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
Moon Vancouver Page 39