The University of British Columbia earns an A+ for attractions
By Jennifer Patterson & Kristina Urquhart
The Museum of Anthropology’s Great Hall nods to traditional Northwest Coast post-and-beam architecture. Photo by KK Law
School’s in session, so rally your team spirit but leave your protractors and pencils behind. Head out to the University of British Columbia (UBC), where the stunning views are not just for the 41,000-plus students.
UBC has it all. The sprawling campus is the largest in Canada, at 402 hectares (993 acres). Millionaire real-estate moguls vie for the hilltop homes. Hikers and joggers love the trails through the nearby 763-hectare (1,144-acre) Pacific Spirit Regional Park, while nudists bare it all on Wreck Beach. And if the great outdoors aren’t enough, spend a day touring these campus hot spots.
Museum of Anthropology
History buffs head to this recently renovated museum, designed by Vancouver’s own Arthur Erickson, a celebrated architect responsible for some of the city’s most recognizable buildings. Unearth British Columbia’s past with Northwest Coast First Nations artifacts, including bentwood boxes, totem poles and the magnificent Bill Reid carving “The Raven and the First Men.” Peruse 10,000 objects from around the world in the Multiversity Galleries, or discover the Great Hall’s reflection in the outdoor pond, recently filled to complete Erickson’s original vision when he designed the museum in 1971.
The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Since opening in 1997, the Chan Centre has become one of the top venues in the city for the arts. Inside, the stunning Chan Shun Concert Hall serves as the main concert space with its huge acoustic canopy. The Telus Studio Theatre and Royal Bank Cinema cater to smaller performances, films and lectures. This
A concert hall, playhouse and cinema in The Chan Centre stage recitals, films and theatre productions. Photo by KK Law
month, enjoy concerts by Spanish singer Buika and Mexican songbird Lila Downs (Nov. 7), the UBC Symphonic Wind ensemble (Nov. 18) and the UBC Chamber Strings orchestra (Nov. 19).
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Science lovers, rejoice! This brand new museum opened last month. Check out the herbarium, with over half a million plant specimens; the entomological collection, with over 600,000 insect and aquatic items; the marine invertebrate collection, with an array of mollusk shells; the vertebrate collection, with over 40,000 specimens of mammals, birds and reptiles; the fish museum, with over 800,000 jarred skeletons, fossils and DNA samples; and the fossil collection, which showcases everything from recent shells to ancient blue-green algae—the oldest evidence of life on earth. This modern-day menagerie’s crown jewel: a skeleton of a blue whale, earth’s largest living animal.
UBC Botanical Garden
Step into the Land of the Rising Sun at Nitobe Memorial Garden, an authentic representation of a Japanese tea and stroll garden and part of the UBC Botanical Garden. Waterfalls, stones, lanterns, a ceremonial teahouse and lush plantings (think azaleas, cherry trees and maple trees) make this horticultural haven a tranquil place for reflection. You’ll also find other lovely escapes on the university grounds, including the David C. Lam Asian Garden, an alpine garden, a food garden and a BC native species garden.
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is home to a 26-m (85-ft) skeleton of a blue whale, found off Prince Edward Island. Photo by KK Law
Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
Art aficionados adore this contemporary gallery, which highlights current emerging artists and Canadian avant-garde pieces from the 1960s and 1970s. The gallery also houses the university’s art collection of more than 2,500 items from Canada and around the globe. Past exhibitions have included pieces by Vancouverite Douglas Coupland and BC artist Jack Shadbolt. On now at the gallery: film installations by Amsterdam artist Mark Boulos (to Dec. 5).
UBC Bookstore
You don’t have to be a student to shop at this glass-walled bookstore, which sells not only textbooks but also a range of best-sellers, fiction and non-fiction. Stock up on campus gear, from coffee mugs to clocks to clothing, including pieces emblazoned with the logo of the school’s athletic team, the Thunderbirds. An official Apple boutique is located within the store, with discounts available for students. A satellite location of the UBC Bookstore can be found downtown at Robson Square.
Mahony & Sons Public House
Students and locals flock to this pub for chilled pints, hearty Irish fare and live music. The decor is cozy and traditional, with lots of wood and Celtic artwork, and the menu offers burgers, pizza and the always-popular Irish faves: bangers and mash and Irish stew. Try the best of the Emerald Isle with the sampler featuring four nearly half-pint glasses of Guinness, Kilkenny, Smithwicks and Harp. Slàinte!
Stay, Dine, Do
