CBC Open House

A Vancouver holiday tradition

By Jerrison Oracion, Senior Columnist

With the holiday season in full swing, many holiday events are taking place throughout Vancouver. There is the Vancouver Christmas Market, The Nutcracker at the Queen Elizabeth Theater, and the CBC Open House across the street at CBC Studios.

This CBC Open House and Food Bank Day marks the 29th year that CBC Studios opens its doors to the public. The purpose of the event is to collect food items and raise money for local food banks. You will be able to look around the Newsroom and see how local CBC programs are made. On the set of CBC News: Vancouver, you can pretend to be a news anchor and do the weather behind a green screen., and on the set of CBC News Now, you can see the camera that is used to film the moving shots in the show. When you look around the newsroom, you will see a lot of people working on stories and preparing for shows during the open house. There will also be other things that you can do during the event that are yet to be announced.

Also, you will be able to see many people from local CBC programs including Andrew Chang and Johanna Wagstaffe from CBC News: Vancouver; Ian Hanomansing, Teresa Tang and Susana da Silva from the primetime editions of CBC News Now; Stephen Quinn, Lisa Christiansen, and former editor of the Other Press—Liam Britten—from On the Coast; among others. You also might see various people from some of your favorite CBC shows including Tom Harrington from Marketplace, Hockey Night in Canada host George Stroumboulopoulos, Yannick Bisson from Murdoch Mysteries, as well as a dragon from Dragon’s Den. You can even talk with them!

Throughout the day, local CBC radio programs broadcast live from Studio 700 and during the broadcasts they will give away prizes to anyone that donates a specific amount of money to local food banks. Some of the prizes that they will give away are a trip to Tofino, a chocolate tasting, a food truck street party with Mom’s Grilled Cheese, and an experience with the Vancouver Opera. So, when you go to the CBC Open House and donate to local food banks, you get to learn more about CBC, see your favourite CBC personalities, and be part of a Vancouver holiday tradition. The CBC Open House and Food Bank Day will happen on December 4 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at CBC Studios on Hamilton Street in Vancouver. Doors open at 6:00 a.m. with The Early Edition. Food bank donations are accepted between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. in person, online through CBC’s website, and by phone by calling 604-662-6470.