Inside Vancouver

30+ Vancouver Blues Acts Coming Together for 1 Blowout Benefit Concert

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on March 24, 2016

Image sourced from www.dalannahandowen.com

If you’ve heard Dalannah Gail Bowen sing once, you probably remember her voice. The soulful, gritty blues singer has been crooning to audiences throughout the Lower Mainland for more than three decades. During that time, her reputation spread far and wide. In fact, she was elected to the Blues Hall of Fame last year.

But several months ago, Bowen suffered a stroke after performing at a Christmas benefit concert. She remains hospitalized, with an extensive rehabilitation period ahead. Now, music lovers from throughout the province are banding together for an all-star benefit concert for one of the city’s blues legends. For fans of Bowen, and blues aficionados everywhere, it promises to be the blowout of the year. Continue reading:
30+ Vancouver Blues Acts Coming Together for 1 Blowout Benefit Concert

Can’t-Miss Highlights at the 2016 Vancouver International Auto Show, March 23-27

by Remy Scalza in Events on March 22, 2016

Image from vancouverinternationalautoshow.com

Car lovers, start your engines.

The Vancouver International Auto Show rolls into town March 23-March 27, and this year’s event promises to be bigger than ever. An estimated 100,000 enthusiasts are expected to turn out for five full days of new, exotic, classic and custom cars – all on display at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

For car buffs, the show offers a chance to get up close and personal with rare and exclusive vehicles, as well as cars being debuted for the first time. Unveilings this year include the the Acura NSX supercar, Lexus’ new LF-SA and BMW’s street-legal M4 GTS, as well as more accessible models like Ford’s 2017 F-150 Raptor pickup and the new Lincoln Continental sedan. Continue reading:
Can’t-Miss Highlights at the 2016 Vancouver International Auto Show, March 23-27

Special Exhibit on Franklin’s Lost Expedition Comes to Vancouver Maritime Museum

by Remy Scalza in Events, Uncategorized on March 20, 2016

Images from Parks Canada

In 1845, Sir John Franklin departed England on a quest to traverse the last uncharted section of the fabled Northwest Passage. His ships became icebound high in the Canadian Arctic and Franklin, with his crew of 128 men, was never heard from again. For more than 150 years, the fate and final resting place of Franklin’s lost expedition was one of the greatest mysteries of Canadian history.

But it’s a mystery no longer – and now Vancouverites can get the inside scoop at a special new exhibition at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, launching March 23. Continue reading:
Special Exhibit on Franklin’s Lost Expedition Comes to Vancouver Maritime Museum

Ready to Shop? 3 Vancouver-Area Malls Make Canada’s Top 10 Ranking

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on March 12, 2016

Photo credit: GoToVan | Flickr

If you want to shop ’til you drop in Canada, Vancouver is the place to be.

The city boasts three of the top-10 performing malls in Canada, according to a new ranking released by Retail Insider. Demand for luxury goods, not to mention fancy perks like valet parking and personal shopping services, is driving sales to unprecedented heights in Vancouver.

The city’s top-ranking mall is downtown’s Pacific Centre, which came in second overall on the list, behind Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre. Pacific Centre averaged $1,599 in annual sales per square foot, a 6.7-percent increase over last year.

Oakridge Centre ranked third on the list, with $1,537 in sales per square foot, an increase of 10.2 percent. Burnaby’s Metropolis at Metrotown earned the ninth-place spot, with $1,008 in sales per square foot, up 13.8 percent from last year.

But how to explain these skyrocketing sales during a year when markets were bearish and the economy overall seemed on shaky footing? Continue reading:
Ready to Shop? 3 Vancouver-Area Malls Make Canada’s Top 10 Ranking

5 Can’t-Miss Events at the 2016 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on March 10, 2016

Photo sourced from vcbf.ca | Credit: Cynthia Wong

Days are getting longer. Rains are giving way to blue skies. On city streets, pink and white buds are starting to appear on branches that have been bare all winter.

All of which can only mean one thing: the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival is right around the corner. Each spring, some 40,000 ornamental cherry trees planted along the streets of Vancouver burst into vivid colour. This year, the seasonal spectacle is being commemorated with more than three weeks of cherry-themed concerts, fairs, bike rides and even barges, March 24-April 17.

Here’s a look at 5 can’t-miss events for the 2016 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival:

Get down at the Cherry Jam Downtown Concert: The festival kicks off with a free lunchtime concert in the heart of downtown at the Burrard SkyTrain station. Find a spot under the blossoms and watch as an international lineup offers an ode to the season. Performers include the taiko drumming troupe Vancouver Okinawa Taiko, as well as the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra String Quartet and the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble. March 24 from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Burrard SkyTrain Station indoor concourse; free Continue reading:
5 Can’t-Miss Events at the 2016 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

5 Can’t-Miss Events at CelticFest 2016 in Vancouver

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on March 8, 2016

Image from CelticFestVancouver.com. Credit: Derek Stevens Photography

Get out your shamrocks. Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Western Canada’s biggest celebration of Celtic arts and culture is returning to Vancouver.

CelticFest 2016 hits the city March 10-March 17, packing in a full week of pub-friendly music, spirit tastings, street parties and the big St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Here are a few can’t-miss events for those looking to wear their green with pride:

Rock out with the Irish Rovers: Ambassadors of Irish music, the legendary Irish Rovers have been touring the globe for more than 50 years. Now on their final world tour, they pull into Vancouver just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. March 17; Vogue Theatre; tickets start at $35. Continue reading:
5 Can’t-Miss Events at CelticFest 2016 in Vancouver

End of an Era: Fare Gates Officially Close on Vancouver SkyTrains, starting April 4

by Remy Scalza in Uncategorized on March 6, 2016

Photo credit: Shwangtianyuan | Wikipedia

It was five years ago when fare gates began appearing at the entrances to Vancouver SkyTrain stations. Starting April 4, they’ll finally come into use – system-wide.

It will officially be the end of an era for Vancouverites who grew up using a SkyTrain network that essentially operated on the “honour system.” Transit police did occasionally crack down on fare evaders, but there were no gates to keep people from wandering into the SkyTrain stations without paying.

On April 4, TransLink will officially shut all the gates at SkyTrain and SeaBus stations, a roll-out that is expected to be completed by April 8. Riders will be required to use a valid Compass Card or single-use Compass ticket to tap into the system and open the gates. Compass Card holders must also tap out to avoid being charged for more zones than they actually travelled. Continue reading:
End of an Era: Fare Gates Officially Close on Vancouver SkyTrains, starting April 4