Inside Vancouver Blog

Good, Cheap Mexican Food? Help!

Remy Scalza — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:56:08 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6694" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Wanted: Real Mexican Food"][/caption]

While many ethnic cuisines from around the world are well represented in Vancouver, Mexican isn't one of them. For anyone who's spent time in Mexico - or who knows what a really good taco tastes like - the city can sometimes feel like a no man's land. Which is why I'm asking for your help:

Do you know a place that serves authentic Mexican cuisine in Vancouver? A nice little taqueria? A restaurant that actually makes decent salsa? If so, please share your secrets with hungry readers and leave a comment below. Now there are, of course, a few Mexican places out there in Vancouver. You've got your burrito joints - Steamrollers and Red Burrito come to mind - which are great for a big fat tortilla loaded up with beans, rice and marinated steak or chicken. But this is more of a Californian take on Mexican cuisine, rather than the real deal. Then, you've got your sit-down restaurants, with the requisite sombreros on the wall and oversized margarita glasses, like Las Margaritas and Primos. Nothing wrong with these places either, if you're in the mood for a slightly Canadian take on enchiladas or fajitas. But when I think of the essence of real Mexican food - correct me if I'm wrong on this - I think of tacos. Not the crunchy, Taco Bell kind but soft corn tortillas - handmade and petite enough to fit in the palm of your hand. And inside: not just the standard stuff, but a whole range of savory meats, from pastor (marinated pork) to the delicacy which is lengua (beef tongue). It's not exactly rocket science, but - for whatever reason - it's not easy to find real Mexican tacos around town. So, if you know of a good little taco joint, please spread the word and leave a comment below. I'll start the ball rolling with a little discovery I made recently: Salsa & Agave, a taqueria in Yaletown (of all places), with two locations right near the intersection of Davie Street and Pacific Boulevard. Salsa & Agave, in fine taqueria form, isn't much to look at - just a bare bones setup with a counter, tables and small patio outside. But it's the food that sets the place apart. They've got a whole range of tostadas, burritos, tortas and sopes on the menu, but tacos are their specialty. They use soft corn tortillas, offer a range of fillings sure to satisfy even hardcore Mexi-philes and they even give you fresh cilantro and a lime wedge to squeeze on your tacos. And, of course, the most important element of all: The food is really cheap. One taco will set you back $2, while an order of four is $8. Some tips to get you salivating: Try the carnitas, made with slow-roasted, marinated pork that falls off the bone and the pastor, sweet, spicy pork paired with pineapple. Any other good taquerias out there in Vancouver? Please let us know. Remy Scalza

chris

Ehren Seeland — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:06:27 +0000

Powell Street Festival 2010 - This Weekend!

Dana Lynch — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:34:00 +0000

: Powell Street Festival. Photo © Vancouver is Awesome

The annual Powell Street Festival---a celebration of the arts, culture and heritage of Japanese Canadians---is back for its 34th year this weekend, Saturday, July 31 - Sunday, August 1. It's perfect timing: You can enjoy the free festival Saturday, where you can gorge yourself on delicious Japanese food, then head to the last night of the Celebration of Light Fireworks---how's that for a perfect Vancouver weekend?! A local favourite, the Powell Street Festival is full of fun for the whole family, with live music, martial arts and Sumo displays, live performance and dance, theatre, literary events, kids' activities, a Urasenke Tea Ceremony, and much more. Download the complete 2010 Powell Street Festival schedule. This year, the Powell Street Festival returns to its traditional venue at Oppenheimer Park, located in the 400 block of Powell St., just east of downtown Vancouver. What do you love about the Powell Street Festival?

Vancouver's Best Pizza? You make the call

Remy Scalza — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:22:46 +0000

When it come to pizza, Vancouver might not have the storied past of a New York - with its signature big slices - or a Chicago - with its deep dish bragging rights. But that doesn't mean the city is a pizza wasteland. In fact, owing to Vancouver's sizable Italian population (plus some unique contributions from its Greek community) good pizza is available all over the city, from mom 'n' pop joints on Commercial Drive to erstwhile souvlaki houses on Broadway and fancy Italian bistros downtown. But what I want to know is where to get great pizza in Vancouver. Not just a good slice but a phenomenal one. Any ideas? Who makes Vancouver's best pizza? Pizza that's so good you'd drive a half-hour out of your way just for a few slices? If you'd like to nominate a candidate, please leave a comment below with the name of your favorite pizza place and why their pies are so incredible. To start things off, I'd like to put in my own nomination for Vancouver's best pizza: Bella, which has locations in Yaletown and the West End, plus a few branches in the 'burbs. Now I know that any talk of pizza supremacy is bound to stir up controversy. Some people like thin crusts. Others like thick, doughy crusts. There's the issue of toppings - from pepperoni to arugula and everything in between - which can make or break an otherwise decent pie. Not to mention the whole murky terrain of pizzas without cheese and pizzas without sauce and low-carb pizzas that don't have any crusts at all. But I'm going to brush aside all those complexities for the time being and just make my case for Bella's basic slice. The crust straddles the line nicely between thick and thin. It's crispy on the bottom, with just enough light, fluffy dough to satisfy deep dish enthusiasts. The sauce is zesty without being overpowering. And the cheese isn't just the flavorless filler you get at a lot of places. It's quality mozzarella, which comes out of the oven baked to a nice golden brown. Overall, Bella's slices are tasty and also well proportioned - not some flimsy, sloppy mess but good-sized and easy to eat. To these virtues, I'd also have to add value. A basic Bella slice will set you back $2, hardly more than the bargain basement slices downtown and considerably less than the chichi gourmet pizzas so popular around the city right now. Finally, if you go to the Yaletown location - at the corner of Hemlock and Drake - you get an added bonus: atmosphere. Far from some sleek new pizza franchise, the restaurant looks like it's been operating in the same spot for 50 years without a single renovation or remodeling. Inside, you won't find trendy young things in tight black pants but old-timers whose ample guts attest to their fondness for the pizza they make. There's harsh fluorescent lighting, yellowed linoleum and an ancient refrigerator case whirring away in the corner - in short, all the fixtures of an honest-to-goodness pizza joint. But I know Bella's bare bones approach to pizza wouldn't suit everyone. If you've got a favorite Vancouver pizza place, please weigh in and leave a comment below. Remy Scalza

Touring Vancouver's Sinful Past: Sins of the City Walking Tour

Dana Lynch — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:08:09 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MghlSpfHOhY] "Most people don't realize that Vancouver, right from the beginning, was all about vice." So says Vancouver Police Museum's (VPM) Chris Mathieson in the intro to this video, detailing the VPM's popular walking tour of Vancouver, Sins of the City. Sins of the City is a guided tour through Vancouver's edgier, seedier history. A chronicle of all things "naughty", the tour takes you through historic Vancouver while regaling you with tales of bootleggers, brothels, drugs, racial and labour riots, murder, and our (according to VPM and, I suppose, current denizens of the Edgewater Casino) "considerable predilection for gambling." The $15 ticket ($12 for students) for the Sins of the City Walking Tour gets you into the Vancouver Police Museum itself for free on the day of the tour, too. The Sins of the City Walking Tour runs every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday through summer (May 1 - August 30, 2010). If you've been on this tour before, I'd love to hear what you thought! Please share your opinions in the comments.

Finally! First Nations Cuisine in Vancouver

Remy Scalza — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:12:43 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6444" align="aligncenter" width="306" caption="Photo: WhatDoVegansEat.blogspot.com"][/caption] Finding authentic cuisine from around the world is rarely a problem in Vancouver. The city boasts the best Chinese food in North America, more sushi joints per capita than just about anyplace outside Japan and Persian and Indian restaurants that cater to the demanding tastes of the huge immigrant populations that call Vancouver home. But Aboriginal cuisine - the traditional dishes enjoyed by Vancouver's own First Nations communities - has always been hard, if not impossible, to find here. Bannock bread and candied salmon are sometimes available at special ceremonies (like at the Aboriginal pavilion at the Olympic Games), but - at least during the last few years - not a single restaurant in Vancouver has offered a menu dedicated to Aboriginal cooking. Until now. Earlier this year, a new restaurant called Salmon 'n' Bannock opened on West Broadway, near the South Granville neighborhood. It's run in part by members of Vancouver's First Nations communities and the dishes served represent some of the staples of the traditional Aboriginal diet, from salmon to less well-known plates like wild deer stew. [caption id="attachment_6445" align="aligncenter" width="295" caption="Photo: SalmonAndBannock.net"][/caption] Inside the restaurant, which occupies a small space on Broadway, the walls are painted bright red and decorated with First Nations paintings and carvings. Service is attentive and the menu highlights both the "greatest hits" of Aboriginal cuisine and dishes that many diners may be unfamiliar with. The meat and fish served are either wild or certified organic. There's also a selection of NK'Mip wines from the Osoyoos Indian reserve in the Okanagan Valley. Go hungry and you can try the tasting platter to start, which includes salmon mousse, Indian candied salmon, baked and fried bannock and clam fritters. From there, move on to the signature wild salmon burger or get a bit more adventurous with the wild deer stew or a wild buffalo burger. The menu itself isn't that extensive, and prices aren't cheap (the salmon burger is $15), but the restaurant has earned positive reviews on DineHere, Yelp, UrbanSpoon and the city's other restaurant review sites. Plus, it's filling a significant void in the dining scene by offering Vancouverites an option for authentic First Nations cuisine. Anyone else been to Salmon 'n' Bannock? What did you think of the First Nations food being offered? Can anyone suggest another option in the city for people interested in trying Aboriginal cuisine? Remy Scalza

Best Vancouver Band? You make the call

Remy Scalza — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:22:22 +0000

When it comes to great music, the Pacific Northwest has a lot to be proud of. Seattle was the birthplace of grunge, after all, giving rise to such legendary acts as Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. And Portland has always been a hotbed for up and coming artists. Vancouver - at least in international terms - has never been quite as well known for its homegrown musical talent. Not to say there aren't plenty of great bands based in and around the city. In recent years, Vancouver has produced the indie success The New Pornographers, party pop favorite Hey Ocean and folk rockers Headwater. But sometimes it seems that - even in Vancouver itself - great local music goes unnoticed. In the spirit of getting the word out about the city's music scene, I'd like to find out what local acts you listen to. Do you have a favorite Vancouver band, be it rock, hip-hop, electronic, roots, jazz or anything else? What local bands deserve more ears and more attention? If you're a fan of local music, please share your favorites by leaving a comment below. [caption id="attachment_6383" align="aligncenter" width="332" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza "][/caption] Music is subjective, of course. And it's almost impossible to compare different style. But for the sake of starting things off, I'm going to offer my pick for Vancouver's best band. I'd say the current title goes to the 12-piece groove powerhouse Five Alarm Funk. Featuring a full horn section and a team of virtuoso percussionists, Five Alarm Funk combies funk, reggae and afro-beats in high-energy, unforgettable live shows. I saw Five Alarm Funk perform recently as the closing act of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The entire day had been filled with great music. But - because of a combination of chilly weather and gray skies - crowds had been small and relatively sedate. That changed the moment that Five Alarm Funk took the stage. The funky bass lines and blaring horns had people on their feet and streaming in from the streets of Yaletown. Although the band defines itself as funk, it doesn't limit itself just to that genre. Polka beats, Arabic and Latin music and plenty of experimental jazz are incorporated into their shows. Underlying it all is some serious musical talent and - most importantly - a good sense of humor. In fact, their shows aren't just an auditory experience but also a kind of theatre of the absurd. At the jazz festival performance, a guitarist donned a gorilla suit and began chasing a percussionist - dressed in a shark costume - around the stage. Good, danceable music - original and highly creative - and a great, interactive live show earns Five Alarm Funk my pick for Vancouver's best band. But I'm sure they wouldn't appeal to everyone. Let me know your favorites by leaving a comment below. Remy Scalza

This Week’s Featured Vancouverite: Andrea Baxter

Ehren Seeland — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:00:01 +0000

Hometown: St. John's, Newfoundland How long have you been a Vancouverite? 21 years after my father's job moved us here from Toronto (en route from Newfoundland). Occupation: I have 2 jobs: I am the Co-founder of a group called Smart Cookies, which educates women on how to be smart with their finances (in a fabulous, fun and sweet way), while providing them with the tools to get there. I am also the Founder and Principal of Bratface Marketing, which is a boutique Vancouver-based marketing consultancy firm that specializes in social media, traditional marketing, branding and strategy, with a focus on franchise organizations and startup to medium-sized businesses. Favourite place in the city: Ambleside Park and the seawall both hold special places in my heart. When we moved to Vancouver, we settled in West Vancouver and my father and I would always hit up Ambleside in the summertime to stroll the seawall, talk about life, and order a cone of fries from the famous concession stand there. Best way to spend a Saturday in the city: Vancouver has amazing trails and seawalls to bike and run on, and it’s the best way to see the city and parts of the North Shore while staying active and getting fit. The great thing about Vancouver is that you always bump into people you know. Of course, coffee is serious business in Vancouver, so I pick up a coffee at one of my two favourite places: JJ Bean in Yaletown or the new Giovane Cafe in the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. Giovane has awesome service too, as well as free Wi-Fi. Favourite Vancouver restaurant and shop: I am a huge foodie and I love wine, so I am always wanting to try new haunts in the city. The Pourhouse in Gastown has amazing cuisine with a cool, historical atmosphere. I am also a big seafood lover, so I love to hit up Rodney's Oyster Bar in Yaletown for the food and lively scene. If you go alone, you always end up chatting with someone new. My favourite new shop is the Goorin Bros in Yaletown, which has a plethora of fedoras and other fabulous hats to choose from. Top insider tip for visitors: For the past few years, I have been so impressed with the exhibits that the VAG (Vancouver Art Gallery) have brought to our amazing city. Definitely worth checking out! I was also able to visit the East Side Culture Crawl this past year, which is a free 3-day visual art phenomenon that exhibits some amazing local artists.

Gearing-Up for Bikes

Trip Styler — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:39:00 +0000

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bixi (bike + taxi) Bike Program in Montreal"][/caption] Following in the footsteps of Montreal, Paris, London, Copenhagen and Melbourne, Vancouver is gearing-up to launch a bike-share rental program in 2011. Benefitting tourists and locals alike, this program will only add to Vancouver's lifestyle-driven culture and offer an alternate way to navigate the seaside city's breathtaking sights and world-renown tastes. With over 400km of bike lanes and routes extending throughout the city, the yet-to-be-named bike-hire network will undoubtedly make the city that much healthier, that much greener and that much more accessible. And who knows, maybe the bikes---or helmets---will even come with built-in umbrellas to protect against sun and rain. Time will tell.

The Details

Bikes 2000 bikes are planned and will likely be developed for Vancouver's climate, geography and rider demographics. Stations 200 stations will receive incoming and outgoing bikes in the following Vancouver neighborhoods: Mt. Pleasant, Kits, Fairview and Downtown, with suspected docking stations in Commercial Drive and UBC. Cost Fees will be $78/year, plus an extra cost for trips lasting longer than half an hour. Borrowing wisdom from other cities with successful bike-sharing programs, a $5 day-use fee is highly probable. Helmets Don't plan on having a pouffy hair-day when riding in Vancouver, helmets are required. But don't fret, your head is more important than your locks. To ensure helmets are worn while using the soon-to-be bike-hire system, according to The Vancouver Sun, the city will lean on Melbourne's example and offer helmets with yearly memberships, as well as distribute them to hotels and local businesses near the docking stations.

pancho

Remy Scalza — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:07:35 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 23:10:23 +0000

Kitsilano_3a (Small)

Remy Scalza — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:06:56 +0000

third beach

Remy Scalza — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:11:57 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:12:57 +0000

Looking towards North False Creek and by the Seaside pedestrian, jogging and bike path. Vancouver, BC. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:36:13 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:41:11 +0000

A member of the Squamish Nation, Wilfred Baker prepares wild sockeye salmon for barbecuing at an urban pow-wow held just outside of Vancouver. The salmon is roasted over a fire of alder and maple wood.

Cedar sculpture artwork by local aboriginal artist, Susan Pointe, member of the Musqueam First Nations. Near Brockton Point, in Stanley Park. Photo by J.Chong

Jean — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:41:32 +0000

susanpointstanleypark

Jean — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:44:11 +0000

fish house

Remy Scalza — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:44:13 +0000

queer film

Remy Scalza — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 03:36:39 +0000

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Inside Vancouver — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:10:11 +0000

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Inside Vancouver — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:11:02 +0000

The Vancouver Chinatown Festival

Inside Vancouver — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:12:54 +0000

The Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Area Society (VCBIA) and the City of Vancouver announced today the largest summer multicultural festival to take place in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. The 11th Vancouver Chinatown Festival will take place on August 14 and 15, 2010, from 12 Noon – 10:00 pm (Saturday) and 12– 6:00 pm (Sunday), on 500-block Columbia Street and 100-block Keefer Street. 1) StreetFest August 14, 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm This year’s Streetfest will be the biggest street party of the summer right here in Vancouver Chinatown. Esteemed local DJs will spin the latest in club-music and carnival games will be on site for attendees. 2) Folk Art Demonstration August 14 & 15, 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm Ceramic Demonstration, Rickshaw, sedan chair and much more! 3) Chinatown Heritage and Food Tasting Tour August 14 & 15, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Register at Walking Tour Info Booths on Site. We will lead you to visit the heritage buildings and to sample Vancouver Chinatown’s favorite foods. Each tour lasts about 30 - 45mins and begins at Chinese Monument Square every half hour. (Registration Fee - $5 each). This year Dragon Rickshaw Adventures will be on site to provide pedicab tours as well! 4) Kids Corner August 14 & 15, 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm A host of fun activities for the kids or the kid in you! Carnival games, face painting, balloon twisting and much more will take place on 500 block Columbia Street. A portion of Kids Corner is presented by Chinese Community Policing Centre. Kids will have a chance to run the Mini POPAT (Police Officer Physical Abilities Test), explore Vancouver Police Cars, and speak to officers from the Vancouver Police. Free "Child ID" services will be available to parents with kids. 5) Multicultural Stage Performances Traditional Lion Dancing, Traditional Irish Dancing, Youth Talent Showdown, Traditional Martial Arts, Samba, Hip Hop, Mexican Dance, Singing, And more! 6) Wheel of Fortune Try your luck with the wheel of fortune at any Info Booth with a purchase receipt of $10 or more at any Chinatown businesses during the Festival! 7) Youth Talent Showdown 2010 Finals On August 15 the top finalists chosen will compete on stage for the Top Three Awards in front of a live audience.

Launch of new mascot

It is the first Chinatown mascot in the world, and “Muse” is the one. He now represents the future of Chinatown as a "good-luck muse" for businesses and inspiring a younger generation of Chinese. The public will meet the mascot for the first time just during Chinatown Festival. On August 3, a naming contest started for the name of the selected mascot at www.vancouver-chinatown.com . During the Festival the Naming Contest will be distributed to festival goers in the form of paper ballots. Voting ends on August 20, and the final name of the mascot will be announced after.

[caption id="attachment_6987" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="New Chinatown mascot "Muse""][/caption]

corkscrew

Inside Vancouver — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:24:46 +0000

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Inside Vancouver — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:25:08 +0000

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Inside Vancouver — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:26:15 +0000

PNE - 100 Years of Fun (and we've got free tickets!)

Inside Vancouver — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:31:28 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6996" align="aligncenter" width="175" caption="Wooden rollercoaster"][/caption] As July turns into August in Vancouver, thoughts begin to turn to the annual Pacific National Exhibition, or PNE as the locals know it. This year is particularly special, as the PNE is celebrating its 100th anniversary!

Great concerts, the prize home, Playland and the wooden rollercoaster, mini donuts, and of course the Super Dogs. So much to see and do. This 17 day event, beginning August 21, features over 800 performances and over 50 amusement park rides. We've got two pairs of tickets to the PNE to give away. To be eligible, simply post a comment below sharing your favourite part of the PNE. We'll pick two random winners and each will receive a pair of entrance tickets. UPDATE: Congratulations Amelie and AJ - your names were randomly selected to win the tickets. Check your email. Thanks to everyone who responded. We have additional tickets we will be giving away in the days ahead so be sure to check back regularly.

Lookout, a sculptural glass, steel and concrete shelter. By artists Noel Best and Chris Dikeakos 1999. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:44:48 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:45:41 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:47:19 +0000

MusicFest Vancouver August 6 - 15, 2010

Dana Lynch — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:50:00 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7012" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Leipzig string quartet. Photo Credit: Stefanie Pielahn; Copyright 2009 MusicFest Vancouver"][/caption] Summer in Vancouver is such a fantastic place for music fans. Not only do our local bands rock, summer is the season for music festivals, from June's Vancouver International Jazz Festival to July's Vancouver Folk Music Festival to August's MusicFest Vancouver. MusicFest Vancouver (formerly Festival Vancouver) is an annual festival of classical, jazz and world music, featuring everything from large ensembles to stellar solo performances, as well as free educational sessions. Best of all, MusicFest brings its concerts to nine of Vancouver's best venues, including VanDusen Botanical Garden (an amazing summer music venue), Cellar Jazz Club, and the CULTCH. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Schumann: Myrthen Song Cycle at Christ Church Cathedral. Photo Credit: Stefanie Pielahn; Copyright 2009 MusicFest Vancouver"][/caption] Because this year is its 10th anniversary, MusicFest 2010 will be bringing back favourite local and international artists throughout its anniversary-themed schedule. Also up this year: a spotlight on Australia, which brings some of Australia's finest classical, jazz and world musicians to Vancouver for the first time. Get a complete schedule of MusicFest Vancouver concerts and ticket information here. MusicFest Vancouver runs from August 6 - 15, 2010.

Don't Miss MusicFest: Aug. 6-15

Remy Scalza — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:22:52 +0000

With everything that's going on in Vancouver this summer, it's easy to lose track of all the great festivals in town. Another excellent one is starting this weekend: the tenth installment of MusicFest, Vancouver's international summer music festival. MusicFest is unique in that it defies genres. From Aug. 6 - 15, the festival will feature more than forty concerts, with a focus on classical, world and jazz music. Performances take place in nine different venues throughout the city, from big concert halls like the Orpheum Theatre to intimate bars like The Cellar Jazz Club and unconventional spaces like the VanDusen Botanical Garden. Some shows are free, while others vary in price. The thread that weaves MusicFest together is the focus on bringing excellent musicians from around the world to Vancouver. This year, performers come from nine different countries. The spotlight region is Australia, and more than a half-dozen Australian acts will be performing. Among the most anticipated is William Barton, widely regarded as the Miles Davis of the didgeridoo, the Aboriginal wind instrument. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS831zeTWbY] MusicFest opens on Friday, Aug. 6, with a night of Latin rhythms at the Orpheum Theatre. Grammy Award winner Poncho Sanchez will appear with his legendary Latin ensemble, performing a mix of Afro-Cuban jazz, salsa and Latin Soul. Also featured on Friday are the Adrian Iaies Trio, performing tango and jazz straight from Buenos Aires. Tickets range in price from $33-$63 and are available on Ticketmaster. [caption id="attachment_6945" align="aligncenter" width="203" caption="Photo: panchosanchez.com"][/caption] For a complete line-up up of acts over the course of the 10-day festival, check out the MusicFest website. And if you'd like to point out any can't-miss favourites that will be performing, please leave a comment below. Remy Scalza

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Inside Vancouver — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:47:04 +0000

Klahowya Village - New Aboriginal Attraction

Inside Vancouver — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:49:50 +0000

Until September 6 The Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia has brought a new First Nations experience to downtown Vancouver’s Stanley Park, transforming a section of the park into Klahowya Village and the park’s miniature train into the "Spirit Catcher" train experience. "Klahowya" is a common and universal greeting that means ‘welcome,’ ‘how are you?’ or ‘goodbye’ in the Chinook Jargon of the Pacific Northwest. Attractions in Klahowya Village include a 40-foot teepee; a traditional canoe carving area (where a 20-foot canoe is being carved in the traditional Coast Salish style); a stage featuring daily Aboriginal performers (live dancing at noon, 2pm and 4pm); an artisan village with live demonstrations such as weaving and carving; a totem and sculpture park; and a food concession that includes Aboriginal fare such as BBQ salmon, bannock, pemmican and soapberry beverages. Admission to Klahowya Village is free, with the Spirit Catcher train costing just $11 for adults and $7 for children. The village will be open for visitors until September 6 with plans to be open again next summer. www.aboriginalbc.com/KlahowyaVillage [caption id="attachment_7019" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Location map - click to expand"][/caption]

bees

Inside Vancouver — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:53:27 +0000

Fairmont Waterfront Commissions "Art Hives" for Resident Honeybees

Inside Vancouver — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:56:11 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7027" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Honey bee hives at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel"][/caption] Five new bee hives have been created by the students of Emily Carr University of Art & Design and Capilano University’s IDEA Program for the 400,000 honeybees that reside in the Fairmont Waterfront’s rooftop garden. The art hives are entitled: Bee Dance (incorporating Coast Salish style and reminiscent of a ritual bee dance); Hive Amber (with an original concept of encasing a bee motif in amber); A Bee’s Experience (designed to echo an Emily Dickinson poem, an apple tree and the artist’s concept of the existence of bees); Flight of the Bumblebee (inspired by the intricate flight path of bees); and Beauty and the Bees (a creative take on a garden theme with bright florals). The Fairmont Waterfront anticipates over 600 pounds of honey will be produced by their bees for the 2010 season. Unlike many parts of the world where "colony collapse disorder" is a concern, the hotel’s resident bees are thriving. Guests of the hotel are invited to join weekly garden and hive tours conducted by the hotel’s director of housekeeping and resident beekeeper, Graeme Evans. The hotel’s rooftop garden has over 60 varieties of herbs, edible blooms, fruits and vegetables, and the hotel’s executive chef, Patrick Dore, harvests the fresh produce and honey for use in the hotel’s restaurant and bar. Guests can book a "Birds and the Bees" package that includes one night, breakfast, a honey-themed welcome amenity and a personalized herb garden/beehive tour. Package starts at $269, based on double occupancy. www.farmont.com/waterfront

Vancouver Self-Guided Walking and Cycling Routes --with Nature, Architecture, History and Art

Jean — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:50:55 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6962" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Looking towards North False Creek and by the Seaside pedestrian, jogging and bike path. This path takes leads you to Granville Island Market and Olympic Village. Vancouver, BC. Photo by J. Chong"][/caption] Vancouver offers fabulous views for walkers, joggers and cyclists. Vistas with mountains, ocean, forest, outdoor art, gardens and city skyline, can sometimes be jammed in an one hour route. Many locals enjoy the same routes as visitors. However savvy residents may choose to enjoy the routes early or late in the day when the foot and bike traffic abate. Some route views are that spectacular! The Vancouver Parks Board has web information on routes that are promoted as Vancouver Destination Walks. This information was originally for the City of Vancouver’s Step Out Program which was a community-based fitness challenge that ended before the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Step Out Program promoted wellness through self-guided walks in the City of Vancouver. Their web route information may help you plan easy-to-do, scenic routes of varied distances with interesting or historic sights enroute. After going to this website page, choose specific routes on the right hand list. There are many choices to see different neighbourhoods. Or you can choose a self-guided theme walk, such an outdoor art tour, architectural tour. All free. You can also jog some of these routes. For a map of all listed walks, see last page (pg. 7) in this guidebook: http://vancouver.ca/parks/activecommunity/pdf/WalktoWellnessPassport.pdf

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Cedar sculpture artwork by local aboriginal artist, Susan Point, member of the Musqueam First Nation. Brockton Point, in Stanley Park. Photo by J.Chong"][/caption] Bike Routes Are Often Adjacent to Walking Routes Please note that the following routes include parallel bike routes. Suggested bike routes parallel to walking route with great views listed at http://vancouver.ca/parks/activecommunity/walks.htm are: *Stanley Park Seawall *Coal Harbour-Seawall *False Creek *Yaletown Art *Community Gardens *Additional guide from the city with map, photos of art and architecture on downtown Vancouver walking (and biking) tour by its waterfront. Check Vancouver's bike route map also. [caption id="attachment_7002" align="aligncenter" width="315" caption=""Lookout", glass, steel and concrete sculpture and shelter. By artists Noel Best and Chris Dikeakos 1999. Photo by J. Chong. See Yaletown Art Walk #1 in Vancouver's website above. There are many other outdoor art pieces along the Seaside/Seawall bike and pedestrian path."][/caption]

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Inside Vancouver — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:50:32 +0000

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deer lake park

Remy Scalza — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:30:46 +0000

deer lake

Remy Scalza — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:31:37 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:27:44 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:28:48 +0000

Fields 3

Remy Scalza — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:29:33 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:07:58 +0000

Hotel Vancouver

Remy Scalza — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:09:00 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:10:48 +0000

MovieDLPark

Dana Lynch — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:48:33 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:49:26 +0000

UPDATED: Free Outdoor Movie in Yaletown This Sunday, August 15

Dana Lynch — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:54:22 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7057" align="aligncenter" width="230" caption="Big screen at David Lam Park"][/caption] UPDATE: Due to rain, the FREE movie was rescheduled for August 15, 2010. Same details as below, but without the Roundhouse Community Picnic. Cap off your weekend with the perfect Sunday-in-the-city: dinner and a FREE movie at the 3rd annual Outdoor Movie Night in Yaletown. The free Outdoor Movie Night shows a classic, family-friendly '80's movie on a huge, 40’ x 20’ screen in the waterfront David Lam Park. This Sunday's movie is a surprise, but the organizers hint that "“McFly” always knows," so I'm guessing this one. All you need to watch the show is your own blanket or folding chair (or you can sit on the grass) and some warm clothes (the night can be chilly even when the day is hot). For dinner, you can use the free movie as an excuse to indulge at one of Yaletown's famous, fabulous restaurants. Or, do lunch at the annual Roundhouse Community Picnic in the Park, also in David Lam Park, happening on the same day from 12pm - 4pm. Bring your own food and enjoy free live music and games. Just remember: the free movie doesn't start until dusk (around 9pm). [caption id="attachment_7058" align="aligncenter" width="230" caption="Picnic in David Lam Park"][/caption] The Free Outdoor Movie Night in Yaletown is Sunday, August 8 at dusk (9pm).

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Inside Vancouver — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:53:51 +0000

Hands-on Forensics Workshops for Grownups at the Vancouver Police Museum

Inside Vancouver — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:55:58 +0000

Why should kids have all the fun? The Vancouver Police Museum is proud to announce the return and expansion of it's popular workshop series: Forensics for Adults. These one-hour interactive evening workshops each focus on a different area in a definitely adult-oriented way. Workshops announced so far:

Material Evidence (August 10 at 6:30PM or 8:00PM) This workshop explores, in detail, the main kinds of material evidence found in crime scenes, from broken glass and fibre samples to tool marks. Unless duct tape makes you faint, this workshop is fainter-approved.
Ballistics (August 12 at 6:30PM or 8:00PM) This workshop looks at the kinds of evidence investigators use when a firearm may have been involved in a crime. Analysis of bullets (ballistic fingerprinting), bullet impacts, trajectories as well as other firearm-related evidence will be discussed. (No, you won't get to fire a gun but you'll have so much fun it won't matter.) This workshop is also fainter-friendly, we think.
Fingerprints (August 17 at 6:30PM or 8:00PM) This workshop deals with how we collect, analyze and store fingerprints. We'll practice lifting prints off surfaces, examine the many morphological features present in a fingerprint and discuss some of the many systems, past and present, used to search and store fingerprint information.
TBA (August 19 at 6:30PM or 8:00PM) Although we're not ready to announce the topic of this workshop yet, rest assured that it'll be fascinating! If you have a sense of adventure, feel free to register anyway... you won't be disappointed. Not sure about fainting, but you probably won't want to go for BBQ ribs afterward.
Blood Spatter (August 24 at 6:30PM or 8:00PM) This workshop examines the messy (and precise) work of bloodstain pattern analysis. We'll explore how the properties of blood and the physics of a situation can influence the spatter found at the crime scene by conducting our own experiments. Expect to get a little messy. If you’re prone to fainting, this isn’t the workshop for you.
Forensic Pathology (August 26 at 6:30PM or 8:00PM) This workshop digs into how autopsies are performed and how information can be gathered from a body to determine cause of death or solve a crime. We'll get up-close-and-personal with some of the tools used for these kinds of investigations, all in the real facility that was once Vancouver's city morgue (almost 15,000 autopsies were performed here between 1932-1980). Fainters probably shouldn’t take this one either.

Because of the (occasionally) graphic nature of the material, adults only please. Tickets can be purchased here: www.vancouverpolicemuseum.ca/AdultForensics.htm

First Nations Cuisine in Stanley Park

Remy Scalza — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:42:21 +0000

[caption id="attachment_6963" align="aligncenter" width="203" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Finding authentic cuisine from around the world is rarely a problem in Vancouver. The city boasts the best Chinese food in North America and more sushi joints per capita than just about anyplace outside Japan, not to mention great Persian, Indian, Vietnamese and Thai restaurants. But Aboriginal cuisine - the traditional dishes enjoyed by Vancouver's own First Nations communities - has always been hard, if not impossible, to find here. Bannock bread and candied salmon are sometimes available at special ceremonies (like at the Aboriginal pavilion at the Olympic Games), but - at least during the last few years - not many restaurants in Vancouver have offered a menu dedicated to Aboriginal cooking. Which is why the new Aboriginal menu option at The Fish House Restaurant in Stanley Park is so unique. In honour of the new Klahowya Village attraction in the park, the venerable seafood restaurant has put together a three-course menu ($48) that recognizes the ingredients and cooking techniques used by British Columbia's First Nations people. [caption id="attachment_6967" align="aligncenter" width="291" caption="Photo: Savvydiner.com"][/caption] The meal starts off with cold smoked bison carpaccio served with mountain cranberry compote and picked milkweed pods. The main course is cedar-planked wild sockeye salmon, a staple of the First Nations' diet. For dessert, there's elderberry swirl cheesecake crusted with hazelnuts. The food can be paired with wines from NK'Mip Cellars in Osoyoos, North America's first Aboriginal-owned winery. The menu will be offered until September 6 to go along with the new Klahowya Village and Spirit Catcher train experience in Stanley Park. The village includes a 40-foot tepee, canoe-carving area and a stage with daily Aboriginal performers. There's also an artisan zone, totem pole park and stands serving more examples of Aboriginal cuisine, including salmon, bannock bread and beverages made from pemmican and soapberry. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8QbgxExIVo] Admission to the village is free; rides on the Spirit Catcher train (which follows the park's miniature rail line) are $7.50 for adults and $5 for kids. And in case you were wondering, the word Klahowya means "welcome," "how are you" and "goodbye" in the Chinook Jargon of the Pacific Northwest. Any other fans of First Nations cuisine out there? What are your favourite dishes? Remy Scalza

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Dana Lynch — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 17:59:59 +0000

Zimsculpt Returns to VanDusen Botanical Garden August 13 - September 26, 2010

Dana Lynch — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:23:51 +0000

: Square Chikwanda's Seated Girl from the 2009 Zimsculpt exhibition at VanDusen Botanical Garden

A huge hit in summer 2009, Zimsculpt---the famous exhibition of Zimbabwean shona (stone) sculpture---returns to the VanDusen Botanical Garden August 13 - September 26, 2010. VanDusen Botanical Garden is stunning in summer, and seeing some of Zimbabwe's most moving and deeply personal sculptures exhibited throughout the Garden only enhances the beauty of both the landscape and the art. If you missed this show last year, don't miss it this year. (VanDusen Botanical Garden is Zimsculpt's only North American tour-stop!) For 2010, curator Vivienne Croissette brings more than 150 pieces of sculpture to VanDusen, from over 80 artists. Artists Passmore Mupindiko and Patrick Sephani will be on site to answer your questions; you also get to see Mupindiko and Sephani at work. (I got to meet both artists last year; they were very approachable and a great resource for anyone interested in both the shona sculpture and Zimbabwe.) All of the pieces displayed in Zimsculpt are for sale, with partial proceeds going to support the Garden. Admission to Zimsculpt is included in the regular admission to VanDusen Botanical Garden: $9.75 for adults, $6.75 for seniors/youth, $5 for kids 6 - 12, or $21.25 for a family of four. Did you go to Zimsculpt last year? Please share your opinions of the exhibits below!

National Geographic ranks Vancouver in World's Top 10 Beach Cities

Remy Scalza — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:40:44 +0000

We knew it all along, but now it's official: Vancouver has some of the best city beaches in the world, according to a recent top 10 list compiled by National Geographic. Here's what the experts at NatGeo have to say: "Canada’s most adventurous metropolis is home to ten beaches, from the family-centric Jericho to the clothing-optional Wreck Beach, many of which offer commanding views of the Vancouver skyline and majestic North Shore Mountains. Sporty types prefer Kitsilano or “Kits,” a six-minute drive from downtown, for its free tennis and basketball courts, and its super-size heated saltwater pool." Vancouver ranked as the world's 10th best beach city in the report, behind Barcelona, Cape Town, Honolulu, Nice and several other sandy capitals - Not bad company to keep! Interestingly, the report mentions a few great beaches in Vancouver but also leaves off a lot of local favourites. There's Third Beach in Stanley Park, for instance, a secluded beach - backed by towering trees and inaccessible by road - right in the heart of a metropolis of more than two million people. The white sands of Third Beach offer a great refuge for families and nature lovers looking for an easy escape from the bustle of the city. And what about Spanish Banks? When the tide is out, the sight of sand flats stretching into the distance - with the city and Coast Mountains behind and maybe a few freighters waiting to enter Burrard Inlet - is just unforgettable. Spanish Banks is only about 15 minutes by car from downtown, but it feels much, much more remote. Plus, there's plenty of sand for beach volleyball and grass for summer picnics. Then there's English Bay, what may be Vancouver's most "urban beach." This broad crescent of sand sits literally in the shadow of the highrises and office towers of the city's West End. It's popular among all demographics - from families spending the day with young children to office workers catching a few rays on their lunch hours. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk049l8viL0] So what do you think about National Geographic's ranking? Does Vancouver deserve to be a little higher on the list than 10th place? What's your favourite beach in the city? Please leave a comment below and join the discussion. Remy Scalza

This Week’s Featured Vancouverite: Roger Brooks

Ehren Seeland — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:00:01 +0000

Hometown: Lichfield, England How long have you been a Vancouverite? 30 years Occupation: Architectural and Interior Photographer—you can view my portfolio of work at http://www.rogerbrooks.ca. I qualified as a civil engineer in the UK, but my love of photography led me to switch professions in 1984. I specialized in architectural photography from day one. Favourite place in the city: Granville Island. I have lots of fond memories of Granville Island—it’s where I met my wife and spent many Saturdays with my two boys when they were younger. We spent hours at Kids Market, and ate lots of perogies and apple cranberry muffins (the best!). Best way to spend a Saturday in the city: We live just off of Main Street, and hanging out there in the morning is great. In the morning, head for coffee at Bean Around The World, pastries at Liberty Bakery, browse the stores heading towards 28th and then top it off with lunch at Solly’s. In the afternoon, walk over to Cambie Street, and catch the Canada Line downtown and visit the Vancouver Art Gallery. It’s worth cycling along the seawall as well—head down Ontario Street and then take the seawall all of the way to Vanier Park. In the evening, take in a concert at the Vogue Theatre on Granville Street. The big plus is that you don’t need a car for any of this! Favourite Vancouver event: My favourite annual event is the East Side Culture Crawl, which is happening in November of this year. The crawl includes lots of wonderful artist studios that are open to the public for the whole weekend. There is always tons of great work and this a must-see. Top insider tip for visitors: Head to Deep Cove in the morning, grab a coffee in the village, and then go for a hike on the Baden Powell Trail up to the large rock outcrop that overlooks Deep Cove—this a great cardio workout! Enjoy the amazing view and then head down for brunch in the village—you’ve earned it! If you’ve still got some energy, rent a kayak and go for a paddle in the bay.

Walk on Water

Trip Styler — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:20:58 +0000

This week, walk on water at Spanish Banks beach!

Some of the lowest tides of the year are gracing Vancouver's shores, which means you can walk or skimboard for miles on the ocean floor! What's also unique about Vancouver's current tidal flow is the difference between high and low tide. In some seasons it only fluctuates by a few feet in any given day, but right now the daily fluctuation is up to 14 feet. So, stop what you're doing and get over to Spanish Banks at 12:42pm today! The tide will be among the lowest this month, which means you can fully take advanteage of summer's heat, and cool off as your feet melt into the sandbar! To get you in the mood, here's a great video showing Spanish Banks expansive beach and skimboarders gliding along its shores! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzhzphZ2NpY&feature=player_embedded] Don't forget your clam diggers. See you there! [photo by Qole]

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Dana Lynch — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:44:39 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:47:01 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:49:45 +0000

Vancouver's Local & Independent Fashion, Part I: Main Street

Dana Lynch — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:59:14 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7112" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Local and Canadian Fashion at Life of Riley, Main Steet "][/caption] While Vancouver's famous Robson Street is great for shoppers looking for big name brands, it isn't the best place to find fashion from a fresh, unique perspective. To get that, you need to look for fashion that's part of Vancouver's up-and-coming fashion scene, that's made or designed here, or that's from independent Canadian designers. So where to start on a hunt for Vancouver's best local and independent fashion? Start just south of downtown on Main Street. Known as "Mid Main," Main Street between 20th and 23rd Avenue is home to some of the best fashion in the city, period. It's also the place to shop for local and independent Canadian designers, and---one of the best parts!---the fashion here is extremely reasonably priced. First-time visitors to Mid Main should start at my absolute favourite shop: Twigg&Hottie. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Inside Twigg&Hottie on Main Street"][/caption] Owned by Vancouverites and designers Glencora Twigg, Christine "Hottie" Hotton and Jessica Vaira, Twigg&Hottie has four in-house lines---We3, Twigg&Hottie, Michael, and Clementine---and, brilliantly, stocks the very best in up-and-coming Canadian and eco-friendly fashion. I bought a fantastic dress there earlier this summer for $70 that managed to be perfect for a wedding rehearsal dinner, two baby showers, and a sunny Vancouver day (when paired with flip flops), and that garnered compliments everywhere I went! Other not-to-be-missed boutiques include Life of Riley and Eugene Choo (both of which include menswear), Two of Hearts---which carries only locally-designed wares---and Bodacious, one of the few independent clothiers in Vancouver to offer plus sizes (they specialize in sizes 10 - 24). Whether you want a new take on classic lines or a completely new, young, fashion-forward silhouette, Mid Main is an absolute must for fashionistas. Love local fashion as much as I do? Or know of other great places to shop? Please share below! Also in this series: Vancouver's Local & Independent Fashion, Part II: Gastown Vancouver's Local & Independent Fashion, Part III: Portobello West

Queer Film Festival: Aug. 12-22

Remy Scalza — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:53:53 +0000

Home to a thriving LGBT community and western Canada's biggest Pride parade, Vancouver has a justly deserved reputation for celebrating difference. Among the year's most vibrant expressions of this ethos is the annual Queer Film Festival, which this year runs from Thursday, Aug. 12, to Sunday, Aug. 22. The festival celebrates the best of independent queer cinema from around the world and represents the largest queer arts exhibition in western Canada. This year more than 90 films from a dozen different countries will be featured, highlighting contemporary LGBT issues and progressive, cutting-edge cinema. Films are shown in venues around the city, including Cinemark Tinseltown, Empire Granville 7 Cinemas, Emily Carr University, Vancity Theatre and the Roundhouse Centre. The festival lineup includes work by filmmakers from the U.S. and Canada, as well as the Bahamas, Argentina, the Philippines and other countries. Among the most talked about works is the 2010 Sundance award winner Undertow, about a gay man's struggle for acceptance in a small fishing village in Peru. Another don't miss is Sea Purple, an Italian film that explores the romance between two women in a 19th-century Sicilian mining town. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC_uKgYyx-Y] Other films sure to garner attention include The Fish Child, an Argentine film about an illicit romance between the daughter of a wealthy suburban family and her live-in maid, and Off World, about poverty and queer lifestyles in the Philippines. In addition to the films, there will be regular parties throughout the festival at bars and clubs downtown. The opening gala party is on Thursday, Aug. 12, at 9 p.m. at Celebrities on Davie Street. The party features DJs and live performances; expect to see many of the festival's filmmakers and actors in attendance. General admission tickets for individual shows are $11, while a six-pack of tickets is $60 and festival-long passes are $125. For more information on tickets and showtimes, consult the Vancouver Queer Film Festival website. Remy Scalza

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Inside Vancouver — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:52:42 +0000

Pirate Pak Day at White Spot Aug 18

Inside Vancouver — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:53:33 +0000

White Spot is a Vancouver institution, and on August 18 they are celebrating the legendary Pirate Pak meal during its third annual Pirate Pak Day. And for the first time ever, guests of any age will have the opportunity to be a kid for a day and order a special edition 'Adult Pak.' Just like last year, White Spot is raising money to send kids with serious medical conditions to Zajac Ranch for Children for an unforgettable summer camp experience - http://www.zajacranch.com/whitespot.htm. On August 18, $2 from the sale of each Pirate Pak will help fund White Spot Week at Zajac Ranch. So indulge your inner child and make your way to White Spot on Aug 18! http://www.whitespot.ca/piratepak.htm

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Jean — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:02:18 +0000

Mini ferry shuttle for passengers and bikes. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:04:03 +0000

Ladner bus exchange. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:16:42 +0000

Go Multi-Modal –Combine Cycling with Other Transportation Options. Part I: Within Metro Vancouver

Jean — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:51:51 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7137" align="aligncenter" width="405" caption="Mini ferry shuttle for passengers and bikes. Photo by J. Chong. View towards Burrard Bridge and English Bay."][/caption] For cyclists who don’t have time or stamina to cycle more than several kilometres, there are some options to mix bicycling with another transportation mode. Mini Ferry Service (downtown Vancouver only) - There are 2 mini ferry companies that provide a scenic ride for a fee, with your bike from designated stops by the waterfront in downtown. Ferry rides are 10 minutes long or less across False Creek to Granville Island Market from downtown waterfront points near English Bay, Yaletown and Science World. Only one of the companies has a bike-dedicated ferry shuttle. Make sure your camera is ready. The ride is almost too short! TransLink Sky Train, Canada Line Rapid Transit Train- A limited number of bikes are allowed for no extra fee, on each Sky Train and Canada Line train. Do try to plan your trips during off-peak commuter hours to increase your chances of rolling your bike onto a train immediately. See fares and maps here. You can take your bike directly to and from the airport by using the Canada Line. Seabus - Try the Seabus for another enjoyable view of Vancouver’s harbour across the Burrard Inlet between downtown Vancouver and the North Shore where the mountains rise. A handy option if you want to avoid cycling over the Lion’s Gate Bridge (Bridge has a shared bike-pedestrian lane in both directions with fantastic views.) or Second Narrows Bridge (A narrow bike lane with protected barriers from cars.). Seabus is run by TransLink. Translink Bus - There are bike racks on all TransLink buses. Each bike rack carries up to 2 bikes. Please allow yourself generous time, especially if you are [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="401" caption="Each Translink bus can carry 2 bikes on a rack. Photo by J. Chong"][/caption] taking the bus to make B.C. Ferry connections at Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal or Tsawwassen ferry terminal for Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands. During warmer seasons, there may be several other cyclists in the waiting line. Please note these tips on use of bus bike racks. Bus drivers do not assist you with loading and off-loading your bike. TransLink provides this main web page to plan your trip to local sights. After choosing your area of interest (parks, shopping, etc.), click on plan a trip. Westcoast Express Train - This commuter train which runs between suburbs and downtown Vancouver, allows up to 2 bikes per train car. At this time, it does not run on weekends. Got any favourite multi-modal bike trip destinations in Metro Vancouver? Please share. I will feature some trips later that can be adjusted to different cycling levels. Added Aug. 29, 2010: Click on Part II for multi-modal bike trips from Vancouver to Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, Whistler and San Juan Islands (US).

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Inside Vancouver — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:40:52 +0000

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A Season Preview for the Vancouver Canucks

Inside Vancouver — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:02:03 +0000

With temperatures expected to reach the low 30's this week hockey season may seem a long way off, but here's a short video to get you in the mood. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuCe-zCP0cg]

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Dana Lynch — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:45:38 +0000

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Inside Vancouver — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 18:59:46 +0000

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Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival This Weekend at Whistler Blackcomb

Dana Lynch — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:00:12 +0000

Want to do something really different this weekend? August 14, 2010 is the 3rd annual Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival at Whistler Blackcomb Base 2: a huge wheel of cheese gets thrown down a hill, everyone chases the cheese, and the winner takes home both the cheese and two ski-season passes to Whistler Blackcomb. And that's just the festival's main event. The Cheese Rolling Festival also includes plenty of kid-friendly mini-events, including up-hill races and cheese bowling, plus---of course---lots and lots of cheese. Festival goers will get a chance to meet cheesemakers from across Canada and taste a wide variety of 100% Canadian cheese. The festival is free and there's free round-trip transportation to the Blackcomb Mountain Base 2 parking lot via Excalibur Gondola in Whistler Village. Adults who want to participate in the men's and women's downhill Cheese Roll (i.e., your chance to chase the cheese) must register at the sign-up tent on the hill at 11am on Aug. 14. It's first-come, first-served. Family and kid activities don't require registration---just come ready to have fun! The Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival is this Saturday, August 14, 2010 from 12pm - 4pm. Did you go to last year's Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival? I'd love to hear what you thought of the experience; please share!

Chariot

Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:45:22 +0000

Free Feast

Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:46:40 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:48:35 +0000

Blues + Roots Festival: Aug. 14 in Burnaby

Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:36:21 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cHQTcdPDTk] Blues legends are in Burnaby this Saturday, Aug. 14, for the annual Blues + Roots Festival at Deer Lake Park. Headlining the show is the incomparable Taj Mahal: two-time Grammy winner and one of the most influential blues musicians of the past half-century. Opening for him is the no less famous Kenny Wayne Shepherd, the blues guitar virtuoso so talented that Fender named a line of electric guitars after him. The venue for the day-long festival, which features half-a-dozen other acts as well, is Burnaby's Deer Lake Park. Located just off Highway 1 in Burnaby, the park is a unique natural oasis in the middle of the city. Walking trails wind around the lake and through acres of parkland. Musicians will be performing on two separate stages throughout the day, starting at 2 p.m. with the local acts and finishing up with Taj Mahal on the main stage at 8:45 p.m. [caption id="attachment_7035" align="aligncenter" width="363" caption="Photo: City of Burnaby"][/caption] Seating is general admission on the big grass lawns (now a little dry from the summer heat), so lawn chairs and blankets are highly recommended. Food and drinks (including beer) will be sold on site. Tickets are $60 in advance or $65 the day of the event. To get yours online, check out the Blues + Roots Festival website. Apart from the headliners, there's plenty of other talent to watch out for at the festival. Juno Award winner Serena Ryder will take the main stage at 5:20 p.m., showcasing her powerful vocal range. Rootsy-bluesy vocalist Little Miss Higgins will perform at 4:30 p.m. on the Garden Stage in support of her third album, Across the Plain. And starting things off at 2 p.m. on the Garden Stage will be the winner of this year's Shore 104.3FM "Sounds of Summer" song search competition, Zaac Pick. For a complete line-up, see the website. [caption id="attachment_7036" align="aligncenter" width="314" caption="Photo: AudioImage.ca"][/caption] And if you get bored of the music, there's lots more to do at Deer Lake Park. An easy 5.7 kilometer hike leads around the lake and into the wetlands along Beaver Creek, offering a great glimpse of Vancouver's natural scenery. And Deer Lake Park is also Burnaby's cultural hub: The Burnaby Art Gallery, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Burnaby Village Museum and Hart House Restaurant are all nearby. Anyone planning to go to the festival this weekend? Any suggestions for can't-miss acts? Remy Scalza

Free Vegetarian Feast for 20,000 People: Chariot Festival This Sunday

Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:05:34 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7179" align="aligncenter" width="388" caption="Photo: ChariotFestivalofIndia.com"][/caption] Among the many vibrant ethnic and religious groups in Vancouver is a large population of Hare Krishnas. This Sunday, they celebrate their faith with the 37th annual Chariot Festival in Stanley Park, which features a parade of spectacularly decorated floats, live music and dancing and - of course - a free vegetarian feast of South Asian cuisine. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m., winding its way along Beach Avenue toward Stanley Park (map of route). Fifty-foot-tall "chariots," decorated with flowers and representations of deities, are pulled through the streets by the Hare Krishna faithful, accompanied by exuberant chanting and the steady beat of bells and drums. The Hare Krishna movement reached North American shores in 1966, although it's based in Hindu texts that are thousands of years old. Adherents believe - among other tenets - that repetition of the famous Hare Krishna mantra brings them closer to god. In its early days, Krishna consciousness was associated with the Hippie movement, though followers come from all different backgrounds. If past parades are any indication, this year's will be attended by a mix of free spirits and free thinkers, as well as followers from India, who dance and clap in the streets as the chariots are towed to Stanley Park. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWv6mP-ytog] The festival portion of the event starts at 1 p.m. on Second Beach. Two stages will showcase live South Asian music and theatre as well as classical Bhartnatyam dancers. Inside a ring of brightly colored tents, you can also find exhibits on culture and fashion, as well as a kids' area with facepainting, henna tatoos and the requisite bouncy castle. [caption id="attachment_7181" align="aligncenter" width="299" caption="Photo: ChariotFestivalofIndia.com"][/caption] And, of course, there is the feast. One of the primary goals of the Hare Krishna movement is to distribute vegetarian meals throughout the world. In fulfillment of this mission, the Free Feast tent will be serving up an estimated 20,000 free vegetarian meals to guests at the festival. Anyone been to the Chariot Festival before? Any tips for people planning to go? Remy Scalza

Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:09:56 +0000

Cyclists waiting for B.C. ferry at Brentwood Bay, Vancouver Island. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:13:14 +0000

B.C. Ferry with 2010 Olympic markings. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:47:42 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:59:48 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:00:34 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:01:02 +0000

Sanafir, Bloedel, Little India, VanAq 251 (Small)

Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:36:58 +0000

Sanafir, Bloedel, Little India, VanAq 206 (Small)

Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:37:38 +0000

Sanafir, Bloedel, Little India, VanAq 213 (Small)

Remy Scalza — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 21:38:13 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:13:57 +0000

Latin Summer Fest Sunday, August 15

Dana Lynch — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:18:52 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7238" align="aligncenter" width="288" caption="Photo © imonlyhereforthefood.com"][/caption] It's the weekend for multicultural festivals around Vancouver! First, there's the Chinatown Festival. Then there's the Hare Krishna Chariot Festival in Stanley Park. Finally, there's Latin Summer Fest, celebrating Latin culture, music, food, and more at East Vancouver's Trout Lake. Latin Summer Fest is a FREE all-day festival happening this Sunday, August 15. The annual event features live music on its main stage---music ranges from Flamenco to Cuban Rueda---live dance performances, an import and artisan market and, of course, tons of Latin cuisine. Parking at Latin Summer Fest will be limited, so take the SkyTrain. Latin Summer Fest runs from 11am to 7pm on Sunday, August 15, 2010.

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Remy Scalza — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:02:07 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:04:03 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:05:32 +0000

Cruising Indian Arm: Vancouver's Backyard Wilderness

Remy Scalza — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:32:14 +0000

A lot of things make Vancouver special: great beaches, Stanley Park and its incredible seawall, plentiful White Spots, etc. But for me what truly sets the city apart is its backyard - the ocean and jagged mountains that literally ring the downtown core. And among the most spectacular of Vancouver's natural wonders is Indian Arm, a secluded ocean inlet only minutes outside the city. Carved during the last ice age by glaciers, Indian Arm is a 20-kilometer-long fjord that extends from the Burrard Inlet deep into the heart of the Coast Mountains. Apart from the small community of Deep Cove, there are no towns along its length. A few hardy (and wealthy) homesteaders have built weekend lodges on the banks, but the lack of paved roads and Indian Arm's protected status have kept development at bay. Because Indian Arm's inner reaches are inaccessible by car, one of the best ways to experience the area is by boat. This is where Harbour Cruises come in. You could of course rent a kayak or puny little motorboat, but if you're going to explore Indian Arm, why not do it in style - on one of Harbour Cruises plush party ships. I did a four-hour lunch cruise ($65 plus tax) over the weekend aboard the MV Harbour Princess, a double-decker cruise ship with space for 190 passengers, a dining room and - importantly - a full-service bar. Cruises depart from Coal Harbour and motor slowly past the steel and glass towers of downtown Vancouver, under the rusted spans of the Second Narrows Bridge and deep into Burrard Inlet. One of the unexpected highlights: A glimpse of McBarge, the dilapidated remains of a floating McDonald's, built for Vancouver's Expo '86 then dragged out here to rust in peace. After an hour or so of cruising - past loaded freighters and busy wharves, solitary crab fishermen and unlucky speed boats snagged on sand bars - we take a sharp left and turn into Indian Arm. Immediately, the scenery begins to change. The cottages and condos of Deep Cove quickly give way to sheer granite cliffs and dense, dark forest stretching in every direction. I join the passengers thronging the ship's sunny top deck for photo ops. The wild scene - mountains, water and scarcely a single sign of human development - feels a world away from downtown Vancouver. But the action inside the boat is almost as interesting. At the bar, Tim the bartender is busy mixing Caesars and Margaritas, while a soundtrack of rock classics plays softly over the speakers - The Beatles, Neil Young, even a little Jimmy Buffet. Over the PA, an announcement is made: The lunch buffet has opened. I make my way to the bottom deck where there's a generous spread of wild spring salmon and roast chicken. Inside the dining room, I get a better idea of who's on board: families visiting from as close as Surrey and as far as India; an 82-year-old man celebrating his birthday; young couples holding hands; and a big group of women celebrating a bachelorette party. After lunch, the bachelorette - making the most of her last minutes of freedom - gets a rare treat: a chance to step inside the ship's wheelhouse and take the helm of the $1.5 million vessel. While first mate Tony Dujmovic explains the intricacies of magnetic compasses and rudder control, she struggles to hold the course and avoid powerboats whizzing by. The trip culminates with a glimpse of Silver Falls, a shimmering cascade of water tucked away in a protected cove on the shoreline. Although Aboriginal legend warns that misfortune comes to those who look directly at the falling water, we spend a full five minutes snapping pictures before the captain blows his horn and the ship begins to chug back to port. The calm ride back to civilization is highlighted by sightings of several seals, a million or so of the jellyfish that make Indian Arm home and a very brave girl who - prompted by the cheers of passengers - leaps from a 40-foot cliff on shore and into the icy water. Interested in seeing the hidden wilds of Indian Arm for yourself? Harbour Cruises runs lunch trips from Friday through Monday. Boarding is at 10:30 a.m. at the docks along Coal Harbour. You can learn about special promotions and discounts by visiting their Facebook page. Remy Scalza

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Dana Lynch — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:39:21 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:41:05 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:42:15 +0000

2010 Fair at the PNE: Top 10 Reasons to Go!

Dana Lynch — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 23:50:41 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7264" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fair at the PNE"][/caption] There is only one thing that makes the end of summer in Vancouver tolerable: the annual Fair at the PNE. No matter how old you are, you always feel like a kid when you arrive at the Fair: there's a thrum of excitement in the air and---from the mini donuts to the exhibits to the 50+ rides---it's hard to know where to start, there's so much to see and do! The 2010 Fair at the PNE is bigger and better than ever: this year is the 100th anniversary of this beloved summer favourite. So if ever there was a year not to miss the Fair, this is it! Top 10 Reasons to Do the 2010 Fair at the PNE 1. The 100th Anniversary PNE Parade - Happening Friday, August 20 (the day before the Fair begins), the first-ever, one-time-only Parade will see 100 years of PNE magic travel along Beach Avenue in English Bay from Stanley Park to Sunset Beach. 2. Superdogs - Kids love them, dog-lovers love them....That's everybody, right? [caption id="attachment_7265" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Superdogs at the Fair at the PNE"][/caption] 3. The Rides - The Fair is packed with 55+ rides and attractions, including Western Canada’s first vertical swing ride and the classic Wooden Roller Coaster. 4. The Food - Isn't Fair food the best? Mini donuts, cotton candy, funnel cakes, BBQ, skewers, fish and chips, plus every kind of food imaginable, from Chinese to Mexican to Indian! 5. 100 Years of Fun Parade - Celebrate the Fair's 100th birthday once daily with this on-site birthday parade. 6. West Coast Lumberjack Show - The ultimate west-coast Canadian show! [caption id="attachment_7266" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="West Coast Lumberjack Show at the 2009 Fair at the PNE"][/caption] 7. The Midway Games - Win a stuffed animal at Wac a Mole and you'll really feel like you're at a fair! 8. Summer Night Concerts - Performers include Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Terri Clark, Michael Bolton, Cyndi Lauper, Los Lobos, Little River Band, Wayne Newton, Huey Lewis and The News, and local favourites Trooper, Spirit of the West and Mariana’s Trench! 9. The Pacific Spirit Horse Show - Just one of the fabulous animal showcases at the Fair's Agriculture area, this famous horse show includes miniature horses, cattle penning, jumping exhibitions, the RCMP musical ride, and---new for 2010---the Battle of the Breeds. 10. Kaboom! A Pyro Musical Spectacular 100th Celebration - Happening nightly, this gigantic birthday celebration uses innovative projection and state-of-the-art lighting to take you on "a high tech trip through one hundred years of PNE History." Video trailer for Kaboom!: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpKq2ajeQwA] The 2010 Fair at the PNE runs from August 21 - September 6. Bonus: Go Sunday, August 22 between 9am - 12pm (noon) and get FREE GATE ADMISSION! Love the Fair at the PNE? Please share your top reasons to go to the Fair at the PNE.

Food, Wine and Farms: Feast of Fields - Aug. 29

Remy Scalza — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:36:27 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7041" align="aligncenter" width="310" caption="Photo: FeastofFields.com"][/caption] Can food bring city folk and farm folk closer together? That's the idea behind the annual Feast of Fields, a unique event held in the Lower Mainland and other locations. Feast of Fields brings together chefs, winemakers and brewers, restaurateurs, farmers and plain-old consumers and puts them all on a local farm for a day of eating, drinking and learning more about where real food comes from. This year's Feast of Fields will be on Sunday, Aug. 29, from 1-5pm at Wellbrook Winery on the Bremner Farm in Delta (You might recognize the Bremner name from its juices made from local blueberries and cranberries). Armed with only a wine glass and a linen napkin, guests wander amid tents set up around the farm, sampling local produce, cheeses and meats, delicious prepared foods from local restaurants and artisan wines and beers. [caption id="attachment_7042" align="aligncenter" width="260" caption="Photo: FeastofFields.com"][/caption] The lineup for this year's Feast of Fields is still being finalized but features some big name players in the British Columbia food and wine scene. Restaurants attending include C, Coast and Nu, as well as Raincity Grill, Sanafir and dozens of others. Among the wineries present will be Summerhill Pyramid, Tinhorn Creek, Blasted Church and Dirty Laundry. Breweries include Phillips, R&B and Red Truck. With so many incredible participants, make sure you come hungry and thirsty. [caption id="attachment_7043" align="aligncenter" width="276" caption="Photo: FeastofFields.com"][/caption] Tickets to the event cost $85 are are sure to sell out fast. This year's theme is "A Taste of History" and highlighted are second generation producers that have been supplying BC's chefs with fresh ingredients for decades. This year's host, Bremner Farm, is a great example. Since 1950, the family farm has been producing berries and juices and has more recently turned its focus to fruit wines - from blueberry to apricot - made by their Wellbrook Winery. Anyone been to a Feast of Fields before? What was it like? Please share any memories below. Remy Scalza

This Week’s Featured Vancouverite: Carmen Chan

Ehren Seeland — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 17:00:33 +0000

Hometown: Hong Kong How long have you been a Vancouverite? 5 years Occupation: I recently graduated from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in communication design. My interests are branding, creative thinking, and layout design. Please visit my portfolio website at: www.carmenchan.ca. Favourite place in the city: I love the beaches in Vancouver, and the one that I visit the most is Kitsilano Beach! In the summer, I enjoy laying down on the warm sand, looking at the clear blue sky, feeling the warmth of the sun, and the breeze of wind. This is what's so great about Vancouver—you can enjoy the Pacific Ocean, mountains, and trees all at the same time. Best way to spend a Saturday in the city: A perfect Saturday for me would start at Kits beach for some beach volleyball or sun tanning. I would also bring some sushi to enjoy under the gorgeous Vancouver sun. After the beach, I would rent a bicycle and ride along the seawall. From there, I would end up at the foot of Denman St. just in time for dinner at my favorite Westend restaurants (or maybe try something new). I would then walk down Denman Street to English Bay and end my perfect day with some gelato! Favourite Vancouver restaurant: There are simply too many good restaurants in Vancouver, so please bear with me—my favorites include Guu with Garlic on Robson Street where you are surrounded by a fun atmosphere of waitresses shouting and crowds cheering; Motomachi Shokudo serves fantastic ramen with fresh healthy ingredients at a reasonable price in an overpriced city; and lastly, Bao Bei, my latest find that is located in the heart of Chinatown where they serve heart-melting Chinese food along with classy martinis and cocktails. Top insider tip for visitors: Daiso, a Japanese toonie store that sells everything you need for home, is the place that I always check for cool stuff. I can spend 2 hours shopping there.

Free Movie Tonight: Free Screening of Babies

Dana Lynch — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 07:05:03 +0000

Trailer for Babies: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vupEpNjCuY] If you've heard of the international hit documentary Babies but haven't had a chance to see it yet, you can for FREE tonight only at Empire Granville 7 Theatre at 855 Granville Street in downtown Vancouver. The movie, from award-winning French filmmaker Thomas Balmès, follows four babies around the world---Ponijao in Namibia, Bayarjargal in Mongolia, Mari in Japan, and Hattie in the U.S.---from birth to their first steps, showing both the differences and the universals of being a baby. The free screening is courtesy of Alliance Films and World Vision. Before the movie, World Vision will feature two short films about children in developing countries, followed by a guest speaker who will discuss the importance of education to children in the developing world. Then the audience will get to see Babies. The FREE screening of Babies runs 7pm - 9pm at Empire Granville 7 Theatre, August 18, 2010. Seating is first-come, first-served.

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:15:35 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:16:09 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:16:54 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:17:50 +0000

Capilano Suspension Bridge: Reconsidered

Remy Scalza — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:32:45 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7285" align="aligncenter" width="287" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Talk to travelers who have visited Vancouver recently and chances are good they've been to Capilano Suspension Bridge, the iconic 100-year-old landmark on the city's North Shore. The bridge, swaying 230 feet above the Capilano River, is Vancouver's tourist attraction par excellence - rooted in nature, rich in history, interactive and just a little bit scary. 700,000 people visited last year, making it one of the most popular attractions in the entire country. But precisely because it's so famous and so popular, the Capilano Suspension Bridge sometimes slips off people's radars: dismissed as too "touristy" by locals or too "tame" by intrepid travelers. This is a shame because there's a lot going on at Capilano these days - the big bridge is just a small piece of the action. I stopped by yesterday, on a warm morning when a cool breeze was blowing down from the North Shore Mountains. At 10 a.m., the entrance gates were already busy with tour bus traffic - visitors speaking German and French eager for a glimpse of the BC wilderness. Admission is $30.95 for adults; kids 6-12 get in for $10 (A little known perk: BC residents can get a year-long pass to Capilano for $25). [caption id="attachment_7286" align="aligncenter" width="373" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Inside, the Capilano park is divided into two main sections, with the 450-foot-long suspension bridge spanning between. On the east bank of the river is the "heritage" side. Here, enthusiastic guides in costumes from the late 1800s lead groups through a series of exhibits on local history. You learn, for instance, that the bridge is Vancouver's oldest tourist attraction, having drawn curious travelers since 1889. There is also a First Nations carving demonstration and the largest collection of privately-owned totem poles in North America. Next to the Trading Post Gift Shop, musicians in period dress belt out old-timey tunes. But all this stuff is really just a teaser for the real action. The fun starts when you step onto the suspension bridge itself, which seems to hang like a delicate thread above the yawning Capilano Canyon. When you're about three or four steps in, the whole thing starts to shudder and shimmy, leaning heavily to one side and then the other. It's safe, of course - with chest-high wire railings and enough strength to support the weight of a fully-loaded 747 jet plane. But when you're clinging to the swaying railing, looking 20 stories down at the river below, there's still an adrenaline factor. Maybe a video could do the experience more justice: Here's a random one (and pretty silly) that I found on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlitSS4zULQ Once you've made it across the bridge - which takes a good minute or two - you enter the newer section of the park, the "rainforest" zone - a gorgeous tract of never-logged, old growth forest filled with 1,000-year-old Douglas firs, cedars and hemlocks. Considering the various ways that park planners could have used this space - turned it into a woodland Disney, filled it with tawdry exhibits, riddled it with gimmicky ziplines - what they've done is quite noble and also quite spectacular. A low footprint wooden pathway leads through the forest, beneath the towering trees and beside quiet ponds stocked with lake trout. The scene is calm and primeval - an almost unmediated glimpse into a remarkably preserved bit of West Coast rainforest. At one point, the path ascends into a two story wooden treehouse, built from reclaimed logs. This marks the start of the Treetops Adventure - a unique canopy walk and arguably the highlight of the park. Seven bridges totalling 650 feet in length wind through the canopy, climbing to more than 100 feet above the forest floor. These bridges connect a series of viewing platforms, suspended with ropes and pulleys (but no nails or screws) midway up the trunks of massive Douglas fir trees. It's a bird's-eye view of the forest - something that would be almost impossible to experience elsewhere. [caption id="attachment_7288" align="aligncenter" width="385" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption]

And there's more. The creative minds at Capilano are hard at work finishing a new attraction: the Cliffhanger. From the rim of Capilano Canyon - hundreds of feet above the water - engineers have hung a narrow, two-foot-wide pathway. It extends for 700 feet, following the contour of the canyon walls but hanging in midair - supported only by steel brackets screwed into the sheer face of the cliff. Cliffhanger opens in April 2011 and hopes to offer visitors a bit of a thrill and a new perspective on the unique canyon ecosystem at the same time.

[caption id="attachment_7289" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] For more information on Cliffhanger and other projects, check out Capilano's Twitter feed: @CapSuspBridge. You can also go to their website: www.capbridge.com Any other favorite attractions at Capilano Suspension Bridge that I missed? I know it's not exactly a hidden gem, but I was surprised to find out how much is going on there. Remy Scalza

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:05:46 +0000

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Kristen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:08:39 +0000

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Kristen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:12:02 +0000

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Kristen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:16:31 +0000

Visit Hell's Gate Airtram

Kristen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:18:58 +0000

If you want to experience the best views of the Fraser Canyon then a visit to Hell’s Gate is an absolute must. Whether you’re a local getting to know the area, a visitor exploring the region for the first time or you just happen to be driving through - there is something in store for young and old including the air tram, suspension bridge and even a fudge factory (yum!).

Hell’s Gate is located on a Gold Rush Trail in the beautiful Fraser Canyon near Boston Bar, approximately 2 ½ hours drive east of Vancouver. Head out of the city and prepare yourself for an absolutely stunning drive along the way. Hell’s Gate Airtram offers travellers a beautiful spot to stop in the canyon and allows you to get right down to the river level to really appreciate the sheer cliffs and the power of the rushing water. The towering rock walls of the Fraser River plunge toward each other forcing the water through a passage that is only 35 metres wide (110 feet). At peak level, 200 million gallons of water per minute leap and surge through the gorge.

Access to the canyon has been provided by an air tram since 1971. From the roadside station, two small trams carry visitors down a 152 metre (502 foot) descent to the lower station on the opposite side of the river where the pages of history have been written. The first recorded written history of hell’s gate is found in the explorer Simon Fraser’s journal, 1808 – where he stated that “this was a place where no human being should venture”. From Simon Fraser’s death defying voyage to the great Fraser Canyon battle during the Gold Rush and finally, the devastating slide that occurred during the construction of the Canadian National Railway, there is a lot of history to be discovered in and around the canyon.

The view up and down the river on your descent is absolutely stunning. Upon your arrival at the station below you will find observation decks, a suspension bridge, café, fudge factory, gift shop, gold panning and a fisheries exhibit. Be sure to walk out onto the suspension bridge where you will cast you eyes on beautiful views of the Fraser River and valley. You might even catch a glimpse of people white-water rafting right below you. The people in the first boat I saw go through got very wet as they hit the first rapids (as you can see by the picture below!). The great thing about the suspension bridge is that it has a grated floor, so you have a clear view of the raging water beneath your feet. The other great thing (at least for me) is that it doesn’t sway! A visit to the Fudge Factory is a must. Hell’s Gate makes up to 100 flavours on site. I walked in to purchase one flavour and somehow walked out with three flavours - it’s too good to pass up! They also sell ice cream and other delicious treats in the Fudge Factory.

According to some of Hell’s Gate’s guests and staff, there are some “spirits” that frequent the area and some believe that Hell’s Gate could very well be haunted. Given the area’s history of tragedy, this could very well be true! Mysterious voices, shadows lurking about, objects falling off shelves and mysterious shapes appearing in photographs are just some of the spooky testimonials. But don’t let that scare you – the staff assure me that their ghosts are friendly and hospitable!

This year is the year of the Adams River Salmon run which will take place in late September/early October. Eleven million salmon are expected to make their way through the waters of Hell’s Gate this year. This spectacular run of sockeye salmon only comes through every four years. Also coming up on October 11^th is the 3^rd Annual Pumpkin Drop. Bring a carved pumpkin and you can ride the tram for free. Drop your pumpkin out of the tram to try and hit the target 500 ft below for a chance to win some great prizes!

Hell’s Gate is open seven days a week, and their season runs mid-April to mid-October each year. Adult tickets are $19 and there are discounts for youths, seniors and families, and children under five get in for free. Admission tickets include a return trip tram ride, the museum, observation deck and suspension bridge. If you’re feeling energetic you can also hike down to Hell’s Gate and catch the tram back to the top after you have explored! One trip to Hell’s Gate entitles you to a complimentary season pass, giving you unlimited returns during that season for free. This is a great offer especially for those who drive this highway quite frequently, or for locals who wish to return with friends or visitors.

A great part of the journey to Hell’s Gate (apart from the spectacular scenery) are some of the other attractions along the way such as Alexandra Bridge, Lake of the Woods and the Othello Tunnels. You could also combine a trip to Hell’s Gate with a trip out to the Okanagan, Kamloops or beyond! The Hell’s Gate website offers some ideas of places in the area to explore. You can also check out the Tourism British Columbia website for some further itinerary ideas in the area.

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Kristen — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:48:34 +0000

Gourmet Lunch at Bargain Price: $29 Special at Market

Remy Scalza — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:15:07 +0000

For many foodies, the highlight of the culinary year is Dine Out Vancouver, when the city's top restaurants offer discount tasting menus. The only problem: Dine Out lasts but two short weeks (2010's event ran from April 26-May 6). Which is why the ongoing lunch special at Market restaurant in the downtown's Shangri-La hotel is so exceptional. $29 buys you a three-course lunch, Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. It's like a Dine Out promotion that never ends. Now $29 may not sound exactly bargain-basement, but consider what you're getting. Market is the creation of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, culinary genius behind the three-Michelin-starred Jean Georges in New York and a host of other acclaimed restaurants in capitals around the world. The food at Market represents some of the finest on offer in Vancouver and has been justly praised by critics from the city and beyond. Even more impressive: Unlike with Dine Around - which limits your options to a few fixed menus - with this special you have free reign over Market's entire glorious lunch menu. Choose one appetizer, one entree and one dessert - whichever ones you like. Fancy some tuna tartar followed by soy glazed short ribs and then a rhubarb and strawberry crisp? How about warm asparagus salad, then some slow cooked arctic char and finally chocolate pudding with crystallized violets for dessert? There are literally thousands of combinations to choose from on the menu, meaning you can go back to the restaurant again and again and never get bored (although you might put on a few pounds). To sample the same dishes in a dinner setting could easily cost twice as much. Best of all: The lunch promotion - while not exactly a secret - isn't all that well known either. It's not mentioned on Market's website and it seems like it has largely slipped under the foodie radar. Any other fans of Market out there? Any can't-miss dishes on the menu? Please leave a comment below. Remy Scalza

Inside the New Wind Turbine at Grouse Mountain

Remy Scalza — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:15:20 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7293" align="aligncenter" width="292" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] By now you've probably noticed the new addition to the Vancouver skyline. High atop the North Shore mountains - and easily visible from most spots downtown- is a snow-white wind turbine, sprouting from a background of pine trees. This is Grouse Mountain's new Eye of the Wind attraction: a 65-meter-tall, fully functional turbine that doubles as an observation deck offering some of the best views in the city. The Eye of the Wind opened to the public just last May. I decided to check it out yesterday, on a clear day when the views promised to be spectacular. Getting to the turbine is half the fun. It starts with a trip up 3,700-foot Grouse Mountain aboard the SkyRide, at more than a mile long, North America's largest aerial tramway (The SkyRide is included with Grouse admission, which is $39,95 for adults or $64.95 if you'd like to experience the Eye of the Wind, too). Packed inside the cable car with a few dozen other people, I cruised up the mountain, skimming over the tops of hemlocks and cedars as downtown Vancouver and the Georgia Strait came into view below. Another option if you're looking for a workout: Instead of taking the SkyRide, hike the Grouse Grind, an "invigorating" 2.9-kilometer trail up the mountain. [caption id="attachment_7295" align="aligncenter" width="284" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] From on top of Grouse, a separate chairlift takes you up another 400 feet to the base of the turbine. Up close, it's huge. Each of the three blades is 37 meters long, about twice the length of a city bus. Standing underneath the blades, I could feel the air shudder with a deep, low vibration as they spun around. High atop the turbine tower hangs the glass-walled observation deck, shining in the sun like a tiny suspended bubble. The Eye of the Wind is, of course, not just for show. Once hooked up to the power grid, the turbine will generate about 25 percent of the energy needed at Grouse Mountain. It's part of a larger eco-initiative designed to reduce the resort's carbon footprint. Other new earth-friendly projects include the zipline adventure, five separate tracks that whip riders across the mountain at speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour - all without burning any fossil fuels. There's also a unique bear habitat, home to two orphaned grizzlies that now weigh nearly half-a-ton each. But back to the Eye of the Wind: Access to the the observation deck on the turbine is via a special elevator built right into the shaft. For 35 seconds, the elevator rises, before finally opening its doors to the specially designed viewPod plaftform. The view from inside is incredible, above and beyond the spectacular vista from atop Grouse. Not only can you see all of Burrard Inlet, the sprawling city of Vancouver and even the hazy outline of Vancouver Island, but you can also see in the other direction - deep into the snow-capped Coast Mountains. [caption id="attachment_7296" align="aligncenter" width="262" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] A few notes for thrill-seekers First of all, I was surprised to discover that the viewPod platform actually moves. Every thirty seconds, the turbine reorients itself to face into prevailing winds. As it slowly turns, so does the platform, creaking around hundreds of feet up in the air. Second, part of the platform has a glass floor. Most people yesterday gingerly stepped around the glass panels, afraid to test fate. But I did see one little kid crawl right onto the panels, press his face against the glass and stare at the ant-like crowds milling around far, far below. For updates on the turbine and other Grouse Mountain initiatives, you can follow their Twitter feed: @grousemountain. You can also check out their website: www.grousemountain.com. Has anyone else been up to the Eye of the Wind turbine yet? What did you think of the view? [caption id="attachment_7297" align="aligncenter" width="263" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Remy Scalza

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Rare Wooden Carousel at Burnaby Village

Remy Scalza — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:37:37 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7321" align="aligncenter" width="352" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Michael DesMazes might have the best job in the world. For the last 14 years, he has operated the historic carousel at the Burnaby Village Museum, a "living museum" that shows how life was in the 1920s. There's a working blacksmith's shop, school house, old-fashioned general store and tons of actors dressed up in period costumes. But the highlight for most visitors is Michael's domain: the circa 1912, fully functional carousel I know what you're thinking: In an age of gravity-defying rollercoasters and 4-D experiences at the Vancouver Aquarium, how can an old carousel possibly be interesting? Take one look, and I promise you'll be converted. It's not just an amusement, it's a work of art. The carousel was a standby at the PNE Fair in Vancouver for decades before falling into disrepair. It was then bought by a private collector with a big heart and sold to the Burnaby Museum for $1, provided they restored it to its former glory and built a pavilion to protect it from the elements. [caption id="attachment_7322" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Volunteers lavished 30,000 man hours on painstakingly rebuilding, refinishing and repainting the dozens of wooden horses on the carousel. Each horse is distinct. Some raise their heads and whinny at the sky (These are, appropriately enough, known as stargazers in carousel parlance). Others trot along regally, wooden manes polished to a high gleam. There are horses with battle armor and brilliant gold trimmings and others dressed for a hunt across the English countryside. And then there is the glorious "lead horse": mane a riot of bristling hair; front leg extended On eBay, individual carousel horses in good condition can fetch upward of $10,000. But these old nags have been put to a higher calling. Each day, hundreds of youngsters (and the young at heart) climb on board for a few whirls around the carousel. Michael, the operator, starts the ride with a safety demonstration: Speeds max out at a blistering 12 kilometers per hour, he warns, so it's best to hold on. Then, he punches a button and the carousel starts up, slowly at first, then turning faster and faster until the horses are pumping up and down in a blur. At the same time, a massive antique Wurlitzer Organ from 1925 cranks out carnival music - complete with clapping cymbals, bass drum, flutes, bells, trumpets and whistles. [caption id="attachment_7323" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Talk with Michael between rides, and you realize that there's a whole hidden culture around carousels. Back in the day, they were the highlight of the fair, drawing long lines of riders. Carousel makers competed to make the fastest, most flamboyantly decorated models. And the operators were a breed unto themselves - fast-living carnival types who stored bottles of booze in the carousel gearhouse for a nip or two between rides. Another bit of trivia: While North American carousels run counterclockwise, European versions go clockwise. [caption id="attachment_7324" align="aligncenter" width="380" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] There's far more to the Burnaby Village Museum than the carousel, including a lovingly restored tram and thousands of artifacts that shed light on the history of the Lower Mainland. Admission is a deal: Only $11.70 for adults; $5.86 for kids under 12 (and Tuesdays all admissions are half-price). And the best part: If you want to go and just ride the carousel, it will only cost you $1.90. More information is available at BurnabyVillageMuseum.ca. Remy Scalza

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:12:07 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:16:07 +0000

Chance to Touch Slimy Sea Life at Vancouver Aquarium

Remy Scalza — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:26:15 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7332" align="aligncenter" width="219" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Up close, a sea cucumber really does look like a cucumber. But it feels more like a big spongy blob of slime. This revelation and more await at the Wet Lab in the Vancouver Aquarium, a unique exhibit where you can touch a whole variety of slimy, oozing, tentacled sea creatures: all in the name of science. Every day at 4:30 p.m., the Lab - which is tucked away downstairs next to the jellyfish exhibits - opens its doors to the public. And while the big belugas and dolphins at the aquarium tend to hog the spotlight, it turns out that sea cucumbers, starfish and the rest of their invertebrate brethren are every bit as fascinating. Inside, the exhibit feel less like an aquarium display than a working laboratory. Arranged on tables throughout the room are shallow, open-topped tanks holding a variety of species found living off the B.C. coast. There are the ones we all recognize - the starfish and the crabs - and a whole host of more exotic creatures. The twist, of course, is that instead of just looking at these animals, you actually get to reach out and touch them - a tactile glimpse into their weird underwater lives. [caption id="attachment_7333" align="aligncenter" width="382" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] There are the anemones, for instance, which look like giant underwater blossoms in shades of green, pink and yellow. Prompted by aquarium curriculum coordinator Amy Stephenson, I stick my pinkie into one and feel the wavering tentacles contract and cling to my finger like velcro. Amy explains that the anemone thinks I'm food and is in fact trying to inject neurotoxins. Alas, my skin is too thick - I pull away and live another day. In a nearby tank is a giant moon snail. It's about the size of a dinner plate - like some garden snail on steroids. I learn that while it looks innocent, it's actually a vicious predator of the deep, using a special appendage to drill through the shells of clams and suck them out. Next door is a Puget Sound King Crab, its big body armored with a thick, pebbly shell. Despite its small claws, the crab can easily crush through most sea creatures. I take a quick touch, concerned about keeping my fingers intact. All fun aside, the Wet Lab, like the aquarium itself, serves a higher purpose. By bringing in the public, as well as regular school groups, aquarium staff hope to change attitudes toward the marine environment. Vancouver is surrounded by beaches and ocean, but the biodiversity under the water's surface often goes unnoticed, unappreciated and underprotected. Offering visitors a chance to not just see but feel the life pulsing in BC's waterways helps to create a new respect for aquatic creatures. [caption id="attachment_7334" align="aligncenter" width="281" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Of course, it just so happens that many of the creatures inside the Wet Lab are among nature's ickiest, homeliest and least lovable. There's the rhinoceros crab, for instance. It's name aside, the crab actually looks terrifyingly like a giant underwater tarantula, complete with bristly hairs on its eight legs. There are the sea urchins - spiky blobs that look a bit like underwater cacti. Even the starfish are menacing. Amy ends the tour by holding up a massive sunflower starfish. With dozens of arms, these starfish can grow to over a meter wide. In search of prey, they zip across the ocean floor at a speedy three kilometers per hour. When they find something appetizing, they push out their stomachs and engulf the victim - a slow, messy demise. [caption id="attachment_7335" align="aligncenter" width="322" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Sound like your idea of fun? If you want to check out all these creatures in person, stop by the aquarium's Wet Lab at 4:30. For more information you can check out their website or Twitter feed: @VancouverAqua. Remy Scalza

UBC Farm Market line-ups on Saturdays. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:03:38 +0000

Bike parking and lots of space for a family picnic. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:05:41 +0000

Cycling for Local Food and Sustainability: UBC Farm Summer Harvest Festival- Sat. Aug. 21, 2010.

Jean — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:23:42 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7341" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="UBC Farm Market line-ups on Saturdays. Photo by J. Chong. Only if you need certain produce."][/caption] A great cycling and foodie outing for family, rain or shine (let’s hope for sun) is the outdoor farm market on the University of BC’s campus. The festival will run 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. just this Saturday. On other Saturdays until October, this market normally runs during these same hours but not with all these one-time activities listed below. A bike ride along Ontario St. signed bike route up to 37^th St. and beyond, is an excellent way to work up your appetite along quiet residential streets. The route will take you past 2 parks –Queen Elizabeth Park and Van Dusen Gardens. Along SW Marine Dr., there is a wide bike lane shoulder. Weekend traffic to the university along this road is low. UBC festival will offer free, bike minor mechanical checks, U-pick blueberries for $2 per pint (picking time 9:00 am-1:00pm. Map for blueberry picking areas and general campus location of farm.) and more. See below.

Free 30 minute Farm Tours @ 9:30am, 11:00am, 12:00pm. Learn about many of the different projects happening on the farm
Face painting, coloring, carrot fortune telling from 10:00am - 1:00pm
Free Yoga session under the poplars with Kristi @ 10:00am - 11:00am. If available, please bring a mat, blanket or towel to practice on. If it rains, yoga may be cancelled.
Performance by the Mozart School of Music @ 11:00am-11:30am By young music students. Alan Wong, a musician will also be playing throughout the day.
Food Preservation Demo - Pickling and Fermenting with Andrea @ 11:30-12:00pm. Join Andrea Potter for a demonstration on pickling and fermenting different farm favourite foods.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="309" caption="Bike parking and lots of space for a family picnic lunch after food shopping . Photo by J. Chong"][/caption] Cycle Over to Other Farmers' Markets in City of Vancouver: At all the City of Vancouver outdoor farmers' markets this year, there is bike valet parking. We cycle over to at least 1 market each weekend and the bike lots are used. For locations and schedule of other farmer's market (Trout Lake, Kitslano, Thornton Park (Wed. afternoons only), etc.), check here. Though bike routes are described at their web site, you may also need the city's bike route map. Some of our photos are here. Some local produce at the the farmers' markets in Vancouver, is unique since not all Canadian farmers' market offer smoked salmon or sea asparagus, a type of fine seaweed which can be used sparingly to salt-season a sandwich, homemade focaccia or salad. Though we may not all grow much of our own food on the same scale as farmers, the effort of cycling with your goodies homeward, will surely make you appreciate the farmers' efforts so much more. [caption id="attachment_7366" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="Fucus fresh seaweed for sale. Trout Lake Farmers' Market. Photo by J. Chong"][/caption]

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Dana Lynch — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 02:44:15 +0000

Home Grown: Local Sustainable Food at MOV

Dana Lynch — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 03:07:25 +0000

: Allen Garr, beekeeper and journalist, with some of his 60,000 plus bees on the six acres “living roof” of the Vancouver Convention Centre. Photograph by Brian Harris.

The Museum of Vancouver (MOV) explores Vancouver's growing passion for local sustainable food with Home Grown, a new exhibit of 39 large-scale Brian Harris photographs opening August 26, 2010. The exhibit uses these huge images of Vancouver's "urban agriculture" as both artistic expression and to educate the viewer about the local farming happening all around us (that we may not know about), from the beekeepers atop the Vancouver Convention Centre to inner city gardeners. MOV has lots of activities and events planned around Home Grown, including talks and tours with growers, activists and chefs, family workshops, and the Food and Beers Speaker Series, a series of talks and panel discussions hosted by acclaimed Canadian journalist and founder of The Tyee, David Beers. Free with admission to Home Grown, the Food and Beers series includes a night with James McKinnon and Alisa Smith, the authors of The 100 Mile Diet (November 25, 2010), and a chance to meet Vancouver food writers (December 8, 2010). Also on the MOV menu: the FREE MOV-ie in the Park, a FREE screening of Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman in Vanier Park this Monday, August 23. Home Grown: Local Sustainable Food is at MOV from August 26, 2010 - January 2, 2011.

Fucus fresh seaweed for sale. Trout Lake Farmers' Market. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:27:06 +0000

Vancouver's Mini Rodeo Drive: Alberni Street

Remy Scalza — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:55:24 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7049" align="aligncenter" width="308" caption="Photo: SkyScraperCity.com"][/caption] Long gone are the days when Vancouver was seen as a rustic West Coast outpost, all lumberjacks and hardy outdoor types. But a misperception persists that the city, for all of its natural beauty and glorious scenery, somehow lags behind in the glitz and glam department - as if having snow-capped mountains in your backyard precludes having fine restaurants and upscale retailers. Alberni Street, also known as Vancouver's mini Rodeo Drive, is fast putting those stereotypes to rest. There may still be a 7-11 on the corner and a BC Liquor Store smack dab in the middle, but Alberni Street has quietly conglomerated some of the ritziest boutiques and snazziest bistros in the city. The recent completion of the Shangri-La Hotel and the opening of a host of new restaurants over the past several years has cemented Alberni's reputation as Vancouver's capital of bling. We don't have royal palms yet - and Rolls Royces are few and far between - but the two blocks of Alberni between Burrard and Bute Streets might someday soon give Beverly Hills a run for its money. Join me for a quick walking tour if you like - just make sure you bring a few credit cards. Marking one end of Alberni Street is the stately profile of the Hotel Vancouver. This five-star palace with the signature copper roof had its start as a Canadian Pacific Hotel, one of the "castles of the north." Heading northwest along Alberni Street, you'll immediately notice Tiffany & Co. to your right (for all of your diamond solitaire needs) and to your left Brooks Brothers, capital of country club chic. [caption id="attachment_7050" align="aligncenter" width="294" caption="Photo: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver"][/caption] By now perhaps you've worked up an appetite. Fortunately, two of Vancouver's most talked about restaurants are on the block, in fact, nearly right across the street from one another. In the mood for sexy seafood in a club atmosphere? You'll be lunching at Coast. High-energy Italian with Vancouver's young and fabulous? That would be Italian Kitchen. Recharged, you're probably ready for more shopping. Betsey Johnson, Burberry and Blubird are all packed together on the block: an alliterative cluster of high-end purses, shoes and contemporary fashions. Not to mention you could head a block over to Robson Street and have your pick of the Armanis, Zaras and Aritzias of the shopping world. Retail urges sated, it's time for dinner. Here, too, you have no shortage of choices on Alberni Street. But Market - the restaurant from three-Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten - is hard to pass up. Climb to the second floor and grab a seat on the patio for a gourmet experience on par with most anything on offer in New York, London and other foodie meccas. And if you're feeling a little worn out after dinner and your day of splurging, you've got the Shangri-La Hotel right upstairs. This five-star, Asian-inspired take on the good life occupies Vancouver's tallest building and is reputed to have a 2:1 staff to customer ratio. There's lots more to explore on this tiny swathe of Alberni Street. If you've got a favorite shop or restaurant, please leave a comment below. And what do you think about the "mini Rodeo Drive" label? Is it justified? Or just ambitious marketing? Remy Scalza

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Dana Lynch — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:44:44 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:56:13 +0000

On Wheels: Sightseeing in Vancouver Without Walking

Dana Lynch — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:05:42 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7375" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="On board the Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tour"][/caption] When my father-in-law visits Vancouver, we have to be mindful about where we do our sightseeing: He simply can't walk well. That means a lot of the traditional "things to do in Vancouver" are off-limits: no biking the seawall or walking into the low tide on Spanish Banks or following the winding pathways through Queen Elizabeth Park's Quarry Gardens. But you don't have to walk to have fun and see the best of Vancouver. These are some of my favourite options for touring Vancouver for people with mobility issues or wheelchairs (or who just don't want to walk). Driving: If you can drive, Vancouver and it's neighbouring environs boast some of the best roads for sightseeing by car. You can drive all around the perimeter of Stanley Park---stopping at whatever viewpoints or attractions you like---or drive the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. Trolley Tours: Stanley Park offers a wheelchair-accessible trolley ride that stops at 7 of the Park's major attractions (you can hop on and off); call 604.801.5515 for info. There are several trolley companies offering tours of downtown Vancouver: Vancouver Trolley Company goes all over Stanley Park, Yaletown and Chinatown. Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tours are wheelchair-accessible, too. [caption id="attachment_7381" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Harbour Cruise around Vancouver"][/caption] Harbour Cruises: A favourite among the seniors I know---as well as anyone else who loves being on the water while enjoying stunning city views (who doesn't?)---Harbour Cruises and Events lets you tour Vancouver's inner harbour in comfort and style. Trains: If you don't have a car, you can still see the breathtaking Sea to Sky vistas---plus other sights you just can't see on the road---on the way to Whistler via the adorable, historic and fun Whistler Mountaineer. Or, take a mini-trip south of the border on the Amtrak train to Seattle and enjoy beautiful coastal views. [caption id="attachment_7379" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Whistler Mountaineer over Howe Sound"][/caption] Have more options for sightseeing in Vancouver for people with mobility issues and wheelchairs? Please share your experiences below! For more information on traveling in Vancouver with a disability, check out Accessible Vancouver.

Best Vancouver Park You've Never Heard of: Emery Barnes in Yaletown

Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:30:51 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7221" align="aligncenter" width="307" caption="Photo: PacificMetropolis.com"][/caption] Vancouver suffers an embarrassment of riches when it comes to green spaces. There are, of course, the heavy hitters: 1,000-acre Stanley Park, the magnificently landscaped Queen Elizabeth Park and VanDusen Botanical Garden, among others. But the Vancouver Park Board maintains more than 200 separate properties across the city, including many, many gems that get relatively little attention but are dearly loved by in-the-know Vancouverites. Among my favorite is a half-block oasis of green amidst the new high-rises of Yaletown: Emery Barnes Park, at the intersection of Davie and Richards Streets. Now, there is no shortage of parks in Yaletown: In fact, False Creek and the seawall is lined with beautiful waterfront spaces. Emery Barnes Park, however, stands out precisely because it's not on the water. Instead, it's surrounded on all four sides by the new high-rise apartment buildings that have shot up like mushrooms in Yaletown over the last decade: a small square of brilliant green grass and gardens lodged in the heart of a concrete jungle. [caption id="attachment_7223" align="aligncenter" width="307" caption="Photo: PacificMetropolis.com"][/caption] Several features combine to make the park feel like an especially privileged sanctuary amid the bustle of downtown life. First, in place of the usual sputtering park fountain, designers installed a long, flowing stream along one side of the property. From the "headwaters," a bubbling current tumbles over a waterfall and then down a gentle slope, erupting into jets and geysers along the way and culminating in a gusher of water at Davie Street (Although it's not intended for this use, I've seen plenty of toddlers and a fair share of pets cooling off in the stream on hot days). Along the banks of the channel are intricate mosaic tiles and also benches nestled beneath the trees: perfect spots for reading a book, relaxing, romance - whatever your disposition. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dA2EnUsZTl4] Another virtue: A newly opened section of the park includes a flat, expansive playing field. It's big enough for a game of ultimate frisbee or for throwing a baseball around - which is a pretty generous swathe of real estate considering that people are crammed into 540-square-foot apartments all around you. Plus, right now the new sod is still so green and soft that it makes a perfect spot for a quick nap on your lunch break. For the kids - and the young at heart - there's also an elaborate playground full of whimsical jungle gyms and curving slides that make the merry-go-rounds and seesaws of my youth look archaic. The other cool thing is that the play area is all padded with an ultra-soft foam. The idea is to protect the kids from cuts and scrapes but it also makes a nice moon walk simulation, as you bob along the bouncy surface. Finally, a boon to pet owners and non-pet owners alike, there's the fenced-in off-leash dog zone. Maybe it's just me, but is there anything more entertaining than watching unfamiliar dogs of all shapes and sizes interact on neutral turf? Five-pound chihauhaus chase around full-grown labs and German shepherds; tiny pugs with a bad case of spring fever lust after anything on four legs; big dogs recline majestically while throngs of poms and poodles circle and yap. And, perhaps even more interesting for those familiar with Vancouver's history is the fact that until quite recently this whole area was pretty much in the heart of the city's red light district. It's all safe now and thoroughly gentrified, but there's just enough of a gritty fringe left in the neighborhood to ensure an occasional eyebrow-raising sight- like the guy stripped to his skivvies and bathing in the fountain this afternoon. I know there are Emery Barnes Park fans out there? What makes the park special for you? Remy Scalza

This Week’s Featured Vancouverite: Elsa Corsi

Ehren Seeland — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:00:15 +0000

Hometown: Los Angeles , CA How long have you been a Vancouverite? I may have been born in LA, but Vancouver is my hometown. Occupation: I am a jewellery designer that specializes in glamorous red carpet rhinestone jewellery. Less is not more when it comes to my collection of sparkling chandelier earrings and statement cuffs. My jewellery can be found at www.elsacorsi.com and at my store, Jeweliette Jeweller, where I often meet with clients to create their own couture heirloom jewellery. Favorite place in the city: The Vancouver Aquarium has plenty to see, from beluga whales to jellyfish (my favourite!). Not only is the organization committed to the education and preservation of aquatic life, even the building itself is designed to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold standards. This year, I am sitting on the committee for Toast of the Coast, a fundraiser benefiting the Aquarium’s education and conservation such as Ocean Wise, the sustainable seafood program that was created to help restaurants and consumers make environmentally responsible choices. Best way to spend a Saturday in the city: If I ever were to have a Saturday off, I would spend it on one of Vancouver’s waterside patios taking in the beauty of city’s ocean and mountain views with a dozen oysters, and sipping a nice Pinot Blanc while people watching. The scenery is always impressive either on the outdoor terrace at Nu that faces Granville Island or on the opposite side of town at Lift Bar Grill’s sleek million-dollar view of the mountains. Favorite Vancouver shop: My new must have accessory (aside from my own line of jewellery, of course) is Japanese Nail Art Manicures from “nailist” Yasushi at Nails de Kaen on Thurlow Street. Each nail is a mini work of art that is done with elaborate patterns including crystals and 3D flowers and bows. This month, I have blue French tips with iridescent polka dots, topped off with a blue enameled flower on two nails. Top insider tip for visitors: Visitors on their way to or from the Tsawwassen ferry terminal might appreciate a break from the standard gravy and fries ferry food, by making a quick little pit stop just off the highway to Maguro Sushi in Ladner. This place is a solid rival to any of the high-end pricier Japanese establishments in the city, but at a fraction of the cost. They only serve wild (not farmed) salmon, and their most original menu items are posted on the wall of the restaurant and not in the menu, take the time to have a look! While in Ladner, make sure to visit the Superior Fish Market, since it is just steps away from Maguro Sushi. I am always on the hunt for independent grocers that specialize in local ingredients, and this tiny store is run by the first cousins of two Ladner fisherman brothers, a five generation fishing family—it's my latest find. They specialize in wild, not farmed, fish offerings and their sign on the front awning reads ‘Fresh from our Family Boats’. They also have a selection of local cheeses, Vita eggs, and exotic meats. Photo of Elsa Corsi is courtesy of The Collective You Do you know someone who would be a great featured Vancouverite? Let us know in the comment box below!

VAG Lookout SunYatsen Horse 001 (Large)

Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:51:25 +0000

VAG Lookout SunYatsen Horse 066 (Large)

Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:52:10 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:52:39 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:53:21 +0000

Degas, Renoir and More at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:00:05 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7395" align="aligncenter" width="412" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] A landmark exhibition of French masters is wrapping up at the Vancouver Art Gallery. But you still have until Sept. 6 to see nearly 100 of the most world-renowned drawings of the 19th century, including works by Degas, Renoir and Manet. It's all part of a special exhibit called The Modern Woman, focusing on radical new ways that French artists portrayed women in the late 1800s, a period when Paris was in the thrall of the industrial revolution and traditional roles in society were breaking down. It's hard to overstate how exceptional this collection is: On loan from the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, these works have rarely been displayed before and - because many are done in fragile pencil and pastel mediums - may never be shown again. Plus - even if you're not an art buff - this is some juicy stuff. Artists at the time finally turned from portraying idealizations of women - goddesses, muses and virgins - and began to show the everyday women around them: moms, sisters, peasants, prostitutes and the new rising middle class. The settings for their work changed as well. For the first time, subjects are shown not in regal or exalted surroundings but just going about their everyday lives: in Parisian cafes, in the intimacy of their bedrooms and dressing rooms, lounging and reading. Even the way artists worked was changing. Gone are the meticulously painted masterpieces - In their place are rough sketches and pastel and charcoal drawings. Because a lot of these works don't jump right out at you with vibrant colors or eye-grabbing compositions, it definitely helps to make use of the gallery's self-guided audio tour. I was lucky enough to be joined by Kimberly Phillips, who handles interpretation and learning at the VAG. She pointed out a few of the collection's highlights for me. There was Auguste Rodin's Nude Wearing a Brown Coat, for instance. The nude figure has a long history in Western art. But this representation - just a few lines in pencil and dashes in watercolor - is revolutionary. Instead of a model in a classical pose, the subject is an ordinary woman slouched in a chair. Even more radical: She is only partly undressed - wrapped in an old brown coat in a pose that, even today, feels a bit scandalous. We worked our way past portraits of plain and ordinary women, past forbidden scenes from the boudoir - "eroticized and voyeuristic" - and past gritty and grim images from the rapidly modernizing Paris. Near the end of the collection is one of Degas' most recognizable and debated works, A Cafe on Boulevard de Montmartre. The large pastel shows a group of prostitutes seated at a Parisian cafe. A woman in the middle of the group appears to be making an obscene gesture. "Degas was an expert at creating images that play off people's anxieties," Kimberly explains. And that's exactly what makes the entire Modern Woman collection at the VAG so interesting. The works may be more than a century old, but the questions raised - about social upheaval, changes in the city, tensions between classes and the conflicted roles of women - are as valid in 21st-century Vancouver as 19th-century Paris. For more information about The Modern Woman exhibit, check out the Vancouver Art Gallery's website. You can also follow on Twitter: @vanartgallery. Just remember, the exhibit wraps up forever on Sept. 6. Tickets for this and all other Vancouver attractions are available from our Visitor Center. Remy Scalza

VAG Lookout SunYatsen Horse 134 (Large)

Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:24:53 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:25:34 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:26:16 +0000

Rediscovering the Vancouver Lookout

Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:36:25 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7402" align="aligncenter" width="287" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza "][/caption] It seems like there was a brief era in the '60s and '70s when towering, space-age observation decks were really, really cool. You weren't a modern, up-and-coming city unless you had one. It was during that time that Seattle got its iconic Space Needle (1962), Toronto got the CN Tower (1976) and Vancouver got a unique addition to its cityscape, the flying saucer-shaped Lookout atop the Harbour Centre (1977). Times have changed, of course. These days, it's really not en vogue to clutter up your skyline with monumental, not entirely practical, towers. Plus, lots of plain old apartment buildings in Vancouver now rival - and even surpass - the Harbour Centre's height of 181 meters (25 stories). So my question is - in the year 2010 - does the Vancouver Lookout still have a role to play in the city? The answer, without a doubt: Yes. I checked out the Lookout earlier this week and left impressed with the views and enchanted by the retro allure. To get up to the disc-shaped platform, you ride a glass-walled elevator that zips along the outside of the Harbour Centre at a rate of about one floor per second. The experience feels a bit like zooming out on a Google Map of Vancouver - streets recede into the distance and the whole elaborate grid of downtown Vancouver and the surrounding suburbs comes into view. [caption id="attachment_7403" align="aligncenter" width="482" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Up top, you step off the elevator and into the space-ship like chamber of the Vancouver Lookout. The walls are lined with a full 360 degrees worth of glass panels. On a clear day, views are extraordinary. Looking south, I could see beyond Richmond to the hazy profile of Vancouver Island. To the east, far beyond the skylines of Burnaby and Metrotown, rose the snow-capped peak of Mt. Baker in the U.S. The whole of the North Shore and its mountains is visible as well (Only English Bay is obscured, hidden behind the new West End apartment towers). But what's really striking is getting a bird's-eye view on downtown Vancouver itself. Even if you've lived here all your life, the experience is likely to be eye-opening. First of all, from this height, scenes of unexpected beauty take shape. The rail yards along Burrard Inlet, for instance, are a kaleidoscope of color, with tiny red, orange and blue train cars inching to and from the mighty orange cranes perched over the water. [caption id="attachment_7404" align="aligncenter" width="293" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] You also get an idea of the dramatic evolution of Vancouver over the last few decades. Out one set of windows is Vancouver's past - the low slung buildings of Gastown, Chinatown and East Van. Out another set of windows looms the city's future - the gleaming towers of the West End and Yaletown. Finally, there's a very distinct retro appeal to the Lookout. You can choose, for instance, to partake in a wonderfully cheesy guided tour intended primarily for cruise ship traffic and ESL students. I watched several groups go by while the guide repeated the same Wreck Beach joke: "It's a great beach . . . for seeing lots of old naked people." There's also one of those hand-cranked machines where you put in a penny and end up with a smooshed-up penny that has a Vancouver Lookout logo on it (This, in a non-retro way, costs $1). Even the layout of the Lookout - the disc-shaped design, the angled windows - evokes a bygone era of bell bottoms and Pink Floyd laser shows. Tickets to the Lookout are $15 for adults and $10 for students. There's a family special running now: 2 adults and 2 kids for $30 if you arrive before 10 a.m. For more information, check out the Vancouver Lookout website and Facebook page. Tickets for this and all other Vancouver attractions are available from our Visitor Center. Any other fans of the Vancouver Lookout out there? Any fond memories? Remy Scalza

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Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:47:56 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:40:17 +0000

Vancouver Aquarium's $25 Million Facelift

Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:05:50 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7231" align="aligncenter" width="280" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Celebrating its 56th birthday this year, the venerable Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park has decided it's time for a facelift. A recent article in the Vancouver Sun explains that the aquarium has just been awarded $25 million in federal and provincial funding to jumpstart its revitalization. Work is scheduled to begin in September and continue all the way into 2013 - But don't worry, doors will remain open to guests throughout the reno. So what should visitors expect to see in the months and years ahead? The most visible changes will be to the big outdoor pools that are currently home to the aquarium's beloved beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins. A new pool will be added between the two existing ones, and the entire area will be leveled out to form a giant watery playground for the aquarium's marine life. The other big change will be a new entrance to the aquarium - something a little grander and more enticing than the current low-key awning. [caption id="attachment_7232" align="aligncenter" width="446" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Other work is planned is well - eight projects in all, totaling $60 million (You mathematicians may have noticed that the aquarium still needs another $35 million to cover the renos - Expect big funding drives in the years ahead). Details remain sketchy, but there are plans for a new gallery featuring changing exhibits, as well as lots of behind the scenes work on infrastructure and mechanical systems. In a speech announcing the project, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said something I thought was pretty telling: "There is something quite fundamentally decent, something we could even say noble, about what the aquarium does." I think that's true. Controversies will always rage about the wisdom of keeping wild creatures in zoos and aquariums, but it's hard to argue with the idea that the aquarium has done an awful lot to raise awareness and appreciation of the abundant sea life off the B.C. coast. [caption id="attachment_7233" align="aligncenter" width="269" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] For many people - me included - the ocean that surrounds Vancouver is a beautiful but unknown space. Stepping into the Treasures of the B.C. Coast exhibit at the aquarium and seeing octopuses, anemones, lingcod, Dungeness crabs and dozens of other creatures up close makes you recognize the biodiversity beneath the water's surface - and the need to protect it. Not to mention the aquarium's touch pool - where you get to actually feel starfish and other slimy sea dwellers - is pretty cool. Tickets for this and all other Vancouver attractions are available from our Visitor Center. What do you think of the aquarium renos? Any fond memories from VanAq's storied, 56-year history? Remy Scalza

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:50:54 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:53:13 +0000

Sun Yat-Sen Garden 2.0: Chinatown's New Cultural Hub

Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:06:47 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7408" align="aligncenter" width="382" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Chinatown's Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden is a well known and well loved Vancouver fixture. Nearing its 25th birthday, the classical garden was built by 53 master Chinese craftsmen at a cost of more than $6 million in anticipation of Expo '86. Today, it's koi ponds, stone walkways and intricate chambers are one of the city's most popular attractions, offering an idyllic retreat from the bustle of downtown. What many visitors don't realize, however, is that the garden also plays another, equally important role - as a venue for innovative theatre, music and exhibitions. In fact, with the revitalization of Vancouver's Chinatown in recent years - spurred by real estate investment and the opening of new restaurants and boutique hotels - the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden has been reborn as a centre for arts and culture in the community. [caption id="attachment_7409" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] I explored the garden earlier in the week (Adult tickets are $14) and got the inside scoop on upcoming events, as well as insight into the garden's past. Back in 1986, the garden's original craftsmen were brought in from Suzhou - a city renowned for its gardens and known as the Venice of China. They arrived wearing woven rattan hardhats and labored for 15 months, using wood and limestone imported from China (A macabre piece of garden trivia: One Chinese craftsman ended his life by impaling himself on his own chisel). Not a single nail or screw was used during construction: All wooden joints are ingenuously fitted together with dowels and tongues. The result is a masterpiece: one of the finest examples of a Ming Dynasty classical garden in the Western Hemisphere. As beautiful as the garden is, however, it's meant for more than admiring. In China, classical gardens were settings for people to meet, debate and reflect. With that in mind, staff at Sun Yat-Sen have implemented an ambitious cycle of cultural programming designed to draw the greater Vancouver community into the garden. For starters, there are weekly concerts on Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m. during the summer. Known as Enchanted Evenings, this series has been going on (albeit quietly) for more than a decade and highlights live world music performances. Some shows take place inside the reception hall, while others are staged right in the garden itself. This Friday, Van Django - a Vancouver group that plays Gypsy-inspired jazz - will be taking the stage. Tickets are $20 and - a little known fact - the venue is fully licensed. Jazz and wine in one of the city's prettiest gardens . . . . I could think of worse ways to start my weekend. [caption id="attachment_7410" align="aligncenter" width="408" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] In addition to the music, the garden stages a live theatre performance during the summer every Saturday and Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m. (tickets from $12-$22). The play - known as The China Tea Deal - was specially written for the garden and is a kind of historical fairytale. A British tea merchant travels to the Chinese city of Suzhou to negotiate a trade agreement with a local scholar and businessman. Unexpected twists - and plenty of opium-related intrigue - ensue. Coming up on Sept. 19 is another special gathering at the garden: the annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. This huge fete is roughly equivalent to a Chinese Thanksgiving, with a focus on eating and enjoying the bounty of the harvest. Thousands of people take part in the festivities at the garden, which include lots of moon cakes and other lunar-themed delicacies. [caption id="attachment_7411" align="aligncenter" width="264" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption]

There's much more going on inside the garden: monthly art exhibits; private weddings (more than 60 scheduled for this year) and - surprisingly - lots of film shoots (recently Owen Wilson stopped by to do a scene for a new comedy). Even if you're already well acquainted with the garden and its many koi, it might be worth a visit to catch some of the new programming.

Tickets for this and all other Vancouver attractions are available from our Visitor Center.

More information about events can be found on the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden Facebook page. You can also follow them on Twitter: @vangarden. Remy Scalza

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:24:00 +0000

Not to be confused with farmed tiger prawns, spot prawns are caught wild in the icy waters off the British Columbia coast. "They're like a drug," says Steve Johansen, who sells the prawns right off of his boat. "When we dock, people are lined up like they're waiting for concert tickets."

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:24:43 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:25:27 +0000

Stanley Park: By horse

Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:00:07 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7415" align="aligncenter" width="291" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] OK. I know you've thought about it: Wouldn't it be fun to take one of those horse-drawn trollies around Stanley Park? But for some reason or another, you never get around to it. A bit touristy? Possibly. Too pricey? Well - at $29, adult tickets aren't exactly cheap. In any case, earlier in the week, I got tired of the excuses. I put aside my doubts and took my first trip on a Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tour. I'm glad I did. I learned a lot about Stanley Park and even more about draft horses. Like this tidbit: Each of the Tour's 18 horses consumes up to 25 pounds of grain, 35 pounds of hay and 82 liters of water a day. And, probably for that reason, they also all wear specially designed horse diapers. [caption id="attachment_7416" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] My guide on the trip was Caitlin - a 24-year-old from Vancouver Island who, incredibly, has already been driving and working with horses for 11 years, first in Victoria, later in Ecuador and most recently here in Vancouver. She knows all the horses in Stanley Park by name, including the two pulling the trolley today. There's King: a fine old Belgian draft horse who started out in the logging industry (Yes, they still use horses for logging). And Howie: a feisty Clydesdale who's always trying to break into a trot. Each weighs in at around a ton, with massive haunches designed for hard work. The tour starts on Park Drive, opposite Coal Harbour. While Caitlin flicks the reins to keep Howie in check, she offers a running commentary on Vancouver history and the sights around Stanley Park. I learn about the dark past of Deadman's Island in Coal Harbour, first an Indian burial ground, later a municipal cemetery and now home to Vancouver's Naval Reserve, as well as plenty of spiteful ghosts. We pass the Stanley Park Totem Poles - including the mortuary pole carved by famous Haida artist Bill Reid - and take a sharp left into the woods. Here, Caitlin points out cedar, hemlock and thick-barked Douglas firs, seared black by fires hundreds of years ago. [caption id="attachment_7417" align="aligncenter" width="410" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] We emerge on the other side of the park, facing Burrard Inlet, the Lion's Gate Bridge and the imposing North Shore Mountains. Above the clip-clop of horseshoes on asphalt and the rattling of the yoke, Caitlin explains the story behind the Girl in a Wetsuit, a statue perched out in the inlet. Commissioned in the late '60s by a Vancouver lawyer, the statue is a knock-off of Copenhagen's famous Little Mermaid. A favorite perch for seagulls, the statue hasn't had a bath since the mid '90s, when its patron passed on and no one stepped in to keep up maintenance. But for me, the best part of the trip is observing the horses. Amazingly, they never spook - not even when giant SUVs go whizzing by or pedestrians on the seawall race up for a quick snapshot. The horses apparently have no instinct to fear cars or people, though they still have their quirks. At one point, Howie backpedals and bear's his teeth at the sight of a bright green dumpster. Another horse, Jack, reputedly spooks at the sight of wedding dresses ("fear of commitment," according to Caitlin). [caption id="attachment_7418" align="aligncenter" width="472" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Near the end of the hour-long tour, we pass the stables - right inside Stanley Park - where the horses spend their off hours. Interestingly, they share space with the steeds belonging to Vancouver's mounted police. I ask about the treatment of the animals. On any given day, a Stanley Park horse will do a maximum of five one-hour tours. They get a half-hour break in-between trips, not to mention the entire winter off. Caitlin, who has spent her life around horses, explains that they were bred to do this kind of work and are treated extraordinarily well. If you're interested in taking a horse-drawn ride through Stanley Park, you can check out the prices and schedule at the Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tours website. Apart from the big, old-fashioned trollies, the company has an entire fleet of vintage wagons which are available for private rental: fancy-looking vis-a-vis coaches, a much loved Cinderella pumpkin coach and even a horse-drawn hearse, should the need ever arise. Tickets for this and all other Vancouver attractions are available from our Visitor Center. Has anyone else done a horse-drawn tour through Stanley Park? Any fond memories or favorite horse tales? Remy Scalza

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Remy Scalza — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:13:38 +0000

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Remy Scalza — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:03:35 +0000

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Inside Vancouver — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:41:29 +0000

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The Best Summer Rainy Day Activity in Vancouver

Inside Vancouver — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:50:59 +0000

Irene Kehler writes about fun things to do in Vancouver on her site Loving-Vancouver.com Read below for her favourite summer rainy day activity in Vancouver. You've got a summer day dedicated to exploring the wonderful beauty of Vancouver... but it's raining. What's there to do on a rainy summer day in Vancouver? There's indoor spots like the Vancouver Art Gallery and the UBC Museum of Anthropology. There's shopping malls like Pacific Centre and Metrotown. But my favourite spot to hide from a rainy day in Vancouver is the Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park. It may be gloomy and grey outside... But inside you will find a riot of colourful plants and birds. Meet the shy Casey, a yellow-crowned amazon parrot, coyly hiding in front of a bank of bright orange tiger lilies. Over a hundred birds free-fly in the geodesic dome. You may catch a glimpse of a speckled zebra finch or a bright yellow canary. Crowds of blue and green budgies usually cluster in the dry 'desert' area and you’ll hear them twittering from all around the Conservatory. My personal favourite, Monty the Princess Parrot, is a pastel rainbow of colour, most often found near his friend Casey. Plants from warm locales around the globe crowd the Bloedel Conservatory. Palm trees tower above your head. Strange and wonderful plants entice your senses. Have you ever seen the delicate fronds of the snowflake tree from China? And there are bright orange blossoms with little white “tongues” poking out on the lollipop plant from Peru. The tropical haven of the Bloedel Conservatory is the perfect place to spend that summer rainstorm. Good-bye for now from Art, the blue-and-yellow-macaw. See you soon! Do you have a favourite memory of the Bloedel Conservatory, rain or shine? Or another great place to visit on a rainy day in Vancouver? Please add a comment and share your story!

WWF Canada

Dana Lynch — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:17:20 +0000

Seals frolic at English Bay in Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, August 26, 2010, in support of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. The Canadian Press Images PHOTO/WWF Canada

See Sculptures Made of Litter Today Only at English Bay Beach & Join the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup September 18 - 26

Dana Lynch — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 23:27:28 +0000

: Seal sculptures made of litter at English Bay Beach, to raise awareness for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Photo: WWF Canada

Residents in Vancouver and Toronto got a surprise today: aquatic animal sculptures made of litter at two of the cities' most popular coastal beaches: English Bay Beach in Vancouver and Ashbridge’s Bay in Toronto. The sculptures are made of garbage commonly found on Canadian coastlines and beaches and are part of an effort by the Vancouver Aquarium and WWF-Canada to increase awareness about the need to clean up our shorelines during the annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Started by the Vancouver Aquarium, the Cleanup is designed to achieve real, measurable impact on the environment and help Canadians feel like true "environmental citizens". You can see English Bay Beach's huge, life-like seals (pictured above) today, August 26, from 8am - 7pm. You can join the effort to clean up coastal Vancouver by volunteering for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup happening September 18 - 26, 2010. Sign up online here.

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Dana Lynch — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:17:57 +0000

Philippine Summer Festival August 28 - 29, 2010

Dana Lynch — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:23:54 +0000

Get ready to drool over the aromas of authentic Filipino delicacies like adobo, bagnet, and pakbet at B.C.'s first-ever Philippine Summer Festival, happening this weekend, August 28 - 29, at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Richmond, just south of Vancouver. Filipinos are the third largest ethnic community in B.C., and this "mega-event"---the first of its kind on Canada's west coast---is expected to bring 15,000 - 20,000 people together for two days of food, fun, live music, and cultural celebration. Organized by the Filipino Canadian Cultural Heritage (FCCH) of BC and created to be a "Pinoy Woodstock," the FREE Festival includes over 50 food and merchandise vendors, a “Hataw Sayaw” competition and a “Sing-galing” event, lots of prizes, kids' activities, and live stage performances from Filipino stars Joey Albert, Ray-An Fuentes and Fe Delos Reyes. With so many people expected to attend, you should avoid driving and take the Canada Line to Brighouse Station. Find walking directions from Brighouse Station to the Richmond Olympic Oval here.

Mosaic Park, Vancouver BC. Photo by J. Chong

Jean — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:27:08 +0000

Mosaic Park, Vancouver BC. Over 260 mosaic designs are interwoven

Jean — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:31:20 +0000

Hidden Art in the Ground: Mosaic Park

Jean — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:50:31 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7493" align="aligncenter" width="392" caption="Mosaic Park, Vancouver BC. Artistic direction by Glen Anderson and Kristine Stewart. Photo by J. Chong"][/caption] A great thing about walking or biking around Vancouver, is getting up close and personal with hidden, outdoor public art. If you are in a car, it does cut off your art-viewing “sight line” for certain outdoor art. Especially mosaic art embedded into the ground or sidewalk. Mosaic Park beckons you to stop, take time to stroll and examine more closely to appreciate its complex stream of 260 different mosaic designs and themes. This small park is located at Charles St. and McLean Dr., one block away from the Adanac bike route. It is in a residential neighbourhood. It was completed in 1996 but given its buried art form, Mosaic Park is easy for some locals and visitors to miss. It is wonderful place for adults and children to browse for awhile. Mosaic Park is community based outdoor art work which was funded partially by the city, with help of over 500 volunteers, primarily residents in the Britannia neighbourhood. Glen Anderson and Kristine German provided artistic direction, with project coordination by Susan White. Beside the coloured tile stream, there is also pebble mosaic art that uses natural coloured stones. Britannia residents originally wanted a water stream which was not approved by the city. Instead Mosaic Park art was conceived –in the shape of a stream. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="380" caption="Mosaic Park, Vancouver BC. Over 260 mosaic designs are interwoven into a flowing art stream. Photo by J. Chong"][/caption] Bring your camera since there are some designs emblematic of west coast life and culture. You might debate among yourselves if there is a “right” way to see certain designs. For more photos and details of this gem, click here. Within 1 km. radius there are outdoor art murals and other artwork in the Britannia neighbourhood. Check out the East Side murals and their locations. Mosaic Park evokes a spirit of harmonious co-existence that is best appreciated by looking at how many designs and perspectives contribute to a single community vision. City of Vancouver bike map with street details: http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/bikeways/routes/

New Street Food Options: Pulled Pork at Re-Up

Remy Scalza — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:30:45 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7426" align="aligncenter" width="289" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Thanks to a loosening of municipal restrictions, Vancouver's street food scene is suddenly blossoming. Among the new players on the scene is Re-Up BBQ, a food cart serving pulled pork sandwiches that's stationed in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Re-Up opened earlier this month and was greeted with rave reviews by diners and Vancouver Sun food critic Shelley Fralic. I decided to check it out on a sunny afternoon earlier this week. But let's back up: What exactly is pulled pork? A favorite in the U.S. South and Midwest, pulled pork is a massive chunk of hog that's been slow-cooked, smoked and basted for hours - and sometimes days - on end. The idea is that the meat becomes so moist and so tender that it can be pulled apart into juicy shreds. Pulled pork in parts of the U.S. is taken very seriously, with fans divided into two bitterly opposed camps. Southerners insist on a tangy, vinegar-based barbecue, while Midwesterners prefer a sweeter, tomato-based variety. [caption id="attachment_7427" align="aligncenter" width="413" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] But back to Re-Up: The operation itself - in find street food form - is refreshingly ghetto. No fancy van. No uniformed servers. Sandwiches are assembled inside a tiny, unmarked silver trailer - no larger than a pair of phone booths. (The actual roasting is done off-site, at the Irish Heather in Gastown). On a weekday afternoon earlier this week, a line of about 20 people waited at the window. Outside the trailer, a big bag of buns hung on the door and extra pork was packed inside of two chilled Coleman coolers, sweating in the sun. [caption id="attachment_7428" align="aligncenter" width="346" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] As I neared the front of the line, I got a peek at the menu. They keep it nice and simple. Pulled pork sandwiches will set you back $6 plus HST. To drink, there's sweet tea (another Southern classic, made with lemon and a lot of sugar) and homemade sodas (both $2 plus HST). And that's it. Inside the trailer, coowners Michael Kaisaris and Lindsay Ferguson were racing to keep up with demand. Dancing around each other in the cramped space, they ladled pork on a pair of buns, topped it with coleslaw and applied a bit of some secret barbecue sauce. So the big question: How did it taste? Well, Michael asked for my honest opinion, so here goes. It's good; but there's room to get better. Bun, slaw and sauce are all excellent - fresher, maybe even tastier, than what you'd get in a down-home barbecue joint in North Carolina. But the pork - as juicy and flavorful as it is - just isn't tender enough. Good barbecue should literally fall apart into delicate morsels. The sample I tried needed a bit more slow cookin' to achieve pork perfection. [caption id="attachment_7429" align="aligncenter" width="424" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] But Re-Up is off to a promising start and has already revolutionized Vancouver's burgeoning street food scene. Any other fans of Re-Up BBQ out there? What do you think of their pulled pork? Remy Scalza

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Dana Lynch — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:52:38 +0000

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Dana Lynch — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:57:19 +0000

Vancouver’s Local & Independent Fashion, Part II: Gastown

Dana Lynch — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:07:24 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7516" align="aligncenter" width="297" caption="dutil "Quintessential Skinny" with contrast stitching"][/caption] Vancouver is a fabulous place to shop for fashion, you just have to know where to find it. Sure, downtown Vancouver's brand-name-packed Robson Street and high-end department stores (like the designer Holt Renfrew) are understandably famous Vancouver shopping destinations, but they don't have the freshness or edge of our local and independent fashion scene. For that, you can hit Main Street or, just a few blocks east of Robson, Gastown. Gastown has changed enormously over the last ten years. Experiencing a renaissance of style and design, this historic district is now home to some of the best local and independent fashion boutiques in the city. More high-end (and thus more expensive) than Main Street, Gastown is the place to shop for upscale local fashion. My favourite Gastown designers include dutil.denim, Vancouver's famous all-denim store, which launched its own line of men's and women's jeans, "The Quintessential Series," in May 2010, and Narcissist, home to the beloved "Pamela" dress, a dress that can be worn in 12 different ways. (I recently loaned my "Pamela" dress to a girlfriend who's five month pregnant and it looked fabulous on her, too!) For sleek, lush women's wear, there's Obakki, an international design house founded in Vancouver that's been featured in Vogue and InStyle, and counts Gwyneth Paltrow among its clientele.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="302" caption="Obakki's F/W 2010 line, Photo by Christina Lanteigne "][/caption] Another must-visit, especially for knitters, is Gentille Allouette. The shop is stocked with delicious and thoroughly original knitwear from owner Eliza Lau and other local designers, and plays occasional host to knitting circles and spinners.

[caption id="attachment_7518" align="aligncenter" width="317" caption="Knits at Gentile Allouette"][/caption] Of course, no piece on Gastown fashion would be complete without a mention of Fluevog shoes. Now a huge, global brand, John Fluevog got his start in Gastown in the 1970's and his flagship store makes its home there today at 65 Water Street. (Check out pictures from the 2010 Fox, Fluevog & Friends shoe show at MOV here.) Love shopping in Gastown? Please share your picks for great local fashion below! Also in this series: Vancouver’s Local & Independent Fashion, Part I: Main Street. Vancouver's Local & Independent Fashion, Part III: Portobello West

Go Multi-Modal --Combine Cycling with Other Transportation Options. Part II: From Metro Vancouver To Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Whistler and the U.S.

Jean — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:20:01 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7192" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver. B.C. Ferry in background. Photo by J. Chong"][/caption] Revised Aug. 29/10, with better map link on bike trail from Swartz Bay B.C. Ferry dock to Victoria on Vancouver Island.

This article continues from my earlier article on how to combine bike trips with other forms of transportation within Metro Vancouver. Once we know a few tips on what is possible, then we can travel further afield with our bike to other destinations outside of Metro Vancouver.

To Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, Inside Passage Horseshoe Bay B.C. Ferry Terminal: Cyclists can cycle to Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, on the north shore to catch a B.C. Ferry. Just make sure you have done some cycling on several long hills for practice. Or you can throw your bike onto a bus rack and take TransLink #250 or #257 bus to Horseshoe Bay. Do plan for an earlier bus since there maybe other cyclists waiting in line. Just a trip to Horseshoe Bay, is a beautiful local outing with Howe Sound and lush mountain views for a few hours with lunch outside or in a restaurant overlooking the bay. To Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands (Canada) and San Juan Islands (U.S.) Tsawwassen B.C. Ferry Terminal: Note George Massey car tunnel: To reach Tsawwassen, cyclists need to consider this tunnel which joins suburban cities of Richmond and Delta. Be aware that cycling is illegal in the high speed George Massey car tunnel. You must either must take a TransLink bus that will go through the tunnel or use the free bike shuttle run by B.C. Ministry of Transportation. Click here for map and schedule for the George Massey bike shuttle. It does not run in the winter. B.C. Ferry: For a nominal extra charge, you can roll your bike onto all B.C. Ferries. Some of the larger ferries provide just a few bike racks. So be prepared and bring a bungie cord or two, to strap your bike to a hand rail. During warmer seasons, there are many cyclists travelling between the mainland and the islands. There is no limit to cyclists and their bikes per ferry. http://www.bcferries.com/travel_planning/ B.C. Ferries is cost-effective, marine travel compared to far more expensive luxury cruise companies. You get the same gorgeous views of ocean and islands, as well as purchase of snacks, meals and small gifts on board. Several longer routes offer on-board sleep accommodation.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="405" caption="Cyclists waiting for B.C. ferry at Brentwood Bay. Saanich, Vancouver Island. Photo by J. Chong. Half hr. ferry ride takes one to Mill Bay where one can bike for awhile and tour some wineries. "][/caption] Washington State Ferries (for San Juan Islands) After reaching Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island, one can also switch from B.C. Ferry and take Washington State Ferry for San Juan Islands from North Sannich. On the north section of the signed Lochside bike route, it is approximately a 40-min. flat terrain bike ride between Swartz Bay B.C. Ferry and Washington State ferry stop in North Saanich. Remember your passport. Bus on Saltspring Island, Sunshine coast: B.C. Transit buses on Saltspring Island and in the Sunshine Coast communities, now have bike racks for 2 bikes. [caption id="attachment_7214" align="aligncenter" width="372" caption="B.C. Ferry with 2010 Olympic markings. Photo by J. Chong. "][/caption]

Bus to Whistler: Check this web site for buses bound for Whistler from Vancouver airport and downtown bus station. With some restrictions, there is transport of bikes in the baggage storage area underneath the bus.

Train: At this time, the Amtrak Cascadia train which runs between Vancouver and Seattle, provides only 2 trains daily with bike storage rail car for you to roll on your bike. Please check latest Amtrak train schedule and contact the train station.

The Canadian VIA rail train to Jasper, Alberta towards the Canadian Rockies, has very limited options for transport of bikes. You must box your bike. Schedule will provide latest details. http://www.viarail.ca/en

Vancouver train station for Amtrak, VIA rail and Greyhound bus, is downtown near Main Skytrain station.

Make Vancouver your start or end destination since there is much to see by bike. With careful planning and time scheduling, a bike trip combined with at least one other transportation option, can make your trip more enjoyable, affordable and make you more fit --provided you don't indulge too much on good meals and wine.

Revised Aug. 29/10, with better map link on bike trail from Swartz Bay B.C. Ferry dock to Victoria on Vancouver .Island.

IGA Supermarkets offering Ocean Wise Fish

Remy Scalza — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:36:57 +0000

[caption id="attachment_7435" align="aligncenter" width="248" caption="Photo: Remy Scalza"][/caption] Fresh fish is a staple of Vancouver cuisine, but making smart and sustainable seafood choices isn't always easy. Those king crabs may look delicious, but they're being fished to extinction in many parts of the world. Same goes for Chilean seabass, the slow-reproducing rockfish and dozens of other species. To help Vancouverites make good seafood decisions, the Ocean Wise program was launched in 2005. A unique partnership between researchers at Vancouver Aquarium and area restaurants, Ocean Wise selects sustainable fish based on multiple factors, including how plentiful they are and how eco-conscious the catch method is. Participating restaurants then agree to feature selected fish on their menus. An Ocean Wise symbol lets diners know they’re making an ocean-friendly choice. That's great when you're eating out, but what about when you're cooking at home? Recognizing that consumers want guidance at the supermarket as well, Ocean Wise has just started a unique new partnership with Marketplace IGA, one of the area's largest supermarkets, with 43 locations across BC. What that means is that you can walk into any IGA, look for the Ocean Wise logo - on everything from Dungeness crab to Albacore tuna - and know that you're making a smart, sustainable seafood choice. IGA isn't the first retailer to partner up with Ocean Wise, but it is certainly one of the largest. Making sustainable seafood mainstream is a big step toward protecting the incredible diversity in BC waters. And even if you don't shop at IGA, there are easy ways to make sure that the seafood you buy is sustainable. The group SeaChoice distributes a handy wallet guide at the Vancouver Aquarium and other locations that divides fish into three categories: Best Choice (like Canadian spot prawns and farmed Arctic char); Some Concerns (like Atlantic lobsters and Pacific sole); and Avoid (like Atlantic cod and orange roughy). Better still, there's a SeaChoice app you can download free for your iPhone that lets you look up the sustainability of any fish instantly. For a complete list of Ocean Wise restaurants and retailers, check out the Ocean Wise website. Any fans of the Ocean Wise program out there? I think they offer a great free service to the community. Remy Scalza

Apple Tart Tatin

Kristen — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:10:58 +0000

Photo Credit: Alex Dobson / Flickr