Bomb Girls bombshell, Jodi Balfour. Photo by Kyla Hemmelgarn
Jodi Balfour’s career is blowing up in the best possible way. The South African actress plays Gladys Witham—a socialite turned munitions factory worker—on the Canadian television drama Bomb Girls.
She loves stepping into the role of Gladys. The wardrobe helps her adopt a 1940s mindset, but her transformation isn’t complete until she slips on Gladys’s shoes: “I consider that the crossing-over point,” she says. (more…)
Canada Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre, with downtown’s highrises and Stanley Park in the background. Photo courtesy Tourism British Columbia
By Kristina Urquhart
Vancouver adds up to one awesome experience.
22 The seawall runs from Coal Harbour to Kitsilano Beach, giving walkers, joggers and cyclists 22 km (13.7 mi) of waterside track. No wonder we look so good in our Lululemon yoga pants.
400 At 400 hectares (1,000 acres), Vancouver’s Stanley Park is larger than New York City’s Central Park. And cuter, too, with the petite African penguins at the Vancouver Aquarium.
1,646 For a cool photo op, take a chairlift up West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain, the highest of the North Shore’s skiable mountains, with a peak of 1,646 m (5,400 ft). The killer views are distracting, so remember to snap some pics.
1,823 Flanked by a pair of imposing lion statues at the Stanley Park entrance, the Lions Gate Bridge connects Vancouver to the North Shore via a 1,823-m (5,890-ft) span 61 m (200 ft) above Burrard Inlet. Whatever you do, don’t look down.
2,300,000 More than 2.3 million people live in Metro Vancouver, making it the third most populous city in Canada. On a sunny day, you’ll find most of these people on the beach.
Cozy Restaurants in Vancouver: a fireplace and great company at Altitudes Bistro (Photo: Grouse Mountain)
On a chilly West Coast evening, nothing compares to a cozy Vancouver restaurant and a fireside meal. Here are 10 of our favourite places to dine near a warm, cheerful fireplace.
See the list of cozy restaurants in Vancouver »
Behold the beauty of Stanley Park, Vancouver (Photo: Albert Normandin/Tourism Vancouver)
Believe it or not, Vancouver’s Stanley Park is larger than New York’s Central Park. With 400 hectares (1,000 acres) of bucolic beauty to cover, you’re going to want a guide to this recreational paradise. Find a printable map here or visit the information centre just east of the park’s Georgia Street entrance for maps and brochures. Feeling overwhelmed? Here’s our list of ten things you must do on your visit to Vancouver’s Stanley Park.
See the list of 10 can’t-miss things to do in Stanley Park, Vancouver »
Canadian legend Bryan Adams appears at Voices in the Park
Imagine an all-day outdoor concert featuring Vancouver’s own Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams, along with Stevie Nicks, Jann Arden, Hedley, The Boom Booms and The Vancouver Men’s Chorus. Now throw in a special appearance by former U.S. president Bill Clinton. If you think that sounds like the event of the season, you’re right. Don’t miss the first-ever Voices in the Park, taking place Sep. 15 at the Brockton Fields in Stanley Park. The whole thing is raising funds for the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which offers free music programs to at-risk youth in Vancouver, so you can feel virtuous about how much fun you’re having.—Sheri Radford
Russell Roberts as Captain E.J. Smith in Titanic: A New Musical. Photo by Tim Matheson
All aboard! Mark the Titanic‘s 100 year-anniversary by taking in a couple swingin’, Tony Award–winning Broadway musicals, staged alfresco by the Theatre Under the Stars at Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl (to Aug. 18). Hear both catchy ditties and sorrowful songs as passengers and crew navigate that storied ship in Titanic: A New Musical (pictured), and on alternating nights, try The Music Man. Bring a blanket to keep warm after the sun goes down.—Kristina Urquhart
By Jennifer Patterson
A much-deserved ice cream break on the dock at Granville Island. Photo by KK Law
Battle brain freeze while enjoying a sweet frozen treat. The ice cream at Marble Slab Creamery is anything but ordinary: pick from dozens of flavours, from banana rum to raspberry; choose some toppings, from sliced almonds to gummy bears; then watch as it’s all mixed together on—what else—a cold marble slab. (more…)
Daren Herbert as Harold Hill in The Music Man. Photo by Tim Matheson
When the weather is so hot and sticky that even the mosquitoes leave town, there’s no place like Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park for an evening that’s cool in more ways than one.
Vancouver’s legendary summer company Theatre Under the Stars, in its 66th season, sets feet tapping and hands clapping with a stylish production of that good old chestnut, The Music Man. An enormous and energetic cast romps through the story of con man Harold Hill, who sells musical instruments and band uniforms to naïve parents of school children in small-town Iowa, then skips town with the cash before giving a single lesson. (more…)
Stéphane Mouttet, Chef Concierge of the Shangri-La Hotel and current director of Les Clefs d'Or, BC region
Stéphane Mouttet is the Chef Concierge of the Shangri-La Hotel and also the director of Les Clefs d’Or, BC region. Having spent his childhood and youth in Grenoble, France, and his adult life in Canada, Stéphane is the perfect embodiment of “old world meets the new world.” While he possesses the easy charm and warmth of North American hospitality, he was trained in the true traditional European sensibilities.
What do you recommend for a visitor who has just one day to sightsee in Vancouver?
Take a quick tour of the city to have a great overview, and explore local neighbourhoods such as Gastown (tourist area with a local vibe), Main Street (hipster) and Commercial Drive (Italian/European).
Or one afternoon?
Granville Island and Stanley Park or Grouse Mountain. (more…)
Foster the People plays Vancouver on June 25
The sun is shining, which means it’s time to park your posterior on a blanket for an outdoor concert. The Temper Trap brings alternative indie rock to Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl (Jun. 19). In Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park, Foster the People (pictured) performs tunes that blend dance, pop and rock (Jun. 25).—Sheri Radford
Five Sails photo by KK Law
The city’s most visible landmark, Canada Place, is home to Five Sails, bastion of classic good tastes, with its sweeping views of Coal Harbour and Stanley Park. Chef Ernst Dorfler’s regionally sourced plates range from soy-glazed marinated sablefish with wahoo truffle sauce to roast loin of fallow deer.—Tim Pawsey
The original Lumbermen's Arch was briefly located at Hamilton and Pender streets before moving to the present Stanley Park location, on the former site of a First Nations village. Photo by KK Law
Stanley Park is chock-full of hidden treasures, and there are plenty of photo‑ops where “X” marks the spot. Look for this log landmark, which honours the BC lumber industry, off the seawall west of Brockton Point. It’s actually the second incarnation of the Lumbermen’s Arch. The original 1912 structure, made from eight Douglas fir logs, was deemed structurally unsafe and demolished in 1947, only to be replaced five years later by another Douglas fir version—this time simpler, sturdier and made of only four logs (pictured).—Kristina Urquhart