native

INTERNeX Canada: Fun facts – Lacrosse!

While many of you are probably familiar with ice hockey and associate it as Canada’s sport, you may be surprised to discover that it has only become the national sport of Canada since 1994. On the other hand, Lacrosse has long been (unofficially) declared the national sport of Canada and I think that it deserves much more recognition than it has been given.

What is Lacrosse?

Lacrosse is one of the oldest organized sports in North America and was originally played by First Nations in Upper Canada more than 500 years ago!  It is a team sport in which players pass, catch, and carry a rubber ball, using sticks with a netted pouch at one end. Like most team sports, the object is to shoot the ball at the opposing team’s goal.

Since its origin, lacrosse has been divided into four distinct games: men’s field lacrosse, women’s field lacrosse, box lacrosse, and inter-crosse. The key difference between men’s and women’s field lacrosse is that the men play with 10 people on each team with contact, while the women play with 12 people on each team without contact.

Box lacrosse emerged in the 1930s where empty hockey arenas are taken advantage of during the summer. Inter-Crosse is the newest form of lacrosse designed for new players and is much safer using plastic sticks and a lightweight ball.

Today, many lacrosse fans still consider lacrosse as the true Canadian national sport. It is played by tens of thousands of people across North America and remains an important part of native culture.

Have you ever tried playing it or even heard of this sport? If not, check out the Canadian Lacrosse Association for more information.

Or, you can join us at BC’s Sports Hall of Fame and Museum and we can learn more about the sports of Canada! Sounds good?

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.

Top 5 things to do in the Rockies!

If you are working in the Rockies or are planning to go there be sure to check out this top 5 things to do.

  1. Banff Gondola

Take the eight minute gondola ride up to the top op Sulphur Mountain to enjoy a 360° view of Banff and its surrounding peaks, Lake Minnewanka, and the Bow Valley stretching from east to west. At the top of the mountain there are several scenic hiking trails you can do. You can also encounter the local wildlife, including bighorn sheep, squirrels, marmots and many more. For only $25 you can go up and down the mountain. Looking to save a few bucks? You can also hike up the mountain. It’s a 5.5 km strenuous walk that will take you about 2-5 hours but I am willing to bet you enjoy the view so much more when you hiked up the mountain

2.   Sunshine Meadows

The Sunshine Meadows are known as the most stunning alpine setting in the Canadian Rockies. At 2220 m high, the meadows straddle the Continental Divide and the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia. Surrounded by some of the Rockies’ highest peaks, the unobstructed views are beyond compare. Wildlife around in the meadows, and the brilliance of the summer flowers and autumn larches guarantees spectacular scenery on every visit.

Spend your day on top of the world and away from the crowds at Sunshine Meadows. Mt. Assiniboine, “the Matterhorn of the Canadian Rockies”, and Banff National Park’s highest peak, can be your backdrop! A network of gentle trails wind their way through the Meadows and offer a range of walking for all abilities; from easy one and two hour strolls, to challenging full day hikes to Quartz Ridge, Healy Pass, or beyond.

3.   Tunnel mountain and Hoodoos

One of Banff national park oldest trails Tunnel Mountain is a still one of the most beautiful walks in the area. It takes about 2-3 hours to hike and it is a 4.3 km (2.7 miles) round trip. It is the smallest peak in the Rockies to be called a mountain. Standing guard around the top of the mountain are hoodoos. People looking to do this track often have two questions:

  • What are hoodoos? They are giant freestanding pillars several meters tall that are made of silt, gravel and rocks cemented together by dissolved limestone. That was the technical answer, to make it so that everyone understands here is a picture.
  • Where is the tunnel? That is the other frequently asked picture. Because the trail is called Tunnel Mountain people are wondering were the tunnel is. Well… there is no tunnel! So why did they call it tunnel mountain? That’s because of a proposal from the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1882. They wanted to blast a half mile tunnel through the hillside, but luckily they quickly decided that this was to expensive and that it would be easier to go around.

4. Lake Minnewanka

It’s the largest lake in Banff National Park at 24 km (15 miles) long and 142 m (466 ft.) deep. Only scuba divers can view the remnants of a small town called Minnewanka Landing, after a dam was built in 1941 causing the lake to rise by 30 m. But you can walk along the lakeside trail or sing up for the interpretive boat tour to learn about the history, native folk lore and geology.

5. Vermillion Lakes

This is the perfect place for a picnic lunch on the dock, with stunning views o Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain.There are three lakes along this road, where bald eagles nest in trees, Canadian geese breed in the marshlands and tundra swans stop by during each spring and fall migration.  A natural hot springs bubbles into

the third lake. You’ll hear the mournful whistle of the Canadian Pacific Rail trains as the cross the tracks at the far side of the lakes, a sound which has echoed through the Bow Valley for more than 100 years.

If you are a big fan of nature and love to go on hikes, the Rockies are the best designation for you.

There is so much to do and see that even if you were to live there your whole life you won’t get to see everything. But this top 5 gives you a start.

Are you in the area at the moment or have been to the Rockies and would like to add an something to our top 5? Let us know by sending an email to pr@internexcanada.com

–          Manouk