Cute and comfy clogs by Okabashi
Whether you plan to stroll around Stanley Park or hit Robson Street for a day of shopping, don a pair of Okabashi clogs to ensure happy feet. These waterproof, anti-slip, antimicrobial, odour-resistant clogs have a massaging insole that prevents foot and back pain. And when they need cleaning, just toss them in the dishwasher. Available for men and women in red, yellow, olive, brown and black at Zellers ($19.99).—Sheri Radford
Wild spring salmon with baby heirloom tomatoes, French beans and basil pesto vinaigrette, at Seasons in the Park. Photo by KK Law
Beyond feasting your eyes, the city’s parks and beaches also afford plenty of opportunities to reward your appetite. In Queen Elizabeth Park, Seasons is a glass-wrapped escape with a view of downtown, serving fresh and inventive regional cuisine such as pan-seared steelhead salmon with maple-butter sauce and miso-soy-marinated black cod. Stanley Park lures with seafood specialties at The Fish House, right across from the Pitch ’n’ Putt, while The Teahouse at Ferguson Point is an idyllic spot for late-afternoon drinks and West Coast plates overlooking English Bay. Find more casual fare at the Prospect Point Cafe, barely a French fry’s toss from Lions Gate Bridge.—Tim Pawsey
K'Naan plays Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park this month
“When I get older, I will be stronger. They’ll call me freedom, just like a wavin’ flag.” If you’ve been anywhere near a radio or TV, you’ve been hearing K’naan’s catchy lyrics all year long. Sing along to him at Malkin Bowl (Sep. 25). Other highlights at the outdoor venue: The National (Sep. 9 and 10), Scissor Sisters (Sep. 16), Tegan & Sara (Sep. 24) and The Flaming Lips (Sep. 26).—Sheri Radford
Young, beautiful and acting in a hit TV show—Sara Canning is the kind of girl it would be easy to hate, if only she weren’t so darned sweet and talented
By Sheri Radford
Sara Canning enjoys a picturesque spot on the seawall in Stanley Park, against the backdrop of the Lions Gate Bridge. Photo by KK Law
The undead are certainly lively these days. On television, in movies and in novels, vampires are baring their fangs. Sara Canning, for one, enjoys the trend. The 23-year-old Canadian-born actress has always been a fan of the bloodsuckers, going back to the story of Dracula, which she first read as a teenager, and the film Nosferatu, right up to current hits such as the hauntingly beautiful Swedish film Let the Right One In and the worldwide phenomenon that is Twilight. She feels especially grateful to the enduring popularity of the undead fiends now that her show, The Vampire Diaries, is starting its second season.
Canning portrays a human—the aunt of the main character, not a vampire—but she has contemplated the tantalizing vamps on her show. When asked if she’s Team Stefan or Team Damon, she answers with a laugh that it would be Stefan for eternity but Damon for a weekend. “Any longer than a weekend and you may end up underground.”
The young actress knows how fortunate she is to have landed a hit TV series. She’s worked hard to get where she is, doing theatre since age 12, but in acting, she says, “Luck and good fortune are always part of it.”
Sara Canning pauses on the seawall in Stanley Park. Photo by KK Law
Realizing that luck and good fortune would be more likely to find her in Canada’s largest film centre, Canning packed her bags and left her childhood home of Sherwood Park, Alberta, for the bright lights of Vancouver—and a year studying everything from acting to voice work to screenwriting at Vancouver Film School. Quickly, she became enamoured with her new city. She doesn’t even mind the famous wet weather: “I really love being in Stanley Park when it rains or right after it’s rained.” One of her favourite West Coast activities is to rent a bike and ride it around the seawall in Stanley Park. She raves about all the fabulous places to find great sushi, brunch spots such as Cafe Medina, and Chapters, the giant bookstore chain that doesn’t exist in her new home of Atlanta, Georgia, where she has relocated for the filming of The Vampire Diaries.
Every chance Canning gets, she returns to Vancouver. Filming kept her away during the 2010 Winter Olympics, but friends filled her in about the incredible experience of proud Canadians thronging Granville Street. She spent the summer here during her most recent hiatus. When she’s in Vancouver, she never has to worry about hiding her Canadian accent or the “Canadianisms” that creep into her speech. Born in Newfoundland, Canning worked especially hard to get rid of her “Newfie” accent, though it creeps back in whenever she phones her parents.
A bright future lies ahead for Canning. According to her, a creative person should “never be satisfied” and should “always be curious, wanting to know more.” She constantly pushes herself, studying acting and writing, and she’s currently working on a script with a friend. “I’m excited to see where the next five years take me,” she says.
So are we.
Pack a picnic lunch and spend a day exploring Vancouver’s magnificent gardens
By Kristina Urquhart
VanDusen Botanical Garden
Please, walk on the grass. So say the signs at this impressive 22-hectare (55-acre) horticultural haven, where you’ll discover 7,500 types of flowers and plants from all four corners of the world. Embark on a guided or self-guided walking tour down gravel pathways, which meander through groves of Japanese maples, magnolias and giant redwoods. Young gardeners-in-training love to get lost in the hedge maze. Another highlight is the collection of ginkgo trees, which are considered to be “living fossils,” meaning they haven’t evolved much from their Jurassic-era ancestors 200 million years ago. Plants that change with the seasons make VanDusen gorgeous any time of the year. This month, take note of vibrant perennials at their peak, including fragrant lilies and South African bulbs. A vivid array of herbs and veggies are also on display in the Heirloom Vegetable Garden, which is styled after the Victorian era this year. On your way out, be sure to visit the Garden Shop, which offers botanical booty such as plants, seeds, tools, books and decorative tchotchkes. (more…)
Umincho bowl and ceviche at Lift-Bar-Grill-View. Photo by KK Law
You’re never far from water or mountains in this town. Some decks come with views of both—as well as great food and drinks.
1 Lift Bar-Grill-View This luxurious roof deck overlooks Coal Harbour and Stanley Park.
2 Bridges Granville Island’s gateway to False Creek is one of the city’s most popular waterside haunts.
3 The Boathouse Restaurant Enjoy a bucket of prawns in the epicentre of beach culture at English Bay.
4 The Beach House Linger over maple-soy-marinated sablefish or bouillabaisse as the sun dips behind Vancouver Island.—Tim Pawsey
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.
# 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.
Check out the results of our third annual photo contest. Jeff Yeo wins the grand prize of a gift certificate for dinner for four at Voya Restaurant.
Have you taken a great picture? Enter our My Favourite Vancouver Photo Contest at www.where.ca/vancouver and you could win an amazing prize. We’re looking for iconic images that evoke Vancouver’s unique spirit and character.
View of downtown Vancouver from the other side of False Creek. Photo by Jeff Yeo
View of downtown Vancouver from Stanley Park. Photo by Julia M. Schulze
Seawall in Stanley Park at midnight on a summer evening. Photo by Mike Pan
Science World from Cambie Street Bridge. Photo by Alan Chan
Granville Street Bridge. Photo by Lili Vieira de Carvalho
Southside Port Coquitlam. Photo by Lisa English
Vancouver Art Gallery. Photo by Dayna Dueck
Raccoons in Stanley Park. Photo by Danielle Rathe
View of English Bay from Beach Avenue. Photo by Cheryl Borgmann
View of downtown Vancouver from Waterfront Park in North Vancouver. Photo by Lisa Lajeunesse
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
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