Julia Hanlon, Brew Master at Steamworks Brewery will spend an afternoon with 100 attendees teaching us about beer, as we taste and tour our way through the state of the art facilities. Grab your friends and explore the world of beer, while supporting a great organization devoted to community empowerment.
Big Beer Tasting for Big Sisters
Where: Steamworks Brewery and Taproom (3845 William St, Burnaby) When: Sunday, July 17th, 2016 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm Tickets:Available online for $40. Must be 19+.
Tickets include 4 beer tastings plus a pint of your favourite Steamworks Beer and the opportunity to learn about the craft brewing process from Julia Hanlon. Participants will enjoy an interactive tour and behind the scenes access of Steamworks’ 30,000 sq. ft. brewery and have the chance to win raffle prizes.
Follow Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland on Facebook and Twitter along with the tag #BeerSisters for more information. As a leading child and youth mentoring charity, Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland facilitates life-changing relationships that inspire and empower girls to reach their potential, both as individuals and citizens.
Miss604 is a proud sponsor of the Big Sisters Volunteer Recruitment campaign
Catch the action on the pitch as Vancouver Whitecaps FC challenge English Premier League team, and FA Cup finalists, Crystal Palace FC on July 19th at BC Place.
Crystal Palace have five players in the UEFA EURO 2016 semifinals, second most behind only Bayern Munich, and they will be the first English team to come play Whitecaps FC since Manchester City in 2011 – who then went on win the English Premier League that season.
Where: BC Place Stadium, Vancouver When: Tuesday, July 19, 2016 matches at 7:00pm & 9:00pm Tickets:Available online now starting at $45 (plus fee). Save up to 35% off the regular priced tickets for this match by purchasing through this link and using the promo code: CP604.
This is a two-for-one ticket as immediately following the match with Crystal Palace, there will be a friendly match between the City of Vancouver (featuring Mayor Gregor Robertson) and the City of Guangzhou (featuring former Chinese national team player Peng Weiguo). This is a part of the Friendship Cities Cup celebrating the sister cities relationship between Vancouver and Guangzhou.
Win Tickets to Whitecaps FC vs Crystal Palace FC
If you would like to attend this night of international soccer match-ups at BC Place, I have a pair of tickets to give away PLUS an exclusive opportunity to meet Crystal Palace FC players* on Sunday, July 17th. The Vancouver Chinese Soccer Association and ProEvents will host this special preview meet & greet at River Rock Casino Resort two days before match day.
Here’s how you can enter to win match tickets and attend the meet & greet:
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RT to enter to win tickets to #VWFC vs #CPFC on July 19 via @WhitecapsFC & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/b7xn30223wP
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, July 13, 2016. The winner will have the opportunity to *meet all traveling Crystal Palace FC players on Sunday, July 17th and will receive two tickets to the match on July 19th. Follow Whitecaps FC on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more information about the team.
Bowen Island: The Happy Isle. Postcards and advertisements painted a picture of a stunning island getaway just a quick boat ride from Vancouver, where the waters were emerald green and the cottage life was bustling. Picnics, socials, dances, company retreats, hikes, swims, dives — it was the original summer getaway from Vancouver.
I had my first trip to Bowen Island earlier this summer, and I was only previously familiar with it by sailing past on a BC Ferry to the Sunshine Coast or Nanaimo, or through the photos I found in the City of Vancouver Archives. It took me far too long to get here — in terms of being a born-and-raised local, not the ferry which is just 20 minutes from Horseshoe Bay.
John and I spent two days on the Happy Isle recently, and one of our stops was the Bowen Island Museum & Archives. If you’re looking for the history of a place, to get a true sense of its foundation and meaning, visit its museum.
1890s. S.S. “Comox” in Cates Bay. Photograph attributed to W.T. Dalton. Vancouver Archives# Out P218.1
The Squamish name for the Island is Xwlíl’xhwm, meaning “Fast Drumming Ground”. Some authors attribute the name to the sound made by the ocean as it passes through the tiny pass between the Island’s northern point and Finisterre Island. In the Squamish creation story, Xwlíl’xhwm is often referred to as the place where the deer were created.
The island was charted in 1791 by explorer José Maria Narváez, who named it “Isla de Apodaca”. Bowen Island was renamed in 1860 in honour of Rear Admiral James Bowen, who was master of HMS Queen Charlotte during the battle of “The Glorious First of June” [1794]. Anxious to settle its colonies, Britain introduced a system of land pre-emption in 1859 for vacant Crown lands. Settlers willing to clear and fence land, build a home and produce crops could claim title to the land. The first settler to pre-empt land on Bowen did so in 1874. From that time until the turn of the century, Bowen was a hive of industrial activity.
One of the early settlers was William Davies, who pre-empted 33 acres of land at the head of Snug Cove in 1887. There, he planted a five-acre orchard and established a business selling fruit, game and sundries. The remains of Davies Heritage Orchard lie in the heart of the modern village of Snug Cove, as part of a large park that surrounds the village. Some of Davies’ original trees remain and Bowen Island Heritage Preservation Association has restored the area with new trees of the same varieties as those he planted.
1937. Photo by James Crookall. Vancouver Archives# CVA 260-666.
During the steamship era, coastal steamers carried goods to and from Bowen via docks in Snug Cove, Cowan Point and Miller’s Landing. By 1900, the enterprising Captain John Andrew (Jack) Cates recognized Bowen’s potential as a tourism destination. Cates had been operating a ferry passenger service in Howe Sound, with stops on Bowen Island. In 1902, he formed the Terminal Steamship Company. Its new flagship, the SS Brittania, carried 300 passengers and was soon joined by a fleet of four other ships.
1926. Percy Dodson diving from bridge of S.S. “Lady Cecilia”. Photo by Stuart Thomson. Vancouver Archives# CVA 99-1590.
1926. “Rachel M” on a surfboard behind a boat. Vancouver Archives# CVA 99-1588.
Cates continued to acquire land on Bowen Island and built the Terminal Hotel, more picnic grounds, a farm, store and bakery. The profitable operation came to the attention of the Union Steamship Company, which had begun operations in the Pacific Northwest in 1889, expanding into Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush. In 1920, “the Union” bought Cates’ Bowen holdings and began to renovate.
1946. Entrance to Bowen Park Estates Recreation Area. Vancouver Archives# CVA 586-4605.
Over 100 ‘bungalow’ and 50 ‘camp’ cottages were built in Deep Bay and around the Lagoon. A dance pavilion, said to be the largest in British Columbia, was built on Snug Point, near the ferry landing. It could accommodate 800 couples on its sprung-wood floor. Business went well and by 1923, the company commissioned a new flagship to be built in Scotland. The Lady Alexandra arrived in service in 1924 with tons of Scottish sand in ballast, which was placed on “Sandy Beach” in Deep Bay.
1946. Passengers disembarking from the Lady Alexandra. Vancouver Archives# CVA 586-4603.
Capable of carrying 1400 passengers in true luxury, the Lady Alexandra offered daily cruises to Bowen Island for $1 and advertised popular summer evening dance cruises on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Passengers could dine, drink and dance on board, a novelty in Vancouver until well into the 1950s.
1940s. Dance pavilion at the Bowen Island Resort. Vancouver Archives# CVA 374-373.
By the 1930s, in addition to the day-visitors, families were returning to rent the same cottages for the entire summer season. Many visitors to Bowen today have stories of happy summers spent in one of the cottages.
1937. Photo by James Crookall. Vancouver Archives# CVA 260-665.
Tourism peaked between 1937 and 1946. The Lady Alexandra alone recorded 137,000 passengers in 1937 and in 1946, 101,000 visitors were said to have arrived on Bowen via one of the Union’s “Ladys” or by Sannie boats from Horseshoe Bay.
1946. “Lady Alexandra” approaching dock. Vancouver Archives# CVA 586-4601.
In 1941, the Canadian Pacific Railway acquired a controlling interest in the Union, only to sell it when tourism began to fall off after the Second World War. The Union lost its Bowen Island franchise to the Black Ball Ferry Company. In 1959, the Union fleet was sold to Northland Navigation.
Bowen’s population is just over 3,400 with about 25-30% commuting to and from Vancouver using BC Ferries and water taxi services. It’s still a summer playground, with hiking on Mount Gardner, shopping, food and adventures tours (which I’ll feature in a future post), and beaches that dip into Howe Sound and the Salish Sea.
The Bowen Island Museum is just a 10 minute walk from the Snug Cove ferry terminal and it’s open 7 days a week (May through August) from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
If last year was my year of kayaks and helicopters, this year is canoes and blimps — well just one blimp in particular. The Goodyear Blimp is a cultural icon, a legendary airship with over nine decades of history. From a massive fleet in WWII to hosting Presidents and celebrities, to making appearances in the skies over 100 major sporting events each year.
Goodyear built more than 150 blimps for the US Navy during the Second World War and they have just four airships in their fleet today. Three of these very safe modes of travel are based in the United States, and they operate year-round, flying on tours and acting as giant billboards for the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
The gondola seats seven in total and it’s attached to the ballonet that’s just air and helium (enough helium to blow up 15 million birthday balloons). It’s powered by two pusher engines, which are actually quieter than a float plane, but louder than you would expect from a balloon-with-power. A rudder and elevator on the tail help it move up and down. The signature electronic billboard on the side of the ballonet contains 82,656 LEDs, and during our trip it was saluting Fountain Tire.
Take off and landing is a balancing act, between the pilot’s full body workout (using pedals, pulleys, and the elevator wheel) and the grounds crew who release ropes to set us free to float up into the sky. On the way back down the crew has to grab onto the ropes once more and pull us down onto the tarmac. “You have to have strong legs to be a blimp pilot,” Bayliss added while we were in the air. “Blimpin’ ain’t easy but it sure is fun!”
The blimp flies about as low as a seaplane, about 1,000-1,500ft and it can go up to 50mph. There are no seat belts and you can get up and change seats, we played musical chairs to give everyone a turn up front. The front windows were open, letting in a nice breeze, and when the craft did dip, it was no more than a 25% grade.
After first taking flight in 1972, The Spirit of Innovation is the last airship of its kind in the world, and it will be retired next year.
It’s impossible to outright book a flight on a Goodyear Blimp, as rides are by invitation only. Fountain Tire did host a series of contests for their cross-Canada tour and celebration this year and they’re running flights for the rest of the week (until July 8th) out of the Abbotsford Airport with those lucky winners along with partners from around BC.
While my stomach fluttered between nervousness and excitement this morning, I knew that when opportunities like this come about, you take advantage of them. I’m pretty thrilled that I have now become a card-carrying member of the exclusive Goodyear Blimp Club.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — This post is sponsored by Host Events, beer & wine events in BC Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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The creative team behind the Steveston Wine Fest (June 25th) & Steveston Beer Fest (Aug 27th) is bringing a new event to North Vancouver this summer, the first-ever North Shore Beer and Wine Fest! The festival will host approximately 35 vendors, showcasing over 100 craft beers and boutique wines from British Columbia and other countries from around the world.
North Shore Beer and Wine Fest
Where: The Pipe Shop, Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver When: Saturday, August 6, 2016 from 2:30pm to 5:00pm Tickets:Available online now for $49.00 (plus fees & taxes). Ticket includes all beer and wine samples (no tokens need for sampling). Use the code FRIENDS to get $10 off your ticket when you book!
Partial proceeds will support Fraser River Keeper and other local non-profit organizations. Fraser Riverkeeper is dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Fraser River and its watershed — and our encompassing mission is to ensure the right of all citizens to safely swim, drink, and fish in BC waters.
The event is intended to entice those that are new to craft beer and delicious wine, as well as the experienced palate.
The Pipe Shop Building is a spectacular recuperated heritage building located in the popular Shipyards Plaza on the City’s waterfront in North Vancouver. Its open, expansive indoor exhibition space is an awe inspiring blank canvas. The stunning, open concept venue has concrete floors, high ceilings, consequential glazing, multiple doors and exposed wooden beam construction. It’s the perfect location for this celebration of local and international flavours.
Follow the North Shore Beer and Wine Fest on Facebook, Twitter for more info.
Win Tickets to the North Shore Beer and Wine Fest
I have a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky Miss604 reader and their guest. Here’s how you can enter to win:
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RT to enter to win tickets to the North Shore Beer & Wine Fest @NSBWFest from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/DHGS301ZIxr
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, July 12, 2016. Must be 19+. Please enjoy responsibly. For more information about beer and wine events in BC, follow Host Events on Facebook and Twitter.
Update
Unfortunately this event has been cancelled however the organizers have offered up a pair of tickets to the sold out Steveston Beer Festival on August 27th for my contest. I will draw from all of the entries and offer these new tickets to the winner. Thank you for understanding and for participating.
The Big Beer Tasting for Big Sisters will transform you from a rookie to craft beer conversant in one afternoon. 
