Tuesday, November 29th is recognized as “Giving Tuesday“, opening the season of giving around the world following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday unites charities, companies and individuals in the spirit of giving and over the next few days I’ll be profiling a few local organizations that you can support on this day – and throughout the year.
Giving Tuesday
In 2006, 10% of Stanley Park’s 1000 acres were severely damaged by the a windstorm. But all of its forests, beaches and delicate wetlands are impacted by 9 million visitors annually.
Stanley Park Ecology Society
On Giving Tuesday, the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”) invites you to join them in supporting Vancouver’s most beloved park.
On December 15, 2006, 120 km/h winds pummeled Stanley Park. In the aftermath, 10,000 trees – some more than 500 years old – littered the forest floor. Ten years later, many of the 16,000 saplings planted are thriving in the blowdown sites, bird diversity has increased in the fresh shrubbery, and volunteers are aggressively attacking invasive plants. With the dedication of community volunteers, ecologists and government, Stanley Park is a decade strong in its renewal. The work continues, and they need your help.
How to Support SPES
In a decade since the storm, donations and grants to SPES have helped us support Stanley Park through:
5000 m3 of invasive plant biomass removed
98,692 volunteer hours dedicated to restoring habitat and monitoring wildlife
30,357 school children engaged with outdoor environmental education programs
Imagine what we can do in the next 10 years! Donate on Giving Tuesday for a healthy Stanley Park:
$30 supports SPES’ wildlife monitoring programs that engage citizen scientists in collecting baseline data to track the impacts of habitat restoration efforts in Stanley Park.
$75 subsidizes an elementary school class of 25 inner-city children to learn about the stewardship of nature in nature in Stanley Park.
$160 supports the removal and management of invasive plants in blowdown areas and strategic sites throughout Stanley Park.
$500 subsidizes the school program fee for one inner city class to participate in Nature Ninjas, an empowering, unforgettable overnight camping fieldtrip in Stanley Park
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — This post is sponsored by Kal TirePlease review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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Have you seen the meme that’s going around showing several cars spun out in a ditch off a snowy highway with the caption “annual meeting of the summer tires club”? It’s rather funny, until you check the tires on your own car or, heaven forbid, you end up in a skid on a patch of black ice or snow in our mountain passes. However, it does bring awareness to tire choice given seasonal conditions.
I took to a closed course in Pitt Meadows with Kal Tire recently to put some 3-season and winter tires to the test, trying both new and worn versions of each tire set in the pouring rain — and on some imported snow — to see how different types of tires perform in winter driving conditions.
Testing Tires in Winter Conditions with Kal Tire
I love driving, so much, and I think part of it comes from having experience on closed courses, where I can really put a vehicle and its tires to a test. This was my fifth closed course experience and it really put my skills to the test, especially since I knew I would be driving worn tires over giant puddles and patches of snow.
“When we test what we want to do is take the driver and the suspension input of the vehicle out of the equation, so that we’re just testing the tread of the tires.”
My co-pilot was an independent tire tester and pro-driver, Joanne Younker, who is based in Whistler.
Joanne has tested hundreds of tires, and they’re all blind tests so she never knows what’s being put on the car when she’s doing her diagnostics and providing professional input. For our run, she made sure that I was going the same speed and applying the same quickness and power to the ABS (anti-lock braking system) during each run so I truly relied on the tires for feedback instead of my own movements.
To ensure accurate results, scientific data was collected by professional drivers (Joanne included) over multiple runs using industry-leading technology that measured precise driving lines, speed, G-force measurements, GPS information and even minute track conditions such as road and wind temperature.
Kal Tire evaluated the performance of various tires at five stages of tread wear—from brand new to zero tread depth. One of the key findings shows even a worn premium winter tire can outperform a new 3-season tire in certain conditions. The tests were done in several conditions, which were replicated during my run: cold dry, cold wet, ice, slush, and snow.
Results
A worn five-star premium tire can outperform a new 3-season tire in certain conditions.
Ice braking: On an icy road at 30 km/h, the 75% worn five-star premium winter tire stopped in 29.7m; 2.6m sooner than the new 3-season, which stopped at 32.3m.
Snow cornering: The 75% worn premium winter tire held a corner 4.3% better than the new 3-season tire.
No two winter tires are created equal. The five-star premium winter tire outperformed the three-star economy winter tire in all tests over all stages of wear.
Ice braking: The 75% worn premium winter tire stopped in 29.7m; the 75% worn economy winter tire stopped in 32.5m.
Snow cornering: The 75% worn premium winter tire cornered 26% better than the 75% worn economy winter tire.
Braking performance declines significantly between 50% and 75% wear.
Ice braking: When the premium winter tire went from 50% to 75% worn, it took an extra 3.1m to brake on ice. The economy winter tire took an extra 4.8m.
Snow braking: When the premium tire went from 50% to 75% worn, it took an extra 4.4 m to brake on snow. The economy winter tire took an extra 4.3 m to stop.
Most tire purchases are made out of necessity, after something goes wrong, but learning more about the performance of tires in various types of conditions might help us all make more proactive decisions about what we put on our vehicles. You can find out more by visiting your local Kal Tire where you can browse brands and get the best advice for your all-season driving.
This evening a painting by a Group of Seven artist became most expensive Canadian artwork ever sold at auction. Lawren Harris‘ 1926 piece Mountain Forms, depicting Alberta’s Mount Ishbel in the Sawback Range of the Rocky Mountains in Banff National Park, sold at the hammer for $9.5 million.
Harris is one of seven Canadian artists that are celebrated and revered for their works – but just what and who are the Group of Seven?
Who Are the Group of Seven Painters?
The Group of Seven, also known as the Algonquin School, was a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920 to 1933. Original members were:
Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945)
Lawren Harris (1885–1970)
A.Y. (Alexander Young) Jackson (1882–1974)
Frank Johnston (1888–1949)
Arthur Lismer (1885–1969)
J. E. H. MacDonald (1873–1932)
Frederick Varley (1881–1969) » there’s a great 3-part piece about Varley’s North Vancouver roots here.
Later, A. J. Casson (1898–1992) was invited to join in 1926; Edwin Holgate (1892–1977) became a member in 1930; and LeMoine FitzGerald (1890–1956) joined in 1932. Two artists commonly associated with the group are Tom Thomson (1877–1917) and Emily Carr (1871–1945). So, it’s really a group of about a dozen.
Five were originally employees of the design firm Grip Ltd. in Toronto. In 1913, they were joined by A.Y. Jackson and Lawren Harris. They often met at the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto to discuss their opinions and share their art. The group is best known for its paintings inspired by the Canadian landscape, and for initiating the first major Canadian national art movement.
The Vancouver Art Gallery has featured Group of Seven works in the past, including an exhibition “Emily Carr and the Group of Seven” back in 2008.
Carr first met members of the Group of Seven in 1927 when she exhibited her work in the exhibition West Coast Art: Native and Modern. On her way to Ottawa for the exhibition, she met Frederick Varley, Arthur Lismer, A.Y. Jackson, J.E.H. MacDonald and, most importantly, Lawren S. Harris. Famously, Lawren Harris told Carr, who had felt unappreciated as an artist, “you are one of us.” This acceptance re-energized her career.
You can find Lawren Harris‘ Tamarack Swamp, Algoma (1920) in the Vancouver Art Gallery‘s permanent collection. After the dissolution of the Group of Seven in 1933, Harris moved toward abstraction and in 1940 he relocated to Vancouver, where he remained until his death in 1970. During these later years he became a major figure in the community and an important leader in the life of the Vancouver Art Gallery, in particular encouraging the development of its Emily Carr Trust collection.
Learn more about Canadian art and its history by visiting the Vancouver Art Gallery this season.
Vancouver’s largest indie craft market is back to host its 20th fair with Got Craft? Holiday Edition December 10th & 11th at The Pipe Shop Building in North Vancouver. Browse and shop with over 85 makers and indie craft designers at the biggest market yet. Vendors will showcase unique accessories, home décor, toys, greeting cards, bath and body products, delicious edibles, West Coast art, and so much more.
Got Craft? Holiday Edition
Where: The Pipe Shop Building, 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver
When: Saturday, December 10 to Sunday, December 11, 2016 from 10:00am to 5:00pm
Tickets: Available online for $3 or at the door for $5. Tickets can be purchased at Got Craft? and are valid for the whole weekend.
The market gives a unique opportunity for the Vancouver shopper to cross everyone off their holiday shopping list in one weekend, including the organic fanatic or tough-to-buy-for foodie. Guests will enjoy food trucks, fresh coffee, swag bags and a DIY workshop in partnership with Collage Collage.

Enjoy a day of shopping at the Got Craft? indie craft market with amazing swag bags for the first 50 guests each day, and a hands-on DIY workshop providing guests the opportunity to make their own wooden block pencil holder to take home. Find handmade treasures for everyone on your holiday shopping list!
Prize Package Giveaway
I’m very happy to partner with Got Craft? to offer up an amazing prize package — valued at $1,100 — thanks to their talented exhibitors. This is what is included for the lucky winner:
RT to enter to win a $1.1K @GotCraftMarket prize pack from @LFieldsShoppe + @Miss604 http://owl.li/8ZnL306ttm1
Follow Got Craft? on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information. I will draw one contest winner at random from all entries at 9:00am on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. The winner must be able to pick up the prize in person at Got Craft? on December 10th or 11th.
The Surrey Christmas Bureau Adopt-A-Family (“AAF”) program matches individuals, businesses, and other organizations with a family in need that has children under the age of 18. Each year they seek support from 1,000 sponsors so that every family and child in Surrey can celebrate Christmas.
Adopt-A-Family with the Surrey Christmas Bureau
By becoming an Adopt-A-Family sponsor, you will provide a Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as gifts for the family you are matched with.
Guidelines and a planning list are available online to help you understand some of the expectations, and to give you some ideas about how you can offer your support this season.
Helping a family in need is always a meaningful experience, but helping a family during the holidays changes their entire experience of this time of year.
If you would like to sponsor a family, you can complete the sponsor application form online or contact the AAF program at (604) 585-9670.
Follow the Surrey Christmas Bureau on Facebook and Twitter for more information. You can also support the Surrey Christmas Bureau at events this season like Big Rigs for Kids lighted truck parade on December 4, 2016.
By becoming an Adopt-A-Family sponsor, you will provide a Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as gifts for the family you are matched with.