Inukshuk

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My Favourite Vancouver Photo

Check out the results of our fourth annual photo contest. John Bello wins the grand prize provided by Harbour Air. Have you taken a great picture? Enter our My Favourite Vancouver Photo Contest and you could win a fabulous prize package from Pacific Sands Beach Resort Tofino. We’re looking for iconic images that evoke Vancouver’s unique spirit and character.

2011 contest winner: The inukshuk in English Bay, with the lights of Vectorial Elevation in the background, during the 2010 Winter Games // John Bello

Waterfront in winter // James Putnam

Vancouver skyline // Carlos Victoria

Summertime fireworks over English Bay // Nathalie Harris

The seawall in Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge // Loni Ingram

Giant crab outside the Museum of Vancouver // Carlos Victoria

Autumn in Stanley Park // Lan Hu

Brockton Point Lighthouse in Stanley Park, with downtown and the “sails” of the Vancouver Convention Centre in the background // George Dujmovic

You Are Here: Denman Street

This popular hub of activity along English Bay offers tasty food, sweet treats and great summer activities

By Kendra Wong

Beetroot salad at Raincity Grill

DOWN BY THE BAY
Satisfy seafood cravings at some of the city’s favourite bayside eateries. Enjoy gourmet Alaskan king crab, sablefish and lobster ravioli at seafood destination 1 The Boathouse. During the hot summer days, chill out on the patio at 2 Milestones Grill and Bar with one of the famous bellinis. 3 Raincity Grill (pictured, right) offers a great view of English Bay and serves classic seafood dishes including seared BC albacore tuna and goat cheese cannelloni.

SWEET TASTE OF SUMMER
After a walk along the beach, cool down with some delicious treats. Indulge in customized ice cream orders at 4 Marble Slab Creamery. Step into 5 Cupcakes for an assortment of flavours ranging from chocolate to coconut. Head to 6 Qoola Frozen Yogurt and try the refreshing green tea
flavour.

GET YOUR SPORT ON
Enjoy kayaks or paddle boats—complete with rentals and lessons—or take a guided tour of Vancouver’s shoreline with 7 Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Centre.

Inukshuk at English Bay. Photo by Andy Mons courtesy Tourism Vancouver

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING
Seeking an activity that doesn’t cost a penny? Take a dip in the Pacific Ocean, go suntanning with friends—don’t forget your sunscreen—or enjoy a breathtaking sunset. A short walk along the beach takes you to the 6-m- (20-ft-) tall Inukshuk stone monument (pictured, left).

The south end of Denman Street is just a short walk from downtown. Or hop on the #5 bus heading west on Robson Street.

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.

Hot Essentials: What is an Inukshuk?

The inukshuk monument greeting visitors in Vancouver's English Bay was originally located at the Northwest Territories pavilion during the Expo '86 World's Fair. Photo by Kevin Arnold courtesy Tourism BC

You’ve seen it on the official logo for the 2010 Winter Games. You’ve seen it perched majestically on the shores of Vancouver’s English Bay. You’ve even seen it amid drifts of snow on Whistler Mountain. But just what is an inukshuk? It’s a human-made stone structure, varying in size, used by various Arctic cultures in Alaska, Canada and Greenland but most commonly associated with the Inuit. Called the inuksuk in Inuit (meaning “acting similar to a human”), historically this landmark may have been used as a location marker for food or navigation. A true inukshuk is a single stone positioned in an upright manner; most often seen is a variation called inunnguaq, which, with stones for a head and arms, more closely resembles a human being (pictured). It is this type of inukshuk that’s used in the 2010 Winter Games logo, describing all Canadians—after all, the symbol’s name is Ilanaaq, which means “friend” in Inuktitut.—Kristina Urquhart