The following has been contributed by Steffani Cameron, who is in the middle of a 5-year worldwide adventure that she is chronicling at FullNomad.com.

Where to Eat and Drink in Kelowna

As a freelance writer, I got the best magazine assignment ever this past summer: Eating and drinking my way through the Okanagan, with a focus on wine and cheese. Thank God for pants with elastics.

Along the way, I got to sample some restaurants outside of my cheesy-mission, too, thanks to hanging with my aunt and uncle in Kelowna for a couple weeks. It being “the Summer of Smoke” hampered my explorations some, but I still made it out to a few great places before I hit the Bottleneck Drive to the South Okanagan.

Here are a few foodie experiences I noshed on in Kelowna.

Breakfast: The Bohemian Cafe
Those of us who tap into the vibe of a place can read the staff and know, before we sit down, if the food’s any good. That’s vibe is electric at Kelowna’s beloved “Boh,” the kinda place where they make their own bread, jam, and even their own Canadian/back bacon. I excel in brunch snobbery and consider an Eggs Benny the big test for any brunch hotspot, because Hollandaise ain’t rocket science, but you’d think it was. The “Boh Benny” had everything a good Benny should: real Hollandaise with a good butter/citrus balance, great (housemade!) bacon, fresh English muffin, tasty shredded hash browns. Nothing pretentious here, just good food made honestly. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

Vancouver Opera presents Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, the opening production of the company’s exciting 2017–2018 season.

Vancouver Opera Presents Puccini’s Turandot

Life, Death & Love: Puccini’s Final Opera
When: October 13, 19, 21 @ 7:30pm & Sunday, October 15 @ 2:00pm
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton St)
Tickets: Tickets ranging in price from $49 to $135 are available at the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre, by telephone (604) 683-0222, or online.

Photo credit: Michal Daniel

To stunning effect, Puccini’s final opera combines his musical mastery with a tale as old as time. Based on Persian legend, and set in ancient Beijing (Peking), Turandot is the dramatic story of an icy princess, emotionally imprisoned by her own vengeful cruelty, who sets herself and her people free when she opens her heart to love. Among the many highlights in Turandot is Calaf’s show-stopping aria “Nessun Dorma”.

This stunning production is a creation of Quebecois director-designer duo Renaud Doucet and André Barbe. Vancouver Opera’s storytelling features lush gold’s and deep reds, with circular ornamentation symbolizing the cycle of life and death. There are dark corners and brightly lit moons. The massive collection of chorus singers, dancers, and children reinforced by VO’s own orchestra ensure the absolute grandness of Turandot.

Towering sets and lavish costumes complement incredible singers, the 64-piece Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and a 52-member chorus in Puccini’s Turandot. The cast features the vocal talents of sensational soprano Amber Wagner making a role debut as Turandot, as well as tenor Marcelo Puente, making his Vancouver Opera debut as Calaf, and Alain Coulombe singing the role of Timur.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to the October 19th performance. 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 #TurandotVO @VancouverOpera http://ow.ly/ffrJ30fAO8C” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

Follow Vancouver Opera on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information.

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Sunday, October 8, 2017.

Turandot is performed in Italian with English SurTitles™ projected above the stage.

Update The winner is Natalie A!

The Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”) shines a spotlight on BC films in the Sea to Sky stream this season. They have lined up 12 titles that will leave audiences inspired by the talent being developed right here in British Columbia.

BC Films at VIFF in the Sea to Sky Stream

c’əsnaʔəm: the city before the city
October 6th Tickets »
DIR. ELLE-MAIJA TAILFEATHERS
In partnership and collaboration with the Musqueam First Nation and the c’əsnaʔəm, the City Before the City curatorial team.
We live our lives on land that was never ceded or sold by those who were living here at ‘first contact,’ and yet we know precious little about the Lower Mainland before real estate. This film aims to correct that with a meaningful reminder of the history and prehistory of this land and her first people. VIFF alumnus Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, in collaboration with the Musqueam First Nation and the UBC Museum of Anthropology curatorial team, shares this reflection on a time when BC was indeed super and natural. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

I walked through the wrought iron gate off Matthews Avenue in Shaughnessy and the sweet smell of late summer blossoms filled the air. Immaculate gardens and ambient water features circle around an accessible playground, and the west entrance to a very important home.

Glen Brae Manor was built in 1910 by Scottish lumber baron William Lamont Tait, and over the last century this 16,000 sq ft mansion has housed many individuals and organizations. In 1991, it was willed it the City of Vancouver by then-owner Elisabeth Wlosinski on the condition that it be used for a purpose which would benefit the community. In 1995 it became Canuck Place, North America’s first free-standing children’s hospice.

I have been a sponsor of the annual Canuck Place Gift of Time Gala since 2013 but this was my first visit to the house. I met with Digital Communications Coordinator Elizabeth Moffat who gave me a tour and introduced me to some of the friendly staff.

On the lowest level there are some offices, housekeeping services, a playroom and the Volcano Room. The Volcano Room is soundproof, padded, and filled with colourful foam blocks and rubber balls. It’s a safe environment for letting off steam, in a place where many emotions run high.

Down the hall is a music therapy room, stocked with a variety of instruments and adaptive equipment. Creative music sessions encourage expression, and memories are made when voices and tunes are recorded for keepsakes.

Back on the first level there are meeting rooms, a library, and a full service kitchen, with a very popular cookie jar. Here families at Canuck Place can enjoy homemade meals.

We walked by an administrative office and there was a wall filled with volunteers‘ name tags. There were hundreds. Hundreds of people who dedicate their time to help Canuck Place families enjoy the precious time they all have together.

“Every day is an opportunity for us to make that the Best Day Ever for that child. We get to watch kids in their natural environment. We get to see them alive and playing, or going to school. At a hospital I only see a child or a teen when they’re unwell. I only get that small slice of their life, and at Canuck Place I get to see all of their lives played out in a different way.” – Dr. Hal Siden

Upstairs at the house we met up with Laura Fielding, a Recreational Therapist who has worked at Canuck Place for 17 years. She named all of the programs she’s working on for young kids and youth, talked about memory making projects, and told me that every single day she’s excited to come to work because it’s an honour and a privilege to serve Canuck Place families.

We continued through the classroom, the Snoezelen Room which is a controlled multisensory environment, and up to a few of the family suites on the top floor.

The second floor has nine patient beds, and to respect privacy my tour did not go through that part of the house. I did get to see the lovely family suites upstairs, with room for small to large families to all stay together, comfortably.

Between therapy programs, memory making, art, education, and play, there is so much to love and cherish about Canuck Place.

There’s also clinical care, respite care, counselling, end of life care, bereavement support, so that Canuck Place can carry families throughout the entire span of a child’s life; from the point of diagnosis and progression of illness, to death and beyond.

There are so many ways that Canuck Place helps families create and save memories. Whether it’s out on a field trip to the aquarium, painting in the art room, a stroll in the garden, snuggling up with a book in the library, or simply enjoying a meal around a dining table.

How to Give

Click here to donate to Canuck Place »

Canuck Place delivers care to over 600 newborns, teens and families across the province and through two locations: Vancouver and Abbotsford. Dedicated, professional staff and over 325 volunteers provide a vital lifeline for children and families in their greatest time of need. Canuck Place relies on the generosity of individuals, corporations, and various organizations to raise operating funds, with a portion funded by the Province of BC.

Follow along on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Vancouver is getting a new café inspired by delicious morsels of chocolate that get baked into ooey gooey cookies and treats. At the Nestlé Toll House Café you’ll be able to build your own ice cream sandwich or pick up cupcakes, enjoy a smoothie, macaroons, brownies, and of course some of their signature chocolate chip cookies.

Nestlé Toll House Café in Vancouver

Where: #101 980 Howe St (at Nelson) in Vancouver
When: Grand Opening Wednesday, October 4, 2017 6:00pm to 8:00pm

The Grand Opening event will have delicious treats and drinks followed by an exclusive cookie and cake decorating lesson. Once open, pop by anytime for a snack, even if you’re craving something savoury as they’ll be service up paninis, wraps, crepes and flatbreads too.

Grand Opening Event

I have 4 pairs of tickets to give away to the Grand Opening of Nestlé Toll House Café in Vancouver, happening October 4th. Here’s how you can enter to win:

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

[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win your way into the Grand Opening of @nestlecafe in Vancouver http://ow.ly/vgx030fvsZ9″ quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw 4 winners at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, October 3, 2017.

Update The winners are livingvancouverloca, Kat C, Bobby T, Gloria!