Huka Entertainment has announced the 2017 artist lineup for the fourth instalment of Pemberton Music Festival, which will take place on Thursday, July 13 through Sunday, July 16 in Pemberton:

Pemberton Music Festival Lineup 2017

Full ticketing details and prices, including Regular General Admission, VIP and Super VIP packages, are now available online now. Fans are encouraged to get together with their friends and plan early. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

Battling rush hour traffic, crawling past new developments and condos under construction, beyond industrial parks and warehouses, we turned down Bill Fox Way and were instantly transported to a lush country club, on the edge of rolling greens and fairways as far as the eye could see. We booked a date night at Burnaby’s Riverway Clubhouse to try out their $25 three course menu, and it was the perfect mid-week pick-me-up.

Riverway Clubhouse

Located on the Riverway golf course, the clubhouse offers beautiful wood beam architecture paired with floor-to-ceiling window views of the picturesque landscape. Colourful floral displays inside and out show off the best of the season, while I took out my camera to photograph the scene, a majestic sandhill crane grazed on the lawn. It would be there for the entirety of our stay.

John began with a glass of Red Rooster cabernet merlot, selected from the list of BC wine options. The rest of the dining menu was clear, concise, and offered a-la-carte starters and entrees, along with the tasting menu.

To start, my choice was the Coconut Prawn Salad (romaine lettuce, edamame, sweet corn, red onion, red pepper, lemongrass & peanut sauce, Thai sweet chili vinaigrette) and John went with the Roasted Grape and Mandarin Orange Salad (with mesclun greens, carrot, radish, feta, candied pecan lemon dijon vinaigrette).

The third option was a Boston Seafood Chowder. These were three of the seven starters from the main menu. It was a nice, refreshing start to the meal and my salad would have been better paired with one of the seafood entree options but I was craving that 8oz New York Steak I spotted in the entree column – and I wasn’t disappointed.

We went pretty meat-heavy for our entrees, but we did spend some time considering the Wild Sockeye Salmon, Seafood Cioppino, the Seafood Linguine, and the Portobello & Crimini Mushroom Ravioli. My steak was a perfect medium rare, with grill marks that made me long for barbecue season. John went with the generously plated Rosemary & Thyme Braised Lamb Shank (mixed bean stew, onion, garlic, edamame, carrot) and he must have enjoyed it because the next time I looked up from my plate, he had scooped up the very last bean.

On the menu it stated that dessert would be the chef’s daily handcrafted creation which turned out to be a waffle a-la-mode with strawberries and whipped cream. The taste of the strawberries and cream paired with the fluffy waffle reminded me of my grandmother’s strawberry shortcake, which made me very happy.

The $25 tasting menu had generous, hearty portions that provided good value. We watched the sun dip past the horizon, as golfers packed up during twilight and other restaurant guests came inside after taking group photos on the patio. It is such a lovely location, that really lives up to the term ‘hidden gem’.

The clubhouse also hosts a bistro, meeting spaces, and banquet hall. The Riverway Clubhouse restaurant is open Monday 11:30am to 3:00pm and Tuesday to Friday 11:30am to 8:00pm. On the weekends, stop into Mulligans Express (burgers, nachos, paninis, hot dogs, wings, and more) 8:00am to 6:00pm.

Make your Riverway reservation today and follow Food Burnaby on Facebook, Twitter, and Riverway on Instagram for info and updates.

The last weekend in April has theatre, opera, tulips and some inspirational festivals – like BIL since TED is in town. These events and more are listed below:

Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend

Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green.

Friday, April 28, 2017
Vancouver Opera: Otello
BIL Conference
Miscellaneous Productions’ Monsters Open Rehearsal (Free)
FILM En VILLE 4
“Fashion Blooms” for The Pacific Autism Family Network
Wine for Waves at the Vancouver Aquarium
Refresh Market in Squamish
Vancouver Virtual Reality Film Festival
Verses Festival
Tulips of the Valley, Chilliwack
Abbotsford Tulip Festival
Pacific Theatre: The Shape of a Girl
End of the Rainbow at Jericho Arts Centre Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

The Vancouver Courier has released this year’s list of winners in their annual Stars of Vancouver reader poll, celebrating the best businesses in the city. I am very grateful to have been recognized as the #1 Best Local Blogger again this year, THANK YOU!

Vancouver Courier Stars of Vancouver

“From bakeries to bars, patios to pet stores, think of this as your guide to the best of Vancouver. As you explore the city, keep an eye out for the Stars of Vancouver logo displayed in the windows of winning merchants and businesses, as a sign of locals’ favourite spots.”

Read the full list of winners here and follow the Vancouver Courier online (Facebook, Twitter) for great local news reporting, travel, community info, and more.

BC’s 41st Provincial General Election is coming up on May 9, a date that all eligible voters should have circled on their calendar, like I did, until I realized that I have a travel assignment during that time. Not to worry! There are lots of ways to vote in BC. I have put together this summary to outline all of the ways you can vote in the 2017 Provincial General Election.

Check If You’re Eligible

You are eligible to vote in the provincial election in British Columbia if you are:

• 18 or older on May 9, 2017
• a Canadian citizen, and
• a BC resident for the past six months

You also need to be registered before you can vote. Online and phone registration has closed, but don’t worry, you can still register in the voting place right before you vote.

Don’t Forget ID

You need to show ID that proves your identity and home address in order to vote. You can:
1. Show one of these:

• A BC driver’s licence
• A BC Identification Card (BCID)
• A BC Services Card (with photo)
• A Certificate of Indian Status

OR

2. Show two documents, both with your name and at least one with your current home address.

A full list of acceptable ID is available online here.

Voting in the 2017 Provincial General Election

General Voting Day is May 9, but there are 28 days and so many ways you can vote, including:

• Voting in a district electoral office
• Voting by mail
• Advance voting (April 29-30 and May 3-6)
• General voting

All voters can vote at any voting place in BC. Find your assigned voting place or voting places near you by:

• Using Elections BC’s Where to Vote application
• Checking the list of advance and general voting places online here
• Looking for your Where to Vote card in the mail
• Contacting Elections BC

Advance Voting in BC

Advance voting is available on April 29 and 30, and May 3, 4, 5 and 6. Advance voting places are open from 8:00am to 8:00pm (local time). All voters can vote at any advance voting place, and all advance voting places are wheelchair accessible.

General Voting

General Voting Day is Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Voting places will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm (Pacific time).

Vote at a District Electoral Office

You can also vote at any district electoral office. Voting is available from now until 4:00pm on General Voting Day.

Vote by Mail

Voters can request a vote by mail package from now until 4:00pm on General Voting Day. Packages can be requested online or by calling 1-800-661-8683. The completed package must be returned to the district electoral office that issued the package by 8:00pm (Pacific time) on May 9.

For all of this information and so much more, visit the Elections BC website and follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using #iVoteBC, and show your support by updating your social profiles.

If you have any questions, contact Elections BC. Your vote counts! Be sure to cast your ballot for the 2017 Provincial Election.