Bookworms are emerging alongside the spring flowers, ready to snag their fair share of reading materials from the upcoming spring book sale. Fiction, non-fiction, you name it - it's for sale, and by donation!
Organized by the nonprofit group, Friends of the Library, the biannual book sale is held over the May long weekend to raise funds for the Whistler Public Library. The sale takes place in front of IGA on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Anyone interested in donating books can drop them off at Nesters, TD Canada Trust, or the library up until the day before the sale. People with larger donations should contact Jane Reid at 604-932-3665.
The drive-in experience
Grab a blanket and cozy up in your car, it's movie time, '50s style.
The Squamish Coast Guard Auxiliary (SCGA) is bringing back their drive-in theatre event this summer, with the first screening on Thursday, May 14 at the Squamish Oceanfront parking lot. White Rock-based outdoor movie company, FreshAir Cinema, will transform the site into a theatre by bringing in a giant screen, projector, FM transmitters and speakers to create an authentic drive-in experience, where they will show "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
"Last year we brought the Drive-In to Squamish for the first time and had a great turnout and it was a huge success. It is a fun event and we invite the whole community to come down to the oceanfront to have dinner and sit back and enjoy the show," SCGA unit l leader Ron Drewry said in a recent press release. "Bring your family, bring a date or a car full of friends and cruise on down to the Squamish Oceanfront Drive-In Theatre."
Gates open at 7 p.m. and the movie starts at dusk. Admission is by donation, with proceeds going towards the SCGA, a volunteer organization that assists the Coast Guard's marine search and rescue operations and prevention.
TWSSF arts recap
The 2009 Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival was pretty jam-packed with arts, music and sporting events, so it's understandable that even the most enthusiastic of attendees may have missed something - after all, it's impossible to be in two places at one time.
There was a lot of competition to snag the top spot in the main arts events, like the 72-Hour Filmmaker and Olympus Pro Photographer showdowns.
Whistler's own Jordan Manley, a 24-year-old photographer, blew the audience and judges away with his nine-minute slideshow at the Pro Photo Showdown, walking away with first place, a big cheque and loads of prizes from Olympus.
"The Staff: A Ski Bum Musical," directed and written by Johnny Fleet, with music by Luke Dunn, editing by Kelvin Tseng and photographic direction from Naim Sutherland, ended up snagging top spot and $15,000 in prizes at the 72-Hour Filmmaker Showdown thanks to their campy vocals and choreographed dance moves on the hill.
The new kid on the block, the ThreePointOh Multimedia Challenge, was a hit, with 10 finalists competing for first prize. Paper Shredders , by Dave Mossop and Callum Peterson, took home the honour at the inaugural event.
Scrapbooking for 2010
A quick visit to Vancouver 2010 website reveals a wealth of Canadian culture from people across the country through their collaborative CODE project. There are images of people kayaking on sunny days and a native youth drumming to a snowboarder on the hills of Whistler Mountain.
CODE encourages Canadians to go online to connect, create and collaborate, sharing their images and thoughts about their country and neighbourhoods through an online digital scrapbook.
A selection of the best submissions will be showcased on public screens throughout Vancouver and Whistler during the Games, while the entire project will be left online.
"This eclectic collection of words and photos submitted by anyone who wants to share is meant to reflect the stuff that we as Canadians are made of. It's who we are. It's the things we do every day. It's the words we use to describe ourselves and our communities," Burke Taylor, VANOC vice-president, culture and celebrations, explained in a recent press release. "The Canada CODE will reach into all parts of the country to truly make these Canada's Games through the power of Canadians' imagination and the Internet.
Check out the submissions so far, or send in your own, at www.vancouver2010.com/code.
An exercise in expression
Whether you're new to the writing game, or have been toiling away with a pencil and notebook for years, Polar Expression Publishing is offering an exciting opportunity to take your work to the masses, and possibly earn a bit of cash in the process, with their annual national poetry and short story contests.
Canadian citizens from the age of 14 years and up are invited to submit their original unpublished poems and short stories to Polar Expressions' 2009 national poetry and short story competitions. Each contest carries cash prizes - $500 for first place, $250 for second, and $100 for third - plus the opportunity to be published in a keepsake soft cover collection. Submission deadline is July 12.
For more information or an entry form, visit www.polarexpressions.ca .
Daddies, daughters: get ready to dance!
This weekend, the Whistler Children's Centre hosts their 16th annual Father/Daughter Dance at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler to raise funds for the Whistler Children's Centre Society and the Parent Advisory Councils of Myrtle Philip and Spring Creek Community Schools.
Tickets to the event, which takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, are $40 for fathers and $20 for daughters, and they are still available at the Nesters location.
