Want to learn more? Head on down to the Dunbar Block Party on June 1st, where the Bin Bros. will be hosting an upcycling workshop about gardening. Kids are invited to stop by to make hanging baskets out of used two litre pop bottles. The Bin Bros. will supply the bottles, flower seeds, and soil; the kids supply the TLC while learning hands-on about gardening and the environmental impacts of garbage. It's going to be so much fun that your kids won't even realize they're learning.
The block party is June 1st at 11:00am in front of Dunbar Community Garden at Dunbar & 40th. We hope to see you there!
About the Bin Bros.:
Bin Bros Recycling & Disposal is a junk removal company owned and operated by residents of Dunbar. The Bin Bros team consists of Tim Watson, Dave Berney, and Devin Rose.
Tim and Dave are longtime friends, and have been operating Bin Bros on a part-time basis since 2005. Tim met Devin at Royal Roads University in 2011, where they studied Commerce and Entrepreneurship. Dave is in his final year at UBC studying Psychology and Creative Writing.
The Bros sell Bin Bags, which are large recycled bags that can hold 1000 lbs of material. They're a cheaper and greener alternative to traditional metal junk bins that incentivize the separation of waste and recyclable materials. Bin Bags are a great option for homeowners doing renovations or spring cleaning. They’re available at Dunbar Lumber and online at www.binbros.ca. We use Bin Bags for our newest service: delivery of soil, bark mulch, and mushroom manure.
Bin Bros is committed to progress towards zero-waste solutions. While attending Royal Roads University, founder Tim Watson was awarded the Brent Main Prize Award for business ethics and value-based leadership. Our Bin Bags are made of recycled material, and as we grow we look forward to implementing other initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of our company’s operations and our customers’ waste.
Contact Information:
Tim Watson
Founder - Bin Bros Recycling and Disposal
2137 West 10th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6K 4W4
(604)787-7416
tim@binbros.ca
Wondering what to see, do, and best of all taste!? Check out the Top 10 things to taste at EAT! Vancouver, including the Bites of Vancouver Pavilion, Wine, Beer & Spirits Pavilion, and Regal Kidz Kandy Korner: http://bit.ly/10H8lVQ
Celebrity chefs, popular local restaurants, wineries, food and beverage manufacturers, cookbook authors, retailers, artisans, and many others from the culinary world will come together for a three day public extravaganza at the newly refurbished BC Place Stadium. EAT! Vancouver encompasses unique food experiences, opportunities to learn behind-the-scenes culinary magic from professional chefs, dynamic entertainment through celebrity chef cooking demonstrations and culinary competitions, diverse food, beverage and cooking related exhibits; and of course fantastic shopping opportunities.
Event: 11th annual EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival
Date: Friday May 24 - 2-9pm
Saturday May 25 - 10am-9pm
Sunday May 26 - 10am-5pm
Location: BC Place Stadium, 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver BC V6B 4Y8
Info and tickets: www.eat-vancouver.com
Price: Adults $16 ($14 online), Seniors $14, Youth 13-16 $9, Free for kids 12 & under
Of the millions of people around the world living in extreme poverty, a disproportionate number of them are female. Cuso International sees a direct link between gender equality and social and economic justice. On Thursday, May 23rd, Cuso will host two female leaders from Africa as they speak about their efforts to shrink the gender gap and help women in their countries achieve more autonomy through economic and health initiatives.
Kazanka Comfort, from Nigeria, is widely recognized for her creative use of communication technologies to bridge the information gap for women living in rural Nigeria. She focuses on empowering women to work their way out of poverty. She pioneered the Fantsuam Rural Computer literacy program in 2000 with 20 students and this initiative was awarded the first Hafkin Africa Prize. The Foundation’s integrated development model was the subject of a 2009/2010 research by the International Consulting Organization of the Harvard Kennedy School.
Tibebe Mako Bule, from Ethiopia, is a dynamic health professional devoted to community development. She founded the humanitarian organization Hiwot Integrated Development Association (HIDA) in 1999 with her own modest funds. HIDA supports highly vulnerable populations, most notably children and women living in difficult situations. As executive director of HIDA, Tibebe oversees a team of more than 70 professional staff and a significant operating budget of USD$ 1 million.
The association reaches more than 40,000 people annually, including highly vulnerable children and people living with HIV/AIDS. Both Kazanka and Tibebe are available for interviews and can speak on how the achievement of gender equality and women’s human rights reduces poverty and builds sustainable communities.
The event takes place on May 23 at Ryerson University’s Oakham House from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Since 1961, Cuso International has sent numerous volunteers to share their skills to help build a stronger world. Cuso International is a non-profit development organization. Each year, we send hundreds of global citizens to work on collaborative development projects in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. We are one of North America’s largest international development organizations that works through volunteers.
For more information or to RSVP to this event, please contact:
Jessica Dubelaar, Cuso public engagement officer (Ontario)
Tel: 647.478.4089
Blackberry : 647.465.9258
E-mail: Jessica.dubelaar@cusointernational.org
Not only does laughing make you feel great all over, it helps your body release serotonin and endorphins which help relieve pain and fight disease. Additionally, a proper laugh, straight from the gut can actually boost your immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, improving your resistance to disease.
Research has also found that laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after. Laughter also protects the heart by improving the function and flow of blood vessels, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
So go ahead! Have a laugh!
It was then that I knew I had to get an exclusive interview. Below is a transcribe of our conversation.
Hey Jon, thanks for taking the time to interview with me. Can you give a brief background on who you are, what your background is, and what brought you into the highly sought after art scene in Vancouver?
Hey! I’m a trained artist and designer. I went to art school in the Maritimes then design school in Ontario. Currently I work as a graphic designer in the day to pay my bills. I’m combining techniques of art and design to help build my presence, create interesting painting painting techniques, and establish an online business of selling greeting cards with my works on them for a very affordable rate.
I came to Vancouver a couple of years ago as a change of scenery – when I arrived I actually hadn’t painted since graduating art school in 2008 – I started doing that again just about two years ago once I settled here.
There is a real street influence to much of your work, can you talk about what inspires you most?
My current work focuses on urban imagery, which is something I’m interested in because of the visual complexities and colourful branding. Corporate branding is interesting because posters, logos and images fade, deteriorate and change over time. Other adornments such as stickers, graffiti, etc are also forms of brand identity and recognition – just done so by individuals, not corporations. I find these deteriorations and gradual evolutions of the urban landscape interesting, and I love capturing those layers and densities.
You recently ran an exhibit at the Pendulum Gallery, can you tell us a bit about it and anything upcoming?
For sure. Yes, correct, I recently hosted a group show with two friends at the Pendulum Gallery on Georgia Street (in the foyer of the HSBC Building). It was great - it was an urban themed show titled “City:Life”. I’m always doing what I can with shows.
Right now I’m playing a bit of catch-up on commissions and starting my next bodies of work. I just did a number of shows, so I’m happy to relax in the studio a bit and create some cool new stuff.
I am a huge fan of the "No Left Turns" piece on your website, which would you consider your biggest accomplishment?
Ya, that’s a good one, I made that piece for a charity auction last year. I wouldn’t say I have a particular piece that I’m most proud of – I’m just so stoked on everything that’s happening with all the growth in general. I am proud of the big body of work I’ve done in a couple of years. However, if its based on audience feedback, two of the most popular pieces I’ve made are an elephant portrait titled “Loxodonta Africana” and a representation of the Only Seafoods Café sign on Hastings Street titled “Lonely Only”.
So what are your next steps? Where is the artist Jon heading next with his work?
The biggest thing I want to do next is work larger. I’m starting a new personal piece for my apartment that will be the largest one yet – 4x4 foot. In terms of art that isn’t particularly huge, but with all the fine drawing work my pieces tend to cap at about 3 foot. I want to push that. Good artists never settle on any particular method for too long – one needs to keep evolving! I also want to start an ongoing abstract piece that will continue for a year or more…I just need to figure out what kind of surface to do it on.
Any advice to aspiring artists looking to make it on the Vancouver scene?
I tell everyone that they need to work consistently (not necessarily a LOT, but consistently producing is important). You also need to be very friendly, and have initiative…and carry a piece of your in-progress work with you everywhere you can, and take any chance to work on it (on the bus, in a coffee shop, etc). Start conversations, take a random step to show your work to a stranger or talk about it.
Don’t be standoffish – people are often afraid to initiate conversation about your work. Do that work for them and it’ll turn into a great conversation. If somebody sees you with a piece of your art, the ice is already broken – its nervousness that holds people back from generating interaction.
Where can people get a look at your latest work?
You can LIKE my facebook page to see consistent pictures of in-progress and finished works – www.facebook.com/jonshawpaintings…and all other information such as my contact, links to my gallery and shop, etc are on my main site – www.jonshawpaintings.com
Thanks for taking the time to chat Jon!
Thank you!
Be sure to follow Jon at his website and keep up-to-date with his latest works: www.jonshawpaintings.com
Until next time!
-I AM DEAN
Yes this was the golden age of the 1990’s, and boy was it a time to be alive.
Beverly Hills 90210 (the original series) hit television screens on Oct. 4, 1990. The leading man: Canada’s own Jason Priestley.
I bet you owned a pager at some point. For those of you unfamiliar, the pager was a little electronic text receiving device, basically only delivering a phone number. Pagers outnumbered cellphones by 3:1.
In 1991 Baywatch was the most watched program in television history. The Canadian born Pamela Anderson becomes an international superstar.
Zack Morris and the rest of the Saved by the Bell class graduate from Bayside High in 1993. It was a day that the nation mourned.
How many R.L. Stein books did you own in the 90's? Personally, I had about 12. The popular author released a record breaking 62 books between the years of 1992-1997 for his Goosebumps Series. To date, the books have sold over 300 million copies.
Cartoon animation was still done primarily in pencil, and the Walt Disney co. was leading the industry. Traditionally animated family films such as "Beauty and the Beast", "Lion King", and "Aladdin" were all apart of the 90's Disney movie lineup which became instant classics.
Remember the Sega Dreamcast? Well, likely you don’t – Google it. Speaking of 90’s inventions, yes even Google was a product of that era, founded in 1996 as a research project by 2 PHD students.
Auctioning took on a whole new look with the introduction of eBay. Originally called AuctionWeb, then EchoBay, and now of course eBay, the site sold it’s first product in 1995, a broken laser pointer for $14.83 to a collector of broken laser pointers.
Pogs became a widely popular game during the 90's. But it's meteoric rise would be short lived, fading in to oblivion by the end of the decade.
Instant messaging invaded computer screens all over the world with the creation of ICQ in 1996. I remember spending 13 hours straight chatting on ICQ when I was 15, that was the begining of my internet addiction.
Pokemon was introduced to North America in 1998 and becomes a huge phenomenon with video games, tv shows, and trading card games. Pokemon is kind of like that bad hang over that just wont go away.
Musicians such as the Spice Girls, Oasis, Nirvana, and Notorious B.I.G. were huge successes during the decade, Billboard awarded the "Artist of the Decade" to Mariah Carey, who finished the 90's with 15 number 1 hits!
I bet if you dig deep in your closet you will find a dusty pair of Doc Martens sitting somewhere in the back. Just throw them away already!
Remember Y2K? Of course you do. And if not, ask your parents.
Dean was able to catch up with Natalie earlier this week.
Hi Natalia! Thanks for taking the time to meet with me.
Thank you for having me!
To kick things off, fill me in on a bit about you, when and why did you start playing music?
I was three years old – my parents told me that I would try to reach up and try to play the keys trying to find notes that sounded good together and try to sing along. My mother was a piano teacher so she started to teach me.
Which instruments do you play now?
I play piano and sing.
Every artist remembers the first song that they learned, what was yours?
It was called “Take Off” it was about an airplane taking off. It was from the Francis Clark’s Time to begin beginner piano book – a book I now teach my young students.
You mentioned that your family is musical, can you tell us a bit about that?
Yes, my mother was a classical piano teacher and my dad is a classically trained guitarist. They both taught me and my three other siblings music as we grew up. My brother and sisters are also singers. But my entire family is musical.
On my dad’s side, my grandfathers as far we can go back were all professional church singers. To be a church singer (a chanter) is much different in Greece than here, especially in the past. Chanters that were popular were hired all over Greece to chant churches’ feast days. My dad remembers my grandfather taking him and his brothers to different churches all over Greece.
On my mother side, there were ton of musicians. My mother told me that one my great-uncles used to sing with a big band that had a show on CBC.
Which famous musicians do you admire and aspire to become?
It’s a huge list haha but here are few …. Of the past …. Bach – I have a love/hate relationship with him. The man is a musical genius. Every time I learn one of his Partita or Fugues. It will make me feel smarter analyzing all his crazy compositions but it’s frustrating because I’ll never be able to play it as it’s supposed to be played. Mozart – His music is so comical and tells so many stories. When I play him, I can almost see Mozart’s ghost giving me thumbs up (haha) – he probably wouldn’t but a girl can dream right ;) He’s all about being over-dramatic and I’m totally over-dramatic so we get along perfectly. Chopin – He’s heartbroken and somehow I can feel his pain. When I play his music it’s freeing.
Modern Musicians: I think my three favorite artists are Caro Emarald, Paloma Faith, and Matt Dusk. They’re all jazzy and original.They're creating a new sounds. It doesn't matter if they’re covering an old jazz classic or one of their original compositions - they are inventive, creative, and original. Something that is difficult to do in an industry which constantly asks artists, “so you do sound like? What style are you?” So when an artist has the courage to step out of the mentality and create something original and new – I’m in heaven. I hope I can work with them one day.
What are your fondest musical memories?
My fondest musical memory is in university (Trinity Western University) when our choir sang at the Orpheum and The Chan Centre. We got to regularly work with Vancouver Chamber Choir, Vancouver Symphony, and CBC Orchestra (which sadly no longer exists) It was such an honor to work with such an amazing artists so early in my development. It really changed the way I thought as an artist and pushed me to work harder. My house My fondest memory is watching my mom playing the piano and my dad playing the guitar singing old Dean Martin songs together. I remember sitting watching them and then them asking me to join in and sing. Great memory! All families should create music together – even if it’s just singing along to the radio. Music really brings people together.
You were recently nominated for theVancouver Island Music Award, congratulations! Tell us a bit about what it felt like to be nominated?
I wasn't expecting it at all. When we submitted my music, I was like well it’s worth a try but I wasn't expecting anything. After I submitted I totally forgot about it. And then I was on CTV news’ website looking at news stories and so when I saw my name on the nominations on there – I was so surprised – wasn't expecting it at all. So I am quite surprised, honored, and thankful for this nomination.
What are your next steps? career aspirations?
I’m currently working on EP We’re currently working on the first single on it. I would like to tour as I haven’t been able to do so yet. Like I said earlier, I would love to collaborate with artists such as Matt Dusk, Caro Emerald, and/or Paloma Faith. And o’course maybe Michael Buble one day. Lol if any of them need an opening act, I’d be happy to do it ;) I will continue to teach music to inspiring artists, I love being able to help artists to find their voice.
Any advice to aspiring musicians?
When I was university, one of my professors Dr Hoelzley gave me the best advice, “there will be always someone better than you, but there will be always be someone not as good as you” it’s stuck with me and it’s something I share with my students regularly. Focus on becoming the best you can be, so work harder than you have ever worked and it will pay off. Talent is after all 1% “talent” and 99% hard work. And I believe talent is the want, the need to be a good at something. And remember, we say we play music – play is key – so enjoy what you are doing. If you aren't – why are you doing it? Lastly try to collaborate with creative talented people who will inspire you and drive you.
Thanks Natalia, and good luck with the nomination!
Thanks Dean!
If you want to learn more about this amazing local artist, check out here website at: www.nataliapardalis.com.
For a full list of the Vancouver Island Music Award nominees please visit: http://islandmusicawards.wordpress.com/
Until next time!
-I AM DEAN
