In celebration of the best guy around, we’ve rounded up our favourite boys’ day out activities to make Sunday, June 19th unforgettable this year.

Our Top Five Things To Do This Father’s Day Weekend

1. Kick off the weekend with a BC Lions football game versus the Calgary Stampeders Friday, June 17th. Get your tickets here! More of a European football fan? The Vancouver Whitecaps are playing New England Revolution Saturday, June 18th, tickets available here.
 
2. More the adventurous type? Have lunch 2,000 feet above sea level. About an hour’s drive from Vancouver, the 11km adventure hike that is the renowned Stawamus Chief overlooks the town of Squamish with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and water. Choose from old-growth forest trail or one with views of Shannon Falls. Feeling particularly daring? The front face of the Chief is popular for experienced rock climbers.
 
3. If chilling’s more the order of the day, stop by The Liberty Distillery’s Cocktail Lounge on Granville Island. Sip one of the Distillery’s artisanal premium spirits, handcrafted on site “from grain to glass” at the 110-year-old antique bar. Service starts at 11am; meaning on boys’ day, any time is a good time to try the good stuff.
 
4. Get cultural and take in a play at the annual Bard on the Beach festival. There are two preview performances of award-winning The Merry Wives of Windsor on Sunday, June 19th. This classic tale of mischief and sweet revenge is set against the beautiful back-drop of mountains and water at the Bard tents in Kitsilano’s Vanier Park. For more performances, check the official schedule here.
 
5. A short, thirty-minute drive out of the city will have you on the Redwoods Golf Course doorstep. This lush, 18 hole Ted Locke Championship course offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains beyond the tree-lined green. Redwoods also offers a Driving Range, the Grill, and flexible bookings from a one-time tee time to seasons’ passes.
 

No matter how you choose to spend your guys’ day, we wish you and all the dads out there a Happy Father’s Day!

Photo credit: Juan Gomez

Your home is your sanctuary, the very essence of you. After all of the time and money spent acquiring it, you want someone who embraces your vision of what that home means, and what you want it to express to others. We’ve rounded up ten of Canada’s top interior designers, each with their own unique approach ready to style your home to perfection.

1. 1. The award-winning Elizabeth Metcalf Interiors pairs understated elegance with modern luxury. Their fresh take on a classic feel has been serving clients in the Greater Toronto Area for over fifteen years. Helmed by Elizabeth Metcalf, the EM team is guided by the belief that a cohesive design philosophy between style and function can transform the home to enhance their clients’ well-being.

1. 2. English import Alan John Marsh got his start in the Montreal offices of internationally acclaimed Design International, designing shopping centres, offices, and commercial spaces across North America. Turning his attention to residential properties in Toronto, Marsh’s signature minimalist aesthetic utilizes modern technology with recycled materials. The unifying thread is his acute attention to the details that make minimalism comfortable, beautiful, and personal.

1. 3. Hailing from the prestigious Parsons School of Design in Paris and Italy’s University of Ferrara for Architecture, Vancouverite Patricia Gray is a multi-talented designer. Her own original artwork and custom furnishings add another dimension to the services she offers. Heading up Patricia Gray Interiors Inc., Gray’s name has become synonymous with exceptional design for functionality and contemporary luxury; it’s no wonder she has a celebrity client list to her credit as well.

1. 4. The imaginative team of George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg lead the renowned Yabu Pushelberg, which oversees projects in sixteen countries from its East Coast base. Ranging from retail and hospitality to private residences, the experienced team and their partners create designs that evoke youth, adventure, and have a polished approach that comes through in every detail.

1. 5. Vancouver-based Trish Knight’s namesake design studio aims to “create a home that reflects the values, lifestyle, and sensibilities of the people who inhabit it.” Her approachable style that combines sophistication with livability and that undeniably West Coast aesthetic is sought after from San Diego to Singapore.

1. 6. Douglas Design Studio’s aesthetic is creating a space that is uniquely you. The self-named “lifestyle interpreters”, led by Jeffrey Douglas, have been transforming interiors since 1995 from what they were to what they could be. The firm prides itself on client relations and offers a passion for organization and a smooth process to take you from your current state, to your ultimate home.

1. 7. Lisa Canning’s energetic approach that’s at once strategic and passionate will transform your home into an effortless sanctuary. The beauty is in the details, and making sure that every single one of those details works for you, so that you don’t have to. Her design savvy has caught the eye of Toronto’s well-heeled and media alike, her beautiful results are all that matter to her clients.

1. 8. Toronto’s Laura Stein Interiors is an award-winning firm whose bespoke designs are brought to life by a team of skilled contractors and artisans. The woman behind the name, herself a picture of understated luxury with a contemporary edge, underscores every design created with the client’s personality and lifestyle in mind for ultimate livability and comfort.

1. 9. Since 1982 Elaine Cecconi and Anna Simone have been transforming interiors across the world, all the while giving back to the community through their knowledge and experience, such as on HGTV’s Design Interns. Cecconi Simone adheres to the “whole design” philosophy, basing their interiors around the people who inhabit them and the lifestyle that arises from that relationship: functional, striking, unique.

1. 10. Western Living’s Designers of the Year 2015 finalist Enviable Designs offers more than just interior design. Helping clients right from the planning stage through remodels, the ED’s team is there for whatever your home requires. With a distinctly elegant, West Coast aesthetic, the modern luxe result is nothing short of beautiful.

Anyone who should’ve made the list? Share with us!

Curb appeal is one of those real estate catch phrases that does, in fact, have some substance to it. Appearance may be the first step in getting potential buyers through your front door. With crisp air and rainier days descending on Vancouver, keeping up those appearances can be difficult.

The first and most important step in winterizing your lawn is knowing if you have cool-season grass or warm-season grass. Cool season grasses will need a winterizing fertilizer that’s higher in potassium to fortify roots in time for cooler temperatures while warm season grasses go dormant in the winter and therefore would have required an earlier dose of fertilizer. Your best bet in deciding how to proceed is taking a soil test for acidity levels as well as checking with your local greenhouse as to what type of lawn you have.

Don’t ditch the rake just yet: giving the lawn a good once-over will remove the last layer of dead turfgrass tissue otherwise known as “thatch”, and allow all-important water and nutrients (and possibly your fertilizer) to reach the grassroots. Raking leaves does this double-duty, while using a leaf-blower may de-clutter your yard, it won’t get down to the nitty-gritty.

Lastly, remove any weeds, cover plant beds with insulating topsoil or burlap, and repot small plants indoors. If you haven’t already, blowing out the irrigation system and removing debris from drains will keep things moving smoothly through the winter, as well as prevent your pipes from freezing.

Gardening may not be your forte, but everyone enjoys a well-groomed one to look at; whether they’re buying or selling. Consult with your local garden center on maintenance crews for hire, or share here if you’ve had a good experience with one.

With raindrops hitting our roofs more and more these days, it’s time to plan for cozy evenings inside, and the best of this city’s cultural events for when we’re looking to get a little more social. From the famed Cirque du Soleil to melody-filled evenings and catching the big games, here’s the fall line-up.

1. If you’ve seen the yellow and blue tents by the Georgia viaduct, then you already know that Cirque du Soleil has returned to Vancouver with Kooza; the story of a melancholy loner “The Innocent” in search of his place in the world through acrobatic performance and bold, slapstick humour. Kooza runs from October 29th - December 27th. Get your tickets for one of the greatest shows on earth!

2. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has a number of upcoming shows to choose from, including a reprise of one of VSO’s most successful Pops concerts: Fifty Years of James Bond.  Enjoy memorable screen-stealers from Dr. No all the way up to the Oscar-winning Skyfall, just in time for 007’s twenty-fourth installment coming to theaters this month.

3. For more intimate evenings, the Friends of Chamber Music present a monthly classical concert series. Featuring world-class musicians playing some of the most timeless and evocative music from the masters, FoCM concerts offer a truly unique experience not to be missed.

4. Love them or hate them, the Vancouver Canucks have a couple of home games this month. Check their calendar and get your tickets for a night indulgent of the city’s spirit through an iconic hockey team.

5. Get a jump on the Holidays with the Canadian premiere of A Christmas Story and the acclaimed It’s a Wonderful Life at The Arts Club. With runs November through December, these tales as told on stage through live theatre is as traditional as the season can get.