I’m spending one miserable night out on the street in Downtown Vancouver, in the middle of November, so that homeless youth won’t have to. It’s a small gesture, but it can have a big impact.

Covenant House Sleep Out 2017

The Covenant House Sleep Out takes place at Covenant House locations across the world, supporting local homeless youth so that they don’t have to spend another night outside. This year on November 16th, executives, public figures and well connected leaders in our community will once again sleep outside for one night in solidarity with those youth who may face many more cold, lonely nights until they find their way through the doors of Covenant House Vancouver.

Covenant House Vancouver provides support on various levels: Crisis Shelter, Drop in Centre, Street Outreach, and Rights of Passage.

Covenant House Statistics

• 39% of Covenant House’s youth present with a mental health diagnosis
• 70% have witnessed family violence
• 50% of Covenant House’s youth present with an addiction problem
• 95% of Covenant House’s youth report that Covenant House has helped them
• 75% of youth feel more confident about their future after staying at Covenant House
• Average length of stay has increased 83% in past five years (Covenant House knows that a young person’s success rate increases significantly with longer stays)

“Many of the kids have lived with violence or the threat of violence for much of their young lives. Feeling safe is a right we all have but one these kids have not enjoyed.”

Before we head outside on the night of the Sleep Out we usually split off into groups and speak with youth clients and volunteers. It is always encouraging to meet kids who went from being homeless, to the crisis shelter all the way through to Rights of Passage, Covenant House’s program that prepares them for the bigger world.

Those in Rights of Passage actually pay (an affordable) rent and get full access to programs provided that they have a job or they are in school. They end up learning basics like grocery shopping and budgeting, and once they are through the program (6 months to 2 years) they are supported when they eventually move out, even welcomed to return for the weekly communal dinners. The care just keeps going to ensure the youth become self-sufficient, gainfully employed, successful individuals.

Donate to my fundraising page here »

Photo by Covenant House

In 2013, my first Sleep Out year, over 600 participants around North America slept out for their local Covenant House. They raised over $3 million. Vancouver had 5% of the participants but raised 10% of the funds.

This will be my 5th Covenant House Sleep Out and I would love your support. $10, $20, $50, any amount you can donate directly to Covenant House through my campaign page would be of significance. Whatever amount you can spare can truly make a difference.

Thank you very much for your consideration and follow me on Instagram and Twitter for updates on November 16th when I sleep out on the street again. Follow Covenant House on Twitter and Facebook for much more information.

Known for its beautiful flora, serene strolls through 55 acres of gardens, and dazzling Christmastime displays, VanDusen Botanical Garden is once again lighting up for Halloween during VanDusen Glow in the Garden.

VanDusen Glow in the Garden

• When: October 24 to October 31, 2017 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm daily.
• Tickets: Adult (19-64) $10; Senior (65+) $8.10; Youth (13-18) $8.10; VanDusen members $8.10; Kids (3-12) $6.20; Kids 2 and under free. Prices do not include fees/taxes. Purchase online to skip the line. Tickets may also be available for purchase at the gate on event nights, space permitting.

Join this Halloween adventure through a whimsical garden. Discover curious twists and magical moments from the classic tale—Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Follow the white rabbit on a wondrous walk with zany lights and sounds, and illuminated pumpkin caricatures. Visitors of all ages will enjoy tasty treats, crafts and much more.

Come in costume and share your photos with #VanDusenGlow on Twitter or Instagram for a chance to win a grand prize, like Afternoon Tea for two at Truffles Café or a 1 year Family membership to VanDusen Botanical Garden!

Follow VanDusen Botanical Garden on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Imagine being at the same event as Oprah, Jay Leno, Steven Tyler, Dr. Phil, Goldie Hawn, and more – all for a great cause! These are just a few of the high profile guests that will be in Vancouver for the David Foster Foundation 30th Anniversary Miracle Gala on Saturday.

David Foster Foundation 30th Anniversary Miracle Gala

When: Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 9:00pm
Where: Rogers Arena
Tickets: Available online starting at $49.

The David Foster Foundation’s annual fundraising gala helps to raise money for families undergoing life-saving pediatric organ transplants. For the past 30 years, the Foundation has supported the non-medical expenses of more than 1,100 Canadian families. When on this journey, many families have to split their time between their home and a city that has one of Canada’s eight pediatric organ transplant centres. Under these circumstances, the medical system does not support these non-medical expenses such as food, mortgage or rent payments, car payments, and flights.

Performers and Guests

The 30th Anniversary Miracle Gala is presented by Parq Vancouver, the newest entertainment destination in the heart of downtown Vancouver, and hosted by mega-producer and 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to this amazing event! Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Like, comment on, or share this post on Facebook (1 entry)
• Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:

[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets the @davidfosterfdn #DFFGala #DFFCelebrates30 http://ow.ly/UQnt30fTakX” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, October19, 2017.

Follow the David Foster Foundation on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Update The winner is Ron Kero!

This post has been contributed by Ben Hill, Communications Volunteer with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”).

If you’ve walked from Lost Lagoon to Second Beach recently you might have wondered why the landscape at Ceperley Meadow has changed from mown grass to scrub and shrubs.

Ceperley Meadow in Stanley Park. Kathleen Stormont/SPES

This isn’t because the Park Board has forgotten to mow; it’s part of a plan to encourage the development of wetland habitat in the area. Before the development of the city, Lost Lagoon and the area nearby was a saltwater tidal lagoon.

In fact, the lake’s name comes from its habit of disappearing with the tide. But when Stanley Park causeway was built in 1916, tidal access to Coal Harbour was cut and Lost Lagoon and the artificial waterway of Ceperley Creek became entirely fresh water.

While the habitat may not be strictly natural, it is immensely valuable. Although it’s surrounded by well used pathways, this is actually one of Vancouver’s most desirable areas of real estate for wildlife: the corridor of wetland is a great site for nesting and migrating birds, mammals and native plants.

SPES and the Park Board were already working to restore the habitat along the creek, but the arrival of a family of beavers in the area has given the wetland an extra boost. Their dams keep a larger area permanently soggy and, as a result, wetland plants are beginning to come back across the meadow.

American bittern. Photo: Michael Schmidt

Plants like the salmonberry, paper birch and Pacific willow provide cover and food for small migratory birds like kinglets and thrushes, and the shallow secluded wetland is an ideal area for rarer water birds like the green heron and the American bittern.

This type of wetland is increasingly rare in the city, so we’re very happy to accept the beavers’ help in restoring this habitat. One other advantage of not mowing the area is that it supports pollinators like bees and butterflies. They, in turn, help native plants establish and spread.

The bicycle routes and footpaths only a few meters away from the meadow are used by thousands of people every day and it’s heartening to think that such a diverse natural community can flourish so close to humans. It’s part of what makes Stanley Park unique, and balancing Park recreation with conservation is a SPES priority.

As a member of the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”), I wanted to offer the organization an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I created the “SPES Series” years ago. This is where SPES can contribute and share stories with my audience once a month. Follow SPES on Facebook for more information.

Hockey and wild salmon are about as Canadian as toques and maple syrup. You’ll find the first two in Coquitlam these next few weeks, not to mention some pretty tasty craft beer and wine to wash it all down.

Stanley Cup in Coquitlam

Photo courtesy of the NHL

Canucks fans will be streaming in by SkyTrain in the hopes of viewing the Stanley Cup and their hockey heroes at the NHL Centennial celebration from October 21-22. Coquitlam will be its only BC stop, with buzzing crowds filling the parking lot at Coquitlam Centre (at Lincoln SkyTrain station).

Not only can you view the holy grail of hockey, but you can walk through an extensive collection of hockey memorabilia and play interactive games. Plus, Canucks alumni will be in attendance (names yet to be announced). There will even be a temporary rink on site for street hockey.

After getting your Canucks fix, you might be wondering where you can go close by to grab a bite to eat or a cold drink. Read on for more entertainment ideas, including an upcoming craft beer festival, and a food and wine festival.

See Salmon in the Wild

Within walking distance from the mall, one of nature’s greatest spectacles will be on display in the coming months. The salmon run is on, and if you want a close-up view of jumping fish, one great spot to try is Coquitlam’s Hoy Creek.

After spending much of their adult lives at sea, salmon begin their epic journey to return to the creek where they were born. Some will swim thousands of kilometres, battling many obstacles and even leaping upstream through rushing water, in order to return home for the last time.

Whether you’re a young child, an international visitor seeing spawning salmon for the first time or a seasoned wildlife spotter, this scene never fails to impress. Watch for chum from early to mid-October to early November and coho from late October to late December. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩