Beyond Robson
Beyond Robson is a web site about Vancouver culture.
HST Riddling Our Wallets, Say British Columbians
What some people call the hated sales tax is encumbering household finances -- this according to BCers who were polled by Angus Reid Public Opinion.
The majority of British Columbians reported experiencing a severe or moderate impact on their budgets due to the harmonized sales tax. Of the people surveyed, 68 per cent cited a severe or moderate effect, while 23 per cent said the HST only slightly influences their spending.
Furthermore, 71 per cent said they are making less purchases due to the HST. Even though, 28 per cent maintained they are spending the same amount of money, nobody reported spending more.
Continuing Education in Vancouver
Continuing education (or adult learning) might not be top of mind in the middle of a Vancouver summer, but as the last few days of sunny, hot weather are drawing near we have to say goodbye to the long, leisurely days at the beach. It's time to put away our tents, skimpy bikinis and tank tops and lament as the weather slowly turns chilly and the leaves change color.
Morning Brew: Arts budget strengthed to the tune of $7 million, fire department budget facing serious cuts, Sarah Palin scheduled to appear at a conference this October, Robertson extends business opportunites to China
So the government has graciously added another $7 million to the arts budget -- almost a year after cutting it by $8 million. Why the sudden generosity? I'm not sure, actually. It might have something to do with the extremely negative reaction to the prior budget cuts, or possibly they figured that they needed a boost in popularity. In any case, it's certainly good news for the smaller, independent theatre groups that have been struggling. But how are we supposed to trust a government that constantly flip-flops for arbitrary reasons?
Family bike skills classes now available in Vancouver
According to the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition, the installation of bike lanes on the Dunsmuir Viaduct and street has been a success. The city has stated that the number of cyclists on Dunsmuir has increased from 500 to 2,000 on the street. I guess this means it has sky-rocketed.
To be sure, a good portion of these new riders are people who were already cyclists and who have extended their route into the downtown core. But I'm going to venture a guess that some of these riders are new - people who never felt safe riding beside car traffic and who were coaxed out of their bike-shy shells by the new, segregated lanes.
Hot Ticket: Designer Drugs, Justin Townes Earle, Hard Rock Miners, Jimmy Edgar and more
With Labour Day weekend being the cap of the last official party week of summer, I plan to get out and enjoy it. The vast selection of live music is the perfect escape and excuse. Which to choose festival, individual show -- or both?
Morning Brew: Smokers are no longer welcome at golf courses, beaches, or parks, City Hall engenders some serious doubt regarding managerial competence, salmon numbers expected to reach a record 34 million
Soon, golfing and smoking will carry a hefty fine. And not just at golf courses -- lighting up on any beach, park, or playground will be enough to land you with a few hundred dollars worth of fines. Now, some might say that smokers should know better, and that they shouldn't be smoking in public places anyway -- but a golf course seems relatively private. Even if it weren't, the average smoker has discretion enough not to puff in the faces of non-smokers. They are aware of the health risks in choosing to smoke. Isn't that enough?
Gunman in US Hostage Situation Has Connection to Burnaby
An environmentalist who took hostages in the Discovery Channel building in Maryland apparently has a link to the Lower Mainland.
James Lee is the man believed to be involved in a standoff with police in Silver Spring, Maryland on Wednesday. He reportedly entered the Discovery premises around 9 a.m. with an explosive device and held a group of employees as hostages. After police shot Lee at 2 p.m., the device went off, but nobody was injured and the three hostages managed to safely escape.
Lee, who is 43-years-old, runs a website which is registered to a Burnaby address. The site, www.SaveThePlanetProtest.com, is associated with a location on Gilmore Way. The man originally, however, hails from San Diego, California and lives in Maryland.
No More Smoking Permitted on Vancouver's Parks and Beaches
If rain fails to douse your lit cigarette, a whopping fine of $250 will surely do the job. You have Vancouver's smoking ban to thank for that.
Taking effect today, the smoking ban applies to local parks and beaches, including playgrounds, sports fields and even parking lots.
Cirque
Photo by rbostyle from the BR Flickr Pool.
Labour Day weekend 2010 in Vancouver
Labour Day 2010 is here which means that the Vancouver summer is officially coming to an end. Luckily, it looks like the weather is planning to cooperate which should mean outdoor activities are safe to be on the agenda. For me, there's nothing like a music festival to bid farewell to summer. I find that it's easier to say goodbye to the sunny good times and welcome the inevitable rainy good times after spending the weekend giving the sun a farewell dance. The question is - how far do I need to travel for my perfect party?
BC movie biz powers ahead fueled by new HST
BC's storied film and TV production industry was down - way down - during the 'silent spring' of 2010. Word is some film workers couldn't make the rent and that many were looking for new careers; and some industry suppliers (equipment rentals and so on) were considering closing down. Many believed the change would be permanent, and that BC's new look, 'leaner and meaner' biz would be lucky to stay at 60% of its former size going forward (movie production generated $1.3 billion in expenditures in BC year last).
Then along came July 1, the day the new HST came into effect. "It was like a starting pistol sounded" according to Don Madsen, who owns the city's largest period prop house, Mount Pleasant Furniture. "From dead slow, we suddenly had productions lining up to rent our furniture".
Sunset Beach in Vancouver
Sunset Beach in Vancouver is where happiness goes to die. Situated downtown along my beloved Beach Ave, Sunset looks beautiful and picturesque. From orbit.
The grain of sand to cigarette butt ratio is approximately 4 to 1. Although slightly detrimental to the construction of sand castles, it does have the added boon of drawing homeless people in droves to collect their beloved butts, that shit's like currency to them. Why one may wonder do I consider such a mass homeless exodus a positive?
Well as any connoisseur of the zombie genre can attest, when the generic, likely token ethnic character succumbs to the violent hordes; the attractive protagonists are free to escape. Sunset Beach is my token ethnic, drawing the undead-esque homeless away from the finer beaches more suited to the living. PS, I'm not actually a horrible person, I just play one on TV.
Morning Brew: Murders on the decline as sexual assaults rise, expropriation of Surrey owner's property a source of ire, mushroom farm under investigation for work-related deaths
We're not murdering people as much as we used to, compared to last year. On the other hand, sexual assaults have risen slightly, so there's some downsides. I mean, yeah, ideally we'd want a completely murder and rape-free city, but it could be worse. If I had to pick a violent crime I'd like to see less of, murder would be pretty high on that list. I suppose slightly higher rates of sexual assault is the price we pay for our swinging nightlife.
Vancouver Street Style: denim, zippers and pirates
Name: Ai
Occupation: Student
My Style: I like to dress in a simple, casual way.
Favourite Item: I don't really have one favourite item, but in general I love denim!
Name: Sine
Occupation: Art Student
My Style: I like being thrifty and finding unique pieces.
Favourite Item: This crazy animal necklace that I own.
Live at Squamish
Live at Squamish takes place on the upcoming labour day weekend. Located about an hour's drive from Vancouver, the ambitious music festival has me asking two big questions. The first one is probably pretty obvious: who's worth seeing at the festival? The second question is a bit more cynical, but recent history forces me to ask: will the first Live at Squamish Festival also be the last?
Let's start on a positive note and look at the acts not to be missed.