Vancouver Is Awesome

Super, Neighbours in BC: Feast Tofino 2013 – Part Three: Feast!

2013-05-19T18:34:58Z

Welcome to the latest series of Super, Neighbours blog posts where we highlight incredible travel destinations in British Columbia!Feast Tofino is back for it’s third year and it’s better and longer than ever. Stretching throughout May, it features “Stay and Dine” packages as well as $29, $39 and $49 “Dine About” set price menus, special events, and celebrates “the abundance of seasonal produce, seafood and sustainable “boat-to-table” practices commonly adopted by the area’s restaurants” and the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild.

In this 5 part series I’m going to show you everything from the ease of travelling to Tofino, to the amazing food you can eat, activities you can try, places you can stay and people you can meet.

If you missed it, here’s Part One: Getting There! and Part Two: Ocean Village Resort
Presenting Part Three: FEAST!

Okay, I’ve teased you for a few posts now, but it’s finally time to make your mouth water and show off what my trip was actually about…FEAST!

Feast Tofino runs from May 1 to May 31st, and includes events at various restaurants in the area, guests chef dinners, and the $29, $39, and $49 Dine About Town meals!

There are TONS of events happening over the next few weeks, which you can check out by CLICKING HERE, and below I’ll show you a few of the delicious meals that I had while in town!

So on my first evening in town I was guided around by the wonderful Bobby Lax, the Community Food Coordinator for the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild (which I’ll talk about in my next post!).

Our first stop was SOBO (which I learned stands for Sophisticated Bohemian), where I got to sample some of the best dishes on the menu, and of course their famous fresh-squeezed key lime margaritas (it was so good) – pictured above!

We ate our way through some Marina’s Top Drawer raw oysters, Broiled Oysters w/ salmon bacon (remembering this is making my mouth water) w/ miso mayo, “Humpback Shrimp” (w/ cayenne tequila sauce, blue cheese, blue claire sauce, gem lettuce), Grilled grape leaf wrapped Little Qualicum fresh cheese, housemade bread & duck sausage (this is on the Feast Dine Around menu), and finally the Killer Fish Taco – spicy wild fish, crispy corn tortilla and fruit salsa (one of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had).

It was all incredibly good, every single dish…and I’m still drooling at the thought of that salmon bacon. Thanks SoBo!

We made a second stop over to The Point at the Wickaninnish Inn – somehow I was oblivious to the fact that our own Erin Ireland of the #ToDieFor food blogs was just around the corner from me, indulging in the “Inspirational Chef’s Table” event with Lucais Syme! We didn’t run into each other in the end, but from her tweets it looks like she too had an amazing meal and great stay.

I still don’t know how I consumed all this food (well, one of the photos above is Bobby’s dessert, but still)!

We started with a special Albacore tuna tartare w/ Radish , soy, scallion, wonton crisp, followed by Chicken Broth – w/ Ricotta Gnudi, Chicken Balls, Spring Shoots, Greens (this warmed me up nicely!), – Tofino Halibut (fresh in that day!) w/ Wild Rice, Celery, Black Garlic, Bamfield Seaweed Broth – and for dessert Rhubarb w/ Sour Cream Ice Cream, Walnuts (Bobby’s dessert) - Crème Fraiche Mousse - w/ Lemonade, Arugula, Spices (my dessert – this was insanely good).
I rolled myself into bed nice and early with a full belly and a happy heart, excited to find out what tomorrow would bring….

The answer was rain (lots of it) and a ton of fun. I don’t have breakfast photos to show you guys because I found out around 8:30am that I would get to go on a whale watching trip.
Now, I know my body pretty well and a) an empty stomach + a boat = bad and b) too full stomach + boat = bad…so I grabbed a quick bagel from Breakers and made it through the high seas in tact.

My next meal was the Driftwood Café Patio Grille with Lucais Syme of La Pentola! It was still pouring out but that didn’t stop anyone from coming out to chow down on the delicious seafood chef cooked up for us. There were salads, and skewers of spot prawns, tuna and salmon and a toasty warm cafe setting, perfect for an early afternoon BBQ.

There are still so many events like this lined up for Feast – including two more grilles, one with Trevor Bird this weekend and one with Nicole Gomes next weekend. Check out the full list of events here, you don’t want to miss these!

My last event, and meal, in Tofino was the Third Annual Mother’s Day Brunch at Shelter – where proceeds went to the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild. I met up with Bobby Lax again and had myself a waffle made by the Grade School Gourmet kids – which came with homemade island preserves, whipped cream and maple syrup…and some fresh squeezed orange juice! It was all excellent, and I decided I will need to go back to Shelter the next time I’m in town as there were SO many items on the menu that looked delicious!

Well there you have it, if you’re mouth isn’t watering by now, I don’t know what will do it! Stay tuned for Part Four in the series with my posts on the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild, and all the fun activities I managed to cram into my short trip! Thanks again to Tourism Tofino for having me!

Foncie’s Corner Volume 14

2013-05-17T06:55:00Z

From 1934 to 1979, street photographer Foncie Pulice set up his camera on Vancouver city sidewalks and snapped candid shots of people strolling by. For almost half a century, he took thousands of photos, unwittingly capturing moments in time, the history of a city, and the lives of British Columbians.

Now documentary filmmaker Melanie Wood and British Columbia’s Knowledge Network are bringing these photographs together – collecting them from albums around the province and giving them a public home. Photo negatives of Foncie’s images do not exist. He destroyed most of them when he retired. Until now there was no central archive or collection.

Here are some thoughts from one of the subjects of this photo:
“My dad was attending Fruit Growers meetings and I stayed with my parents at the Georgia Hotel. My dad and I were walking along Granville Street, whistling.” – Mary

This is a story about Vancouver, about British Columbia, and about it’s people… so they need your help. Visit Knowledge.ca/FonciesCorner to add your photos and stories to the collection.

We’re sharing a couple of Foncie photos here on V.I.A. each week leading up to the premiere of the documentary film being released in the summer. Share your memories (or the ones you find in your parents’ and grandparents’ archives) and become a part of Vancouver’s history!

We Are The City Album/Concert Package – VIA Exclusive!

2013-05-17T17:11:04Z

Vancouver favourites We Are the City are gearing up for the June 4 release of their next LP, Violent.

To celebrate we’re offering you the opportunity to catch them live July 4 at the Vogue Theatre here in Vancouver with a VIAindie Album Package.

The package is only $32.50 and includes a ticket to the July 4 show, a commemorative poster, and a signed copy of “Violent”, and the only place to get them is right here.

Get Your Package Now !

Tickets are also available at Red Cat, Zulu Records, Northern Tickets and hipcitymusic.ca/tickets.

>>> Oh, and BONUS Awesome, we’re going to give away two sets of packages on Facebook (click here for details) and Twitter (click here for details)! You’re welcome! <<<

Fitness Friday: @BarreFitness Challenge Week Ten

2013-05-17T16:35:45Z

IT’S FITNESS FRIDAY!
For the next 3 months I’m blogging about my adventure to complete the 36 classes in 90 challenge put on by and in partnership with Barre Fitness!
Hopefully you’ll join me and be motivated to get fit! I’ll be sharing recipes, exercises, class and workshop ideas, and more.
And *BONUS* if when I complete the challenge and go to 36 classes, I get to give away TWO 2-Week Trial passes to Barre Fitness to some lucky VIA readers!
So encourage me on twitter follow the challenge hashtag: #BBFC and I’ll see you at the Barre!

Happy Fitness Friday everyone! Hope you’re all staying on track with your fitness and health goals… Just so you know, with over 2 weeks to go I’m taking my 31st of 36 classes in the challenge. Almost there!

Today I wanted to let you know, in case you weren’t aware, that Barre Fitness also has a studio on the North Shore! (and they’re doing the Barre Body Fitness Challenge over there too!)

They are centrally located in the heart of North Vancouver on Marine Drive at Pemberton Avenue – with a huge 2,300 sq ft space that includes locker room with showers, towel service, free parking, and childminding for all the moms!

You can sign up for childminding during the 9:30 am and 11:00am classes, Monday to Friday…check out the awesome kids room below:

Much like the Yaletown studio you can find Tonic Clothing for sale, Raise The Barre classes on Sundays, and amazing staff/instructors teaching the same wide-variety of class styles. (Including workshops during the BBFC!)

Check out their Facebook page, and blog – and the schedule on the Barre Fitness website for more details. See you at the Barre!

Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films: The Big Fix

2013-05-17T03:47:32Z

On June 8th and 9th, the 4th annual Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films will open its doors at the Vancity Theatre to screen some amazing films focused on the beauty of our oceans, and some of the threats to its health. V.I.A. is a proud media sponsor of the festival, below is the first in a series of blog posts highlighting some of the Festival’s films.

‘The Big Fix’ premiered at Cannes in 2011 and is an un-coverup of the BP oil spill in the Gulf.

This expose raises awareness about the serious Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion off the Louisiana coast in April 2010. In addition to the eleven workers killed by this catastrophe, nearly five million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico over the next five months. ‘The Big Fix’ exposes the truth behind the spill and BP’s negligence in the aftermath.

Directors, Josh and Rebecca Tickell risked their lives to make ‘The Big Fix.’ Josh Tickell, a Louisiana native, felt a personal connection to this story as he saw this environmental catastrophe destroy the lives of his neighbors and town he once called home. Josh and Rebecca knew they had a duty to show the world what was really happening.

They went in undercover, rigged with cameras and got some extremely damning and controversial material of BP on film. “I would literally be shaking as I went in undercover, but I am so glad that I did it,” Rebecca says. She wound up poisoned and sick from exposure to the oil and dispersant. To this day, doctors say she can’t expose the skin on her neck and chest to the sun for the rest of her life. Women down in the Gulf who were exposed to high levels of oil and dispersant like Rebecca was are having miscarriages and malformed babies. This was a real wake up call for the Tickells. Living with the knowledge that the oil is still leaking, the fish are still toxic, and the Gulf is dying was a lot to wrap their heads around and further pushed them to get this important message to the American people. In the end, they were reminded that large oil corporations put profit before the well being of people and the planet, and that it will take all of us to get out of this mess.

Josh and Rebecca make an unstoppable couple. They are both so completely devoted to changing the future of consumption on this planet, and their marriage only ignites the activist characteristics in each of them. Tim Robbins, who executive produced ‘The Big Fix’ was also a huge inspiration to the filmmakers. He is courageous and uses his star power to truly make a difference and take a stand for real democracy. At the same time, he has a great sense of humor which is important when you’re dealing with issues as heavy as this. Josh and Rebecca were also honored and inspired by working with Jason Mraz, Peter Fonda, and Amy Smart to create this powerful film.

Since the film, Josh and Rebecca have further examined their own lives and contributions to the pressing issue–healing and caring for this planet. According to Rebecca,
Somewhere along the way we fell asleep. “We” being the tribe of people who once knew how to survive on planet Earth. We forgot how to live naturally and intuitively. With the dawn of the industrial revolution we lost awareness of the fundamental principals that connect us to nature and to our most basic instinct to care for our environment so that we can thrive in it. Today – we get in our car, drive to the gym, drive home, drive to work, drive home, drive to the grocery store, drive home and then flip on tv as we fall asleep. All of this so we can pay for our coal powered homes, gas powered cars, food and grown by someone, somewhere that we don’t know.

As we have lost connection with our biological instincts, we have abused our role on Earth and pushed our welcome to the very brink. Mother Earth will survive, but whether or not “we” will is up to us.

So where do we go from here? We must use and promote alternatives to oil, coal, nuclear and “natural” gas. We must start growing our own food or joining local CSA’s. We need to get out in nature, exercise and remember that we are doing a delicate dance with mother nature and that our survival depends on that.

VIDEO: Harrison Hot Springs VS London with @Tripstyler and V.I.A. on #AMBC

2013-05-17T14:17:14Z

Trish Friesen from Tripstyler and I are now appearing semi-regularly on Global’s new 24 hour news station, BC1! Every couple of weeks we join Jill Krop on her AM/BC program to discuss travel tips. Trish focuses on an international destination and I’m all about places to visit in BC, in the spirit of my Super, Neighbours feature here on our blog.

In our most recent segment, Trish presented London, England as a destination and I countered with Harrison Hot Springs, BC. Check out the segment below and have a great long weekend, whether you spend it in Vancouver or get out of town.

The Opening — The DJ Trike!

2013-05-17T00:41:38Z

THE OPENING is all about delving into the fascinating, quirky and wonderful visual arts in Vancouver. Each week we’ll feature an artist, cover an exhibition, discuss a lecture and everything else in-between to delve deep into who and what makes art happen!

This week’s article is by guest contributor Agnes Wisden.

The DJ Trike.

WORDS: AGNES WISDEN

Once the sun comes out and the dark rainy winter days are farther in between, the bicycles start to be dusted off and the city streets become alive with cyclists exercising, commuting, and taking leisure rides on their steeds of choice. Riding a bike adds its own adventure and wanderlust to the morning commute, and if yours takes you anywhere near and around Strathcona and Chinatown, you may have seen Jonathan’s Igharas‘ self-made pedal-powered music machine, The DJ Trike, in its more stationary, daytime incarnation. By night, it’s an entirely different beast: Igharas’ invention has appeared on Third Beach for sunset dances, filled the downtown streets with spontaneous late-night parties, and made a scene for political gatherings over the past few years, always taking passers-by by surprise. People lose themselves to the beat, the environment, and the spontaneousness of it all: it is, quite literally, a party on wheels.

The DJ Trike.

Currently, Igharas is running a Kickstarter campaign, The DJ Trike Soundtravel Project, which will give the DJ Trike a complete design overhaul and see it undertake a cycling roadtrip from Vancouver to Los Angeles (an leg-burning distance that spans over 2985 km), throwing parties along the way. Igharas hopes to bring the connective possibilities of music that he’s experienced though his design down the West Coast and beyond, all while raising awareness for sustainable, pedal-powered energy and transport. In return for support, Igharas is offering unique one-one DJ lessons and, for keen non-Vancouverites, the commitment of the Soundtravel project to head to your city in particular.

It’s no surprise to learn that Igharas is both a designer and DJ himself. In its first incarnation, the DJ Trike came about as an idea for Igharas’ final thesis that fused his multiple passions into a single project. Inspired by utility tricycles in Asia, it is entirely self-powered, down to its ability to broadcast its pop-up parties live. Its mission is “about letting go and expressing your soul,” Igharas says, which is exactly what he hopes to continue doing with this Kickstarter campaign. More than halfway to his funding goal, he is tantalizingly close to bringing his inspiration and dream to the next level.

#YVRShoots – New U.S. Shows ONCE UPON A TIME IN WONDERLAND, ALMOST HUMAN, INTELLIGENCE & THE 100

2013-05-17T17:49:59Z

In the third year of this series, expect me to photograph and write about more of the film and TV productions which showcase our city and sometimes put a celebrity actor or two in the frame. 2013 brings Man of Steel and Elysium to theatres and filming of Godzilla, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, Arrow, The Killing and Continuum. You can find more on my daily blog yvrshoots.com.

Five American broadcast networks unveiled their fall plans in New York this week and four of the seven TV drama pilots and one TV presentation we saw filming in Vancouver this spring made the cut for next season. Once Upon a Time ’s Victorian-era spinoff Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is scheduled for Thursday nights on ABC. While Almost Human, starring Karl Urban (Star Trek’s Bones) and Michael Ealy as futuristic human and android police partners, will air Monday nights on FOX after the World Series. Intelligence starring Josh Holloway (Lost’s Sawyer) as “The Six Billion Dollar Man” will debut on CBS on Monday nights next year. And post-apocalyptic The 100 about a hundred juvenile delinquents sent back to Earth from space almost a hundred years after nuclear disaster is slated for early 2014 on The CW. Not a bad outcome, considering there were fifty odd drama pilots vying for thirty prime time slots this year (double the 15 drama openings from last year after a slew of cancellations including locally-filmed Emily Owens, M.D., Cult and Red Widow).

Unfortunately, even in a big year for new dramas, some star vehicles didn’t make the cut. Uncle Jessie won’t be returning to film in Vancouver anytime soon. John Stamos (Full House/ER)’s pilot Victor stayed in the mix until the end but NBC opted not to put the drama about a high-powered L.A. divorce attorney, who helps his clients find new faith in life, on its schedule.

Nor will Dwight Schrute be back. CBS held onto Rainn Wilson (The Office)’s pilot Backstrom in round after round of cuts but ultimately passed on the drama about a Portland detective version of Dr. House — self-destructive, offensive, irascible and brilliant. Perhaps it’s too soon for a new House, even one who’s not a doctor.

Vancouver remains popular for American shows because of its beautiful land and cityscapes which can look like anywhere U.S.A. and great, professional crews but this week’s election is a blow to the BC film industry. Premier Christy Clark in on record saying her government will not match incentives with the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, where film and TV production has shifted in the last five years. Will some of these new green-lit pilots choose to film their series elsewhere where it’s cheaper?

Let’s hope they all stay here. Once Upon a Time in Wonderland is the big surprise of the Upfronts. Originally pitched as a bridge between batches of episodes of the mother show Once Upon a Time on Sundays, crew filmed only five scenes in Vancouver to present to network executives. But the finished trailer looks so magical that it boosted what was conceived as a spinoff to its own slot on Thursday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC. Set in Victorian England, poor Alice (Sophie Lowe) is trapped in an insane asylum muttering about mermaids, mushrooms, pirates and her lost love Cyrus (Peter Godiat) until she is rescued by the Knave of Hearts (Michael Socha) and the White Rabbit (voiced by John Lithgow). Will there be some intersections with Fairy Tale Land, Neverland or Storybrooke? The other ABC pilot Big Thunder, a 19th century western based on a popular Disney ride and filmed mainly in Maple Ridge and Squamish, did not get picked up.

FOX pilot Almost Human came to Vancouver with an excellent pedigree. From J. J. Abrams and Fringe showrunner Joel Wyman it paid homage to its smart predecessor in so many ways. The production used many of the former Vancouver Fringe crew as well as its production signs BELLY. Some of the set dressing looked familiar too, with futuristic kiosks like Quick Volt electric car stations and Quick Stands offering everything from Experience Enhancers to Intellect Expanders and Synthetic Pets observed. The pilot filmed for three weeks here in familiar Fringe locations from the downtown business district to Gastown’s Winters Hotel to under the Cambie Bridge to the Terminal City Ironworks complex dressed like a Blue Light district.

But now Almost Human is a show in its own right. And a surprisingly funny one at that , with sardonic John Kennex (Karl Urban), a man not fond of the “synthetics”, trashing one and ending up partnered with Dorian (Michael Ealy), an android who has more emotions than he does. A buddy cop duo for the future.

CBS pilot Intelligence about an American government agent Gabriel (Josh Holloway) with a super-computer microchip in his brain that makes him the smartest smart phone ever is another VFX-heavy show. Something Vancouver does extremely well. But this agent who can hack into anything is reckless and unpredictable so the head of the government cyber-security agency Lillian Strand (Marg Helgenberger of CSI) assigns secret service agent Riley Neal (Meghan Ory from Once Upon a Time) to protect him from himself and others. The pilot filmed all over Vancouver but was spotted only a couple of times on location. Crew told me most places were chosen for their privacy.

The CW pilot The 100 also proved hard to find on location. Based on an upcoming book series, it’s about a hundred juvenile delinquents sent back to Earth from space almost a hundred years after nuclear war to see if the planet is habitable. And judging from a clip filmed in one of our local forests, at least part of the planet has recovered nicely. Can they re-colonize? Only the pretty ones survive, joked Television Without Pity. The other CW pilot that filmed here Blink — about a girl whose father is in a coma — did not get picked up.

But there are rumours that another CW pickup Tomorrow People might shift production to Vancouver, reuniting Arrow and Tomorrow People stars Stephen and Robbie Amell here. The cousins shared a childhood photo on stage at today’s CW Upfront to a chorus of awwws from the audience.

Super, Neighbours in BC: Feast Tofino 2013 – Part Two: Ocean Village Resort

2013-05-17T04:37:21Z

Welcome to the latest series of Super, Neighbours blog posts where we highlight incredible travel destinations in British Columbia!

Feast Tofino is back for it’s third year and it’s better and longer than ever. Stretching throughout May, it features “Stay and Dine” packages as well as $29, $39 and $49 “Dine About” set price menus, special events, and celebrates “the abundance of seasonal produce, seafood and sustainable “boat-to-table” practices commonly adopted by the area’s restaurants” and the Tofino-Ucluelet Culinary Guild.

In this 5 part series I’m going to show you everything from the ease of travelling to Tofino, to the amazing food you can eat, activities you can try, places you can stay and people you can meet.

If you missed it, here’s Part One: Getting There!
Presenting Part Two: Where to Stay!

So I told you about how to get to Tofino in my last post and today I get to share one of the places you can call home on your trip!

There are so many incredible places to stay in Tofino, and Bob has highlighted a few on his previous trips, but when I saw I would be staying at the Ocean Village Resort I was pretty excited…

They’re located on beautiful McKenzie Beach just a few minutes from the airport and downtown Tofino and have a wide range of housing options!

The cabins at Ocean Village are known for their “beehive” design, and are available in single-story 1-2 bedroom units or upper and lower studios. Each cabin features a private bathroom with a shower and full size tub, full kitchen, bed linens and towels, private entrance, private patio and picnic table (or private balcony) and breathtaking panoramic views of MacKenzie Beach.

I ended up in a one-bedroom cabin at the end of the line right by the beach, it was AWESOME. Seriously, I could have stayed there forever, it was pretty adorable and functional at the same time, not to mention an amazing front yard!

If I wasn’t being fed so very, very well on this trip, I would have loved to use the cabin’s kitchen (for more than just opening my Tofino Brewing beer!).

There are spots to park right out behind the cabin, and they have other spaces for cars towing boats as well.

Now, I didn’t take a photo of it (though you can see it online here) but they also have a private pool and hot tub, which became the BEST thing ever to aid my trip. There is nothing like going out on a rainy, cold boat for 3 hours whale watching (pictures soon!), and coming home to a hot tub to thaw out. I actually did it TWICE in one day because I went from the boat to home/hot tub and then went out to take photos of surfing and froze my feet in the ocean, so I went back in after dinner. SO great.

Thanks so much to the great people at Ocean Village for having me (and to them and Tourism Tofino for this basket of made-in-Tofino goodness pictured above – more on some of this to come… *ahem, beer*) I had a wonderful and comfy stay…it took a lot of effort to leave, they’re lucky they didn’t have to drag me away.

There are special rates connected to Feast! that you can check out by clicking here – mid-week Studio rates: Save 10% off on 2-night stays & Save 15% off 3-night stays

Tomorrow I’m finally going to give you a taste (pun intended) of the some of the to-die-for food you can sample during Feast! – Happy Travels!

Van City Kitty: Meet Gordon!

2013-05-16T20:17:38Z

A new kitty once a week! Click here to find out how your cat can appear on Van City Kitty.

Here are the deets on Gordon, submitted by VIA reader : Christine J!

Name: Gordon. AKA: Mayor of Jerktown, Mista Lova Lova, “The Guy”
…
Breed/Colouring: A standard and perfect grey
…
Hood: West End
…

Habits: Gordon has very strict rules against privacy, and enforces compliance by headbutting open any closed doors as well as dashing to the apartment door to listen in on any hallway drama. He also enjoys kneading necks, chirping at birds and squirrels, knocking valuables off of any surface when he is hungry, and intensely staring at his people while they sleep. He occasionally will poop the bathtub, drool, and give morning snuggles. Possibly in that order.

Hangouts: The balcony, drawers, boxes, bags, window sills, and the cardboard boxes that mason jars come in.

Favorite Things: Belly zerberts, hide and seek, feathers, bottle caps, pens, and popping out of the laundry basket like a jack-in-the-box. He most favorite is when the mail-person slides mail through the mail slot (this is most exciting!)

Least Favorite thing: Paper! He hates when Christine has to write papers.

Other Info: Gordon is 2.5 years old and has been a house kitty since birth. Often he can be seen sitting backwards on the kitchen chairs (a la AC Slater) like a “cool guy” and watching his people cook.

The cool guy himself:

If you’re interested in adopting a cat, check out our monthly Van City Kitty Take Us Home editions (most recently here or here!