The concert is being held in conjunction with a star-studded David Foster Foundation gala grand opening weekend May 25 to 27, 2012 to celebrate the Oak Bay Beach Hotel’s glamourous transformation on the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Concert seating-only tickets to the Miracle Concert as well as various hotel packages will go on sale in early March with full Gala Weekend Packages on sale now. Gala Weekend Packages include a two-night stay, private concert in the David Foster Foundation Dinner Theatre, located in the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, with David and a couple of his musical friends, opportunities to mix, mingle and dine with celebrity guests, full access to all of the hotel’s amenities and tickets to the spectacular David Foster and Friends Miracle Concert complete with dinner and VIP seating. Packages for two are available for $10,000 CDN based on double occupancy.

A $7,500 CDN tax receipt will be issued to purchasers as 100% of the proceeds from gala package sales are being donated to the David Foster Foundation.

For more information visit www.davidfostermiracleconcert.com or www.oakbaybeachhotel.com

Botany-buffs can celebrate the onset of spring with a visit to one of Vancouver’s many gardens. The 55-acre VanDusen Botanical Garden offers daily walking tours to view flowering bulbs, early rhododendrons and camellias. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, built by 52 master craftsmen from Suzhou China, is a downtown Vancouver oasis featuring delicate blossoms intertwined in a landscape of weathered rocks and a jade-green pond. A stroll in the UBC Botanical Garden & Greenheart Canopy Walkway (located on the University of British Columbia campus) reveals magnolias, early rhododendrons and spring ephemerals. Finally, Vancouverites and visitors can celebrate the rite of spring at the annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, April 5 to 28.

www.vandusengarden.org

www.vancouverchinesegarden.com

www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org

Come explore the new snowshoeing and Nordic skiing trails at the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier this winter, where a number of thrilling activities have been organized for the entire family. A snow shuttle can bring you to remote trails. More adventurous souls may opt to spend the night in a yurt, primitive campsite or cottage in the woods.

Several events have been organized for visitors this winter: Lac-Beauport Pond Hockey Tournament, Snowboard Jamboree at the Stoneham Mountain Resort and the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Le Relais ski resort. The Jacques-Cartier area is the place to be to have fun this winter!

www.jacques-cartier.com/?language=en

John Ware’s story is a remarkable one. He was born into slavery in South Carolina. Following the Civil War, he traveled to Texas where he became a skilled cowboy and worked with the great cattle drives on the Chisholm and Oregon Trails. On one of these cattle drives, John Ware ended up at Bar U Ranch, noted in Canada’s ranching history and now a national historic site. Ware’s extraordinary strength combined with his livestock skills earned him the respect of fellow cowboys and early pioneers and in time, he became Alberta’s most famous cowboy. Eventually, John Ware married and moved his family and three hundred head of cattle to the Duchess area near Dinosaur Park. Ironically, John Ware was killed when his horse fell into a badger hole just days after Alberta became a province. His funeral was one of the largest ever attended in Calgary.

Besides the John Ware Cabin, a local coulee, creek, and a 4H club bearing John Ware’s name, you’ll find Ware memorabilia in nearby Brooks’ District Museum. Calgary’s Glenbow Museum has his saddle and spurs. There is a Calgary school and college named after him and a cemetery overlooking the Calgary Stampede grounds is his final resting place.

More information on John Ware, Dinosaur Park and on the Canadian Badlands is available at www.CanadaBadlands.com

The Canadian Badlands tourism region encompasses 90,000 square kilometres of southeastern Alberta. More events, tour routes, places to stay, and a blog with all the latest news are found at www.canadianbadlands.com

Adding to Churchill’s northern-lights allure is its reputation for clear night skies, a location far from light pollution, traveler accommodations, and accessibility by direct air and rail service from the provincial capital of Winnipeg.

Space scientists say we’ve entered a prime period for northern lights viewing. Solar activity, which rises and falls in 11-year cycles, is on the upswing, approaching the highest levels in a decade. Heightened solar activity generally means a greater intensity and frequency of northern lights, according to the Canadian Space Agency. The current cycle’s peak of activity, called the solar maximum, is expected to occur in 2012-13.

Among organizations offering Churchill-based northern lights tours this February and March are full-service tour operator Frontiers North Adventures and the Churchill Northern Studies Centre, a scientific research outpost where travelers live and learn alongside working scientists probing the mysteries of the Far North.

‘Northern Lights & Winter Nights’

Frontiers North Adventures’ eight-day, seven-night ‘Northern Lights & Winter Nights’ program February 21–28 and March 22–29 begins with arctic-orientation activities in Winnipeg followed by a flight to Churchill on the western shore of the frozen Hudson Bay.

In preparation for the trip north, the group will take a private guided tour of the award-winning Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg — top-rated by the Michelin Green Guide — with a special focus on the province’s far north and its Inuit (Eskimo) heritage. They’ll view a sky show at the museum’s planetarium and learn tips for photographing the aurora borealis.

In Churchill, guests will take nightly trips out on the tundra to view the northern lights from one of Frontier North’s custom-built, all-terrain vehicles called a Tundra Buggy ®, which resembles a bus with high-rise tires. Designed for safe and ecologically sound viewing of Churchill’s famous fall polar bear migrations, the heated, enclosed vehicle with an open-air observation deck provides access to superb viewing locations well away from any artificial light, the company says. With the polar bears hunting seals way out on the Hudson Bay sea ice this time of year, it’s safe for aurora-stalking photographers to disembark from the Tundra Buggy and set up their tripods on the frozen ground.

Churchill’s Eskimo Museum, included on the tour, has a collection of Inuit carvings and artifacts said to be among the finest and oldest in the world.

On a daylight snowshoe excursion, visitors will learn to manoeuvre on traditional wood snowshoes strung with gut or animal hide. The outing, which ranges from three to four hours depending on the fortitude of the tour group, includes a rest stop in a cabin and hot food and drink. Conditions permitting, trek leader Mike Macri will prepare “bush tea” by steeping tea bags in sparkling clean snow that’s been boiled over a wood campfire. A few wayward ashes and burning twigs give it a “smoky” flavour, Macri says.

Dave Daley, co-owner of dog sled operation Wapusk Adventures in Churchill and a founder of the Hudson Bay Quest dogsled race, gives tour-goers their own hands-on dog sledding experience. Guests have the opportunity to drive a team of seven or eight huskies — with a skilled musher on board — over a mile-long course through a boreal forest. For refreshments, Daley serves hot chocolate and freshly made bannock — traditional pan-fried flat bread from the European fur trade era — with tundra berry jam, if available.

Travelers will also have the opportunity to learn about the region’s First Nations cultures from members of local Native communities.

The ‘Northern Lights & Winter Nights’ package costs $3,999 Canadian per person — about $3,965 (US) at current exchange rates — plus tax, based on double occupancy. The price includes hotel rooms in Winnipeg and Churchill, round-trip air fare between Winnipeg and Churchill, meals in Churchill, and all scheduled outings and other activities.

The price doesn’t include transportation between home and Winnipeg.

For information and reservations, call Frontiers North Adventures toll-free at 800-663-9832 or visit www.frontiersnorth.com

‘Winter Skies’ Tour

The independent, non-profit Churchill Northern Studies Centre recently moved into a new, two-story, 27,000-square-foot structure built to LEED Gold certification standards. Natural light permeates 90 percent of the interior space. A solar wall that heats incoming ventilation air is among the green features of the unusual trapezoid-shaped building. Amenities include sleeping quarters, cafeteria, laboratories, and classrooms.

The center’s ‘Winter Skies: Aurora and Astronomy in Churchill’ program will operate February 16–21 and March 1–6, 2012. Evening talks by an astronomer are followed by leisurely viewing of the northern lights from the warm comfort of the center’s enclosed viewing lounge, which is covered by an eight-foot-diameter clear-acrylic dome, or from an open-air, second-story deck that wraps around a corner of the streamlined building.

During daylight hours, guests can snowshoe, experience a dogsled ride, visit the Eskimo Museum, and ride a snowmobile into nearby woods for a presentation on “snow ecology” and winter wildlife. Visitors often glimpse arctic hare, arctic fox, ptarmigan, and caribou. Cost is $1,025 Canadian (approximately $1,016 US).

Price includes lodging in four-person dormitory-style bunk-bed rooms with shared baths, excursions, lectures, local transportation, and three cafeteria meals daily. Linens are provided, but toiletries are not. Tour prices don’t cover transportation from home to Churchill.

For comprehensive information about Manitoba’s accessible arctic and its attractions, contact Travel Manitoba at (800) 665-0040; www.travelmanitoba.com

In 1967, the last remaining 13 humpback whales of Vancouver Island were killed. For 15 years, humpbacks avoided the area until a lone wanderer drifted toward Johnstone Strait in 1982. This humpback became the forerunner of a slow recovery of a devastated population.

Humpback whales are active and acrobatic, but are particularly known for their “whale songs,” long and complex underwater vocalizations that can last for hours at a time. Despite the tentative recovery of the species, the whales of Vancouver Island remained mournfully quiet for decades. Then, in 2007, researchers recorded the first true whale song that shattered 40 years of post-whaling silence and indicated a landmark for the population’s recovery. While still threatened by foreign whaling practices, humpbacks have become frequent visitors in Johnstone Strait. We see greater numbers every summer from June through September as they return from their winter grounds of Hawaii.

Join us on our Humpback Whale Kayak Odyssey to explore old growth forests, pristine waters, and experience the captivating presence of these peaceful baleen whales first hand. The non-invasive, sturdy sea kayak offers a unique, respectful glimpse into their underwater world. Watch the humpbacks breach or listen to their underwater serenade while eagles soar overhead, dolphins frolic, and seals delight, all in the stunning backdrop of the Vancouver Island wilderness.

This narrow sheltered “whale freeway” is also world renowned for its summer congregations of hundreds of “killer whales” following the salmon runs funneled from the sea into this specific area. In fact, Canada is the first and only country in the world to establish and maintain an orca preserve there. The Michael Biggs Robson Bight Orca Preserve is set aside specifically for these unique northern resident orcas, found nowhere else in the world. Researchers flock here to study these orcas.

Participants will paddle two-person sea kayaks through the glacier-carved waterways between Vancouver Island and the rugged mountains of mainland British Columbia. Along the way, they’ll get close to humpback whales, orcas and porpoises, as the strait is a traditional gathering place for these whales. Guides scan the calm waters for spouts and point out whale behavior. Bald eagles dot the towering trees along the shore, feasting as do the orcas on the prolific salmon runs here.

The group will also explore the area’s rainforest on foot, visit the ancient First Nations village of Memquimlis to view its totem poles and remains of a traditional longhouse, visit orca researchers and hopefully glimpse a black bear from their kayaks. Each night, they’ll camp on secluded island beaches where they can also watch orcas from their tents.

Trips depart from Port McNeill on northern Vancouver Island, BC Canada – weekly mid June through mid July 2012 (4 or 6 days paddling; $1195-1450/person). The price includes all camping and kayaking equipment, meals, kayaking instruction and guide services. Youth get 10% off above prices. Tax and airfare not included. For further information contact Sea Kayak Adventures, tel. (800) 616-1943, or access their web site at www.seakayakadventures.com

Hockey heaven!

Ottawa Tourism’s Hockey Night in the Capital package, which includes accommodations and game tickets, is the best way to catch an Ottawa Senators game during their 20th anniversary hockey season.

So dress warmly and get out and enjoy all that winter has to offer!

“We want to make it very clear that in our government’s view, these marriages should be valid,” a senior government official said on Friday.

“That’s why we will change the Civil Marriage Act so that any marriages performed in Canada that aren’t recognized in the couple’s home jurisdiction will be recognized in Canada.”

The legislative change will apply to all marriages performed in Canada regardless of the laws of the jurisdiction in which the couple live, the official said.

But in a separate statement Thursday, federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said the Harper government has no plans to reopen the debate on same-sex unions and the definition of marriage.

“I will be looking at options to clarify the law so that such marriages performed in Canada can be undone in Canada,” he said.

The statements came in the wake of a political firestorm that broke out Thursday after international headlines suggested the Canadian government doesn’t legally recognize the marriages of foreign same-sex couples who were married in Canada because they could not legally do so in their home state or country.

The controversy was sparked by a Toronto court case involving a foreign lesbian couple, who wed in Toronto in 2005, now seeking a divorce.

The couple wed in Toronto in 2005. Under a court order, they cannot be named.

A federal lawyer contended the couple cannot divorce in Canada under this country’s laws since they were never really married here.

Their marriage is not recognized in Canada if it is not recognized in their home jurisdictions — in this case, Florida and England, the lawyer said.

Friday’s amendment would fix a legislative gap in the Civil Marriage Act, the official said, and legally recognize the validity of same-sex marriages in Canada.

However, under the current law, Mr. Nicholson acknowledged that marriages of non-Canadian residents performed in Canada “could not be dissolved in Canada.”

Under the Divorce Act, there is a residency requirement that a couple must live in the country for at least a year in order to divorce here.

The government will not yet be looking at changes to the Divorce Act, as that legislation is much more complicated, the official said.

The official said the Conservative government is moving quickly on the issue.

“The confusion and the pain that is resulting from this gap is completely unfair to those who are affected, and I think we saw that yesterday in the coverage of these poor people who woke up to this news,” the official said.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, while speaking in Halifax Thursday, was quick to attempt to dispel the controversy. Although he said he didn’t know much about the case, he was clear that his government “has no intention of further opening or reopening this issue.”

Source: nationalpost.com/eturbonews.com

Henry Pabian and Jason Rawls of Ohio toast cheering crowds in Ottawa / REUTERS/Peter Jones

WINNIPEG, January, 2012 – When Mrs. Warren’s Profession was published in 1894, it was censored due to its controversial content. When the play was first performed in 1905, chaos broke out in the audience as the nature of Mrs. Warren’s profession was revealed. Today, the play is celebrated for its insightful look at the corruption and hypocrisy of Victorian society.

Armed with wicked wit and astute insight, George Bernard Shaw creates a portrait of a mother and a daughter both determined to live in the world on their own terms, but will their relationship survive the battle? Mrs. Warren’s Profession is Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s contribution to the 12th annual Master Playwright Festival.

The play stars Seana McKenna (Medea, Much Ado About Nothing) as Mrs. Warren and features Cherissa Richards as her daughter Vivie Warren. Tom Keenan appears as Frank Gardner, Arne MacPherson as Sir George Crofts, Stephen Russell as Reverend Samuel and Gordon Tanner as Mr. Praed.

The production is directed by Alisa Palmer (East of Berlin), and features the work of Set & Costume Designer Charlotte Dean, Lighting Designer Hugh Conacher, Sound Designer John Gzowski, Associate Sound Designer Debashis Sinha, Dialect and Text Coach Shannon Vickers, Apprentice Director Heidi Malazdrewich, Stage Manager Michelle Lagassé and Apprentice Stage Manager Michael Duggan.

Ticket prices for Mrs. Warren’s Profession range from $19.95 to $42.00 including GST. For showtimes and ticket info, call the MTC Box Office at 204-942-6537, toll-free at 1-877-446-4500 or visit www.mtc.mb.ca. Under 30? A limited number of $19 rush tickets are available beginning at noon on the day of performances (ID required, in person only). For more information, visit www.mtc.mb.ca/rush

About the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre is a community-based, not-for-profit arts organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba. MTC was Canada’s first English-language regional theatre and presents six plays at the John Hirsch Mainstage, four plays at the Tom Hendry Warehouse, a regional tour, a Master Playwright Festival and the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, North America’s second-largest Fringe Festival.

For more information, www.mtc.mb.ca

Whether tucking into an indulgent 12-course banquet or participating in the soothing prayer ceremonies of a Buddhist temple, Richmond’s Chinese New Year has something for everyone:

Scrumptious Spreads

Richmond has been declared home to “the best Chinese food outside of China” by everyone from the New York Times to Conde Nast Traveler and the Chinese New Year is the ideal time to sample the city’s world-famous cuisine. New Year’s Eve (January 22) is the big night for dining out amongst local families – anyone wanting to do the same will have to make reservations at least a week in advance. Acclaimed eateries such as Jade Seafood Restaurant, Shanghai River and Northern Delicacy all offer set multi-course menus – some with as many as 10 or 12 courses – featuring popular New Year dishes like rice cakes and steamed whole fish (symbolizing wishful abundance for the coming year). If you can’t make it out on the 22nd, these plentiful feasts are available onwards for a two week period. Be sure to also stop by Alexandra Road, the city’s ‘Wai Sek Kai’ or ‘Food Street’, where 200-plus Asian eateries serve tasty specialties like xiao long bao (“soup dumplings”), hot pot and hand-pulled noodles.

Temple Tradition

Modeled after Beijing’s Forbidden City and one of the largest Buddhist temples in North America, the International Buddhist Temple annually hosts various Chinese New Year festivities within its ornate halls. Between January 18 and 29, the gilded temple will hold a Chinese New Year bazaar where visitors can browse elaborate flower arrangements, enjoy traditional snacks and foods, and pick up good-luck gift items. On New Year’s Eve (January 22), the Temple will open for late-night festivities until 1 a.m. – at midnight, the Venerable Guan Cheng will lead a chant and group prayer. On New Year’s morning, the temple receives as many as 10,000 visitors for a prayer ceremony that is followed by a vegetarian lunch. All are welcome to attend.

Paint the Town Red (Literally) at Our Asian Malls

Aside from the acclaimed food scene, the main attractions in Richmond’s city centre, dubbed the Golden Village, are three large Hong-Kong inspired malls where the latest in art, fashion and household goods come direct from Taiwan and China. Throughout the Chinese New Year, these retail Meccas are decked with red and gold streamers, tasseled lanterns and peach blossom trees. Richmond’s largest Asian mall, Aberdeen Centre, kicks off the festivities from January 19 with their annual flower and gift fair – imagine rows upon rows of tables laden with brightly-coloured Asian artwork, lanterns and orchards. The mega-mall will also host a spirited midnight countdown celebration on New Year’s Eve (January 22) while Golden Dragon and lion dancers are set to boisterously encircle the centre on New Year’s Day morning (the 23rd). And on the 28th and 29th, the mall’s central atrium will feature numerous cultural performances from local musicians and dancers. Next door at fellow Asian mall Yaohan Centre, a similar flower market begins the New Year cheer extra early on January 9 and New Year’s Day merriment includes fire crackers and a visit from the Fortune God in addition to lion and dragon dancing. Yaohan will also host a one-of-a-kind Chinese Book Fair from January 13 to 20 featuring more than 10,000 works on subjects ranging from cuisine to history to health – exquisite New Year decorations as well as Chinese paintings, embroideries and delicate paper cuttings will also be displayed. Parker Place will have a dragon dancer and Fortune God stop by all shops on January 27 to bring prosperity for the coming year. On the 29th, a more public celebration will be held with lion Dancers and live performances in the centre court. If you’re looking for a little extra good luck throughout the year, be sure to pop out to the parking lot to leave an offering at the mall’s Buddhist shrine.

Community Commemoration

Richmond’s local organizations are joining in on the fun with a slew of public exhibits and presentations. The Richmond Chinese Community Society is congregating at Lansdowne Centre on January 22 to present a lively Year of the Dragon kick-off with performances by local artists, dancers and musicians. In addition to demonstrations of Chinese folk dance, martial art and calligraphy, the event includes a lucky red envelope gift and complimentary hot tea for all visitors.Over at the Richmond Public Library Brighouse branch, the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China is presenting a free photo exhibit from January 19 to February 6 that demonstrates how the Lunar New Year is celebrated throughout different regions of China. The library will also have crafts, games, performances and prizes on offer January 28.

New Year Revelry at the River Rock Show Theatre

British Columbia’s largest casino, the River Rock Casino Resort, is marking the Chinese New Year with several much-anticipated performances in its show theatre. On New Year’s Eve, the gaming complex will throw a glamorous Year of the Dragon charity extravaganza featuring fortune tellers, singers and a lion dance troupe with all proceeds benefitting the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. Then on January 28 and 29, famed Chinese musician Natalie Sin will stop by the 1,000 seat theatre for a special New Year concert. Tickets for both shows are available online: riverrock.com

www.tourismrichmond.com