The North Shore Outlook just uploaded their feature on the upcoming West Vancouver Yacht Club Southern Straits Classic. If you are looking for a way to kick off the Easter weekend, come and watch competitive sailing up close.

Here are the details:

The West Vancouver Yacht Club is proudly hosting the 42nd Annual Southern Straits Classic. This sailing regatta is a West Coast racing tradition and an Easter Weekend ritual for sailors, their families and the community.

More than 60 boats and 400 sailors will race across Georgia Strait in this challenging overnight event - a true test of sailors’ strategy, skill and endurance. Racers from around the Pacific Northwest, and as far away as Hawaii, will participate in this year’s event.

In addition to the on-water activity, there will be family and community activities taking place near the start line at Dundarave Pier. The community is invited to begin their weekend with a pancake breakfast benefiting the Lions Society, followed by music from the West Vancouver Pops Band. There will also be a live commentary about participating boats as well as a special visit from the Easter Bunny.

Festivities will begin Good Friday April 2nd at 9 a.m. The race’s starting sequences will begin at 10:25 a.m. Easter celebrations will continue at Dundarave Village on Saturday, April 3rd with their annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Dundarave Pier 25th Street and Bellevue Ave. West Vancouver

For more information, please visit www.southernstraits.ca or call WVYC at 604.921.7575.

The initiative was part of Joey Restaurant Group's Cup of Care program to help address hunger in its communities. In Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto, the company donated 10,000 cups of nutritious soup to community groups, and its staff volunteered more than 100 hours at food banks, shelters, and community drop-in centres.

Noise Digital to lead online strategy for credit union cooperative advertising program

Vancouver, BC; March 23, 2010 – Central 1 Credit Union, the central financial facility and trade association for the B.C. and Ontario credit union systems, has engaged Noise Digital as its digital agency of record for the Cooperative Advertising Program for the Credit Unions of BC.

The agency has been tasked with building awareness of the credit union brand amongst 18 to 29-year-olds in British Columbia. Noise won the account after a competitive bid process that began before Christmas.

“This is an exciting assignment for us because the Credit Unions of BC are interested in exploring how Digital can anchor their overall marketing direction, not just sit at the fringe,” says Mark Nishiguchi, Managing Partner, Noise Digital. “Given the target audience, it makes complete sense to focus the strategy online.”

While BC credit unions have a solid membership base of 1.7 million – more than 1 in 3 British Columbians – research has shown that many in the next generation of potential members are unaware of credit unions and how they differ from banks. The long-term goal of the program is to educate this target market on the benefits of credit unions and grow the membership base. Many in the target audience share the values of the credit union system: honesty, community, trust and loyalty.

“We were looking for a partner who had demonstrated success in delivering a digital strategy to this market,” says Martin Reed, Director, Marketing & Creative Services, Central 1. “What pleased us about Noise is that they really challenged our idea of what Digital could be and they are stretching us in a new direction.”

The agency’s first assignment will be a fall marketing campaign. While still in the early stages of development, the campaign will focus on a new community program and will likely include social media, OOH, and a variety of online and offline activation tactics. The campaign will include new TV spots created by Wasserman + Partners Advertising.

The Westwind Choir entertains travellers at YVR on March 1. They even serenaded John Furlong with a spirited version of O Canada.

By Michael Grange, The Globe and MailPosted Thursday, February 25, 2010 12:02 AM ET Does anyone know what the Russian word for crickets is?

I know what it sounds like. It sounds like the crowd of Russians gathered in so-called ‘Bosco Bar' in downtown Vancouver for another chapter in the Canada-Russia hockey series.

We know how it ended: Canada came out and treated one of the most talented teams anyone can remember like they were Germany or something.

And so the crowd at Bosco Bar - actually Joey Burrard, an upscale resto-lounge in downtown Vancouver bought out by Bosco Sport (the Russian Nike, and the official supplier to the Russian Olympic team here) for 10 days - quickly shifted from positive, brash even, to something else.

More

Elettra Event Coordinator, Desiree Mamisao, hangs out with Quatchi and Miga at YVR.

Elettra's Kelly Aldinger and Kelly Farrell work with Canadian media hoping to get shots of Canada's Luge Team.

Elettra's in-terminal entertainment program gets a shout-out in this MSNBC roundup of how YVR is getting ready to welcome the world to Vancouver.

Sandhill's Master Winemaker, Howard Soon, was in Vancouver to celebrate being selected as Winery of the Year in Wine Access magazine's Canadian Wine Awards. Sandhill is the first winery to win Best White, Best Red, and Winery of the Year in the same year.

Howard visited Lynn and Steve at Global Morning News to talk about the awards.

Then he stopped by Urban Rush to tell Mike and Fiona about what you can tell about wine from the soil it's grown in.

Then, the day was capped off with a celebration of Sandhill & Howard at the Vancouver Aquarium.

LOCAL Public Eatery was featured in today's Sweetspot:Jan.05.10

Kits is one of our summer go-to spots (if only for the people-watching).

And now with Local Public Eatery opening in the old Malone’s space, it’s finally a winter hangout as well.

The new, much-anticipated gastro pub is big on comfort food—plus the unpretentious menu has cocktails like the Ell Caesar ($8), served in a boot. One can never go wrong with a classic burger ($12), and the West Coast chopped salad ($16) is a good way to veg out. And as for placating any sweet tooth, we stand by the perfectly-sticky caramel toffee cake ($6).

So when local patrons – pun slightly intended – start coming out in droves, our eyes will be just as entertained as our taste buds already are.

Local Public Eatery www.localpubliceatery.com 2210 Cornwall Ave. 604-734-3589