Vancouver's best-kept restaurant secrets

Directly from the Ocean Wise Press Release:

CANADIANS GO OCEAN WISE™ WITH SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD IPHONE APP

Vancouver, BC – Canadians looking to make smart, sustainable seafood choices are encouraged to use the Ocean Wise iPhone application—an easy-to-use app that provides consumers with over 3,000 Ocean Wise restaurants, markets and supplier venues from coast to coast, and a comprehensive list of ocean-friendly seafood options.

“Our easy-to-use Ocean Wise iPhone app gives consumers the confidence to eat sustainably at an Ocean Wise restaurant, while shopping at an Ocean Wise market or interacting with Ocean Wise partners,” says Dr. John Nightingale, president, Vancouver Aquarium. “Ocean Wise is the trusted symbol of ocean-friendly seafood in Canada and I invite all Canadians to download the app for simple, sustainable seafood decision-making.”

The free Ocean Wise iPhone application allows users to:

View up-to-date seafood recommendations
Search and browse different seafood species
Locate nearby Ocean Wise restaurants, markets and eateries near you via GPS mapping
Browse a comprehensive list of all Ocean Wise partners
Upload sustainable seafood images to our photo gallery

Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to identify the right seafood choices—species that are harvested in a sustainable manner by Ocean Wise fisheries. The Ocean Wise iPhone app is continuously updated with ocean-friendly seafood options and Ocean Wise partners spanning Victoria to Halifax.

“Every seafood choice we make has a direct impact on the world’s oceans,” adds Dr. Nightingale. “By eating sustainable seafood, we each can make a small contribution to the long-term health and stability of that species, as well as the greater marine ecosystem.”

The Ocean Wise iPhone application makes it possible for consumers to enjoy seafood that is good for you, and good for the oceans as well. Founded six years ago, Ocean Wise has more than 360 proud partners at over 3,000 locations from coast to coast. Ocean Wise is nationally recognized as a leading program for restaurants, suppliers, and retailers making sustainable seafood choices easy for consumers.

About Ocean Wise™

The Ocean Wise logo on a restaurant menu, seafood-counter or seafood product is the trusted symbol of ocean-friendly seafood choices. With more than 360 partners and over 3,000 locations across Canada, Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to make sustainable seafood choices that ensure the health of our oceans for years to come. Learn more at www.oceanwise.ca

About Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium is a global leader in connecting people to our natural world, and a self-supporting, non-profit association dedicated to effecting the conservation of aquatic life through display, education, research, and direct action. Learn more at www.vanaqua.org.

Directly from the Granville Island Press Release:

Put Winter on Ice with Granville Island’s Winterruption Festival Locally acclaimed artists and cultural groups get set to shine, February 25 - 27

Vancouver, BC (February 1, 2011): Rollicking good times will be found on every corner of Granville Island during the sixth annual Winterruption Festival, February 25 - 27. Winterruption celebrates music, theatre, visual arts, dance, food, and British Columbia artisans, and is sure to brighten winter’s gloomy grasp.

A hive for all ages, Winterruption offers a wide range of programming - much of it free of charge - uniting artists of all disciplines. Utilizing more than a dozen venues across the island to stage world-class performances - including the Granville Island Bridge - this two-day action-packed soiree is not to be missed!

Winterruption highlights include:

Performances Under the Bridge
Performances under the Granville Island Bridge keep audiences dry and inspire artists and visitors to see urban architecture in a new way. From Aeriosa’s aerial dance to sizzling tunes with Vancouver’s only fire-breathing brass duo, The Only Animal, performers will transcend gravity, take spectacle to the street and light up the night.

Family Fun
Granville Island turns into a true kids’ zone with a plethora of family-friendly activities on offer. Build an instrument and join Mortal Coil’s Rainforest Procession or add some sparkle with face painting courtesy of a bona fide ‘face artisan.’ Catch dance, theatre and live music in the Picnic Pavilion. Young hockey fans will delight in the 9-foot-tall team of Canada’s most kooky players, “Duh Hockey Guys.”

Music
The Night Crawlers, Carsick, and The Crackling are great bands — with names you won’t soon forget! Jazz n’ blues infused tunes will heat up the island at various times and locales during Winterruption.

Theatrics Galore
Classics such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, hilarious improv care of Vancouver Theatresports® League, and the locally-inspired The False Creek Bride are among the stage offerings happening at various theatre spaces on the island over the course of Winterruption.

Art Walk
Gold, ceramic, wood, silk, straw - the artisans of Granville Island create masterpieces from all matter of material. Take in an ‘Artisan Walking Tour’ and meet the creative artists behind celebrated Granville Island shops such as New-Small and Sterling Glass Studio, Funk Shui, and Per W. Madsen Fine Jewellery.

Food Fare
Gain a new appreciation for the passionate Public Market vendors with an Edible BC Market Tour. Or pick up new culinary tips and tricks observing ‘Market Arts’ cooking demonstrations with notable chefs and cookbook authors.

…and so much more. Visit winterruption.com for full program details.

For more information about Granville Island, visit granvilleisland.com.

Directly from the Rocky Mountaineer Press Release:

Jillian Harris Inks Design Deal with Rocky Mountaineer

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (February 1, 2011) – Two short years after her journey onboard the internationally acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer while filming The Bachelorette, Jillian Harris reunites with Rocky Mountaineer to take the lead role in redesigning its bi-level glass-domed GoldLeaf coach under her company, Jillian Harris Design. As a current designer and host on ABC’s hit Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Jillian is looking forward to utilizing her penchant for interior design on this exciting makeover project.

“We’re very excited to have Jillian partner with us on this project,” says Hubert Wat, Vice President, Global Marketing.  “Her extensive design background along with her passion and intimate knowledge of our product and brand make her the ideal designer for this project.  This redesign will further enhance our guests’ experience and will be the perfect complement to an exciting rail journey onboard the Rocky Mountaineer.”

Jillian’s unique aesthetic will be tailored to the rail experience, using a rich color palette with exquisite detailing. Her finished design will combine modern, opulent style with a nod to times past. The project will include implementing a new design concept for the GoldLeaf coach’s lower level dining area and upper level seating area. Her passion for incorporating luxury, comfort and style will help to create the perfect space for guests to enjoy for years to come.

“I am thrilled to be working with Rocky Mountaineer on this redesign project,” says Jillian Harris of Jillian Harris Design.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to collaborate with Rocky Mountaineer on a professional level and to partner with an internationally acclaimed travel product.  The concept they are looking for couldn’t fit more perfectly with my approach to design and I look forward to showcasing the finished product.    You can guarantee I’ll be one of the first to take the trip in the newly renovated car - it’s going to be stunning!”

One coach will be redesigned and officially launched in the 2011 season.  Remaining cars will be redesigned with the new concept in multiple stages. Throughout the course of the project, a total of 16 GoldLeaf coaches will be redesigned.

About Rocky Mountaineer

Rocky Mountaineer offers 45 unique Canadian vacation packages and four distinctive rail routes, rich in history and natural wonders, through British Columbia and Alberta. This world renowned, luxurious train travels by daylight through the wild beauty of Canada’s West and is the best way to experience the majestic Canadian Rockies, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the past 20 years, Rocky Mountaineer has grown to become the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America and has welcomed more than one million guests onboard from around the world. In 2010, Rocky Mountaineer received its fifth World Travel Award for “World’s Leading Travel Experience by Train” and was acknowledged for the first time for “World’s Leading Luxury Travel Product of the Year”. Rocky Mountaineer has also been recognized by National Geographic as one of the “World’s Greatest Trip” and by the Society of American Travel Writers as “The Best Train Experience in the World”.

For more information about Rocky Mountaineer, please visit rockymountaineer.com.