Our meetings will occur on Tuesdays, every other week from 8:00 to 9:30am.

The OpenCoffee Club idea was established in Europe almost two years ago and has spread to dozens of cities in many countries. For more information about the meeting concept, visit. http://www.opencoffeeclub.org/

Outline

Morning: Chris Gill, President of the Silicon Valley Association of Start-up Entrepreneurs (SVASE) will run a “bootcamp” about the realities of pitching to investors and tuning your messaging.

Afternoon: formal investor pitch presentations from the 20 companies, split into two rooms. Each pitch will be 10 minutes long, with direct feedback from the investment panel of California and local investors.

Evening: cocktails and networking mixer with all entrepreneurs and investors.

Apply

All applications are being gathered through an online form for all of the Western Regional Bootcamps. Please apply using the following form in order to be considered: http://bootcamp.canadacalifornia.com/Western2009/Application.html

More Information

Please see the info brochure (PDF) for more information, including regional contacts for the Trade Commissioner service.

Our meetings will occur on Tuesdays, every other week from 8:00 to 9:30am.

The OpenCoffee Club idea was established in Europe almost two years ago and has spread to dozens of cities in many countries. For more information about the meeting concept, visit. http://www.opencoffeeclub.org/

Our meetings will occur on Tuesdays, every other week from 8:00 to 9:30am.

The OpenCoffee Club idea was established in Europe almost two years ago and has spread to dozens of cities in many countries. For more information about the meeting concept, visit. http://www.opencoffeeclub.org/

If you’re around the Island or have any friends or family who are, please consider helping some new faces gravitate to our shows in hitherto unexplored territory… they’ll never have seen anything quite like us.

(And if anyone has any ideas what to do with a band kicking around the east coast of Vancouver Island on a Saturday night, please don’t hesitate to make a suggestion — it could be your living room or backyard party we liven up by cramming some Tom Waits into Britney Spears! Ooh!)

Like to make your own gifts? BC’s Creative Expo is on November 7-8th at the Vancouver Convention Centre – BC’s Largest Hands-On Craft Show. A consumer education trade event showcasing: Scrapbooking, Quilting, Sewing, Knitting, Needlework, Fiber Arts, Beading and Crafting. Exhibits, Hands on Classes, Educational Seminars, Free Stage Shows, Contests and Door Prizes.

Just want to buy the hand-made gifts? The 35th annual Circle Craft Christmas Market will be a six day show starting Tuesday, Nov. 11 until Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008 where you can find more than 266 Canadian artisans under the sails of the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre to present their wares at Western Canada’s largest one-of-a-kind gift fair. Shoppers and attendees will find gorgeous clay work, the newest and hottest of Canadian fashion and jewelery design, stunning glasswork, handmade candles and soaps, unique clothing and toy items for children, an assortment of amazing home décor items (from ceiling tin to floor mats to garden sculptures), fine art from acclaimed visual artists, and many more carefully handcrafted items in felt, wool, wood, leather and metal. And, there’s food—delicious chocolates, sauces, dressings and more!

A Christmas Carol – The Musical unfolds with Scrooge conducting his daily banking business in the midst of joyous Christmas caroling. November 14-30th @ Shadbolt Centre For The Arts. The holidays are a wonderful time for the spectacle of theatre, and this is the year to make sure to include Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” in your theatrical plans.  Come and awaken your holiday spirit with us!

The annual Santa Shuffle Fun Run & Elf Walk brings families and friends together. The event is held across North America, so check the city closest to you and sign up! Dec. 6th in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Kelowna, Nanimo, and Victoria!

Family pumpkin carving

Prepare for Halloween night at the family pumpkin carving at Sunset Community Centre, 6810 Main St., Wednesday, Oct. 29, 6 to 7:30 p.m. $1.50 per person. Pumpkins, tools and candles provided. Register by Oct. 22.

Barclay Manor Halloween

For bigger braver souls, there’s a haunted house at Barclay Manor, 1447 Barclay St., in Vancouver, on Thursday, Oct. 30, between 7 and 9 p.m. Suitable for ages six and up. Cost is $3 per person. Purchase your tickets in advance or at the door. Call 604-257-8333 or visit www.barclaymanor.ca.

Coal Harbour Halloween

Visit Coal Harbour Community Centre (480 Broughton St.) in Vancouver, for the Halloween Carnival and Trick-or-treat trek, Friday, Oct. 31, 3 to 6 p.m. Enjoy creepy crafts, terrifying treats, tombstone tumbling, eerie entertainment and much more! Don’t forget to wear your costume! Pre-registration is recommended, as space is limited. Cost is $5. Call to register at 604-718-8222 or www.coalharbourcc.ca.

Halloween preschool party

Put on your costume and enjoy play gym activities, face painting, cookie decorating, arts and crafts, drinks and more at Sunset Community Centre’s Halloween preschool party for children one to five, Friday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to noon. Call 604-718-6505 for tickets which are limited.

Carnival for the older kids

Also at Sunset Community Centre, there’s a Halloween Carnival for kids over three, Friday, Oct. 31, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Carnival games, fortuneteller, crafts, treats and more. Cost is $3 per child.

Halloween carnival

Drop by Killarney’s Halloween Carnival on Friday, Oct. 31, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Killarney Community Centre. Games, bouncy castles, haunted house, face painting, grab bags and more. Wear your costume for the Halloween parade. Geared for kids three to 12. Please register at the front desk – call 604-718-8201.

Roundhouse fun

Dress up in your creepiest costume and enjoy ghoulish games and creepy crafts, and explore the creepy hollow forest, at the Halloween Carnival, Friday, Oct. 31, 3:30 to 7:30 p.m., Roundhouse Community Centre, in Yaletown. Children must be supervised by an adult. Cost is $5 per child and pre-registration is required.

Yaletown Trick or Treat

Trick or treat at dozens of Yaletown businesses in Vancouver on Friday, Oct. 31, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Check online for a map and more event details.

Haunted fun at Metropolis

The Metropolis Mystery Manor returns to Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby for 14 days of scary fun from Saturday, Oct. 18 to Oct. 31. Kids are invited to the mall Oct. 25 for fun with the Metrokids Club or for trick-or-treating at 6 p.m. on Halloween Eve. The Metropolis Mystery Manor, a haunted house where kids and grown ups are dared to be scared, is located in the mall’s Grand Court with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the Rotary Club of Burnaby-Deer Lake. This fun fright is recommended for children age seven and up. The Mystery Manor will be open Mondays through Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.

Halloween howl

Enjoy games, haunted house, candy and door prizes during the Halloween Howl at the C.G. Brown Pool, 3702 Kensington Ave., in Burnaby, on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 7 to 9 p.m. Cost is $2.60 per person. Children under seven must be accompanied by an adult.

Halloween on the Heights

Burnaby Heights is the place to be on Halloween, Friday, Oct. 31, as they are once again putting on the very fun Halloween on the Heights. Check out the fun planned on their website at www.burnabyheights.com.

Halloween Howl

For children two to five, there’s a Halloween Howl at the Port Moody Recreation Complex, Friday, Oct. 31, noon to 1:30 p.m. Enjoy a lunch, games, songs and crafts (wear your costume too!). Parent participation and you need to pre-register.

Trick or treat train

Take a ride on the Bear Creek Park Train through the Friendly Spook Alley daily from Oct. 11 to 31. Children’s fare includes a Halloween craft, game, treat and a real pumpkin to take home. Bear Creek Park Train is located at 13750 88th Ave., Surrey. For those looking for a real scare, there’s the Haunted Forest Scream Train, Oct. 17 to 31, 6:30 to 10 p.m.

Family fun night

On Friday, Oct. 31, it’s Halloween family fun night in Langley. Enjoy a Halloween costume dance, apple bobbing, ring the pumpkin, crafts, and much more. Fun nights are scheduled at WC Blair Recreation centre, 4 to 6 p.m., and Willoughby Heights, 5 to 7 p.m. Call 604-533-6170 or 604-882-0408 for details.

Spooktacular fun

Douglas Recreation Centre in Langley is holding its own Halloween soiree for parent and tots on Friday, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to noon. Enjoy games, a movie, prizes, and more. Wear your costumes! Cost is $3 per child or $3.50 for family. Call 604-514-2865 for more.

Haunted House and fireworks

Check out one of the Fraser Valley’s best haunted houses at the Ghost Ridge Haunted House at the fairgrounds on 105 Avenue off the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge. Haunted house runs from Oct. 26 to 30.

Halloween House

The MSA Museum Society presents Hallowe’en House of History, Friday, Oct. 31, 4 to 8:15 p.m. Enjoy a costume contest at 4 p.m., crafts, games, prizes, and more. Then at 6:15 p.m., the house will reopen as the Halloween House, Horrors from History. For all the details, visit online.

babyeats goes Bonkers!!

As a small part of babyeats’ Halloween madness they will have Bonkers the fantastic, creative musical duo perform interactive, imaginative songs, Friday, Oct. 31, 1 p.m. Make sure your child wears a spooky costume! This will be a ticketed event but admission to babyeats is included with the concert ticket to Go Bonkers. babyeats is located in North Vancouver.

Pumpkin patch party

Highlands elementary, 3150 Colwood Dr. in North Vancouver is hosting their annual pumpkin patch party on Saturday, Oct. 25, from noon to 4 p.m. at. Rides, haunted house pumpkins for sale and more.

Spooky FX Tours

The Thomas FX Group in North Vancouver is offering Spooky FX Tours, Oct. 26 to Oct. 31, daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Get a behind the scenes view of movie special effects in a spooky themed environment. Check out their special Halloween effects and decorations for sale too. For more details, call 604-929-5455.

Fireworks

After a busy night of trick or treating, bring the family down for the Halloween Family Fireworks Spectacular, Oct. 31, 8:30 p.m., at the Inter River Park. Park for free at Capilano University and ride the free shuttle to the event.

Terror Hall

Take a terrifying trip through Terror Hall at the East Richmond Community Hall, 12360 Cambie Rd., Richmond, Oct. 28 to 31, 5 to 9 p.m.

Frights and delights

Aberdeen Centre in Richmond is hosting lots of Halloween fun on Friday, Oct. 31, 3 to 7 p.m. in the central atrium. Don’t miss out on the trick-or-treating. For all the details on the Halloween Frights and Delights at Aberdeen Centre, visit online.

Halloween fireworks

Minoru Park in Richmond is having an evening of fireworks and fun on Friday, Oct. 31. Entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m. music, magician, balloons, face painting, clowns, fire juggling and more.

More fireworks

Also on Friday, Oct. 31, there’s other fun fireworks scheduled for King George/Cambie Community Park, 7:45 to 8:15 p.m.; West Richmond Community Centre, 7:30 p.m.; and South Arm Community Centre, 8 p.m.

Annual pumpkin fest

Ladner Village is hosting their annual Pumpkin Fest on Thursday, Oct. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the village of Ladner on 48th Avenue. Rain or shine.

Pumpkin Yard

Check out more than 100 works of pumpkin art Oct. 30 and 31, 5 to 9:30 p.m., at 2527 Fernwood Rd. (between Bay and Haultain) in Victoria.

Ogden Point art

The pumpkins are back with the Pumpkin Art at Ogden Point in Victoria, Oct. 29 to Nov. 2, 1 to 9 p.m. daily. For more details, visit www.pumpkinart.ca.

Pumpkin patches . . .

Laity Pumpkin Patch

Have lots of fun for the whole family at the Laity Pumpkin Patch, 21145 128th in Pitt Meadows. Patch features interactive displays, small tractor ride, animal farm, corn maze, and a huge pumpkin patch. Admission is $2 (children under 12 months are free) and pumpkin prices range from $2 and up. Visit www.laitypumpkinpatch.com for hours and directions. With the Golden Ears Mountains as the backdrop, the pumpkin patch makes for a great place for a family photo.

Willowview Farms

Head out to the country to the Willowview Farms, 288 McCallum Rd., in Abbotsford, to pick out the perfect pumpkin. Saturdays in October are Pumpkin Daze, featuring a hay maze, petting zoo, and a hayride to the pumpkin patch. In October, the farm is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. FYI: they also sell a tasty apple cider.

Apple Barn

Apple Barn, 333 Gladwin Rd. in Abbotsford is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Apple Barn has a play pass for kids for $6.50, which includes hayrides, hay maze, bin maze, slides and petting zoo. Adults are $3, which can be refunded for $3 worth of apples. Pony rides are available on weekends for $4.50, and hayrides are available sometimes on weekdays.

Aldor Acres

Venture out to Langley to check out Aldor Acres, 24990 84th Ave., Langley. Cost is $6 per person or $27 per family, includes hayride, petting farm with many baby animals including a baby horse, a colt named Blaze, and Lavender, the pig, had babies on Oct. 1. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until Oct. 31.

Country Farms

Richmond is home to a great pumpkin patch at Country Farms, 12900 Steveston Hwy. Sing along hayrides, petting zoo, live entertainment, corn maze and much more. Hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday (and holidays) 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Free admission for children under two. Weekday admission is $7 and on weekends admission is $10, which includes a kid-size pumpkin.

Peteys Pumpkin Patch

In Chilliwack, check out Peteys Pumpkin Patch and the Kids Zone. Take a train out to the pumpkin patch, little goblins can play in a Dora pirate ship, and much more. For a scarier trek, check out Reapers and the Dark Maze.

So what are the alternatives?  Have you tried the various services like Helijet or West Coast Air?

Helijets website has this blurb:

Helijet is proud to have been a part of the growth of British Columbia for the past two decades.

In November 1986, armed with a vision, one helicopter and handful of dedicated employees Helijet began commuter service between downtown Vancouver and downtown Victoria. The first scheduled helicopter service in Canada!

From that one helicopter and one route we have grown into a publicly traded company offering a wide range of scheduled and charter services with a fleet of 10 helicopters and airplanes and over 100 employees.

They really have an exceptional service available. We’ve used it many times!

West Coast Air is one we haven’t tried, yet. But we will it looks fantastic.  From the website:

A locally owned and operated airline with more than 35 years of Twin Otter scheduled service experience, West Coast Air offers up to 40 Twin Otter departures daily between downtown Vancouver and downtown Victoria. The company provides a convenient link to Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast communities, and includes service to Whistler during the summer season and will soon be announcing details on a daily scheduled flight to Courtenay/Comox.

Our scheduled service appeals to both business and leisure travelers, while also enjoying a wide variety of adventure and scenic tours from Vancouver, Victoria and Sechelt. Charters flights are available to all your favourite southcoast destinations including Butchart Gardens, Whistler, Tofino, Campbell River and more.

West Coast Air terminals are centrally located. In Vancouver, our temporary location is just west of Canada Place in Coal Harbour (until 2008 when the Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre and Marine Terminal are complete), in Richmond at the YVR Floatplane Base, in Victoria’s Inner Harbour, in Nanaimo Harbour on Anchor Way and in Sechelt, on Wharf Street beside the Lighthouse Pub.

The City of Victoria has an exciting maritime history. Victoria’s Inner Harbour, on Thursday, June 26, is the venue for the spectacular Parade of Sail, which kicks off the Victoria Tall Ships Festival. There will be at least 24 Tall Ships with their sails billowing and according to estimates from the festival director they are aiming to attract 40,000 paid visitors.

Ships that have been used in movies, the ‘ Bounty’ (a 54-metre sailing vessel), the ‘Nina’ (a replica of the 15th century ship of Christopher Columbus) and ‘Lady Washington’ (112 ft. replica of the privateer sailed during the American Revolution, and used in the Pirates of the Caribbean) are three of the Tall Ships  seen on the big screen. The ships will be open for boarding at various times on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Visitors will be able to walk the decks, look up through the rigging and get a sense of what it must have been like to sail aboard these magnificent ships. As well, there will be interactive educational activities, live music, craft fairs, a kids zone and festive events.

For more information visit: tallshipsvictoria.ca