Bee kind, bee on the lookout for a swarm of bees and join Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary for Bee Day, May 26 at the sanctuary.
Swarms of honey bees usually occur during the months of April to August. They are generally peaceful if left alone. They are easily identified, as they tend to make large clumps ranging in size from a softball to basketball. Swarms can form in trees, on houses, on cars or even on the ground.
It is estimated the hive at the sanctuary swarmed some time on May 13, whereabouts unknown.
Should you see the swarm, please don’t call pest control or an exterminator.
Call the sanctuary, and the Swan Lake beekeeper will come to collect them and return the bees to their loving home in the Nature House observation hive or the beekeeper’s apiary.
Please note they are looking to retrieve only honey bees and are not able to remove wasps, carpenter bees or bumblebees.
To find out more about bees, go to the sanctuary for Bee Day, May 26.
This is a honey of a program, fit for the royalty of the insect world. Questions answered include: What’s the buzz about bees? How can we encourage bees in our backyards?
Learn bee songs and bee crafts and enjoy some bee spit to taste.
At the program you will bee amazed, bee enchanted and bee happy. Bee there or bee square. Admission by donation ($5 recommended). The event runs noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 26 at the Nature House of the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, 3873 Swan Lake Rd. If you see the swarm of bees, contact Alanna Morbin, Swan Lake beekeeper at 778-977-3134 or email [email protected]. For more information, go to swanlake.bc.ca.
Fundraiser backs Surfrider campaign
Canoe Brewpub is teaming up with Surfrider Vancouver Island to host a Summer Soirée on Thursday, May 23.
The evening is a celebration of the Truffles Group community program, which raised more than $8,800 to fund community programs offered by the Surfrider Foundation’s Vancouver Island chapter in 2018.
This Surf Formal (flip-flops, board shorts and summer attire) event features an art auction, door prizes and live music from Red Fox Sparrow.
Founded 25 years ago, the Surfrider Foundation’s mission is the protection and enjoyment of oceans, waves and beaches through a powerful activist network.
The event is free to attend. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, with the option for guests to add a donation for the Surfrider Foundation to their bill. The event runs 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 23 at the pub, 450 Swift St.
Guests who arrive by paddlecraft (paddleboard, canoe, kayak), will receive complimentary boat valet parking from Ocean River Sports.
For more information, go to vancouverisland.surfrider.org or canoebrewpub.com.
Fund helps raise children in Tanzania
India Howell, founder of Tanzanian Children’s Fund of Canada, will be speaking at the Fireside Lounge of the Victoria Golf Club on May 24.
Howell will give a talk about her foundation and the Rift Valley Children’s Village in Tanzania.
She is the mother to 97 children, whom she has raised since they were babies. Listen to how she saved them from often tragic situations and how she was able to shepherd them through to adulthood and enrolment in higher education.
Discover how she has set the standard on helping people help themselves.
There is room for about 40 people in the meeting space.
The event starts at 6:30 p.m. May 24 in the Fireside Lounge of the Victoria Golf Club, 1110 Beach Dr. For more information, go to tanzanianchildrensfund.ca or [email protected].
Linden Singers perform old and new classics
Listen to a selection of choral classics, old and new at Linden Traditions: Choral Classics, May 25 at the Lutheran Church of the Cross.
This concert presents the familiar, rich harmonies of Schubert’s Mass in G, Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Brahms’ Zigeunerlieder, along with the haunting melodies of composer Ola Gjeilo.
The Linden Singers will perform along with the Emily Carr String Quartet and guest soloists Adam Dyjach, tenor, Kyron Basu, baritone, and Jessica Wagner, soprano.
Tickets are $20, with those under 25 years free. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25 at the Lutheran Church of the Cross, 3787 Cedar Hill Rd. For tickets, go to lindensingers.ca/concerts-tickets. For more information, go to facebook.com/LindenSingers.
Cool Aid gala is at Ship Point
Cool Aid is hosting its Homecoming Gala, Saturday at Ship Point.
This is the third year of the annual event, an evening of celebration and generosity to help end homelessness.
Join community leaders for an evening of delicious cuisine, beverages, live music and items to bid on in the live and silent auctions.
Tickets are $150. The event runs 6:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday, May 25 at Ship Point in the Inner Harbour. For event information and ticket sales, go to coolaid.org.
Blood Services opens with a new theme
Canadian Blood Services is launching Reasons, a new multimedia campaign that gives Canadians many new and compelling reasons to support patients and help save lives.
Blood donors play vital role in meeting the needs of patients every day. The Reasons campaign highlights why blood and blood products are needed every day to treat a broad range of patient needs, from trauma to cancer treatments.
The Canadian Blood Services’ new tag line is “Together, we are Canada’s lifeline.”
This campaign builds on the services’ renewed brand and expanded commitment, introduced last September on its 20th anniversary.
“We believe if more people better understand the multitude of reasons we need regular donors to come forward, Canadians will make that commitment,” said Rick Prinzen, chief supply-chain officer and vice-president of donor relations. “Many people have come to know and love our original tag line: ‘It’s in you to give.’ But after 20 years, Canadian Blood Services is about more than just blood.
“Our new tag line: ‘Together, we are Canada’s lifeline’ encourages people to think about the power of connections to keep Canadians living. It’s about doing something today knowing that, because of us, someone else is waking up healthier tomorrow. There are many ways to join Canada’s lifeline and help patients, including donating blood or plasma, registering as a stem-cell or organ-and-tissue donor, and by volunteering or giving financially.”
Walk-in appointments are available at all locations.
People wishing to donate can download the GiveBlood app, call 1 888 2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283) or book at blood.ca.
Lace up your shoes for the MS Walk
Show your support for people living with multiple sclerosis by joining the Victoria MS Walk, Sunday, May 26, from Cadboro-Gyro Park.
Canada has one of the highest rates of MS in the world. The annual MS Walks, held in communities across B.C., help raise awareness and funds to improve the lives of Canadians directly affected by MS.
Participants can choose from a variety of routes, including a wheelchair-accessible route for participants using mobility aids.
Register online. Check-in starts at 9:30, with the walk starting at 10:30 a.m. May 26 from Cadboro-Gyro Park, on Sinclair Road. For more information, go to mswalks.ca.
Peers fundraiser goes Hot Pink
Enjoy an evening of dazzling entertainment and raise funds for Peers Victoria at the Hot Pink Burlesque fundraiser, May 25 at the Belfry Theatre.
The show features the Cheesecake Burlesque Revue and special guest Gala Vega for a night of entertainment, a silent auction and what promises to be a memorable photo booth.
Proceeds from the event go toward funding important programs and services offered by Peers Victoria.
Tickets are $35. Doors open at 7, with the show starting at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 25 at the Belfry Theatre, 1291 Gladstone Ave. Under 19 admitted with an adult. Tickets available at the Belfry box office in person, by phone 250-385-6815 or online at tickets.belfry.bc.ca/ TheatreManager/1/tmEvent/ tmEvent1099.html. For more information, go to Facebook.
Strut your pooch at dog-guide event
Grab your leash and join people from about 300 communities across Canada for the Pet Valu Walk for Dog Guides, Sunday, May 26, in Victoria and Colwood.
The national fundraiser is in support of Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides, which has provided free dog guides to Canadians with physical and medical disabilities for more than 34 years.
The organization provides specially trained dog guides through seven programs meeting a wide range of needs. Dog guides give recipients a new leash on life, by increasing their independence, mobility and safety.
The family and dog-friendly event welcomes participants of all ages and abilities.
There are two walks in Greater Victoria on May 26. The walk organized by Bosley’s Colwood runs from noon (sign in at 11 a.m.) on the Galloping Goose Trail, starting at Wale Road. The Victoria walk starts at 1 p.m. (sign in from noon) from Kinsmen Park, 1070 Tillicum Rd. This walk is organized by Bosley’s Burnside store.
For more information, go to walkfordogguides.com.
Sailor crossed Atlantic in tiny boat
Watch the Canadian première screening of a quirky sailing documentary, Manry at Sea: In the Wake of a Dream, a fundraiser for the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, Wednesday at the Vic Theatre.
The 70-minute film documents Robert Manry’s solo transatlantic voyage on Tinkerbelle, a four-metre wooden boat. At that time, it was the smallest boat to have crossed the Atlantic successfully.
The middle-aged suburbanite from Cleveland, Ohio, set sail on June 1, 1965, from Falmouth, Massachusetts, on a 78-day voyage to Falmouth, England.
The 1960s was a time of daring yachting exploits, including the first solo round-the-world races. Documentary filmmaker Steve Wystrach has pieced together Manry’s story.
Tickets are $25 or $20 for museum members. Doors open at the Maritime Museum, 634 Humboldt St. at 6:30 (bar service) and the screening takes place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, at the Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas St. (next door). For more information, go to mmbc.bc.ca.
Fashion and art meet for gallery
See the intersection of art and fashion at Art and Fashion … together on the runway, a fundraiser for the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, May 26 at the Union Club of British Columbia.
The afternoon fashion show, presented by the Gallery Associates, features one-of-a-kind outfits designed and hand-dyed by Vancouver’s Marianne Greaves.
Accessories from local designers include shoes by Fluevog, jewelry by Figgie at Aurea, eyewear by Maycock, headpieces by milliner Maria Curcic and flowers by Poppies Floral Art.
Guests will have the opportunity to bid on art by local artists, including Trish Shwart, Arden Rose, Pat Martin Bates and Ruth Wittenberg. The Boutique Shop will be open to shop for fashions from the show, art for sale and other items.
The afternoon includes sparkling beverages, sweets and fruit. There will also be raffles, door prizes and a gift bag to take home.
Proceeds from the afternoon go toward supporting gallery exhibitions and educational programs for children and families.
Tickets are $95. The event runs 2 to 5 p.m. May 26 at the Union Club of British Columbia, 805 Gordon St.
Tickets are available online at aggv.ca/art-and-fashion and in person at the gallery, 1040 Moss St.
