The Greater Vancouver Food Bank is hosting the Vancouver Citywide Food Drive this month, online and in person, making it easy to give where you live this season.
At Your Door
Over the next week or so, volunteers, organized by the BC Thanksgiving Food Drive, will leave environmentally-friendly, paper donation bags on the doorsteps of over 38,000 households in our catchment area – Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver, and New Westminster. Residents who choose to participate are asked to leave the donation bag of non-perishable food items on their doorsteps in a visible spot from the street on Saturday, September 17th.
Much needed items include canned fish, fruit (in its own juices or water) and beans. Donation bags left outside on September 17th will be picked up from 9:00am to 1:00pm. If your donation does not get picked up by 1:00pm on the 17th, email: [email protected] with your address, postal code and phone number. Volunteers will make every effort to pick up your donation by 4:00pm.
Drop-Off
Non-perishable food donations may also be brought to participating Save-on-Foods and PriceSmart foods grocery stores on Saturday, September 17th from 10:00am to 5:00pm.
Online
Residents who would like to make a monetary donation can donate funds online to the Citywide Virtual Food Drive.
Every week 26,500 people access our services at locations in Vancouver, Burnaby, North Vancouver, and New Westminster. 20% are children and 19% are seniors. Each year, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank distributes 4.1 million pounds of food. This campaign leads into Hunger Awareness Week in Canada.
Follow along on Facebook and Twitter for more information about participating in the Citywide Food Drive on September 17th.
Last week I was invited to Gibsons for the afternoon, to check out the plans for The George Gibsons Marine Resorts and Residences, a new development on the waterfront in this Sunshine Coast hub. My niece and I hopped on the ferry at Horseshoe Bay and sailed the Queen of Surrey to Langdale on a bright and sunny morning. I spent a lot of time on the Sunshine Coast as a kid and teen counselor at summer camp, but Gibsons was never the destination. Aside from Beachcombers and a trip to Molly’s Reach with my family as a kid, I didn’t know much about the seaside town until recent years.
After the lovely day over in the corner of the “604”, and after a few other recent trips to the Sunshine Coast for writing assignments, I can confidently recommend these 5 Things to do in Gibsons.
1) Art & History
Whether it’s history of a CBC television series, or that of the town itself, you’ll find it all right in the heart of Gibsons Landing. There’s the Sunshine Coast Museum & Archives, Heritage Walks, and the George Gibson statue where, right beside the visitor centre, George and his family are buried. George Gibson was the first European settler in the area. He was a British naval officer who moved from Ontario to the area and claimed Gibsons Landing in 1886 (the same year Vancouver was incorporated).
There is so much art on the Sunshine Coast. SO MUCH ART! From Howe Sound to Desolation Sound, the Sunshine Coast is home to more artists per capita than any other Canadian region. You can follow the purple artisan banners during events like the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl or pick up guide and start visiting galleries and studios where you could spend hours (and days) browsing all kinds of beautiful, crafty, and creative works. The Gibsons Public Art Gallery is a great place to start.
2) Shop
Whether you’re visiting the Gibsons Public Market or Gibsons Sunday Market, filling up your bottles at Sunshine Coast Olive Oil Co., or picking up some beautiful seasonal styles at a local boutique, you’ll want to fill your shopping bags (and trunk of your car) with all the goodies you can find in Gibsons. Swish Ladieswear is worth a browse even for the beautifully designed displays.
3) Beach
Gibsons has 20 parks and civic lands, beach accesses, trails and natural areas for public use and enjoyment. There are four beaches within Gibsons proper, and during our visit I also drove us up to Roberts Creek — a beach I was familiar with as a child — where we dipped our toes in the water before returning to the ferry. From town, check out Pebbles Beach, Atlee Beach, and Armour’s Beach.
4) Beer
Persephone Brewing is at the top of my list for my next visit, I still haven’t been to the award-winning farm but you can get their beer in Vancouver. Persephone operates an 11-acre farm and craft micro-brewery in Gibsons where they grow their own hops – one of the principal ingredients in beer – and other food crops in support of local food security.
5) Food
For lunch, we stopped by Smitty’s Oyster House, right on the waterfront (below Molly’s Reach). There we enjoyed some delicious oyster po boys and the menu also offers fresh oysters, halibut fritters, mussels, crab cakes, fish tacos, and more fresh-caught deliciousness. Of course there’s also Molly’s Reach, and out further on the wharf is Smoke on the Water BBQ. Within walking distance there’s Sweetwater Bistro and The Black Bean is great for breakfasts.
The best part is that you only pay one way for the ferry, and it’s a quick ride through Howe Sound (40 minutes) compared to Vancouver Island crossings. We took the 9:40am ferry over and we were back on the 2:40pm after a full day of fun.
If you would like to explore Gibsons, I have a $60 gift card for Smitty’s Oyster House to give away, courtesy of The George. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, September 7, 2016.
The George Gibsons Marine Resorts and Residences is a new waterfront luxury hotel and private residences that will rise in the Sunshine Coast’s historic town of Gibsons Landing. 40 luxury private condominium homes will offer ever-changing Howe Sound and North Shore mountain vistas.
The resort hotel will offer residents access to concierge services and fitness facilities, and will feature meeting facilities, a 350 dinner-seating conference style ballroom, and a 21,000 square foot Health & Wellness Centre, the first of it’s kind in the Vancouver region. Follow The George on Facebook and Twitter for more information about the the development in Gibsons.
If someone were to ask me what I would love to do more of in Vancouver, “going to see live comedy” would be near the very top of my list. This city has such a seemingly hidden hive of world-class talent and we all need to experience (and support) our comics every chance we get. You have the opportunity to check out the hilarious Rob Pue this weekend as he returns home from MTV, Comedy Network, and national comedy festival appearances to hit the stage at Yuk Yuk’s in Vancouver.
“A gregarious and dynamic comedian with a knack for telling it like it is, Rob has become one of the brightest voices to hit the Canadian comedy scene. With unmistakeable charm, wit and trade-mark act-outs, Rob is a must see performance.” [Tourism Vancouver]
Rob’s tour follows the highly successful release of his first official Comedy Album, PUEGILIST – Debuting at #2 on the iTunes Comedy Charts. Born in Chilliwack, Rob has appeared on Comedy Central, MTV’s Punk’d and had his own Comedy Now special on The Comedy Network. He’s also a regular on CBC’s Debaters, performed multiple times at Just For Laughs, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Halifax Comedy Festival and was the winner of the prestigious San Francisco Comedy Competition – with past winners including Doug Stanhope and Dana Carvey, and runner ups including Louis CK, Robin Williams, Ellen Degeneres and Patton Oswalt.
PUEGILIST is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and streaming on Spotify.
Rob will be at Yuk Yuk’s in Abbotsford for 3 days (September 8-10), then over in Victoria for 3 days (October 13-15).
Win Tickets to Rob Pue at Yuk Yuk’s
I have a copy of Rob’s album PUEGILIST to give away along with a 4-pack of tickets to one of his Abbotsford shows at Yuk Yuk’s. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, September 6, 2016. The winner can select their show date (September 8, 9, or 10) based on availability. Must be 19+. Please enjoy the hilarious comedy responsibly.
Update The winner is @TheContestadore!
The historic Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver is hosting a very special event in celebration of Culture Days this month. Gatsby’s Night Out at the Orpheum invites you to put on your flapper dresses, cuffed trousers, and two-toned shoes and head over for a charming evening full of free, spectacular entertainment.
Gatsby’s Night Out at the Orpheum
1929 –
VPL Accession Number: 11035. Photographer: Leonard Frank.
Where: The Orpheum (884 Granville St, Vancouver)
When: Friday, September 30, 2016 from 7:00pm to 11:00pm
Tickets: FREE! RSVP online. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis with a maximum of 2 tickets per person.
The evening will begin with a guided tour of the historical venue, followed by live music by Victoria and The Secrets and the Myrtle Family Band. You’ll also have a chance to view, as well as learn the Lindy Hop with Rhythm City Productions, strike a pose in our photo booth thanks to Image Cube, interact with a special interactive media art piece by Peter Forde, and last but not least, be amazed by Matt Johnson‘s magical tricks! Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
This event is 19+. Please enjoy responsibly. For more information, visit the City of Vancouver’s event listing.
Join the 4th annual Campbell Valley Wine Run, winding through scenic South Langley and visiting four local farms and wineries along the way.
What: Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 9:00am
Where: Start/Finish at High Point Equestrian Center (658-200 St Langley)
Registration: Register online or in person at one of the participating wineries: Domain De Chaberton (the oldest and largest winery in the Fraser Valley), Township 7, Backyard Vineyards, and Vista D’Oro Farms & Winery.
The 15km run starts out from High Point Equestrian Centre, then heads through the trails of Campbell Valley Park. A course map can be found online here.
This run is not a race and isn’t timed; it’s all about having fun running with friends, wine tasting and supporting Pacific Riding for Developing Abilities (PRDA), the local therapeutic riding facility for children and adults with disabilities.
For those not wanting to run the full 15km, you can choose the full relay option, or a shorter 5km route. Every runner will have an opportunity to sample wines from the 4 local wineries at High Point Equestrian Centre.
There will be prizes for Best Individual Costume, Best Surviving Costume and Best Team Costume. Post run entertainment and food trucks will be on site following the run, so stick around and enjoy the rest of the morning supporting a great cause.
Campbell Valley Park in South Langley is a wonderful place to explore marshlands, pastures, forest trails, and view wildlife. Situated in the heart of local wine country, it’s also the perfect location for the Campbell Valley Wine Run.
