B.C. Almanac
with Mark Forsythe

The base of the statue of Piper James Cleland Richardson who was killed at age 20 during WW I. Raised in Chilliwack, Piper Richardson earned the Victoria Cross after playing his pipes outside the wire at Somme, inspiring fellow troops to overcome a dangerous obstacle and capture the intended position. His pipes are on display at the provincial legislature. B.C. Almanac is looking for your family stories from WW I for a new book project that will commemorate the 100th anniversary in 2014. For more on Piper Richardson visit this City of Chilliwack site.

A old stump gets dressed up with a fairy door made from an old wooden rain barrel/planter.

Forsythe photo

Shane Foxman from CBC Sports hoists the cup here at 700 Hamilton Street.  Drop by to have your photo taken two hours before each playoff game. The famous CBC Canucks poster is back too.

In the midst of the election campaign we asked B.C. Almanac listeners for a classic political film and were swamped with suggestions. Film historian Michael van den Bos had lots too. Here are his picks, followed by some of our listeners' suggestions:

·         All The King's Men (1949) / D. by Robert Rossen

·         All The President's Men (1976) / D. by Alan J. Pakula

·         Citizen Kane  (1941) / D. by Orson Welles / W. by Herman J. Mankiewicz & Orson         Welles

·         Gabriel Over the White House (1933) / D. by Gregory La Cava

·         Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) / D. by Frank Capra / W. by Sidney Buchman

·         State of the Union 1948) / D. by Frank Capra

·         Tanner  '88 (1988) / D. by Robert Altman / Made for HBO - 11 episodes

·         The Candidate (1972) / D. by Michael Ritchie / W. by Jeremy Larner: won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay

·         The Contender (2000)/ W. & D. by Rod Lurie

·         The Great McGinty  (1940) / W. & D. by Preston Sturges / 21 April 2013, TCM, recorded / Preston Sturges won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

·         The Last Hurrah(1958) / D. John Ford

·         Wag the Dog (1997) / D. by Barry Levinson

.    Ghandi

.    The Campaign

.    To Kill A Mockingbird

.    Bulworth

.    Manchurian Candidate

.    Bob Roberts

.    High Noon

.    Downfall

.    The Best Man

.    Three Days of the Condor

.    Beckett

            .    Little Big Man

            .    Dr Strangelove

            .    Salvador
    
            .    JFK

Forsythe photo

Tim McGrath sends this blast of spring from Nanaimo. You'll find more blooms in our Garden Splendour Gallery.

Bee condo, Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris.

Mark recently hosted the Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards in Abbotsford where the Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.was the featured speaker. She pointed out that after Toronto and Vancouver, Abbotsford is Canada's most culturally diverse city. The 11th annual awards were presented by Abbotsford Community Services.
(Photo: Rick Rake from Click Media Works)

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It's been many years since I have used a bicycle to get around on a regular basis, but that's changing as I incorporate cycling into my daily commute from the Fraser Valley to Vancouver.  Come along for the ride. Yes, that's a microphone (with duct tape to reduce wind noise) used to record my commute for our June 19th broadcast. Have a listen on our podcast.