Welcome to the next installment of Rescue Me in which we feature pets waiting for adoption at the Vancouver SPCA. Today we would like to introduce you to Grizzly. He is a 2 year old male Chesapeake Bay Retriever/Pit Bull Terrier Mix. If you are looking for a running or hiking partner, then we hear that Grizzly is your guy. He’s a high energy dog that requires an active home. His friends at the Vancouver SPCA think he will benefit from some fun obedience training to help polish his behavior skills as well as keeping him stimulated. Grizzly if left alone for long periods without enough exercise, may become bored and bark as well as exhibit a bit of destructive behaviour. The Vancouver SPCA thinks he would be best suited for an adult only home or one with older children as he’s young and fairly excitable and with his size could be overwhelming for young children. He can be selective with his canine friends, so they prefer he be your one and only four legged friend. If you think this handsome boy might be a good fit for you, the Vancouver SPCA Shelter would love to hear from you. You can find them at 1205 East 7th Avenue or by telephone at 604-879-7721 or by email at vancouver@spca.bc.ca.
Rescue Me: Grizzly One Cool Dude Is Looking For His Forever Home
22 Oct
Halloween Events In East Vancouver 2015
21 Oct
Lots of fun events coming to East Vancouver for Halloween for the big kids and the wee ones. We have set out a sampling of some of the events. Of course, if you are staying in to hand out Halloween candy to the wee ones, Black Dog Video on Commercial Drive has you covered for Halloween movies. If you have an event, you’d like to see included on the list, feel free drop us a line at IliveInEastVan@gmail.com
Parade of Lost Souls. This popular East Van tradition takes place on October 31st. The exact location will be announced at midnight on October 30th on the Dusty Flowerpot website. You can expect a parade of wild costumes, giant puppets, live music by East Van’s own Carnival Band among others, a Thriller Flash Mob and performance art created by local community members. The Parade of Lost Souls will take place in East Vancouver on October 31st 7:00 – 10:00 pm. This event is free and for all ages. Costumes are encouraged. For those wishing to carry on after the parade, there is an After Party at The Hall on Venables Street. The after party will feature performances by The Tailor, Sweet Anomaly, Orkestar Slivovica, Bone Rattle Burlesque and much more. Tickets are available in advance and at the information booth the night of the parade.
Fright Nights. Playland is hosting 7 haunted houses, 15 rides, a fire show, Monsters of Schlock and the Radiant Heat Show. Fright Nights is now on until November 1st (enter E. Hastings & Windermere) tickets are available online at FrightNights.ca.
Rio Theatre. On Saturday, October 31st, the Rio Theatre has you covered for scary movies. They are starting the night with Jack Nicholson in The Shining at 6:15 pm, then Halloween at 9:15 pm and ending with From Dusk Till Dawn at 11:30 pm. Advance tickets are available online.
7 Deadly Sins At The Waldorf. 7 Deadly Sins is happening at The Waldorf. This is a multi room affair featuring DJs, dancing and much more. The event gets underway at 8:00 pm and tickets are $35 and going quick.
Dogwood Brewing – Costume Kegger. The fine folks at Dogwood Brewing in SE Vancouver are throwing a Costume Kegger this Halloween. As the name depicts, costumes are encouraged. Tickets are $30 and includes meal ticket for Disco Cheetah, beer tickets, a DJ, games and shuttle transportation to and from Cambie/Marine Skytrain Station. The event kicks off at 8:00 pm and will go till 1:30 am. Tickets are available online at Eventbrite.
Halloween Drive-In Movie Night. You are invited to check out a Halloween Drive-In movie series which will be held this weekend and next at River District in SE Vancouver. Load up the car with your family and/or friends for the early movie which is family friendly at 7:00 pm on October 24th which is showing Hocus Pocus OR you can opt for the later scary movie for the adults at 9:00 pm which features The Thing. On Friday, October 30th, they will be doing it all over again. On this Freaky Friday they will be showing The Nightmare Before Christmas at 7:00 pm and for the adult scary movie it will be The Lost Boys at 9:30 pm. The drive-in theatre is located at Boundary Road and East Kent Avenue North. Cost is $20 per car load plus taxes. Free popcorn for the early movie and 4 food trucks and a snack bar will be on site. You can purchase tickets in advance online.
Halloween On The Drive – The Commercial Drive Business Society invites you and your family down for a FREE family event on Saturday, October 31st. From 12:30 to 4:30 pm, kids under the age of 12 can stop by Famoso Pizzeria on Commercial Drive for a free Margherita Pizzetta. From 4:30 to 6:30 pm, there will be ‘trick or treating’ along The Drive from Venables Street to 13th Avenue. Participating merchants will have a “TREATS HERE” sign in their windows. Stop by the Southwest corner of Grandview Park between 6:00 and 7:30 pm for a chance to win a prize pack from local merchants. And to top things off, there will be a fireworks finale at Grandview Park between 7:30 and 8:00 pm.
COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR THE WEE ONES:
Trout Lake Community Centre: Halloween Celebration – Saturday, October 31st 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. You are invited to come jump in the bouncy castle, play Halloween games, and make some pumpkin crafts. Lots more surprises planned for the wee ones. There is a cost of $4.00 per child.
Britannia Community Centre: Halloween Howl – Saturday, October 31st (1–8 years). You are invited to a FREE spooky community event with entertainment and ghostly games and, of course, tricks and treats. Event takes place in Gym D from Noon to 2:00 pm. Treats for the first 100 kids.
Britannia Community Centre – The Ghost Caravan – Kids Theatre Show – Sunday, October 25th 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Local children are invited to come out and be a part of The Kids Theatre Show at the Parade of Lost Souls. They ask that you imagine two ghostly figures riding two white bicycles. Behind them, like a horse drawn carriage, there is a portable theatre from which costumed characters emerge which will be played by local children. To learn more, stop by the Cafeteria at Britannia Community Centre and check out what’s happening.
Sunset Community Centre: Haunted Halloween – Friday, October 30th 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Come check out their spooky haunted houses, crafts and trick or treating. This is a free event for all ages.
Sunset Community Centre: Halloween Skate – Thursday, October 29th 3:00 to 4:15 pm. Dress up in your Halloween costume and skate this spooktacular event. Regular admission and rental fees apply.
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By Broken Arrow – An East Van Gifter
20 Oct
We love featuring local businesses and with the gift giving season soon approaching, we would like to introduce you to a great East Van business – By Broken Arrow. Sami Wall is the creative talent behind this business that creates beautiful gift boxes packed with local product much of it from East Van. Sami is a self described ‘mompreneur’ who started her business 1 ½ years ago. Wanting to work from home to be there for her young children, she came up with the idea and created a gift box for a friend. She posted a photo of the gift box on Instagram and a business was born. Sami’s background is in interior design and home staging which shows in her gift boxes. We, of course, love that they are packed with local East Van products. Some of the businesses she features in her gift boxes include East Van Jam, Candid Confectioner, Fable Naturals, Marsh & Mallow and Noble & Co. to name a few. Many of her gift boxes include fresh flowers from the Flower Factory on Main Street. The gift boxes can be customized for wedding or baby showers, birthdays, house warming or that the foodie in your life. All you need to do is give Sami a bit of background information on the recipient and she’ll put together the perfect gift box. If you wish to order a gift box from By Broken Arrow, the lead time is 2 days, but Sami can accommodate some rush orders. Shipping is a flat rate of $25. We invite you to check these elegant gift boxes that make the perfect gift and at the same time support local. UPDATE: By Broken Arrow now offering online shop featuring some of the great items by local makers. We invite you to check what some of our local makers have to offer.
Photo Credit: By Broken Arrow
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Parade of Lost Souls October 31st
19 Oct
We are pleased as punch that this much loved East Van tradition is continuing again this year. For those not familiar with this event, The Parade of Lost Souls is a community-driven event celebrating Dia de Muertos (The Day of the Dead). The event includes a parade in East Van as well as performance art, live music, interactive art installations and YOU lost souls. The Day of the Dead is a time for celebration, for ceremony, for reflection and renewal. This parade is for YOU and by YOU, all the lost souls of the world. Bring your past and your present for a celebration of life and death. We may all be lost, but at least we can all be lost together.
This year’s parade will be held on Saturday, October 31st from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. The location will be revealed at midnight on October 30th on the Dusty Flowerpot website as well as the Dusty Flowerpot Facebook page. If you are interested in participating in this year’s Parade of Lost Souls, we invite you to check out all the great workshops taking place at the Britannia Community Center leading up to the event. The Parade of Lost Souls was conceptualized and produced by the beloved Public Dreams Society for over 25 years. The parade now carries on under the direction of The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret. As the Parade of Lost Souls is a community driven event, it can only exist through donations from the community. It costs over $20,000 to put on this parade each year, so we invite you to consider donating online to ensure this parade continues. Whether you participate in this event, or just come out and take in the spectacle, it really is something to see. Will we see you?
Following the Parade, for all of those souls that want to keep the party going, the Lost Souls After-Party will be taking place at The Hall (Astorino’s), 1739 Venables Street from 9:00 pm – 2:00 am. The party will feature performances by The Tailor, Sweet Anomaly, Orkestar Slivovica and Bone Rattle Burlesque. Early bird tickets are available online for $15 per person until October 25th. From October 26th – 30th, tickets will be $20 per person. Tickets will be available on October 31st at the parade’s information booths only. Tickets will not be available at the door.s can
Photo Credit: Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret 
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In Anticipation Of The Parade of Lost Souls Coming October 31st
16 Oct
The Parade of Lost Souls is coming on October 31st. This is a community-driven parade inspired by Dia de Muertos (The Day of the Dead). This is ultimately one of our favourite events in East Van. The parade has travelled around various parts of East Vancouver featuring performance art, interactive art installations and YOU lost souls. The Britannia Community Centre is a big part of the creative process for this event and is featuring some great workshops leading up to the big event. We have set a few of the upcoming workshops below, but we invite you to check out Britannia Community Centre’s website which has a full listing of workshops leading up to the parade and how you can participate. Whether you play an instrument and want to participate in the Carnival Band or make costumes/masks or be part of a Thriller Flashmob, there are lots of options to be part of the Parade of Lost Souls.
Thriller Flashmob – October 17, 20, 24 & 27
Back again by popular a Thriller Flashmob workshop will be hosted by Kat Single-Dain. You will learn the original choreography of Michael Jackson’s record breaking hit Thriller. You are asked to come to at least two of these rehearsals times set out below, but if you can make it to all of them, even better. This workshop is by donation minimum $5-10 suggested.
Saturday October 17 & 24, 12-2pm, Cafeteria, Britannia Community Centre
Tuesday October 20 & 27, 7-9pm, Auditorium, Britannia Community Centre
The Ghost Caravan – Kids Theatre Show – October 18 & 25
You are invited to “imagine two ghostly figures riding two white bicycles. Behind them, like a horse drawn carriage is a magnificent portable theatre. Costumed characters emerge, played by local children and the lucky passersby are treated to short magical, musical stories and vignettes!” On October 25th, Chris Ross, writer and director with Project Limelight, will lead a theatre workshop which will work towards a group performance at the Parade of Lost Souls.
Sunday October 18 & 25, 2-4pm, Cafeteria, Britannia Community Centre
Parade of Lost Souls – Carnival Band – October 19 & 26
You are invited to join the Carnival Band for one big night during the Parade of Lost Souls. You are asked to dust off that flute from Grade 9 or come and learn the tuba. Why not? If you are musically inclined, come on out and practice with the Carnival Band and be part of the big night. Drop in rehearsals will be happing on:
Monday October 19 & 26, 7-9pm, AML, Britannia Community Centre
The Sounders Costume Making – October 22 & 29
Nayana Filekov will be hosting a costume & mask making and performance workshop on October 22nd and 29th. The Sounders are other worldly masked creatures that create beautiful music together. This workshop is equal parts visual art and sound. This is a two part workshop in which participants will make wonderful take home masks made out of paper-mache. If you wish, you will also have the opportunity to participate in a group performance at this year’s Parade of Lost Souls. There is a suggestion donation of $5-10 for this workshop and pre-registration is encouraged for this workshop. Contact the Britannia Community Centre directly to register.
Thursday October 22 & 29, 7-9pm, Cafeteria, Britannia Community Centre
Again, these are just a few of the workshops taking place over the next couple of weeks prior to the big parade on October 31st. A full listing of workshops can be found at Britannia Community Centre. Whether you participate or just come and watch, we encourage you to check out this fun community driven event.
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All Souls Night October 24th Mountain View Cemetery
14 Oct
You are invited to All Souls Night Saturday, October 24th 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at Mountain View Cemetery, 5455 Fraser Street. This event is curated by artist Paula Jardine and Marina Szijarto and was created to provide opportunities for the public to commemorate their dead with a family-oriented community art event. The Celebration Hall will be open 6:00 -9:00 pm for tea and personal memorial making. Artists and community members will come together to create a sanctuary for remembrance and reflection. You are encouraged to bring a lantern and candles as well as photos if you wish to create a memorial for a loved one in a gentle atmosphere of contemplative beauty. The event takes place rain or shine. To learn more about All Souls Night and events that continue to November 1st visit a Night For All Souls.
The departed they visit us in dreams. They glide across our memories like shadows over streams. Inscription on a headstone at Mountain View Cemetery.
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Fall Inventory & Sample Sale – Dakota Group & Yates & Co. October 15-17
13 Oct
A group of designers are having a sale this week at 1425 Charles Street. Expect to find some amazing deals on a range of items including coats, shoes and handbags. Designers participating in this sale include Hudson Jeans, Velvet, Co-Lab Handbags, Matt & Nat Handbags, Chinese Laundry Shoes and PJ Salvage to name a few. Sale runs Thursday, October 15th from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, Friday, October 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 17th from 11:00 am. to 4:00 p.m. This is a cash only event, but there will be an ATM on site.
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East Van GoGos Benefit Concert & Brunch October 18 Trout Lake Community Centre
12 Oct
The East Van GoGos invite you to a Benefit Concert & Brunch on Sunday, October 18th at Trout Lake Community Centre. What is a GoGo? Gogo is a Zulu word meaning “grandmother”. The Greater Van Gogos which includes chapters in various parts of the Lower Mainland are grandmothers and ‘grandmothers’ working in groups to support African grandmothers raising a generation of children orphaned by AIDS. This network of grandmother groups in south western BC are dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign and the Stephen Lewis Foundation.
In March 2006, Stephen Lewis, a Canadian humanitarian and former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, issued a call to Canadian grandmothers to bond with their African counterparts. In his travels, Lewis noticed the phenomenal grandmothers who had buried their adult children and stepped in to raise the orphans left behind. They needed money for school fees and uniforms, food and other necessities. In the Vancouver area, three women answered the call. They invited a few others and launched Greater Van Gogos in the summer of 2006 with four groups. Although grandmothers in Africa’s many countries are addressed in different ways – ja ja in Uganda, sho sho in Kenya or nyana in Zambia – the word gogo felt right. Many years later, there are 20 groups registered with approximately 600 members from Vancouver and the surrounding areas. Together they have raised more than $1 million for the Stephen Lewis Foundation. The funds are distributed to community level projects supporting grandmothers and the children in their care in 15 sub-Saharan African countries.
The brunch on Sunday, October 18th is a fundraiser for the East Van GoGos which will feature a musical performance by the Soda Crackers. The group consists of Sue Malcolm, Don Fraser and Stu MacDonald who are also members of Highrise Lonesome. To find out what they will be playing, you’ll just have to come out and listen. It could be country, bluegrass, blues, jazz or some western swing. Brunch will be provided along with coffee, tea and juice. Suggested donation is $25. To order your ticket contact Sharon at T: 604-254-4071 or eastvangogos@gmail.com. The brunch takes place from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Grandview Room at the Trout Lake Community Centre, 3360 Victoria Drive. The music gets under way at 12:15 pm. Come out and support these great GoGos!
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The MakerStore Now Open In Strathcona
9 Oct
You are invited to come check out the MakerStore opening in Strathcona on Saturday, October 10th. The MakerLabs in collaboration with Basic Design, Haeccity Studio Architecture and other contributors is launching their own retail space. If you are unfamiliar with the MakerLabs, it is a 26,000 square foot space located in East Vancouver that provides people with the tools, space and skills to make just about anything. MakerLabs now has over 200 members since its launch in April of 2014 and provides creative and economic opportunities for individuals and small businesses. The MakerStore will feature local makers offering one of kind products and small run products designed and produced at the MakerLabs. Some of the items you will find include hand crafted furniture, housewares, natural body care products, jewellery, stationary from vendors such as Tubify, Goliath Coffee and Living Lotus to name a few. The opening event takes place this Saturday, October 10th from 5:00 to 10:00 pm at 780 East Cordova Street. There will be games, food, drink and the opportunity to meet many of the makers. In true East Van style, there will be craft beer available from a local brewery which be sold by donation in support of Binners Project. Come out and support these local makers. Now if you miss the opening, you can visit the MakerStore Noon – 9:00 pm daily. You can also check items on their new online store with Antsquare.
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A Simple Space Gravity & Other Myths At The York Theatre October 13-24
7 Oct
The York Theatre, 639 Commercial Drive, presents A Simple Space Gravity & Other Myths from October 13 – 24. This show is a multi award winning Australian acrobatics ensemble. The company creates engaging works of acrobatic art. The group was formed in 2009 in Adelaide, South Australia and creates and directs their own work which moves away from traditional circus and theatre models towards fusion of acrobatic physical theatre. This ensemble has an international reputation for their amazing work and tour all over the world including the United Kingdom, Sweden, Argentina, New Zealand and throughout the USA.
On October 13th, you have the opportunity to experience this raw, frantic and at the same time delicate performance which features seven incredibly skilled acrobats. You get to witness first hand how they thumb their noses at the rules of gravity. This intimate presentation is supported by live percussion. A Simple Space is a truly unique experience not to be missed. The show kicks off on October 13 at 7:00 pm and continues till October 24th at the York Theatre. Tickets are available at The Cultch from $20. To learn more about this acrobatic ensemble, visit Gravity & Other Myths.
“Mind blowing physical theatre”
Talk Fringe
ILiveInEastVan.com 