Author Archives: Mattia Dhanji

Covid Safe Sushi Spot

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Vancouver is distinguished for having a bounty of top-notch sushi places, but this brand-new joint in the city’s West End isn’t joking when they say they are a “brand-new concept of a Japanese restaurant.” That’s because, at Sushi Aboard, the sushi is served on a mini “bullet train” that runs along the restaurant’s counter. Located at 1047 Denman Street, get some great sushi without the stress of exposing yourself to too many people, I heard it can get pricey, but I think it could be worth it for the overall experience.

photo creds- Daily Hive

They are specializing in Maki rolls and Nigiri. And I’m sure it’s great; check out their Instagram for more videos and photos @sushiaboard.

Sushi Aboard is the first of its kind in Vancouver, so I hope more restaurants will catch on if it gets successful. Because I know there’s a lot like this already in the states. Make a day out of it; check out some stores downtown and a nice stroll around the city. Get out of the house once in a while, especially with everyone is back at school; we forget to have a life outside of work and school. So, grab some sushi and treat yourself! You deserve it.

Moon & Back Gallery

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If you like to get some insta worthy photos or experience cool immersive experiences in van, come to the moon and back gallery. They have six unique rooms with cool lights, mirrors and different themes to take the coolest photos. The gallery is a great place to go on a first date or out with friends; you have to book tickets ahead of time for COVID precautions, and they have it all the rules set up on their website so you can check it out there.

photo creds- Richmond News

This exhibition will have everything from balloons and fluorescent lanterns to hundreds of fairy lights hanging from the ceilings. It is the dreamiest experience I’ve seen! The Moon and Back gallery are the first of its kind in Vancouver, opening just last October and using ideas from the famous Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors room in Japan. It’s like stepping into another world. Come to Moon and Back! it’s a great indoor activity to do on a rainy October day!

Its located in Richmond, right by IKEA. If you’re in Vancouver, there’s no excuse for not checking this place out. And after, check out some great places to eat in Richmond! There are lots of local cafes to get a treat or a cup of coffee.

Artisan Farmers Market in North Van

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If you like getting fresh groceries at the best suppliers in Vancouver, come to this market! They have everything from local soup makers to organic skincare and jewelry. You won’t have a hard time finding something yummy to snack on or cook with here! It is on every Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. Check out their website; they share many great recipes on their page, from brown sugar scones to a great frittata.

photo creds- yelp

Lonsdale Artisan Farmer’s Market started on the East Plaza at the Quay in April of 2002. The location is perfect for a Farmer’s Market as it has trees that shade the vendors and a cool breeze coming off the water, which is great for keeping the produce cool. The location is spectacular, with a view of Vancouver and the cruise ships arriving and departing.

The Lonsdale artisan market brings some of the best farmers in B.C. plus great bakers, jam makers, honey gathers, and salsa makers. The market has great diversity in vendors and a good collection of crafters’ who sell jewelry, children’s decals, pottery, soaps, kids’ clothing and much more. A live musical entertainer is featured in every market.

Suppose you want to be a part of the market; look on their website to open your table as a vendor. Or if you want to check it out, come early to get the freshest produce and food

Check Out This Cloverdale Market

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Love a good bargain? or are you an avid thrifter like myself? The flea market in Cloverdale might be a new place to hit up! It’s COVID safe because, as of now, it is all outdoor, and masks are mandatory. It’s every Sunday from 6 am-3 pm, so definitely hit it up next Sunday. Come midday because if you go too early, the booths are either still setting up or if you come too late, the booths tend to pack up early. It’s also great to pick up some fresh vegetables or new plants to add to your indoor plant collection; I know mine is already massive, but I’m always looking for more!

photo creds – Yelp

Cloverdale has been home to the flea market for 45 years, and over 7 million customers have passed through its gates. Situated on the famous Cloverdale Rodeo Fairgrounds, it is a well- known institution in the Fraser Valley.

Here, you will find a fantastic mix of people and products among a bustling, vibrant community of market sellers and their customers. Two buildings with 200 tables and 100+ outdoor spots yield an eclectic mix of goods for sale, from electronics, household items, hand-made crafts and artwork, jewelry, clothing, and collectibles. Everything you need and some things you didn’t know you needed…it’s all here.

You can usually find some good food trucks there too! It’s a great activity to do on a Sunday.

Jump in This Langley Cranberry Bog!

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Have you ever watched those Ocean Spray advertisements and thought, “wow, I’d like to swim in that” Well, now you can! This cranberry farm is letting people get a tour of the farm and how everything works. And the cherry on top (Or should I say cranberry) is that you get to walk into the bag and live out your ocean spray dream!

photo creds- marthastewart.com

  • Harvest Walk – stroll the perimeter of the field being actively harvested to see the beater machine working or see the cranberries being pumped off the field.

 

  • Snap some pics at the multiple field side photo opportunities (Sitting on a farm John Deere gator OR the Bogside Adirondack Chairs with Harvest decor).

 

  • Stop and read the informational displays to learn about the interesting facts about cranberry farming.

 

  • Watch the antique cranberry cleaning equipment in action in our new barn and learn about the history behind this authentic machine.

 

  • Visit the farm booths to purchase our farm to table products made with the cranberries from our farm.

Although they have to limit the number of people to this harvest, it’s still stunning as ever, so get some tickets online and come on out. This harvest tour season is limited to four days running from October 7th thru October 10th, 2020. Tickets are available ONLINE ONLY for the 2020 season due to Covid-19 procedures set in place. Tickets are non-refundable.

26805 88th Ave Langley, British Columbia, Canada V1M 3L8.

 

 

Trivia Night @ Relish Pub

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I know it’s sort of hard to find any new events that are COVID safe in Vancouver but, Relish the Pub is bringing back their first trivia night from being in quarantine. Book a table and bring the people in your bubble! Masks are mandatory. 888 Nelson St #G5 (16.96 mi) Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z2H1 (604) 669-1962.

photo creds- relish pub facebook

If trivia is your game, Relish on Tuesdays is the place to be, whether it be after work or bringing friends in your bubble. It is a great way to blow off some steam with a bit of trivia and a chance to win a gift card.

Prizes include Relish Gift Certificates and other great items sponsored by Red Truck Brewing. Topics include science, pop culture, history, general weirdness and much more!

​Could you be the next trivia titleholder? See if you got it in you, of course, with an awesome group of players. A tip for any trivia night is becoming more curious about the world around you; those are always the people who know the weirdest little trivia facts. And of course, a bit of alcohol doesn’t hurt.

Drink specials include $3.50 12 oz Red Truck Ales AND $17.99 PITCHERS along with $5 Tricycle Radlers!

Shattered: A Walkthrough Experience

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If you love a good auditory scare from your favourite horror movies, shattered might be the right experience for you!

photo creds- Beaumont Studios

Just in time for Halloween, the labyrinthine interiors at the Beaumont will be completely transformed for a hair-raising, immersive and touch-free adventure, from Oct 8th – 31st.

Shattered at the Beaumont: A Wicked Walkthrough Experience will feature optical delusions, creepy corridors, mind-bending tricks and eerie soundscapes. Composed of hundreds of lights and lasers and ingenious electronic illusions and projection mapping, Shattered promises to thrill both the young and young-at-heart. This event will be a socially distanced experience, so definitely the first of its kind! I encourage you to check it out and buy tickets online!

Ensure all the chills come from the artistry on display and not dread from a shared public experience. Shattered will have stringent COVID protocols in place, including a mask requirement, hygiene stations, a defined audience flow, and physically distanced entry, which is timed and staggered for up to six people in the same social bubble.

Bring your social bubble friends or family and have an experience like no other! Get your tickets now before they are sold out! Shattered is not something you want to miss.

Vancouver Canucks Hockey Player Discusses Mental Health

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Something you don’t usually see in the sports community is the discussion of mental health among athletes. But Tyler Motte has been very open with his Depression and Anxiety, talking about it with ESPN.

Photo creds- Mihockey

He explains how it was to ask for help from the Canucks.

They took Motte’s vitals, conducted measurements, made sure all of his limbs worked correctly. Everything looked fine. Then the doctor asked: “Is there anything else you have going on, anything else we should be concerned about before camp?”

Motte, now 25, paused for a moment. “Actually,” he said. “There is one thing.” Then the words started flowing out of his mouth before he could consider the significance.

“Earlier in the summer, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression,” Motte said. “Do we have somebody for that?”

“It was an interesting feeling, to ask someone else for help,” Motte said. “But I’m very glad I did.”

Motte explains how his girlfriend was the one who noticed he needed help. He explained, “It was hard to hear at first,” he said. “It’s hard to hear that from someone you love and care about. But after a few conversations, I realized it was worth talking to someone. But just getting to the point where I could sit down and talk to someone — that was a massive step, a massive obstacle for me.”

He then reached out to a Therapist when moving to Vancouver to be a part of the Canucks, He explains how it was uncomfortable at first, but soon he became more settled with the counselling. I think this a great step in letting people know it’s okay to not be okay and lessens the stigma on therapy, especially to hockey fans who could be going through the same thing. Nobody should be suffering in silence.

CBC Launches a New Fellowship Program For BIPOC Journalists

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I’m happy to inform people of any new support within the Black community in Vancouver and Canada. This is a great step forward to get more BIPOC in media and making our platforms like CBC more diverse. Hopefully other media corporations will follow suit.

Photo Credit- CBC

CBC/Radio-Canada and the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) today announced two new fellowships for Black journalists:

  • The CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Journalism Fellowship (open to all genders), &
  • The CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Women’s Journalism Fellowship.

The fellowships will provide unique opportunities for early-career Black journalists (with one to 10 years’ experience) hosted by a CBC News or Radio-Canada Info newsroom.

Over six months, fellows will receive mentoring and training in video and audio editing, writing, research, and investigative reporting. Each fellow will receive a full-time stipend and write or produce an article/piece that will be considered for publication or broadcast. Applications for both new fellowships will open on January 18, 2021.

“We’re honored to be spearheading this initiative with the Canadian Journalism Foundation. Offering these fellowships for English- and French-speaking Black journalists across the Country is another way to ensure that Black Canadians see and hear themselves — their experiences and their perspectives — reflected in our content and our workforce. This is how we serve Canadians.” -Catherine Tait, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada

We need to constantly do better to include every race, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and expression. CBC is the most well-known media company in Canada, so this is an important step in making our Country a more inclusive place.

I can’t wait to see more diversity in CBC because our media can become a very white-dominating space when it should reflect who we are as a diverse country.

I hope to see more beautiful faces as  reporters and journalists at CBC, this fellowship program is a great way to pursue that goal for BIPOC.

Call For Artists!-North Van Art Rental 2021

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North Van Arts is looking for any talented artists that want to submit their work for rental. Your art could be featured in people’s homes, in offices or on TV sets in Vancouver. The council is looking for original paintings, photography, or mixed media work. The deadline for submission of work is October 24 at 11:59 pm. Art rental is a great way to showcase your best pieces and getting your name out to potential clients!

photo creds- North Van arts

Submission Requirements:

  • Artists may submit 1 to 3 pieces for consideration;
  • A jury fee of $15.00 is required to be paid online by each artist at the time of submission;
  • Only 2-dimensional artworks, including paintings, prints, photographs and mixed media works will be accepted. 3-dimensional artworks, video or audio-based works will not be accepted. Diptych or triptychs are ineligible, nor may they be submitted as single works;
  • Submissions must include for each artwork the Title, Medium, Dimensions (width x height), Selling Price, and additional details if Framed or Matted;
  • Works must be at least 8″ x 10″ and no larger than 48″ x 48″;
  • All works must be properly finished for hanging using durable materials for the wire and eyelets (D-rings are preferred) attached to the frame 1/3rd of the way from the top of the frame, stretcher or mounting board so that hardware does not protrude and the top of the piece does not lean excessively forward off the wall. Artwork is frequently transported and handled, so they must be durably constructed. We do not accept pieces with relief or fragile surfaces that may be prone to damage;
  • Each artwork being submitted must be accompanied by a photograph that accurately represents the work. Avoid the use of in-camera settings or image enhancement software tools such as HDR (High Dynamic Range), picture styles, excessive colour saturation or filters.
  • There is no guarantee that every artist who submits their work will have artwork selected for the programme. The decision of the jury is final.

Upon Acceptance:

  • Artists must become members or are already active members in good standing with North Van Arts. Prior membership does not influence the jury’s selections;
  • Artists will receive a contract for each artwork. Accepted artwork is contracted to the Art Rental Collection for a minimum of one year;
  • Artists will be contacted to schedule a time to deliver the artwork(s) to CityScape Community ArtSpace on the following weekends: Sat-Sun Nov 28 & 29 and Sat-Sun Dec 5 & 6.