Canada Day at Canada Place for Canada 150 is going to be big! 2 days, 6 zones with 5 performance stages, a parade, fireworks, and much more is in store for the long weekend.
Canada Day at Canada Place
When: July 1 & 2, 2017
where: Canada Place, Jack Poole Plaza and surrounding city streets
Day 1 Schedule July 1, 2017 »
Day 2 Schedule July 2, 2017 »
Concerts include Sam Roberts, FEFE, Emerson Drive, Hey Ocean!, Dragonette, Madeline Merlo, The Matinee, and many more. Check out the citizenship ceremony welcoming 150 new Canadians; Coast Capital Savings Youth Zone; Canadian Forces Zone with incredible displays and interactive exhibits; Canada150 Zone; North Point Lounge serving beer and wine, presented by Steam Whistle Brewing; Kids Zone in Harbour Green Park (July 1 only); Canadian Oath reaffirmation ceremony presented by CIBC; multi-community fireworks show with simulcast by Rock 101 (July 1); pancake breakfast (July 2); Canada150 parade through downtown Vancouver (July 2).
Fireworks
When: Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 10:30pm
Watch as the sky lights up in celebration of our nation’s 150th! Two fireworks barges will be located in Coal Harbour, and Dundarave in West Vancouver.
Canada Day fireworks in Burrard Inlet can be best viewed from the Fireworks Viewing Zone at Canada Place; Harbour Green Park; Coal Harbour; Stanley Park (9 o’clock gun); Crab Park; and West Vancouver Seawall (between Ambleside and Dundarave).
Tune in to Rock 101 to hear the official soundtrack to this year’s show. Tickets for the Fireworks Viewing Zone at Canada Place are available online now for $15. Children 5 & under are free.
Second Day of Fun
Start the second day of festivities off with a pancake breakfast (8:30am to 10:00am) and enjoy all of the activity zones and concert stages once more until the Canada150 Parade (5:00pm to 6:30pm) down Georgia Street.
This past March, Variety – The Children’s Charity of BC launched the Variety Kids Can campaign in order to attract increased funding towards Variety BC’s core grant areas, as well as provide new opportunities to expand on the ways the charity can help the kids and families it serves.
To kick off the campaign, the Milan & Maureen Ilich Family Foundation presented Variety with an astounding donation of $1 million. They invited other organizations and individuals to step up and support Variety Kids Can, and Shafin Diamond Tejani, of Victory Square Technologies (“VST”) has now done just that!
Tejani has been giving of his time, talent and treasure to children’s organizations around the world for over 20 years. Recently, his colleague and VST Board Director Howard Blank introduced him to the work Variety does to help children and families in the province facing extra challenges associated with special needs.
“I knew I wanted to be a part of Variety Kids Can, so that families requiring a little extra support can always have a place to turn to.” – Shafin Diamond Tejani
He was very impressed with Variety and offered to sponsor the “One Night In Monte Carlo” event, a very successful fundraising initiative held in April of this year. He learned about the generous donation and challenge put forth from Rick Ilich of the Milan & Maureen Ilich Family Foundation and he answered their call to action.
“I was so moved by the incredible work that Variety provides families and children with special needs across our vast province,” said Tejani. “The work they have been doing for kids in every corner of the province for over half a century is truly inspirational.”
Tejani and Victory Square Technologies have committed to matching every dollar raised up to $500,000.
Variety Kids Can
Funds raised go towards areas such as mobility equipment, specialized therapies, mental wellness, educational programs and bursaries for learning disabilitieslifesaving medical equipment and supplies.
“The Variety Kids Can campaign is an opportunity for businesses and individuals to directly step up and impact the lives of kids and families facing the challenges of special needs,” says Variety – the Children’s Charity CEO Kristy Gill.
“We hope that the generosity of Shafin Tejani and the Milan & Maureen Ilich Family Foundation sparks a philanthropic competitive challenge that will usher in a new audience of donors and help us help an additional thousand kids in BC.”
Tejani now challenges fellow British Columbians to champion the Variety Kids Can campaign. “Please give whatever you can so that together we can raise an additional $1,000,000! Variety truly steps in where healthcare ends.”
Variety – the Children’s Charity provides direct help to children with special needs in BC and the Yukon. For over 50 years Variety has ensured children have the support to reach their potential. You can help make a difference for children and families in BC by donating today.
Miss604’s Rebecca Bollwitt is a proud member of Variety’s Board of Directors
There’s going to be one last chance to lace up and rollerskate at Stardust in Surrey on July 8th and after the doors close for good, the whole building will be gone forever. If you were a Stardust regular, celebrated a birthday there, attended a class party there, did a rollathon, air band battle, or all night skate – the Downtown Surrey BIA wants to know your story in their Memories of Stardust contest.
Memories of Stardust Contest
Did you take roller skating lessons at Stardust? Do you remember the horse races and limbo on roller skates? Did you win a prize for doing the hokey pokey or bird dance?
Where did you go after skating? Fresgos, Olympia, White Spot (or McDonalds after the All Night Skate)? Did you work at Stardust? Who was your favourite Stardust Staff member? Did you meet or significant other at Stardust? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you have a memory of Stardust.
Share your funny, sad, goofy, poignant, or just a memory that reflects how Stardust played a role in your life and you could win prizes such as a gift certificate for Central City (previously known as Surrey Place), a gift certificate for Fresgos, and a gift certificate for White Spot.
To enter, simply email your Memories of Stardust to:
cheryl(at)downtownsurreybia(dot)com
with the subject line “Memories of Stardust Contest”.
Make sure to include your name, email, and which rink you are referencing (it could be Guildford, Whalley, North Van or Richmond). You can also send in a photo, with a caption. Entries are being accepted until July 8, 2017.
The Last Skate
The Weststone Group, the new property owners of the iconic Stardust property, would like to pay tribute to Stardust by hosting a series of free family skates and one by donation skate for all ages. Three of the skates are going to be free admission with a ticket required. The last skate of the evening will be a $5 ticket fee with the proceeds going to the Surrey Food Bank’s Tiny Bundles program. View the Facebook event here.
An evening of craft beer, signature cocktails, fun food and… exhilarating rides! For the first time ever Playland is dedicating every Friday night this July to adults-only evenings. The grounds will be fully licensed so guests can enjoy their favourite beverage throughout the park while enjoying the games and rides.
Adults-Only Nights at Playland
When: Every Friday in July, 7:00pm to midnight
Tickets $22 for the first 100 tickets purchased online per night. Admission includes unlimited access to over 25 rides and attractions. Pricing includes applicable taxes. Otherwise online in advance $26 or $29 at the gate.
Enjoy a local craft beer or try a custom Playland cocktail like the Candy Floss Martinis, Candy Appletinis and Vodka Snow Cones. Guest DJs will spin under the twinkling lights of all of your favourite rides and just to add an extra twist – there will also be axe throwing and surprise activations to make each adult night unique.
Follow Playland on Twitter and Facebook for information about these events and more this summer.
The Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza, one of the most popular meeting places in the city, is set to reopen on Saturday June 24th after being closed for a massive revitalization effort. The opening will coincide with the Vancouver Jazz Festival‘s Downtown Jazz series, which will feature performances throughout the day to show off the new space.
Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza Reopens
The old courthouse building was built in 1911 and the Vancouver Art Gallery took over the space in 1983. The north plaza has been home to events, fairs, concerts, protests, and Vancouver’s occupy movement in the past.
1920s. Vancouver Archives# CVA 99-3101. Photo: Stuart Thomson.
The new plaza is 4197 square metres (45,176 square feet) and will have a capacity for up to 1500 people when fully open. It is designed to compliment Robson Square on the other side of the Art Gallery and the surrounding heritage buildings. The new fully accessible space enhances safety for large gatherings, improves flexibility for events and day to day use.
Rendering courtesy of Nick Milkovich Architects; photograph of plaza courtesy of City of Vancouver.
Design features include:
- A flexible space that can be used for solitary and small group use, as well as large events.
- A safe, inviting environment for formal and casual use.
- A surface with pavers that will be long-lasting and durable for heavy use.
- Full accessibility for all users.
- A continuation of the Hornby Street maple trees, with new trees added along the west side of the plaza.
- A flexible pavilion / bus stop on the east side which can be used during events and can accommodate future use as a food/beverage stand or tourist information centre.
The total cost of the upgrade is $9.6 million. “In addition to replacing the once grassy pavilion with more durable tiles and adding more seating, the city says a large part of the project’s cost was replacing an underground water membrane.”
[Source: CBC Vancouver]
The plaza redesign was led by Nick Milkovich Architects, with support by HAPA Collective, and Matthew Soules Architecture, and construction was completed by Jacobs Brothers contractor.
