TransLink takes you to National Indigenous Peoples Day 2019

On June 21^st, Canada is celebrating the heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of the First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples! While these groups have similarities, each group has some distinct differences that make them unique through cultural practice, languages and more. Check out the amazing events happening in Metro Vancouver between June 16 and 28 and how TransLink can get you to these events below!

EVENTS ON SUNDAY JUNE 16, 2019

National Indigenous Peoples Day
Time: 11am-4pm
Location/Venue: Oppenheimer Park, 488 Powell Street
Transit: 95 B-Line BUS , walk 11 mins
Event information can be found HERE

EVENTS ON FRIDAY JUNE 21, 2019

National Indigenous People’s Day Celebration 2019 – New Westminster
Time: 10am-2pm
Location/Venue: Moody Park, 600  8th Street
Transit: New Westminster Station – 123 BUS (STOP @ Northbound 8th St at 7th Ave) Approx. 11 mins
Event information can be found HERE  

National Indigenous Peoples Day at Trout Lake in Vancouver
Time: 12pm-5pm
Location/Venue: 3350 Victoria Drive, Trout Lake Community Centre
Transit: Commercial-Broadway Station – walk for 13 mins or 20 BUS (STOP @ Southbound Victoria Dr at Victoria Diversion) Approx. 11 mins
Event information can be found HERE

Free Gallery Admission – National Indigenous Peoples Day
Host: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Time 10am-5:00pm
Location: 639 Hornby Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2G3
Transit: Burrard Station – 4 min walk
Event information can be found HERE

Surrey’s National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration and Wellness Event
Time: 3pm-8pm
Location/Venue: Holland Park, 13428 Old Yale Road
Transit: King George Station – 5 min walk
Event information can be found HERE

National Indigenous Peoples’ Day Community Paddle – Port Moody
Time: 5pm-8pm
Location/Venue: Rocky Point Park, 2800 Murray Street
Transit: Port Moody Station – 11 min walk
Event information can be found HERE

National Indigenous Day Event & Button Blanket Workshop – SFU
Time: 10:50AM- 1:00PM
Location/Venue: SFU Education (EDB 7608), 8888 University Drive, Burnaby , BC V5A 1S6
Transit: Production Way-University Station – 145 BUS or Burquitlam Station – 143 BUS
Event information can be found HERE

National Indigenous Peoples Day
Time: See site for more info
Location/Venue: 200-1131 Howe St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2L7
Transit: Waterfront Station – walk 3 mins
Event information can be found HERE

National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebration
Time: 12pm-2pm
Location: Burnaby Public Library Civic Square, 6100 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby
Transit: 7 min walk from Metrotown Station
Event information can be found HERE.

House Pole Raising
Time: 1pm and onwards
Location: Stoney Creek Community School, 2740 Beaverbrook Crescent, and, Edmonds Community School 7651 18^th Ave
Transit: 136 BUS from Lougheed Station, and 8 min walk
Event information can be found HERE.

National Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration at Rocky Point Park
Time: 5:30pm-8:30pm (meet at the Cottonwood office at 5pm)
Location/Venue: Rocky Point Park, 2800 Murray Street
Transit: 3 min walk from Moody Station
Event information can be found HERE

Film Festival: Smoke Signals (1998)
Time: 6:50pm-8:20pm
Location: Tommy Douglas Branch, 7311 Kingsway, Burnaby
Transit: 133 BUS at Edmonds Station (STOP @ Westbound Kingsway & Walker Avenue) approx. 5 mins
Event information can be found HERE.

EVENTS ON SATURDAY JUNE 22, 2019

Indigenous Peoples Day Maple Ridge
Time: 10am-2pm
Location/Venue: Memorial Peace Park, 22407 Dewdney Trunk Road
Transit: Braid Station – 791 BUS (STOP @ Haney Place Transit Exchange) Approx. 1 hour
Event information can be found HERE

National Indigenous Peoples Day
Time 10am-2pm
Location: FVRL – Maple Ridge Library, 130-22470 Dewdney Trunk Rd, V2X 5Z6
Transit: Braid Station – 791 BUS (STOP @ Haney Place Transit Exchange) Approx. 1 hour
Event information can be found HERE

National Indigenous Peoples’ Day – Fort Langley
Time: 10am-5pm
Location: Fort Langley National Historic Site, 23433 Mavis Avenue
Transit: Lougheed Town Centre Station – 555 BUS (Stop @ Carvolth Exchange) – 562 BUS (STOP @ Eastbound 96 Ave at Glover Rd) approx. 1.5 hours
Event information can be found HERE

National Indigenous Peoples Day – Langley City
Time: 11:30am-3pm
Location: Douglas Park, 20550 Douglas Crescent
Transit: Surrey Central Station – 503 BUS (STOP @ Eastbound 56 Ave @ 206 St) Approx. 45 mins
Event information can be found HERE

Welcome the Sun: A Celebration of Indigenous Arts and Culture in Richmond
Time: 12pm-4pm
Location: The Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, 12138 Fourth Avenue
Transit: Richmond-Brighouse Station – 401/407/406/402 Approx. 30 mins
Event information can be found HERE

EVENTS ON MONDAY 24, 2019

Burnaby Food First: Indigenous Food Systems Walking Tour
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Central Park Parking Lot – Accessed off of Boundary Road between 46 and 47 Avenue
Transit: 49 BUS from Metrotown Station (STOP @ Mandy Ave, 1 min walk)
Event information can be found HERE.
Space is limited. Please register by emailing burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com

EVENTS ON FRIDAY JUNE 28, 2019

Film Festival: Atanarjuat, the Fast Runner (2001)
Time: 5:30pm-8:25pm
Location: Tommy Douglas Branch, 7311 Kingsway, Burnaby
Transit: 119 BUS (STOP @ Walker Avenue) 1 min walk
Event information can be found HERE.

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

This is Vancouver’s newest Instagram hotspot: SkyTrain’s Joyce–Collingwood Station

The upgrades at SkyTrain’s Joyce–Collingwood Station are now complete and not only is there a new, upgraded elevator and escalator to improve passenger access, there’s a colourful public art installation that wraps around the new stationhouse and the nearby bus loop! Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Talk Transport 2050 with us at Car Free Days this weekend, June 15–16

Last year’s Car Free Day on Main Street!

Car Free Day Vancouver is back on June 15, 16 and July 7 and we’ll be there to talk Transport 2050 with you.

Transport 2050 is a new shared regional strategy that will help navigate the next 30 years of transportation in Metro Vancouver!

Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

#MyTransLink – June 11

It’s that time of the week again, where we share the regions photos as submitted by you – Metro Vancouver’s community, neighbours and visitors. #MyTransLink celebrates the beauty of our region through select transit-related shots. Scroll on down to check out the latest in #MyTransLink.

Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

#Transport2050: More than 9,700 completed surveys and ideas!

After just one month of engagement, Metro Vancouverites have completed almost 9,000 surveys and shared almost 900 bold and creative ideas for the future.

TransLink is leading the development of Transport 2050, a new long-term transportation strategy for our region. And thousands of you who live, work and play across Metro Vancouver have stepped up to have a say!

Transport 2050 will set out what our region needs to build, do, and provide to meet our transportation needs between now and 2050. And a regional strategy needs regional input, so we’ve launched the largest engagement in our history to ask: What’s important to you? What are your transportation priorities? And, what are your ideas for the future?

After just one month of engagement, Metro Vancouverites have completed almost 9,000 surveys and shared almost 900 bold and creative ideas for the future. Below are some highlights from Phase 1 of engagement but if you haven’t taken part yet – don’t despair! You can participate until September 22. Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Raven Rescued by Your Friendly Neighbourhood SkyTrain Attendant

Being a SkyTrain Attendant means you’re a jack-of-all-trades. On any given day, you may need to help someone find their destination, assist a customer having a medical issue, or even manually drive the SkyTrain (if needed in extreme weather). The list of situations SkyTrain Attendants may find themselves in is long and often falls into the, ‘and other duties’ portion of the job description.

That’s what SkyTrain Attendant Pat discovered last week when he encountered a distressed raven that trapped itself behind a fenced off area.

During his shift at Holdom Station, Pat heard what he described as a child crying loudly. After analyzing the area, he found a raven mimicking the call for help, and a friend circling around to keep it company.

If you ever find a distressed animal by transit centres and don’t know what to do, we recommend notifying our SkyTrain Attendants or call the Wildlife Rescue Helpline (604-526-7275) with a message detailing what you have observed. This is for the best interests of the animal and you.

In this situation, Pat was able to help. Going beyond the ordinary is just one of the things our SkyTrain Attendants do everyday.

Your friendly neighbourhood SkyTrain Attendants have a broad responsibility to provide all our passengers (feathered or not) with a smooth transit experience. To learn more about what they do, take a look at Cheri’s interview as she talks about her 17+ years dedication to the job.

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

TransLink Tomorrow’s vanpool a boon for UBC commuter Clay

Clay McMullen, a UBC staffer, is one of close to 48 people participating in TransLink’s vanpool pilot program.

For the last five years, Clay McMullen has been making the stressful, bumper-to-bumper commute between his home in Abbotsford and the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus where he works.

The 200 kilometre round trip requires Clay to leave for work at 4:40 a.m. and then leave UBC for home at 3:30 p.m, five days a week.

“Money isn’t the big thing — the big thing is the stress of being behind the wheel,” says Clay.

But since February, the daily three-hour combined commute has gotten a lot easier.

“Two or three, or six of us can share this burden in a vanpool.”

Clay now commutes with six of his coworkers, who live in the Fraser Valley and South of Fraser, as part of a vanpool (a carpool but with vans!), organized by TransLink in partnership with Modo.

He says this small change has been a major boon to his lifestyle.

“Vanpool is good for the environment, good for my stress levels, and good for my wallet.” Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Join us for TransLink’s Annual General Meeting and Open Board Meeting on June 19, 2019

Join us on June 19, 9 a.m., at Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Wilson School of Design in Richmond for our Annual General Meeting (AGM)! You can also watch the livestream on Periscope and Facebook.

You’ll hear from speakers about TransLink’s unprecedented year in 2018 and commitments for 2019, including an update on Transport 2050 — our largest public engagement ever.

We welcome questions from everyone at our AGM, so bring them and we’ll do our best to answer them.

Ask away in the comments if you’re watching the livestream. Any questions that we aren’t able to get to will be getting back to you a.s.a.p.

June’s Open Board Meeting will follow at 10 a.m. after a brief break.

Details:

When: Wednesday, June 19, 2019 at 9 a.m.
What: Annual General Meeting and Quarterly Open Board Meeting
Where: Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, 5600 Kwantlen Street, Richmond, BC (near Canada Line’s Lansdowne Station)

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

8 ways TransLink promotes accessibility

May 26 – June 1 is National AccessAbility Week – a week dedicated to changing the way we think, talk and act about accessibility and inclusion. TransLink is proud to offer a fully accessible fleet to people with different types of mobility, enabling everyone to travel by bus, SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express. Our fleet of vehicles has low floors with ramps and high floors with lifts, and all SkyTrain stations have elevators. It’s all part of our commitment to making transit accessible for as many people as possible. Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Commuters treated to a whale-y great morning

While some people dread their Monday morning commute, that was not the case this Monday morning as SeaBus passengers destined for both Downtown and the North Shore were treated to a five-minute whale of a show in the Burrard Inlet. Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Bike to Work Week is May 27 to June 2!

Bike to Work Week this spring is May 27 to June 2!

Step up and bike to work, school and everywhere in between during HUB Cycling’s Bike to Work Week, May 27 to June 2! Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

TransLink’s four battery-electric buses are here!

All four buses for our battery-electric bus pilot are now here!

The two Nova Bus LFSe buses and two New Flyer Xcelsior CHARGE buses are undergoing pre-delivery inspection at the manufacturer’s facilities.

Once they’re accepted by TransLink and Coast Mountain Bus Company, they’ll undergo additional testing, and fareboxes and radio equipment will be installed before entering service this summer.

The 2.5-year pilot will put battery-electric buses on route 100, traveling along Marine Drive through Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster. Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Best Bubble Tea Spots by SkyTrain Stations

Last Thursday, we launched Dine the Line to explore local eateries with three journeys, one for each Skytrain line.  But no matter what kind of foodie you are, there’s a fun drink in town that has captured the hearts of many in our community.

Whether you are a novice drinker of boba milk tea or acquired an advanced taste of taro slush, bubble tea is the beverage that’s buzzing today on The Buzzer Blog! As a favorite beverage of many in Metro Vancouver, here are some by Skytrain stations that you can check out while you are venturing on your Dine the Line journey:

Surrey Central Station (Expo Line)

Chatime
Address: 10255 King George Blvd
Walking time: 4 minutes

Chatime is one of the few franchises in the lower mainland, and provides a wide variety of signature drinks, but also colourful toppings like rainbow jelly to add more fun to your drink.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Let us quench your thirst in this blazing Vancouver weather!!

A post shared by Chatime BC (@chatimebc) on Jun 20, 2018 at 8:31pm PDT

Bubble 88
Address: Unit 102- 10209 King George Blvd
Walking Time: 4 minutes

If you or your friend are cramming for the summer semester, (we can hear your struggles SFU Surrey students) Bubble 88 offers a selection of Taiwanese dishes to accompany your drink. Take your tea and food to go at the same time!

Metrotown Station (Expo Line)

OneZo Tapioca
Address: 4929 Kingsway
Walking Time: 12 mins (but 5 mins with the 144 bus)

Boba pearls are the dark starchy balls at the bottom of most drinks, but OneZo makes their drinks more fun with colored and flavoured pearls! They also make them fresh in house everyday.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

💜Our hearts are full from all your amazing support. Today we will name it Onezo Tapioca Day! We will be giving our: ______________ . . ‼️LOYALTY MEMBERS DOUBLE POINTS <ALL DAY> April 30th 2019. _________________ Have you registered for our rewards program yet? You can earn Free Drinks, Early Promo notice, and more! @onezotapioca . . . . . . . #Onezotapioca #handmadetapioca #blogto #curiocitytoronto #torontolife #goodfoodtoronto #bobatea #fruittea #yvrfoodie #drinkme #foodanddrink #drinkwithfriends #drinktea #bubbleteaeveryday #drinkonezo #waterloofood #thankyoutoronto #torontofoodie #downtowntoronto #bubbleteatoronto #torontobubbletea #foodtoronto #torontoliving #yyzeats #bubbletea #tapioca #boba #onezo

A post shared by OneZo Tapioca 丸作 (@onezotapioca) on Apr 29, 2019 at 8:08pm PDT

Stadium-Chinatown Station (Expo Line)

Shiny Tea – International Village
Address: Unit 2113 88 W Pender Street
Walking Time: 6 minutes

If you are a classic tea drinker, Shiny Tea is a bright spot that offers more traditional tastes in tea bases and tea-flavoured soft serve. Check out Daily Hive’s video on their tea-flavoured soft serve. (There is a shortcut if you get off the SkyTrain and head toward TransLink’s Lost Property Office to find an exit on the right.)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

BUBBLE TEA SOFT SERVE GELATO @shinytea_canada is doing gelato their way! __ #dishedvan to be featured Tag a friend

A post shared by Dished Vancouver (@dishedvancouver) on Apr 3, 2019 at 6:11pm PDT

Lougheed Town Centre Station (Millennium Line)

CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice
Address: E-501 North Rd
Walking time: 5 minutes

Close to the Lougheed Town Center bus loop, Coco offers tropical yogurt-based drinks using Yakult, which adds more of a refreshing taste rather than creamy.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

It’s the most exciting time of the year!

A post shared by Coco都可-Vancouver (@cocovancouver) on Dec 18, 2017 at 7:06pm PST

Lincoln Station (Millennium Line)

Bubble World
Address: Unit 120 – 2991 Lougheed Hwy
Walking Time: 3 mins

Another casual Taiwanese eatery, Bubble World offers a wide variety of bubbly and shaken beverages. Their menu also offers desserts to share with friends.

Vancouver City Centre Station (Canada Line)

The Alley
Address: 985 Hornby Street
Walking time: 8 minutes

A bit a farther than the others listed in this article, but still great for a power walk! The Alley recently opened, making themselves known for their colorful and photogenic drinks, but a bit more expensive than the others on the list.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Summer may be coming to an end – but the refreshing taste from our Aurora series is still here for you! Have you had our Northern Lights or Morning Dawn drinks?

A post shared by The Alley Canada (@thealley.ca) on Aug 31, 2018 at 7:26am PDT

Passion Tea Room
Address: 1020 Howe Street
Walking time: 8 minutes

Another power walk for tasty bubble tea: Passion Tea Room provides lots of specialty fruit slush, milk teas and ice tea blends for a hot summer day!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

How about one for each day of the long weekend? 🤤 … OR just bring 2 more friends and you can try them all at once 😌 ….. . 🍓 STRAWBERRY COLADA … Fresh strawberries and coconut blended with milk and ice cream . . 🍁 KUROZATO MILK TEA … Japanese roasted black tea sweetened with Japanese black sugar . . 🍵 PURE MATCHA SHAKE … 100% matcha blended with milk and ice cream . . Which is your favourite? Tell us in the comments below! 👇🏽 . . . . #bubbletea #boba #bobatea #milktea #bbt #thefeedfeed #vancouverfoodie #vanfoodie #vancityfood #vancouver #yvr #vancity #f52grams #yvrfoodie #yvreats #getinmybelly #bobameup #foodporn #veryvancouver #foodphotography #dishedvan #nomnomyvr #instafoodie #goodeats #604food #teamchomp #gastropostvan #vancityvibe #vancityhype #passiontearoom

A post shared by Passion Tearoom (@passiontearoom) on Sep 1, 2018 at 9:43am PDT

Richmond-Brighouse Station (Canada Line)

Gong Cha
Address: Unit 130 – 6068 No. 3 Road
Walking Time: 2 minutes

If you like cappuccinos, try out a drink with milk foam at Gong Cha! This place has the shortest walking time from a Skytrain station, so you might as well grab a waffle too.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Thanks for sharing the lovely photos with us! @sarahyummies 😄😄😄#milktea #gongcha #vancouver #yummy #vancouver #vanfoodie #bobatea #vancity #richmond#drinks #bbt#vancouverfoodie

A post shared by Gong cha (@gongcha_bc_canada) on Apr 15, 2019 at 6:00pm PDT

How far will you go for boba? Let us know what your favourite drink and bubble tea place is in the comments below!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Turning the Tides on Temperature: Buses and SkyTrains

Winter is gone, and summer is coming! Aside from the season and unpredictable Vancity weather, the temperatures are changing too. We’re here to explain the variance of heat and AC you’ll encounter on your commutes and give tips on how you can make it a more comfortable experience too.

Temperature on the Bus

Buses that have joined the TransLink fleet since 2012 are climate controlled, so that means there’s air conditioning onboard! As we renew and expand our fleet, they’re making up a larger portion of our fleet. If you’re onboard a bus that has air conditioning, let’s keep those windows shut so the air conditioning can do its job.

As well, climate control means there are times when it seems that both the heating and cooling is on simultaneously. This is so the system can “dry” or dehumidify the air on a cold or humid day.

Temperature on SkyTrain

Over on SkyTrain, our Mark II and III trains both have cooling and heating systems.

Each car has a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit on its roof. It uses sensors that determine the outside air temperature versus the air inside the car, then that will follow an algorithm that helps maintain an optimal temperature for passengers.

Our Mark I trains only has a heating system, so over summer, pop those windows open to keep cool. There are also overhead fans that help with cooling too.

The SkyTrain operates admirably with a 95 per cent on-time performance, but from time to time, there are delays. It’s important to note that if your train is stopped in between stations or just outside a station, that you listen to the onboard announcements and check Transit Alerts. If you need to, open a window for ventilation and use the intercom to speak with SkyTrain Control. Not only is forcing doors open dangerous because the tracks carry live power, it can lengthen delays as a SkyTrain Attendant will need to respond to that individual train.

How to make your commute more comfortable

• Plan ahead

Planning ahead with Trip Planner is super helpful to know how much to bring with you and time that you take to commute. Do you have some breather room to take a break from the heat? Or wanting to explore cafes close by SkyTrain stations? (PS: we have another article coming up on that shortly.)

• Be courteous on the transit to other passengers

Everyone shares the public space on transit, so we can help each other make it a better commute together. When many people are on the bus at once during a hot day, please be mindful of personal hygiene and refrain from wearing scented products.

• Keep yourself hydrated

Water is always the best option to keep hydrated. While food and drink aren’t allowed on transit for cleanliness purposes and courtesy of others who may not tolerate food smells, water is an exception (if it has a lid). We’d like to provide caution about drinking on a moving vehicle, so it might be best to wait until you reach a bus stop for a quick drink.

• Dress according to weather

If you are going to be transiting for most of the day, it’s best to plan your outfit that will be convenient for your commute. Wear clothing that is comfortable and an outer layer that will be easy to take off due to changing temperatures.

• You can also read our heat wave survival tips!

Lastly, we want to make sure that everyone will have a safe commute no matter where your destination is this summer. Let us know if you have any suggestions on how you keep yourself comfortable during your trip also in the comments below!

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!

Explore local eats through Dine the Line and TransLink

Foodies get ready for the next big food event: Dine the Line is a community-based initiative throughout the Metro Vancouver for you to explore our city and local culinary offerings within short walking distances from major transit stops!

As a partnership between TransLink, Tourism Vancouver and West Coast Foods, there are a total of three food journeys to choose from, one for each SkyTrain line and each with a unique cuisine. Check out your options below!

Read more »

Click here to email the Buzzer blog!