Canadian Red Cross: Helping After Sandy

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Due to the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, the Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations on behalf of the American Red Cross to assist with recovery and relief efforts in affected areas.

Sandy - Rockaway
One of dozens of boats tossed on the roadway in Rockaway. Photo credit: American Red Cross.

A few weeks ago I met Red Cross workers in Toronto including Karen Snider, who spearheaded the Canadian Red Cross Social Media Team, of which I am a part. She just returned from Washington, DC where she was when Sandy hit and sent the following to us by email:

“I’ve been here in Washington D.C. at American Red Cross headquarters since last Saturday, and I can tell you the team here and on the ground across the affected areas have been working around the clock to help those communities most affected. My work has focused on supporting the Digital Team, using social media to reach out to those affected and listen for messages of people who are in need of support from our disaster teams. The Red Cross has tracked nearly 1 million mentions of the disaster in social media.”

Hurricane Sandy- Staten Island, New York
Red Cross in the Staten Island neighborhood of Oaklawn. Photo credit: Catherine Barde. American Red Cross.

Here are some stats that Karen provided:

  • All funds raised through the Canadian Red Cross will support a massive Red Cross relief operation.
  • The American Red Cross is in communities right now providing aid and comfort to thousands of people affected by Superstorm Sandy. Shelters are open in multiple states and a massive feeding operation is underway to get hot meals to residents in places like Long Island, Manhattan, Staten Island, New Jersey and West Virginia.
  • Since last Saturday, the Red Cross has provided nearly 37,000 overnight shelter stays, served more than 215,000 meals and provided more than 5,000 health services and emotional support contacts to people affected by Sandy.
  • The Red Cross has deployed more than 3,800 disaster workers and more than 240 response vehicles to the region to help those affected.
  • Canadian Red Cross is deploying a team of shelter specialists and communicators to assist the American Red Cross/
  • Logistics in New York have been difficult; roads are flooded, power is out, cell towers are down.
  • Millions are still without power.
Sandy - Long Beach, LI
West Long Beach, New York. Photo credit: Carol Parkhurst. American Red Cross.

The Canadian Red Cross has been blogging about Sandy for over a week now and you can read their stories on the Red Cross Talks blog. Follow @RedCrossCanada on Twitter for more information and make your donations through the Canadian Red Cross.

The Red Cross is also still assisting in the hard-hit areas of the Caribbean and donations can be made to support those efforts as well.

Robson Square Ice Rink to Open for 2012-2013 Hours, Rates

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Vancouver is a fun city in the summer with free, public activities like outdoor movies and dancing in the park — and that doesn’t stop when the weather cools off. The Robson Square ice rink will be filled up and surfaced to host free ice skating once again this winter.

Family fun at the outdoor rink at Robson Square
Photo credit: BC Gov Photos – Submitted to the Miss604 Flickr Pool

According to an email I received from the rink manager, Robson Square ice rink will officially open December 1, 2012 and will be in operation until February 28, 2013.

Robson Square Ice Rink - Kid Hockey in the Morning

You can stop by for free ice skating all winter long between the hours of 9:00am and 9:00pm (Sunday to Thursday); 9:00am to 11:00pm (Friday and Saturday). Bring your own skates or rent a pair for $4.00 (cash only). Skate rentals close 30 minutes prior to daily rink closure.

Christmas @ GE Plaza

The Robson Square ice rink is located beneath Robson street between Howe and Hornby. It is accessible via the courthouse steps on one side of Robson or the Vancouver Art Gallery steps on the other. Follow @UBCRobsonSquare on Twitter for information this season.

Vancouver History Oddities: Crow Commute

Comments 8 by Rebecca Bollwitt

If you’ve lived in Vancouver long enough there are a few things that become a part of your everyday routine. At noon the O! Canada horns will sound at Canada Place, at 9:00pm the Nine O’Clock Gun will fire, and at around 5:30pm tens of thousands of crows will retreat to Burnaby from Vancouver.

daily drama of Crows retiring for the evening
Photo credit: Judy B – The Travelling Eye on Flickr

I call it the “crow commute”. It’s as though 10,000 of the black birds pack their lunches every day and set out from the Willingdon area and head downtown, to Stanley Park, and surrounding beaches. A silent whistle blows at the end of the day and they all return home in one steady, ominous stream of black spots across the sky.

The Burnaby roost has been in use since about 1971. Prior to that, crows left the city for the evening. One roost was on Bowyer Island in Howe Sound. Crows from across the North Shore, UBC, and Stanley Park would make the late afternoon commute to the forested hills of Bowyer. A much smaller roost was somewhere up Indian Arm. Other roosts were in Richmond near the former dump along Highway 99. [Vancouver Sun, 2010]

When it comes to birds in the city, we have our share of french fry-stealing sea gulls and sidewalk-crowding pigeons along with photo-op worthy herons, owls, and bald eagles. Crows are low on the ‘nuisance’ meter for me but other West End residents didn’t always think so.

I was browsing the Vancouver Archives this week and discovered that on this day in 1903 crows were considered such a pain that the city decided to turn a blind eye to the firearm by-law in Stanley Park and allow sportsmen to shoot crows.

From Chuck Davis’ History of Metropolitan Vancouver: Crows made the news with a plan to allow sportsmen into Stanley Park “to exterminate the pest.” A bounty of “five cents per head up to 5,000 head” was offered and the park was closed to the public. Although a by-law banned the discharge of firearms within the park, officials said they would look the other way.

This wasn’t the first time that the people of Vancouver were fed up with crows. Chuck Davis also posted a piece from The Province from August 1900 where a letter to the editor states: “There are few residents in the city and particularly in the West End who are not disturbed in their slumbers from 5 a.m. by the fearful and nerve-killing noises made by the crows. A vote should be taken as to whether the people want crows or not.”

Vancouver Panorama from Queen Elizabeth Hill.

Over 100 years later, the immeasurable group flies over our heads every day, like clock work, perhaps to remind us of our past attempts to exterminate them. It seems like West End residents have finally learned to live peacefully with the crows or perhaps it’s the crows that have now accepted us.

Peak Performance Project 2012: Top 3

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

The Peak Performance Project, a professional development program to help new and emerging BC artists create careers in the music industry, has just announced their Top 5 finalists for the 2012 competition.

Mike Edel placed 5th and receiving $5,000 and JP Maurice placed 4th receiving $10,000. The Top 3 (listed below in no particular order) will now perform in the Peak Performance Project’s finale showcase:

Dear Rouge
Website, Twitter, Facebook
My interview with Dear Rouge

Dominique Fricot
Website, Twitter, Facebook
My interview with Dominique

Jordan Klassen
Website, Twitter, Facebook

There was an excellent pack of talent in this year’s competition and you can check out songs from each of the Top 20 artists which are available for free download along with Love and Bravery – songs that were written and recorded at the Peak Performance Bootcamp this summer.

The finale showcase event at the Commodore Ballroom on Thursday, November 22, 2012. There will be $102,700 awarded that night and each of the Top 3 artists will play a quick set for the crown. Tickets are available now for $13.27.

Champagne & Stockings at Spirit Ridge in Osoyoos

Comments 174 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Grab your best girlfriends and head to wine country in Osoyoos as they host Champagne & Stockings, the ultimate holiday getaway.

Happening November 23rd to November 25th, 2012 at Spirit Ridge Vineyard and Resort, Champagne & Stockings will feature fabulous wines, mouth-watering meals from Chef Dave Ryan, a fashion show, a dance party, plenty of shopping, and a silent auction benefitting the South Okanagan Children’s Charity.

The South Okanagan Children’s Charity has assisted families of children with health problems for the past four decades. The Children’s Charity also provides equipment to health-related agencies and awards grants to other organizations that provide health-related services to the region’s children. One hundred percent of the money collected is used to help local children and their families.

Suite packages can be booked at Spirit Ridge for one or two nights starting at $179. Packages include accommodation, dinner, brunch, access to the Champagne & Stockings events and more proving that winter in wine country can be incredibly fun!

Spirit Ridge is located adjacent to Nk Mip Cellars up on the Eastern slope of Osoyoos, overlooking the lake and Nk Mip’s beautiful vineyards. My sister and I stayed there for O! Osoyoos Celebrates and loved the amenities, free WIFI, spacious bathroom, full kitchen, and fireplace in the living room. You can also walk right down to the resort’s ballroom and meeting space from your suite so there’s no need to worry about a ride home from the event’s festivities.

Osoyoos Lookout Views

If you would like to win your way into all of the weekend’s events, along with a stay at Spirit Ridge, I have a fantastic prize package to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post naming who you would take with you on this ultimate girls getaway weekend (1 entry)
  • Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win a #ChampStock weekend in Osoyoos from @Spirit_Ridge @NKMIPCellars & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/eWYXL

I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 12:00pm. Prize includes access to all Champagne & Stockings events for two people and two nights accommodation at Spirit Ridge (valid at the time of the event only). Must be 19+ to enter and attend.

Update The winner is Janice Meehan!