By Jennifer Patterson
A much-deserved ice cream break on the dock at Granville Island. Photo by KK Law
Battle brain freeze while enjoying a sweet frozen treat. The ice cream at Marble Slab Creamery is anything but ordinary: pick from dozens of flavours, from banana rum to raspberry; choose some toppings, from sliced almonds to gummy bears; then watch as it’s all mixed together on—what else—a cold marble slab. (more…)
By SHANNON KELLY
Maison Chevalier (Photo: genevieve.ducret)
Quebec is one of Canada’s oldest cities, founded in 1608, and arguably the best preserved, so doing at least one museum on your trip here is essential. Explore French-Canadian and native history, art and even 17th-century medical technology at these fascinating museums in a fascinating city. At the very least, they can provide a respite from the summer heat! (more…)
3. Mrs. Bridal Boutique
1 People watching on the rooftop patio of Sky Yard, a favourite sipping spot of the city’s hipsters.
2 A peaceful walk through Mount Pleasant Cemetery (375 Mount Pleasant Rd., 416-485-9129).
3 Saying yes to the dress at Mrs. Bridal Boutique.
4 Seeing works by contemporary Canadian artists at the venerable Olga Korper Gallery.
5 Vintage jewellery from the vast estate collection of Van Rijk Jewellers. (more…)
By AMANDA HALM
For fans of Anne, a trip to PEI for the many Anne of Green Gables sites is a necessity (Photo: Jenna MacMillian as "Anne of Green Gables" Tourism PEI / Barrett & MacKay)
Take your summer reading plans on the road: Walk in the footsteps of a memorable character or see where prolific poets spent their early years at one of these seven literary destinations across Canada. (more…)
Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in 1942 (left), and Princess Elizabeth and Prince Charles in 1950 (right), both by Cecil Beaton.
Royal BC Museum celebrates
Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee
Join the Royal BC Museum for a special exhibit of personal portraits of Queen Elizabeth II as the monarch celebrates her diamond jubilee this summer.
Opening June 1 and continuing through summer to September 3, this special exhibition of portraits by royal photographer Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) depicts Queen Elizabeth II in her roles as princess, monarch and mother. The exhibition will include a number of previously unpublished images alongside extracts from Beaton’s personal diaries and letters. The photographs are drawn exclusively from the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Beaton’s glittering royal portraits were among the most widely published photographs of the twentieth century and helped to shape the public image of the monarchy around the world. The exhibition explores Beaton’s long relationship with the Queen, who was still a teenage princess when Beaton first photographed her in 1942. Over the next three decades, he would be invited to photograph the Queen on many significant occasions, including the Coronation Day.
The exhibit is all the more moving as Beaton’s images depict the Queen and her family both on official occasions and when ‘off-duty.’ Elegant and highly-staged photographs are shown alongside informal glimpses of the royal family at home, interspersed with film and radio footage from the time.
Section one, ‘Princess Elizabeth and the Portrait Tradition’, includes charming portraits of a young Princess Elizabeth with her parents and sister Princess Margaret, set against elaborate painted backdrops inspired by the long tradition of royal portraiture. Section two focuses on the Coronation in 1953, when Beaton’s camera captured both the grandeur and emotion of the occasion. In contrast to the splendid Coronation images, Beaton’s photographs in Section three, The Next Generation, reveal a more intimate and relaxed side of family life. The exhibition will draw to a close with ‘The 1968 Sitting’, including a set of portraits of the Queen in a dark admiral’s boat cloak against a plain background, which convey the magnitude of the role of Britain’s monarch.
Photo: Toyohara Kunichiki, 1879, Woodblock print, The Actor Kaharazaki Shasho in the role of General Yoshitsune Minamoto
Bursting with Asian eateries and quirky stores, nearby Richmond is also home to a thriving arts and culture scene. Check out Edo: Arts of Japan’s Last Shogun Age (pictured) at the Richmond Museum (to May 21), which examines Japanese society from 1603 to 1868. Also in Richmond this month: comedian Jay Mohr (Mar. 30) and psychic Sylvia Browne (Mar. 23), both at the River Rock Show Theatre.—Sheri Radford
Just one of the archival photos from "New Brunswickers in Wartime." Photo credit: Chorus girls, Fundy Follies, around 1944. NBM, Murdoch Family fonds, F6.
New Brunswick may be hundreds of kilometres from Ottawa, but its war history is relevant to all Canadians. Until April 9, the Canadian War Museum is hosting an exhibit entitled “New Brunswickers in Wartime, 1914-1946.” Here you will find a wide selection of artwork, artifacts, and images that illustrate the stories of the people from this province during the First and Second World Wars — at sea, on land, in the air, and at home. Whether you’re from the east coast, have family there, or just take an interest in this country’s history, this exhibit will shed light on one province’s people and how they dealt with adversity during trying times.
These mounted sperm-whale skeletons are one of the breathtaking features of the new exhibit. Photo credit: © Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 2008.
Dive into the ocean with “Whales Tohorā,” a blockbuster exhibit on view at the Canadian Museum of Nature starting March 2. The spotlight is on whales in the South Pacific — the diversity, biology, and adaptation of these mammals; the impact humans have on them; and the special relationship between whales and the Māori people of New Zealand, who view these creatures as both friends and food. Discover how science and culture overlap, and prepare to be wowed by the sheer size of two mounted sperm-whale skeletons that are a central to this fascinating exhibition.
by CARISSA BLUESTONE
World Famous Gopher Hole Museum (Photo: Colin Smith)
Did you know that Vancouver has an entire museum devoted to corkscrews, that diehard Anne Murray fans can devour every detail of her life and record a CD with her in Nova Scotia, or that a tiny town called Vulcan in the Alberta Prairies is home to a Star Trek–themed tourist “station”?
By AMANDA HALM
Photo: Sandra-Cohen Rose and Colin Rose
With almost 35,000 works of Quebec art dating all the way back to the 17th century, the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec is a must-see for art lovers. Go for the paintings and stay for a prison tour. Afterwards, play on the Plains of Abraham or shop the gift shop. (more…)
Still got out-of-towners visiting? Check out our rundown on some of the coolest and most fascinating temporary and long-term exhibits in Ottawa.
"Awesome Arctic" is now on view at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Photo credit: © Doug Barber (Yorkton, SK).
The Canadian Museum of Nature has recently unveiled a new exhibit, Awesome Arctic, which features a collection of more than 50 photographs taken over several decades during the museum’s Arctic research adventures. The exhibit, which runs until next fall, displays fascinating visuals of Canada’s North, as well as researchers documenting marine life, plants, fossils, and minerals.
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum brings you its most recent permanent exhibition Living in Space, which is all about adapting to daily life in zero gravity. Learn about what astronauts do in space, whether it’s work or play, eating or sleeping, or keeping up their personal hygiene. This highly interactive exhibit presents the technical, psychological, and physical challenges of living in space. You can also check out Green Skies Ahead, on view until June 2017. This exhibit takes you on a tour to discover the carbon-friendly technology of tomorrow. With so much focus on the environment, this is your chance to learn about energy production and consumption in today’s world, as well as get a taste of what the future holds through displays of energy-efficient aircraft designs.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum presents Energy: Power to Choose, an interactive display all about energy production and consumption, running until June 2017. Learn all about the social, economic, and environmental consequences of exploiting resources and get inspired to make a change. This exhibit even lets you produce your own electricity with a human hamster wheel. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out SiO2: The Science of Glass, on view until April 9, where you can see the true and brute strength of glass. Find out all about the chemical properties of glass and the role of glass in the history of civilization. Last but certainly not least, until January 20, you can snag your last chance to check out Braille: Knowledge at your Fingertips, which explores the language of touch for those who have lost their sight. (more…)
"Coke Salish" by Sonny Assu
Memory Test
In A Green Dress: Objects, Memory, and the Museum (to Feb. 12), the Museum of Anthropology explores the memories of cultural communities with pieces such as First Nations artist Sonny Assu’s thought-provoking take on the iconic Coca-Cola sign (“Coke Salish,” pictured).—Kristina Urquhart
More information:
MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC Tu 10 am-9 pm, W-Su 10 am-5 pm. $14, s/s $12, family $35. $7 on Tu from 5 pm-9 pm. 6393 N.W. Marine Dr. 604-822-5087. www.moa.ubc.ca