Current Media Release:
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Living Our Culture 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada - Nanaimo
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Nanaimo Named in TripAdvisor Top 25 Canadian Destinations
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Nanaimo Hosting Canadian Body Painting Championships
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Third Annual Happy Turkey Night at the Yellow Point Cranberry Farm
Nanaimo to Host the Canadian Body Painting Championships
For immediate release: Models will become the canvas for some of the most accomplished artists in the world from September 4 - 7, 2008 at Beban Park in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Body painting is an art form that draws people from countries all over the world to compete. Artists will use semi-clad bodies as their canvas in celebration of creativity and life.
"This is an exciting time to be given world sanctioning, while Nanaimo celebrates being a 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada" said Dawn Tyndall, Event Co-organizer. Upon awarding Nanaimo's Body Gras team with sanctioning, World Body Painting Association President Alex Barendregt stated "We are delighted to have Nanaimo, BC, Canada host one of our world sanctioned events. With the history of the team in Nanaimo we feel confident they will showcase the amazing art form that body painting is."
Guests arrive and artists' workshops will be held beginning on Thursday, September 4. Five different workshops will be taught by some of the top artists in the world, such as one of Europe's leading Make-up Artists Shaul Maloem from the Make-up Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. The Monkey's Jungle Masquerade Party, open to the public, will welcome artists and models on Friday, September 5. The party will be held from 7:30 pm to 12:00 am in the Centennial Building at Beban Park. Tickets for this party are $15 and entertainment includes local band EPIC, a DeeJay, some artful surprises, and prizes for best costumes. The main competition begins at 11:00 am on Saturday September 6 with the public welcome from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Come and see the artists at work as they compete against each other, themselves and the clock. There will be live demos and face painting for kids of all ages. Saturday night at 7:00 pm all art pieces will be presented to music and the theme of ‘It's A Jungle Out There’. The public can vote on their favorite art piece and have their photos taken with the models and artists. There will be entertainment featuring live band Little Head, fire dancing performances by Willow, a dance troupe from VIBE, art presentations and awards ceremonies.
For more information and details on the Body Painting Championships, visit www.bodypaintcanada.com or contact Dawn Tyndall, Event Co-organizer at 250-751-4142 or email dawntyndall@shaw.ca.
The harbour city of Nanaimo is a 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada and was named a top 25 Canadian Destination by Trip Advisor. Centrally located on Vancouver Island, Nanaimo is an accessible getaway destination offering a vibrant arts and culture scene, over 100 parks and trails, harbour activities and more. For more information about Nanaimo and other exciting events, please visit www.tourismnanaimo.com.
Vancouver Island continues to be recognized as a premier vacation destination. For the eighth year in a row Vancouver Island has been rated as the Best Island, North America by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler. This prestigious travel magazine with a per issue readership of 2 million has been conducting a Readers' Choice award program for 18 years.
Tourism Vancouver Island is one of six regional destination marketing organizations in British Columbia that administers co-operative marketing and advertising projects for its stakeholders throughout the region. To access information about Tourism Vancouver Island and marketing initiatives, please visit www.tourismvi.ca. For general travel information on Vancouver Island, Victoria and the Gulf Islands, please visit www.vancouverisland.travel.
Tourism accounts for more than 117,900 direct jobs in British Columbia, representing approximately one in every 20 jobs in the province. BC's tourism industry generated approximately $9.8 billion in revenues in 2005 and over $5.8 billion in GDP in 2004, making tourism one of the largest resource industries in the province. (source: cotabc.com)
Media Contact:
Chelsea Barr, Media Relations & Travel Trade
Destination Nanaimo
Phone: 250-755-4505 or Toll Free: 1-888-810-3388
Chelsea.barr@nanaimo.ca
Third Annual Happy Turkey Night at Yellow Point Cranberry Farm
For immediate release: Join Yellow Point Cranberry Farm on Wednesday, September 24, at 6:00 pm for the third annual Happy Turkey Night. This year, four guest chefs will highlight unique cranberry recipes sans turkey. That’s right, cranberries minus the turkey! Discover new festive and everyday cranberry inspired dishes, sample wine from Rocky Creek Winery and enjoy live entertainment. You are guaranteed to learn something new, while proceeds from ticket sales are donated to another educational cause, the Ladysmith Secondary School.
The 2008 Happy Turkey Night guest chefs include Bill Jones from Deerholme Farms, Teaching Chef Leona Gunn, Kate Cram and Geoff Cram. The chefs will prove that Thanksgiving and Christmas aren’t just about the turkey. Come and sample tasty and unique dishes that feature cranberries, from appetizers to desserts and from the simple to the complex – we want you to gobble it all up! All the recipes will be available to take home or can be sent to you in a PDF form recipe booklet.
This year’s event includes participation of nearby Rocky Creek Winery, and a live band called the Back Forty Boys. Rocky Creek Winery has been operating since 2004, and in that time has received numerous awards for their island grown VQA wines. The wines are 100% Vancouver Island estate grown and produced. Wine sampling is available for an additional cost.
Wherever possible, food will be locally sourced for this year’s dinner. For the environment, food will be served on real plates with real cutlery, and additional stations to speed up the delivery of our chefs’ offerings and have increased seating capacity. Your favourite cranberry preserves will be available for sale and sampling in the Cranberry Cottage Preserves store throughout the evening.
For more information please visit www.yellowpointcranberries.com. Tickets are $13.00 each and must be ordered in advance by calling 250-245-5283 or toll free at 1-877-YPC-FARM or by email at yellowpointcranberries@shaw.ca. Proceeds from ticket sales go to Ladysmith Secondary School. Yellow Point Cranberries is located at 4532 Yellow Point Road, Ladysmith, BC.
Yellow point Cranberries is an enterprising family run farm. In 2001 Grant and Justin Keefer began restoring the 43 acre farm. The land had been left fallow for over 30 years. With some help from family and neighbours, months were spent clearing, brush cutting and leveling the land, and the first eight acres of cranberries were planted in 2002. October 2005 saw the first harvest, and now the farm has over 15 acres of cranberries and more to come! Fresh cranberries are available September 24 and frozen cranberries are available after Thanksgiving until Christmas. A wide assortment of homemade preserves using fresh berries from the fields is available in the Cranberry Cottage Preserve store.
Vancouver Island continues to be recognized as a premier vacation destination. For the eighth year in a row Vancouver Island has been rated as the Best Island, North America by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler. This prestigious travel magazine with a per issue readership of 2 million has been conducting a Readers' Choice award program for 18 years.
Media Contact:
Chelsea Barr, Media Relations & Travel Trade
Destination Nanaimo
Phone: 250-755-4505 or Toll Free: 1-888-810-3388
Chelsea.barr@nanaimo.ca
Living Our Culture
2008 Cultural Capital of Canada - Nanaimo BC
Come Celebrate with Us!
Come join us in 2008 as Nanaimo celebrates its rich cultural diversity and showcases its energetic and creative people by “Living Our Culture” through various art forms. See live music, dance, storytelling, theatre, cultural celebrations, art displays, demonstrations and workshops. Nanaimo’s Cultural Capital program will make Canada proud to have Nanaimo as Cultural Capital in 2008.
Nanaimo was one of only four Canadian cities awarded the prestigious title in 2008. These national Cultural Capital awards recognize and support Canadian municipalities for special activities that harness the many benefits of arts and culture in community life.
Designation as a Cultural Capital of Canada in 2008 will enable our community to invest more in arts and culture, and promote, increase and improve our cultural services. The investment will strengthen our economy, improve quality of life for residents and visitors, and enhance community identity and reputation. It gives us an opportunity to celebrate our arts and cultural achievements and build a legacy of cultural development in our community.
As a Cultural Capital, Nanaimo will be “Living Our Culture” with five celebratory multi-event programs that involve a wide variety of cultures, disciplines and ages, engaging professional and amateur artists. We’ll also introduce four legacy events that will build a lasting arts and cultural legacy for our community.
We invite you to join us in this exciting and unprecedented year of celebration. There will be many opportunities for you and your family to enjoy all the activities and events of the Nanaimo Cultural Capital program in 2008.
Camela Tang, Chair, Cultural Capital of Canada Organizing Committee
Bob Kuhn, Manager, Nanaimo Cultural Capital of Canada
Info: 250-716-7877 / info@nanaimoculturalcapital.ca
Nanaimo Named in TripAdvisor Top 25 Canadian Destinations
Nanaimo BC has been chosen as a best destination in the Top 25 Canada category by TripAdvisor® in the 2008 Travelers’ Choice® Destinations Awards. In their inaugural year, the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honour the world’s top destinations, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers.
Only TripAdvisor’s Destinations Awards represent the opinions of millions of travelers. The winners were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor’s travelers’ favourite places and overall popularity on TripAdvisor.
“Whether it’s for their unique beauty, or abundance of attractions, the 2008 Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards honour the most beloved destinations from around the world,” said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. “Determined by millions of travelers, the Travelers’ Choice Destinations Awards are unique because they single out not just popular places but truly exceptional places that enthrall travelers and keep them coming back.”
Chelsea Barr, Communications Clerk with Destination Nanaimo, is thrilled to see Nanaimo in the top 25. "An important part of my role is ensuring Nanaimo information is available on-line. The reality is on-line reviews, blogs and social forums are key components of the travel research one does when planning to visit a specific destination." "Destination Nanaimo and Tourism Nanaimo realize that an on-line presence is a vital part of a successful destination marketing plan" said Hannah King, Destination Marketing Coordinator. Destination Nanaimo continues to encourage visitors, guests and locals to post their Nanaimo experiences on TripAdvisor.
Nanaimo is located on the east coast of Vancouver Island, 113 km north of Victoria, and 55 km across the Strait of Georgia from Vancouver. Nanaimo is Vancouver Island’s second largest city, B.C.’s third oldest city and the ancestral home of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, a Coast Salish people. It is no wonder Nanaimo is listed in the top 25, it has one of the most beautiful harbourfronts on the west coast. A 5-km walkway winds along the shoreline with views over to Newcastle, Protection and Gabriola Islands. Nanaimo is a 2008 Cultural Capital of Canada, home to one-of-a-kind festivals and events and is a popular shopping destination.
To plan your trip to Nanaimo, visit Tourism Nanaimo's website www.tourismnanaimo.com. Flip through the on-line Nanaimo Visitor Guide and Restaurant Guide. To read the Nanaimo reviews, go to TripAdvisor.com and for the complete 2008 Travelers’ Choice list, visit www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations.
About TripAdvisor Media Network
TripAdvisor® Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts nearly 30 million monthly visitors* across ten popular travel brands. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million monthly visitors*, six million registered members and 15 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 300,000+ hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany and Italy.
Media Contact:
Chelsea Barr, Media Relations & Travel Trade
Destination Nanaimo
Phone: 250-755-4505 or Toll Free: 1-888-810-3388
Chelsea.barr@nanaimo.ca