Hockey and wild salmon are about as Canadian as toques and maple syrup. You’ll find the first two in Coquitlam these next few weeks, not to mention some pretty tasty craft beer and wine to wash it all down.

Stanley Cup in Coquitlam

Photo courtesy of the NHL

Canucks fans will be streaming in by SkyTrain in the hopes of viewing the Stanley Cup and their hockey heroes at the NHL Centennial celebration from October 21-22. Coquitlam will be its only BC stop, with buzzing crowds filling the parking lot at Coquitlam Centre (at Lincoln SkyTrain station).

Not only can you view the holy grail of hockey, but you can walk through an extensive collection of hockey memorabilia and play interactive games. Plus, Canucks alumni will be in attendance (names yet to be announced). There will even be a temporary rink on site for street hockey.

After getting your Canucks fix, you might be wondering where you can go close by to grab a bite to eat or a cold drink. Read on for more entertainment ideas, including an upcoming craft beer festival, and a food and wine festival.

See Salmon in the Wild

Within walking distance from the mall, one of nature’s greatest spectacles will be on display in the coming months. The salmon run is on, and if you want a close-up view of jumping fish, one great spot to try is Coquitlam’s Hoy Creek.

After spending much of their adult lives at sea, salmon begin their epic journey to return to the creek where they were born. Some will swim thousands of kilometres, battling many obstacles and even leaping upstream through rushing water, in order to return home for the last time.

Whether you’re a young child, an international visitor seeing spawning salmon for the first time or a seasoned wildlife spotter, this scene never fails to impress. Watch for chum from early to mid-October to early November and coho from late October to late December. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

One of the best ways to get to know Vancouver, as a visitor or a local, is to take an informative walking tour. At this time of year however, one of the best ways to get to know the darker side of the city’s history, is by signing up for one of these spooky Halloween walking tours:

Lost Souls of Gastown

Ghostly Walking Tours

What: Ghostly Vancouver Walking Tours
Where & When:

• Ghostly Downtown Tour: October 13, 17, 20, 27.
  Meet outside Christchurch Cathedral.
• Ghostly Gastown Tour: October 14, 18, 21, 25, 26, 28-31.
  Meet at the Angel of Victory statue outside Waterfront station.
• Ghostly New Westminster Tour: October 13, 14, 20, 28, 31.
  Meet at Hyack Square (800 Columbia)

Tickets: Available online

Details: Join weekly haunted history walking tours through Greater Vancouver’s most infamous neighbourhoods. Learn about the history of many of Greater Vancouver’s landmarks and notable people and hear about the many hauntings along the way. The tour’s ghost stories come from local lore, first hand accounts and local paranormal investigations. These tours will appeal to history buffs, paranormal buffs, and anyone who is looking for something a little bit different.

Forbidden Vancouver Tours

What: Lost Souls of Gastown
When: Tours every night during Halloween season October 12-31, at 8:00pm
Where: Cathedral Square, Dunsmuir & Richards streets.
Tickets: Available online

Details: Venture into Vancouver’s earliest and most gruesome history this Halloween season on the Lost Souls a Gastown. A time when Vancouver was the Granville Townsite – wild frontier town that suffered a devastating fire, smallpox outbreaks, and unsolved murders. Designed for adult audiences, the Lost Souls of Gastown is both a walking tour and a theatre piece. Created by Forbidden Vancouver’s Chief Storyteller Will Woods – and based on documented Vancouver history – the plot weaves through back streets and alleyways to a dramatic finale in the heart of Gastown’s Maple Tree Square.

Stanley Park

What: Creatures of the Night with Stanley Park Ecology Society
When: During the Stanley Park Ghost Train, October 13-31.
Where: Meet at the Stanley Park Ghost Train plaza.

Running in October in conjunction with the Stanley Park Ghost Train, Creatures of the Night is a free, family-friendly, theatrical experience staffed by friendly volunteers ready to teach you about Stanley Park’s nocturnal creatures. Explore the “Alien Invasion” themed exhibit and learn about the real aliens of Stanley Park.

Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe is coming to exclusive locations in Canada this week. Today, it’s at the Templeton in Vancouver, right on Granville Street!

Netflix Brings Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe to Vancouver

Where: The Templeton (1087 Granville St)
When: Friday, October 13, 2017 7:00pm to 11:00pm

Decked out with all the Pop’s essentials, fans will be presented with Archie’s classic dilemma: Betty (Old Fashioned Vanilla) or Veronica (Double Chocolate) and enjoy their milkshakes in Pop’s cups.

The pop-up diners will in seven different locations in six cities, including Toronto, Mission, Calgary, Ottawa and Vancouver.

After enjoying a milkshake at Pop’s, fans can check out what Archie and the gang are up to when Riverdale Season 2 on Netflix.

The series is filmed in the Greater Vancouver Area, with Mission’s own Rocko’s Diner being the set for Pop’s in the series. To find more filming locations, follow YVR Shoots.

The ultimate girls weekend is almost here! The 17th annual West Coast Women’s Show is largest women’s event in Western Canada, where you can shop ‘til you drop and save at over 400 booths.

Enjoy incredible entertainment on 4 stages, including celebrity speakers, fashion shows, cooking demonstrations, wellness & beauty secrets, a community entertainment showcase, calendar firefighters and so much more. Celebrity guests include Colin & Justin, Melissa Claire Egan from The Young and the Restless, Top Chef Canada’s Trevor Bird, kid celebrity chef Skylar Sinow, and more!

West Coast Women’s Show

• When: Friday October 20, 2017 from 1:00pm to 9:30pm; Saturday October 21, 2017 from 10:00am to 9:00pm; Sunday October 22, 2017 from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
• Where: TRADEX in Abbotsford (1190 Cornell Street)
• Tickets: At the door: Adults $12; Seniors (65+) $9; Seniors (65+) Friday from 1:00 to 5:00pm $7 (no coupon required); Youth (13 – 17) $9; Children (6 – 12) $4; Children (5 & under) are free. Save $2 online or when you buy at any Lower Mainland London Drugs.

Theme Days

• Friday is Seniors Discount Day $7 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm (65 + years)
  Friday is also Girls Night Out with the Calendar Firefighters Fashion Show (Main Stage) 7:30pm
• Saturday is Girls Night Out with the Calendar Firefighters Fashion Show (Main Stage) 7:30pm
• Sunday is Mothers & Daughters Day

Stage Schedules

• Main Stage »
• Fabulous for Life Health & Wellness Stage »
• Chef’s Kitchen Stage »
• Spotlight Stage »

Win Tickets

I have a 4 pack of tickets to give away to the West Coast Women’s Show. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Like, comment on or share this post on Facebook (1 entry)
• Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:

[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to the West Coast Women’s Show @WCWomensShow http://ow.ly/fha030fQfLX” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw three winners at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, October 17, 2017.

Follow the West Coast Women’s Show on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information.

Update The winner is Bev Siebert Goertz!

Did you slide into October, through delicious turkey dinners and muddy pumpkin patches, and somehow just realize that the 36th annual Vancouver International Film Festival is wrapping up tomorrow? No need to panic! VIFF is bringing back 22 of its most popular films this week so if you missed them, or want to see them again, you can.

VIFF Repeats

Repeats will screen at the Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour St, Vancouver) and give festival-goers one more chance to catch these audience favourites.

Tickets are available online or at the Vancity Theatre Box office (30 minutes before showtime). Follow VIFF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information.

Please note All VIFF Passes, VIFF Ticket Packs, VIFF Exchange Vouchers, Vancity Guest Passes, and Cinematheque volunteer passes will not be accepted for the VIFF Repeat screenings. A VIFF or Vancity Theatre Membership is required. Unless a films is classified, attendees must be 19+.