1. The expanded North Delta Recreation Centre officially opens Saturday (April 2) with a celebration that runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hit the gym with members of the Vancouver Giants starting at 12:30 p.m., hear music performed by Will Stroet, have some cake following the opening ceremonies at 11 a.m., see karate and bhangra-dance demos, and more. Event attendees will be given a “passport” that can be stamped as they explore the new areas of the building, for prizes. Also, members of North Delta Potters Guild (Northdeltapotters.ca) will showcase their new home at the rec centre, 11415 84th Ave. Look for more details at Delta.ca.
2. Another round of “Coffee with a Cop” events is happening this week, as part of a Surrey RCMP initiative designed to connect the police force with residents and business operators in the area. Surrey’s first Coffee with a Cop series was piloted last summer. “Even though Surrey is a busy city, we know the value of a good, old-fashioned face-to-face chat with locals,” says Surrey RCMP Insp. Ghalib Bhayani, a community support and safety officer who hosts the events. The three remaining sessions are in Cloverdale/Port Kells (Friday, April 1 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Boothroyd Heritage Coffee, 16811 60th Ave.), City Centre (Tuesday, April 5 from 1 to 2 p.m. at Waves Coffee House, #105-10777 University Dr.), and Newton (April 13 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Espresso Café, #1112-7330 137 St., Surrey).
3. At Winsor Gallery in Vancouver, works by former Now staff photographer Brian Howell are featured in the month-long exhibit “A Survey,” as part of the inaugural Capture Photography Festival. Howell, a North Delta resident, will be in attendance at the opening reception Saturday (April 2, 2 to 4 p.m.) and will also give a talk about his work and interview with Art Perry on Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. The exhibition will feature works from a number of Howell’s large-scale projects from the past 25 years, including images that have appeared in the Now. Winsor Gallery is located at 258 East 1st Ave., Vancouver, and online at Winsorgallery.com.