Moon Vancouver

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Moon Vancouver Page 39

by Carolyn B. Heller


  WATER SPORTS

  You can go swimming at Vancouver’s many oceanfront beaches, including English Bay and Sunset Beaches in the West End, Second and Third Beaches in Stanley Park, and Kitsilano, Jericho, Locarno, and Spanish Banks Beaches on the West Side. Even in summer, though, the water temperature is rarely above 21°C (70°F).

  Vancouver’s several large public pools, particularly Kitsilano Pool and Stanley Park’s Second Beach Pool, are warmer alternatives. You can swim indoors at the Vancouver Aquatic Centre (1050 Beach Ave.) in the West End.

  You don’t have to leave downtown Vancouver to go kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding either. Ecomarine Paddlesports Centre (www.ecomarine.com) rents kayaks and stand-up paddleboards at English Bay Beach and Granville Island, and they have kayaks for rent at Jericho Beach as well. You can also rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards from Creekside Kayaks (www.creeksidekayaks.ca) on False Creek and from Vancouver Water Adventures (www.vancouverwateradventures.com), which has outlets at Granville Island and Kitsilano Beach.

  Another destination for kayaking is Deep Cove (www.deepcovekayak.com) on Vancouver’s North Shore, where you can paddle for an hour or two (or many more) through the scenic waters of the Indian Arm fjord.

  For white-water rafting, head for Squamish, north of Vancouver, where several outfitters offer trips on the gentle Cheakamus River and the faster Elaho-Squamish River.

  Western Canada’s top surfing spot is Tofino, on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Hard-core surfers suit up and hit the waves in the winter, when the surf is largest. Summer brings gentler waves and somewhat warmer temperatures.

  WINTER SPORTS

  In winter, you can ice-skate at a public rink in Robson Square downtown (www.robsonsquare.com) or at the Richmond Olympic Oval (http://richmondoval.ca). Grouse Mountain (www.grousemountain.com) also has a mountaintop skating rink.

  On Vancouver’s North Shore, less than 45 minutes from downtown, three local mountains, Grouse (www.grousemountain.com), Cypress (www.cypressmountain.com), and Mount Seymour (www.mountseymour.com), offer downhill skiing and snowboarding. The ski season on the North Shore typically runs from December through March. You can go snowshoeing at all three mountains, and Cypress offers cross-country skiing, too.

  North America’s largest snow sports resort is just a two-hour drive from downtown Vancouver. Whistler-Blackcomb (www.whistlerblackcomb.com) has more than 200 trails for skiing and snowboarding. The mountain usually opens in November and remains open until April. Weather permitting, you can even go glacier skiing on Blackcomb Mountain in the summer.

  WHALE-WATCHING

  Whale-watching trips depart regularly from downtown Vancouver, from the village of Steveston in Richmond south of Vancouver, and from the Inner Harbour in Victoria. These trips typically take you either among the Gulf Islands or south to Washington’s San Juan Islands, depending on where whales have been spotted. Whale-watching season runs April through October.

  On Vancouver Island’s west coast, the Tofino area is another prime spot for whale-watching trips. A number of operators run whale-watching cruises from Tofino harbor from March or April through October or November.

  RESOURCES

  Suggested Reading

  Internet Resources

  Suggested Reading

  GENERAL INFORMATION

  Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Welcome to Canada: What You Should Know. Ottawa: Government Services Canada, 2013. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/welcome/index.asp. A government publication that provides a useful overview of the Canadian immigration process and of life in Canada.

  Ferguson, Will. Canadian History for Dummies. Toronto: John Wiley & Sons (Canada), 2005. The essentials of Canadian history distilled into an easy-to-read guide.

  HISTORY AND CULTURE

  Adderson, Caroline. Vancouver Vanishes: Narratives of Demolition and Revival. Vancouver: Anvil Press: 2015. A collection of essays and photographs chronicling how Vancouver is changing, as an increasing number of homes built in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s are torn down to make way for newer structures.

  Coupland, Douglas. Souvenir of Canada. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2002. A Vancouver-based artist and author dissects Canadian culture in a series of quirky essays and photos.

  Davis, Chuck. The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver. Vancouver: Harbour Publishing, 2011. Running nearly 600 pages, this timeline of the city’s history from the 1750s to modern times is packed with facts and local trivia.

  Herzog, Fred. Fred Herzog: Photographs. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2011. Vivid color photos of life on Vancouver’s streets, primarily in the 1950s and ’60s, by a noted local photographer.

  Johnson, Pauline. Legends of Vancouver. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1971. Born to a Mohawk father and English mother, Johnson published this title in 1911. She shares Coast Salish narratives about the Vancouver region that she learned from conversations with a Squamish First Nations chief, Joseph Capilano. Johnson’s ashes are buried in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

  FOOD

  Dhalwala, Meeru and Vikram Vij. Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2006. Recipes from Vancouver’s most famous Indian restaurant.

  Mundy, Jane. The Ocean Wise Cookbook 2: More Seafood Recipes that are Good for the Planet. Vancouver: Whitecap Books Ltd., 2015. In partnership with the Vancouver Aquarium, a Vancouver-based food and travel writer has compiled more than 100 recipes for sustainable seafood from leading Canadian chefs.

  Yuen, Stephanie. East Meets West: Traditional and Contemporary Asian Dishes from Acclaimed Vancouver Restaurants. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2012. A look at Vancouver’s Asian cuisine through recipes adapted from local chefs.

  FICTION

  Adderson, Caroline. The Sky Is Falling. Toronto: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2010. Following a group of student idealists who share a Vancouver house, this novel is set in both 1984 and 2004, when the end of the world seemed close at hand.

  Choy, Wayson. The Jade Peony. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1995. A portrait of life in Vancouver’s Chinatown in the early 20th century.

  Kogawa, Joy. Obasan. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2003 (first published 1981). The internment and forced relocation of Japanese-Canadians in Western Canada during World War II, depicted through the eyes of a young girl living in Vancouver.

  Lee, Jen Sookfong. The Better Mother. Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001. A local author weaves a tale of a young Chinese boy and a burlesque dancer who cross paths in Vancouver’s Chinatown.

  Taylor, Timothy. Stanley Park. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2001. Locavore chefs, coffee magnates, and the homeless cross paths in this thriller set in and around Vancouver’s largest green space.

  Internet Resources

  CANADA

  Destination Canada

  www.canada.travel

  The government of Canada’s official guide to travel across the country.

  Parks Canada

  www.pc.gc.ca

  The federal government agency that manages national parks and national historic sites across Canada. The Parks Canada website has details about things to do, camping, hiking, and other activities in the parks in the West and throughout the country.

  Parks Canada Reservation Service

  www.reservation.pc.gc.ca

  Reservations booking service for Canada’s national park campgrounds.

  Citizenship and Immigration Canada

  www.cic.gc.ca

  The federal government agency responsible for overseeing visitors and immigrants to Canada, including information about visitor visas, work permits, study permits, and applications for permanent residence.

  Canada Border Services Agency

  www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca

  The federal government agency that manages Canada’s borders, including what items visitors can bring into Canada. Their website also shows wait times at highway border crossings.

  Environment Canada

  www.weather.gc.ca
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br />   Provides weather forecasts and historical weather data for locations across Canada.

  BRITISH COLUMBIA

  Destination British Columbia

  www.hellobc.com

  British Columbia’s provincial tourism agency, which provides travel tips and information for the region and operates a network of visitors centers.

  B.C. Parks

  www.env.gov.bc.ca

  The agency responsible for managing British Columbia’s provincial parks. Their website includes listings for each park, with maps, fees, and other details.

  British Columbia Wine Institute

  www.winebc.com

  Has a detailed website with information about wineries and wine-touring tips in the Okanagan, Vancouver Island, and elsewhere in British Columbia.

  Tourism Vancouver

  www.tourismvancouver.com

  Vancouver’s tourism agency provides event schedules, tips for getting around, neighborhood profiles, and other information about the city’s sights, hotels, restaurants, shops, and experiences.

  Tourism Vancouver Island

  www.vancouverisland.travel

  Their free guide to things to do across Vancouver Island is available online and in print from area visitors centers.

  Tourism Victoria

  www.tourismvictoria.com

  Promoting tourism in the city of Victoria, this organization runs a year-round information center on Victoria’s Inner Harbour and provides information about attractions and activities, events, accommodations, and restaurants.

  Tourism Whistler

  www.whistler.com

  Representing the Whistler region, this tourism agency has information to help you plan a mountain trip in any season.

  Index

  Restaurants Index

  Nightlife Index

  Shops Index

  Hotels Index

  A

  Aberdeen Centre: 17, 84

  Abkhazi Garden: 211

  Aboriginal Cultural Festival: 215

  aboriginal culture: Aboriginal Cultural Festival 215; Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art 59-60; Brockton Point totem poles 62; history of 282; Museum of Anthropology 76; Museum of Vancouver 74; Nanaimo Museum 228; residential schools 284; Royal British Columbia Museum 201; Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre 261, 262; Talking Stick Festival 148; Talking Trees Walk 62; top experience 12, 23; Vancouver International Airport 146; see also totem poles

  Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia: 23

  Absolute Spa at the Fairmont: 189

  accessibility: 302

  accommodations: 185-197; general discussion 185-188; Downtown and the West End 188-192; Gastown and Chinatown 193-194; Granville Island 195; highlights 186; Kitsilano 195; Nanaimo 230; North Shore 197; Richmond 196-197; Squamish 257; Tofino 242-244; UBC and Point Grey 195-196; Ucluelet 246; Victoria 222-224; Whistler 272-275

  The Acorn: 93, 115

  airport hotels: 188

  air travel: 26, 292

  Alpha Lake: 268

  Al’s Habrich Ridge Trail: 254

  Alta Lake: 268

  A-maze-ing Laughter: 15, 61

  Ancient Cedars Trail: 266

  Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio: 21, 93, 104

  Araxi: 261, 269

  Araxi Longtable Series: 266

  architecture: B.C. Parliament Building 201; Fairmont Empress 200; Museum of Anthropology 76; Museum of Vancouver 74; Rattenbury, Francis Mawson 210; Sea Village 73; Vancouver Central Library 61; walking tours 28

  art galleries: general discussion 290; Art Gallery of Greater Victoria 212; Audain Art Museum 261, 263; Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art 59-60; Cambie Corridor 145; Downtown and the West End 137; Emily Carr House 209; Gastown and Chinatown 139; Granville Island 141-142; Legacy Art Gallery 210; Lonsdale Quay 91; Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery 77; Museum of Anthropology 76; Railspur Alley 72; Rennie Collection at Wing Sang 65; Robert Bateman Centre 208; UBC and Point Grey 144; Vancouver Art Gallery 60; Yaletown and False Creek 140

  Art Gallery of Greater Victoria: 212

  Artisan Sake Maker: 15, 73

  Artisan Wine Shop: 91

  Artist Loop: 246

  arts and culture: 135-151; Cambie Corridor 145-146; Commercial Drive 147; cultural overview 287-291; Downtown and the West End 137-138; Gastown and Chinatown 139-140; Granville Island 141-143; highlights 136; Kitsilano 143; UBC and Point Grey 144-145; Whistler 265; Yaletown and False Creek 140-141

  Au Comptoir: 16, 110

  Audain Art Museum: 261, 263

  Aussie Pie Guy: 97

  B

  Bacchus Lounge: 21, 126, 190

  backpacking: 233

  Backstage Lounge: 72, 131

  bald eagles: 255

  Bamboo Grove: 24, 93

  banking: 304

  Barefoot Contessa: 171, 182

  baseball: 163

  Bastion, the: 228

  Bateman, Robert: 208

  Bau-Xi Gallery: 136, 145

  BC Ferries Connector: 26

  B.C. Lions: 69, 156

  B.C. Parliament Building: 201

  B.C. Place: 69

  B.C. Sports Hall of Fame: 70

  beaches: general discussion 307; best bets 166; Downtown and the West End 154; Kitsilano 159; Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 233, 234; Stanley Park 62; Tofino 239; UBC and Point Grey 160

  Beacon Hill Children’s Farm: 209

  Beacon Hill Park: 209

  Bearfoot Bistro: 261, 269

  bear-watching tour: 239

  Beaty Biodiversity Museum: 20, 78

  Beaucoup Bakery & Café: 16, 110

  Beaver Lake Trail: 63

  Bella Gelateria: 21, 99

  best-of itinerary: 13-17

  beverages: 291

  Big Tree Trail: 238

  biking: general discussion 157, 307; Commercial Drive 163; Crankworx Freeride Mountain Bike Festival 266; Seawall 58; Stanley Park 18, 63; tours 27; Whistler 266; Yaletown and False Creek 155

  Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art: 15, 23, 57, 59-60

  Birds in Motion demonstration: 19, 87

  Bistro: 215

  Blackcomb: 259

  Black Tusk/Garibaldi Lake: 256

  Bloedel Conservatory: 80

  Blue Parrot Espresso Bar: 71

  boating: 216, 235

  bobsledding: 267

  Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar: 17, 21, 95

  Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park: 249

  Brasserie L’Ecole: 208

  Brassneck Brewery: 17, 129

  breweries, craft: Callister Brewing 81; Commercial Drive 133; Doan’s Craft Brewing Company 81; Downtown and the West End 127; Granville Island 73, 131; laws 28; Parallel 49 Brewing Company 81; Powell Street Craft Brewery 81; Squamish 257; top experience 10, 82; tours 28, 82; Vancouver Craft Beer Week 149; Victoria 208, 211; Yaletown and False Creek 128-129

  bridges: Capilano Suspension Bridge 89; Lions Gate Bridge 62; Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge 253; Whistler 264

  Britannia Mine Museum: 250

  Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site: 17, 24, 164

  Brockton Point: 15, 18, 62

  Brockton Point Lighthouse: 62

  Broken Islands Group: 233

  Buddhist Temple: 86

  Burnaby Lake Regional Park: 163

  Burrard Hotel: 186, 191

  Bushuair Restaurant: 24, 118

  bus travel: 294, 296

  Butchart Gardens: 199, 208, 213

  C

  Callister Brewing: 81

  Cambie Corridor: arts and culture 145-146; highlights 48-49; map 340-341; nightlife 132; restaurants 112-116; shopping 182-184; sights 17, 80-81; sports and activities 163

  Cameron Bandshell: 210

  camping: general discussion 187-188; Tofino 234; Ucluelet 246; Whistler 276

  Canada Day: 149

  Canada Place: 15, 16, 19, 58

  Canadian independence: 283

  Canadian Trail: 58

  canoeing: 239

  Can
ucks, Vancouver: 156

  Capilano Suspension Bridge: 16, 19, 57, 89

  Carr, Emily: 209

  car travel: 294, 297

  Catfe: 68

  Cathedral Grove: 231

  Celebrating Flight: 146

  Celebration of Light: 29, 150

  cemeteries: 212-213

  Central Valley Greenway: 157, 163

  Chambar: 17, 93, 100

  Chan Centre for the Performing Arts: 136, 144

  Cheakamus River: 256

  Chef Hung Taiwanese Beef Noodle: 85

  Chesterman Beach: 238, 239

  children, traveling with: 303

  Chill Winston: 19, 128

  Chinatown: accommodations 193-194; arts and culture 24, 139-140; evolution 28; highlights 37; history of 67; map 38, 330-331; Millennium Gate 66; nightlife 127-128; restaurants 100-103; shopping 175-176; sights 16, 64-68; walking tour 36-39

  Chinatown (Victoria): 208, 210

  Chinese food: Dumpling Trail 21, 120; Richmond 118-120; Richmond Night Market 84; top experience 10, 120, 291

  Chinese garden: 16, 64

  Chocolate Arts: 16, 21, 93, 110

  Chocolate Project: 219

  Church and State Wines: 214-215

  Chutzpah! Festival: 148

  Cibo Trattoria: 192

  cinema: 140

  Clayoquot Oyster Festival: 240

  Cliffwalk: 16, 89

  climate: 280-281

  Coastal Peoples Fine Arts Gallery: 136, 139

  comedy: Cambie Corridor 146; Downtown and the West End 138; Granville Island 143

  Commercial Drive: arts and culture 147; highlights 50-51; map 342-343; nightlife 133-134; restaurants 116-118; shopping 184; sights 81-83; sports and activities 163-164

  Common Loaf Bake Shop: 238, 242

  communications: 305

  Concerts in the Park: 210

  consulates: 299

  Cornucopia Festival: 266

  Cox Bay Beach: 239

  craft breweries: see breweries, craft

 

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