For Immediate Release – October 19, 2009

Vancouver, B.C. – According to recent statistics*, more than 51 percent of people in Canada are unmarried. For many, the approaching holiday season is something to dread. For some, it comes down to choosing between a solo frozen turkey TV dinner, watching a rerun of It’s a Wonderful Life or listening to Aunt Debbie ask (again) why you aren’t married yet.

For many of the growing population that are not married, getting out of town to do something exciting and adventurous is a great alternative to tinfoil dinners or Aunt Debbie. Recognizing that not everyone looks forward to staying home during the holiday season, BikeHike Adventures offers a range of trips throughout December to meet the needs of this growing group. An adventure trip can take you out of the ho ho ho humdrums and immerse you in activity, culture and friendship. Plus, at BikeHike there is no single supplement.

Many of BikeHike’s excursions are developed with the single adventure traveller in mind. Says BikeHike Founder Trish Sare, “We understand the single traveller and have made sure that our trips create a memorable experience for everyone involved. On our trips, people seem to bond really quickly. The only way someone will feel ‘alone’ with us is if he or she wants to keep to themselves.”  She adds: “Quite often, our single traveller has the best experience. They generally make more friends both in our group and by connecting with the people in the towns and villages we visit. We’ve even had a few romances blossom from people meeting on a BikeHike tour.”

Some of the upcoming holiday season BikeHike trips that Sare recommends for singles are:

• Ecuador, Andes to Amazon http://www.bikehike.com/ecuador/ecuador_trip01.html
• Guatemala, Mundo Maya Multi-sport http://www.bikehike.com/guatemala/guatemala_trip01.html
• Panama, Rumble in the Jungle http://www.bikehike.com/panama/panama_trip01.html

BikeHike doesn’t charge single supplements and groups are matched with the overall dynamic and the travellers’ fitness levels in mind. Not all BikeHike Adventure trips are hard core adrenalin-filled, and singles looking for a less physically demanding trip can find one that matches their abilities.

Rated this year as the fourth best adventure travel company in the world by National Geographic Adventure, BikeHike Adventures Inc. was founded in 1994 by Trish Sare. The organization’s spirit of adventure mission is to bring together like-minded active individuals with a passion for cultural exploration and physically rewarding travel. BikeHike specializes in small or gender group multi-sport adventures in South and Central America, Canada, Europe, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. To review travel itineraries please visit www.bikehike.com or call 1-888-805-0061.

-END-

For more information, interviews or images, please contact Paul Holman of AHA Creative Strategies at paul@ahacreative.com or 604-303-1052.

*Statistics Canada 2006 Census: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/070912/dq070912a-eng.htm

For Immediate Release – July 9, 2009

North Vancouver, B.C. – Claudia Alan Inc. recently launched an inspired collection of readers and sunglasses showcasing the work of First Nations artist Corrine Hunt. The AYA Accessories collection includes high quality ready-to-wear reading glasses (retailing from $39 – $60), sunglasses (retailing at $35), embossed cases and cleaning cloths. The line is available at fine retailers across Canada and at www.claudiaalan.com.

The elegant, yet stylish look of the AYA sunglasses and readers are sure to start conversations wherever they are worn. The line created and designed by Carla D’Angelo, Founder and President of Claudia Alan, features original artwork by Hunt. Said D’Angelo: “We are the first company to infuse traditional First Nations art with contemporary eyewear accessories, and that is very exciting for us.” She added: “Working with Corrine was very inspiring, I am a huge fan of her work and I think consumers will love these readers and sunglasses.”

The new AYA line follows fresh on the heels of the successful second season launch of the company’s Pink Ribbon Readers in October 2008.

True to Claudia Alan’s approach to contributing to its community, $2 from the sale of every pair of AYA eyewear supports ONEXONE First Nations Nutritious School Breakfast Program. “It is truly a wonderful honour to be associated with such a passionate and caring company,” said Joelle Adler, Founder of ONEXONE. “At ONEXONE we believe in helping children one by one as well as the power of each individual to make a difference and nowhere is this more apparent than in the partnership we’ve developed with Claudia Alan/AYA Accessories.”

The AYA Accessories collection is composed of ready-to-wear reading glasses and sunglasses. The collection focuses on wearable art, featuring Native art in a range of designs found on four styles of reading glasses (two are specifically designed for women and two are unisex), available in weak (1.50), medium (2.00) and strong (2.50). AYA sunglasses come in three highly fashionable and unique styles – two for women and one for men. The optical line of frames is set to debut in the fall of 2009.

– END –

For more information, please contact Paul Holman of AHA Creative Strategies at 604-303-1052 or at paul@ahacreative.com.

For Immediate Release – July 9, 2009

Vancouver, B.C. – As clients continually request new and unique food products, Vancouver’s premiere gift basket creator, Mad About Food Inc., recently launched two new food lines through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Jules + Kent Food Group: Jules + Kent and Undercurrents. Consumers can find these products at fine retailers across the Lower Mainland, on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan.

For the “saucy” people out there, the Jules + Kent line of products feature Blueberry Pear Sauce, Caramelized Onions, Cranberry Beet Sauce, Cranberry Cherry Citrus Sauce, Tomato Chutney, and Vegetarian Antipasto. For the “honeys” on your list, Undercurrents includes Nutty Hazel Honey, Swell Honey, Valley Girl Honey and Vegetarian Antipasto.

With a reputation for delivering well-received (and quickly eaten!) custom gift baskets filled with the finest specialty food products—many of which are unavailable anywhere else in Vancouver—owner Allyson Nelson saw an opportunity to not only continue to delight her regular gift basket customers, but to also deliver locally-made specialty food products to consumers.

“We spent a great deal of time creating and developing these delicious sauces, savoury condiments and honeys,” says Nelson. “We’re excited to be offering new items for customers that want to surprise their corporate clients, family and friends with our gift baskets and, at the same time, we’re tapping into delivering these products to a whole new market of retailer shoppers. We are thrilled to be working with the quality grocers and retail stores that are carrying our products. Being on their shelves gives these tasty products a nice ‘stamp’ of approval.”

Mad About Food gift baskets are the perfect thank you, hostess/host gift, are great for business development and make a great impression for almost any occasion where you really want to give that important person something that is created just for them. The Mad About Food store and warehouse is located at 1632 West 3rd Avenue in Vancouver. Mad About Food assumes no responsibility for dancing taste buds, excited friends and business associates or new addictions to specialty foods such as Nutty Hazel Honey, Blueberry Pear Sauce and Cranberry Cherry Citrus Sauce. Mad About Food’s quest is to make all of Canada MAD about food! For more information, please visit www.madaboutfood.net.

-END-

For an interview with Allyson Nelson, please email Paul Holman of AHA Creative Strategies at paul@ahacreative.com or call 604.303.1052.

For Immediate Release – June 17, 2009

Vancouver, B.C. – The Pacific Salmon Foundation and Fraser Basin Council announced the winner of their annual Fraser Salmon Hero Award on June 9 as part of their joint Fraser Salmon and Watersheds Program (FSWP). The award honours a person who has made a tangible contribution to the preservation, enhancement and improvement of the Fraser River watershed and its populations of Pacific salmon over the past year. This year’s winner is Mark Johnson, Community Advisor in the Fraser Valley with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

A grant of $4,000 will be divided among ten organizations in Mr. Johnson’s name: Abbotsford Ravine Park Salmon Enhancement Society, Chilliwack River Action Committee, Chilliwack Senior High School Environmental Club, Cultus Lake Aquatic Stewardship Strategy, Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival Society, Fraser Valley Conservancy, Fraser Valley Regional Watersheds Coalition, Rivershed Society of BC, Skowkale Hatchery Revitalization and Education Project, and the Stave Valley Salmonid Enhancement Society.

The award, which is sponsored by Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, was announced at the Fraser Assembly. This annual meeting was established to promote information sharing and coordinated delivery of the FSWP among those working to enhance salmon and watershed health in the Fraser Basin. This year’s Fraser Assembly focused on collaboration, and the Salmon Hero was selected with special consideration for his outstanding ability to foster effective collaboration.

“It is an honour to recognize Mark Johnson as this year’s hero for his tireless efforts and dedication to restoring salmon in the Fraser Basin,” said Dr. Brian Riddell, CEO and President of Pacific Salmon Foundation. “Mr. Johnson is a partnership catalyst for a number of projects and initiatives in the Fraser Valley. He has supported and played integral roles in the Chilliwack River Action Committee, the Cultus Lake Aquatic Stewardship Strategy, the Fraser Valley Regional Watersheds Coalition, and many others. He is a great ambassador for what FSWP stands for.”

“We applaud Mark Johnson for his contributions to restoring ecosystems in the Fraser Basin,” said David Marshall, Executive Director of the Fraser Basin Council. “Champions such as Mark are an inspiration to everyone who cares about the health of local watersheds and wants to find a way to lend a hand.”

Interested citizens can visit ThinkSalmon.com to share their salmon stories and to learn more about watershed and salmon issues, projects and actions. To find out about local groups that work to preserve your watershed, contact Pacific Streamkeepers Federation at pskf@direct.ca.

“We have been a proud sponsor of the Salmon Hero Award for the last two years and it is an honour to recognize dedicated stewards such as Mark Johnson,” said Ian Robertson, Executive Director, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs of Rocky Mountaineer. “At Rocky Mountaineer, we are dedicated to preserving the national environment along our rail routes and encourage our guests to appreciate the beauty of the Fraser Basin ecosystems.”

Rocky Mountaineer Vacations (RMV) is a family owned British Columbia based business and the owners and operators of the internationally acclaimed Rocky Mountaineer train in Western Canada. As part of the company’s commitment to preserving the regions through which it operates, RMV sponsors PSF programs such as Fraser Salmon Heroes Awards, the Fraser River recovery efforts and a children’s book on the Fraser bear.

The Fraser Salmon & Watersheds Program is jointly managed by Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Fraser Basin Council and is funded by the provincial Living Rivers and the federal Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The FSWP mission is to inspire changes in human behaviour for the benefit of salmon and the watersheds on which we all depend. The program funds a range of projects to protect and restore the salmon habitat and water quality, integrate planning and governance, improve information and approaches for sustainable integrated fisheries management, and educate and engage the public.

-END-

To set up interviews, please contact Ruth Atherley of AHA Creative Strategies Inc. at ruth@ahacreative.com or 604-303-1052. For further information on FSWP, contact Megan Moser at Pacific Salmon Foundation, at mmoser@psf.ca or 604-664-7664 ext. 113.

For Immediate Release – June 3, 2009

Vancouver, B.C. – Art and metal come together in an exciting and dramatic showcase at the first Rare Birds Art Exhibition. Metal sculptures and furniture designed by female artists and fabricators from B.C. will be on display from June 22 – July 4, 2009 at the Pendulum Gallery in the HSBC Building at 885 West Georgia Street in Vancouver. Open daily (except Sundays), the art show is free to the public, will showcase works of 11 women and celebrate the evolution of women’s roles and status. The artists featured are: Sandra Bilawich, Fia Cooper, Stefanie Dueck, Tam Harrington, Corrine Hunt, Mimi Law, Amber Lyn, Sage MacGillivray, Lori Mairs, Claire Murgatroyd, and Nancy Smith.

Along with showcasing exceptional works of art, an important goal for the Rare Birds Art Exhibition is to demystify the relationship between women and metal. This event will offer insight, knowledge and inspiration to all women who may be considering metal work as a trade, as a design material or as a skill to further their creative pursuits. Women are major contributors to the economy and culture of our society, and through this event, the artists want to stretch the boundaries of how women participate in using metal. The women featured in the exhibition are from diverse backgrounds in conceptual art, design, and the trades. Never before in B.C.’s history has a group of women metal workers come together for such a show. For more information on the exhibit and the artists please visit www.rarebirds.ca.

The Rare Birds Art Exhibition is proudly sponsored by companies such as Advance Bending, Dickies, Fasteel Industries Ltd., FlexyShop Inc., IMW Industries, Manly Marine, Marine Workers & Boilermakers Industrial Union, MBM Metal Fabricators Inc., North Star Metal Recycling, Rustan Metals Ltd., Sea Breeze Power Corp., Sigma Phi Design Metal Fabricators Ltd., and Viking Profiles Inc. Their sponsorship is a true reflection of how much support and appreciation there is in the community for the advancement of women’s roles and status.

-END-

For more information or an interview of one of the artists, please contact Paul Holman of AHA Creative Strategies Inc. at paul@ahacreative.com or 604-303-1052.