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Do you have a local story to tell or an event to share? We’d love to hear about it! Email rccnews-editorial@cnh.bc.ca.
The deadline for the February 2025 issue is Jan 10, 2025.
We welcome story submissions from 300 to 400 words long. Accompanying photos must be high resolution in a jpg file at least 1 MB large and include a photo caption and the name of the photographer.
Everyone knows it rains a lot in Vancouver. There are many different words for rain like drizzle, showers and storms.
A drizzle is a small amount of rain. Some people like walking in a drizzle because the air smells so clean.
A shower is a medium amount of rain. Flowers in the spring love showers to grow.
A storm is a lot of rain. A lot of snow is also called a storm. No one likes driving in storms because the roads are slippery, which means it is hard to drive in a straight line because the roads feel smooth.
During the fall, winter and spring, it is helpful to check the weather forecast online or on the radio. A weather forecast gives you information about the weather for one day or the whole week. That way, you will know if you need an umbrella to stay dry if you have to wait for a bus.
Vancouver usually gets drizzle or showers but, in the last few years, storms happen more often. Homes and streets get flooded during storms because rivers overflow. It is important to clear any drains or gutters around your home so that water doesn’t get trapped and cause floods or leaks.
Weather patterns are changing worldwide. Vancouver is getting more atmospheric rivers, which are long periods of heavy rain or snow. Atmospheric rivers don’t only cause flooding but they disrupt travel, ruin roads and result in serious car accidents. It is a good idea to pack an emergency kit in your car with blankets, flashlights and battery-operated chargers for your phone.
Questions
Level 1
What are three different words for rain?
Which is bigger: a shower or a storm?
Why don’t people like driving in storms?
Level 2
Why is it good to check the weather forecast?
What type of rain does Vancouver usually get?
What can you do to make sure a flood doesn’t happen?
Level 3
What is an atmospheric river?
What problems can happen because of an atmospheric river?
What would you do if your car was stuck on a flooded road?
Crossword Words and Definitions (word, definition)
1. drizzle, a little rain
2. amount, size
3. slippery, smooth
4. forecast, information about tomorrow or the next week
My name is Meghan and I’ve lived in the Joyce-Collingwood neighbourhood for 13 years now. This November 2023, my Vancouver-based chorus, Lions Gate Chorus, competed in an international competition, and, for the first time ever, we won the gold medal! I’m incredibly proud of this accomplishment; we all worked so hard to achieve this goal. No matter how I’m feeling, joining with 96 other voices lifts my spirit and brings me so much joy. I feel so lucky to have found this group, with whom I’ve been singing for nearly 17 years. — Meghan Fell
Vancouver acappella group brings home the gold at the Sweet Adelines international championship competition. Source: YouTube
Lions Gate Chorus, a Vancouver-based chorus of 100 a cappella singers, secured the title of International Champions on November 4, 2023, at the 75th Annual Sweet Adelines International Convention and Competition in Louisville, Kentucky, with record-breaking scores.
This is the first time in the chorus’s 69-year history to win the coveted international gold medal. Not only did Lions Gate win the contest, but they were also the first chorus in Sweet Adelines history to receive a perfect score in any category from the panel of judges.
The group is well known in the global barbershop singing community for their creative shows and musical excellence. Moments before the announcement of their championship title, Lions Gate was also named the audience’s choice for Most Entertaining Chorus of the competition — an award they won in 2009, 2017 and 2019.
Under the leadership of their musical director, Sandy Marron, Lions Gate has been in the top five of more than 500 Sweet Adelines International choruses worldwide since 2007.
“As soon as they announced second place and it wasn’t us, I knew that after 32 years of directing this fabulous group of singers, we had finally achieved ‘the impossible dream’ of becoming world champions. This was a life goal for me, and I couldn’t be any happier. These singers are not only my chorus members, they are my best friends,” said Marron.
Lions Gate Chorus fosters an inclusive and empowering intergenerational community, welcoming singers in a safe and accepting space. Singers interested in auditioning can learn more at https://www.lionsgatechorus.ca/join-us. Rehearsals run every Tuesday at 7:00 pm at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. Event organizers interested in hiring Lions Gate Chorus to perform can learn more at https://www.lionsgatechorus.ca/hire-us.
Renfrew-Collingwood Community News 