March 12 edition: Why are cults making sandwiches?

Hey there. Hey there. It’s another beautiful Tuesday in the Lower Mainland, because grey and cloudy is still gorgeous when you live in a place as beautiful as this. Mountains! Forests! Beach! Ocean! 

Beauty is everywhere if you’re looking for it. I hope you find something today that feels beautiful, too.

— V.
Associate Editor

FEATURE

Was your last sandwich made by a cult?

The Yellow Deli in Chilliwack made it Maclean’s 2022 student guide, as the “best hangover breakfast” spot for stupefied students at the University of the Fraser Valley. That’s despite the fact it’s run by Twelve Tribes, a religious sect that’s been under investigation for allegations of child abuse. Michelle Cyca dives into the local restaurants that bring a new meaning to “cult following.”

CITY & CULTURE

Why is the City of Vancouver spending almost $70k on sandbags for the rich?

Every year, the City of Vancouver’s engineering department places thousands of sandbags along two blocks of Northwest Marine Drive to protect 18 houses—with average property values of $5.6 million. With such a tight budget in City Hall, Maria Stanborough wonders, why are local residents subsidizing flood protection for a handful of the uber-wealthy?

• Ex-premier Glen Clark has some hot political takes

• Commentary: A BC farmers’ market study says they’re good for the community and the economy

• Free Investing Guide & Newsletter:  "...Dave is honest. If you're anything like me, then you care about that." Regulated by: CIRO. Member of CIPF.*

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SPONSORED BY EARLY MUSIC VANCOUVER

Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Bach's St John Passion!

Early Music Vancouver presents Handel: Hallelujah & Trumpets!, a celebration of this famous composer featuring instrumental, choral, and vocal works.

ARTS

Here’s what’s showing at the Vancouver Art Gallery this season

Two new exhibitions opened at the Vancouver Art Gallery last week, and there is plenty more in store for the rest of the year. From public art installations to huge travelling exhibitions and new local art initiatives, check out what the VAG has planned for this spring and summer.

• Review: Ballet BC’s NOW pushes itself to the limit

• BC filmmaker Laura Adkin gets theatrical release for debut feature Re: Uniting 

• GEMFest announces winning films from this year’s festival

• Inspired by Italian legends, La Befana is an extraordinary adventure, addressing with poetry the final journey of our loved ones. April 6 - Studio 16.*

• Catch irreverent improv comedy this week with The Fictionals' Ladies Against Humanity and International Women's Day: Fashionably Late at The Improv Centre on March 13 & 14!*

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MUSIC

Behind the scenes at The Penthouse, Vancouver’s legendary venue

The Penthouse might be a strip club today, but it’s also still a music venue hosting intimate, engrossing shows. The historic hall has played host to numerous legends in its almost 80 years of operation, from Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. We take a peek behind the Penthouse curtain to discover how an iconic venue can be both so famous, and such a hidden gem.

• All the concerts to get hyped about this spring 

• The world has turned, and left Weezer playing The Blue Album in full at Rogers

• Wallows is coming to town this summer

• Video Age's Away From the Castle Tour arrives to The Pearl on March 19th with Marci (from TOPS) and Doohickey Cubicle. Get your tickets now!*

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SPONSORED BY ARTS CLUB

A Diamond Celebration: Shining bright for 60 years

The Arts Club is celebrating its landmark 60th season with a glamorous fundraising gala! A classy cabaret-style performance featuring popular musical numbers from Arts Club’s past follows a delectable dinner and auction. Limited dinner tickets remain. This gala is not to be missed!

Join this Diamond Celebration on May 24th.

FOOD & DRINK

Are Vancouver’s vegan restaurants doomed?

It’s a hard time to run a restaurant anywhere, let alone a city with rents that trend toward the infinite. That’s especially true for plant-based eateries, which omnivorous eaters often snob as rabbit food even when the items on offer are diverse, daring, and delicious. Adelaide Tiller gets to the heart of what’s going on in V(eg)ancouver.

• Chinatown’s new cocktail bar Meo is opening this week

• The Anh and Chi team is opening a new Vietnamese spot, Big Thief

• Win a getaway to Burrowing Owl Estate Winery! 3 nights in a 2bedroom penthouse suite, dining +more for 2 couples. Value $4,500. Enter contest here.*

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SPONSORED BY BOTANICA TULIP FESTIVAL

Chilliwack welcomes back the iconic Botanica Tulip Festival

Spring is just around the corner and Botanica Tulip Festival in Chilliwack is set to bloom with 1.5 million bulbs, showcasing 59 unique varieties of tulips. New this year, Botanica will offer food trucks, floral workshops, photo opportunities, a farm store and a few surprises yet to be shared. 

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK

THEATRE 🎭
Arts Club on Tour brings Made in Italy to Coquitlam. (March 12 to 17 @ Evergreen Cultural Centre)

VISUAL ART 🖼️
Alex Ji’s oil landscape exhibition, The Beauty of Nature, opens tonight. (March 12 to April 10 @ Lipont Gallery) 

DANCE 💃
Dancing with the Stars Live comes to the stage. (March 12 @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre)

BOOKS 📖
Don Jose Ruiz shares Toltec wisdom in The Shaman’s Path to Freedom. (March 13 @ online)

TALKS 🗣️
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Viet Thank Nguyen delivers the latest Phil Lind Initiative talk. (March 14 @ Chan Centre for the Performing Arts) 

COMEDY 🤣
Laconic Hong Kong comedian Jordan Leung is on his Low Energy world tour. (March 14 @ Biltmore Cabaret)

DANCE 💃
Dutch choreographer Arno Schuitemaker brings powerful movement in If You Could See Me Now. (March 14 to 16 @ Scotiabank Dance Centre)

FOOD AND DRINK 🍽️
Learn the whisky tasting essentials at this St. Patrick’s Day seminar. (March 15 @ Fine Art Bartending School)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

That’s it!

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