Save time and sanity while navigating YVR’s busy airport terminal this Holiday Season - Follow the Top 10 Holiday Travel Tips - Christmas @ YVR. (Source: vimeo.com)
YVR’s farewell video on Live@YVR resident storyteller, Jaeger Mah’s, 80th and last day living at Vancouver International Airport.
Quickie Vid - “How NOT to leave YVR” Donald is 76 years old and is still cruzing around YVR causing trouble, just as he did 60+ years ago. I asked Donald what his most memorable YVR moments were. It took him a few minutes to respond, probably because he had to filter a few out.. but he did provide one story!
Quickie Vid - “Absolutely Spa-Tastic” The Absolute Spa has numerous locations throughout YVR. They’re known for both their “I’m running to the gate” style packages and their “let’s spend the entire day at the spa” packages. They heard that I had been pulling a number of all-night jobs and felt sympathetic, so they invited my girlfriend and I to a pedicure and facial treatment. I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was about time I embraced my inner METRO-sexual anyway.
Quickie Post - “Halloween in Burkeville” I’ve visited Burkeville nearly a dozen times since I arrived at YVR. Surprisingly enough, the 700 person community (just steps away from the airport) has some of the best parks and playgrounds I’ve ever seen. The streets are named after aviation words (like Boeing), the houses look like their from “Leave It To Beaver” and the people actually smile and say hi. It’s a pretty nice community. Another thing I’ve noticed is that when you talk with the locals, one of the first things they say is, “Have you been here for Halloween?” After hearing this for the fifth of sixth time I thought to myself, I’ve got to experience this “Burkeville Halloween” and find out what all the hype is about. Remember Charlie Barstow, the six year old ‘beat-boxer’ from Sea Island Elementary? He’s the same young gentleman that has captured the hearts of the thousands of Live@YVR fans. Well, Candice and I threw on some costumes (I borrowed mine from the Fairmont) and we walked over to the Barstow residence for a little Halloween celebration. While Russ Barstow took Charlie out for some trick-or-treat action, Sue (Charlie’s mom) welcomed us with a huge pot of Butter Chicken, cupcakes and wine. The Barstow’s are obviously the entertaining type, as they had a constant flow of smiling neighbors coming and going through their doors all night. It was around 7:00pm and rumors begin to spread that the annual fireworks might be canceled due to wind. But sure enough, the wind calmed down and the streets were soon flooded as the entire neighborhood flocked to the park. Russ Barstow was kind enough to make sure that both Candice and I had ‘special’ coffees for walk (we had to keep warm some how). It was a clear night, not a cloud in the sky. The park was lit with a soft yellow hue as the light from food vendor trailers scattered across heads in the crowd. A few warning blasts were deployed and soon the fireworks underway. Hanging out with Charlie’s family was totally awesome. Both Russ and Sue were very welcoming, and Charlie even shared a bit of his Halloween loot with me. Experiencing the old-fashion Burkeville Halloween tradition was something I’ll never forget. I think I can speak for Candice when I say, we’ll see you guys next year! *NEW* BURKEVILLE FIREWORKS (Oct 31st): Watch Video: http://vimeo.com/31474114 *NEW* YVR’s HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTEST (Oct 31st): Watch Video: http://vimeo.com/31475860 *OLD* BURKEVILLE HAUNTED HOUSE (Oct 25th): Watch Video: http://vimeo.com/31011205
Quickie Post - Happy Halloween @ YVR I can’t believe it. I just wrote an entire post, pressed an unknown button with my pinky and now it’s gone. I’d like to give a quick shout out to YVR’s Retail Team, and all the amazing pumpkin carving & costume contestants. I was completely shocked by some of the entries! Very creative. It was also an honor to emcee the event. This has been easily the best Halloween ever. My girlfriend just arrived and I’m in a bit of a crunch because we’re late for a little Halloween celebration in Burkeville (which is a small community here on Sea Island). I took some amazing footage of the Halloween Pumpkin Carving & Costume Contest and will be sharing it with you shortly. For now, this short post and pics will have to do. Happy Halloween everyone!
Feature Vid - “Snow Removal Training” The weather can be unpredictable here on the West Coast of British Columbia. An unexpected snow storm could put passengers and aircraft at risk of an accident or delay; which is why it’s important that YVR’s ‘Airfield Emergency Services team’ is prepared to combat the coming winter months. YVR’s Airfield Emergency Services unit consists of a handful of highly trained emergency response professionals. They are not only trained to provide ‘first on the scene’ services (fire and rescue), they also cut the airfield grass in the summer, clean runways and taxiways year-round with their street sweeper, and remove snow in the winter. All these tasks play a massive role in the safety of passengers and aircraft. It was 10pm. I arrived to a bustling work-yard, flooded with the sound of loud diesel engines and flashing lights. Fifteen massive vehicles stood running, anxiously waiting for the first night of Snow Removal Training. Inside the double-wide trailer (Airfield ER Headquarters), the group was divided into two teams, the Runway Team and Taxiway Team. They meticulously studied their routes, timing and formation. The energy was high, and everyone was excited start. All it took was the word ‘go’ the teams were off to their vehicles. I was paired with David Costa and his trusty Dump Truck (now converted Salt Truck). We were a part of the Taxiway Team and positioned last in formation. The role of David’s truck is to spread salt (distance of 50ft) across the taxiways. This prevents ice from forming and snow from sticking to the taxiways. I liked driving with David. Not only was he the only one willing to entertain a camera in his face, his enthusiasm for his job was contagious. He told stories similar to that of a military veteran, “where the snow was as thick as Santa Clause’s beard, visibility was no more than than 10ft, where his machine ran for days on end without stopping, and where he was put up in a neighboring hotel just so he could sleep for six hours and come back to work and do it all over again. He told all these stories with a massive grin, and enough passion to melt the snow with his heart. I had a great time working with the men and women of YVR’s Airfield Emergency Services Team. Seeing the team in action during the rainy months was one thing, but I’d love to work a ‘real’ shift once the snow falls.
Quickie Vid - “Plane Incident @ YVR” A small commuter plane crashed just short of the South Runway at YVR yesterday. No specific details have been released on what may have caused the crash. The plane, a twin engine Beechcraft King Air 100, had just left YVR on a routine trip to Kelowna, BC. Fifteen minutes into the flight it turned back due to mechanical issues. The plane turned around about 15 minutes into the flight. On its approach, the aircraft banked sharply left and crashed 900 metres short of the runway on Richmond’s Russ Baker Way, hitting a lamp post and a car, said a witness. Dozens of heroic bi-standards rushed to help pull people from the burning wreck. Within minutes multiple Emergency Response teams were on site to extinguish the flames and rush the pilots and passengers to the hospital. I have posted this video on Facebook and invite any friends, family or fans to share their feelings and memories: www.facebook.com/liveatyvr. My heart goes out to the aviation community as well as everyone involved. For more information on this please visit: www.yvr.ca (or) the following media channels: GLOBAL BC: http://bit.ly/ruPXhR CBC ONLINE: http://bit.ly/tcqet7
