Surrey604 recently attended the Surrey screening of Seedlings (Lamha), directed by Mansoor Mujahid, and produced by Meher Jaffri of Bodhicitta Works. With an original screenplay by Summer Nicks, this film from Pakistan made its Canadian premiere during the SAFF Canada South Asian Film Festival. Seedlings has captured much positive attention in the last few months, receiving six nominations at the New York City International Film Festival that took place in August. The film was awarded the Peoples’ Choice Best Film and Actress in a Lead Role went to Aamina Sheikh for her performance of Maliha. Mohib Mirza (Raza) was nominated for Best Lead Actor and and Gohar Rasheed (Anil) for Best Supporting Actor. All three deserve recognition for their outstanding portrayals in this character-driven piece. Seedlings follows the lives of  a young couple, Mahila and Raza as they struggle to come to terms with the tragic death of their son. The film uses...

On Wednesday, October 31st the opening gala for SAFF Canada's inaugural South Asian Film Festival was held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Global BC's Jas Johal introduced an evening of dance, music and film to kick off SAFF Canada's South Asian Film Festival. Artistic Director, Hannah Fisher and Executive Director, Pat Bayes, SAFF Canada Artistic Director and Co-Founder of SAFF Canada, Hannah Fisher spoke of the diversity of films representing the countries participating in this year's film festival. Cinema from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives are featured in this year's festival. Fisher welcomed all the sponsors and guests at the opening event and spoke of her experience with the SAFF project. Pat Bayes, Executive Director, joined Fisher to thank all the SAFF staff and volunteers for their hard work and dedication to the project. Shiamak Dancers provide a dance performance to start the evening The...

Daman and I were recently invited by the nice people at TASTE resto-lounge at Five Sixty to experience this new downtown Vancouver spot. TASTE offers a variety of cocktails and wine with thoughtfully created shared plates. For those of you who want to gather with friends before heading out to enjoy the nightlife, TASTE is located next door to the FIVE SIXTY night club. Executive Chef and Manager Renaldo Decembrini hosted us along with the lovely Front of House Lead, Ashley.  80% of the ingredients at TASTE are locally sourced and organic.  Chatting with Chef Decembrini we learned that even the chocolate comes from a local chocolatier and the serving boards are made with BC Maple. We also got to know Ashley throughout the night and she gave us valuable information on each menu item we sampled. She really knows her stuff!  There were an array of interesting cocktails on...

Surrey604 is proud to be the official Digital Media Sponsor for the 2012 SAFF Canada's South Asian Film Festival.  The first ever South Asian Film Festival will take place in Surrey, Vancouver, and Abbotsford from October 31st – November 4th 2012. Countries with submissions this year include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and the Maldives. Surrey604 is very excited to bring you all the latest on SAFF events within the next month as well as during the festival.  If you are a lover of South Asian Film or want to experience it for the first time, come out and support SAFF Canada's global project right here in Surrey! Pat Bayes Executive Director of SAFF Canada, says the festival will be a wonderful celebration, showcasing the latest documentaries, dramas, shorts, features and animation from the South Asian family of nations. “Our goal is to share stories, build social and...

Summer is over, but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop. Take advantage of the beautiful Fall weather we've been having and get out to the Historic Stewart Farm for a visit. Tours are available for 'first timers' and a variety of programs are taking place throughout October. Make the Fall colours come alive and enjoy one of Surrey's historic sites! Here's what's happening this month: Historic Stewart Farm Tours: Tour the charming restored 1894 farmhouse, pole barn and heritage gardens, try old-fashioned crafts, take part in a program or special event, and imagine pioneer life at the turn of the 19th century. 13723 Crescent Road, Surrey. 604-592-6956. Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10am-4pm, Saturday, 12noon-4pm. Entrance by donation. Circa 1900. John Stewart & family on the verandah. Photo: Surrey Museum & Archives Exhibition: From Field to Table: The Pioneer Kitchen Garden Revival The traditional pioneer kitchen garden is the subject of...

Summer is officially over and the air is clean and crisp with the beginnings of Fall. This summer has been strewn with a fury of events. Work, family, road trips, events and every kind of commitment in between. Just when I would think there would be some 'down time', something new would come along to add to my calendar that never quite looks finalized. Such is life! The first half of the summer was very busy for us at Surrey604. There was so much going on in the City!  Our involvement with the BC Summer Games, Fusion Festival, Canada Day celebrations and numerous community events kept us going at top speed. That strange phenomenon we call 'personal time' seemed to evade us.  Surrey Celebrates Canada Day. Surrey604 photo. The second half of the Summer gave us more time to recuperate. Our calendars reflected time with family, vacation, and plenty of...

Want some Fall inspiration for your green thumb? The Fall Garden Event at Art's Nursery in Surrey is offering free gardening seminars, and exhibits this weekend. Get expert advice on planting, pruning, garden care, growing edibles and landscape design. There will be plenty of in-store demos and displays. Come out and enjoy the beautiful surroundings and get inspired about your home and garden! Caren McSherry from the Gourmet Warehouse is the featured speaker for the event. Caren will be giving a seminar on cooking food from your garden. Art's Nursery has a blog! Check it out for some great tips and information on all things green and beautiful.For more information about Art's Nursery and the latest Fall specials, please visit the Art's Nursery website. Connect with Art's Nursery: Tweets:@artsnursery Like Art's Nursery on Facebook Don't forget, you can also purchase your Tulips for Tomorrow at Art's Nursery in support of the SMH Foundation....

"Royalty is coming to Surrey."  The Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation's  Tulips for Tomorrow campaign is underway. The beautiful and regal Princess Irene tulip is featured in the Autumn campaign this year.  The Princess Irene tulip. Photo courtesy of the SMH Foundation  The Inspiration Behind the Campaign Tulips for Tomorrow was created in 2007 as a way to encourage people to support Surrey Memorial Hospital and help beautify the community. The Princess Irene tulip’s distinct bright orange colouring blended with gold and purple flames is remarkably reminiscent of the Foundation’s logo. The campaign is the brainchild of thornleyHAYNE Creative Communications, which has supported the Foundation’s fundraising efforts for several years by providing creative services for the campaigns. Tulips for Tomorrow Partners Many businesses and services proudly support the Foundation year after year.  Employees from Bouygues Building Canada, the campaign’s top sponsor, volunteered their time to package the bulbs in late August....

 Guest Contributor: Luci Moraes Luci is an architect and urban planner, and transportation planner with the City of Surrey. She manages the cycling program as well as the SFU and City of Surrey Transportation Lecture Program.  Luci jointly coordinates the Safe and Active Schools Program and has authored the Surrey Cycling Plan. She keeps extra busy with her involvement in numerous transportation projects. We are excited about Luci's post and we hope that those interested will take advantage of this great opportunity. Thank you, Luci! - Editor    We are excited to announce the third year of the SFU & City of Surrey Transportation Lecture Program! This is an opportunity to learn more about transportation and the role it plays in the shaping and development of our City. It offers a forum to discuss important regional and local transportation issues, provide the City the chance to better communicate and explain...

We had so much fun at TUTS The Music Man that we went back for more. This time it was Titanic: The New Musical. It was great to be back at Stanley Park, sitting on the lawn and enjoying a coffee... then the dark clouds started to roll in. If you remember, last week we were hit with a crazy storm. Thunder, lightening, and heavy rains in the middle of summer! While most were in the comfort and dryness of their homes, Daman and I were in Stanley Park with a group of dedicated TUTS supporters, braving the elements for a night of musical theatre. Here we are...a 'sea' of ponchos: Photo: TUTS TUTS commemorates 100 years since the sinking of the Titanic with their production of Titanic: A New Musical.  Photo: TUTS The TUTS staff were very accommodating as we all realized that we would be in for an interesting...

Courtney from PricePro (check out some of  Courtney's stellar vlogs about PricePro on Youtube) wants one of our lucky readers to win an iPad! All you have to do is register and participate in the Run for Recovery 5K or 10K run. The event takes place on Sunday, August 12th at PricePro in Surrey. Photo: Run for Recovery The Run For Recovery  aims at raising awareness for the Welcome Home Addiction Recovery Academy. The Academy, with locations in Surrey, BC and Seattle, WA, is a long-term, residential, abstinence-based recovery program for men and women ages 19-34. PricePro is not only a warehouse grocery store, but it is also a program run by Welcome Home. PricePro is a non-profit organization and all proceeds are given to charity. The event is for friends and family to enjoy too so come out and support the runners and the cause! This event has garnered a...

Our friends at Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) want you to have an outdoor musical theatre experience surrounded by the beauty of Stanley Park. This is your chance to win and check out  Titanic: A New Musical and the Music Man at the Malkin Bowl this summer. Daman and  I recently went to the TUTS production of the legendary Broadway show, The Music Man. It was our first TUTS experience. From the moment we arrived the TUTS team of volunteers welcomed us with big smiles. Everyone was in good spirits. There were a variety of snacks available - we noticed a lady enjoying her Crackerjack! They even have a bar where you can pre-order your glass of wine or beer. We opted for our trusty coffees. Photo: TUTS Vancouver  We were lucky with the beautiful weather that evening. The production was amazing and we were both impressed with the  quality of the sound and...

Surrey Canada Day was  filled with friends, family and celebration of Canada’s 145th birthday. There were at least 60 000 people (the Province) who made their way to the Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre to take part in the festivities throughout the day. There was some sunshine and plenty of mud, however that didn’t stop anyone from having a great time! The day was filled with lots to do, from amusement park rides, Kids’ World, food vendors and live entertainment all day. There were 83 exhibitors including  City of Surrey departments, various radio stations, non-profit organizations, and businesses. From Toddler Town to the Surrey Archives Frontier Tale Blazers and the Global FMX Motocross show there was no shortage of activities for all ages to enjoy. CTV was also live on location covering the event from their booth on the grounds. The Canada Day Grand March was led by the Cedar Hills Caledonian Pipe...

On Monday night, Surrey welcomed Singer/Composer  and international Indian entertainer, Sonu Niigaam for a reception at the Dhaliwal Banquet Hall. Sonu Niigaam played a concert with the Indian Symphony Orchestra on Sunday evening at the Queen Elizabeth theatre. This concert was significant as it was the first time in North America that the singer was accompanied by the Indian Symphony Orchestra. The promoter of the show, local businessman and TV personality, Kamal Sharma organized a special evening of entertainment and gratitude for this entertainer who we know as Singer, Actor, Composer, and Television Host. The evening was beautiful; the atmosphere was elegant and the anticipation was high for Sonu Niigaam's arrival. There were many special guests who attended that night - politicians, representatives from businesses and non-profits,  and artists. There was a great representation of Surrey at the event and we were proud that Surrey was the host to Sonu...

Born in the city of Chennai, India, Cimmaron Kaur began her career at the young age of 15 selling designer buttons. Fashion began as a hobby – Cimmaron would spend 40 000 to 50 000 rupees (approx $896 CDN) each month on fabrics and make her own clothes from her designs. It didn’t take long for the owner of that fabric store to realize Cimmaron’s talent. He provided her with scrolls of fabric and asked her to design garments to sell in his store. It was that first experience that got the ball rolling for Cimmaron. Her interest in fashion led her to Dehli where she worked hard to learn about the craft and the business. Along the way she has worked with some of the top designers in India such as friend and mentor,  Rina Dhaka and Kavita Bhartia. Cimmaron moved to Canada in 2008, made Surrey her home...