Squamish's only movie theatre, Garibaldi 5 Cinemas, has shut its doors.
Philip Langridge, president of Churchill Property Corp., the company that manages Garibaldi Village Shopping Centre, confirmed the theatre's closure with the Squamish
Chief Wednesday afternoon, effective today (Thursday). The words "Theatre closing" have been posted to the cinema's bulletin board outside the entrance.
Calls to both Langridge and Metropolitan Theatre Corp., which owns the theatre, were not returned to Pique by press time for this issue.
Earlier this week, Churchill had submitted a re-zoning application to the District of Squamish to allow for other commercial uses in the theatre's space, as Garibaldi 5 had been struggling to make ends meet.
Check back with Pique for updates on this story.
Writers fest announces lineup
Awwww, look! Whistler's very own writer's festival is all grown up!
Yes, the 11th annual Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, running Oct. 12-14 has announced its lineup and it has certainly raised the bar. Boasting a score of best-selling and high-profile Canadian authors, it's enough to make any geeky writer and/or reader drool in anticipation.
So who's on board this year? Well, Alistair MacLeod, one of Canada's most distinguished authors, who writes poetic descriptions of the life and times of Atlantic Canadians, will "headline" the festival. Lawrence Hill, author of the critically lauded Book of Negroes, will return to Whistler for the second time.
Also on the bill: writer, editor and journalist Zsuzsi Gartner, author of the whimsical short-story collection Better Living Through Plastic Explosives, and editor of the wonderful dystopian sci-fi collection Darwin's Bastards; historical fiction novelist and King Arthur-obsessive Jack Whyte; humourist and young adult writer Susan Juby; non-fiction and fiction writer Margaret Macpherson; poet and author of Sleeping Funny Miranda Hill; and celebrated poet John Burnside.
All of these authors will be in attendance at the opening gala on Friday, Oct. 12, as well as the Wine, Books and Jazz panel on the Saturday. Juby will be giving a workshop for young writers as well as a workshop for adults about writing for young readers. Gartner will offer a writers workshop about point of view and character development.
Festival director Stella Harvey, who will be debuting her new book, Nicolai's Daughters this year says she is "honoured and humbled" by the authors that the festival has managed to secure for 2012.
"Each year we strive to bring the very best in literary talent to Whistler, and this year we have definitely raised the bar in terms of the type and range of expertise in the written craft," she says.
As in years past, writers and readers of all levels can participate in workshops, panel discussions and reading/spoken word events during the festival weekend. In addition to these events, there will be five sessions designed to explore the depth of writing and reading from the Whistler perspective, including:
• Writing and Film, a panel discussion where Whistler filmmakers will explore breaking into film writing,
• Pecha Kucha
• Wine, Books and Jazz, where guest authors will discuss, uh, wine, books and jazz in a fireside chat with Stephen Vogler,
• Spore Prose, where Fungus Among Us organizers Andy MacKinnon and Paul Kroeger will reflect on the unlikely link between John Steinbeck and a mushroom book from Haida Gwaii
• Muffin Break, where festival attendees will get a chance to share coffee, muffins and story ideas with local authors in a casual environment.
All of this is to say that this year's festival is shaping up to be a rewarding one for geeky reader and writer types. For more information about the festival and tickets, visit www.theviciouscircle.ca starting Aug. 15.
Copper and Fire celebrates 10 years
For the past 10 years, Britannia Mine Museum has been showcasing B.C. artists as a way to explore the link between creativity and mined materials.
The Copper & Fire Arts Event, running this Sunday (Aug. 12) offers insight into the craft of artists who work with metals and other mined materials — the stuff that nearly all sculptors, jewelry makers and ceramic artists use.
Check it out.
"It's thrilling to see how these talented artists can morph and transform metal and minerals into amazing art pieces," says Kristin Clausen, executive director of the Britannia Mine Museum.
Artists featured this year include: Vancouver Island chainmail artist Daniel Miller; Abbotsford metal artist Jim Unger; Squamish jewelry artist Sandra Bars; North Vancouver metal sculptor Mark Mentilpy; Surrey stone artist Valerie Sokolovski; Whistler recycled copper artist Joanne Monteith; Squamish silver/goldsmith jewelry artist Martin Vseticka; and Mission glass bead artist Ania Kyte.
The museum will also provide hands-on workshops and arts and crafts sessions for kids of all ages.
