British Columbia Magazine

Anyone who has grocery shopped while herding a three-year-old wearing a tutu or a unicorn costume knows that children love play-acting and pretending, anytime, anywhere. I figure that it is never too early to spark a love of theatre, so I’ll be bringing my kids to the Victoria Fringe Festival this weekend.

The special one-day FringeKids Fest takes place this Saturday  from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Victoria’s Market Square (560 Johnson). The free event promises puppet making, crafts, live performances and an inflatable bouncy bunny. Families are encouraged to bring new school supplies to donate to the Single Parent Resource Centre.

I’m also planning to buy some tickets for  Aladdin, The Secret Voyage, presented by Victoria’s own Story Theatre Company. And yes, I do hope to see some grown-up shows during the Fringe, which starts today and runs to September 4. Happy 25th anniversary to the Victoria Fringe, and thanks to all the staff and volunteers who make the magic happen.

Looking for a new ditty to sing around the campfire this summer? Well, you’re in luck. CBC Radio 2 Morning commissioned songstress Sarah Harmer to create a new tune to commemorate Parks Canada’s 100th anniversary.

I heard it this morning on my way to work, and it’s fantastic.  You can download the video and the sheet music here.  

Don’t forget to join magazine staff on Parks Day, Saturday July 16, in Vancouver’s Stanley Park (near the totems).  We’ll be there with BC Parks, Parks Canada, and others (including musical guest K’naan, who will be part of a free concert, beginning at 4 p.m.). See our blog post below for full information about the event.

If you can’t make it to Vancouver, take advantage of free admission to any national park this Saturday and try out Harmer’s new Canadian campfire song for yourself.

If you haven’t visited Victoria’s Royal BC Museum recently, this week is a great time to become reacquainted with its many fascinating exhibits. Admission is by donation from January 2nd to the 9th, as a gift from the museum to the community.

I was part of the crowd there yesterday, bringing my two preschoolers to learn about everything from longhouses, to woolly mammoths, to alien species. They sat, quietly spellbound, while we watched the presentation on different types of aboriginal masks. It’s an ideal time to take little ones for a brief visit to get a taste of all our museum has to offer.

Admission by donation runs until January 9th. A donation of $5 per person is suggested.

Bibliophiles and magazine junkies will descend on downtown Vancouver this Sunday, September 26, for The Word on the Street, a nation-wide celebration of the written word–and British Columbia Magazine will be there to join in the fun! Will you?

Look for our booth in the “Mags BC Tent” at the Homer Street side of the Vancouver Library for a special subscription offer. Then, step up to our prize wheel for the chance to win great British Columbia Magazine swag. All proceeds go to Raise-a-Reader, and every spin wins.

And don’t miss contributing photographer Gary Fiegehen’s presentation “The Power of a Picture: My Work with the Lil’wat Nation” in the Magazine Life Tent at 1 p.m. Fiegehen recently received special permission to attend a traditional Lil’wat naming ceremony for the feature story “A little girl gets her name,” appearing in our Fall 2010 issue. You can get a sneak peek at some of his images here. Everyone who attends the presentation will receive a free copy of the Fall 2010 issue, while supplies last!

The Word on the Street, taking place at Library Square and CBC Plaza from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., also offers more than 100 author events, exhibits, and performances, and a marketplace. Admission is free. For more information visit www.thewordonthestreet.ca/vancouver.

If you enjoyed learning about British Columbia’s hundreds of “Sleeping Giants” in our Summer 2010 issue, hot off the presses, try spending a day playing amateur volcanologist and exploring the wonders of the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

Natural Resources Canada’s Sea-to-Sky GeoTour guidebook provides information on the origins of the awe-inspiring geological landmarks along the route, including glaciers, mountains, and volcanoes.

Download the free guide or listen to the audio version on an MP3, which includes interviews with scientists like Melanie Kelman, a co-author of the tour, and one of the experts quoted in our volcanoes story. For more information on the famed stretch of Highway 99, check out the photo essay in our Fall 2009 issue.

The British Columbia Magazine team will be appearing at some exciting events in Vancouver and Victoria this weekend. Stop by and see us for valuable tips, travel ideas . . . and FREEBIES!

Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show
Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25, VANCOUVER
Convention Centre, 1055 Canada Place, West Building

British Columbia Magazine will join 300 other exhibitors promoting outdoor adventure and recreational pursuits at the very popular annual Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show. Visit our booth (#209) and be the first to check out our new Survivor Bonus Offer. For only $20.00 you’ll receive a one-year subscription and your pick between a coveted, flashy red, limited-edition, British Columbia Magazine multi-tool and our stylish new sling bag. Plus we’ll throw in a checklist on how to correctly pack a backpack for all of your springtime adventures!

And for inspiration on where to venture in the province, pick up a complimentary copy of British Columbia Magazine.

Click on the image below and print your complimentary 2-for-1 admission coupon. Regular ticket price is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and youth 12-17, free for children under 11.

Chapters bookstores Read Local, Buy Local Earth Day events
Sunday April 25, 12:00 p.m., Chapters at 1212 Douglas Street, VICTORIA
Sunday April 25, 12:00 p.m., Chapters at 788 Robson Street, VANCOUVER
Sunday April 25, 3:00 p.m., Chapters at 2505 Granville Street, VANCOUVER

Get your family ready for their hiking adventures! British Columbia Magazine teams up with ActNow, The North Face (Vancouver), and Robinson’s Outdoor Store (Victoria) to teach children what they need to know about the sport. Topics covered during this free event will include how to stretch properly, how to prepare a healthy lunch, and how to pack a backpack. Audience members will receive a bonus surprise giveaway.

The Spring 2010 issue will be available for sale at the event. See our feature article on “Kootenays: 4 treks, 4 seasons” for great ideas on where to go for your next hiking adventure!

–Katie Knox

Souvenir seekers won’t want to miss an exciting freebie now being offered on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games website. The 160-page Vancouver 2010 Journal, valued at $17.99 and available in English or French, is available for FREE: yes, FREE!

The booklet includes blank writing pages, questions designed “to prompt Games memories,” special pockets for storing tickets and other Games-related memorabilia, as well as photography ideas. Reserve yours at www.vancouver2010.com/memories. (Peculiarly, residents of Australia and Palestine aren’t eligible to receive a copy.)

As the Games draw near, enthusiasts are snapping up Olympic keepsakes ranging from salt grinders to lapel pins to fancy sweaters and gold coins. As Jenny Manzer reported in “Capturing Quatchi” in our Winter 2009 issue, souvenir sales are expected to rack up $54-million in revenue by the time the last medal has been won.

Here are just a few reasons why you shouldn’t miss The Word on the Street book and magazine festival this Sunday, September 27, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Vancouver’s Library Square.

GET GREAT STUFF.

MEET COOL MAGAZINE PEOPLE.

LAUGH AT COMEDIANS.

SUPPORT LITERACY.

ATTEND AUTHOR READINGS.

What’s more . . .  British Columbia Magazine staff will be on site with loads of goodies and our giant Magazine Prize Wheel. We attract crowds every year with our $1 spin-to-win offer, and all proceeds go to the Raise-a-Reader program. We’ll have collector’s issues, magnets, posters, tote bags, T-shirts, and more to give away!

Other special deals of the day:

* 2 YEARS FOR THE PRICE OF 1. Purchase a one-year subscription to British Columbia Magazine, and we’ll give you the second year for FREE! Two years for just $20—and you’ll also get a FREE copy of our Summer 2009 50th-anniversary collector’s issue.

* 5 FOR $5 GRAB BAGS: Snap up one of our British Columbia Magazine tote bags filled with five assorted collector’s issues for just $5.

Don’t miss this fun, annual celebration of the written word. Look for the tents along Hamilton and Homer streets and around the library building.

If you’re looking to grab a last bit of summer fun before fall sets in, it’s not too late to take in Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition. The annual fair runs through the Labour Day weekend, and if you visit between September 5 and 7, keep a lookout for the friendly folks from British Columbia Magazine.

At our booth in front of the Pacific Coliseum, we’ll be giving away FREE copies of the magazine, while supplies last (they’re going fast)! And for just $1 you can spin the British Columbia Magazine Prize Wheel for a chance to win posters, magnets, collector’s issues, hats, T-shirts, and other exciting prizes. Every spin is a guaranteed winner!

Stop by and say “hello”—we’d love to see you!

Let the countdown begin.

In just three days, Lotusland will start the clock for the one-year countdown to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Vancouverites are marking this milestone with the 2009 Cultural Olympiad, running from February 1 to March 21. The celebration will feature 400 performances, both free and ticketed, including dance, visual arts, music, and film.

Famed singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan will headline a One-Year Countdown Celebration concert on February 12, 7:30 p.m., at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Alt-rocker Joel Plaskett, violinist Adrian Anantawan, and the Alberta Ballet will also take the stage at this ticketed event.

Up the Sea to Sky Highway, Whistler Village will host the Whistler Winter Arts Festival through February and March 2009. Enjoy outdoor concerts, photography exhibits, literary soirees, snow sculpting, and more. Many events are free.