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Selasa, 25 Januari 2011

Give Us an Edge in the Global Brain Race (in Opinion)

Give Us an Edge in the Global Brain Race (in Opinion): "

Idea: Attract the best foreign students by fast-tracking their Canadian citizenship."

Don't Take Digital Innovation for Granted (in Mediacheck)

Don't Take Digital Innovation for Granted (in Mediacheck): "

In Canada, powerful actors want to make the Net more expensive, less open."

Finding Top Family Arts Destinations with VancouverMom

It’s another big year for Vancouver as the city celebrates 125 years since its incorporation and to boot, it has been designated a Cultural Capital of Canada for 2011. This means we can expect public celebrations, exhibits, performances and more throughout the year (many of which are already listed on the CelebrateVancouver125 website). In honor of this recognition and designation, local blog VancouverMom is putting the call out to find the “30 Best Family-Friendly Places to Explore the Arts in Vancouver”.

Some of my picks would be…

The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art

Museum of Anthropology

Vancouver Art Gallery

Public art walking tours (on your own)

West End or Coal Harbour Community Centres

Granville Island for the Carousel Theatre

Granville Island for the Arts Umbrella

Public can submit their favourite places online until January 31, 2011. VancouverMom then will have the task of putting together the ultimate list for family-friendly art destinations in Vancouver. Follow on Twitter for updates about the poll and everyday family resources.

Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver

Tales of the Cocktail has been bringing mixologists, spirit enthusiasts, professionals and suppliers together for the last eight years with their festival in New Orleans. For the first time ever, the festival is going on tour and they have made Vancouver their very first destination — with plans to make the Vancouver edition an annual event.

“This is a Vancouver-based event because we’ve done some great things that have been noticed,” said Jay Jones, Consulting and Founding member of the Canadian Professional Bartenders Association (and new Lead Bartender at Market by Jean-George at the Shangri-La). Jones has been in the industry for 15 years and he told me that this event will showcase the work of our local cocktail community and bring some much-deserved international recognition which can benefit the city as a whole.

Jay Jones

The micro-festival in Vancouver will reflect the same high-standards of the New Orleans event, but highlight the Pacific Northwest, and more so Canada’s position on the world cocktail stage.

“It can help drive tourism and people will soon visit the city for its cocktail culture,” added Jones. “We’re known for our hospitality, natural beauty, restaurants, chefs, wine, and environment, and now you can add ‘great cocktails’ to form a complete package.”

Bringing the event here was the first step, the next was filling up the festival’s schedule with seminars and events that would showcase Canada’s spirit culture from coast to coast.

Seminars recently announced on the schedule include: Famous New Orleans Cocktails, For the Love of Gin: How the Historic Spirit is Making a ComebackThe Birth, Death and Rebirth of Canadian Whisky, The History and Importance of Ice in Cocktails, The Science of Cocktails: New Techniques Behind the Bar, and Who’s Your Daddy? A Mai Tai Paternity Test.

Special events include a tribute to the Caesar (“Canada’s Cocktail”), and a BC bar crawl. “A big part of the event is bringing the global community to Vancouver and getting them into our bars,” added Jones who praised the creative and innovative bartenders in our local establishments.

Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver will kick off with a welcome reception at the Vancouver Aquarium, a place Jones says is very fitting. “It will showcase our sea life, tourism, and some of the most beautiful things in our part of the world.” The theme of the event is “Gibson’s Finest Canadian Whisky presents ‘True North’” and cocktails will be inspired by various regions of Canada. Attendees will also be able to taste Vancouver’s new signature cocktail — the Dalhousie by Jonathan Smolensky of George in Yaletown — that was determined in a competition earlier this month.

Recipe for the Dalhousie

Start by taking 6-8 Canada plums, which have been dehydrated in coarse sugar, and steep them in Gibson’s 18yr Canadian whisky for 4-5 days. Then use these ingredients:

60 ml (2 oz.) Canada plum infused 18yr Gibson’s

15 ml (1/2 oz.) Domaine de Canton liqueur

10 ml (1/3 oz.) Zwack Unicum

1-2 dashes of high quality rendition of Boker’s bitters

Lemon peel

1. Chill a coupe glass and a mixing/Boston glass.

2. In a mixing glass, add the Canada plum infused 18yr Gibson’s, the Domaine de Canton, the Zwack Unicum, and Boker’s bitters. Stir until heavy and properly diluted.

3. Remove the pith of the lemon peel and rub the peel on the inside edge of the coupe glass, then toss the peel.

4. Double strain all mixed ingredients into the coupe glass and garnish with a small Canada plum fan.

The entire 3-day festival will wrap up with a Mardi Gras style closing reception and the finale, “Good Bye Vancouver, Hello New Orleans” Cochon de Lait. Tales of the Cocktail Vancouver runs March 13th until the 15th and tickets are now on sale.

The festival will return home to New Orleans July 20th – 24th, 2011 with its spirited schedule of seminars, dinners, competitions, parties and special events. Follow @TOTC on Twitter for festival updates.

Vancouver History: The Hotel Georgia

This morning it was announced that the Rosewood Hotel Georgia will officially open its doors on Saturday May 7th 2011, exactly 84 years to the day that the hotel first opened its doors in 1927. While it has been under construction and major renovations for the last few years, it was still an icon during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics with its larger-than-life 15-storey Canadian flag wrap.

Photo credit: Rodefeld, Tyler Ingram on Flickr

1930 – Hotel Georgia. Photographer: Leonard Frank. Vancouver Archives Item #Hot P2

Over the last century the Hotel Georgia hosted everything from Board of Trade meetings to guest like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and the Rolling Stones. However it was not only accommodation for dignitaries and Hollywood’s glitz and glamour crowd; the pub was also a favourite hangout for UBC students who even protested its closing in 1962.

1945 – Hotel Georgia (Top Right) 1945 – alcove VPL#: 26741, (Top Left) elevator lobby VPL#: 26308

(Bottom Right) lounge VPL#: 26314, (Bottom Left) ballroom VPL#: 26315

The new Rosewood Hotel Georgia will feature close to 10,000 square feet of deluxe banquet and meeting facilities, the Rosewood Spa, a fitness centre, and a 54’ indoor salt water lap pool. There will be 155 rooms and two Penthouse Suites, the Lord Stanley Suite and the signature Rosewood Suite, both featuring a private rooftop terrace complete with city skyline views, outdoor hot tub and fireplace.

Hotel Georgia writing room VPL Accession #: 26310

Chef David Hawksworth will also open the 2,800 square foot ‘Hawksworth’ Restaurant including a seated bar and lounge area and a first floor private dining room, overlooking the Art Gallery.

With TripAdvisor recently announcing the “Top 10 Luxury Hotels in Canada” and 8 of them being in BC, it sounds like the Rosewood Hotel Georgia is poised to fit right back into the legacy of luxury accommodation that it created in Vancouver.

For more history, check out The Hotel Georgia: A Vancouver Tradition by Sean Rossiter that was published in 1998.

My weekly history series has been rebranded for “Vancouver 125” with a focus on specific dates, landmarks, and events throughout Vancouver’s history. This series is dedicated to the tremendous life and work of Chuck Davis.

Langley Chiefs Prize Package

We’re spoiled in Vancouver when it comes to hockey. We have an NHL team and a WHL team (here and in the valley) and not to mention we’re surrounded by community clubs. Heading outside of the downtown core, there’s even more hockey with BCHL teams in several cities including the Langley Chiefs who play at the Langley Events Centre. Anyone whose ever been to a BCHL game knows that it’s local hockey with heart – these are the rising stars of tomorrow and you don’t have to shell out $20 for just a hot dog and beer when you see them play.

The Chiefs are currently third in the BCHL’s Coastal Conference (that includes the likes of the Surrey Eagles and Coquitlam Express) and Jeff Tambellini of the Vancouver Canucks is a former Chief himself.

The team would love to host one of my readers for an upcoming game, Saturday February 5th versus the top-ranked Powell River Kings. As a bonus, the Sandman Hotel has offered a night’s stay to my contest winner so that they don’t have to drive home after enjoying the game.

Here’s how you can enter to win:

Leave a comment on this blog post (1 entry)

Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I entered to win a @LangleyChiefs prize package from @Miss604

The tickets will be ice-level and the prize package includes the one night stay at the Sandman Hotel in Langley February 5, 2011. You can take your son or daughter, friend, or hockey-loving spouse. Tourism Langley has a full list of events, festivals, and other activities that you can enjoy while in the area. I will draw one winner at random from all entries this Friday, January 28, 2011.

New! The Tree House, a Page for Children and Youth!

The Tree House, a Page for Children and Youth!

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Ariadne

Welcome to the Tree House, a page dedicated for children and youth !

You can post your poems, stories, ideas , special events, awards and projects. Selected poems will be read on the World Poetry Cafe Radio Show and published on www.worldpoetry.ca. School projects are also very welcome.

Calling all artists: We would like to place a Tree House image that we can put at the beginning of each post.

Poets and short story writers: Please send your poem, a brief biography and name of your country.

E-Poets: If you want your poem read on the radio show as an e-poem, please send it to: ariadnes@uniserve.com

World Poetry Readings:

World Poetry New Westminster is dedicating a half hour for Children and youth at the New Westminster Public Library, the fourth Wednesday of each month starting at 6:30 pm. If you are in the Vancouver or New Westminster area or on tour, please contact: ariadnes@uniserve.com

World Poetry International Festival , May 14-15 will be featuring children and youth poets at the Richmond Cultural Centre, Richmond, BC.

Join us and have fun as we explore the wonderful world of poetry and stories.

Special Events:

Danielle Jones, First World Poetry New Westminster Youth Ambassador!

January 26th at 6:30 pm, New Westminster Public Library, our partners, 716-6th Avenue (Auditorium Room) New Westminster, BC, Canada.

Danielle Jones will receive the World Poetry New Westminster Youth Ambassadorship. Miss Jones has been very active reading and volunteering at World Poetry events. She is the author of two chapbooks and has written a number of poems in the last few years. Recently she received a golden spoon from the Mayor of New Westminster, His Worship Wayne Wright while reading a special poem (New Westminster) in Council Chambers in celebration of World Poetry’s first year in New Westminster.

“Danielle is a valued volunteer and poet, opening doors to other youth poets who will be the poets and writers of the future. We are very honoured to have her as our first youth ambassador.” says Ariadne Sawyer, World Poetry New Westminster organizer.

All are welcome to attend. There will also be two book launches, poet readings and refreshments. Hosts: Masume Dihkani and Ariadne Sawyer. Free. For more information: 604-526-4729 or ariadnes@uniserve.com

The Tree House Background information:

The founder of the original Tree House, Patricia Star Downey started the Tree House program at age six and continued working on it until she was ten. It included a monthly venue on the World Poetry Cafe Radio Show and a monthly Newsletter as well as contests, guest writers and other events such as The World Poetry Create a Poem table and certificates which World Poetry still does today. Patrica is now in college and has her own family of future poets. She gave us permission to bring the Tree House back to life again. When Patricia was six I asked her why she chose the name, The Tree House? She replied : ” I picked the name because children can climb up into it and feel safe and comfortable.”

This sounds like a house that we all need to go visit from time to time