Author Archives: Cassie Jagpal

The Vancouver Canadians end their six-game series on a high note

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The way the Vancouver Canadians game against the Everett AquaSox started, It looked like the Vancouver Canadians chances of winning today’s game were not promising. However, the Vancouver Canadians came back and beat the Everett AquaSox on Sunday, May 8th, with the final score being 13-8.

The Canadians were down 8-2 in the fifth inning. Pitcher, Trent Palmer, struggled and gave up 6 runs in one inning and two in the fifth. At the bottom of the fifth the Canadians came roaring back with five runs in that inning alone, by having disciplined at bats, getting players on bases through walks and hits, putting players in scoring positions and then getting them home through RBI’s (runs batted in).

In the sixth inning, Canadians took the lead. By the end of the sixth, the Canadians were leading 10-8. In the seventh, the Canadians continued to pour it on by scoring three more runs with the help of Jiminez, Barger and Tirrota, as they fuelled the teams offence.

In the second the Canadians scored two runs, while Everett scored six runs in the third. In the fifth the Canadians scored five runs, whereas Everett scored two. In the sixth and seventh, the Canadians brought in three runs each.

After the fifth inning the Canadians really tightened their defence and didn’t let anymore runs come through in the last four innings.

Two days prior to this miraculous comeback by the Canadians, Mack Mueller helped the Canadians triumph over the Everett AquaSox as they erased a deficit of six runs on Friday, and won that game, 7-6.

Mack Mueller has been a very important asset to the Vancouver Canadians in this season, alone.

 

Both the Vancouver Canadians and the Everett AquaSox got 13 hits and made 2 errors. Displaying how even the game was, once the Canadians started their comeback.

This was a beautiful way to end The Vancouver Canadians final game of the six-game series with the Everett AquaSox.

 

Hoopfest is back for 2022!

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The BC Wheelchair Basketball Hoopfest is back at the Richmond Oval scheduled for Wednesday, May 18, 2022. The event is the largest annual fundraiser for the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society and has been since 1994. Unfortunately, it was cancelled two years in a row in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. BC Wheelchair Basketball Society hosted a successful 25th anniversary event in 2019, therefore were thrilled to see the event open again. If anyone is interested in watching the 25th anniversary, please click on the link Rewatch the FUN and Action NOW

Hoopfest is an inclusive, fun, corporate and community event to celebrate Wheelchair Basketball. The registration deadline was May 1, 2022. Teams are made up of 5 to 10 players with our without physical abilities. It provides a chance for people to participate and play basketball with a friend or family member who has a physical disability. Upper body mobility and strength is recommended for a positive experience in the sport. Wheelchair Basketball is an amazing and competitive opportunity for people who are not able to run in the sport of basketball. Come out and enjoy the tournament that includes dinner and raffle prizes. Current and National team athletes will be present to interact with as well as the next generation Canada Games level team members. It is an opportunity to network and build life-long relationships.

Prizes, gift bags and auction items will be made available. All funds raised will help support BC Wheelchair Basketball programs, leagues and tournaments and assist with equipment and advocacy for British Columbians living with a physical impairment. Events such as Wheelchair Basketball provide awareness of the mobility issues individuals are facing and educates the community to further support the cause.

The Richmond Olympic Oval is located in 6111 River Road, Richmond.

 

Canucks look to sign talented KHL player, Andrei Kuzmenko

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Andrei Kuzmenko, 26, is a free agent and the Canucks are interested. NHL teams have been keeping their eye on Kuzmenko ever since he debuted in the KHL in the mid 2010’s. Kuzmenko got 53 points in 45 games. (20-33) He is offensively capable, has a play making edge, a quick release, is very much competent and not afraid to shoot the puck. He also has infectious excitement and a good attitude on the ice.

Kuzmenko is a 5’11 right shot left winger, weighing 194 lbs. There are basic concerns of whether or not Kuzmenko would be as good at the NHL level as he is at the KHL level. There are also concerns regarding other players that have been clients of Kuzmenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, who have had a negative experience with the Canucks organization (Danila Klimovich).

Milstein told Chris Faber, “Vancouver is definitely on the list. We’ve been talking to Vancouver executives for a very long time. It’s a great city, good place to play, a good team, good coach, and stable management. Vancouver should be excited for many years on what is about to come.”  The Canucks also had an interview with Kuzmenko on Friday, May 6th.

Chris Faber also heard from Milstein that Patrick Allvin said he has watched Andrei Kuzmenko play 9 years ago and has kept tabs on him ever since. Rutherford said, “I like him a lot, he is a good player offensively and on pp. We will continue to try and recruit him.”

The Oilers are also a team that would love to have Kuzmenko play for them. Regardless of the team he does end up playing with, Kuzmenko can only sign a 1 year- entry level deal at the moment.

Signing with the Vancouver Canucks would allow Kuzmenko to play with former teammate Vasily Podkolzin, who played with Kuzmenko from 2019-2021.

Bard on the Beach is back- tickets are now on sale

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Bard on the Beach is back celebrating its 33rd season in live theatre under the Bard tents at Vanier Park in Vancouver.

Tickets are now on sale for the three plays that run from June 8 – Sept 24: A Midnight Summer’s Dream, Harlem Duet, and Romeo and Juliet.

On the BMO MainStage, Midnight Summer’s Dream is about four young lovers who are on a journey of self-love, self-compassion and exploring their identity and purpose in life, focusing on who they love and things that make a difference in their lives. It turns into a magical tale with supernatural occurrences in the forest with talking trees, elves, etc. It is a must-see play that leaves the audience laughing and feeling the love and magic.

On the Howard Family stage, Harlem Duet follows a Black couple through historical time periods of the “American Black experience: 1860, before the US Emancipation Proclamation; 1928, during New York’s Harlem Renaissance; and in post-civil rights 1997”. The storyline portrays the sacrifices the woman endures in the face of adversity about privilege and race and how it strengthens her love and commitment to her partner.  As the The Globe and Mail stated it is “…an era-spanning epic that comments on what it is to be black then and now in North America.”

Also on the Howard Family stage is the classic Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet about two young Italian star-crossed lovers who’s families do not get along – the Montagues and the Capulets.  The plot takes the audience into their lives as they secretly continue their relationship despite their families feud with each other. The tragic ending pulls at the heartstrings of everyone who has the pleasure of seeing this timeless tale.

In addition, special events such as wine tastings, fireworks and opera can also be enjoyed in the Bard Village so be sure to check out the venue.

Indigenous Beauty in honour of Mother’s Day

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Following Mother’s day weekend the Vancouver Art Gallery is hosting a program series called Indigenous Beauty. The goal of Indigenous Beauty is to listen and magnify Indigenous voices as well as allowing Indigenous peoples to establish themselves.

In recognition of Mother’s Day, the next episode of Indigenous Beauty will be about what motherhood is like from an Indigenous woman’s perspective and how to find a balance between motherhood, language, culture, and community. The host of Indigenous Beauty, Shadae Rose Johnson will be speaking with Christie Lee Charles and Fawn Wood who are both gifted artists- they will also be discussing how they balance their career in life as well. A routine of keeping a balance between language, culture, community, work and family is essential in many Indigenous cultures.

Charles and Wood would like to pass along their ancestral language to their children. Wood speaks Cree and Charles speaks an early hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ dialect. The fact that these women still speak their ancestral language is beautiful, and it’s something that is not heard of much anymore- as colonization tried to strip it away.

Christie Lee Charles is an emcee and sh has also served as a minister for Musqueam Youth Claiming Spaces. At the museum of Vancouver Charles also served as an Artistic Advisor. Charles has emceed many events like Canada Day at Granville Island, Welcoming the Sun Festival, Feminist Deliver, UBC Indigenous Voices Awards and Vancouver Street Dance Festival to name a few.

Fawn Wood is a musician and has three award winning albums at the moment. Her singing is a reflection of her Cree and Salish heritage.

As the series, Indigenous beauty grows and develops Indigenous peoples in Turtle Island are invited and welcomed to share their program suggestions and participation for a future episode of Indigenous Beauty.

This Mother’s Day episode of Indigenous Beauty will take place on Thursday, May 12th, 2022 at 1PM on Zoom and will also be streamed to the Vancouver Art Gallery’s facebook account.

 

Red Dress Day- May 5th

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Red dress day is on May 5th, and it’s an opportunity for the community to come together and raise awareness for the murdered and missing Indigenous women across North America. It all started by a Métis woman named Jaime Black in 2010, where she did an off photoshoot art project. It raised awareness and caught on among the different provinces.

A high school in Coquitlam called Charles Best got together to hang red dresses among the trees across the street. On these red dresses there were pictures and stories printed and pasted on the dresses.

These pictures and brief stories and names caused the whole visual to be more personal and touch people in a different way. People walked along and stopped to read and understand the injustice that took place and continues to take place against these Indigenous women in North America.

This was such a powerful way to present the dresses along the street because many students and members of the Coquitlam community walk down Como Lake and would see the display that the students put up.

So many different schools got together to raise awareness by either making beaded/sewed mini red dresses, or making signs to hang up around the schools. Many of the signs had statistics on them, or images with a red hand across a woman’s face saying how their lives matter and why red dress day is a thing.

So, why the colour red? Red represents blood, anger and love but is also very eye-catching especially when it’s in places like trees. The colour red is believed to be one of the only colours able to be seen by spirits. So when communities come together and wear red on days like May 5th the spirits of those missing/murdered Indigenous woman know that we are standing along side them.

Vancouver is a candidate host city for the FIFA World Cup in 2026

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Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, Melanie Mark, said “I am encouraged that FIFA has confirmed Vancouver, British Columbia, as a candidate host city for the FIFA World Cup 2026. The FIFA World Cup is the largest single sporting event in the world. Hosting the event would be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for soccer fans, for our tourism sector and for all British Columbians. The stars are aligning for Canada Soccer, British Columbia and Vancouver. It’s time we showcase beautiful B.C. once again.”

The rest of the world along with BC has been hit hard by this pandemic. Melanie Mark believes that hosting the FIFA world cup would be a great way for BC’s tourism “industry” to recover from the impact COVID-19 has had on the industry these past two years.

The FIFA world cup is watched by more than 3.5 billion people. Putting the spotlight on BC would encourage and attract people to come from all around the world. Melanie Mark said, “We have a world-class stadium, excellent training facilities and established infrastructure that meets FIFA hosting requirements, all of which make Vancouver particularly well equipped to host the event.”

If BC were to host the world cup in 2026, it would bring around $1 billion in new revenue for BC’s tourism. Not only during the event but also the five years following the cup. Individuals and communities would benefit from the amount of people that would come to BC for an event like the world cup.

It’s clear that any major sporting event- especially one like the FIFA world cup that happens every four years- would be able to encourage people to get involved. Melanie Mark said, “These are gains that will echo in our families and neighbourhoods for the next generation and beyond.”

FIFA said the selection process for host cities is ongoing, but Vancouver is in the running.

 

DOXA Documentary Film Festival 2022

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DOXA Documentary Film Festival is Western Canada’s biggest documentary film festival. After two years of online presentation, DOXA is back in theatres and streaming online from May 5th to May 15th 2022.

DOXA ‘s schedule of “crucial and thought provoking documentaries” in theatrical settings in Vancouver, including filmmakers and audiences to come along for a shared cinematic event that’s been anticipated. People who prefer to stay at home can watch the featured films online.

The 21st annual DOXA Documentary Film Festival will display a total of “55 features and mid-lengths, 24 short films, both pre-recorded and live Q+As, as well as Industry events and multiple opportunities for filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals to connect, both virtually and in person.”

The showcased films will be accessible to stream Canada-wide through DOXA’s online platform. The screenings will be held at The Vancouver Playhouse, The Cinematheque, VIFF Centre and SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. The DOXA events will take place at SFU’s World Arts Centre.

DOXA acquires a community of various filmmakers as well as professionals to have conversations about the art of non-fictional storytelling. Filmmakers with any level of experience are invited to take part in important conversation while, also developing the skills and connections required to move their projects along through a sequence of seminars, masterclasses, opportunities for connection and panel discussions.

The Justice Forum has been one of DOXA’s foundational programs for over a decade, showcasing films that encourage effective and critical engagement that makes room for conversation and increases the desire for social change. Every Justice Forum film comes with a live or pre-recorded discussion between speakers that can appropriately talk about the film because they are relevant to its issue.

 

DOXA is excited to provide a variety of films that demonstrate significant conversations about extensive social problems. Presenting perspectives that are essential to accumulate change and growth.

 

Richmond Night Market returns for 2022

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Richmond’s Asian-themed night market is Vancouver’s biggest night market and one of the largest markets in North America as well.

The Richmond Night Market usually opens the second weekend in May until the Thanksgiving Weekend in October. In 2020 the market was supposed to run from May-October, however, the market was canceled due to COVID-19. In 2021 the market returned from late July until September.

This year, the 2022 Richmond Night Market “season” runs from April 29th to October 10th.

The Richmond Night Market is one of Metro Vancouver’s most exciting places (generally speaking), but particularly for shopping and buying Oriental festival-style foods. The night market is the closest thing Vancouver has to an ‘authentic’ Asian night market and is highly recommended by many.

Sometimes the market can have live entertainment on their Main Stage. The entertainment can range from singing to martial arts to dancing and more. There is not a listed schedule for the live shows in May.

The Richmond Night Market has plenty of ethnic food stalls, Asian clothing, as well as loads of Chinese-made trinkets and gadgets.

Fridays hours in 2022 the market is open from 7 pm – midnight. Saturday hours are similar, from 6 pm – midnight and Sunday hours are from 7 pm – 11 pm.

The night markets admission is $6 for people ages 7 to 59. Children who are under the age of 7 and adults aged 60+ get in for free.

There is also the Express Pass (formerly called the Zoom Pass). This VIP pass authorizes customers to skip lines and access an express entry when they arrive at the market. The pass is valid for six visits and costs $35, which would mean you would save a dollar or so each time you go. The Express Pass can also be shared with friends or family.

The Richmond Night Market is one of the best places for Metro Vancouver night life.

The Philpot twins’ future in the CFL

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It’s no secret that fans like cheering for hometown heroes- and maybe their sons. Jalen and Tyson Philpot are the sons of former B.C. Lions star running back Cory Philpot (1993-1997), who helped B.C. win a Grey Cup in 1994. Jalen and Tyson were both coached by their father, the brothers came up through North Delta Minor Football before moving onto high school level football at Seaquam secondary. In 2016 they led their team to the B.C. AA championship.

Jalen and Tyson will continue their football careers in the CFL in different cities. The twins were both part of Tuesday’s CFL Draft. Jalen was picked fifth overall by the Calgary Stampeders and four picks later Tyson was picked by the Montreal Alouettes in the first round.

In six games for the Dinos, in 2021, Jalen registered 35 receptions for 715 yards and three touchdowns. His hard work got him a U Sports First Team All-Canadian selection for the second year in a row. During his three seasons with the Dinos he had 113 catches for 1,889 yards and 10 touchdowns. He will get to continue his career at McMahon Stadium.

Last season, Tyson had 41 receptions for 746 yards and (nation best) nine touchdowns to uprise the final draft rankings. His accomplishments from last season got him a U Sports First Team All-Canadian honours as well as Canada West Player of the Year.

The brothers were leading so heavily that the next closest player in reception yards in Canada West play was Saskatchewan’s Daniel Perry at 443 yards.

 

Calgary has had struggles in the past with filling the receiver position but Jalen should be able to secure this position for the Stampeders in the future seasons coming up. Jalen is 5’11 and 193 pounds, but has a well built U Sports film.

 

The Alouettes are expected to start Hergy Mayala and Kaion Julien-Grant at slotback and at field-side wideout. Tyson being the best prospect to rotate at both positions.