BC Sports Hall of Fame & Vancouver Canadians: First Pitch & Ticket Giveaway

Comments 71 by Rebecca Bollwitt

The BC Sports Hall of Fame is teaming up with the Vancouver Canadians once again this summer to honor the past and inspire the future. Vancouver has quite a history in baseball and I’ve only ever touched a bit on it myself, recently doing a feature on the old Athletic Park.

BC Sports Hall of Fame Banquet of Champions 2011

BC Sports Hall of Fame Banquet of Champions 2011 BC Sports Hall of Fame Banquet of Champions 2011
2011 Induction Ceremony. Photo credit: John Bollwitt for Miss604.com

The BC Sports Hall of Fame re-opened last fall in BC Place and you can visit daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Save your ticket stub from a Vancouver Canadians, BC Lions, or Whitecaps FC match and bring it to the Hall for 1/2 price admission for up to 2 weeks following game day. You can browse through the hall of inductees (including the class of 2011), learn about the legendary Asahi baseball team in old Japantown, and check out special galleries like the Vancouver 2010, Terry Fox, and Rick Hansen exhibits.

BC Sports Hall

BC Sports Hall BC Sports Hall

Last year I partnered with the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the Vancouver Canadians for three weeks of giveaways and inductee features including Arnie Hallgren, Larry Walker, Helen and Margaret Callaghan. We’re doing it again for two games this season, the first being the Vancouver Canadians vs the Everett Aquasox on July 9th with special guest George Bell.

You can enter for the chance to win 10 tickets to the game and throw out the ceremonial first pitch in front of family, friends, and the whole Nat Bailey crowd. Here’s how you can enter to win this incredible experience:

  • Leave a comment naming a BC Sports Hall of Famer (full inductees list) (1 entry)
  • Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win 10 @VanCanadians tix & throw out the ceremonial first pitch from @BCSportsHall & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/bRRBT

I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Wednesday, July 4, 2012 at 10:00am. Update The winner is James K!

Carrotmob the Cascade Room Today

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Today is Carrotmob Day in Vancouver where you can purchase lunch at the Cascade Room and 100% of sales will be used to green their operations. This is actually the culmination of a longer campaign that began with finding a participating business in the area and having a public vote.

In May, over 300 Mount Pleasant businesses were offered a free energy assessment, and asked how much of their sales they’d commit to green their operations. Between May 24 and June 7, the public voted and selected Cascade Room as the contender with the strongest and most innovative green commitment.

Carrotmob is the international organization behind the campaign that encourages businesses to commit to boosting their sustainable practices.

“Carrotmob gives you the power to make the world a better place by influencing how businesses operate. Instead of organizing boycotts, we offer to spend money as a group if a business agrees to make a socially responsible change.”

The Cascade Room (at 2616 Main St) is open from 12:00pm to 2:00pm today, and then from 5:00pm to closing.

All revenues from Carrotmob bay will go toward the purchase of new ENERGY STAR low-flow dishwashers while they also commit to reduce the amount of oil used for deep-frying by installing a VITO oil filtration system. They will also implement a “ask for water” policy, and expand their waste diversion to include composting.

This is the second Carrotmob to hit Vancouver as a campaign was organized at Salt Spring Coffee in May with a goal of getting energy-efficient lighting in the shop.

Learn more about Carrotmob on Twitter and stop by the Cascade Room today to help ‘green’ your local businesses.

Vancouver Art Deco Walking Tour

Comments 1 by Rebecca Bollwitt

The Vancouver Heritage Foundation hosts a variety of interesting and unique walking tours with guides John Atkin and Maurice Guibord. One upcoming walk that caught my eye is the Art Deco Tour happening July 13th, 2012.

The Marine Building Elevator Three
Photo credit: PiscesDreamer & PiscesDreamer on Flickr

With its origins in 1920s Paris, the Art Deco style is best embodied in Vancouver by the iconic Marine Building. Located throughout the downtown core are lesser-known examples of the style such as the Gotham Steakhouse building. Explore this fascinating architectural style on the inaugural VHF Art Deco walking tour.

Vancouver Heritage Foundation tours with either John (Saturdays at 10am) or Maurice (Fridays at noon) from April to October. The cost is just $12 and you can book in advance as many of these walks do sell out — walk-ups are welcome though. The Art Deco walking tour will run July 13th, August 31st, and September 28th.

Follow the Vancouver Heritage Foundation on Twitter and Facebook for more special event information.

Archives Photos of the Day: Concerts

Comments 3 by Rebecca Bollwitt

It was June 27, 1957 that radio DJ Red Robinson hosted Vancouver’s first rock and roll concert at the Kerrisdale Arena. 6,000 screaming fans welcomed Bill Haley and the Comets to town and according to the Vancouver Sun article the next day, the show was “the ultimate in musical depravity.”1

In honor of this musical milestone and many others, today’s roundup of photos from the Vancouver Archives and Vancouver Public Library showcases concerts.


1940s – Nabob’s Harmony House concert series. Archives item# CVA 1184-2104.


1944 – Jack Benny on stage playing the violin. Archives item# CVA 1184-522.
Photographer: Jack Lindsay.

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Taste Victoria 2012: Win a Getaway

Comments 253 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine returns for the fourth year, July 19th to 22nd, to showcase the best and freshest culinary creations in BC. There are four focused event categories for events that include: Land, Ocean, Cuisine, and Wine.

wine by John Bollwitt, on Flickr
Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

The Main Event takes place Thursday, July 19, 2012 at the Crystal Garden. It’s a cuisine and wine tasting with over 100 participating vineyards from around the province and samples from some of Vancouver Island’s own top chefs.

The festival continues with events like Sustainable Seafood: Taste and Learn at Finest At Sea; Band, Bubbles, and Bennys; Land and Sea Harvest on the Family Farm; and the Pinot Noir Challenge. At Swine and the Vine at the Hotel Grand Pacific a whole suckling pig will be roasted and paired with BC wines, teas, ciders, and more. This ‘nose to tail’ event is definitely for pork lovers and will be prepared by Executive Chef Rick Choy and his team.

Tickets are available for individual events and tastings starting at $19 and going up to $159. Packages are also available for combination tickets.

Taste Victoria has graciously offered up an amazing prize package so that one Miss604 reader and their guest can enjoy this celebration of homegrown food and wine this summer. The prize includes: A 2-night stay at the Hotel Grand Pacific, a pair of tickets to the Main Event, a pair of tickets to Swine and the Vine, and a roundtrip flight courtesy of Harbour Air.

Coal Harbour float planes
Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Grand Pacific Hotel - Victoria Grand Pacific Hotel - Victoria

Enjoy the Hotel Grand Pacific’s athletic club, spa, and free wireless internet in your room and around the property. The winner and their guest will fly from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour on Thursday, July 19th returning Saturday, July 21st on Harbour Air. Harbour Air offers regularly scheduled flights to and from Vancouver Island as well as sightseeing tours from Vancouver Harbour or their float plane base near Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal.

Here’s how you can enter to win this 2-day getaway to Taste Victoria:

  • Leave a comment here naming your favourite BC-sourced ingredient (1 entry)
  • Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win a trip to #VictoriaTaste from @HarbourAirLtd @GrandPacific @TravelWithTaste & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/bQ5lo

I will draw one winner next Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 12:00pm. Prize is valid for Taste Victoria 2012 events and travel only. Cannot be redeemed for travel or a stay any other time. If the winner drawn at random cannot attend July 19 to 21, 2012, another winner will be selected. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter.

Follow the festival on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Update The winner is Aimee!