout the area – giving locals and visitors a one-stop resource for planning their 2017 holiday activities.
Max reviews Christmas tea
“From markets to musicals and from light displays to parades, we’ve created a dedicated page for every event, making it really easy to browse your options and plan some cool Christmas fun,” adds Lee, whose love for the holidays stems from growing up with magical Christmases provided by his hard-working parents.
The site also features prize giveaways for visitors plus Yuletide stories for those craving seasonal light reading – topics include strange festive traditions; the world’s best Christmas songs and movies; and the superiority of non-chocolate advent calendars.
When: November 23, 2017 to January 7, 2018 from 10:00am to 9:00pm daily Where: 201 – 999 Canada Place, Vancouver
Ho, ho, hold on tight! This Christmas season, come down to FlyOver Canada to fly with Santa and his elves on a magical flight across Canada and on to the North Pole. After meeting some of Santa’s elves, Chestnut and Pinecone, you’ll join them as they take flight in search of the rest of the missing elves. You may even get a sneak peek of Santa’s Workshop as you soar over the North Pole. Also part of the Christmas magic is the festive outdoor sightseeing deck. You can to enjoy holiday performances, Christmas lights, hot drinks and seasonal snacks.
Here’s how you can enter to win a pair of tickets:
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 passes to #ChristmasatFlyOverCanada @FlyOverCanada and check out the new @MyVanChristmas guide http://ow.ly/87MF30gNvMs” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
We will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, November 30, 2017.
Early Music Vancouver invites White Rock and Vancouver audiences to experience the energy and drama of its first-ever production of Handel’s Messiah, which will be performed in White Rock and in Downtown Vancouver this season.
Early Music Vancouver Presents Handel’s Messiah
Where: White Rock Baptist Church (1657 140 St, Surrey)
When: November 30, 2017 at 7:30pm
(Pre-Concert Talk at 6:45pm with Matthew White, Alexander Weimann and the soloists)
Tickets: From $18. Available online by or calling the box office at (604) 822-2697
Where: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
When: December 1 & December 2, 2017 at 7:30pm
(Pre-Concert Talk at 6:45pm with Matthew White, Alexander Weimann and the soloists)
Tickets: From $18. Available online by or calling the box office at (604) 822-2697
Music director and harpsichordist Alexander Weimann will lead the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, the Vancouver Cantata Singers, and four internationally acclaimed vocalists in performances that will bring new life to this holiday classic.
This special presentation of Messiah will demonstrate how the experience can change dramatically for the audience when period instruments are used and the sheer number of musicians is reduced. The festive performance will feature a baroque chamber orchestra of 20 period instrumentalists, as well as a chorus of only 30 singers that is by nature, more nimble and flexible than a large symphony chorus.
The four international soloists all have extensive experience performing Handel with some of the most respected baroque specialists in the world and include: Yulia Van Doren (soprano), Krisztina Szabó (mezzo-soprano), Charles Daniels (tenor), and Tyler Duncan (baritone). This dream team of vocal soloists will partner with Vancouver’s very own Juno-nominated Pacific Baroque Ochestra (PBO), and the Vancouver Cantata Singers for what promises to be a revelatory take on Handel’s best-known work.
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away to the performance in Vancouver on December 1st, thanks to Early Music Vancouver. Here’s how you can enter to win:
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 @earlymusicvan presents Handel’s Messiah with Pacific Baroque Orchestra and @CantataSingers http://ow.ly/bqmn30gMC3K” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
Follow Early Music Vancouver on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information. I will draw one contest winner at 12:00pm on Tuesday, November 28, 2017.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Published in partnership with SnowSeekersPlease review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
The SnowSeekers team has once again headed to Terrace, Quesnel, Wells, Barkerville, and Smithers to explore and report on some of the amazing conditions, terrain and experiences in Northern BC. This season, follow the second annual #SkiNorthBC on social media and through this story series.
#SkiNorthBC at Hudson Bay Mountain Resort
Finding epic powder and new friends at Hudson Bay Mountain Resort
The Powder Highway is Bill Myer’s ski nirvana and it’s easy to understand why.
Photo credit: @PowderMatt
“The snow around here is the finest powder, every day,” says Myers.
He should know. He’s made this part of Northern BC at Hudson Bay Mountain his winter home for decades. Its legendary epic snow conditions and the tight-knit community of friendly people keep him coming back every year.
Photo credit: @DaxJustin
Skiing in this part of B.C. is unlike anything else you’ll experience, not only for the snow but the down-to-earth vibe that will make you instantly feel right at home.
Like any passionate skier, Myers plans his ski days around the weather reports, but they weren’t all that accurate in the past around the Hudson Bay ski area.
So he and a couple of his cabin colony neighbours took matters into their own hands. They built weather monitoring systems, so they could pass along the best and most up to date snow reports to the community.
It’s just that kind of place, where everyone pitches in to make the most of what is already one cool place to snap on your skis or board and enjoy some of the best snow you’ll find anywhere.
Photo credit: @DaxJustin
You might just see Myers and his buddies in the day lodge, and they’d be happy share their favourite runs and stashes of that fluffy fine powder.
BC’s largest outdoor carolling competition, Yule Duel, returns to the streets of Gastown for a third consecutive year. Hundreds of voices from more than 20 of Vancouver’s best choirs will again echo down the cobblestone streets in support of May’s Place Hospice.
Yule Duel Choir Battle in Gastown
Where: Water Street in Gastown When: Thursday, December 7, 2017 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Yule Duel, which has attracted thousands each year to hear a choral “battle royale”, will be hosted this year by Christopher Gaze, Artistic Director of the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.
Visitors wandering down Water Street will see choirs with singers of all ages stationed along the way. They’ll be performing holiday season favorites sung in a range of languages and choral styles including rock, pop, gospel, and barbershop, as each choir tries to stave off elimination in the competition.
For a donation of $5.00, spectators can buy voting ballots to help their favorite choirs get into the finals for the dueling sing-offs. Funds raised will go to May’s Place, a hospice providing compassionate end-of-life care to the most vulnerable in Vancouver’s downtown eastside.
Gastown merchants will also be open during the event which runs from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. The Tacofino Food Truck will also be in operation for those looking for a hot bite to eat during the event.
“Last year Yule Duel raised $58,000 for May’s Place. The funds raised are vital to helping us provide the best hospice care to some of Vancouver’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Michele Sutherland, Manager of Hospice Services at May’s Place, “It’s wonderful to be part of an event that helps capture the kind-hearted spirit of May’s Place.”
Coming back to defend their titles are past Yule Dule champions Saint James Music Academy, Sweet Scarlet, and the Notre Dame Platinum Girls. “The competition is surprisingly fierce as there are so many talented vocal groups in Vancouver. The choirs have to step up their acts and get more creative every year. The entertainment is outstanding. It’s a must-see,” said two-time judge Mona Edmunson.
Additional highlights include a haunting vocal arrangement called “ice” created by local composer Bruce Sled and performed by The Real Treblemakers that uses sung syllables and spoken sound effects to capture the distinctive sounds of winter weather, and live performances by the Jen Hodge All Stars and Marcus Mosley and his Gospel Choir.
