Feel Good Friday: Global BC’s highlights of the week

Each week at Global BC we highlight our stories to bring a bright spot to your Friday and into the weekend.

Here are the five stories we wanted to share:

B.C. man reflects on front-row view of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation

Carl Zanon will be watching the upcoming coronation of King Charles III from afar, but his mind will inevitably cast back to a similar event for which he had a front-row seat, nearly a lifetime ago.

Zanon, who now lives in West Kelowna, was 16 years old in 1953 when Queen Elizabeth II was set to be crowned, following her accession to the throne nearly a year earlier.

It was an event with all the pomp and circumstance that British royalty can muster, and people from across the Commonwealth were tapped to take part. Among them were 12 sea cadets from across Canada, and Zanon was in their ranks.

‘Unparalleled’ $65-million amphitheatre renovation for PNE, Hastings Park

Vancouver will soon have a new, world-class amphitheatre at Hastings Park, replacing the current PNE stage.

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The $65-million project was announced by PNE president and CEO Shelley Frost on Wednesday. She said plans have been in the works for years with the City of Vancouver.

“The amphitheatre will be a venue that will not only showcase our spectacular natural surroundings but will also provide an important solution to limited venue space within the city,” Frost said.

The new venue will have a massive open-roof structure that will be one of the longest of its kind in the world, officials said.

Countries competing in the Celebration of Light 2023 announced

Teams from Australia, Mexico and the Philippines will be competing this year.

“I join the hundreds of thousands of people who are eagerly awaiting the return of the Honda Celebration of Light,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, in a release.

NHL dads have full circle moment coaching kids at Osoyoos Desert Classic

Life after a professional hockey career can be a difficult transition, but for those with a true love of the game, you never stray too far from the rink.

At this weekend’s “Osoyoos Desert Classic,” a number of NHL players are now hockey dads, which means mentoring and coaching a new generation of talent.

The Osoyoos Desert Classic is a spring tournament that these young players work toward all year.

At eight and nine years old, they’re starting to get a grasp on hockey. But they’re not the only ones picking up new things along the way.

B.C. nurses ratify new deal with more than 13% in wage increases over 3 years

Nurses in British Columbia officially have a new deal with their provincial government employers.

The ratified collective agreement, shared Thursday, includes key commitments to more than 13 per cent in wage increases over three years, and in a Canadian first, minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.

The deal is retroactive to April 1, 2022, and will expire March 31, 2025.