April’s looking great for activities and the weather is improving too. I think I’ve compiled everything I know of for the month. There’s something for everybody.
East Coast Music Awards recipient and Great American Songwriting Competition winner David Myles plays the Rio Theatre with Jill Barber tonight. Doors at 7:30.
The Projecting Change environmental film fest continues through Sunday at Fifth Avenue Cinema with a screening of Blue Gold tonight and a second screening of End of the Line tomorrow, among others.
Speaking of which, The Great Farm Trek 2009 is on Tuesday, April 7 at 3:30 pm. It’s a big, fun-filled festival and a walk that follows this route to the farm. More info including entertainment details. I have never been to the UBC farm so I’m really looking forward to this!
The next Vancouver Bloggers Meetup is Wednesday at 6pm. Location TBD. Sign up for updates and RSVP at Meetup.com.
Stop Gateway has organized a protest at Kevin Falcon’s constituency office. Wednesday 3pm – 5pm at the sidewalk adjacent to his office at 17700 No. 10 Highway (56 Ave) in Cloverdale. And if I still lived there…
Kevin Falcon is BC’s Environmental Enemy #1. His massive highway, port and airport expansions collectively pave more than 7,000 acres of BC’s finite farmland.
He destroyed the environmentally sensitive wetlands and raptor forests of Eagleridge Bluffs, and his South Fraser Perimeter Road is poised to seriously harm Burns Bog.
While he is pouring public funds (that BC taxpayers cannot afford) into paving away our aspirations for a livable region, he is chronically underfunding public transportation.
This is a rally for farmland, wildlife habitat, fisheries, clean air and a healthy, livable region.
Rail for the Valley and Gateway to What? team up for Highway 1 Day of Action, 11am – 1pm. More info at the Facebook event page.
Hard rock and metal fans: my friend Dan plays the 5/4 time in ODDCHiLD, which plays the Red Room with Macula and Drums of Autumn. Doors at 8pm, show at 8:15, $10 cover.
Continue reading April events rundown: Earth Run, films, music, art and political events »
I’ve managed to stuff my weekend to the brim with various events, from Juno festivities to enviro-political discussions, and a possible, long-overdue trip to the market.
Here’s what’s going on!
In 10 hours, Avaaz’s new petition asking the federal government to support the CBC has garnered over 25,000 signatures. Please sign the petition and pass it on to your friends!
The Winter Farmer’s Market is on again at the WISE Hall (1882 Adanac St. in East Van) from 10 am – 2pm. Well, technically it’s spring now, so there are some fresh surprises:
Good-bye winter blues (and flus!) — spring has sprung at the Vancouver Farmers Market and what better way to celebrate than with the arrival of spring crops. Brian Patterson of Shalefield Gardens will have several varieties of sprouts including Broccoli, Mustard and Red Radish, as well he will have Micro Greens, Jerusalem Artichokes, Strawberry plants, and Nettle, oh my!
Still fighting off that winter cold? Don’t forget to pick up some garlic, which Brian says his customers are most excited about. His favourite recipe? Garlic broth soup, with celery, carrot, and nettle. Don’t forget to also visit Langley Organic Growers, for their selection of spring greens, including Baby Kale, Arugula, and Mustard Greens. Join us at the Market for this delicious start to spring, but get there early if you want the greens! — Facebook event page
SFU Surrey Campus (at Surrey Central Skytrain), Rm 5140, 13450 – 102 Avenue, Surrey.
1 – 4pm. Free, pre-registration is not required.
The Tar Sands megaproject in Alberta has been described as the most environmentally destructive project ever built. But many people don’t know about the pivotal role proposed BC projects could have in facilitating tar sands expansion and fueling demand for tar sands oil.
Join us for a short video, presentation and discussion on the ways tar sands plans depend on proposed projects in BC. The presentations will focus on the Tar Sands, the Proposed Enbridge Gateway Pipeline, and the Gateway freeway and port expansion schemes.
Presenters:
Harjap Grewal — Council of Canadians: The Gateway and other proposed tar sands pipelines.
Eric Doherty — Livable Region Coalition: The Gateway freeway and port expansion proposals.
Jessie Schwarz — Greenpeace: The environmental and social impacts of the tar sands.
A reminder that it’s Earth Hour from 8:30 – 9:30 pm (local time). Granville Magazine lists 21 ways to spend Earth Hour sans power. I will be observing it at a large party with candles for each person, which should be lovely! I think I missed it last year so this may be my first one. I enjoyed the Globe and Mail’s article about getting creative for Earth Hour.
Continue reading More events: Save the CBC, Earth Hour, local food, tar sands talk, and more »
Last Monday’s anti-Gateway demonstration in Surrey; I’m in there somewhere! Photo from GatewaySucks.org
Stephen Rees’s blog has been bursting with exciting news lately, nearly every single post. When I say exciting, I don’t necessarily mean good, but the headlines do indicate multiple turning points in a potentially positive direction in what has so far been a steadfast plot on the part of our provincial and even federal government to proceed with Gateway.* At a time when gas prices have begun to increase once more, international shipping is declining, and peak oil is on the horizon, our provincial and federal governments are teaming up to build more roads and expand the port on the premise that it will create jobs. While I agree that creating jobs in British Columbia is of utmost importance, the economic benefits of redirecting funding toward building transit would more than double the number of jobs — and they would be local. That keeps BC money in BC. In fact, a study by the Canadian Urban Transit Association found that three times as many jobs are created in public transit as highways. Public transit encourages smart growth, reduces congestion and pollution (thereby making a grand step toward the Province’s 33% reduction in GHG goal), and has minimal environmental impacts.
Want to help steer the government away from highway jobs and construction to green jobs and transit, all across Canada? Here are some petitions and events happening right now:
PETITIONS
– Halt the Gateway Project
– Rail for the Valley: bring back passenger rail now
WRITE TO OUR POLITICIANS/MEDIA
– A Green Economy Makes Cents:
“On January 27, our federal government will introduce a new budget and invest billions of your tax dollars on stimulating the Canadian economy. Let’s make sure that as much of the stimulus package as possible is green.” Send a message to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty asking the government to invest in green jobs and green infrastructure. (David Suzuki Foundation)
Read my letter. (Americans can use the Wilderness Society’s page to send a letter to Congress on the same issue.)
Continue reading Changing the course of the city and country: green jobs and transit now! »
