The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition MEC Great Rides take place once a month from July to October, and not only encourage getting out on a bike but also exploring our beautiful region.

These permanent circular routes take in beautiful country lanes, vibrant city centres and fun local festivals. The rides range from 20km to 50km along quiet roads and dedicated bike routes. Routes are designed for fun and exploration with extensions and shortcuts. [GreatRides.ca]

The first Great Ride of 2009 on July 12th will run between Langley and Maple Ridge, crossing the new Golden Ears Bridge. Riders can choose to start over on the Maple Ridge side, or over in Fort Langley – ending up at the opposite location after a 14-34km fun ride for the entire family. Each destination will have activities and local entertainment and riders can enjoy the sights and sounds of the Caribbean Festival in Maple Ridge which will be underway at that time.

Photo credit: random guy on Flickr

Other rides this season include Pitt Meadows (August 15), Port Coquitlam (September 27th), Bikennale (Downtown, October 4). Tickets for the ride at $15 but you can ave $10 if you sign up for all four at once.

The Vancouver Bicycling Meetup Group has this scheduled and you can read more over on the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition’s site.

Chants of “We Want Bif!” filled the atmosphere as the loving crowds gathered to catch Bif Naked’s performance at Surrey’s Canada Day celebration.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

I first heard Bif Naked back in 1995 when I caught Daddy’s Getting Married on CFOX and I was an instant fan. Over the years she’s become the queen of Canadian rock, proving time and time again that our country can produce strong, talented, a**-kicking female talent. She also write poetry (has two spoken word albums) and has done some acting.

We heard tracks from her latest, The Promise, as well as catchy hits such as Moment of Weakness, Lucky, and even a cover of Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters.

She drove the fans so crazy that an encore was inevitable so when she came back on stage she lit it up with Spaceman.

Last year Bif was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been in a constant battle ever-since. She’s pretty amazing as her show was as energetic as any other and she’s also just returned from a cross-country tour. How she finds the time and energy I’ll never know but the audience at Canada Day truly appreciated seeing her and watching her perform.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Bif also keeps a blog and is active on Twitter @BifNaked.

There was endless entertainment yesterday at Surrey’s Canada Day celebrations and even if you weren’t into the official performers on stage, the people-watching in the crowd of 125,000 could keep you amused for hours.

With two stages and over a dozen acts, the Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre was definitely rocking. The performers crossed the spectrum from cultural dance, to pop punk and everyone seemed to be in good spirits. Crowds stood up to dance and cheer while artists shielded their eyes from the sun setting in the West.

Carly Rae Jepson

Sweatshop Union

You Say Party! We Say Die!

Bif Naked

Bif’s performance is worthy of its own post so I’ll have that up shortly.

54-40

The City has even more to come with the two-day Fusion Festival taking place July 18-19th at Holland Park. Headliners include Joel Plaskett and Barney Bentall.

Holland Park will also host 17 days of celebrations, concerts and activities during the 2010 games. It will be a gathering place to watch big screens for events and ceremonies as well as celebrate the games throughout our entire region.

This morning we headed out to the Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre for Surrey’s Canada Day festivities. As Western Canada’s largest Canada Day celebration it doesn’t disappoint. There are aisles of food vendors, from Jamaican patties to crepes and perogies, a craft area for kids, sustainability zone, interactive displays, midway games and rides, and two large stages filled with entertainment until tonight.

This morning we walked around to check things out, grabbed a smoothie from the Jamaican ‘Mi Juicy’ cart, and enjoyed the opening ceremonies. Mark Donnelly (who often does the anthem at Canucks games) led the crowd in singing O! Canada and the Mayor introduced local MLAs, MPs, and council members before everyone devoured a giant cupcake-cake of the Canadian flag.

We’re heading back now to catch performances by Kuba Oms, Jeremy Fisher, Carly Rae Jepson, Sweatshop Union, You Say Party! We Say Die!, Bif Naked, and 54-40. The entire festival is FREE of charge and will end with fireworks at 10:15pm.

The rest of my photos are available on Flickr and John, who takes much better shots, has his up on Flickr as well.

Next week My Sister’s Keeper will hit theatres and I have a handful of double passes to give away to my readers so they can check it out. Based on the novel by Jodi Picoult, it stars Cameron Diaz, Alec Baldwin, Sofia Vassilieva and Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), and is directed by Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook).

I also have a special sneak peak of the Pete Yorn single, “Don’t Wanna Cry” which is featured in the film.

To enter to win one of the movie passes (valid for any Cineplex theatre) please leave a comment below listing your favourite, emotional, meaningful, moving chick flick of all time. If you’re able to get all of that into a tweet as well, I’ll include that as an entry. I’ll draw a winner at the end of the week when I’m out of town on a girls getaway with one of my favourite gals.

As a side note, if you’re up for more movie giveaways, check out MovieSet.com’s sweepstakes that I’ve featured here.

Tomorrow is the 142nd birthday of our nation and it seems as though every village, town, municipality, city and community in our region is celebrating.

Photo credit: Our Enchanted Garden on Flickr

Vancouver

North Vancouver

West Vancouver

Burnaby

Port Moody

New Westminster

Richmond – Steveston

Delta

Surrey

White Rock

Langley

Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows – Mission
[Hat tips to Fraser Valley Pulse for these listings]

Abbotsford

Chilliwack

Squamish

If you’re feeling really patriotic, check out O’ Canada House on Barclay street (which is now a B&B). It’s where a version of our nation’s anthem was written, right here in downtown Vancouver.

Whatever your plans include tomorrow, be sure to slather on the sun block as it should be pretty toasty outside and stay tuned for my coverage from Surrey.

I was browsing my favourite Vancouver History site the other day and came across a mention that Robert Burnaby has more landmarks named after him than any other BC pioneer. With so many streets, parks, and monuments dedicated to those who helped shape our region I decided to look a bit further into Burnaby’s past to see what made him rise above the rest.

Photo credit: Derek K Miller on Flickr

Robert Burnaby was from Woodthorpe, Leicestershire, England and arrived in BC in the 1850s to survey New Westminster, upon the request of Col. Richard Moody (who also made him his secretary).

“Richard has got Mr. Burnaby now as his “Private Secretary” which will I trust be a great comfort to him, as he had no help before, and the letters of all kinds were innumerable.” — 3rd March, 1859, From the Letters of Mary S. Moody [source]

He was a businessman, dealing with affairs in Victoria as well as exploring areas in the Lower Mainland, in particular the region around Burnaby Lake in 1859. In 1892 the municipality of Burnaby received its charter of incorporation, and was named in his honor by Moody. According to the City’s website, “he has given his name to a city, a park, a lake, a hill, a Vancouver street, a mountain range in McKenzie Sound, an island and a narrows in the Queen Charlotte Islands.” Burnaby also spent time serving in the BC Legislature in Victoria.

Photo credit: Marina on Flickr

You can explore the various landmarks, including the city, or even Robert Burnaby Park to enjoy his legacy. The park features a baseball diamond, dog off leash area, casual picnic area, playground, outdoor swimming pool, tennis, walking and hiking trails, disc golf course. Also, according to entertainment podcaster Marina Antunes, the park was also the home to the “Cabin in the Woods” and various sets for New Moon and Battlestar Gallactica.

For more information about local namesakes, I would recommend checking out the book Namely Vancouver: A Hidden History of Vancouver Place Names or browsing the Hall of Fame on the Vancouver History website.

Summer to us means packing up John’s big blue backpack and heading down to the beach. We walk through forest trails that open up into sprawling sandy shores and rest for hours in the open air. Snacks include fresh fruit and water, while we either read books or use the headphone splitter to enjoy the latest sonic mixes John has on his iPod (from podcasts to our favourite albums).

The other day we had our first official beach day of the year and we decided to shake things up a bit and head out to Cates Park in North Vancouver. We had access to a car, which made our decision to venture outside of downtown an easy one, but you can also get there by transit. This recreational area along the Burrard Inlet, across from Burnaby and just near Deep Cove, is truly a gem.

At first glance it’s a boat launch, grassy picnic area, concession, sandy beach (with small rocks), and trail network. However there’s also a lot of history at this particular location including signs of the old Dollarton Mill burner (read a little bit about ‘Cates‘ in one of my previous local history posts).

Source: DeepCoveBC.com

First Nations tradition and culture is also highlighted through totem poles and a war canoe on site at Cates, whose ancestral name is Whey-Ah-Whichen (which means ‘faces the wind’). “Whey-Ah-Whichen is the Tsleil-Waututh name for this place which defines Indian Arm from Burrard Inlet. The Squamish know it as Atsenách. The point was named after Lieutenant Rocke of HMS Satellite, which patrolled the Northwest Coast in the 1850s.” [source]

The beach seems quiet and calm even when the park is packed with groups and families having cookouts and picnics. Also, it’s a great shoreline for beachcombing and exploring tidal pools. One of my beach pass times is rock balancing (on a very small scale mind you) but it was also the perfect place for that.

There are kayak rentals, playgrounds, a Wally’s Burger stand, and I would highly recommend exploring the Malcolm Lowry Walk. The park also has a dog off-leash area and in the summer it’s the home of a concert series, running every Saturday night this year from July 11 – August 22.

Photo credit: Mike Todd on Flickr

Exploring more of the beaches the Metro Vancouver area has to offer made me wonder — which is your favourite beach in the region? Could it be Iona? Belcarra? Crescent/Blackie Spit? Jericho?… Feel free to leave your answer below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

I admit, that’s probably the most keyword-rich title I’ve ever published, but I assure you it’s all very relevant. Our pals over at MovieSet connect fans (however rabid) with films while they’re in production or out on the big screens by way of information, promotions, and videos.

They also run sweet contest sweepstakes for anything from swag to sweet experiences such as their recent promo for The Hangover where a lucky fan was awarded a getaway weekend in Vegas at a Caesars Palace suite. They currently have a handful of sweepstakes going where you can win swag from your favourite films, simply by filling out their contest form online.

Twilight New Moon Lover’s Choice
Win signed framed photos of Twilight stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart [enter here]

Jonas Brothers Sibling Rivalry
Win a triple signed drum head, Rolling Stone magazine, or JB poster + concert DVDs. Three grand prizes to be awards (one for each bro) [enter here]

Star Trek Director’s Cut
Win a press backgrounder signed by JJ Abrams plus two framed film cell art montages [enter here]

Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day
Win the complete TV series of a Canadian classic on DVD in a cool stash bag [enter here]

MovieSet is local and they cover the big blockbusters as well as independent films and everything in between. They create content, blog posts, videos, and many contests in order to get the fans the information (and swag) they crave. They even linked up my article where I interviewed producer Todd Hallowell. The contests above run until the end of July or the beginning of August – good luck!

It’s a sunny Friday morning and although this week has been grim in the entertainment world (having lost Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson) there are still a few things happening in the online realm that might boost your spirits.

Photo credit: Pat Zaph on Flickr – From the Miss604.com group pool

I chose the photo for this post (by Pat) because it reminds me of the “Blogger Day at Playland” I arranged last year. It was such a good time — we couldn’t stop smiling and laughing. Playland is now open daily until late September. Pat also recently took photos at the Hastings Park Conservancy which includes the Opera Walk. I’ve listed this in my “10 Hidden Gems” post for Tourism Vancouver and I think it’s definitely worth exploring.

The good folks at Just Here for the Beer are bringing back the Nando’s Canada Cup of Beer next week on July 4th. This will be the fourth annual event which is Vancouver’s largest beer festival.

Last year I played a tiny role as a sponsor (just by promotion) and it’s been neat to follow all the beer-related activities over the last twelve months such a pub crawls, food pairings and movie nights. On July 4th they’ll be at UBC’s Thunderbird stadium with almost 50 vendors including CAMRA BC, and our friends at Rickard’s, and Granville Island Brewing. It’s also the perfect opportunity to explore new brews from across the country, around the province, and over on Vancouver Island.

Photo credit: Urban Mixer on Flickr

VIP tickets (that include a BBQ lunch, 4 full beers in the lounge, tasting tickets, souvenir mug, t-shirt, reserved seating etc.) are $60 and regular tickets (including 5 beer tokens, a souvenir plastic mug, and an event brochure) are just $15. There are also a variety of satellite events including an after party on July 4th.

I first discovered we had the Vancouver Police Museum last spring during the Amazing Hunt as they had a clue box parked outside. It’s taken me over a year to finally get in there and thanks to a chat I had a few months ago with Executive Director Chris Mathieson, I was able to rally a small group of friends (including the Biehlers and Keira) to go on a special tour last night.

Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr

Aside from being a comprehensive museum packed with anything and everything you’d want to know about Vancouver’s grimy, gritty, and sordid past they also run a number of public programs such as Forensics for Kids, educational programs, birthday parties, and spring break activities. One of their most popular features (however probably not recommended for the kiddies) is the tantalizing Sins of the City tour. It’s a walking tour around Chinatown and the Downtown East Side where Chris provides decades-old stories about illegal gambling, prostitution, brothels, opium dens, and everything in between.

At the museum (and on the tour) you’ll learn about the crime-fighting dynamic duo of Detectives Donald A. Sinclair and Joseph Ricci — often referred to as Vancouver’s Untouchables. They have an amazing collection of case files, artifacts, and evidence gathered by the men along with boxes of newspaper clippings recently donated by a relative of Ricci.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no network of tunnels under Chinatown although there are thin alleys between buildings, and basement ‘escape routes’. Due to the community being built on the flats near the shore (before False Creek was filled in) it wouldn’t have made for the most stable ground. We were lead to one of such basements yesterday, which resides under Funheuser – a funky hipster tiki-themed shop on Pender.

We explored buildings and alleyways before heading back over to Main Street to stop in front of the No 5 Orange, then walk down Alexander Street which was once the brothel district in town. In a brief recap of what happened to cities up and down the coast back in the late 1800s, Chris said the industry would come first (such as the mill), then the communities, then the ‘bad stuff’. As New Westminster was the capital of our province complete with all of the entertainment, the men working down in Burrard Inlet had quite a ways to walk to get a pint after work (or to quench other thirsts). It was around this time that John “Gassy Jack” Deighton moved his bar from New Westminster into the part of the city we have since named after him: Gastown.

Throughout the Downtown East Side there is a series of 17 mosaics on the sidewalks that are actually a part of a self-guided walking tour. Each comes with a panel, affixed to a nearby lamppost, that explains its imagery and significance.

Back inside the Police Museum we were able to wander through their exhibits such as the Unusual Firearms Collection, learning about police equipment, and innovative technology that was often first-used or invented in Vancouver (such as the story of the Drunkometer’s first conviction).

The building was once the coroner’s office and the morgue so there are some interesting displays including exhibits about famous unsolved crimes in Vancouver.

Since this was no ordinary tour, Chris lead us downstairs to the “behind the scenes” areas of the museum that included storage areas, file cabinets filled with glass negatives, rental uniforms, and other fun things we could find — from the Blood Drying room down to the lab. Keira and I both tried on different types of female uniformed hats, which we immediately documented. With a long tradition of females serving with the force, the Vancouver Police Department was the first to hire women in Canada and the 3rd in the world to do so.

“This is CSI Vancouver,” said Chris as we got to the lowest floor in the building. After which Keira immediately got The Who stuck in our heads. This crime lab from the 1930s was used to solve cases and examine evidence in Vancouver up until 10 years ago.

There’s so much to explore in the museum (but please, don’t touch) that you could literally spend hours in there. I don’t want to share and giveaway too much about the stories we were told as I would highly encourage everyone to check out the museum and tour for themselves. However being a lover of local history, I was pretty much just eating up every word so I could do more research later. Perhaps I’ll have a few Sins inspired history posts up in the near future.

It’s located on Cordova, near Gore and is open Monday – Saturday from 9:00am until 5:00pm. The Sins of the City tour runs seasonally, starting in May, and takes place Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays (with special times throughout June). The cost of admission to the museum is $7 for adults, $5 for kids and children under 6 years old are free. You could also become a member of the Historical Society and with that, there would be no charge for you to visit.

I’ve talked about Vancouver’s not-so-squeaky-clean past before but this is a whole new spin. If you can’t make it out for a tour or a museum visit, I would highly recommend checking out their blog and following them on Twitter (@policemuseum).

You can view the rest of my photos in this Flickr set, Keira’s got her blog post up and John Biehler’s got some amazing shots up on Flickr as well.

Last year the official Blogathon.org site was out of commission so I took it upon myself to organize Blogathon Vancouver for those in the city that were interested in keeping the tradition alive. This year, the global event is back in full force taking place July 25th from 6am until 6am on July 26th.

Over the last three years I have been involved with Blogathon, either as a cheerleader, donor, participant, or local organizer. Essentially it’s a blogging marathon where participants publish one post on their blog each half hour for 24 hours. Along the way they collect pledges and donations online for the cause of their choice. With the official system back in place, tracking pledges will be much easier for all involved so I look forward to seeing that functionality returning. Another option is for participating bloggers to create a personal donation page on Canada Helps, a system that supports online donations for thousands of non-profits across the nation.

Karen from TinyBites.ca during her campaign / us at Duane’s during Blogathon 2008

If you are a local blogger and would like to participate in Blogathon 2009, please be sure to register on the global site starting July 1st. You can follow @blogathondotorg for their updates.

Once you’ve registered (or even if you’re thinking about signing on) please connect with me so that I can add you to a special Blogathon Vancouver blogroll and help promote your campaign. I have also arranged a place for all local participants to gather (Workspace in Gastown) should they wish to spend their 24-hours with others. The benefit of having people around is that it’s often easier to come up with post ideas, you could do a quick photo walk as a post, there’s encouragement from all sides, and you’ll be surrounded by others enduring the same insomnia/writing frenzy. I will try to register a Vancouver Tweetup during that time as well and Duane will be spearheading a Blogathon event in Chilliwack.

I will do my best to support the participating bloggers (we had 12 last year that raised well over $10,000) and I hope you’ll join us in using our online spaces to benefit some great causes.

Update: If you’re planning on signing up (starting July 1st) for blogathon, and you’re in the Vancouver area, feel free to add these badges to your site so you can start promoting your campaign a bit. After July 1st you’ll have your own donation page link etc. but it doesn’t hurt to start building the hype. Thanks so much to Kontent Creative for coming up with these. Right click and save/copy source for the file.

(Actual size, 730 pixels wide)

I know this must seem a bit grim, but Vancouver’s Mountain View Cemetery is hosting an open house Saturday July 11th and they would like you to come and spend an afternoon with them on the scenic grounds.

Photo credit: Hayley Bouchard on Flickr

I’m certain Mountain View is the final resting place of many loved ones in Vancouver as it has been around since 1887. What makes this story interesting to me as well is some of the people of note who have been laid to rest there. This includes…

You won’t find John “Gassy Jack” Deighton there though as he’s over in New Westminster’s Fraser Cemetery along with the likes of Raymond Burr, and Arthur McBride.

Mountain View is Vancouver’s only cemetery and they would like this open house to serve as a new introduction to this meaningful place. The event will feature tours including visits to their new water features, joss paper demonstrations, and visitors are encouraged to have a picnic near the fountain. Organizers are hoping that a visit to Mountain View with the family could become a new summer tradition for many.

I’ve only passed through during a Haunted Vancouver trolley tour but I’d be really curious to pay a visit during the day to check out all of Mountain View’s history. It may seem like an odd place to spend a Saturday afternoon but it sure is a unique way to connect with your city’s past. Mountain View also hosts “A Night for All Souls” in the fall.

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub is located just a quick harbour ferry ride across Victoria’s inner harbour and is the home of Canada’s first purpose-built brewpub. Spinnakers produces at least ten different types of ales (not lagers) and they turn around new beers each month, often designing custom brews for community events and fundraisers.

During our visit we were lucky enough to sample some menu items, which were absolutely divine — I must have heard John say “Wow” at least a dozen times throughout the meal.

We had been to Spinnakers before but I think we just ordered pizza (which in itself is great) however we’re much happier to have explored the rest of the offerings.

Our flight of beer included a Hefeweizen, Stout, and Porter paired with lavender white chocolate truffles, dark chocolate raspberry, and another chocolate truffle topped with barley. Our final drink was a Brandenburg 3 paired with Saltspring Island cheese.

We also discovered that adjacent to the brewpub, just across the grassy courtyard, there is a selection of guest houses with lovely rooms. They include a continental breakfast, local paper and an assortment of baked goods supplied each morning. In the off season the guest rooms go for about $149 a night (and up) and in the peak summer months you can rent the entire Mary Street Cottage for $279.

Spinnakers offers local ingredients, fresh seafood, chocolate truffles made in-house, wines, vinegars (made on-site), and of course the hand-crafted beer. On top of that, they even create their own special mineral water. It’s a culinary delight in a comfortable atmosphere (darts and pool tables upstairs) with a glorious view of the harbour. Spinnakers is the epitome of eating local and is a highly recommended stop during your next trip to our Province’s capital.

Our stop at Spinnakers was during our Coast Hotels ‘New Victoria for New Media’ tour – view my Flickr set for more images.

The other day I had the chance to go ziplining on Grouse Mountain with their Air Grouse ziplining tour. Essentially you can purchase your zipline pass at the base of the mountain and it will include your skyride (gondola) fare as well at the 2-hour zipline circuit.

There are three ziplines at the lodge level and then you’ll take the Peak Chair up to the final two which will have you ripping above the treetops at up to 80km/h.

It’s a great way to explore Grouse Mountain beyond the gondola and believe me, it’s a serious rush. There is a little bit of hiking involved, especially to get up to the two top towers but once you’re strapped in and ready to go just sit back and let the line carry you away.

Unfortunately I had my camera strapped around my neck so when I went into “landing position” all you could see on my video is the sky. However, I’ve mixed up all my clips into this single video (with music by Silversun Pickups).

The total cost of the zipline tour is about $105 and as Jenn Thomson noted (as she did the media tour with me) it’s about the cost of taking your kid to a hockey game or going out for a big fancy dinner.

You can also book in groups (it’s fun to ride with someone else on the twin line beside you) and they’ll take a group photo for you as a keepsake before you set out on your tour. I’m looking forward to trying this with John and I promise next time, I’ll scream a little less.

One of the highlights of any Victoria trip for me is always the Royal BC Museum. They have seasonal exhibits combined with traditional displays and the IMAX which make it enjoyable for all ages, any time of year.

We were on a mission to explore “Treasures: The World’s Cultures of the British Museum” that is in Victoria until September of this year and spent the better part of an hour perusing all of the dazzling ancient artifacts.

The self-guided tour leads you through displays starting with Africa, moving on to the Middle East, Europe, Asia, Oceania, America and the Modern World. You’ll see everything from a mummy, to the Rosetta Stone, busts of Marcus Aurelius, a Rembrandt sketch, ancient carved Buddha statues, and gold masks from Columbia.

Photo credit: (c) The Trustees of the British Museum – Deir elBahri, Thebes, Egypt , Early 22nd Dynasty, ca 930 BC, Papyrus

Photo credit: (c) The Trustees of the British Museum – Found at Olympia, Greece ca 460 BC, Bronze

The features at the Royal BC Museum always draw a crowd and they saw the highest attendance of almost a half a million visitors during their 2007 Titanic exhibit.

On any given day you can explore the National History Gallery (home of that famous Wolly Mammoth), and the Human History Gallery that features everything from First Nations history to a Modern History Gallery. John said thanks to these exhibits he’s been able to learn more about the province and our nation – they’re personal favourites of mine as well. They’ve also included a permanent Climate Change feature that features everything from the Pine Beetle to exploring weather patterns at interactive computer stations.

You are welcome to take photographs (without flash) throughout the museum, except in the special exhibit halls or where otherwise noted. If you regularly frequent the museum (more than once a year) it would be worth looking into an annual pass, which is only $45 for adults. Many other attractions over in the Vancouver area offer annual or family passes for locals and I think they’re tremendous deals e.g. the Vancouver Aquarium.

Outside the Royal BC Museum you’ll spot the Netherlands Carillon bell tower, thunderbird park, the BC archives, a native plant garden, sculptures, and monuments. Of course the museum is also across the street from the legendary Empress Hotel as well as the BC Legislature building.

I’ve visited the museum every time I’ve ever been to Victoria and when you combine the traditional galleries with the traveling exhibits it just adds that much more value to your trip.

This stop was during our Coast Hotels ‘New Victoria for New Media’ tour – view my Flickr set for more images.

A few month ago I caught the Arts Club production of Altar Boyz on tour in Surrey and had a great time. They’re back again this summer for a stay at the Arts Club’s Granville Island stage and I have two tickets to give away to one lucky reader. Since it’s Monday, and the Altar Boyz is a musical production, I’m making this a very quick one-day #musicmonday contest.

The original cast of the Arts Club’s production of Altar Boyz, photo by Emily Cooper

Leave a comment on this post or include the following in a Twitter update (in whatever order or combination you desire):

@miss604 @TheArtsClub @altar_boyz #musicmonday + your desired update message.

I know that’s a lot to fit in but it will help me identify the contest entries (and hopefully promo the Arts Club a bit as well). Good luck and I’ll announce the winner tonight at 4:00pm.

Photo credit: Altar Boyz on Flickr

As a side note, I’ve been partnering with the Arts Club over the last year (they’re the reason why I created my Theatre tag) and I’d like to congratulate them on not only having the highest-selling production in their history (with Les Miserables) but also on their recent Jessie Award wins for The Constant Wife.

Fine print: The winner’s name will be drawn from all comments & Twitter updates received today June 22, 2009 before 4:00pm PT. The winner will receive two tickets to a future Altar Boyz performance, the date will be arranged with the Arts Club. Valid email address must be supplied to win or participant must be reachable via Twitter by 10:00am tomorrow, June 23, 2009.

Update: I have drawn a winner using Random.org and it’s @trevorboudreau. Congratulations Trevor! Please contact me within the next 12 hours so we can get you all setup with the tickets. Thanks to everyone for entering and spreading the word!

Nestled up on a hill overlooking the peninsula, Sea Cider in Saanichton is an orchard oasis.

Producing almost a dozen varieties of cider this 3-acre orchard, and 7-acre forest, creates delicious and refreshing organic spirits year-round. For Kristen Jordan, who founded Sea Cider with her husband five years ago it was a natural move when they took over the farm, both of them having a connection to cider-making and orchards in their past.

Sea Cider grows various varieties of apples on their 1,000 trees, while also using their wooded acreage to grow complimentary products such as stinging nettles for tea, lavender, honey, and mint. It seems that every bit of land is used to grow and cultivate the fruit and the Sea Cider products, even the spent apples are composted and Kristen mentioned some local chefs are interested in working them into some menu items.

The operation is modest but they have a great group of helpers including volunteers that come to them from the WWOOF program. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms connects people who would like to work the land or learn how to run organic operations with those currently in business.

The cider house is perched at the top of the land with a fabulous patio that looks out over the land and water. Once inside, surrounded by lovely woodwork, towering ceilings, and local artwork, you’re able to enjoy tasting flights and local pairings prepared on-site.

During our visit we sampled the following ciders that were poured by Kristen while she provided history and background for each of the drinks:

From the ’sweet tooth’ series:

The alcohol in the ciders ranges from 8% to 16.2% in the Pomona.

Our samplers were paired with Saltspring Cheese Company cheese, smoked bison, North Island tuna, two kinds of chutney, sea asparagus, and sponge toffee.

The ciders are crisp and refreshing, crossing the spectrum from very light apple tastes and nuances to deep, dark, and lusciously sweet. The entire experience at Sea Cider is an education in eating local and discovering just how many foods are created by Island farmers and artisans. “It’s a humble drink,” said Kristen. “There’s a cider tradition that’s been lost and we want to help bring it back.”

Flanked by lush forests, farms and orchards, Sea Cider’s location is tranquil and picturesque. Whether you’re heading to Victoria, up Island, or to catch a ferry back to the mainland, Sea Cider is definitely on my list of recommended stops.

You can visit their website to find out more about where you can purchase their ciders outside of the cider house including Uva Wine Bar on Seymour St in downtown Vancouver, the Alibi Room, and Liberty Wine Merchants.

You can also find Sea Cider at local festivals and markets this summer including the Organic Islands Festival & Sustainability Expo and don’t miss their birthday party July 18th.

Our stop at Sea Cider was during our Coast Hotels ‘New Victoria for New Media’ tour – view my Flickr set for more images.

The following was contributed by Miss604.com guest theatre blogger, Megan Stewart

Bill, the inspiration for this one-woman play, might have said, “That was nice, Andrea,” and kissed his granddaughter on the cheek.

“He certainly appreciated the arts,” said playwright and actor Andrea Loewen, the creative force behind Silk Threads, following an affectionate tribute to her grandfather.

At the yesterday’s opening, the audience was largely composed of friends and family who knew Bill personally. They laughed as Andrea put his idiosyncricities on stage, drawing attention to his sparse phone etiquette and affinity for logarithms.

Andrea plays a slightly fictionalized version of herself and delivers a biographical portrayal of her grandfather, Bill, who died in 2006. A Mennonite who emigrated from Russia to Canada as WWII escalated, he found comfort in numbers when English was a challenge. Finally settling in Abbotsford, he had three daughters and was an integral part of the lives of his grandchildren.

But as the mostly biographical play explores, Bill needed convincing that his granddaughter would find success pursuing her dreams of being an artist. As a girl, she wants to be a ballerina, movie star, model, dance teacher and everything else that would put her in the spotlight.

“We don’t all want the same things,” a teenage granddaughter tells her grandfather. I can be more than a wife and a mother, she says.

Family is the heart of his existence, the granddaughter comes to learn, and this guidance was his way of helping her find happiness.

Silk Threads moves between Andrea’s childhood until she is headed to Paris as a young adult to pursue acting. Complimenting her growing understanding of her grandfather’s life, the play visits Bill’s childhood in Russia and the wartime strife and religious persecution of his family once he has left for Canada.

The movements between place and time are not seamless, but Andrea’s performance is breathlessly energetic and engaging. The script is personal and entertaining, with a committed and courageous, 40-minute solo show coming from Andrea.

A tribute from a granddaughter to her late grandfather, Silk Threads is not only about the love of family but also the dedication to faith. Indeed, a portion of the Mennonite congregation from Central Heights Church in Abbotsford attended the performance. Andrea’s questions about the afterlife bring us the title of the play and the most poignant scene of the performance. The closing moment is tender and enchanting.

Editor’s Note: Silk Threads was only showing until June 20th but it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on Andrea Loewen and the Pacific Theatre.

Megan Stewart is an independent reporter currently at the UBC graduate school of journalism. She has covered arts across Canada and Australia and also writes for Newslab.ca.