Archive for February, 2012

A Little More Good is a Vancouver-based company for, and about, the little things. The small changes that anyone can make in their everyday life. The articles we write, the events we run, the causes we support and the people we reach are all part of our quest to make it easy to create positive change.Each month from here on out we will be making a monthly guest post on Vancouver Is Awesome shedding light on our featured Charity Of The Month!

On occasion, things can overlap in the best of ways. Peanut butter for example, is fantastic with both jam AND nutella. Similarly, there are a lot of organizations in Vancouver that are both awesome AND adding a little more good to the world. We’d like to introduce our February Charity of the Month: Beauty Night Society. We got a chance to chat with Executive Director Caroline MacGillivray on what makes Beauty Night awesome, life makeovers and her favourite way to a little more good. 

ALMG: In case someone hasn’t heard of you guys yet, what makes Beauty Night awesome? 

CM: Beauty Night is a community initiative that builds self esteem and changes lives for women and youth living in poverty through wellenss, life skills development and makeovers. In 11 years we’ve given over 16,000 Life Makeovers thanks to over 500 volunteers. We exist because we believe no one should ever feel isolated or on the outside looking in.

ALMG: What is a life makeover?

CM: When someone is able to believe change is possible and through incremental change is able to evolve one’s life by becoming part of a community.

ALMG: What is your favourite part of Beauty Night?

CM: Too many awesome moments. What I see all the connections between our participants and volunteers – their eyes light up.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Two weeks back we introduced you to the $5,000 photo contest that we’ve partnered with Marine Gateway to raise awareness about, and so far there have been some really great entries. Below is a shot submitted by Katie Lawrence. About the photo she says “I worked at GM Place during the Olympics and had to take the Canada Line down there every day. Took this picture after the Canadian Women’s team won gold in hockey! Captain Hayley Wickenheiser taking a skate with the flag.”. Is it a $5,000 photo? Think you can do better? You should enter!

The rules are simple: upload a photo (or 3) that you shot depicting “Life on the Canada Line” to their Facebook wall and Like their page and you’ll be entered in the contest to win a $5,000 gift certificate to Future Shop.

SCENE AND HEARD showcases the independent music scene here in Vancouver. We interview some of our favourite local artists, post weekly guest playlists comprised of Vancouver artists and ‘Last Week in Music’ highlights some of the concerts happening around the city…

That’s a mighty impressive list of bands up there in the title…and I love that all but one are local (but we love MBF like he’s our own anyways). Winterruption was amazing down on Granville Island with the 3 shows I saw, another Toque Session, this time by Hey Ocean! and two other great shows made for a busy busy week…I hope you got to enjoy some of it…and either way you can relive it through the photos below!

THIS WEEK IN MUSIC: is a lot more relaxed. Actually, right now I’m on my way to Seattle to catch The Pack AD and Elliott BROOD at The Crocodile…but if you are in Vancouver tonight, head to the Biltmore to see Ali Milner, Olva, Star Captains, and David Ward. I’ll be back in time for the Royal Canoe show at the Media Club on Thursday, and then, I HOPE you have your tickets to see Rich Aucoin at the same venue the next day, because that is NOT something you want to miss! If that is sold out, you can check out the Sun Wizard, and Hot Panda show at the Biltmore. Hope to see you out there!

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Every day we share a single photo from our Flickr Pool shot by one of our faithful and talented readers (that’s you!)

Part of me wants Chinatown to stay the way it is, and part of me likes the changes and progress that the area is undergoing right now. I mean, I know that the only way Vancouver can develop and grow is East, and, well, Chinatown is right in the “re-development” crosshairs right now. Gastown’s been going through it over the last couple of years, Chinatown’s on the hit list now, and Strathcona is going to be next. I like what’s been done in Gastown, and I think the GBIS has done a good job keeping the heritage aspects and boutique shop feel of it. I only hope the same will be done for Chinatown.
I love seeing cool photos of Chinatown too. Take this one from Kenneth Rowley. Superb. The colors and feel are amazing. Everyone should head on down to Chinatown and snap as many photos of Chinatown as you can!

Enjoy Chinatown from Kenneth Rowley

John

How meta is this? We hijack the CBC Radio 3 playlist creator every week, as I’m sure you’ve noticed…NOW CBC Radio3 is going to post our playlists on their website.
And I’m making a post about theses posts…..it’s just a giant love-in.

CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR STUFF ON THEIR WEBSITE!

This series had its genesis when I began photographing Vancouver area location shoots in the summer of 2010 to get over a post-Olympics funk. Film and TV productions like Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Fringe, Supernatural and Once Upon a Time showcase our city in similar fashion and sometimes put a celebrity actor or two in the frame.

Thanks to real bro chemistry between Chris Pine (Star Trek reboot’s Captain Kirk) and Tom Hardy (Bane in upcoming The Dark Night Rises), the bromance in This Means War works much better than the actual romance, which flounders on the premise that Reese Witherspoon’s character is so supremely attractive that these two men would risk their friendship to war over her. Witherspoon is beautiful and an acclaimed actress but she’s miscast in this role. On the other hand, I had no problem with the  idea of blending of action, romance and comedy – if done well – in a story of spy versus spy, who use their CIA resources against each other after they discover they’ve fallen for the same woman. But the execution of this movie felt choppy and clumsy in both writing and editing, as if three different movies had been spliced into one.

That might have been the case, judging from the number of Vancouver scenes cut in editing, including the ones I photographed below in Yaletown and North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay Market, as well as some at Gastown’s Incendio restaurant. Director McG (in my Yaletown photo with Tom Hardy & Reese Witherspoon) even shot three alternate endings to the romance, including a fun “homoerotic” one of Pine and Hardy in each other’s arms and Witherspoon with nobody — which I might have preferred.

This Means War opens with a spectacular action sequence on the roof of the Bentall 4 tower  in Vancouver as Hong Kong.  …READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

We launched our Canada Line Photo Scavenger Hunt at noon on Saturday at the Marine Drive Canada Line station, and if you couldn’t make it down you can still participate! Print out the checklist below, shoot all of the subjects and then upload ALL 12 OF YOUR PHOTOS to THIS FLICKR GROUP by March 5, 2012. One random participant will win $100 cash.

After that, edit down to your top 3 photos that you shot and enter them into Marine Gateway’s $5,000 photo contest!!! Here: Facebook.com/MarineGateway

Click to download PDF version

Below are just a few many incredible entries submitted so far to the $5,000 contest. The theme is “Life on the Canada Line” so essentially any photo you’ve taken within proximity of the Line is eligible. Upload yours today!

“The guardian” by Louis Vandamme

“Waterfont Station and a nice walk to Stanley Park” by Linda Sophia Leclair
…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Every seven seconds in Canada, a child is bullied…This alarming statistic fuels the passion behind CKNW’s 5^th annual anti-bullying campaign Pink Shirt Day – Bullying Stops Here! On Wednesday, February 29th, 2012.

In 2007, two Nova Scotia students decided to take action after witnessing a younger student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. The students bought 50 pink t-shirts and encouraged schoolmates to wear them and send a powerful message of solidarity to the bully. CKNW were inspired by the story and to date have raised more than $300,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs anti-bullying programs with the sales of Pink Shirt Day T-Shirts.

Last week some of Vancouver’s most notable ladies gathered for a luncheon, at Glowbal Group’s SOCIETY, to support the CKNW Orphan’s Fund/Boys & Girls Club. Check out the photos below, tweet about the day (@pinkshirtday #PSD2012) and on Wednesday February 29th wear PINK!

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>