What to do on the weekend?

It is weekend again, this time we have listed for you The Talking Stick Festival, Curious Flea Market, Ice Skating, Winter Farmers Market in Vancouver and The Icefest in Toronto. And of course the Brewery Tour on Saturday with afterwards a couple of sherbet dibdabs downtown, keep an eye on our Facebook page if you want to join us after the Brewery Tour.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

VANCOUVER

13th Annual Talking Stick Festival

If you are interested in the art of Aboriginals, then you should visit this weekend the Talking Stick Festival. The Festival is held through whole Vancouver, so check the website to see if there is anything near you to do. All kind of different performing arts can found, from theatre, drumming and music to spoken word and multimedia performance. The most popular performance is the Powwow culture, it consist of traditional and contemporary dance exhibitions, such as the inter-tribal dance, which you even can join. They also sell arts, crafts and traditional foods. The Powwow culture is held in the roundhouse community arts & recreation centre at 11am on February 23rd.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Curious Flea Market

Flea Market just with a twist. The curious flea market invites customers to hangout, engage and explore. The market sells everyting from antique to Mid-Century to 50s kitsch and more. The market can be found a Rivers Market at Westminster Quay on February 22nd from 10am – 5pm and on the 23rd from 11am – 4pm.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Olympic Ice Skating

Want to win a new pair of skates, or just having fun on the ice. Then head to the ice rink at Robson square on February 23rd 5pm – 8pm, dress yourself nicely in Canadian or international themed gear; face piant, flags, etc and get a free hot chocolate and the chance to win a new pair of skates.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Vancouver’s Winter Farmers Market

Want to stroll around a lovely market, than you should go to the farmers market at the Nat Bailey Stadium on February 22st at 10am – 2pm. The market will be held every Saturday through April 26th.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

TORONTO

IceFest

The IceFest is back for ninth time with ice sculpture dispalys, event and many more. Over the weekend ice artists will make a winter scene from 35 000 pounds of ice. The theme of the scene is “Heat Wave”, so expect some tropical hints in a cold winter scene. You can also be a judge and vote fro the best ice sculpture during the Sassafraz Ice Carving Competition. The event will be held at the Bloor – Yorkville B.I.A.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

I wish you all a beautiful weekend with a lot of joy!

INTERNeX International Exchange
International Village,
Suite 2077, 2079 – 88 West Pender Street
Vancouver, Canada -V6B 9N9-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

 

International Vancouver: Aboriginal Peoples

The Aboriginal peoples have been living in British Columbia for about 10,000-12,000 years before the European settlers discovered the West Coast.

Today, there are approximately 200,000 Aboriginal people in British Columbia and over 1 million in Canada.

Thus,the First Nation’s histories and traditions are very much integral to that of Canada`s. While they are often known as a specific group of people, they have very diverse identities within the group.

There are 198 distinct First Nations in BC including the First Nations, Inuit, Métis and children of First Nations and European settlers, speaking more than 30 different languages.

The sensitive relationship between the European settlers and the Aboriginal peoples has clashed at various times because of the different philosophies, political and economic beliefs and systems. While for many years the government did not recognize their rights, the BC government and the First Nations Leadership Council signed the Transformative Change Accord in 2005 as a commitment to each other based on respect. For more information, please visit AboriginalBC.com.

However, the tension between the two governments continues to be an issue as seen by the Idle No More protest movement occurring at the moment. This peaceful protest, originated by the Aboriginal peoples in Canada, is against the new Bill C-45 of parts that demises indigenous treaty rights by the federal government.

This two month rally has gained significant attention through rallies, teach-ins and social media. Join the Idle No More Facebook page for current updates!

Cheers,

Queenie

INTERNeX International Exchange
Suite 200 – 211 Columbia Street
Vancouver BC -V6A 2R5-
Web: http://www.internexcanada.com
Phone: +1 (604) 662 8149
Email: pr@internexcanada.com

INTERNeX Canada: What to do on the weekend?

It’s time for the big INTERNeX trip this weekend – WHISTLER is fanially happening! We planned a lot of action and events for our Whistler weekend: we will hike in thrilling heights of the mountains and enjoy the beautiful views of the mountain lakes, do ziplining and even bunjee jumping. HI Whistler will be our home for this weekend where we will enjoy all the comfort of this former Olympic village accommodation. Drop by next weekend to read about our exciting time!
For all who stay in Vancouver or Toronto this weekend, check out these events:

Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2012
Don’t miss Vancouver’s biggest and greatest music festival of the year: the Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2012! It features 1800 musicians and 400 concerts at 40 venues across the city. Over a 100 of the events are free of charge! The festival takes place from June 22nd to July 1st. Check out the official website for all venues and free concerts: http://www.coastaljazz.ca.

Vancouver: BC Highland Games & Scottish Festival
This festival is the biggest Highland Games in British Columbia and will take place on Saturday June 23, 2012. It features world pipe band champions, highland dancing, heavy events, British cars, whisky tasting, beer gardens, children’s events, main stage entertainment and much more. The opening ceremonies will take place at noon on Saturday. Check out more info at: http://www.bchighlandgames.com.

Vancouver: Klahowya Village is back for 2012
Check out the authentic Aboriginal Summer Village in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. Experience Native cultures through songs, dance, art and food! This weekend is the Village opening weekend, it will be accessible until September 16th.  You will find more information at: http://www.aboriginalbc.com/klahowya-village.

Toronto: Pride Toronto
Pride Toronto is a cultural and arts festival and one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world. Thousands of individuals, community groups, and businesses celebrate the lives and stories of Toronto’s Queer Communities. The festival is part of the Pride Week that features 10 days of world class arts and cultural programming activities such as street festivals, Pride Parade, Dyke March, Family programming, Blackness Yes and Youth and much more. The events start on Friday June 22nd; the Pride Parade will be held on Sunday July 1st, 2012, starting at 2pm at Bloor & Church. For more locations and events see:  http://www.pridetoronto.com.

INTERNeX Canada: Casual Friday

How much do you know about indigenous people in Canada? Take the opportunity this month to learn about this part of Canadian history and culture during the National Aboriginal History Month.

The core celebration is the annual National Aboriginal Day on June 21^st. This day is dedicated to remember and honor the contributions of aboriginal nations to the heritage of Canada. June 21^st was proclaimed National Aboriginal Day in 1996 and events are held all over Canada to praise the heritage and cultures of Canada’s first people. Many cities and communities organize festivals and barbeques with traditional music, dance and singing, also called Pow Wow. One can learn about First Nations cultures, see traditional ceremonies and native crafts.

There are three Aboriginal groups in Canada – the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The name First Nations includes all native tribes and groups of Canada except the Inuit and the Métis people. There are a lot of different cultures and symbols but the one familiar to us in BC are the totem poles and masks. The Inuit people originally inhabited the Arctic regions of North America and the most famous symbol is probably the Inuksuk, especially know on the West Coast. The Métis people are considered a separate native group of a mixed heritage between Indigenous people and European settlers.

If you want to know more but missed the Vancouver events on June 21st, you can stop at the Klahowya Village in Stanley Park, an aboriginal village where you can experience Native songs, dance, art and cuisine. It opened on June 21st and can be visited until September 16, 2012.