Sandra Thomas
Various locations
While the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival doesn’t officially begin until April 2, this city’s 40,000 flowering trees didn’t get the memo and are in full bloom.
In the lead up to the event, the festival is now accepting submissions for the 2015 Haiku Invitational, presented by Leith Wheeler Investment Counsel Ltd.
The cherry blossom theme for this year’s festival has been dubbed Connections: How do you connect to people, places, and moments of experience in the context of seeing cherry trees bloom? Festival organizers suggest budding poets let the spirit of making connections inspire them while writing cherry blossom haiku. Much how the ephemeral nature of the blossoming cherry trees provides a lesson to celebrate life now, similarly, haiku captures a fleeting moment in time with deep awareness and subtle appreciation. Judges for the 2015 Haiku Invitational are Michael Dylan Welch, Allan Burns and Katherine J. Munro.
The festival begins April 2 with the annual Cherry Jam Downtown Concert, which this year takes place from noon to 1:20 p.m. at the indoor concourse of the Burrard SkyTrain station. Highlights include a performance by the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra trio ensemble conducted by Ken Hsieh, the taiko and electric guitar duo LOUD, Langley Ukulele Ensemble and national yo-yo champion Harrison Lee.
For more information visit vcbf.ca.
Kerrisdale
A free event at the Kerrisdale Seniors Centre, 5851 West Boulevard, promises to provide information on inflammation, downsizing and choosing a home support provider takes place Tuesday, March 31 from 2 to 3: 30 p.m. Good times.
Dr. Cathy Sevik from the Cornerstone Health Centre is presenting Getting to the Root Cause of Your Symptoms: Inflammation; Susan Borax from Practically Daughters is leading a discussion dubbed Don’t let Your Stuff Prevent You From Moving; and finally, Youla Thomas from Comfort Keeps will offer advice on how to choose the most appropriate home support. Please register by March 24 by calling 604-541-8653.
Marpole
The Marpole Museum and Historical Society invites the public to a lunch with Ron Hyde, author of The Sockeye Special, a story of the Steveston Tram Line, Saturday, March 14 from noon to 3 p.m. at St. Augustine’s Parish Hall, 8680 Hudson St. Admission is $10 and includes lunch. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 604-261-0131 or at the door on March 14. For more information visit marpolehistorical.ca.
Downtown
The Vancouver Public Library is offering a course designed to introduce seniors to Twitter.
Learn the basics of this popular social media platform, including how to set up and customize an account, and then begin following other Twitter users in this hands-on course.
Twitter for Beginners for Seniors is offered from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. March 27 in the training room of the Central Library, 350 West Georgia St. The session is free but registration is required by calling 604-331-3603.
