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Dance and sing your way into December with these Vancouver concerts! Here are 10 concerts around town to add to your calendar this month, including Taylor Swift, The Funk Hunters, and more. And for more fun things happening around town, be sure to visit our Listed section. Taylor Swift @taylorswift13/X What: The biggest music superstar in the world is finally in Vancouver! Taylor Swift brings The Eras Tour to BC Place for three dates in December, and there are plenty of events and activities for Swifties to enjoy before, during and after the sold-out shows. When: December 6 to 8, 2024 Time: 7 pm Where: BC Place — 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver Elf in Concert What: Elf, one of the most beloved Christmas films of all time, is celebrating a milestone birthday this holiday season in Vancouver. The Will Ferrell comedy classic is getting the live concert treatment at the Orpheum Theatre. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra will bring John Debney’s heartwarming score to life while the film is projected onto a massive 40-foot movie screen. When: December 20 and 21, 2024 Time: 7 pm Where: Orpheum Theatre – 601 Smithe Street, Vancouver Cost: Various prices, purchase online Petunia and the Vipers: Calling Me Back Album Release What: Vancouver’s own Petunia and The Vipers are throwing a huge album release party at The Rio Theatre, and you’re invited. Get ready to party at the “hillbilly-flavoured-swing inflected-ragtime-goodtime-thunderously rolling-one-of-a-kind-you-don’t-want-to-miss-this-sort-of-a-show” while listening to their latest album, Calling Me Back. Featuring special guests. When: December 27, 2024 Time: Doors 6:30 pm, show 7 pm Where: Rio Theatre – 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver Tickets: $20 early bird plus fees, $26 general admission plus fees. Purchase online CP Holiday Train What: The CP Holiday Train rolls into BC this December, bringing lights, music, and holiday cheer to tons of communities across the province. It will be in Metro Vancouver on December 19 and 20. The 26th edition of the beloved holiday tradition will travel across Canada and the US this season to raise money, food, and awareness for local food banks. Attendees at each CP Holiday Train stop will also enjoy a free and festive concert by Juno winners Magic! and fast-rising star Sofia Camara. When: December 19 and 20, 2024 Time: Various times Where: Various locations Cost: Free; donations for the local food bank to help those in need are encouraged Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft tour Billie Eilish Live at the O2 (Extended Cut)/Submitted What: Music superstar Billie Eilish is coming to Vancouver this fall on her new world tour, adding to the stacked lineup of artists coming to town. The nine-time Grammy winner will bring the new Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to Rogers Arena on Tuesday, December 3. Vancouver is just one of three Canadian stops on the highly anticipated tour. When: December 3, 2024 Time: 7 pm Where: Rogers Arena – 800 Griffiths Way, Vancouver Tickets: Various prices; purchase online Xmas in Skaville 21 – The Nightmare Before Skaville What: Xmas in Skaville is bringing high-energy holiday cheer to the Wise Hall in December. The lineup for the 21st edition includes Balkan Shmalkan, Brehdren, Mivule, The Wavebirds, and Bobbi-Jo Moore. The show promises to heat up the cold winter’s night, so make sure to bring your dancing shoes. When: December 13, 2024 Time: 7:30 pm Where: The Wise Hall – 1882 Adanac Street. Vancouver Tickets: $25 plus fees in advance, purchase online Vancouver Singing Christmas Tree What: Broadway Church’s 55th Singing Christmas tree is full of songs, drama, dance, and more. This year’s holiday production is themed “The Christmas Rocket” and will treat audiences to performances by singers, an orchestra, dancers, actors, and acrobats. When: December 6, 7, 8 and December 13, 14 and 15, 2024 Time: 7:30 pm (Fridays), 3 and 7 pm (Saturdays and Sundays) Where: Broadway Church – 2700 East Broadway, Vancouver Tickets: Free, register online Contact Winter Music Festival Contact Winter Music Festival What: Contact Winter Music Festival is returning to Vancouver, and some massive stars are coming for the party. Canada’s largest indoor winter music festival is taking over the Vancouver Convention Centre on December 27 and 28. This year’s headliners include multi-platinum and Grammy Award-nominated artist and producer deadmau5 and America’s Best DJ nominee Seven Lions. When: December 27 and 28, 2024 Where: Vancouver Convention Centre — 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver Tickets: Various prices, purchase online The 9th Annual Funk The Halls Featuring The Funk Hunters What: Canadian electronic duo The Funk Hunters are bringing their holiday extravaganza back to their home base of Vancouver. Multi-dimensional artists Nick Middleton and Duncan Smith will be taking to the stage at the Commodore Ballroom for two of the biggest parties of the season with Funk The Halls. When: December 20 and 21, 2024 Time: 8 pm Where: Commodore Ballroom — 868 Granville Street Tickets: Various prices, purchase online Christmas with Chor Leoni What: Chor Leoni is getting festive with its annual Christmas show. The holiday tradition is filled with folk music favourites, ancient chants and modern classics. The program is set to include songs like Silent Night, Joy to the World, Ron Sexsmith’s Maybe This Christmas, and more. When: December 19 to 21, 2024 Time: Various times Where: St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church – 1022 Nelson Street, Vancouver Tickets: Various prices, purchase online
Canadians could see a “mortgage war” in the months and years ahead as interest rates fall and unprecedented conditions drive competition among the country’s banks, according to RBC Capital Markets. The growth restrictions recently imposed on TD Bank’s U.S. operations and the eventual arrival of open banking in Canada are among the factors at play,…
3 Steps to a Perfectly Lit Kitchen, According to a Pro A lighting expert shares must-know tips for designing a functional kitchen. Published on November 16, 2024 Photo: John Merkl The right lighting is one of the most important elements of kitchen design. It needs to provide enough illumination for a variety of tasks in multiple areas, while also adding a stylish touch and complementing the overall room design. To help you get your kitchen lighting just right, Kerry Cochran, senior merchandise manager for Lumens, shares three steps to follow for a functional—and beautiful—space. Whether you’re simply refreshing your space or planning a full remodel, implement these three expert-recommended lighting tips to create a perfectly lit kitchen. Read McKendree 1. Use the Principle of Three-Level Lighting “The modern kitchen serves more than one purpose, which necessitates a careful combination of task, ambient, and accent lighting,” Cochran says. While striking the right balance can be a challenge, she shares how you can create layers using the principle of three-level lighting. “A combination of independently-controlled ambient lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting makes for an ideal blend of function and aesthetics, and helps create a smoother transition from day to night,” Cochran says. John Granen 2. Don’t Be Afraid to Mix Styles and Materials People often get caught up in creating a matching lighting scheme, but Cochran says there is no hard and fast rule that says you need match all your kitchen light fixtures. “In fact, some of the most well-designed kitchens incorporate a thoughtful mix of both styles and materials,” she says. Don’t be afraid of mixing metals, because it can actually make a space feel more layered and dynamic, as long as they’re complementary in tone. “For example, pairing a warm-toned brass or copper with a cool-toned stainless steel or chrome can make a room sing, while two different metals that are similar in tone, like nickel and chrome, will clash,” Cochran says. As a general rule of thumb, she recommends sticking to two to three different finishes to avoid the kitchen feeling disjointed and haphazard. Elizabeth Howard 3. Add Personality Through Light Fixtures Light fixtures offer a great opportunity to infuse personality into your kitchen. Cochran compares choosing kitchen lighting to adding jewelry to an outfit. “It should reflect your personality and style, and complement your outfit—the kitchen—without overwhelming it or competing for attention,” she says. Focus on functional lighting first, such as track lighting over a kitchen island. Then, add in decorative pieces, like a flashy pendant light or colorful wall sconces.
CNN — Human-caused climate change has already made heat waves around the world more frequent and intense. Scientists who study the role of global warming on weather say that every heat wave today bears the fingerprints of the climate crisis. Climate change, driven primarily by humans burning fossil fuels, is worsening global extreme weather in general, but much of that change is related to heat. In the US, heat kills more Americans than any other weather-related disaster, and it will only continue to worsen as the world heats up from burning fossil fuels. Here’s what happens to your body in extreme heat, what you need to watch out for and how to stay safe. What happens to your body Normally, your body is used to a certain range of temperatures, usually between 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. When your brain senses a change – either lower or higher than that – it attempts to help your body cool down or heat up, according to Dr. Judith Linden, executive vice chair of the department of emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center and a professor in the emergency medicine department at Boston University’s school of medicine. “There are a number of different ways in which (the brain) attempts to cool the body down. One way, the most common way we think of, is that you sweat,” Linden said. “The pores open, the body sweats and the sweat evaporates, that cools the body.” The second way your body cools itself down is by dilating vessels and upping your heart rate, which helps bring heat and blood to the surface of your body and helps releases that excess heat. When you’re exposed to high temperatures, it becomes harder for your body to try and keep up with cooling itself down. And if your environment is hot and humid, sweat doesn’t evaporate as easily – which pushes your body’s temperature even higher, according to the Mayo Clinic. “The higher the humidity, the lower temperatures you need for extreme heat,” Linden said. High body temperatures can lead to damage to the brain and other vital organs, the CDC says. They can also lead to several heat-related illnesses. Mild-heat related illnesses, including heat cramps, are most common, Linden said. Heat cramps can develop in people who sweat a lot, including during exercising. The excessive sweating uses up all of the body’s salt and moisture and can lead to muscle pains or spasms, usually in the abdomen, arms or legs, according to the CDC. A heat rash can also develop. That’s a skin irritation caused by too much sweating in hot and humid weather, and is most common in young children, the CDC says. It is usually a red cluster of pimples or blisters, and tends to be in places including the neck, upper chest or in elbow creases. When your body’s beginning to exceed its ability to cool itself down, you can develop what’s known as heat exhaustion. “In this case you’re going to see excessive sweating because your body is really going to try and keep up with that extra heat. You’re going to feel light-headed, you may feel dizzy, often people present with nausea, headaches and their skin often looks pale and clammy and their pulse is often fast,” Linden said. “This is the body’s last attempt to cool itself before it really goes into a point of no return.” A heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness, and, if left untreated, can lead to death. “That’s where your body’s temperature goes above 104 to 105 degrees or so, and this is where your mechanisms are starting to fail,” Linden said. Warning signs may include extremely high body temperatures, red and dry skin, a rapid pulse, headache, dizziness, nausea or loss of consciousness, according to the CDC. The hallmark of a heat stroke is confusion and agitation, Linden said. “So when somebody’s in the heat and they become confused and agitated, that’s heat stroke until proven otherwise and you need to call 911 for that or get help immediately and get the person out of the heat.” Elderly, people with chronic medical conditions as well as children are at higher risk for severe heat-related illnesses. The elderly and people with chronic medical conditions may be less likely to sense and respond to temperature changes and may be taking medication that make the heat effects worse, the CDC said. “Very young (people) as well, because they’re less likely to recognize heat-related illness and they’re less likely to get out of the heat if they’re starting to feel overheated,” Linden said. Student-athletes and pets are also at higher risk, she added. “In this weather, you must never, ever, ever leave a child or a pet in the car for even a minute,” Linden added. When your community is facing extreme heat, there are several things you can do to keep yourself and others safe. First, keep an eye out for symptoms of heat exhaustion or other illnesses. “If somebody starts feeling light-headed, dizzy, nausea or headache, that is the time to act immediately,” Linden said. “That means getting them out of the heat and into a cool environment.” Putting water on someone who may be experiencing symptoms and giving them fluids can help cool them down. If someone is starting to lose consciousness or has nausea or vomiting, call 911. “If you see anybody with any
A shortage of affordable housing has led to a growing crisis, and it’s taken shape with a tent city in downtown Sechelt that sprung up in recent years. Catherine Leach thought she would be pushed out of British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast when her landlord decided to sell her home. “I got super lucky that one of the few apartment buildings opened up and I got a suite in that building,” she says. “I would have had to leave the Coast. It was that close. And it’s not just about people having a home to live in. It’s about an affordable home and having homes so that people can actually work here.” Ms. Leach is executive director of the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society, a large 50-year-old multiservices nonprofit that serves a scattered population of 32,000 people along 100 kilometres of coastline. The Sunshine Coast is about a half-hour ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, and it’s long been an idyllic draw for residents of Metro Vancouver who want a quieter, less expensive seaside lifestyle. But a shortage of affordable housing has led to a growing crisis in the small community, and it’s taken shape with a tent city in downtown Sechelt that sprung up in recent years. “It’s impacting everybody in every way – that’s how bad it’s become,” she says of B.C.’s housing crisis. Nonprofit workers on the front line know that people aren’t just sleeping in tents or in shelters and living in the rough. There are hidden homeless people living in their cars, in wooded areas, sleeping in boats and on couches, in motel rooms, and even in short-term rentals, because they’ve been squeezed out of the housing market. Low-income groups such as seniors are particularly impacted. Marc White, chair of the Older Persons and Elders Advisory Committee, which advises Vancouver city staff and council, has heard reports of seniors sleeping in the Vancouver airport because it’s safer. “I think it’s all over [the province],” says Dr. White, who is Clinical Assistant Professor with the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia. “Because when you look at 43 per cent of the people on the BC Housing wait list, they are 55 and older, and half of those are experiencing homelessness for the first time as a senior – and that is incredible.” He cites a recent Statistics Canada report that shows B.C.’s hidden homelessness rate was at 17.7 per cent in 2021. People had been asked if they’d ever had to live somewhere temporarily because they had nowhere else to go. Considering the rents B.C. seniors are paying, it’s no wonder. “Right now, based on census data, there are 14,000 [Vancouver] seniors paying more than 30 per cent of their household income on rent in the private market, and 5,100 households spending 50 per cent of their household income on rent,” he says. The Sechelt encampment is located near the Sunshine Coast’s only year-round homeless shelter and a transitional housing project with health and social services. There aren’t enough beds or services, so the community is pulling together. The Sunshine Coast Community Services Society is soon breaking ground on a striking new housing project by lead architect Jesse Garlick of Studio 531 Architecture. Part of the inspiration behind the U-shaped design, says Ms. Leach, was to create an inward sense of safety. The building will include 35 units of housing for single women and women with children, in response to the statistic that 59 per cent of the Coast’s children are living with a single parent who is living below the poverty line. Ms. Leach says the project, in partnership with BC Housing, is six years in the making. As executive director of Kitsilano Neighbourhood House, she was also involved in that redevelopment, and she learned that support for vulnerable people starts in their own communities. “If there was any wish for me – and the government knows this, everybody knows this: fund projects that are more complex that are actually going to affect change. Like, don’t continue to just put very targeted, particularly very vulnerable people all jammed together in one location and walk away. Don’t do that any more.” Their crisis is an extension of the Vancouver crisis, but they don’t have the same resources to address it, says Kelly Foley, Sunshine Coast regional housing co-ordinator for Cover the Coast, a local affordable housing society. She co-authored a 2023 assessment needs report that shows crime, particularly violent crime, increased between 2016 and 2021, with a major spike in violent crime in 2020. “Because we are such a bedroom community to Vancouver, the cost of housing in Vancouver has certainly had an impact here,” says Ms. Foley. “You combine that with older adults moving here and we are in a tough situation, because we have a lack of working-age adults that can’t afford to live in our community, and who could help support those people.” Half the population of the Coast is older than 55, and about one-third are over 65, she says. As well, the average household income is lower than the B.C. average. People are fearful of the sudden changes they are seeing, particularly in downtown Sechelt, says Ms. Foley, who has met with residents of the encampment. “What I’m hearing is that there are people who are living in tents, who are very vulnerable, and also there’s
Posted September 19, 2024 9:39 am. Last Updated September 19, 2024 10:24 am. A new housing project on the lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations will create 2,600 new affordable homes. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE! The homes will be at Heather Lands, an 8.5-hectare (21-acre) lot between West 33rd and West 37th avenues on Heather Street, just east of Queen Elizabeth Park. The province says buyers will be able to purchase the homes at 60 per cent of market value — with 40 per cent of the cost covered by provincial financing. In an announcement Thursday, Premier David Eby explained the financing agreement isn’t a grant or a subsidy, it’s a loan from the province. “The 40 per cent is repaid at the end of 25 years, or when the owner sells. … What we have created here, together, is a financing tool that protects taxpayers, that minimizes impact on public budgets, and yet, at the same time, delivers affordable housing now,” Eby explained. “And when the loan is paid back by the homeowner, [it] protects affordability in the future,” he added. Eby shared that the homes will be sold as 99-year strata-leaseholds with Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. “The unit prices will be determined at the time they actually go up for sale, but if they were for sale today, under current market conditions, a studio apartment on the site would sell for $620,000. Under this program we’re announcing today, that same studio apartment will sell for $370,000,” he said. “On this site today, the market price for a two-bedroom condo is $1.3 million. Under this program that we’re announcing today, that will be $780,000.” Eby added priority will be given to first homebuyers, and there will be “strict” criteria around income and asset ceilings for would-be purchasers. “I want to assure you that we will have strict rules and screening measures in place, and anyone who thinks that they can game the system when we detect that, there will be serious consequences.” The province says that to cover the 40 per cent of purchase prices, it will need to finance an estimated $670 million. If purchasers would like to buy out the remaining 40 per cent of the value of the home, Eby shared owners are able to do just that, “but if they exit in advance of 25 years, then they need to pay the appreciation in the value of the property as well.” “Say property values go up, they would have to pay that share of the government’s appreciation of the property as well. And say, property values go down, they would still have to pay the full amount back to the government that was loaned at the first instance,” he added. More to come.