Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Your options for things to do in Vancouver this weekend range from a casual walk in Stanley Park or snowshoe adventure on a local mountain, to dropping trou on public transit (all in good fun), and shopping at a winter farmers market. VanDusen’s Festival of Lights is still running as well, if you would like to take in the dazzling light displays.

PoCoThingsToDo

Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend

Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green.

Friday, January 8, 2016
Opening Reception: The Special ft. Kevin Lanthier
Party for Parkinson’s
Newton Community Walk
VSO Pops: As Heard on TV
So You Think You Can Dance?
Hammer Records Relaunch at Studio on Granville
Vancouver Italian Film Festival
Heathers: The Musical at The Cultch
VanDusen’s Festival of Lights
Skating at Robson Square Ice Rink

Saturday, January 9, 2016
Christmas Tree Recycling Events in Vancouver
Nat Bailey Farmers Market
DTES Street Market
Vancouver Italian Film Festival
Heathers: The Musical at The Cultch
VanDusen’s Festival of Lights
Skating at Robson Square Ice Rink

Sunday, January 10, 2016
Christmas Tree Recycling Events in Vancouver
No Pants SkyTrain Ride
Yoga for Children and Youth
Hastings Park Farmers Market
Vancouver Italian Film Festival
Heathers: The Musical at The Cultch
VanDusen’s Festival of Lights
Skating at Robson Square Ice Rink

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Check out the full January event listings here and if you have an event to include, please send it in by email for a free listing. Follow Miss604 on Twitter for more daily updates.

YWCA Skate Night at Robson Square

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Miss604 is pleased to partner with YWCA Metro Vancouver to present YWCA Skate Night at Robson Square next week.

YWCA Skate Night at Robson Square

Where: Robson Square ice rink (between Hornby and Howe, Downtown Vancouver)
When: Friday, January 15, 2016 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm

YWCASkate-PosterAdmission is free or by donation to the YWCA, and free hot chocolate will be available for skaters to enjoy. Skate rentals are $4 or you can bring your own. Rentals come with a helmet.

Participants are asked to bring donations of socks for women or children, non-perishable food, or toothbrushes. These items help local YWCA programs and clients. Visit the Facebook event page for more details.

Selfie Contest

Tweet or Instagram a selfie from Robson Square using #YWCASkateNight+ @Miss604 and you could win movie passes or a $20 gift card for a local shop! Winners will be announced at Robson Square before 9:00pm on Friday, January 15, 2016.

YWCA Metro Vancouver is one of the city’s largest and most diversified non-profit organizations. Our aim is to touch lives and build better futures for women and their families through advocacy and integrated services that foster economic independence, wellness and equal opportunities.

Your donation will help the women and children at YWCA Crabtree Corner, our family resource centre in the Downtown Eastside. Crabtree Corner provides a sense of community for women and their families who access the 13 programs such as safe transitional housing, food programs, child care and literacy support, violence prevention programs and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) resources.

Bunny Yoga Class in Richmond

Comments 1 by Rebecca Bollwitt

There are some rather unique ways to raise funds and awareness for local animal shelters, in fact I once spent a few hours inside a kennel at the SPCA a few years ago, and we’ve heard about the local cafe with cats. Now, there is Bunny Yoga.

Bunny-yoga-sunberry-fitness

Bunny Yoga Class

When: Sunday, January 24, 2016 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Where: Sunberry Fitness (#440-4400 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond)
Admission: $20, book online in advance, women only.
Cause: Bandaids for Bunnies. There is a big bunny abandonment problem in Richmond, that Bandaids for Bunnies is trying to alleviate.

I connected with Nancy Lin, co-founder of Sunberry Fitness in Richmond, who has partnered with Bandaids for Bunnies to present this very unique yoga class which began in the fall.

“Bunny Yoga a Flow/Yin yoga class where we let bunnies roam free in the class room. The bunnies interact with the people during the class as they see fit.”

Nancy says that the big difference in setup, compared to a regular yoga class, is that there are bunny cages along the classroom so they can hide if necessary.

“We find flow/yin style of yoga with its gentle movements work really well, it works with the bunnies’ natural instincts. For example when we do the cat-cow pose, the bunnies will think you are a cave and sit on your yoga mat under you.”

The bunnies tend to be drawn to their favourite people, whether they have taken the class before or if they have bright colours on their mats or clothing.

So why are these activities or businesses that pair animals with humans becoming so popular? Nancy says it’s something that’s actually always been around, for as long as people have loved animals. “It’s just with the rise of the internet and social media it has become much easier to organize and gather people with similar interests, therefore making these events possible.”

After the Bunny Yoga class, participants can feed the bunnies or inquire about their adoption of fostering. Fostering is for pairs of bunnies as that helps them adjust to the short term environment.

For more information, follow Sunberry Fitness on Facebook and Twitter, as well as Bandaids for Bunnies on Facebook.

Drone Video of Outdoor Skating in Surrey

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Three days ago, Christian LeBlanc uploaded a video to YouTube called “This Is Why I Fly A Drone”, and since that time it has been viewed over 26,000 times (to date). On a chilly winter day, the travel vlogger captured a very “Canadian” moment as families and friends gathered to ice skate on what appears to be Serpentine Fen in Surrey.

When I was young, we would skate at Fry’s Corner in Surrey, a field that would frequent flood then freeze in the winter, just off Fraser Highway. This footage brought back memories, not only of trying to play hockey with my sibling using old hand-me-down skates, but of rosy cheeks and hot chocolate in the car that followed.

SurreySkatingDroneVideo

Best of luck to Christian in 2016, as he recently resigned from his corporate job. He decided to commit himself to following his passion and traveling the world, sharing moments like this with the rest of us – even if they are from our own backyard.

Last Call for YWCA Women of Distinction Award Nominations

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Do you know a woman whose outstanding achievements contribute to the well-being and future of Metro Vancouver? Do you know of a business or organization that supports the wellness and diverse needs of its employees? Consider nominating a woman or workplace for a YWCA Women of Distinction Award!

YWCA Women of Distinction Awards

YWCA Women of Distinction Award Nominations

Nominations for the 2016 Women of Distinction Awards are now being accepted and will close on January 15, 2016.

YWCA Metro Vancouver is proud to host the nationally-recognized 33rd annual Women of Distinction Awards in support of their 50 programs and services on June 8, 2016 at the beautifully appointed Vancouver Convention Centre. Funds raised from the event help women, children, youth and families at turning points in their lives. The Awards is a chance to pay tribute to our community’s outstanding women and organizations and to support much-needed programs and services crucial to breaking the cycle of poverty.

You can nominate an individual or a workplace in the following categories: Arts, Culture & Design; Business & the Professions; Community Building; Education, Training & Development; Entrepreneurship; Environmental Sustainability; Health, Wellness & Active Living; Non-Profit & Public Service; Technology and Science Research; and Young Woman of Distinction.

YWCA-tagline

Follow the YWCA of Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for more information. Miss604 is the proud social media sponsor of this event for the 7th year.