Various locations
The first annual Beauty for Life event takes place this Sunday, Jan. 18, at participating salons across the city.
This new fundraising initiative was organized in honour of Virginia Leeming, former fashion editor at the Vancouver Sun, who died in 2012 at age 70. Leeming is fondly remembered as an inspirational friend, loving mother, respected journalist, mentor and dedicated supporter of community charities.
For one day only, participating hair salons, spas and beauty service businesses will come together to raise funds in support of Vancouver Friends for Life Society, which offers services to clients living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses. Friends for Life is a registered charity operating the Diamond Centre for Living, where volunteers provide complementary therapies, nutritious meals and social support services.
Book a haircut, manicure or massage at a participating salon and at least 50 per cent of the cost will be donated to Friends for Life. To put that into perspective, that $150 spent on a cut and colour translates into meals for 25 clients struggling with serious illness. For a list of participating salons, visit beautycouncil.ca.
Renfrew
The Vancouver Public Library is offering an opportunity to improve your conversational English in a fun and casual setting.
The ESL Conversation Club meets Jan. 31 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. at Renfrew Branch, 2969 East 22nd Ave. Suitable for intermediate and advanced levels. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free.
For more information and a complete list of VPL events, visit vpl.ca/events or call 604-257-8705.
Riley Park
Vinyl Café regular Reid Jamieson doesn’t want your Valentine’s weekend to “suck,” which is why he’ll be singing the bitter and the sweet at a special afternoon show, Afternoon Delight, Feb. 15 at the Cottage Bistro, 4468 Main St. at 4 p.m. with doors open at 3 p.m.
Jamieson specifically booked an early afternoon show the day after Valentine’s Day to ensure as many music lovers as possible can attend, including employees in the service industry. The event is in support of the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter. Couples, singles and sad sacks are welcome, with chocolate for everyone. Tickets are $10 at reidjamieson.com.
Mount Pleasant
Staircase Theatre presents Love Letters, the story of a 50-year correspondence between Melissa Gardner and her childhood-friend-turned-love-interest, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. This Pulitzer Prize finalist has been performed in theatre spaces across the globe, from the New York Public Library to Broadway to Carnegie Hall and back again.
This limited Valentine’s engagement includes appearances by real couples of the Vancouver theatre scene. To that end, Andrew and Melissa’s story will be told by a different couple every night. Love Letters runs Feb. 11 to 14 at The Shop, 125 East Second Ave. For more information, visit staircasetheatre.com.
Fairview
Singles Travel Club has organized an information dinner/meeting Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. at Cactus Club, 1530 West Broadway. Meet new friends, enjoy the security of traveling in a group and avoid the costly single supplement. RSVP to Val at 604-669-6607 extension 304. Visit singlestravelclub.ca.
Oakridge
The second session of this season’s Jewish Seniors Alliance Snider Empowerment Series takes place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Jan. 21, at the JCC Wosk Auditorium on West 41st Ave. This year’s theme, A Smile on Your Face, a Song in Your Heart, will continue with a session dubbed Stories that Sing.
Shoshana Litman, Canada’s first ordained Maggidah (Jewish inspirational speaker, storyteller, teacher and preacher), will share transformative personal narratives, engaging folk tales and inspirational songs that invite audience participation. Light refreshments will be served, but a bag lunch is suggested. Parking is free at the Wosk Auditorium, 940 West 41st Ave. For more information call
604-732-1555.
Oakridge
The Jewish Seniors Alliance has also organized a support group dedicated to helping anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. While grief is a difficult and an emotional journey of pain, loneliness and isolation, sharing these feelings with others in a caring and nurturing environment can help the bereaved find a way to cope.
The stages of mourning and grief are universal and are experienced by people from all walks of life, whether it’s in response to their own terminal illness, the loss of a close relative, or due to the death of a loved one or pet. The group, facilitated by Rita Akselrod and Ruth Wolochow, meets every second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 2 to 4 p.m. These sessions take place at the Jewish Seniors Alliance, 949 West 49th Ave. Call 604-732-1555 for more information.
Killarney
Champlain Heights Community Centre, 3350 Maquinna Dr., hosts a Robbie Burns-themed dinner party Jan. 29 from 3:30 to 5:50 p.m. The afternoon will include entertainment and Robbie Burns trivia followed by an early dinner consisting of shepherd’s pie, salad and dessert. Come dressed in tartan or plaid to celebrate the beloved Scottish poet. Tickets are $12.
The Killarney Community Centre hosts an event organized to promote heart health.
The Happy Healthy Hearts High Tea was organized to show older adults how lifestyle choices can have a major impact on heart health. Join Bonnie McCoy as she demonstrates how to have a happy, healthy heart. A selection of delicious afternoon tea delights will also accompany this fun and informative session Feb. 5, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the centre, 6260 Killarney. Tickets are $15.
Citywide
For a limited time, the Vancouver Art Gallery has partnered with TransLink to create a unique offer to visitors. Between Jan. 12 and Feb. 13, anyone taking TransLink to see exhibitions at the gallery will receive special discounts on admission.
Show your validated TransLink ticket, including single fare transfers, FareSaver or monthly FareCard, as well as West Coast Express tickets and passes, at the gallery admission desk and the cost of that fare will be discounted from the price of admission. In addition, visitors who travel by TransLink will receive a limited edition Emily Carr print when purchasing a gallery admission. That works out to a savings of $2.75 for a regular one-zone ticket, $4 for two zones and $5.50 for three zones or day pass. Monthly pass and West Coast Express ticket holders will receive a discount of $3 off admission. The discount will only be applied to tickets purchased the day of the visit.
Two dynamic exhibitions will be on view at the Vancouver Art Gallery during this promotional period, including Unscrolled: Reframing Tradition in Chinese Contemporary Art; and Emily Carr and Landon Mackenzie: Wood Chopper and the Monkey. Unscrolled highlights the work of ten contemporary Chinese artists who examine the influence of traditional aesthetics on visual culture in present-day China. Wood Chopper and the Monkey is an inter-generational dialogue between the work of iconic B.C. artist Emily Carr and acclaimed Vancouver painter Landon Mackenzie, featuring fifty artworks that collectively span more than one hundred years.
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