Hey there.

After missing the hottest day of the year so far, Kitsilano Pool is finally open for business. Yes, it might be old and leaking and on its last legs, but there's a bit of life left in the old tank yet.

The future of the iconic aqua installation remains uncertain: Park Board staff have outlined three potential plans, ranging from fixing the worst of the problems, to a renovation of the facility, to a full replacement. Expect to see more about it come budget season—but for now, we can still enjoy North America's longest outdoor pool.

— V.
Senior editor

FEATURE

What it's really like at an Overdose Prevention Site

A decade after B.C. officially announced a state of emergency over toxic drug deaths, people in the province continue to die in staggering numbers from unregulated street substances all across the city—and yet services mostly remain in a small area of the Downtown Eastside. “I worry more about the way that this emergency that we find ourselves in is becoming normalized,” reflects Simon Goodspeed, senior manager at the PHS Community Services Society. "Or that there are people deciding that they're not really interested in doing much about it."

SPONSORED BY THE MISSION FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Early Bird tickets for the Mission Folk Music Festival on sale now to June 22!

Are you ready for a sublime Fraser Valley summer weekend full of brilliant music and friendly vibes? Come find your folk at the 39th Mission Folk Music Festival, July 24-26 in beautiful Fraser River Heritage Park. The full weekend schedule is online featuring everything from indie folk and a dance-inducing brass band to Celtic tunes, Ukrainian soul, vintage bluegrass, fiery Métis fiddling and so much more!

Come enjoy 25+ acts on 5 stages plus the Festival Choir, Wee Folks activities, jams, dances, participatory workshops, an Artisan Market, Food Court, and beer garden. There’s easy parking and on-site camping, too – it’s affordable and fun for the whole family! Get your Early Bird evening, day, weekend and weekend + camping passes by June 22 and save!

CITY & CULTURE

A totally serious investigation into what Mayor Ken Sim’s 11 AI agents are doing

Does Vancouver have a mayor, or merely a dozen chatbots in a trench coat? It's a question we've been asking ourselves since Ken Sim revealed he has a hendecad of AI agents doing "a lot of my work in the background". We put on our thinking caps to figure out what those agents could possibly be doing.

  • Vancouver World Cup Watch Party Rating: South Flats kinda slaps

  • Gastown is going car-free again for Sundays this summer

  • Ready to find your ideal workspace? For businesses of all sizes—from startups to enterprises—discover the coworking space that fits your needs. Connect with a WeWork professional today.*

*Sponsored Listing

ARTS

Things fall apart in The Play That Goes Wrong

It is an old theatre maxim that the show must go on—even if the props are broken, the actors can't remember their lines, and the director can't get things back on track. The Arts Club's production of The Play That Goes Wrong opens this week with a dose of carefully planned chaos.

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY THE PARK THEATRE

BACKROOMS and more at The Park Theatre on Cambie

Upgraded with a brand new state-of-the-art sound system and digital 4K projector, The Park Theatre in Vancouver's Cambie Village is showing the highly anticipated thriller BACKROOMS amongst other great films. Check out their current attractions online and stop by for a movie soon!

— MUSIC —

On Our Radar: True Mountain Laurel's "Angel So Bad" hits hard

The Vancouver superduo of Sam Lynch and Haley Blais has finally released its long-awaited debut single. "Angel So Bad", the title track off the pair's upcoming album, is exactly what you'd hope for from two accomplished musicians: lush, intricate, and transportive.

  • Free outdoor concerts are coming to Robson Street this summer

  • Nirvana’s music transcends genre. In this stylized concert, Smells Like Teen Spirit brings you the songs you know in a way you’ve never imagined.*

  • New from Mateína: A zero sugar, organic yerba mate that delivers clean energy — no crash, no weird ingredients. Just plant-powered fuel that works.*

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY GROUSE MOUNTAIN

Dinner at new heights: The Observatory

The Observatory at Grouse Mountain offers one of the most distinctive dining experiences in the Lower Mainland. Three-course dining is available for $84 per person, while four-course dining is offered at $104 per person. Complimentary mountain access is included with advance reservations.

ICYMI

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND


TALKS: Bruce Granville Miller reflects on museum practices of extraction and repatriation in The Cannibal Museum. (June 18 @ Museum of Vancouver)

BOOKS: Mother Earth Is Our Elder explores the Dene approach to sustainability and knowledge systems. (June 18 @ Massy Books)

MUSIC: Opera Lirica presents a night of Finnish music, performed by Elaina Moreau and Roger Parton. (June 18 @ Vancouver Unitarian Church)

VISUAL ARTS: Art Downtown returns with markets, demonstrations, workshops, and more. (June 18 to July 23 @ Lot 19)

FILM: Paris is Burning is a seminal look at Harlem's ballroom scene and a snapshot of queer life in 1990. (June 19-25 @ VIFF Centre)

DANCE: Award-winning choreographer Ralph Escamillan's new work MY HOUSE combines vogueing and contemporary dance. (June 19-20 @ The Dance Centre)

MUSIC: Do you like jazz? The 41st Vancouver International Jazz Festival hopes so. (June 19 to July 5 @ various venues)

FOOD & DRINK: Scoop up something delicious at the Vancouver Ice Cream Festival. (June 19 to August 3 @ various locations)

That’s it!

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