Hart House photo by KK Law
In a welcome contrast to the bustle of downtown, elegant and romantic Hart House is set in manicured gardens on the tranquil shores of Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park. This Tudor-style home welcomes lovers and others to cozy up inside. Regional specialties range from grilled BC salmon to Yarrow Meadows duck breast with roasted beets, before dessert of chocolate terrine or espresso crème brûlée, all offered with well-chosen wines from an extensive cellar.—Tim Pawsey
This cute hair brush benefits charity and fits into your purse
Head to Sephora this October for one of the limited-edition pink products (including the pop-up hair brush, pictured) that help benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. This beauty-product-lover’s paradise donates one dollar to the BCRF for every item sold. —Jennifer Patterson
More information:
Pacific Centre, 701 W. Georgia St. 778-331-3942.
Metropolis at Metrotown, 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby. 604-678-2360.
Coquitlam Centre, 2929 Barnet Hwy., Coquitlam. 778-284-2350.
www.sephora.com
Pizza funghi at Campagnolo Roma. Photo by KK Law
Wander off the beaten track, away from downtown, to discover these hidden haunts.
1. Campagnolo Roma Italian flavours in a compact eastside space. Go for the suppli fritters, margherita pizza and olive oil–drizzled burrata cheese.
2. La Quercia Cozy westside Italian retreat yields authentic plates based on fresh ingredients and including a popular family-style menu.
3. La Régalade Venture past leafy Ambleside to discover the south of France in West Van at this family-run gem of a bistro. Don’t miss the slow-braised lamb shank, or the chicken fricassée with lemon confit—or the dessert tray.
4. Mistral French Bistro Friendly Kitsilano room specializes in Provençale and other regional tastes such as pissaladière (onion tart), Marseilles-style seafood bourride and traditional cassoulet, all served in relaxing saffron-toned surroundings.
5. The Pear Tree Cozy, award-winning North Burnaby room delights with locally sourced specialties such as twice-cooked Berkshire pork belly with spot prawns and tomato cassoulet.—Tim Pawsey
Pan-fried prawns with soy, at Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant. Photo copyright 2010 HSBC Chinese Restaurant Awards
This year’s HSBC Chinese Restaurant Awards (www.chineserestaurantawards.com) dished out six Gold Awards of Distinction. Looking to taste the best of the best? Grab a cab to Sun Sui Wah for Alaska king crab three ways, or hop on the Canada Line SkyTrain to Sea Harbour Seafood to sample pan-fried prawns with soy. Other Distinction winners: Richmond’s BBQ Master and Bamboo Grove, and Burnaby’s Alvin Garden.—Tim Pawsey
This park combines art, heritage buildings and fun activities for the family
By Kendra Wong
Deer Lake Park lies in the heart of Burnaby. Photo by Marie Ishikawa
STATE OF THE ART
Learn about Burnaby’s history through paintings, sculpture and ceramics by local artists at 1 Burnaby Art Gallery and 2 Deer Lake Gallery. Catch Canadian pop rockers Hedley performing Sep. 11 in the amphitheatre at the 3 Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
TIME TRAVEL
Travel back in time at the 4-hectare (10-acre) 4 Burnaby Village Museum, which educates people of all ages about urban villages using costumed townsfolk and real-life demonstrations. Take a leisurely ride on the old-fashioned carousel, or stop by the Burnaby Centennial to pick up themed candy, books and trinkets.
Qualicum Beach scallops at Hart House Restaurant. Photo by Hamid Attie
WHERE THE HART IS
Visit eight rustic houses for a hands-on experience of Canadian life in the 1920s. The Mathers House offers 20th-century art studios and a pottery-making store, or check out the 98-year-old Anderson House. One of the heritage houses currently functions as the elegant lakeside 5 Hart House Restaurant, serving Pacific Northwest fare.
FUN IN THE SUN
Get up close with turtles and beavers in a pedal boat, kayak or canoe from 6 Deer Lake Boat Rentals (604-839-3949). Search for rare birds, including great blue herons and bald eagles, in the wildlife-viewing tower, and photograph beautiful rhododendrons in Century Garden. Don’t forget your water bottle when venturing along one of the many hiking trails.
Drive eastward on Hastings Street and take Highway 1 east until exit 32. Or take the SkyTrain to Metrotown Station, then hop aboard the #144 SFU bus.
The gorgeous view at Salmon House on the Hill. Photo by KK Law
Only in Vancouver can the food compete with the vista-kissed setting. At West Vancouver’s lofty Salmon House on the Hill (pictured), savour Coho salmon against a glittering backdrop of English Bay, downtown and beyond, a view shared by nearby regionally focused Fraîche. To sample the city’s highest kitchen, hop the Skyride to The Observatory atop Grouse Mountain. Or, in Burnaby, ascend to Horizons Restaurant for tasteful Northwest fare with views west and far below to Burrard Inlet. In search of less vertiginous fare? Watermark, right on the edge of Kits Beach, obliges, as does The Teahouse, a classic in Stanley Park. Downtown, call ahead for a harbourside table at West Coast devotee Five Sails Restaurant, or check in for casual fare at Coal Harbour’s Cardero’s, preceded by a pint in its waterfront pub. Tucked under the Granville Bridge, on False Creek’s north shore, contemporary Nu deals cutting-edge regional plates, while across the way on Granville Island, landmark Bridges combines waterfront pub with downstairs bistro and upstairs dining room, all with Burrard Bridge glimpses.—Tim Pawsey
By Kristina Urquhart
All aboard at Vancouver International Aiport. Photo by KK Law
It took four long years of digging, drilling, boring and building, but Canada Line—the newest addition to SkyTrain, Vancouver’s automated light rapid transit system—has been up and running since Aug. 17, three months ahead of schedule and in plenty of time for the 2010 Winter Games.
Now that the dust has settled, Vancouver has a state-of-the-art transportation link between the city centre, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Richmond, one of the region’s quickest growing cities—which has been a welcome relief for busy commuters looking to shave minutes off their transit time. Combined with the existing Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines, the network also reaches neighbouring Burnaby, New Westminster and Surrey.
The sleekest and smoothest of the three trains, the Canada Line features 16 modern stations and wider, longer cars than its counterparts. The extra space means room for luggage so travel-weary passengers can zip from the airport
Travellers at the Canada Line YVR-Airport Station. Photo by KK Law
to the downtown core, hassle-free. Larger trains are also better equipped to handle the thousands of additional rail users expected during the 2010 Winter Games, providing easy access to the SeaBus, the LiveCity entertainment sites, and several Games venues, including the Richmond Olympic Oval and BC Place.
Worthy train trips? Take the Canada Line to Olympic Village Station and walk around the picturesque Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver, where Canadian and international athletes will reside throughout the 2010 Winter Games. Or disembark at Oakridge-41st Avenue to shop for designer duds at Oakridge Centre. Or try your luck at the River Rock Casino, which is adjacent to Bridgeport Station.
For maps, fares and schedules, visit www.translink.ca.
CANADA LINE BY THE NUMBERS
The current cost of a trip from the city centre to YVR is $3.75, or $2.50 on weekends, holidays and weekdays after 6:30 p.m.
Vancouver is the only Canadian city with a rapid transit link from the city centre to an international airport. The ride from Waterfront to YVR is a mere 26 minutes.
Canada Line adds 19 km (11.8 mi) of track to the existing SkyTrain network, which makes it the longest automated rapid transit system in the world, totalling 68 km (42.2 mi).
About 100,000 passengers are expected to ride the Canada Line per day in 2010, with increased ridership during the 2010 Winter Games.
The total cost of the project hovers just above $2 billion.
GOOD MUSIC
Vancouverite Matthew Good rocks two shows in November
Matthew Good, one of Canada’s favourite alternative rockers, has just released his latest solo album, Vancouver. This Burnaby-born musician, writer, blogger and activist is also a long-time Vancouver resident whose insightful lyrics let us see the city from his unique perspective. He is performing two shows at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts (Nov. 9 and 10). And a Good concert is always a good concert.—Véronique Darwin
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