This summer Vancouver Civic Theatres is offering self-guided tours of the Orpheum, one of the most beautiful concert halls in North America.

For 90 years the Orpheum theatre on Granville Street has been far more than an iconic neon sign. Hosting concerts, comedy showcases, the VSO, and even my high school commencement ceremony, this gorgeous venue is an magnificent slice of Vancouver history.

Built for $1 million in 1927, it hosted Vaudeville acts and the latest motion pictures from Hollywood. It boasts soaring lines, gold leaf, grand staircases and 145 original crystal chandeliers, and has been designated a National Heritage Site.

Now you can join a summer tour to learn about the Orpheum’s history and architecture, spooky stories, famous performers, and how the community once came together to “Save the Orpheum.” Tours are self-guided, with support from Vancouver Civic Theatres staff. Attendees will be given one hour to wander the lobbies, staircases, and the mezzanine floor of the auditorium.

Tours are available three times per day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays starting today. Tickets are available online or in-person at the Tickets Tonight booth located inside the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre. As the Orpheum is a working theatre, tours, availability and content may vary.

The Orpheum is a member Vancouver Civic Theatres venue collective, which also operates the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Plaza, Vancouver Playhouse, and ANNEX. For more information, follow Vancouver Civic Theatres on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Free family movie nights return to Holland Park in Surrey this August as Movies Under the Stars brings Saturday evening entertainment to the heart of the city for the whole community to enjoy. Along with the four animated movies, each night will also feature entertainment from local performers.

Movies Under the Stars at Holland Park in Surrey

Where: Holland Park (King George Blvd & 100 Ave, Surrey)
When: Saturdays in August with activities at 5:00pm, movie at dusk

Click to expand

Each movie will begin at dusk so everyone is encouraged to come early to grab a good spot. But don’t worry, there will be entertainment and activities beginning at 5:00pm to entertain the crowd until the movie begins. There will be local performers and musicians as entertainment, as well as activities such as crafts and facepainting.

Bring your own lawn chair, blankets, and umbrellas. Refreshments will be available at the North Surrey Lions BBQ with proceeds going to local charities.

Lego Batman on Saturday, August 5th
Sing on Saturday, August 12th
Moana on Saturday, August 19th
Beauty and the Beast on Saturday, August 26th

Bonus Sing-Along!

On July 15th, head down to Surrey Civic Plaza (City Hall) for a Mary Poppins sing-along. Kite flyer Tristen Underwood will also be there to dazzle the crowd with some high flying fun.

Follow the Downtown Surrey BIA on Facebook and Twitter for information about these event and more.

This post has been contributed by the Ben Hill, Communications Volunteer with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”).

Tackling Invasive Plants in Stanley Park

If you’ve visited Stanley Park over the last few weeks you’ll be aware that it’s growing season. Many of the flowering plants are in bloom and new growth is everywhere.

Unfortunately not every plant is a desirable part of the forest ecosystem. Although Stanley Park is a beautiful forest, it is threatened by invasive species. Not always obvious to visitors, our staff and volunteers have identified 97 non-native plants in the Park, of which 73 are low priority “trailside weeds.”

Beautiful but problematic: invasive water lily at Beaver Lake. Photo: Michael Schmidt.

Some invasives, like English ivy, were introduced many years ago as decorative plants – before people understood their impact on the environment. Others have arrived by accident, although often they started out as garden plants. You might ask why invasives are a big deal. Non-native species do not have natural predators or control, so they can often spread very quickly and out-compete native plants. This is a problem because they don’t provide the sources of food and habitat that native insects, birds and mammals prefer.

Different invasives have very different effects on the environment. English ivy is an evergreen that grows quickly and smothers the forest floor, preventing native ground dwelling species like salal from flourishing. When it takes hold, the ground becomes a carpet of ivy where very little else can grow. The fragrant pond lily was introduced to Beaver Lake in 1937 because of its beautiful flowers. But when they die back each year, the decomposing plant material accumulates and contributes to the infilling that is shrinking the lake.

A SPES volunteer tackles English ivy.
Photo: Greg Ferguson

For more than 10 years SPES has been running programs with the help of an army of willing volunteers to tackle invasives in the Park. Dubbed ‘Ivy Busters’, the volunteer crew was dedicated to removing English ivy, but over the years we’ve expanded our work to target many other invaders in the Park with our weekly Special Invasives Removal Team or SIRT.

Since November last year, SPES volunteers have been working on the “Growing Vancouver’s Largest Urban Forest” project supported by TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (“TDFEF”). Volunteers have been out in the Park in rain and shine pulling, digging and cutting away invasive plants. In those six months they’ve removed 350m³ of invasive plants from the Park and planted 200 native species to replace them. This has contributed to restoring 35 acres of habitat across the Park. Over that time, SPES focused on patches of English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, yellow lamium, and periwinkle, and will be targeting yellow flag iris and purple loosestrife in the warmer months.

If you want to get involved with working to remove invasives and protecting the Park, we’re always on the lookout for volunteers. If you’re interested, please email Kari Pocock, SPES’ Stewardship Coordinator, at [email protected].

SPES would like to thank TDFEF for their support of our invasive species removal projects in Stanley Park.

Follow SPES on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Bring dad to watch a soccer match at BC Place this Father’s Day weekend. Vancouver Whitecaps FC are offering a special Father’s Day Package that includes tickets to watch them take on FC Dallas on Saturday, June 17, 2017 plus the opportunity to have a family photo on the pitch afterward.

Whitecaps Father’s Day Packages

Purchase Father’s Day Packages here »

Enter to Win

Thanks to the Whitecaps, I have a Father’s Day Package to give away to one lucky reader! 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 a @WhitecapsFC #FathersDay package incl. pitch photo http://ht.ly/EEQA30cuSFQ” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, June 15, 2017. The winner will be able to pick up their 2 tickets and pitch photo voucher at BC Place on match day.

Follow Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Update The winner is Darwin!

The Chainsmokers and Wiz Khalifa are set to headline FVDED in the Park in Surrey, July 7 & 8, 2017. Set in Holland Park and returning for its third year, FVDED has become Western Canada’s preeminent urban music festival.

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2018 LINEUP

FVDED in the Park 2017 Lineup

Presented by Blueprint and Live Nation Canada, FVDED In the Park will feature The Chainsmokers, Wiz Khalifa, PartyNextDoor, Dillon Francis and Ty Dolla $ign over three stages during the two-day event, as well as up and coming artists Russ, Harrison Brome and others.

Follow FVDED in the Park #FVDED2017 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter for more info. 2-Day GA passes, 2-Day VIP passes, and single day passes are on sale now.