Heritage Week in BC is an annual event that celebrates and commemorates heritage across the province, taking place February 19 to 25, 2024. This year’s theme invites you to dig deeper into your community’s past and explore the many layers and stories that your unique community holds.
Heritage Week in BC
Communities across the province will participate by hosting events and activities that highlight the many layers of heritage that make up their communities.
Vancouver
“Diaper Hill” and Other Heritage ems of the Rupert-Renfrew Neighbourhood Italian Cultural Centre (3075 Slocan Street, Vancouver) Thursday, February 22, 2024 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm Laura Saimoto, heritage activist and community historian, will give a lecture and lead a discussion on the Rupert-Renfrew neighbourhood of East Vancouver.
Places That Matter Community Fair Heritage Hall (3102 Main Street, Vancouver) Sunday, February 25, 2024 from 11:00am to 3:00pm An all-ages community fair with door prizes, table displays, shopping, crafts, and scavenger hunt as you learn about the many stories and people that connect us to the places that matter in our communities.
Coquitlam
Black History Month Celebration Coquitlam Heritage at Mackin House (1116 Brunette Avenue, Coquitlam) Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm Celebrate Black History Month at Mackin House through food, stories, music, books, and art.
The Shape of Our Memories Exhibit Opening Reception Coquitlam heritage at Mackin House (1116 Brunette Ave, Coquitlam) Sunday February 25, 2024 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm This exhibit partners local artists with Coquitlam Heritage’s collection of artifacts to create new pieces of art. Enjoy new work from visual artists: Carl Baird, Faria Firoz, James Groening, Karl Hipol. And enjoy a musical performance by Kelsi James.
North Vancouver
Layer by Layer Treasure Hunt Organized by: North Van Arts February 19 to 25, 2024 Follow the clues along the North Shore Spirit Trail and explore the layered heritage of this place. Once the answers are found, enter the secret word to enter the North Shore Culture Contest.
Burnaby
TAIKEN: Generations of Resilience Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby) February 20 to 24, 2024 Explore Japanese Canadian history and continuing heritage on the walls of the upper level at the Nikkei Centre.
Richmond
Heritage Week at Steveston Tram Steveston Tram (4011 Moncton Street, Richmond) February 19 to 25, 2024 Travel back in time with a visit to Steveston Tram, at the entrance to the historic fishing village of Steveston. Discover the connections between the Interurban Tram system connecting this industrial village with the rest of its growing urban surroundings.
Heritage Week at Britannia Shipyards NHS Britannia Shipyards NHS (5180 Westwater Drive, Richmond) February 20 to 25, 2024 Discover history in your own backyard with a visit to the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site this Heritage Week 2024.
Delta
Heritage Week: Delta Archives & Gallery Tour Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre (4450 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta) Wednesday, February 21, 2024 from 1:00pm to 1:30pm Join the Delta Archives this Heritage Week and learn about the layered and complex history of Delta and its citizens through a joint archive and gallery tour.
Heritage Week: Listen Up! An Oral History Listening Event Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre (4450 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta) Thursday, February 22, 2024 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm Delta’s Archives houses one of the largest collections of oral history interviews in the lower mainland and is rich with community members stories.
Heritage Week: Quilting Squares with the Boundary Bay Quilters Guild Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre (4450 Clarence Taylor Crescent, Delta) Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm Members of the Boundary Bay Quilters Guild will be at the Discovery Centre with their sewing machines to help you make a quilt block. Visitors will be able to try their hand and perhaps discover the “Joy of Quilting” for themselves.
Heritage Week: Delta Treasures Viewing North Delta Centre for the Arts (11425 84 Avenue, Delta) Sunday, February 25, 2024 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm Learn more about Delta’s storied history with a viewing of our Delta Treasures videos and a Delta specific documentary. These videos highlight important stories and artefacts that are important to Delta’s history and community members.
Follow the events calendar where new activities are being added regularly. Take some time this week to learn something new about the many “layers”of the place you call home.
Have you ever wanted to captain a False Creek Ferry? The little blue boats are hosting an open house on Granville Island for people interested in learning more about becoming a ferry captain.
Miss604 photo
False Creek Ferries Open House Job Fair
Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024 10:00am to 4:00pm
Location: Granville Island Dock
Positions: Ferry operator and deckhands
One of the ferries will be standing by for members of the public to introduce themselves to management, learn more about the job, and get a feel for the vessels. Attendees are encouraged to bring their resumes and any relevant certification with them.
Now in their 42nd year of operation, the little blue ferries are a long-standing institution on the Vancouver waterfront and one of the best ways to get around across the West End, Yaletown, Kitsilano, Olympic Village, Fairview, and Granville Island.
Often referred to as “Vancouver’s best summer job”, driving the little blue ferries has been a first step for many professional mariners, many of whom have gone on to high profile positions in the local and international marine industries. Diversity is at the core of the company’s strength, and False Creek Ferries has employed individuals from all walks of life, including actors, students, musicians, artists, scientists, engineers, and athletes. Follow False Creek Ferries on Facebook for updates.
ITSAZOO presents Sunrise Betties, a hard-hitting world premiere inspired by dark and long forgotten East Vancouver history. Playwright-in-Residence Cheyenne Rouleau draws on the city’s sordid past to weave a fictional tale of an all-female gang operating at the height of Vancouver’s street gang crisis in 1972. Enter to win tickets below »
Directed by local luminary Jamie King, the work promises to transport audiences 50 years back in time to a once notorious low-income, blue-collar East Vancouver neighbourhood where gangs clash for control of the drug trade, police openly practice corruption, and danger lurks in every alley.
(Left to right): Patti Allan, Kaitlyn Yott, Kelsey Kanatan Wavey, Meaghan Chenosky. Photo by Chelsey Stuyt
Dates: February 21 to March 10, 2024 at 8:00pm
Location: Russian Hall (600 Campbell Avenue, Vancouver)
AUDIENCE ALERT: This show contains Graphic Violence and Course Language. Not suitable for people under the age of 16. Contact [email protected] for more detailed content guidance.
Set in 1972, the story follows the fictional Betties, a fiercely loyal, all-female street gang, run by a powerful matriarch, who operate a small-time drug trafficking operation. When the gang inadvertently starts a turf war with a prominent mobster, a corrupt Vancouver Police officer mysteriously shows up offering to-good-to-be-true promises. This challenges the gang’s loyalty, revealing their tight-knit “family” may have a rat amongst them.
To accurately evoke the gritty setting and hard-living characters, Rouleau enlisted the insights and expertise of four consultants: Vancouver historian Aaron Chapman, author of The Last Gang In Town: The Epic Story of the Vancouver Police vs. the Clark Park Gang; Kim Brucker, one of the only surviving female Clark Park members of the era; Danny “Mouse” Williamson, a high ranking Clark Park member; and John Grywinski, a retired VPD Inspector & founder of the VPD’s Integrated Gang Task Force. In addition to ensuring the play’s historic and tonal accuracy, each consultant will participate in post-show talk backs throughout the run.
Performed in the basement of East Vancouver’s historic Russian Hall, director King’s meticulously-crafted vision includes 360 degree staging to immerse audiences into the world of the play creating a visceral connection with its characters and events.
Enter to Win
I have a pair of tickets to give away to the performance date of the winner’s choosing! Here’s how you can enter to win:
Registration is now open for spring and summer EcoCamps for kids presented by the Stanley Park Ecology Society. They’re a great way for children to learn outdoor skills, spend time in nature, and uncover the mysteries of the natural world.
Spring EcoCamps for Kids in Stanley Park
March is a magical time in Stanley Park! The herons are returning to their nest colony, pollinators are emerging, and early spring blooms begin, including cherry blossoms.
For ages 6-11 during Spring Break
Crafty Critters: March 18-22, 2024
Spring Wings: March 25-28, 2024
SPES campers birdwatch at Beaver Lake. Photo by Anthony Ho.
Summer EcoCamps for Kids in Stanley Park
Enjoy nature through engaging activities, games, and crafts designed to ignite curiosity and foster a love for ecology and wildlife. Young minds will explore, discover, and connect with the wonders of the forests, wetlands, and beaches of Stanley Park.
For ages 7-11 during the Summer Break
(4 days) Beach Explorers – July 2-5, 2024
Art in the Park – July 8-12, 2024
Wizarding Wilderness – July 15-19, 2024
Stanley Park Survivor – July 22-26, 2024
Wonderful Wetlands – July 29-Aug 2, 2024
(4 days) Jurassic Stanley Park – Aug 6-9, 2024
Winged Wonders – Aug 12-16, 2024
Beach Explorers – Aug 19-23, 2024
Theatre in the Trees – Aug 26-30, 2024
These camps often sell out and can be a favourite part of many children’s springs or summers. With one week already sold out there spots are bound to fill up fast so register today. Members of the Stanley Park Ecology Society get a discounted rate.
Stanley Park Ecology Society promotes awareness of and respect for the natural world through collaborative leadership in environmental education, research, and conservation in Stanley Park. Miss604’s Rebecca Bollwitt is a Board Executive of SPES.
The Botanica Tulip Festival, previously the Chilliwack Tulip Festival, has announced that its newly reimagined event is set to bloom in spring 2024. Guests from Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, and beyond can explore the pathways, tulip fields and other must-see attractions in a charming country setting.
Photo Submitted
Botanica Tulip Festival in Chilliwack
Dates: Tentatively scheduled to open April 12th and run through May
Conveniently located off of Highway 1, Botanica Tulip Festival’s breathtaking floral displays will span over 13 acres with 1.5 million bulbs, showcasing 59 unique varieties of tulips along with delightful surprises waiting to be discovered. Visitors can also bring home spring blooms with Upick, an opportunity for guests to pick their own tulips straight from the field.
Festival organizers, the Pauls Family, are a multigenerational farming family and the previous hosts of the Chilliwack Tulip Festival. Local tulip festivals have attracted visitors to the Fraser Valley from all over the world over the last decade and have become a spring-filled attraction for many locals and tourists alike.
Tulip festivals are a vibrant celebration of nature’s beauty, bringing thousands of visitors to the valley each year to enjoy the colourful displays and endless photo opportunities. Follow Botanica Tulip Festival on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for the latest news and updates.
New This Year
Botanica Tulip Festival is delighted to have a Ferris Wheel on-site, offering visitors a chance to take in the spectacular views of the expansive 13 acre tulip fields from above. A bird’s eye view of the rainbow-coloured fields awaits! The Ferris wheel will be available for the first three weeks of the festival only and is an add-on option, available when purchasing tickets online for $8 and at the gate for $10. Botanica Tulip Festival will also offer floral workshops hosted by Lam Ear’s Floral, another festival add-on for those looking to enhance their experience.
