Playground of the Gods on Burnaby Mountain

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Burnaby Mountain Park is home to one of the best panoramic views of Vancouver, and mixes of natural, recreational and cultural elements including the Playground of the Gods.

Playground of the Gods on Burnaby Mountain

Japanese Totems on Burnaby Mountain, Burnaby, British Columbia

Poised at the top of the mountain, overlooking the region, is “Kamui Mintara” or “The Playground of the Gods”, built to commemorate the Sister City relationship between Burnaby and Kushiro, Japan.

View of Downtown Vancouver from Burnaby Mountain

The wooden totems bear a striking resemblance to First Nations pieces, but their actual origins lay on the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean.

The Ainu are an indigenous people native to northern Japan (as well as Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, both part of Russia). At the heart of their traditional territory is the Japanese island of Hokkaido; on the southeastern coast of Hokkaido is the city of Kushiro, home of Toko Nuburi and sister city to Burnaby, British Columbia.

Toko — already an internationally renowned artist, with commissioned works around the world — visited Burnaby as part of a special delegation from Kushiro in 1985. During the visit, he happened upon a mountaintop visit that inspired him. After successfully pitching his idea for a large wooden sculpture, Toko and his son Shusei began work on the project in 1989, using facilities and logs provided by the city of Burnaby. Playground of the Gods (or Kamui Mintara, in Japanese) was completed and unveiled in 1990, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the special relationship between the two cities.- Atlas Obscura.

More than a dozen carved wooden poles are quite the sight to behold, etched against the sky with the glistening glass towers of Downtown Vancouver off in the distance.

Angry Bear ?❄ Burnaby, BC

Shooting the Japanese Totems in the mid-afternoon fog at the top of Burnaby Mountain, Burnaby, British Columbia

Have a seat and enjoy the view!

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Playground Of The Gods

Sunset at Burnaby Mountain

Other Vancouver Icons posts: Photo Session Statues, City Hall History, BC Sugar, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Museum of Anthropology, Fort Langley Community Hall, Christ Church Cathedral, Waterfront Station, Pacific Central Station, Randall Building Mural, East Van Cross, Robert Burns Statue in Stanley Park, Vancouver Maritime Museum, Flack Block, The Drop, Prospect Point Lighthouse, Engagement, Ovaltine Cafe, The English Bay Slide, Freezing Water #7, Cleveland Dam, Heritage Hall, School of Theology Building at UBC, Gate to the Northwest Passage, St Paul’s Hospital, Capilano Lake, Stawamus Chief, Nine O’Clock Gun, Malkin Bowl, Search, Vancouver Rowing Club, Echoes, Point Atkinson Lighthouse, English Bay Inukshuk, Hollow Tree, Hotel Europe, Lions Gate Bridge Lions, LightShed, Granville Bridge, 217.5 Arc x 13′, Canoe Bridge, Vancouver Block, Bloedel Conservatory, Centennial Rocket, Canada Place, Old Courthouse/Vancouver Art Gallery, Dominion Building, Science World, Gastown Steam Clock, SFU Burnaby, Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.

Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

They’re a little late this year but they sure are a welcome sight! With the return of the cherry – and plum – blossoms is the Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day. Share your photos with the Miss604 Flickr Pool and/or the #Photos604 tag on Instagram for possible feature. Today’s image is from Clayton Perry Photoworks:

Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day

Flying Princess

View more photography posts on Miss604 along with the Vancouver Photos of the Week – and be sure to tag your photos with #Photos604!

Refresh Market in Squamish

Comments 30 by Rebecca Bollwitt

100 makers and pop-up shops will participate in the 11th Refresh Market, one of BC’s best showcases of local designers and brands. Returning to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, it’s the market’s first two-day event of 2017.

Refresh Market – Spring 2017

refreshmarket

What: Refresh Market
When: Friday, April 28th 4:00pm to 9:00pm & Saturday, April 29th 9:00am to 4:00pm
Where: West Coast Railway Heritage Park (39645 Government Rd, Squamish)
Tickets: Admission is $5 at the door, $3 online and free for kids under 12. The first to arrive on both Friday and Saturday will receive one of 50 market swag bags. Discounted early bird tickets are on sale now.

Five and a half years after its first event, Refresh manages to remain a staple for local shoppers, artists and creatives who are lured to the market for its curated range of handmade items and creative appeal.

Refresh Market goers can expect a highly edited mix of handmade and locally designed clothing, jewelry, ceramics, vintage, dry goods and more from new and established local brands and shops including homegrown favourites Billies Flower House, Nootka Naturals, Wild and Heart and Squamish Water Kefir, and newcomers My Modern Closet, hey jude, Jackson Rowe, Good Omen and Duchesse Vintage and Such. Of the 100 participating vendors, 36 per cent are new to the market.

refreshmarket-shoppingbag

In addition to the participating vendors, the market will include an expanded food truck zone and liquor licensing on the Friday night during which guests will have the opportunity to purchase a glass of wine or cocktail created especially for the market by local mixologist and Gillespie’s Fine Spirits co-owner Kelly Ann Woods. Refresh will also host its first happy hour from 4:00pm to 5:00pm on the Friday night.

Win a Prize Pack

I have two tickets to give away for entry to Refresh along with 50 Refresh Dollars to spend at the market! Here’s how you can enter to win:

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

[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a @refresh_market prize pack (with tickets + 50 market dollars) http://owl.li/xiI930aJHxZ” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

Follow Refresh Market on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, April 17, 2017. The winner must be able to pick up the prize at the market.

Update The winner is Anne B!

Jeans Day 2017 for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Jeans Day, a fundraiser for BC Children’s Hospital Foundation (“BCCHF”) is taking place on Thursday, May 4, 2017. Individuals, families, corporations, and schools across BC and the Yukon are encouraged to wear denim from head to toe, or their best “Canadian Tuxedo”, along with a fundraising button or pin.

Jeans Day 2017

Jeans Day 2017 for BC Children's Hospital Foundation
Child champion Faris, with Whitecaps FC’s David Ousted

Jeans Day buttons can be purchase for $5, and lapel pins for $20 at an official retailer: Save On Foods, Overwaitea Foods, Price Smart Foods, Urban Fare, London Drugs, Thrifty Foods and Country Grocer on Vancouver Island. To participate, individuals, corporations and schools can also register online.

You could also become a Jeans Day Champion by selling over 20 buttons or pins as an individual, or registering your school or company.

New to Jeans Day this year is the revamped school program. The registration process has been streamlined for participating schools, and Jeans Day is encouraging students to fundraise as well. Jeans Day is offering schools and children great incentive prize packs from the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and BC Lions.

Jeans Day BBQ

The annual public Jeans Day BBQ will be held on May 4th at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Hornby Street in Vancouver from 11:30am to 1:30pm. Celebrity athletes, professional team mascots, and a street team will provide entertainment for all age groups.

About Jeans Day

Jeans Day
Dr. Kishore Mulpuri leads a media tour

Jeans Day started in 1990, and has raised more than $20 million for BCCHF. Funds raised this year will go to the Excellence in Child Health Fund, which supports the most urgent health-care needs at BC Children’s Hospital. BC Children’s Hospital is the province’s only full-service acute-care pediatric hospital.

Last year, BC Children’s Hospital treated more than 84,000 children. The money raised by the foundation supports BC Children’s Hospital, its research institute, and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children.

Follow BCCHF on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information and #JeanUp on Jeans Day on May 4th!

Dress for Success IMPACT 360

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Dress for Success Vancouver (“DFSV”) has opened ticket sales for their highly anticipated annual fundraiser IMPACT 360. This year’s theme is Opening Doors, showcasing the transition Dress for Success facilitates for women in the Lower Mainland. The event raises funds for DFSV’s Sponsor a Woman and Professional Women’s Group programs.

Dress for Success IMPACT 360

When: Thursday May 10, 2017 from 5:30pm to 8:00pm
Where: The Permanent (330 West Pender, Vancouver)
Tickets: Available online now for $175

Festivities will be held at the Permanent, a recently restored heritage space downtown Vancouver that once held the Bank of Canada. Elegant music and cocktails set the stage for a fashion show, live auction hosted by Fred Lee and door prizes in addition to exclusive networking opportunities.

Dress for Success IMPACT 360IMPACT 360 is an annually anticipated event bringing together Dress for Success Vancouver supporters, friends and corporate community.

“Every woman has a story,” says Dress for Success Vancouver client, Cheryl-Ann Henning who will be walking the fashion runway at the event. “I want to be an example of courage for the donors that make these programs possible as well as other women who need a door opened for them.”

Make an Impact by joining Dress for Success supporters on May 10th at their exciting new venue, the Permanent. The evening will feature spirit tastings, designer cocktails, hor d’oeuvres, music, entertainment and celebration. The goal of the evening is to help Dress for Success open the door for 100 women, at a sponsorship cost of $360 per woman, per year.

About Dress for Success

I had a tour of Dress for Success in Vancouver in 2014, and it’s been a cause I’ve been happy to promote ever since. They are committed to empowering women into the workforce by providing a professional attire, career development tools and a career advancement program. An affiliate of the International organization Dress for Success, DFSV was established in 1999 as the first International affiliate and has served over 25,000 women in the Lower Mainland.

For more information about Dress for Success Vancouver, follow on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.