Did you know that City of Vancouver - Local Government has five sister cities and that City of Los Angeles has been a sister city since 1986? As I think of the people of Los Angeles - including the families I know who have evacuated or who are preparing for a potential evacuation - I'm praying for safe passage for Frontline workers on the ground and in the skies, and that the containment boundaries for the fires will hold.
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#LAStrong #lafires #la
🥂Happy New Year 2025! I hope you're enjoying New Year's Eve the way that suits you best. 🥂
🎄🍭I love this tradition of setting out a cornucopia on Christmas Eve because it reflects the simple Christmas traditions of families who lived in our area 100+ years ago. This year the treats featured Carsten's marzipan from #Lübeck , Germany found in the Christmas aisle at @LondonDrugs 🍬🎄
#19thcentury #BChistory
🌿🔉 What would you say if you were invited to meet with the PM (as some BC moms were invited to do so recently)?
💠 Would you try to remind Justin Trudeau of issues that are happening in Canada or even unique to BC? High grocery prices? High cost of housing and cost of living notablly in BC? Homelessness, addiction and drug overdose crisis in BC? Youth and young adult unemployment? Where would you have started?
💠 Would you focus on a less popular but equally important topics?
💠 Would you do a deep dive beforehand into Federal/Provincial/Municipal responsibilities so that you could avoid being told that your topic is not a federal issue?
💠 Would you dare to be prickly or would you be pleasant and ameenable?
💠 How would you have sliced it?
And by the way, while this meeting was going down, the PM's closest ally Chrystia Freeland was planning her resignation due (apparently) to irreconcilable differences over "political gimmicks". Pierre Poilievre and the CPC want the government to topple, the NDP don't want the CPC to take over and who knows where most of the Liberals are at. (But I can guess.) Looks like the PM isn't the best person to take BC's concerns to the Hill these days. I guess I didn't miss an opportunity after all. I know what I'll be talking about with my savvy GenZAlpha twins during dinner tonight!
Video: Jagmeet Singh speaking in French in Parliament today. We always get the dubbed version here in BC. It's assumed people in BC don't understand French. Subtitles please!
#lpc #cpc #ndp #cdnpoli
⭐ Welcome to Vancouver, Swifties! Did you know that 70% of you come from outside British Columbia?
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While you're here to see Taylor Swift 's concert, hop on the Skytrain by the concert site, transfer at Broadway station (walk over the bridge and down/don't exit) and go out to Evergreen station in the City of Coquitlam - Municipality . It's a doable side excursion for your concert weekend. Sit at the front of the train so you have a great view of the city from the elevated train tracks.
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There's a popular and dazzling free light festival by #lafargelake. Don't forget to check out the new #thepraguery dessert spot by the Evergreen Arts Centre.
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Or get off at Coquitlam Centre at Lincoln Station first for shopping and food, and then walk to the festival at Evergreen station when it's getting datk. It's all close and transit accessible. You'll find popular stores like Aritzia there and these sparkly selfie stations.
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There are a lot of international food restaurants in the area just next to Coquitlam Centre (which also has a lovely food court.). #Singaporehawker - a street over from the centre and just above Walmart - is a seriously yum option!
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If you have any other "what/where," questions about your visit, don't hesitate to drop me a comment or DM. Vancouver Christmas Market is another great option. (Get your timed entry tickets online.)
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It's a touch rainy, so do have an umbrella. Dress in layers and bring a backpack to stuff your layers. It's what we do here on the west coast. But don't let a spot of rain dampen your sparkle!
#swiftcouver #taylorswift #taylorswiftvancouver #taylorswifterastour #notsponsored
❄Happy Sinterklaasavond! ❄ When my twins were younger, my husband and I used to take them to Amsterdam Greenhouse in Pitt Meadows to meet Sinterklaas at this time of year. They would enjoy meeting the Dutch Santa and having Speculaas cookies and cocoa. After we adopted our dog Rosey, she came along too. It was a lot of fun. Sadly, this event doesn't happen anymore. (Although the North American Santa does visit.)
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Do you celebrate Sinterklaas? For us, a @lindtcanada Sinterklaas, @waterbridgejoy chocolate letter and @coppenrathverlag Speculaas cookies are always welcome. This year my daughter's wish to try @lakewoodorganic tart cherry juice joined in. As the great-great grand-daughter of a cherry orchard and brick factory owner from Volyn, Ukraine, it feels symbolic somehow.
Can you spot Johannes - our Norwegian version of Elf on the Shelf?
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Happy Sinterklaasavond!
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#sinterklaas #sinterklaasavond #christmas #Ditch #notsponsored
🌿 🔉👆 When I was a school girl in Québec, my teachers taught me how to sing this song with my classmates. Previously, my teacher in Ireland had taught me other songs about peace - such as One Tin Soldier. GenX youth were taught by War Babies and Baby Boomers who had experienced the social upheavel and reimaginimgs of the late '60s and early ''70s.
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What vision are you sharing with the youth in your life?
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Difficult times have been happening on Earth since the dawn of time. How will we face them together, moving forward?
Song: Sung by The New Seekers
#genx #genxchildhood #1970s
🔉👆 You can hear that the rain is heavier than normal. I missed most of the more intense weather action yesterday as I was working at an election polling station for 14 hours. But I heard all kinds of stories from people who came in. Water flying out of manholes and flooding down steep roads. Garage doors half under water. A flooded house in Deep Cove. Take care wherever you are.
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#cweather #bc metro #vancouver #poco #coquitlam
These choices are not signs of rudeness. Make space for yourself. Your voice and your circumstances matter.
Poster: Alexandra Eidens
Music: Florian Christl/Natural
#worldmentalhealthday #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters
🌿 Don't wait until voting day to vote! I voted at an electoral office where there was no line-up. You can also vote on advance voting days starting October 11th. These days tend to be quieter so there won't be long line-ups. But please do vote even if you aren't keen on the two top candidates in your riding and/or the parties they represent. (This is a common reason for people to avoid voting.) Choose the party you dislike the least. Or vote for the party in third place in your riding because you want to show how popular that party is for the next election. Political parties will add extra attention during a campaign period if they lost but had promising numbers in a riding in the previous election. I know you're thinking that that would be the Green Party; however, there are ridings where they are front runners or possibly running in 2nd. So do your research about your riding.
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There are lots of ways to look at your voting strategy. Whatever you decide, please make your presence and your choice known. If you need to register, don't forget your ID. Bring a government issued ID such as a driver's licence, status card or BC ID, or two documents that meet the requirements. Both should have your name on them and one should have your address. People who live in group homes or use shelters can get a document filled out but will need a 2nd piece of ID. Failing that, they can have someone from the riding vouch for them.
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Please see the Elections BC website if you or someone you know is preparing to vote.
#votebc #bcelection #bcprovincialelection #bcelection2024 #notsponsored
🔉👆 Our home is a bear safe space in the autumn. We never call city officials if a bear appears. Even in the backyard, our dog Rosey is never off leash. (I have multiple leashes on her strung together so I can recall her if a bear jumps the fence.) No. No recall technique will work with her. She is wired to be scrappy and - if the opportunity presented itself - would probably snap a rodent's neck. (Our Westie killed a rat that way outside our house in Manila.) Terriers were bred to be ratters. They are feisty and fearless. What was Rosey's plan for the bear? Not sure but fortunately she couldn't execute it. Meanwhile, the bear couldn't have cared less about Rosey and didn't even look at her. BTW she started barking before the bear appeared from behind the bush. If a bear walks through our garden in the night time, she'll follow their scent through the garden the next day.
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#poco #coquitlam metro #yvr #vancouver #bear #bears #blackbear #yorkie #silkie #australianterrier #terrier #instadog #instadogs #adoptdontshop
