Author Archives: Connor Baldwin

The Steveston Spot Prawn & Seafood Celebration is back next month

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Who loves the smell of fresh seafood? Some people hate it, but others embrace it as part of the “smells of the ocean”. How about buying seafood, are you the type of person who would never dare to buy fresh seafood or do you like cooking up your favourite seafood dishes from scratch.

The Steveston “Spot Prawn & Seafood Celebration” is a great opportunity to explore the fishing industry up-close and purchase the freshest quality seafood you will find in the lower mainland.

(Visit Richmond BC)

Details for this intriguing celebration have not been fully released yet, but the event organizers promise to promote this event as “the best one yet”. The biggest and most marketable seafood item sold at the Fisherman’s Wharf is the spot prawns.

BC spot prawns are known as a delicacy around the world because of their sweet and delicate flavour with a firm almost lobster-like texture and silky finish. The sales of spot prawns start on May 16th, and they tend to sell out quickly every day.

(Pexels / Terje Sollie)

But there’s much more to this seafood celebration then the fresh-off-the-boat sales. Cooking seafood can be a challenge for most people, so at the event there will be expert cooking demonstrations on how to prepare your seafood just the right way. If you want to skip the buying and cooking process, there are a variety of restaurants located on the Steveston boardwalk that are promoted for their seafood dishes.

The event runs throughout the month of May and into June and you can catch the colourful fishing boats selling their fresh product in an almost “party-like” atmosphere for the locals and visitors from the lower mainland.

(Pexels / Mike B)

The village of Steveston is an authentic experience itself if you have never had a chance to visit before. The heritage buildings along the shoreline and the historical stories that are held within the village truly make it feel like you are engulfed in the fishing community.

Personally, I’ve been to Steveston many times before as I live close by, and because of this I under-appreciate the village unless I step back and look at what it represents in history and for visitors who make the trip to explore this unique experience. If you’re wondering what I think of seafood, I think it is great, but I am still very hesitant to touch or eat anything that is not cooked fully.

Check out this one-of-a-kind festival in May, you will surely leave with a greater appreciation for the seafood industry.

Gerry Dee is coming to Vancouver to show that laughter is the best medicine

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Everyone needs a laugh or two nowadays. Comedians are the best when it comes to providing laughter in an on-stage atmosphere.

If you’ve never been to a comedy show before, one of the best in the business, Gerry Dee is coming to Vancouver tomorrow night at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey. The show kicks off at 8:00 pm and the tickets range from $50-150. As someone who’s never been to a comedy show before, the price to laughs ratio seems to be worth it.

(Bell Performing Arts Centre)

Never heard of Gerry Dee before? He’s been around the TV and comedy industry for over two decades now and there’s a lot to talk about with this talented man. Gerry has hosted one of my favourite tv game shows when I was younger, Family Feud Canada. The comedian is probably most recognizable from his award-winning sitcom show “Mr. D”. If you need a show to make you laugh, Mr. D (a wacky and bizarre teacher played by Gerry Dee) is perfect for you.

Gerry Dee is taking the road across Canada this spring with his “Best Medicine Tour 2023”. The trademark topics that are relatable to his audience include marriage, fatherhood and stories about the years when he was an actual (not on tv) teacher in several cities around Canada.

(Pexels / Ketut Subiyanto)

My question for people who may have attended a comedy show in the past is: what is the atmosphere like in the theatre? When I try to picture what a comedy show would look, sound and feel like I can’t help but thinking that not everything you would hear throughout the show would make you laugh.

That leads to me to think of how I would compare consuming comedy on my own versus how I would be engaged in a comedy show with a live audience. There seems to be a side of me that thinks that some of the laughter at these shows is “artificial”. What do I mean by artificial? Well I think that the crowd sometimes forces their laughter because of how others react to the jokes being told.

(Pexels / Andrea Piacquadio)

Either way, whether your laughter is genuine or not, it truly is the best medicine for making you feel better. A good laugh or even just a smile can make your day that much better, and when the source of that laughter comes from a professional like Gerry Dee, it surely will create a memorable experience.

Remember to have a laugh today, the world is full of this feel-good response to humour.

Vancouver Canadians continue the “A&W Family Fun Sunday” tradition this week

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The Vancouver Canadians are known for the baseball atmosphere at the recently renamed Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Among the many promotions and events that are held at the Nat on most game nights, one of the longest running traditions at the Nat is the A&W Family Fun Sundays.

(Pexels / Tima Miroshnichenko)

Similar to other promotions at the Canadians games, the ultimate goal is to try to get the family out to the ballpark for a night of baseball and quality family time. A&W Family Fun Sundays are no different, and they offer exactly what the name suggests – fun for the whole family.

One of the best parts of this promotion that I remember from going to one or two of them when I was younger is the A&W root beer floats. I’m not sure how much they would cost today in the world of inflation, but they used to be a cheap and refreshing drink that was sold at these games.

This Sunday, April 30th, will have one of the Canadians giveaways to fans that show up early to the ballpark. The first 500 kids (aged 12 and under) will get a Canadians mascot blanket when they enter the gates of the stadium. This gives the family a reason to show up early to the game to have a chance to get one of these blankets!

(Pexels / Pixabay)

Perhaps the best part about A&W Family Fun Sundays happens after the game is over. Kids will get the chance to go on the cherished Nat Bailey Stadium following the game and run the bases!

I remember taking part in running the bases when I was young, and it’s truly a memorable experience that I won’t forget. It was my first ever time feeling like I was “in the spotlight” in front of the thousands of fans that stuck around after the game to watch all the kids running around the bases.

You get to feel like you’re one of the players, even if it is just for those few minutes. The thrilling experience of running the bases is something that can only be described to a certain extent, and can only be truly felt when you are the one running the bases in that moment.

The Vancouver Canadians take on the Eugene Emeralds this Sunday afternoon with the first pitch at 1:05 pm. This afternoon will be the first of several A&W Family Fun Sundays throughout the season.

If you have the opportunity, bring your family or friends to the Nat to watch some baseball and enjoy the atmosphere that awaits you!

Robot umpires are a bad idea, let the plate umpires keep their jobs

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Baseball is a sport that has seen a few new rule adjustments implemented for the 2023 season. You might have heard about the new pitch clock, or the restrictions on fielder shift positions, but one idea that is being tested in some minor league baseball games is the “robot” umpire.

Umpires help call the game as they see it, and yes, they will make mistakes, they’re human, but baseball needs to keep the umpires in the league in order to keep a level of spontaneity in the good old ball game.

(Unsplash / Chris Chow)

The argument that people are making in favor of robot umpires is that balls and strikes need to be automated in order to have a fair game. The other umpires (the ones that aren’t behind the plate) will remain needed in order to call safe or out and any other rules that may need observation throughout the game. But what about the umpire behind the plate?

If you have ever watched baseball before, you’ve probably seen an umpire behind the plate make a bad call. You look at the replay with the digital batters box and think, wow, what was the umpire thinking? But once you see a video of what it’s like to be behind the plate with an MLB pitcher on the mound, you will begin to understand how and why umpires make mistakes.

Keeping plate umpires is a good idea because without them it takes away the “control” that the plate umpire has throughout the game. They don’t only call balls and strikes, they need to be watching the batter in case they want a timeout, or if the pitcher takes too long (using the pitch clock) and being the one in control of tracking the count for the batter. All of these little things that plate umpires do cannot be replicated by a robot umpire.

The game of baseball is better when you have a human behind the plate calling the game. Mistakes will happen, sometimes bad ones, but these umpires are trained professionals who strive to call the game to the best of their abilities.

(Pixabay / KeithJJ)

Where do we go from here? Well, the new rule changes have given plate umpires more to worry about throughout the game, especially with the batters “count” to step into the batter’s box and the newly implemented pitch clock. Robot umpires would never be able to multi-task and track everything that a trained umpire can do, so we need to just let them adapt and do their jobs.

The next time you see an umpire doing their job, thank them for what they do. Without them, the game of baseball would be an unorganized confusion which would not look anything like one of our favourite pastimes.

Collecting hockey cards has changed recently…. from a hobby to an investment?

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Do you remember the time you opened your first ever pack of hockey cards? Some of us gained a new pastime that day. While others may look past collecting cards of any kind, you should appreciate them as a collecting sub-culture, just like any other item people like to collect.

But over the past few years the reason why people are starting to collect hockey cards may have shifted. What once was a fun little hobby might be changing into a form of investing through collecting.

(Unsplash / Mick Haupt)

I started collecting hockey cards like many of my friends at a young age. It was so cool to open a pack of hockey cards and discover the mystery of which players we would receive. I still remember going to my local card shop for the first time and being amazed by the boxes upon boxes of cards available for sale, and the “special” cards that were on display in glass cases.

The aura around collecting hockey cards changed right around when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Like any other hobby during the early days of the pandemic, people had more time to spend on fun little activities to occupy their time. Sports cards collecting saw a sudden rise in collectors, and I noticed that popular names within the hockey card collecting community started to expand their products online, making YouTube videos and livestreaming themselves opening packs of cards.

(Pexels / Erik Mclean)

What changed as a result of the pandemic for card collecting was that it was no longer seen just as a hobby but was now being “used” as a way of making money. You might have seen photos or videos of empty shelves at stores like Target and Walmart, and this included the usually stocked sections with sports cards. People started selling out stores of their boxes of cards to create more demand, and consequently increased the price of the product.

Even though the pandemic “hobby phase” has died down, the ripple effect is now being seen in the pricing of newly released hockey card sets. The average collector is no longer able to afford a box of cards, and “card breakers” buy large numbers of boxes and sell spots for different teams to people who hope to receive a valuable card. Like anything else affected by inflation, hockey card boxes are now offering less for a higher cost.

(Upper Deck)

Personally, I’ve stopped collecting hockey cards because of these troubling factors. My most valuable card is a graded Connor McDavid “young guns” that I am going to hold on to until I’m much older (could be part of my retirement fund).

There’s money to be made from hockey and other sports cards, but until the prices settle down or something changes within the hobby, it will no longer be like it once was when we were kids.

Discover the science of space at Cosmic Nights Galaxies

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Ever wondered to yourself, how does outer space work? There are many mysteries in our world, but the biggest mystery of them all is what is beyond our planet.

If you want to explore the science of space and socialize with friends under the stars, check out the Cosmic Nights Galaxies in Vancouver on Thursday, April 27th.

(The Georgia Straight)

The H.R MacMillan Space Centre is the host of this galactical event, with tickets available for $25. The night will feature a wide variety of topics about astronomy and space exploration. We all have questions about outer space, and there are people out there that have some of the answers we’re seeking!

A custom planetarium will be the highlight of the show, as well as special guest lecturers, cosmic drinks and spectacular science demonstrations. This 19+ event is a perfect opportunity to socialize with friends while exploring the topics we all have questions about.

(Pexels / Felix Mittermeier)

The biggest question that I have about outer space is a common one: how big is the universe? This is a multi-layered question that has no definitive answer, but it’s one that I like talking about with my friends during late night conversations.

If you had to guess how big the universe is, what would you use as the boundaries to define where the universe ends? When you think about it long enough, you can’t really put a number on it, because there is no way of measuring our universe.

Numbers might not work, so what else can you use to measure how big the universe is? Imaginary numbers? Shapes? Objects? The possibilities are endless, and all I can say is we may never know for sure how big the universe really is at the end of the day.

(Pexels / Andy Vu)

Going back to the event, the MacMillan Space Centre is located at 1100 Chestnut Street in Vancouver. The event opens at 6:30 pm and goes until around 10:00 pm. One idea that will certainly be a topic of discussion is the billions of stars in our galaxy.

In recent years space scientists have been able to predict that there are over 100 billion stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way, and that amount of stars is multiplied by an unknown number to get how many stars exist in our universe.

If you are free this Thursday afternoon, check out Cosmic Nights Galaxies in Vancouver. You’ll leave the night full of space knowledge and intergalactic memories that you can share with your friends at school or work.

Imagine a world without phones… today is National Telephone Day

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What would today’s world look like without phones? It’s a puzzling topic that has a variety of opinions, but it is important to remember that phones have only been around for a very small part of human history.

Today is National Telephone Day, a day to appreciate our phones and reflect on how much they’ve developed since Alexander Graham Bell’s invention.

(Pexels / Chepte Cormani)

When we think of the most important technologies in our world, the phone has to be near the top of the list. First came Alexander Graham Bell, but some might say Steve Jobs was the person responsible for starting to evolve the phone into its full potential.

The first iPhone was released in 2007, and the phone went from a landline or dial-up device to a multi-purpose device that includes a camera, iPod and computer capabilities. The original purpose of the phone, for long-range communication, has kind of faded away into the secondary purpose of most people’s phone usage. One could argue that texting is the new primary form of communication on our phones.

(Pexels / Yulia H.)

So…. what kind of activities should people do to celebrate National Telephone Day? It might seem like a straightforward “holiday”, but there are a few things anyone with a phone can do to participate in the “day of the phone”.

Here’s an obvious thing to do on National Telephone Day, give somebody a call! A phone call on National Telephone Day gives us a reminder of what the primary purpose of a phone used to be. Another fun thing you can try on National Telephone Day is seeing what it used to be like to dial a number using an old-fashion telephone.

Still using an “old” iPhone? National Telephone Day is a perfect day to treat yourself to a new phone. Upgrading to the “latest and greatest” phone makes us appreciate what modern technology has done for the progression of our phones.

(Pexels / Oğuzhan Öncü)

We know phones are important, but there are a few more reasons to appreciate National Telephone Day on April 25th. Smart phones have changed how we communicate and interact online like never before. With each new generation you can see how phones become more reliable in every aspect of our lives.

There are so many underrated functions that phones can provide us, from ordering food at 1 am to calling someone across the world or even an important phone call to emergency services that could save someone’s life. The phone is a “magical” device that will continue to evolve as modern technology advances to new and greater heights.

Answer the call today and celebrate National Telephone Day!

What went wrong at Vancouver’s 2022 summer Breakout Festival?

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If you’ve ever been to a music festival before, you’ll know how unpredictable they can be sometimes. Especially hip-hop festivals. Some festival organizers don’t seem to keep their promised lineups, or they just don’t know how to adapt to changes on the go.

All of this and more led up to the riot which followed the summer 2022 edition of Vancouver’s Breakout Festival.

(Ticketleader / Breakout Festival)

So how do I begin to explain what went wrong this weekend in September 2022? Well, for context, I was attending the 5th edition of the Breakout Festival held on the PNE grounds. The previous four Breakout Festivals were mostly a “success” in my eyes, and I got to see many of the artists I listen to daily.

But just like the previous four festivals, there were some last-minute line-up changes. Headline act Lil Uzi Vert had to be replaced with Trippie Redd. Not a bad replacement, but the excuse of “due to unforeseen circumstances” gets tiring and is overused when they probably weren’t coming in the first place.

The first day out of the two-day weekend festival went according to plan otherwise, but day two was where the problems began.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CqhHa0QDQ1L/

The fans started worrying when the fourth act Babyface Ray did not show up. Usually there would be an announcement of some kind on the festival’s socials, but nothing at all was said. Later that day, Babyface Ray posted on his Instagram story about how festivals try to book artists without getting their official confirmation.

Next was another sudden replacement, with popular artist Polo G getting replaced by a local artist who was not nearly as popular, Boslen. I could tell fans were starting to get upset at these changes. Then the big shocker of the night hit, the festival announced that headline act Lil Baby would not be performing. Immediately there was a tension in the crowd. My friend and I got out of there quickly, and just 15 minutes later a riot began at the festival.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment got damaged and several injuries were reported before the police got to the scene and displaced the crowd from the festival.

The riot might be the end of the Breakout Festival as we know it. I don’t see them returning for a 6th festival as the damages and backlash they received are too much for them to recover from. It’s an unfortunate ending to what was a festival which created so many memories for me, but now hip-hop fans (including myself) will need to look around for another festival to attend.

 

Two players that could make the Canucks opening night roster next season

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We know by now that the Canucks aren’t in the playoffs. As an avid fan it sucks, but it’s never too early to get my hopes up for next season. It was quite a season for the Canucks, they had so many bad, weird, confusing and just downright newsworthy stories throughout the season.

Like most seasons, the final ten-or-so games are usually a time when teams will start trying out players that might get a chance at making the team next year. Two of those players which I believe could (and should) make the team next year are defenseman Akito Hirose and goaltender Arturs Silovs.

The first player who I believe should make the Canucks next season is Akito Hirose. Akito rose to the occasion in the seven games he played at the end of the season. Canucks GM Patrik Allvin made a good move signing him as soon as he became a free agent following his third season at Minnesota State University.

When you look back at all the different defense the Canucks used throughout the season, it was easy to tell (even with the small sample size) that Akito Hirose already plays better than half the defense on the Canucks. I hope the 24-year-old from Calgary gets a spot on the team next year because of his crafty two-way playstyle and his ability to read plays on both sides of the ice.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CeMXsSiAWps/

Arturs Silovs is another name Canucks fans should get to know before next season. The 22-year-old goalie is looking like a draft “steal” from the 6th round in the 2019 draft. The young goalie from Latvia got some experience this season after an injury to Canucks starting goalie Thatcher Demko. Not to mention, he had a tremendous season with the Abbotsford Canucks, splitting the starting role with Spencer Martin and Collin Delia.

Goalies are always a question mark when it comes to development, some have one good year and fall off, others don’t have a great year until their 30s. Its very rare that goalies can remain consistent throughout a long stretch of their career, but I think Silovs can be the Canucks next goalie. I believe he should be the backup goalie next season, because Thatcher Demko should be entering his prime and he will be the Canucks starting goalie for the next few years. Another interesting thing about Silovs is that he is Latvian, and for whatever reason Latvian goalies seem to have a reputation in the Olympics and important games of being the difference makers.

Hopefully we will see Akito Hirose and Arturs Silovs in the Canucks starting lineup in October, and if they aren’t I hope we will get to see them again at some point in the season.

Three Canadian NBA players that hope to make their country proud in the NBA playoffs

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Canadians love the NHL playoffs; it’s must watch TV at this time of the year. Sometimes even I forget the NBA playoffs are on (especially during the 1st round) but basketball playoff games are arguably almost as exciting as the NHL playoffs during the important highlight moments.

In a sport dominated by American-born players, you need to appreciate and keep an eye on how Canadian-born players are doing in the NBA playoffs, especially those who hope to make a big impact for their team like Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, and Dillon Brooks. Getting an understanding for how our Canadians are doing in the NBA helps us appreciate the game more!

The first, and arguably the best Canadian basketball player that is in the NBA playoffs right now is Denver Nugget’s Jamal Murray. Nicknamed “Blue Arrow” or “Glitch,” Murray is a personal favourite player of mine because of the smooth playing style he brings every night on the court.

Murray is on the number one seed Nuggets who are trying to overcome their playoff failures from the past few years. He is a talented player who is a warrior for battling back from a torn ACL injury in 2021 and is most likely on a team with one of the best chances of winning the NBA Championship.

Another young and talented Canadian basketball player is New York Knicks’ RJ Barrett. RJ has what I think are some the coolest nicknames, and he has quite a few, including “Maple Mamba, “Broadway Barrett” and “Duke of York” to name just a few. Barrett is another player you can’t help but hope succeeds as he excelled in college on a stacked Duke team.

Barrett’s Knicks team isn’t expected to go too far in the playoffs, but he is hoping to help get the Knicks past the first round for the first time in quite a few years. I think Barrett presents an “x-factor” quality to him which can change the outcome of a game if he is doing what he does best.

One more impactful Canadian basketball player is Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks. Dillion doesn’t have any big-time nicknames like Murray and Barrett do, but he is known for something else: his “arrogant” on and off court actions. You still hope for success for Brooks, but he is a player that seems to be an easy target to hate around the league because of his attitude towards other players and his approach to the game.

The Memphis Grizzlies have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs, but they have to play one of the GOATs of basketball in the first round: LeBron James.

There’s many more Canadians looking to make an impact in the NBA playoffs, but all three of these Canadian basketball players have their own unique reputations within the NBA and it will be exciting to see who can help make their team (and Canada) proud!