7 Ways to Get Outdoors in Delta

Viewing platform at Deas Island Regional Park

Wildlife viewing platform at Deas Island Regional Park. Photo: Metro Vancouver Regional Parks

Surrounded by the Fraser River and the Pacific Ocean, Delta has lots of great places to experience the outdoors. Ride your bike, take a nature walk, go bird watching, and lots more.

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7 Ways to Get Outdoors in Delta

February’s Vancouver Hike of the Month: Deas Island

Two people walk along the river in Deas Island Regional Park near Vancouver

Exploring the shoreline near the south end of Deas Island. Photo: Taryn Eyton

Did you know you can hike right over the George Massey Tunnel? The short and easy trail around Delta’s Deas Island Regional Park at the tunnel’s south end is a great hike for February. It’s right at sea-level, so it avoids the snow and is a great walk, even in wet weather. With fewer leaves on the trees, it’s also a wonderful place spot many types of birds, including eagles.

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February’s Vancouver Hike of the Month: Deas Island

Vancouver’s Polar Bear Swim Turns 100! Plus 4 Other Places to Polar Bear Swim in Metro Vancouver

Vancouver Polar Bear Swim

Vancouver Polar Bear Swim. Photo credit: Sherwood411 on Flickr

If you’ve never jumped into the ocean on New Year’s Day before, next year might be the time to start. Vancouver’s legendary Polar Bear Swim celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020! Plus, there are four other Vancouver-area Polar Bear Swims happening on New Year’s Day.

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Vancouver’s Polar Bear Swim Turns 100! Plus 4 Other Places to Polar Bear Swim in Metro Vancouver

BC Superweek: Watch Pro Cycling in Vancouver

Racers at the 2017 Gastown Grand Prix. Photo via GlobalRelayGGP.org

If you want to catch some of North America’s best cyclists in action, check out BC Superweek. From July 5-14 the Vancouver area hosts nine different pro cycling races in six different communities. Each race has a slightly different format, but they all take place on local streets so they’re free to watch. The racing gets pretty exciting as the athletes can hit speeds of up to 70kph! Plus, many of the races have fun extras like kids events, live music, or beer gardens.

There are two main types of races in the series. A criterium is a race where riders do laps around the same short circuit, jockeying for position. There is a lot of sprinting. (Tip: If you want to sound like a pro, call it a “crit”.) The road race is more of an endurance event where the cyclists race a longer course. Both are pretty fun to watch. Here’s a full listing of all the races you can check out.

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BC Superweek: Watch Pro Cycling in Vancouver

Want to sing like Pavarotti? Opera Classes Coming to Vancouver-Area High School

A Vancouver Opera production of Verdi's Aida from 2012

A Vancouver Opera production of Verdi’s Aida from 2012

Earlier this year, it was announced that computer coding would be integrated into the curriculum at schools across British Columbia. But one Vancouver-area district is now offering its students a decidedly more old-school option.

Starting next fall, grade 8-12 students in the Delta School District will be able to enrol in opera classes. They’ll have a unique chance to study alongside professionals from the Vancouver Opera, belting out the classics in Italian, French and German.

The program represents a first-of-its-kind partnership in Canada between an internationally known opera company and a public high school, according to the Vancouver Sun. Students will have the chance to learn not just voice but also acting and script- and score-writing, studying with the same pros who grace the Vancouver Opera stages.  Continue reading:
Want to sing like Pavarotti? Opera Classes Coming to Vancouver-Area High School