The beauty of television these days is that you can view your favourite shows live (and participate in chats about what’s happening using a Twitter tag) or they can be available and waiting whenever it’s convenient for you to watch them.

John and I are currently trying out Shaw’s new Shaw Gateway Whole Home HDPVR that allows you to record up to six shows at once, and much more. It’s already come in handy for hockey playoff games and MLS matches we don’t want to miss when the sun is shining and we’re out of the house.

The best part about my trial Gateway is that Shaw has offered one up for a lucky Miss604 reader to try out, and keep along with a programming prize package. This includes:

A) One Shaw Gateway Whole Home HDPVR
And two Gateway Portals to link two TVs with one HDPVR

• Watch, record and manage shows from any TV in your home using just one HDPVR
• Record six HD shows at once
• Stop a recorded show in one room, pick it up in another

B) Three months of complementary Premier TV

• Up to 48 HD channels
• Up to 99 SD channels
• Up to 60 digital music channels
• Access to live Pay Per View (PPV) events, including UFC and WWE
• Access to 10,000 movies and TV shows with Shaw On Demand

C) Four months of complementary Movie Central (where available)

• Includes hit HBO Canada TV show Game of Thrones
• 6 movie channels, 3 in HD
• Access to all of Movie Central’s movies and TV shows via Shaw On Demand

Here’s how you can enter to win this ultimate Shaw Gateway Whole Home HDPVR prize pack:

• Leave a comment here naming a program (or six) that you would record (1 entry)

Contest closes at 12:00pm on Thursday, May 30, 2013. Winner must reside in an area serviced by Shaw Cablesystems G.P. and be at least 18 years old. Residents of BC only. This contest complies with Miss604 Contest Policy. If you do not live in BC, check out Chris D‘s blog in Manitoba for the same giveaway in your area.

The nominees for the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards have been announced and the ceremony is officially sold out but there’s still time left to vote in the Connecting the Community award. Every nominee is eligible for this award which is tabulated by way of a public online vote.

The nominee with the most votes will be awarded the Connecting the Community Award and Scotiabank will donate $10,000 to her chosen YWCA program area. Nominees have selected YWCA program areas that they are interested in or passionate about:

• Early learning and child care
• Reducing child poverty
• Safe and affordable housing
• Healthy choices for youth
• Preventing violence against women

Voting for the Connecting the Community award ends at 12:00pm on Friday, May 17, 2013 so be sure to log your pick today. The 30th annual YWCA Women of Distinction Awards will take place on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Westin Bayshore. Follow @YWVanWODA for Twitter updates leading up to the event and during the ceremony.

YWCA Metro Vancouver is dedicated to achieving women’s equality. Their mission 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.

I proud to be the Social Media Sponsor of the awards for the fourth year.

Calling all LEGO builders! The LEGO store at Oakridge Centre is celebrating its first anniversary in style by building an 8-foot tall Yoda model and they would like your help. LEGO Master Builder Dan Steininger will be putting the piece together and everyone’s invited to pitch in.

2009 – Lego Store Keychains by lLikePi on Flickr

Stop by the store on Friday, May 17th (from 11:00am to 7:00pm); Saturday, May 18th (from 10:00am to 6:00pm); and Sunday, May 19th (from 11:00am to 6:00pm). There will be in-store giveaways and offers all weekend.

The first 300 visitors to make a qualifying purchase will receive one of the following exclusive giveaways: Free LEGO birthday cake set with a $50 purchase, or a free LEGO minifigure set with a $75 purchase.

The Oakridge LEGO® Store is located in Oakridge Centre (650 West 41st Street, Vancouver) in the West Galleria. If you help Dan Steininger with the Yoda model you will also receive a LEGO® Star Wars™ Certificate of Achievement. This is open to all LEGO fans, Star Wars enthusiasts, kids and adults.

On Sunday night, Icelandic folk-pop group Of Monsters and Men took to the stage at The Orpheum and kicked off their North American tour. The Vancouver fans were bursting at the seams with excitement, flooding the stage as soon as the back-lit curtain dropped during their first song “Dirty Paws” which is also the first track on their album My Head is an Animal (2011).

Photo credit: John Bollwitt for Miss604

Those who weren’t running to the aisles to dance were holding up their smartphones to take photos and record video (and but still nodding to the familiar tunes) and singing along. From the very first song people were singing along, while the band encouraged clapping in unison with arms stretched high over their heads.

While My Head is an Animal is the six-person band’s only album to date, it’s had global success especially with the first single “Little Talks” and their second single “Mountain Sound”, both were enjoyed by the Vancouver crowd who belted out every accompanying “HEY!”. These two singles were also recently performed by the group on Saturday Night Live.

Bright lights, dancing, sing-alongs, and a shower of confetti made wide smiles even wider at this feel-good, sold-out show. Of Monsters and Men gave Vancouver the concert its been preparing for while listening to their album at home and in return local fans gave them the perfect send-off for their tour. They’ll be zig-zagging across Canada and the United States until the end of summer where they have dates in the UK, Denmark, Italy, and around Europe.

One of the many endearing attributes of Vancouver is that almost everywhere you look, there’s a beautiful view — or at least you can get to one within a few minutes. A view from a rooftop, a view from the mountains, a view from a friend’s balcony or from a fence in the park. Views are often hidden behind a curtain of cloud making them that much more spectacular when they emerge on clear days. I searched the Miss604 Flickr Pool for photos with a “view from” somewhere in the region, looking out at another point in the region. Here are the results:

A view of the North Shore mountains from Bowen Island:

Photo credit: kenmcall on Flickr

A view from the second peak of the Stawamus Chief in Squamish:

Photo credit: aloalo* on Flickr

A view from the top of Grouse Mountain:

Photo credit: colink. on Flickr

A view from Mount Seymour:

Photo credit: colink. on Flickr

A view from Cypress Mountain Ski Area:

Photo credit: Clayton Perry Photoworks on Flickr

A view of Whistler from Alta Lake:

Photo credit: Judy B – The Travelling Eye on Flickr

A view from a balcony:

Photo credit: [travelfox] on Flickr

Photo credit: Basedigital Images (Away…) on Flickr

Photo credit: AntonTeterine on Flickr

Photo credit: FreeRishad on Flickr

A view of Gastown from an office window:

Photo credit: Eugene’s Likeness

A view of downtown Vancouver from the Sea Bus:

Photo credit: Jason Gallant. on Flickr

A view of the Burrard Inlet and Deep Cove from Burnaby Mountain:

Photo credit: Wynonna on Flickr

A view of downtown Vancouver from Burnaby Mountain:

Photo credit: Wynonna on Flickr

A view of the Burrard Street Bridge:

Photo credit: bcbusinesshub on Flickr

A view from Iona Beach in Richmond:

Photo credit: TOTORORO.RORO on Flickr

A view from Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver:

Photo credit: Wynonna on Flickr

A view from the Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre:

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

A view of downtown Vancouver from the aptly-named Fairview neighbourhood:

Photo credit: Wayneson Chan on Flickr

A view of downtown Vancouver from Kitsilano:

Photo credit: BelCan75 on Flickr

As always, please click through on these images to view more work from the photographers and feel free to share your own photos with the Miss604 Flickr Pool. View all photo collections here.

Tourism Ucluelet has hit the road this spring to share it’s beautiful Vancouver Island coastal region with Canadians. The “Kick Back and Coast” RV tour began in St. John’s Newfoundland on May 1st and it will end on June 24th back in Ucluelet. Accompanied by Tourism Ucluelet mascot Knuckles the Grey Whale, the 10,000km tour will promote Pacific Rim National Park and Barkley Sound as well as the abundance of activities and adventures that can be found around Ucluelet.

Photos courtesy of Tourism Ucluelet

The Tourism Ucluelet RV will be passing through 26 cities and all 10 provinces of Canada, engaging with communities and stopping by key events and festivities. Spot the RV in your city and snap a photo during the tour, follow the journey on Facebook and Twitter, and visit the unique landing page Kick Back and Coast for your chance to win one of many prizes, including a trip to the West Coast. The grand prize package includes an incredible ‘One Week Ucluelet Adventure Trip’, customized to suit the style of the lucky winner, including airfare, kayaking, spa, surfing lessons, dining, wildlife cruises, tours and accommodations.

The Tourism Ucluelet RV will hit Montreal by this Friday, May 17th then move onto Barrie for Friday, May 24th. Rolling into Winnipeg on Friday, May 31st then Calgary on Friday, June 7th the RV returns to BC by way of Kamloops on Friday, June 14th. Returning to Vancouver Island by Friday, June 21st it will reach its home in Ucluelet on Friday, June 24th.

Photos from our walk along the Wild Pacific Trail in Ucluelet the last time we visited.
You really do feel like you’re on the edge of the world, it’s wonderful.

Miss604 Getaway Giveaway

To promote the Kick Back and Coast cross-Canada tour, Tourism Ucluelet has offered up an awesome getaway for one lucky Miss604 reader and their guest. The prize pack includes a two-night stay in Ucluelet in a Wya Point yurt plus surf lessons for two.

Enjoy private beaches within the Ucluth Eco Resort, and amenities in your yurt that include a kitchen, barbecue, wood or gas fireplace, wrap-around cedar deck, oceanfront beach access, lounge chairs, and more. This luxurious eco-friendly resort is off the grid so be prepared to unplug, de-stress, kick back, and listen to the waves roll in.

Here’s how you can enter to win this coastal escape:

• Leave a comment on this post about how you unwind/unplug (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, May 24, 2013. Must be 19+ to enter and win. Some restrictions may apply. Based on availability. Follow Tourism Ucluelet on Facebook and Twitter, and learn more about Wya Point Resort on Facebook and Twitter as well.

The Friends of the North Vancouver District Public Library are hosting their Big Book Sale this month at the Lynn Valley Main Library (1277 Lynn Valley Road).

Photo credit: GlasgowAmateur on Flickr

Dates and Times
Friday, May 24, 2013 from 10:00am to 7:00pm
Saturday, May 25, 2013 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Sunday, May 26, 2013 from noon to 4:00pm

The legendary Big Book Sale includes books as well as CDs and DVDs, all on sale for 50 cents to $2 a piece. On Sunday, everything is half price; or, fill a bag of books for $3 or a box of books for $6. They ask that you please bring your own bag to carry your purchases.

The Friends are a group of over 150 community members dedicated to the support and enhancement of North Vancouver District Public Library facilities, services, and programs. Members span all ages from high-schoolers to seniors. Some Friends are actively involved, others are quietly supportive – but all care deeply about North Vancouver District Public Library.

The nominees have been announced for the annual Leo Awards, which honour excellence in BC-made film and television. Presented by the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia, the awards are handed out during two evening events: The celebration awards ceremony (June 7, 2013) and the gala awards ceremony (June 8, 2013).

Film Nominees

The top Motion Picture nominee is Becoming Redwood with a total of 14 nominations including direction, screenwriting, cinematography, program, sound, sound editing, musical score, production design, costume design, supporting male performance (x3), lead performance male, and lead performance female.

Camera Shy has 7 nominations, Lucille’s Ball has 6 nominations, Soufflé au Chocolat has 5 nominations, Crimes of Mike Recket, In No Particular Order, and Random Acts of Romance each have 4.

Other films with nominations are Death Do Us Part, Pehchaan 3D (Identity), Bailout: The Age of Greed, Ferocious, Ambrosia, Crowsnest, Dawn Rider, Errors Of The Human Body, Havana 57, Maximum Conviction, Old Stock, Son of an Afghan Farmer, The Resurrection of Tony Gitone, and The Wingman.

Television Nominees

Ring of Fire leads the Television Movie pack with 12 nominations, followed by Eve of Destruction with 11. Other nominees include: Hitched for the Holidays, It’s Christmas, Carol!, Tom, Dick and Harriet, Twist of Faith, Anything But Christmas, The Wishing Tree, After All These Years, Christmas Miracle, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, Tasmanian Devils, Virtual Lies.

Leading the Dramatic Series nominees is Continuum with 16 nods, the most of any film or television program this year. They’re up for program, direction (x2), screenwriting, cinematography, picture editing (x2), production design, costume design, stunt coordination, guest performance male (x2), supporting performance male (x2), supporting performance female (x2).

Other Dramatic Series nominees are Arctic Air with 14, Arrow has 8 nominations, and Primevil: New World has 6. Other shows nominated include Bomb Girls, Fringe, Hell On Wheels, Alcatraz, Alphas, Beauty and the Beast, Lost Girl, Nikita,Saving Hope, Supernatural, and True Justice.

In the Short Drama category nominees include (but are not limited to) Binner with 8 nominations, and Beauty Mark, Corvus, and The Old Woman In The Woods with 7. Documentary Program or Series nominees are Battle Castle in 7 categories, along with Ice Pilots NWT, Cue The Muse, Music for Mandela, What Happens Next? The Dan Mangan Documentary, and more.

Leo Awards will also be handed out in other program categories that include Information or Lifestyle Series, Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series, Animation Program or Series, Student Production, Youth or Children’s Program or Series, Web Series, and Music Video.

Support BC film and television by supporting these outstanding programs, their cast, crew, and production teams. Full nomination lists and details are posted online by program and by name.

Tickets for the awards are currently available and a red carpet event will precede the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 8th at the Westin Bayshore. Follow the Leo Awards on Facebook and Twitter for more information about the nominees and the awards ceremonies.