15 Things We Love About Vancouver

Canada > Archive by tag '15 Things We Love About Vancouver'

15 Things We Love About Vancouver

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: September

Historic Burnaby Art Gallery

1 Watching Antony and Cleopatra (to Sep. 24) at Bard on the Beach.
2 Sara Canning. The actress wasn’t born here, but we still claim her as a local.
3 Shakin’ your groove thang at the city’s most popular nightclubs.
4 Burnaby Art Gallery and all the other sights in Deer Lake Park.
5 Eating at any of the local cooking schools, such as Bistro 101 at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, Culinaria at The Art Institute of Vancouver, and JJ’s Restaurant at Vancouver Community College.
6 The annual Terry Fox Run (Sep. 19), raising money for cancer research.
7 Local wineries.
8 Taking the first ferry to Victoria or Nanaimo and watching the sun rise.

Perch on "Echoes" by Michael Goulet. Photo by KK Law

9 “Echoes” by Michel Goulet, an art installation on Kits Beach and part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale.
10 Dining at Earls.
11 Robert Bateman. The Canadian painter is visiting Vancouver to meet fans and sign copies of his new book, Bateman: New Works, at Chapters on South Granville (Sep. 25, 2 p.m.).
12 Reading reminiscences of a month’s eating in Paris in Cooking for Me and Sometimes You: A Parisienne Romance with Recipes (French Apple Press, $29.95) by Barbara-Jo McIntosh, owner of Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks, which stocks every tome a budding chef could ever need.
13 The Superdogs at the PNE (to Sep. 6).
14 Indulging our sweet tooth at Stuart’s Bakery.
15 Dropping by The Granville Island Brewing Tap Room for a pint of Brockton IPA—and picking up some small-batch beers to take home after.

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: July

BC Ferries photo by Andrea Johnson courtesy Tourism BC

1 BC Ferries, now celebrating its 50th birthday.
2 Heading east to visit Fort Langley (where BC had its beginnings) before lunch overlooking the vines at Domaine de Chaberton Winery’s Bacchus Bistro.
3 Joshua Jackson. He was born in Vancouver, he appeared in The Mighty Ducks and Dawson’s Creek, and he’s back in town right now shooting the third season of Fringe.
4 Why I Love Vancouver, by Linda Solomon. Find it at local bookstores.
5 Shopping for everything local at Trout Lake (and other) farmers’ markets.
6 Hanging out all morning in wide-open garage-door cafes, such as JJ Bean Coffee Roasters at Main and 14th and Kitsilano’s Bistrot Bistro.
7 Fireworks during the HSBC Celebration of Light (Jul. 21, 24, 28, 31).

Fireworks photo by Danielle Hayes courtesy Tourism Vancouver

8 Celebrating Canada Day (Jul. 1).

9 The seawall.

10 Listening to the waves lapping while barbecuing hamburgers on Third Beach as the sun sets somewhere behind Howe Sound.
11 Dapper dogs in mini tuxedos. Find clothes for your own posh pooch at Barking Babies.
12 Spending an afternoon strolling through the Vancouver Art Gallery.
13 Unusual cuts of meat on the menus at Salt, Refuel, Campagnolo and The Irish Heather, part of the “waste not, want not” philosophy of the local nose-to-tail dining movement. Your taste buds won’t be disappointed.
14 Totem poles in Stanley Park.
15 Perfect summer days that never seem to end.

17 Things We Love About Vancouver: June

The Keg Steakhouse and Bar has sinful sweets on hand to finish off your meal. Photo by KK Law

1 Mouthwatering desserts from The Keg Steakhouse and Bar.
2 Spending a leisurely day wandering through the Vancouver Art Gallery.
3 Sweet treats and tasty souvenirs from Canadian Maple Delights.
4 All the unique brollies at The Umbrella Shop. Yes, it’s June, and the weather is beautiful, but it never hurts to tuck an umbrella in your bag alongside the sunscreen and sunglasses.
5 Titillating fundraising events such as Fit for a Queen (Jun. 19) and The Glass Slipper (Jun. 26).
6 Spotting orcas on a whale watching trip.
7 This year’s crop of award-winning restaurants.
8 Sightseeing the charmingly old-fashioned way with Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tours.
9 Pampered pooches at Barking Babies.
10 Getting our geek on at Star Wars in Concert (Jun. 22 to 23).
11 Vancouver TheatreSports League, which recently relocated to stylish new digs on Granville Island.
12 Admiring the artfully stacked apples and oranges at Urban Fare.
13 National pride, which ignited during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and is building again as Canada Day (Jul. 1) approaches.

O, Canada. Photo by Coast Mountain Photography courtesy Tourism Vancouver

14 The Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe, which was recently named Canada’s best new bar in Food & Wine magazine.
15 Antony and Cleopatra—and three other Shakespeare plays—running all summer long at Bard on the Beach.
16 Live jazz every night of the week at O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar.
17 Local farmers’ markets.

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: May

# 1. Photo by Holly Chan

1 Breathtaking cityscapes.
2 The passion for all things local—including goat cheese and heirloom tomatoes—at farmers’ markets around the city. If you forget to bring an eco-friendly shopping bag, most likely you can buy one there.
3 Rick Hansen. The local paraplegic activist makes us proud over and over again.
4 Walking, biking or blading along the 8.8-km (5.5-mi) Stanley Park seawall.
5 The perfect gift or souvenir, such as a bottle of award-winning BC wine.
6 All the Hollywood celebrities in our midst.

#11. Photo by Tony Chen

7 The gradual change from spring to summer. It’s the perfect excuse for a shopping spree.
8 Spotting cute harbour seals and majestic orcas on a whale watching tour.
9 Tasty Japanese tapas and addictive cocktails at Hapa Izakaya.
10 Living in a picture postcard every single day. Vancouver has been called the supermodel of international cities, but we’re more than just a pretty face. We have substance, too.
11 A sunset stroll along the seawall to view the inukshuk in English Bay.
12 First Nations bentwood boxes at Wickaninnish Gallery.

#13. Photo by Lili Vieira de Carvalho

13 Joining the throng of locals at the always-popular Granville Island Public Market.
14 The last few cherry blossoms of spring.
15 Tasting the season’s first sweet and juicy prawns, right out of the ocean and cooked up by a dozen of Vancouver’s best chefs, at the annual Spot Prawn Festival (False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf; May 8, noon to 3 p.m.). Don’t delay: the season for these local, fresh, sustainable prawns runs just eight weeks.

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: April

Vancouver's gorgeous cherry blossoms paint the sky pink. Photo by Tom Ryan courtesy Tourism BC

1 Cherry blossoms. Nothing says “springtime” quite like the cheerful pink blossoms.
2 Using our noodle…for a quick, cheap meal at the West End’s Kintaro Ramen, Legendary Noodle or Hon’s Wun-Tun House.
3 Rogers’ Chocolates, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. Chocolate lovers choose the irresistible Victoria Creams—with fillings ranging from coffee, ginger and orange to vanilla, strawberry and always-patriotic maple.
4 Walking or biking along the seawall on a blustery day.
5 The annual Chutzpah! Festival (to Apr. 8).
6 Sipping a hot cuppa coffee while perusing the designer shops along bustling Robson Street.
7 The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
8 Tasting the very best of British Columbia at Edible BC, including organic jam, wild pacific salmon and local honey.
9 Grinder and Coola, two orphaned bears who reside on Grouse Mountain. They usually come out of hibernation in April.
10 Lingering over dessert at Lupo.
11 The larger-than-life art installations located throughout the city during the Biennale.
12 South Granville Street—aka Gallery Row—for its never-ending selection of art galleries.

Eye-pleasing confections at Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca. Photo by KK Law

13 Dim sum, or any quick-to-eat Chinese food, such as take-out barbecue pork, from Chinatown.
14 Cheering for the Vancouver Canucks.
15 The Richmond Olympic Oval, which reopens to the public this month. It was the official speed skating venue for the 2010 Winter Games.

Hot Shopping: Seasonal Sparkle

This pretty Birks bracelet is worn by designer and skier Jennifer Heil

Jennifer Heil, former Olympic gold medallist for freestyle skiing, has added another impressive feat to her resume: the first-ever brand ambassador for Birks. Working closely with this iconic Canadian company to create a line of jewellery, Heil also flawlessly captures the Olympic spirit as she herself prepares for the 2010 Winter Games. She’s seen here wearing the Vancouver 2010 charm bracelet.—Jennifer Patterson

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: January

Michael Zheng's The Stop. Photo by KK Law

1 The Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale (pictured at right), on until next year.
2 Rediscovering the sweets of yesteryear at The Candy Aisle. PEZ, Big League Chew, Sweetarts, Nerds, Runts, Laffy Taffy—yum.
3 The fact that pretty much every city block contains at least one coffee shop.
4 Watching the annual Polar Bear Swim (Jan. 1) with something—and someone—hot.
5 Lights of Hope (to Mar. 21), raising money for St. Paul’s Hospital.

St. Paul's Hospital is all lit up until March 21. Photo by KK Law

6 Cheap eats at Hon’s Wun-Tun House.
7 The Shoppers Drugmart on Davie Street, which is open 24 hours a day.
8 Exploring the centre of the city.
9 Stephen Colbert. He’ll be here next month—whether as the official sponsor of the US speed skating team or as the City of Richmond’s Olympic Oval Ombudsman or even as an Olympic athlete, we don’t know. We do know the host of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report will make us laugh.
10 Catching a sunlit glimpse of the snow-covered North Shore mountains from downtown, and planning an escape to Grouse.
11 Nala, the seven-month-old (but only recently named) baby beluga at the Vancouver Aquarium. The name is short for an Inuktitut word meaning “surprise gift.”
12 Cheering for the Vancouver Canucks.
13 The clean, crisp winter air.
14 Counting down to the 2010 Winter Games.
15 The World Needs More Canada collection at Chapters and Indigo stores, which includes books by Canadians such as Margaret Atwood and Rex Murphy and accessories such as a red umbrella sporting a patriotic message you can’t ignore.