Lululemon Founder Pledges to Help Protect BC Wilderness

The founder of Lululemon Athletica Inc., Chip Wilson, has planned to donate millions of dollars to help protect vast amounts of wilderness in British Columbia.

Along with his wife they together have pledged some $100 million for the cause.

Photo by ILLIYEEN on Pexels.com

The money that is being pledged by the Lululemon founder and his wife is going to help acquire wilderness space in the province that can be protected.

It is expected that BC Parks Foundation is going to be using the money to buy forests and also work to repurchase mining and other resource licenses, in the effort to eventually turn land into parks that Indigenous groups could manage and profit from to benefit their communities.

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

With the goal that BC Parks Foundation reportedly has of protecting around 25 per cent of the province’s land and water area this is going to help move things in that direction.

This is tens of millions of dollars going to protecting BC wilderness areas and preserving these beautiful and unique spaces.

There is hope that this will inspire others to follow and potentially do the same in pledging to help this sort of cause in protecting BC land and sea areas.

Lululemon was founded in British Columbia back in 1998 right in Vancouver. The popular yoga-inspired brand has gone on to become one of the most successful Canadian business stories.

Today you can find dozens of Lululemon stores across the country as well as in numerous countries around the world today including places like the United States, Australia, China, Germany, and other areas.

The BC Parks Foundation launched several years ago back in 2018 with the goal of looking to improve the park system around the province as well as grow it, working in partnership with Indigenous communities along the way.

Advertisements

Photo by James Wheeler on Pexels.com

30% by 2030

By pursuing this goal it moves BC in the direction of becoming a conservation leader for land and oceans which keeps in-line with a commitment that Canada previously made on protecting these spaces.

The goal ultimately is to work on trying to protect as much as 30 per cent of land and water by 2030.

It is already expected that three areas in BC will benefit from that funding. Those areas are the Falling Creek Sanctuary, Bourguiba Springs, and Teit’s Sanctuary.

One of the Best Cafes in Squamish BC

The Zephyr Cafe in Squamish BC is one of the best cafes to visit if you are on your way up to Whistler or looking for a great place to stop in around Squamish for a bite to eat. One of the best things on the menu to try is their delicious peanut butter bar.

If you love peanut butter chances are you’ll love this bar. This bar alone is reason enough to visit and the views don’t hurt either.

The Zephyr Cafe

38078 Cleveland Ave, Squamish, BC, Canada, British Columbia

The cafe offers great coffee, pastries and they also have food options like the Breakfast rice bowl or On-the-go breakfast bagel for breakfast, veggie wraps for lunch, cold brew and other great coffee options.

The cafe is great because it opens early and has a good variety for food and drinks. You can find smoothies here too, tea, and bottled drinks.

There are different cafes and restaurants to find around Squamish, BC, along with some food truck options as you can see in the photos above as well.

The Squamish Farmers Market is also a great event to find that goes on around town where you can get access to produce and items made from local farmers and small businesses.

The distance from Squamish to Vancouver is roughly 1-2 hours of a drive depending on the traffic. From there it is about another hour to Whistler.

Whistler is where many tourists come to visit from all over the world and for locals who might be driving up for the weekend it’s easy to stop in Squamish to fuel up and rest before making the rest of the trip.

Why visit Squamish BC?

Squamish is a beautiful community in BC and has that small town feeling, even though it has been seeing a lot of development in recent years. This area has a lot to offer most of all the beautiful scenery you are surrounded by when you come for a visit.

There are some great small businesses to support in Squamish BC.

Walking along Cleveland Ave for example is a great area to begin exploring Squamish, and a start with breakfast at the Zephyr Cafe is highly recommended.

Survey Finds Some Canadians Tipping More In Restaurants

It isn’t custom to find tipping everywhere that you go today in the world. Across Canada though you will find tipping is the norm in various circumstances.

You might tip when you order food delivery, take a taxi, get your nails or your hair done.

Another example might be when you are dining out, where the general rule has been to tip between 10-15 per cent or sometimes 20 per cent. However, it varies for the individual and what they can afford.

Meanwhile, the tipping question is one that can still be quite triggering and there is heated debate on whether customers should be expected to tip at all.

Living Off Of Tips

For many positions in the food industry around Canada today there are numerous workers that rely heavily on those tips that they are getting and in most cases they are going to be split with several people at the business, rather than just going to one server.

Tips are how those individuals are able to pay their bills and they rely on that generosity from their customers.

Some individuals might feel tipping makes sense in certain circumstances and maybe that it doesn’t in others. Would you tip when picking up your meal from a restaurant? It isn’t always clear what is expected.

Advertisements

Facing Financially Difficulty

Through the pandemic more Canadians and others around the world faced incredible financial difficulty and this meant many individuals and families went looking to cut back on their food costs.

For those who are looking to reduce the money that they are spending on food this meant not as many nights eating out at restaurants, tipping was becoming more difficult. But now things might be turning around slowly.

One recent survey found that Canadians in Atlantic Canada are tipping more on their bill following the pandemic. The majority of those tips being given are also on average around 15-19 per cent as well.

Restaurant tips are different around the country

Not only have Canadians been found to be tipping a bit more now but other reports have suggested that they are tipping more than pre-pandemic levels in some circumstances as well. Around the country we are still seeing the 15-20 per cent tip average that has become known as the generally accepted rate for tipping in the market.

Though things aren’t turned around completely in the economy just yet that hasn’t stopped some Canadians from getting back to generous tipping when they go out for a bite.

Food delivery is thriving around BC and throughout the rest of the country and people have become comfortable again with going out and dining as soon as we saw those restrictions start to be lifted.

It’s great to see that for those who are still going out for a meal though that they are being generous with their servers.

Lifeguard Shortage: Staff Shortages At Some Canadian Pools

Not only has there been a lifeguard shortage around the US recently but here too in Canada we are seeing staffing shortages at pools.

In Vancouver as the heat wave continues to bring extreme heat and humidity to the region some pools can’t operate efficiently because they are struggling with staffing.

Just recently, it was reported that the Kitsilano Pool closed a few hours early because they didn’t have enough lifeguards to meet their needs.

Advertisements

Lifeguard Shortage Around North America

Right now there is a severe lifeguard shortage that has been ongoing around North America and some lifeguards have even come out of retirement to help the situation.

Those lifeguards are needed to help pools stay safe and stay open during the summer. If they cannot get enough lifeguards on duty then that means closing the pools early and reducing those summer swim programs too.

There are many pools who have been impacted this summer around the US already that are facing a lifeguard and swimming instructor shortage and it seems that this isn’t the only region suffering with this issue.

Pools looking for lifeguards and swim instructors

For those who might be interested in a new job change to this arena perhaps now is the best time to apply for a lifeguard or swim instructor position because of the desperate need so many pools have.

The city of Toronto has also recently been urging people to apply for these positions too, there is clearly a need in more than one area of Canada.

With that lifeguard shortage it means seeing fewer at pools and around beaches. Some businesses have already considering increasing the pay to try and attract new interest to the position.

Pop Up Farmers Market in Richmond

There is a great pop up farmers market to visit in Richmond that brings the chance to find some fresh vegetables and also help students at the same time in the BC area. This pop up farmers market is a little different because this produce is grown by students.

Advertisements

Local produce sold at the pop up farmers market in Richmond is sustainably grown by students from KPU Farm Schools. Those KPU BC Farm Schools are the Tsawwassen First Nation Farm School and Richmond Farm School and the food grown is then sold at the market.

These KPU farm schools offer multi-month programs that give students a great foundation of learning what goes into farming. They get to be educated by some of the best, learning from true food-growing experts on the principals and practices that go into regenerative farming.

The students have been busy growing things like kale, chard, romaine, scallions, broccoli heads, beets, and more.

A visit to the pop up farmers market is a great way to support the students and get a chance to try some delicious, fresh, local BC produce as well.

Advertisements

Where to Find hands on farmer training programs in BC

During the pandemic many more people became interested in farming, growing, and starting their own gardens right at home.

There is widespread interest for growing and supporting local food systems, as well as embracing regenerative farming practices that can help to bring value to the community as well.

This is one place to find that education for those in BC who are interested in learning more about farming, and for those who want to get hands-on experience with growing food and all that might be involved with farming today.

Buy Local, Fresh, BC Produce

The pop up farmers market associated with the farm schools is a great way to show support for those students and to get access to a good selection of local produce as well.

You can browse their social media page for more updates on those pop up farmers markets.

Photo by Greta Hoffman on Pexels.com

Subscription Boxes for Quality Produce in BC

The pop up market isn’t the only place to gain access to the great food that they might be growing. There are also produce box subscriptions that you can find which are associated with the farm school, these services offer a multi-week subscription for small, medium, or large boxes of produce.

The subscriptions for BC produce are another option for accessing some quality local BC food and you don’t have to drive all the way to Richmond to get it as they’ve got different pick-up locations.

Travel Disruptions Heading Into Summer

It is a busy summer for travellers in Canada and around the world. Many people made their way to new destinations over the long holiday weekend recently and there was a huge disruption as far as cancelled flights and rescheduled flights for many.

According to Flight Aware, a travel tracker, it is estimated that Air Canada ranked number one out of all others in the world for flight delays this recent long weekend.

The disruption has brought the attention of politicians around the country as well, they want to know what the reasoning is for the hold up that we are seeing at different stations around the nation for people who are trying to get different required papers etc for their travel plans.

The NDP-Liberals are failing Canadians.

This is completely unacceptable. https://t.co/2reYShoxtu

— Candice Bergen (@CandiceBergenMP) July 5, 2022

Source: via twitter.com/CandiceBergenMP

Some of those Canadians admit to standing in line for hours just to try and get their new passports that are needed for travel.

The frustrations have been felt not only in the country here but there have been issues with travel plans around the world as people look to get away for the summer.

Cancelled and delayed flights have caused a great headache for many. Some experts have even suggested that these Canadian travel delays might even last through until the end of summer, that they won’t be over anytime soon.

Photo by Daniel Frese on Pexels.com

Majority of Canadians planning a summer vacation

There are many Canadians who are looking to get away for a summer vacation this year, even if things are difficult right now with inflation and an increased cost of living for millions. They might be staying closer to home because of gas prices but there is broad optimism to get out and enjoy summer by making some fun vacation plans, according to various surveys.

Last year we saw surveys indicating that many around Canada were looking forward to upcoming travel plans in the new year for 2022 and now we can see that the crowds are off with a bang for the long holiday weekend. Many suspected that the backlog might have some impact because of the pandemic, for passports etc, but maybe many didn’t expect that it would be this bad in terms of timing or difficulty.

Streamline The Travel Process

To try and deal with the lines and ease this issue there are some special passport sites that have already been set up in areas like Calgary and Edmonton, as well as in the greater Vancouver region too. They are working on fixing the problem and once again trying to streamline that process for travelers.

Some of those Canadians with immediate travel plans are also allegedly being given priority at some officers in order to get the documents that they need for travel.

Air Canada Cancels Over 9,000 Flights This Summer

In another recent move it looks like Air Canada is going to be cancelling over 9,500 flights this summer. Will this help to get a hold of the travel chaos? It is only a matter of time before things become more streamlined for passengers and operators and they are already working hard to make that happen.

Now there are customer rights advocates who are raising the question of compensation that might be linked to those cancelled flights too. The hope with many of course, on either side, is that the disruptions won’t last that much longer.

Flower Shops Turning to Delivery Apps

Flower shops connecting with delivery apps can be a great way for those flower shops to open up to new customers. Not only that but it also gives a new option for customers who might be looking for some same-day delivery.

On popular days for flower shops like Valentine’s Day it can get busy and be stressful when standing in those long lines looking for something.

Ordering online has become more popular over the years and now this brings one more option to the customer as well, browse third party delivery apps like Uber Eats and look for flower shops that might be delivering to your area.

For some customers this might be nothing new, especially those who have been using third party delivery apps for years now to get flowers and other special items this way.

However, for many Canadians who might have experienced ordering flowers online with their grocery delivery, it isn’t likely that many have ordered it like they would a nightly dinner from a third party delivery app.

Being able to select and order flowers to be arrived within a matter of 30 mins or more, depending on the delivery times in the area etc, this opens up new options.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

Helping Small Business Flower Shops

There are a variety of flower shops around the Metro Vancouver region and while you might not be able to access them right now through a third party delivery app like this maybe that change isn’t too far off if it proves to be successful for those who have already embraced it.

There are already some flower delivery services that you can find, or same-day delivery options, but they do not overwhelm the market yet when it comes to flower delivery in this region.

Finding small business BC flower shops on third party delivery apps is going to bring them one more way to connect with the community to offer their goods.

Not only does Vancouver have a variety of stunning gardens to enjoy but there are also some amazing flower shops offering everything from daily bouquets to exotic flower combinations and flower arrangements.

DoorDash Partners with Loblaw For Rapid Grocery Delivery

Loblaw has partnered with DoorDash to announce a new rapid grocery delivery service that is meant to offer express grocery delivery to customers in Canada.

The new partnership will be bringing rapid grocery delivery and that service is expected to start this August which could mean seeing grocery delivery service in 30 minutes or less.

This is going to be a big competitor to those grocery delivery services that are available now which might not offer same-day delivery or only have limited options for delivery based on demand that week etc.

A number of other Canadian competitors are already offering grocery delivery and pick up grocery service. Overwhelmingly we see that Canadians have enjoyed and benefited from access to grocery delivery services.

For Canadians who want to get their groceries quickly though, without having to schedule and wait for a grocery delivery appointment, and for those who don’t want to head over and pick up from the store, this is going to be a great option for them.

The expected delivery time is reportedly going to be around 30 minutes or less for those who are looking to order food online and get their groceries in a short amount of time this way.

There seems to be growing demand for the quick on-demand service for groceries as well that you might see with food deliveries today from restaurants and this partnership will be meeting a need for Canadians who want that option.

Advertisements

Grocery delivery services can provide a great value to those who have limited time to do shopping, for those who can’t make their way to a grocery store easily, for seniors etc. There are many different circumstances which make grocery delivery, and same day options too, a great service for meeting food needs in communities around the province today.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Grocery delivery options in Canada

Today you can find a growing number of options for grocery delivery in Canada and that includes right here around the beautiful province of BC.

It isn’t only the big chains that have gotten into grocery delivery or pickup service either but there are small independent operations that are also offering grocery delivery services and food mailing options as well.

Fast, Same-Day Delivery

With gas prices what they are these days around BC it will not be a surprise to see if more Canadians go looking to save that time on the road and opt for grocery deliveries instead.

Now thanks to this new DoorDash partnership with Loblaw we are going to have one more option and this one is going to be a much quicker one too, for helping to meet the same-day grocery delivery needs of Canadians.

What cities can you find the DoorDash and Loblaw rapid grocery delivery?

The rapid delivery grocery service partnership is a new joint venture that will be kicking off in multiple cities around the country including Vancouver, BC.

The trend seems to be going in this direction and we can expect that in the future even more options will be available not only for delivery from stores around the province and elsewhere, but also for same-day delivery options too.

Locally Crafted Ice Cream From Rocky Point Ice Cream in Port Moody

Rocky Point Ice Cream in Port Moody has been making some delicious locally crafted ice cream for years in the Metro Vancouver area. They’ve got some of the best ice cream and a wide range of delicious flavors, with a store you can visit right now near the Inlet in Port Moody.

During summer in Port Moody this is one of the best places to visit and it gets busy often, there is usually a line out the door and for good reason.

Rocky Point Ice Cream on Murray St

Rocky Point Ice Cream in Port Moody

Some Rocky Point Ice Cream Flavors to try:

• MINT FLAKE
• CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER
• COTTON CANDY
• BIRTHDAY CAKE
• BUBBLE GUM
• BANANA FUDGE
• COOKIE DOUGH
• CHOCOLATE
• SALTED CARAMEL
• RUM RAISIN
• MAPLE WALNUT
• AND OTHERS

There are so many good flavors on the menu it’s hard to try just one.

Yes, they offer milkshakes here too and you don’t want to skip on the waffle cones either.

Some locations might have different flavors though, so check the menu online before your visit if you want to see what’s current or what seasonal treats might be offered.

It isn’t only in Port Moody that you can find this company either, there are several locations where you can find these ice cream products and another venue in New Westminster too, and they’ve got their trucks also.

Advertisements

Using Locally Sourced Ingredients

The ice cream here is made using locally sourced ingredients and they’ve been making small batch ice cream for years now in some of the best flavors.

It’s a great location for the Port Moody venue as well because you are right down by the water, you’ve got the Rocky Point Park there too. You can order some ice cream then go for a walk, or sit down for a summer picnic somewhere or take a milkshake with you to go.

This is a beautiful area of Port Moody to explore and the Rocky Point Ice Cream makes for a sweet treat during those hot summer days.

This is one small business in BC that many are happy to support and that is obvious with the demand they see, they are frequently busy with many customers who want to come again and again to enjoy the good ice cream here. They’ve also had some impressive growth over the years too since their humble beginnings over 25 years ago.

Aside from the great ice cream there are some great cakes they’ve got here as well to find, like the Sprinkle Cake which would be deliciously festive for any occasion.

Ice Cream Treats For Your Dog

On the menu they have a doggie cake too for your pooch to enjoy which is made with plain ice cream, along with crushed kibble, and a dog biscuit on top.

They also have their K9 ice cream which is plain ice cream with dog kibble mixed in. This can be ordered in a large size like a pint or in a cone.

Rocky Point Ice Cream truly does have some really great ice cream and the service there is always friendly. The Port Moody location is a great ice cream spot to stop in and visit during summer, but if you aren’t close to that location there are other ways to find their ice cream around Metro Vancouver too.

The Best Immersive Cocktail Experiences in Vancouver

There are several cocktail experiences to find in Vancouver that bring on immersive and themed experiences that are unlike any other bar night you might have out on the town.

Immersive Cocktail Experiences in Vancouver:

Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience

Neverland Peter Pan Experience

The Alice Cocktail Experience

The Wizard’s Den

Advertisements

The Wizard’s Den, The Alice Cocktail Experience, Neverland Peter Pan Experience, Beauty and the Beast Cocktail Experience, are just a few of the events that you can find for immersive bar experiences around Vancouver.

The immersive bar experience offers a fun theme event that invites you into an interactive experience that you will not forget.

These immersive cocktail experiences have been popular in cities around the world and we are lucky to have so many events to choose from right here in Vancouver.

There are several immersive cocktail experiences to find going on in Vancouver this year and other fun events too like the Potion Putt which mixes together drinks and golfing fun.

Right now you can still find tickets to the Alice Immersive Cocktail Experience in Vancouver but several shows have sold out.

These immersive cocktail experiences have been incredibly popular and there is a lot of demand for these sorts of immersive experiences around the Lower Mainland.

You can look here to find info on tickets to the events.

These pop up experiences are going to provide an entertainment value and dining experience that you cannot get anywhere else.

With these immersive cocktail events guests have gotten access to unique and themed drinks in the past, as well as completely immersive surroundings with an enchanting ambiance.

Who doesn’t love a good theme?