One of Vancouver’s most anticipated summer traditions returns as the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, in collaboration with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), presents Symphony at Sunset at Sunset Beach Park on Saturday, July 5, 2025.

Now in its sixth year, this popular event offers an opportunity to experience live orchestral music in one of Vancouver’s most scenic waterfront settings. The evening's program will include classical favourites and selections from blockbuster film scores including Harry Potter and Star Wars, performed by the full VSO under the direction of Music Director Otto Tausk. Event details

Date: Saturday, July 5, 2025

Location: Sunset Beach Park

Time: 8 pm to 9:30 pm

Admission: Free

The original title felt like clickbait / ragebait to me, and it can be found here: "This long Vancouver road will be renamed šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm Street this summer"

More context:

Next week, Vancouver City Council is expected to approve the renaming of Trutch Street in the Vancouver Westside to “šxʷməθkʷəyə̓masəm Street” — a recommendation by City of Vancouver staff as part of the reconciliation efforts with local First Nations.

This specific new name, suggested to the City by Musqueam First Nation in September 2022, means “Musqueamview Street” in English. It will become Vancouver’s first legal street name in hənq̓ə̓minə̓m̓, the traditional language of the Musqueam, and the city’s first legal street name not written in English.

Trutch Street is a north-south street spanning 18 city blocks across a length of about 1.5 km between Point Grey Road and West 16th Avenue, going through Kitsilano’s residential neighbourhoods. About 100 unique addresses are impacted by the renaming.

The renaming removes the legacy of Joseph Trutch, who held the historic position of British Columbia’s first Lieutenant Governor in the 1870s.

Trutch’s policies toward Indigenous peoples drew renewed scrutiny starting in Spring 2021, amid the resurgent national controversy over Canada’s residential school history. In response, then-mayor Kennedy Stewart initiated the process to rename the street in July 2021.

Trutch was deemed to be a central figure in denying First Nations’ land rights and drastically reducing reserve sizes.

To address this communicational issue, there will be two street signs on each post along the street — one sign with “šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St” and a second sign below in English with “Musqueamview St”.

Such bilingual signage will be similar to the University of British Columbia’s campus street signs, installed over the past decade, which include both the English and hənq̓ə̓minə̓m̓ street names — created in partnership with the Musqueam First Nation.

As well, emergency response databases will provide the name “Musqueamview St” when searched.

Journalists from a few major Metro Vancouver news publications that closed earlier this year are now banding together in a fight to save local news.

[...] The three publications that closed were Burnaby Now, New Westminster Record and Tri-City News.

Now, journalists who formerly worked at these publications are hoping to launch a new publication. Daily Hive spoke with Cornelia Naylor, who has over a decade of experience and was part of the Burnaby Now and New Westminster Record teams.

They’ve launched a fundraiser with a goal of $100,000 and hope to launch a new publication later this year. We asked Naylor why Glacier Media shut down the local news publications.

“They cited financial problems or financial challenges, and there was not much more explanation than that.”

Naylor says the end goal is a community-owned, worker-run news cooperative, and the hope is that this publication will fill all the gaps left behind by the shuttered Glacier publications.

“I think this model is already working in Quebec. It would be the first in Western Canada.”

We often hear politicians talk about local news and its importance, and asked Naylor if the government can play a role in this journey to build a new publication. Naylor first expanded on the situation in Quebec, where six daily newspapers were set to be shut down.

“The government, I think, jumped in with interest-free loans, and there was fundraising.”

The 2025 Honda Celebration of Light competitors include:

• Yukon on Saturday, July 19, staged by Midnight Sun Fireworks
• Quebec on Wednesday, July 23, staged by Royal Pyrotechnie
• Nova Scotia on Saturday, July 26, staged by Fireworks FX

Vancouver Retro Gaming Expo (VRGE) is taking place on Saturday, June 14, at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, with vendors, panels, and live entertainment happening throughout the day.

When: June 14, 2025

Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Anvil Centre – 777 Columbia St., New Westminster

Admission: $25, purchase online. Children under 10 are free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

The article has some fur graphics if you want to check it out

The City of Surrey’s annual Canada Day celebration will take place at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre in Cloverdale on Tuesday, July 1.

The free, all-ages event features a huge concert lineup, food trucks, and a spectacular fireworks show.

The article and original title: Vancouver's new urban forest strategy faces challenges, academic says

Excerpts:

The city's goal is to increase its canopy cover – how much of the city is covered by leaves and branches when seen from above – from about 25 per cent of the city to 30 per cent by 2050, according to the updated urban forest strategy.

The plan sets a target to plant about 165,000 new trees over the next 25 years, and encourages residents to plant trees in their own backyards.

And while the plan has drawn praise from one expert, both city councillors and staff have acknowledged there will be difficulties in meeting the goals set out in the report.

In the wake of the B.C. government pushing hard for cities to increase housing density, Sheppard advised councillors to minimize the loss of existing urban trees when approving rezoning proposals.

The other map:

Multiple councillors pointed out the stark divide in canopy cover between neighbourhoods.

Shaughnessy has 41 per cent tree canopy cover, while Strathcona — which includes the Downtown Eastside — has only nine per cent.

The difference can be particularly significant during heat waves, according to the staff report, which says that vulnerable populations in low canopy areas faced a higher risk of heat-related deaths.

Coun. Mike Klassen asked staff to explore how to reduce urban heat islands in neighbourhoods with minimal tree canopy cover, including a "GreenShades" system that suspends large sails with planted greenery over streets.

The updated urban forest strategy passed unanimously with Klassen's amendment.

Protest Trump’s Fascist Birthday Display Vancouver Art Gallery When: Saturday, June 14, 2025

Where: 12:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.

Where: Vancouver Art Gallery

The media won’t say it—but we will. Donald Trump is a fascist. On June 14th, we’re gathering at the Vancouver Art Gallery to send one clear message: it’s time to stop soft-selling the threat. It’s time to call fascism what it is.

WHY WE’RE DOING THIS We’re not waiting for history books to catch up. We’re saying it now, because it’s true now.

The lack of widespread adoption of the word “fascist” has real consequences. When the media, journalists, politicians, and institutions downplay Trump’s rhetoric and actions, the public underestimates the threat. And when we don’t call it like we see it, fascism can more easily take root here at home in Canada.

WHY JUNE 14th Because it’s Trump’s birthday and he’s using it as a show of force. A protest on this day shows we won’t stand for silence, soft language, or denial.

The Context We want to call it out and name it. It’s fascism when you… Silence the press Jail and intimidate opponents Persecute freedom of expression Deport citizens without due process Ignore laws and use fear to rule

The word is still treated like an exaggeration or misrepresentation. That ends here. Why? Because this U.S. presidential administration is an authoritarian government, prioritizing power over people.

The truth matters. And the truth is urgent. We stand up now because if it can happen there, it can happen here. It’s not the time to be a passive bystander.

Read more in our recent blog post “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad F-World”

WHAT TO DO Show up with one message: “You’re a fascist if…”

Finish the sentence. Bring your sign. Tell your friends. Sign our petition. Help us hold the line against normalization. Because when we as a society name it, we can fight it.

**Why Vancouver? **Because Trump’s fascist tactics don’t stop at the U.S. border - they impact us too. From economic coercion through tariffs, to anti-immigrant policies that strain our borders, to undermining democratic alliances like NATO, his actions directly affect Canada. These aren’t just aggressive politics, they mirror classic fascist strategies: domination, nationalism, and authoritarian control. And with Trump arriving in Canada for the G7 the very next day, we’re showing up to say: we see it, and we’re naming it.

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/186897

From VA Marine Mammal Rescue Society via this RSS feed

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/183335

About 100 people have signed up to speak for and against the proposed redevelopment of a Safeway lot next to the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station.

From this RSS feed

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation will open two of its outdoor pools and staff its nine swimming beaches with lifeguards to help people safely enjoy time in and around the city’s waters this summer.

Dunbar Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness (DEEP) and the local Pacific Spirit Medical Venturers (MedVents) invite you to an hour-long interactive demo at the Dunbar Disaster Support Hub at 11 a.m. on May 10, the final day of B.C.’s Emergency Preparedness Week.

The Hub, located behind the Dunbar Community Centre, is where community members can gather to exchange information and coordinate their efforts to help each other during a disaster.

Volunteers will demonstrate the main roles of the Disaster Support Hub. This includes the HAM radio emergency communications, information boards to collect and disseminate information, the hub Coordination centre, and a First Aid Station operated by the MedVents. Come familiarize yourself with this important community resource for emergency support. We hope to see you there!

• Presenters: Members of DEEP and the Pacific Spirit Medical Venturers
• Date: Saturday, May 10th, 2025
• Time: 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
• Venue: The DEEP Disaster Support Hub Container
• Location: in the middle of Memorial Park West – behind the Dunbar Community Centre 4747 Dunbar Street – on the north side of the basketball court, beside the tennis courts,

You can register on the link

cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/169902

"It's been heartbreaking. It's been devastating for our community," said Manitoba Filipino Business Council President Jackie Wild.

From this RSS feed

Let me know if any information belongs in this thread and I'll edit it in.

Information

WARNING: There are graphic videos of the event and aftermath. Keep that in mind when going through any social media posts. The news articles are generally 'safe' to read.

Social media threads:

• [email protected]: https://lemmy.ca/post/42965727

• r/Vancouver: https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/1k8v49i/

• https://x.com/VancouverPD/status/1916348189449634129

News Articles:

• CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vehicle-hits-crowd-filipino-festival-lapu-lapu-day-block-party-1.7519778
• The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-vancouver-festival-driver-incident-deaths-injuries-updates-lapu-lapu/
• City News: https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2025/04/26/major-police-incident-vancouver-lapu-lapu-festival/
• The Province: https://theprovince.com/news/police-incident-at-lapu-lapu-day-in-vancouver/wcm/8078cf55-f577-49a1-a041-6bdd6d7c2bef
• Vancouver Sun: https://vancouversun.com/news/police-incident-at-lapu-lapu-day-in-vancouver

Support Resources:

Local Resources

Vancouver Police Victim Services: As per their website - Victim Services staff members are not police officers; they are civilian employees of the VPD with specialized training in emotional support, crisis intervention, and communication skills, and with education in areas such as psychology, social work or other related disciplines.

Staff are available to provide free and confidential support to victims, witnesses, and family members affected by crime and trauma.

If you have been affected by crime or trauma, contact the VPD Victim Services Unit at 604-717-2737.

Vancouver Coastal Regional Distress Line: 604-872-3311

BC Mental Health & Crisis Response (no area code needed): 310-6789

Suicide Crisis Helplines: Text or call 9-8-8 from anywhere in Canada or call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) in BC, both available 24/7.

Learn about what resources are available in your community, including mental health supports. Available 24/7 and Canada wide: Call 211 or visit 211.ca

Crisis Centre: https://www.crisiscentre.bc.ca/

Other Resources

A few people have recommended doing a visuospatial activity, such as playing tetris, to help reduce trauma related intrusive memories from the incident

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2017-03-28-tetris-used-prevent-post-traumatic-stress-symptoms

A single dose psychological intervention, which includes using the computer game Tetris, can prevent the unpleasant, intrusive memories that develop in some people after suffering a traumatic event.

Some tetris links:

• https://tetr.io/
• https://tetris.com/

What can you do

I haven't seen an official call for donations yet, but I've compiled some comments / links.

Blood donation eligibility information: https://www.blood.ca/en/blood/am-i-eligible-donate-blood

What types might be in need:

Filipinos blood type distribution is 86% O-positive, and 8% A-positive, so if you are type O and A consider donating. Oak street location is open pretty much every day

League ‘hopeful’ to add 2nd expansion team ahead of next season

The Professional Women's Hockey League will expand to Vancouver and begin play next season, the league announced on Wednesday.

The decision to expand to Vancouver had been rumoured for weeks, and was finally confirmed at a press conference in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday morning. The official announcement was made by a local under-11 girls' hockey team. The girls crowded around a podium, waving signs to show how badly they wanted Vancouver to get a PWHL team, before announcing the news.

Vancouver was chosen as the seventh PWHL franchise after an eight-month process that saw expansion bids from groups in more than 20 cities.