More than just a vintage styled strip tease, burlesque is an answer to the male-dominated, vacant-eyed, anatomically enhanced fantasy of femininity. It is a smart and sexy creative outlet for women to explore and perform different ideas of glamour and sensuality.

The burlesque movement has gained tremendous momentum in Vancouver with weekly shows across town, burlesque workshops, burlesque yoga and burlesque inspired fashion lines. Soon the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival will roll into town and cover stages and audiences with glitter and feathers for the 4th year in a row.

Having worked with many burlesque performers, I am constantly inspired by their intelligence, creative rigor and confidence. This community celebrates individuality, positive body image and sexual power in women. These are everyday women (biologists, musicians, bankers and doctors to name a few professions) who love to play dress up with corsets and garters and indulge their inner bombshell.

Just a word of warning boys, these gals will rock your world.

It’s no small secret that marijuana plays a significant roll in Vancouver culture. If you’re not complaining about the number of grow-ops in town then you’re complaining about the quality of your weed.

There is a long (and proud) history of pot activism in this city and as prohibitionists lose political traction, demonstrations for legalization grow larger and bolder.

Supposedly the world’s largest 4/20 (aka National Pot Smoking Day), thousands of people gathered around the Vancouver Art Gallery to participate in an impressive display of peaceful civil disobedience.

People smoked from bongs and pipes while others passed around joints. The police kept traffic flowing and the stoners from getting run over. There were no riot squads in the wings or a charge of horses. In general, it was a protest everyone could be proud of.

Change is easy when you want it but environmental education by itself is not enough to inspire people to change the way they think and act. There needs to be an emotional connection for us to become actively involved and interested in protecting our water, air and wildlife.

Projecting Change is a film festival that aims to educate and speak to your heart at the same time with compelling films on humanity’s environmental impact in the hope that you will go home and make a change in your everyday life.

This year’s gala opening at the Fifth Avenue Cinema featured the documentary “End Of The Line”, an official selection of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival followed by a discussion panel featuring David Suzuki, commercial fishers and marine conservation experts on how to achieve sustainable fisheries

After a lively talk the gala moved on to Trunk Gallery for an Eco Chic after party where a lot of beautiful people showed up for the wine tasting, music and a charity silent auction on a huge array of eco-friendly products and services.