One of Maclure's first cabs. Anabelle Bernard Fournier for Hummingbird604
As Dianne Chow, Cathy Browne and I (Anabelle) walked through the exhibit of Maclure’s Cabs 100th anniversary party on October 5th in the Studio 700 at the CBC, we overheard someone say: “Maclure’s is older than the NHL”.
A taxi company that’s older than one of the biggest Canadian institutions is something to be proud of, and pride is something that came plentiful during this anniversary party.
Last week I (Jessica) had the pleasure of dropping by for the launch of the new track for Bank of Montreal’s Marathon representing Hummingbird604.com.
Photo Credit: Walker* on Flickr for North Shore Athletics
This is the marathon’s 41st year running – pun intended. 42.8Km brings the race from Queen Elizabeth Park out to UBC, past the beaches throughout Kitsilano and around Stanley Park, ending downtown. Up to 15,000 runners in total (half and full marathon combined) will storm the city for the event. Traffic will be rerouted and the city will prepare to take on a huge number of walkers, joggers, and fast-paced racers.
Everyone is welcome! Early bird registration is due on Dec 13th, and can be done online at the BMO marathon’s website. Families, communities and businesses are all encouraged.
Although health and personal fitness training are the main goals of this event, it is suggested that possible pledges can be taken for a charity or benefit by the runners, which is definitely in the spirits of this community-building event.
There is also a handful of charities that are partnered with the marathon, including the BC Cander Foundation.
Goal: To be the first choice for all levels of runners for their west coast marathon and running events while representing Vancouver’s urban lifestyle and natural beauty.
More information can be found at the BMO Website and a training schedule can be found at the Running Room. The race is set for Sunday, May 6th 2012, and more details will be announced closer to the date.
Every yearsince I startedblogging, I havewritten about Homelessness Action Week(which this year takes place from October 10th through 16th, 2011). This year is not the exception. Action on homelessness is an important policy issue of mine, and a few years ago I suggested (with no luck) that we should have a National Homelessness Policy Strategy for Canada. Frustrating that so many politicians take it as their “pet issue” yet very few have done anything effectively.
I’m always heartened by the actions taken by the Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee to Stop Homelessness activities:
Highlights:
New this year
– a flash-mob style video launched for Homelessness Action Week imaging the story of homeless-to-housed, a people-powered message about healthy communities.
– How much do you know about homelessness? Take our Myth Busting Survey online.
– Do you want to volunteer? Use our online sign-up form and get connected to Homelessness Action Week organizers in your community.
– Watch for announcements throughout the week as we launch stories about what’s working – including what’s working for urban Aboriginals – and a special project to engage store-front businesses in solutions.
Yet there’s a lot of things we can do, and one of the most important is to raise awareness and engage in action. As a faculty member at one of the most prestigious universities in Canada, and in one of the best departments (Political Science) with some of the smartest and most engaged undergraduate students I have ever met, I take policy action and education on homelessness very seriously. This semester, I asked my students to undertake a quick 72 hour policy analysis to explore how to solve youth homelessness in the Metro Vancouver area.
Homelessness Action Week, is in its sixth year, and is organized by the Greater Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness. The week focuses on increasing awareness and action around homelessness and supports events for people who are homeless and general public around Metro Vancouver and many communities throughout BC and the Yukon.
And since today is Canadian Thanksgiving, do consider donating or doing something for those less fortunate than you, those who are on the streets and don’t have a warm meal to eat while you’re at home having a family feast. Because trust me, there are WAY more homeless people than the counts can yield.
You know that restaurant that you have always wanted to check out, that you think it’s going to totally rock your boat and then sort of disappoints you with a series of mishaps that you did not expect, and most likely neither did the staff? Yeah. That was the case with Al Porto in Gastown. A gorgeous restaurant, extremely spacious, brick-walls, amazing decor and a view of the mountains on the North Shore that many businesses would envy. And a lovely staff.
There are a million reasons why I am thankful this year, even though this is perhaps the year where I have lost the most people in my life (not only to death, in the case of my cousin, my friend Derek K. Miller and the relatives of several close friends of mine) but also in the friendship realm. I decided this year to make my circle of closer friends even smaller, and to not pursue nor invest time attempting to sustain friendships that have faded for one reason or another. Read the rest of this entry »
We recently ran a giveaway for the premiere of Visions of Vancouver by Pi Theatre, on at the CBC Studio 700 until October 15th.
Jennifer Mawhinney and Shaker Paleja – Guntis Gurkis photography
I (Anabelle) attended the premiere of the play on October 6th. The performance is a series of four plays about Vancouver, each with a different topic and a different tone.
Edible sushi at a not-so-expensive price point, that’s what Sendai Sushi is for me. For what I ate (a sushi combo for $8.75 with 3 pieces of nigiri sushi, a California roll and Miso soup), I can definitely pay about the same at Momo Sushi, or Spin Roll (both of which are about at the same distance from my office at The Network Hub).
If you are in a hurry to get some food while downtown, Sendai Sushi is good enough sushi to sustain you.
Clearly, I’ve been out of the loop. So stressed and overworked, I didn’t clue in to the fact that maybe one of the reasons why CTV is running such an excellent series on speaking out about suicide is the fact that this week is Mental Illness Awareness Week. As you know, I co-organize Mental Health Camp with one of my very best friends, professional counsellor and psychotherapist Isabella Mori. So, mental health issues, depression, suicide prevention are all keywords when it comes to worthy causes I champion.
Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual national public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness. The week was established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric Association, and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in cooperation with all its member organizations and many other supporters across Canada.
Established in 1998, CAMIMH is an alliance of national organizations whose activities span the broad continuum of mental health. They represent: consumers and their families; health care and social service providers; professional associations; and community and research organizations. Together, they constitute a vibrant network of national, provincial and community-based organizations dedicated to serving the mental health needs of the people of Canada from coast to coast to coast. CAMIMH’s mission is to promote and facilitate the development, adoption, and implementation of a national action plan on mental illness and mental health.
I was reduced to tears by the amazing idea of the Faces of Mental Illness. Click here to read more about the Faces of Mental Illness 2011. What a courageous and brave group of individuals, who make us realize with their shared stories that mental illness is likely to touch EVERYONE of us at some point in our time, and that mental illnesses have a face too. They could be your friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, sister, brother, mother, father, coworker.
Nearly one in five Canadians is affected by mental illness, yet a persistent stigma prevents millions from getting the help they need. The continuing theme of Mental Illness Awareness Week – Face Mental Illness – is designed to change that. By sharing their stories, the courageous “faces” of our campaign are helping bring mental illness out from the shadows. Their experiences are proof that through proper diagnosis, treatment and awareness, people with mental illnesses can live productive and fulfilling lives.
Claudia Li (the founder of Shark Truth) is a good friend of mine, and someone who has been passionately driving home the message of how cooking shark fin soup is not a sustainable (nor humane) way of preparing soup. While shark fin soup is considered a gourmet dish, and is frequently served at traditional Chinese weddings, it’s also a rather cruel use of shark fin (did you know that the shark’s fin is removed and retained and the rest of the fish is discarded? It hurts just to think about it).
More about Shark Truth:
Founded in 2009, Shark Truth is a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to promoting awareness, education and action for sharks and around shark fin issues. Through our unique Happy Hearts Love Sharks wedding contest, 65 couples have pledged to protect sharks by not serving shark fin at their banquets, totalling to 9,500 bowls of shark fin soup diverted being from consumption (approximately 950 sharks).
I have 2 tickets (total value $70) for the October 13th Sans Fin Soup Cooking Contest to take place on October 13th, organized by Shark Truth in partnership with the Vancouver Foundation. And I am going to give them away to a lucky reader.
Photo credit: Alpha on Flickr
This October 13th, Shark Truth with the support of Vancouver Foundation, presents the Sans Fin Soup Contest: a contest where chefs will be showcasing their shark fin-free soup alternative in a tasting challenge to 300 guests at the Renaissance Harbourside Hotel.
Renaissance Vancouver Hotel Harbourside
1133 West Hastings Street
In the 360º Vista Room
Thursday, October 13th
6pm – 9pm
You can buy tickets online (and you probably should do that soon as I’m sure it’ll be a sold-out event), but for a lucky pair of readers, I have a pair of tickets to attend the event. All you need to do is to share a tip on ways to experience consuming sustainable food in Vancouver or the Lower Mainland. For example, in my case, I recently had dinner at The Observatory, which has dishes that are Ocean-Wise certified. I have also eaten at restaurants that are members of Green Table, let me know. You can win an additional entry by tweeting the following:
I shared a sustainable food tip with @hummingbird604 to win tickets to #SansFin via @sharktruth http://ow.ly/6PDhL You can enter too!
I will draw the winners on October 12th at 2pm, and I will leave the names of the winners at the doors of the event for the winners. I’ll contact them via email and drop a comment on this post too, so stay tuned!
Shortly after finding out I had won tickets from Hummingbird604.com to see Heart As Arena, Animals of Distinction’s latest work showing at the Cultch, Raul asked if I would write a review of the show. I was excited at the thought of being able to share my experience, but then realized what a challenge it was going to be. Unlike many traditional forms of dance, like ballet, it’s not necessary for modern dance to have a set storyline. Read the rest of this entry »
On Friday night the opening post-screening gala of the Vancouver International Film Festival: Same Planet, Different Worlds, took place at Joey on Burrard.
This was a lovely event, and most of the people that I got to chat with were involved in the making of a film, or in the organization of the festival itself. This year of 600 sponsors, contributors, volunteers, and organizers helped make the festival a reality. It was great to have a reminder that many people work hard for months in order to put on a festival that I can just show up for with a ticket and enjoy. This is the 30th anniversary of the VIFF (Congratulations!) and the spirit of celebration was definitely in the air.
Photo Credit: Jessica Brodeur for Hummingbird604
Chef Chris from Joey Burrard was rolling up a storm of sushi and cones in front of a small audience of culinary spectators. He also had his staff sending out flatbreads, sliders, steaks, and an assortment of delicious tasters. Some of which was on the menu, and some was specialty for the event.
Over the years, VIFF and our year-round program at the Vancity Theatre have embraced films that explore and celebrate creativity and the creative sector. VIFF is British Columbia’s window to the world through its cinema. We bring to BC the best films from around the world and include Canadian cinema as an equal on the world stage
Frequently, on my personal Twitter stream, I post motivational quotes (such as the one shown here, which is at the entrance of the New Westminster campus of The Network Hub in River Market). One of the reasons, actually the primary reason why I do it is to motivate myself and have a dialogue, an inner conversation that in fact has an external component (e.g. the fact that I share it with my audience online). Much as I do share a lot of content with my followers because I feel I’m a bit of a curator of information, motivational quotes I’ll fully confess I share them out of selfishness: I love being motivated, and I share my motivational quotes with whoever reads me.
I began teaching at UBC in 2006, although I took a little break around 2008. When I came back to teach at The University of British Columbia a few years ago (I teach in the department of Political Science, at the undergraduate level), a whole new world re-opened. Not teaching for a little while, I had completely forgotten how fulfilling teaching is for me. I teach not because I *have* to but because I love it. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the things that motivates me to share information about New Westminster is that I believe in a holistic paradigm of regional economic development. It’s important to me that the campus New Westminster of The Network Hub (located inside River Market, right by the Fraser River in New Westminster, in the former Westminster Quay) succeeds. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve been trying to make a lifestyle-based move to Victoria. Although the gods of real estate have not quite been on my side, I’ve been more than happy to spend some time in Victoria to decide on where I’d like to live once I sell my condo in Squamish. For the last two weekends, I’ve been happily ensconced at Abigail’s Hotel, one of the best bed-and-breakfasts west of Georgia Straight.
I have to admit, when I tried Abigail’s a year ago, I had a few issues. Their advertised free wireless was shoddy at best, and as someone who works via the web, this was a major stumbling block to my recommending them. Nonetheless, I was tempted to try the hotel again due to a great special on Hello BC. I was glad I took the chance, because I had a fantastic stay (and by the way, the wireless works a charm, now).
Abigail’s has all the warmth one could ask for in a small hotel. Built in the 1930s as a Tudor revival-style apartment complex, the building was converted to its current layout in 1985. Every room is unique, and most have deep tubs with huge showerheads for a spa-like experience. The room my husband and I stayed in was one of the hotel’s Country Rooms, and the soft beds included large faux-fur throws which were incredibly lush. Read the rest of this entry »
One of the reasons why I can manage myself so well, in addition to having 2 interns for my social media life, and amazing collaborators for my academic, consulting and research lives is to schedule my plans to the very minute. That means that, if I agree to meet with you for 15 minutes, it is 15 minutes and no more.
With non-paying, volunteer events, I am even more strict. If you ask me to “pick my brain for a few minutes”, all you probably will get is 5 minutes of a quick phone chat. Given how scarce my time is, and how (in spite of working super fast, at the speed of a hummingbird) I work 15-16 hour days, I block everything, including time for myself. I schedule time to eat, time to have a break and go for ice cream, time for my personal life and my friends.
The first priority in my schedule is my own well-being, as defined as spending time with JT, exercising, eating well and taking breaks. The second is my research, teaching, consulting time. And of course, in those my students take a high precedence. And the third is anything social media related. But I always share my calendar with special people in my life, and with my interns so they know when I am available (or not).
Google Calendar is one of the best tools I’ve ever found and I hope you find this tip useful too.
Three things I absolutely adore: good food, amazing friends and lovely atmosphere. This past week, La Notte (a wonderful Italian restaurant on Dunbar just south of 16th Avenue, near the UBC campus) had all 3: food that was delicious, across my seat in the same table I had my good friend Erica Hargreave who is one of my best friends, and the atmosphere was just right (although the lighting didn’t help my photos, not even in macro). Read the rest of this entry »
My very close friend ML just came back from spending more than a month in Europe travelling through some of my favorite cities, including Paris (France). Having spent extended periods of my life in Paris, and feeling as Parisian as they can come (even though French is, out of the 7 languages I speak, the second one I speak less fluently – I almost forgot most of my Japanese). Read the rest of this entry »
Apple Pie Float (Ephémré Apple Beer & Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream)
Prosciutto Wrapped King Oyster Mushroom & Saki
I found the combinations quite unique but my favorite was, by and large, the king oyster with sake. I found the combination quite tantalizing (and the sake with a slice of cucumber was really refreshing). Furthermore, I was given the opportunity to explore the house (which from what I am told, sleeps 10 people, and could be rented out for weddings, etc.). I considered the idea of bringing my family here for a family holiday or a retreat. And the view from the House was really nice as well. The House of Atypical Pairings was an interesting event, from the viewpoint of someone who is used to very specific flavours (like me, who loves his strong flavours).
I loved being challenged to try new things, and I definitely will have to come back to Tastes of April Point 2012 for the next dose of great food and wine/liquor exotic pairings.
Disclosure: I was invited as a guest of Tastes of April Point. I flew into and from Campbell River compliments of my hosts, the Oak Bay Marine Group. This post was neither paid for nor expected, but I do think that Tastes of April Point is an excellent event and so do the numerous people I interviewed while on site. As always, all views are mine, and I retain editorial control on anything I publish on my site. You can read more of my coverage of Tastes of April Point 2011 in Quadra Island here
I have followed the Boston-based band “The Hush Now” for a long while now, both on Twitter and on Facebook (and yes, they are on MySpace too). Their music is somewhat between folk, ballad and alternative, and I first came upon them once someone posted one of their songs (Pining) on Blip.fm. This song reminds me SO MUCH of my ex-fiancé. Not because I am pining for our lost relationship, but just because the beautiful music makes me cry without much effort.
I have previously written about The Hush Now (including an exclusive interview) and will always have a special place in my heart for this band. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will come to Vancouver soon (did you know that one of their songs, Vancouver, is actually inspired by our fair city?)
For your listening pleasure, Pining by The Hush Now.
By the time this post is published, I will probably be fast asleep as your birthday (like mine did) falls on a Monday. And I know that you don’t need a blog post to tell you how much I value your friendship and how much I love you, my dear friend. But the truth is, I learned from my parents and grandparents (when I was just a little child) to never miss an opportunity to tell the people you love how much you DO love them. And I adore you.
I am always in awe of your amazing energy, your strength, your entrepreneurial spirit and your endless generosity. You have made of me a better entrepreneur, a better friend, a much more reasonable boss with those who work under my direction, and a better human being. You always have my back, and without missing a beat, you can switch quickly from gently scolding me to laughing with me uncontrollably as we do mindless one-dollar-store-shopping. You’re my friend, my sister and my confidant. And I’m always eternally grateful to the Universe for bringing you to my life. Have a wonderful birthday, today and every single day of your life.
I hope we’ll get to celebrate together many more of those birthdays! And know that if I ever move away from Vancouver, you’ll always have a special place in my heart and somewhere to stay over when travelling the world.
There is a phrase that I am not particularly fond of (Thanksgiving Orphans) that describes, apparently, those people who eat a Thanksgiving dinner alone or do not have someone to share this rather relevant meal with. I’m lucky that I’ve never been a Thanksgiving Orphan, but at the same time, I would like to help those who don’t have any plans for Thanksgiving to find a restaurant where they can get their meal. I have done this type of blog post a few years in a row, most recently last year. Read the rest of this entry »
A few weeks ago I met the organizers of the Baker’s Market (I had previously written about Baker’s Market and I will always promote things that are East Vancouver-specific. This year the Baker’s Market in Vancouver takes place at the Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre at 7646 Prince Albert Street in Vancouver, all Saturdays from 11 am to 3pm except October 22nd and November 19th. The Baker’s Market features a Cupcake Eating Contest.
Today, Joe and Grace from Joe and Grace Photography came by the New Westminster campus of The Network Hub to carry on a photo shoot. Minna wanted to make sure that the photographs in the website reflected the beautiful environment for coworking that The Network Hub offers. Jay did the photo directing for us and I served as a model for some of the shots.
While we went around the different offices, I took some photos both with my camera and with my iPhone. Here are some shots that I took during the photo shoot. I loved Joe and Grace, they were so sweet and extremely professional. And we got to meet their 2 month old baby! So cute.
Overall, it was a great exercise, and I’m glad I was able to participate, despite how much work I had to do!
