Written by MagdaDH_AlexH on 16 Nov, 2010
Vancouver is one of those lucky cities that seem to have everything: a beautiful situation, great tourist attractions, vibrant food and night life, world-class cultural institutions and plenty of opportunities to just wander about and take it all in. Even the climate is pretty good…Read More
Vancouver is one of those lucky cities that seem to have everything: a beautiful situation, great tourist attractions, vibrant food and night life, world-class cultural institutions and plenty of opportunities to just wander about and take it all in. Even the climate is pretty good by Canadian standards. For those who only have a few days, choices will have to be made – but some places are a must-see for every visitor. Downtown Vancouver is a busy, bustling confident place full of modern architecture, good shopping, art galleries and creatively designed and used urban spaces. Next to the downtown centre, Vancouver's Chinatown is one of the biggest in North America and if you have never visited one is sure to impress. You can get a better idea of Vancouver's layout and location if you make your way up 130 meters to the observation deck of Vancouver Lookout at the top of the Harbour Place. Nearby Canada Place with its iconic sail-like roofs provides wonderful views across Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver and the mountains beyond. While in that area, take a SeaBus from the Waterfront Station. This is just for another view of the port and the whole city, and it's cheap as the SeaBus is part of the city transit network. Stanley Park is one of the best urban parks in the world, well worth a walk – there are views again, as well as ancient trees, impressive totem poles, trolley tours and the fantastic Vancouver Aquarium with its beluga whales, sea otters and dolphin shows. If art is your interest, Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby Street has one of the best collections of Emily Carr's paintings in the world and it has exciting temporary exhibitions of old masters as well as contemporary artists. Check what's on, as displays vary. Vancouver Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is a bus ride away, but features a brilliant collection of indigenous Canadian art of the Pacific North West, including Bill Reid's famous Raven and the First People. The UBC campus on Point Grey is huge, and the campus plus peninsula has woods, beaches, gardens and hiking at the Pacific Spirit Park and the whole area will easily fill a day. Those who like shopping will like Granville Island with its artisans, food market and a toy store, those who don't like shopping will think it's rather hellish though. Kids will appreciate The Science World, especially on a rainy day: plenty to stimulate the mind and wake up the experimenter within. Many visitors make a point of going to Capilano Suspension Bridge, but the shorter-but-wobblier Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge in North Vancouver is free! And it has a wonderful waterhole to swim in in the summer as well as twin falls nearby. There is also plenty of day and longer trips out of Vancouver, of which the most popular and the best are the trips to Whistler in the mountains and the Sea to Sky Highway along the coast north of Vancouver. The city of Vancouver will easily fill in a week's worth of exploration, and this can be extended almost indefinitely simply because of the dominant lifestyle in Vancouver. Close
Vancouver is, just as the tourist blurb and word of mouth alike claim, a city blessed with a breathtakingly beautiful location between the mountains and the ocean, mild weather (though they complain about six months of rain) and wealthy, educated, multicultural population.Driving into the city…Read More
Vancouver is, just as the tourist blurb and word of mouth alike claim, a city blessed with a breathtakingly beautiful location between the mountains and the ocean, mild weather (though they complain about six months of rain) and wealthy, educated, multicultural population. Driving into the city (we skipped the train, which I still regret a bit, and got a rideshare from a good humoured and intelligent maths' post-grad) I have an intense feeling that, for the first time since we left Toronto almost a month ago, we are entering a civilised area - civilised meaning developed, densely populated and with enough cultural variety and resilience to support a degree of sophistication that is not matched anywhere across Canada until you reach the eastern seaboard cities (and specifically and possibly only, Toronto and Montreal). The city feels comfortable and content, even more than content. Smug is would not be a far off description here in fact. It's not a very overt smugness, but detectable in the general attitude, in the expressions, in the accent even. But they have a reason for that: Vancouver is a pleasant city indeed, with an impressive but not too overwhelming downtown core (which reminds me of Montreal), wonderful location and some fantastic features that any city would be proud of, from the landscape around it to the cafe culture, great universities and cultural institutions, and Stanley Park in the middle of it all. Altogether, a place where anybody who would consider living in a big city would probably be fairly happy to live in. Inhabitans of Vancouver never tire of telling you that it's one of the few cities in the world where you can ski in the morning and sail on the ocean in the afternoon (or the other way round), and this dynamic, typical for British Columbia as a whole, is concentrated in Vancouver's position. It's a new place and it feels new in more ways than one: there is a cool urban edge to at least parts of the city, although large parts of the inevitable sprawl are as staidly suburban as anywhere. The buzz of Vancouver is partially due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural character of the city, with a large proportion of population having South-East Asian background, but with many other European, African and Asian influences producing a vibrant, open, but also pretty chilled out mix. All in all, I enjoyed our time in Vancouver very much and it's not surprising the city is so popular among visitors to Canada. Vancouver is not all that's to urban Canada, as some tend to think, especially those who never went east, but it's a unique place of its own, and eminently worth at least a few days (and you might want to stay for life). Close
Written by MagdaDH_AlexH on 03 Jun, 2010
Vancouver airport (YVR) is the main airport that serves western Canada and it serves major international and Canadian destinations as well as many local and regional airports. The airport is located in the southern area of the city and is easily accessible by public transport,…Read More
Vancouver airport (YVR) is the main airport that serves western Canada and it serves major international and Canadian destinations as well as many local and regional airports. The airport is located in the southern area of the city and is easily accessible by public transport, car or taxi. The public transport connection is provided by the new Canada Line of Vancouver's Sky Train (which is actually an underground train for a substantial part of this line). It takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes to get to the airport by car (this varies vastly depending on traffic and will be much longer in the rush hour) from central Vancouver areas and around 1 hour by public transport. A taxi cost around 25-35 CAD depending on your starting point (we paid 35 including the tip from the area around Commercial/Broadway). Despite being a fairly big airport (although small enough to have just one terminal), Vancouver is fairly low in stress-inducing characteristics endemic to such locations. It seems like a well designed airport that does its best to minimise this endemic (and probably unavoidable stress). Check-in hall is long and narrow, with clearly marked desks and enough room for people to queue but not enough to get lost. The catering and shopping areas are located at two ends of the hall, and don't get confusingly mixed up with the check in. The one feature of Vancouver airport that makes it particularly pleasant (or perhaps it would be better to say, not as unpleasant as airports mostly are) is the presence of artworks, foliage and water features. At one end of the check-in hall there is a circular area with benches around a totem pole next to a stone (or mock stone, but realistic enough) wall along which a small waterfall runs. At the other end there is a magnificent brass of ancestor spirits in a canoe by the most famous Native North-West Coast artist, Bill Reid. On the air side, there are more artworks as well as a large fish tanks (when we looked there were two scuba divers in it as well as many colourful fish). There are trees, pond/stream water features and numerous seating areas. Shopping is present, with a good selection of gift items, travel essentials (though book selection was poor in all three locations I went to) and not-so-good but sufficient selection of duty free. But shops don't dominate. In the gate areas, there is plenty of seating, children play areas and monitors playing The Treehouse (Canadian kids' TV channel, no ads). The bathrooms are spacious and usually within easy walking distance, and the wi-fi is free. Altogether, from a user point of view, a pretty good airport and one that makes the nightmare of flying just a little bit more bearable. Close
Written by Composthp on 14 Oct, 2008
We were fortunate to have friends in Vancouver who acted us our hosts and guide to Vancouver. Thanks to them, we were not only able to see the main tourist attractions like the Capilano Suspension bridge, Dr Sun Yat Sen garden in Chinatown, Gastown, Granville…Read More
We were fortunate to have friends in Vancouver who acted us our hosts and guide to Vancouver. Thanks to them, we were not only able to see the main tourist attractions like the Capilano Suspension bridge, Dr Sun Yat Sen garden in Chinatown, Gastown, Granville Island and Stanley park but lesser known sights like Burnaby mountain, Coal harbour and Deep cove. Visiting Vancouver, we felt as if we have visited not just a country but a composite of many including Japan, Korea, China and Europe. Capilano Suspension Bridge This award winning attraction, also the oldest attraction makes for a fun family outing. It has something for everyone. The star attraction of course is the 137m long bridge and the treetop walk that gave visitors a birdseye view of the fir canopy. The park has informative signs on its flora and fauna. It was a fun and educative experience for us. Dr Sun Yat Sen Garden Dr Sun Yat Sen garden is a faithful recreation of the Chinese traditional garden according to style of the Ming dynasty. It is run by a non-profit organisation whose aim is to foster better understanding of the Chinese traditions and culture. We decided to pop in for a quick look around after a scrumptious breakfast at an authentic Hong Kong teahouse in Chinatown. We limited our visit to the outer garden which is free of charge. Our visit left us curious as to the name of the garden, this mystery was solved when we walked towards the bright red arch that marked the beginning of Chinatown along Carrall street. Here we stopped to admire the mural and the narrowest building in Chinatown and found ourselves in Shanghai and Canton alley, the original site of Chinatown where the history of the Chinese migrants to Vancouver were illustrated. This was where we also learnt that Dr Sun Yat Sen has visited Vancouver three times to raise funds to support his cause. Burnaby mountain park Located in Burnaby, it offers superb views of downtown Vancouver and the Burrand inlet. Locals flock here during the fireworks festival for its spectacular views at night. The park has a beautiful rose garden and a sculpture entitled "The playground of the Gods" which was installed in 2005 to celebrate its anniversary of Burnaby's sister city relationship with Kushiro, Japan. We felt a sense of deja vu as we had visited Kushiro in that year. Deep Cove This little idyllic gem offers a glimpse of the life of early pioneers. Its heritage has been well preserved. Its ideal location, i.e., close proximity to the sea and mountain also proved popular among the locals and outdoor sports enthusiasts. For the less adventurous, a stroll along the cove and Deep Cover downtown makes for a relaxing afternoon. Money saving tips The Smartvisit card is a useful card to have if you intend to take in the many tourist attractions in Vancouver and Victoria. This card includes free entry to 50 attractions, a free day tour to Whistler, a half day orca-sighting tour and a harbour cruise in the Burrand inlet. Once activated, this card is valid for 2 days, 3 days or 5 days consecutively so timing is important. We purchased the 3 day pass for CAD$152 (inclusive of tax) and found it a good deal. If you are moving around by public transport, purchase the Fare Savers booklet available at newsstands. The booklet comes with 10 coupons which you can use on transit buses, seabuses and skytrain. The booklet is sold according to zones. Most attractions are located in downtown which is zone 1. A booklet of 10 for zone 1 costs CAD$19, this is a saving of CAD$6 (fare for zone 1 is CAD$2.50 and is valid for 90 minutes). Close
Written by MCJ graduate on 12 Sep, 2005
The eco-walk is offered as either a self-guided or guided interpretive tour. You walk through the forests of Grouse Mountain and view the natural resources of British Columbia. You will also see the flora and fauna of that region. In addition, you will see the…Read More
The eco-walk is offered as either a self-guided or guided interpretive tour. You walk through the forests of Grouse Mountain and view the natural resources of British Columbia. You will also see the flora and fauna of that region. In addition, you will see the traditional First Nations architecture of the hiwas feasthouse (a cultural place of the First Nation), the grandmother tree (a sculpture of a face carved in a tree), the Blue Grouse Lake, the Grizzly Bear Habitat, the Wolf Habitat, and then along the way there are chainsaw sculptures.
I really liked this walk. We decided to leisurely take the self-guided walk instead of the guided one. This was because we were at our own pace then. We walked slowly through this pathway and took several pictures. What I liked most about this trail was that there was photo guide plagues all through the forest. It explained everything we were viewing. For instance, I took a picture of the Red-Breasted Sap Sucker birds drilling holes in a tree and got to read about that bird. We also took pictures of the forest, the native trees, plants and scrubs of that area, hiwas feasthouse, the grandmother tree, the Blue Grouse Lake, the bears and wolves in their habitats and Glenn Greensides’ chainsaw sculptures, etc.
Although everything was intriguing to view on this eco-walk, it was the Glenn Greensides’ chainsaw sculptures that engrossed me the most. These sculptures are called Tribute to the Forest. It is a collection of 16-foot-tall chainsaw sculptures. Near the sculptures, there were cabinet-like cases that held literature about each sculpture (such as why the artists choose that subject matter to carve or items that were made from the trees). This man’s sculptures were remarkable and absolutely gorgeous. You will marvel at his likeness of his sculptures to the real thing, such as beavers, moose, beetles, fisherman, children, etc.
This activity is complimentary once you pay your admission fee (adult is $26.95, youth is $14.95, and child is $9.95 in Canadian money) to enter Grouse Mountain. The self-guided eco-walk is offered as soon as Grouse Mountain opens. But the guided Eco-Walks are offered daily at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 4pm, May through September. However, for those who plan to take a guided tour with a group of 15 or larger, you must make a reservation by calling 604/980-9311.
The hours of operation at Grouse Mountain are 9am to 10pm daily. The address is 6400 Nancy Greene Way, North Vancouver. The phone number is 604/984-0661. The following are the directions to get here:
Cross the Lions Gate Bridge. Take the North Vancouver exit to Marine Drive, then turn north (left) at the first intersection, Capilano Road. Stay on Capilano Road for 5km (3.1 miles) until the road ends at the Grouse Mountain parking lot.
By public transportation, take the SeaBus to the Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. Take bus #236 to the Grouse Mountain parking lot. An alternative is to take bus #246 on West Georgia Street across the Lions Gate Bridge to Edgemont Village. From there, transfer to bus #232 that will take you to the Grouse Mountain parking lot.
This Refuge for Endangered Wildlife is a sanctuary where endangered animals can live out their lives in a secure place. In addition, this place is about research and education. It also a conservation centre. This wonderful place is located on the top of Grouse Mountain.…Read More
This Refuge for Endangered Wildlife is a sanctuary where endangered animals can live out their lives in a secure place. In addition, this place is about research and education. It also a conservation centre. This wonderful place is located on the top of Grouse Mountain. The Refuge is a five-acre mountaintop habitat that is currently home to two orphaned grizzly bears and a pack of wolves.
This wilderness sanctuary desires to become a world leader in preserving both wildlife and flora at risk. In addition, this Refuge offers interpretative programs that assist in having fun when learning about nature and animals. There were also photo plaques that described what flora was present and what inhabitants lived there. The most interesting of these plagues was the stories of the bears and the wolves and how they got there. Concerning the bears, they both arrived in 2001 but they were orphaned by different circumstances. The one named Grinder was orphaned in June 5, 2001, in Invermere, British Columbia. He was found wandering alone on a logging road. He was dehydrated and weighed only 4.5kg. Grinder’s mother was never discovered. The other bear called Coola was found on the side of a highway on June 29, 2001, near Bella Coola, British Columbia. A car had hit and killed his mother and Coola and his siblings were left alone. Of the three cubs, Coola, was the only one that survived. When the conservation officer arrived on the scene he found one cub dead (he was hit by a vehicle) another one ran away from him and was never seen again and Coola was captured. The other inhabitants of the Refuge, the wolves, are former film stars. They were born into captivity and were hand raised. But since June 2004, these wolves are roaming and exploring their new mountaintop habitat too. However, they are in a separate area from the bears.
When we were here, we did see a few glimpses of the grizzlies and the wolves. But the bears were a little more camera-shy than the wolves. In fact, one of the bears that did show himself to us tourists let us know how he felt about tourists’ photo opportunities-he gave us a quick butt shot and then went back into the wilderness. Needless to say, his antics were so unexpected and quick, we couldn’t snap a photo; but then again all it would have been of was a big, dark, hairy behind. However, on another occasion we did see one of them have its face peaking out in a clearance of timber and taking his paw and washing it. But again, the bear was so quick and in a dark place, it was impossible to take a photo.
My partner and I saw the wolves and took some photos of them. They were more out in the open in their habitat. Although there were informative plagues about the wolves, my partner and I were too busy watching the wolves and snapping pictures to read them. Anyway, we did get some pictures.
The wolves were very interesting. When two workers came in to check the fence for any repairs, the wolves would keep an eye on them. They would watch them and run in the woods and then repeat this act many times. The workers did carry large sticks with them for protection.
I really like The Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife. I think the natural habitat for these animals is wonderful alternative then what they poor animals could have endured otherwise. These animals have plenty of room to roam and play and the workers here appear to be very kind to them. Therefore, I highly recommend this attraction when you visit here. It like many other attractions here it is complimentary, once you pay the admission fee to get in to Grouse Mountain. And this cost is $26.95 for adults, youth $14.95 and child is $9.95 in Canadian money. Grouse Mountain is open from 9am to 10pm daily. The phone number is 604/984-0661. It is located at 6400 Nancy Green Way, North Vancouver.
The directions to Grouse Mountain are as follows: Cross the Lions Gate Bridge. Take the North Vancouver exit to Marine Drive, then turn north (left) at the first intersection, Capilano Road. Stay on Capilano Road for 5km (3.1 miles) until the road ends at the Grouse Mountain parking lot.
Written by MCJ graduate on 11 Sep, 2005
Lupins Café is one of the several eateries at Grouse Mountain that you can dine at. It is a good choice whether you want to purchase a snack item or order a nice meal. After seeing and doing all of the attractions and activities we…Read More
Lupins Café is one of the several eateries at Grouse Mountain that you can dine at. It is a good choice whether you want to purchase a snack item or order a nice meal. After seeing and doing all of the attractions and activities we wanted to and walking in the cold, rainy weather, going to Lupins Café was refreshing.
Lupins Café is located on the main floor of the Peak Chalet. It has huge picture windows and two dining areas. One dining area is inside and the other is outside. Whether you dine inside or outside here, you will be able to overlook the mountains and valley.
The inside dining décor has alpine features such as high cedar beams and knotty wood walls. There was also tracking type lights that are attached to beams above that dimly light the dining room. I would estimate that there 35 tables in this dining area. In addition, the tables and chairs are wood with black steel for legs. The tables were both round and square and you could seat four people at each. The outside dinning area has a few plastic tables and chairs and patio umbrellas. However, that day no one was eating outside because of the foul weather. Lastly, there is a counter where the liquor bottles are behind but it is not a "true bar". It is just an area where the bartender/worker can make your drink. At this place, you have to drink your beverages either in the inside or outside dining room area.
This restaurant was very clean from the carpet to the tables to the bar area. It is also very organized. I saw a blue velvet curtain that separated the dining area in the back near the bar, from where I saw workers coming and going.
Our waiter here was attentive, courteous and polite. He didn’t rush us to order right away either. However, we did right away order hot chocolate to warm us up from the inclement weather. All of us (three of us) sipped that chocolate liked it was going out of style. It was simply delicious!
After we looked at the menu for a while we decided to whet our appetites by ordering some savoring looking meals. My partner and I shared two items. We ordered the New Orleans muffatetta sandwich and cheesy potato skins. Our friend, Gabi, ordered BBQ Ribs that came with a baked potato.
Our New Orleans muffaletta sandwich was gorgeous to look at but it wasn’t the best to taste. I am sure other people would have enjoyed it but we weren’t that crazy about it. It was an assortment of Italian deli meats and cheese stacked on crusty bread with an olive and pepper spread. The meats and cheese were fine but the olive and pepper spread was way too strong tasting. It overpowered the taste of the meats and cheeses. But the cheesy potatoes were fabulous. The potato skins were topped with roasted peppers, scallions, bacon and a four-cheese mixture. The sandwich cost $10.50 and it was huge and the potato skins were $11 (Canadian).
Our friend’s BBQ ribs were enormous. I don’t know if you remember the Flintstone cartoon, but part of the opening of the show had Fred putting a huge piece of meat (which had rib bones sticking out from it) in the back of his car, and it caused the front end to go up in the air. Well, this is exactly what our friend’s meal looked like. It truly looked like something that came from a dinosaur or moose or some other strange animal. I was watching other people’s faces when the waiter brought this meal to our friend. Their faces were worth a million dollars. Most of them had bugged out eyes and the jaw dropping look. Anyway, Gabi ate her meal and enjoyed it! The cost of this entrée was $14 (Canadian).
Although our sandwich wasn’t the greatest-tasting, this place had other sandwiches and meals that were quite good. I mean, our friend loved her BBQ meal. In addition, the mountain scenery is spectacular, and the waiter was attentive and polite. Therefore, I recommend this restaurant.
Lupins Café is open both in the summer and winter. It is located at 6400 Nancy Green Way, North Vancouver. The general phone number is 604/984-0661. The directions are as follows: Cross the Lions Gate Bridge. Take the North Vancouver exit to Marine Drive, then turn north (left) at the first intersection, Capilano Road. Stay on Capilano Road for 5km (3.1 miles) until the road ends at the Grouse Mountain parking lot.
Like several other attractions and activities, viewing this show is complimentary, after you purchase you entrance fee ticket (adult price is $26.95, youth is $14.95 and child is $9.95). I recommend that you take advantage of this. We had such an entertaining time watching these…Read More
Like several other attractions and activities, viewing this show is complimentary, after you purchase you entrance fee ticket (adult price is $26.95, youth is $14.95 and child is $9.95). I recommend that you take advantage of this. We had such an entertaining time watching these lumberjacks.
There was a Master of Ceremony present to host the show. Her name was Michelle. She first introduced the opposing lumberjacks. They played the characters of Johnny Wilson and Willie McGee representing two logging operations. Then she split the audience in two sections so each section cheered on their hometown lumberjack. Our section was named Green River Saw Mill, and the opposing team was called Blue Mountain.
Then Michelle described the various competitions the men were to compete in. One was called the underhand chop where the men each had to chop a log that was placed between their feet and whoever cut through it first won. The second competition was throwing a double-headed ax at a bullseye target. The third competition was the men using a saw and seeing which man could cut a slice of wood off first. The fourth competition was the men each selecting a woman from the audience to assist with a two-handed saw competition. The first team that cut off a slice of wood first won. The fifth competition was who could best carve a rabbit out of wood. And the last competition was the men competing in several log rolling contests and the man that won the most of these won that competition.
Our lumberjack, Johnny Wilson, won the majority of the competitions. Therefore, he won the overall contest. However, this show wasn’t pulled off without a few lumberjack antics and a surprise. For instance, McGee threw chips at Wilson before the double ax competition even started. And while there was practice pulls with their women partners before the two-handed saw competition was underway, Wilson put wood chips down the opposing woman’s tennis shoes. Then later before one of the competitions, Wilson pretended he had would chips in his ear. He shook his head and sawdust came out flying. Also, during the rabbit carving Wilson carved a happy face on his rabbit carving instead of being serious about his carving. In addition, Wilson pretended to carve a very small seat out of wood. He then sat his oversized butt in it. Then Wilson later said the smallest child who could sit in it could take it home for a souvenir. He asked the audience who had the youngest and smallest child in the audience. A male parent brought his cute, little 14-month-old baby down to Wilson and he sat her in the chair. Lastly, the lumberjacks were fighting over a fake smoking explosive and during the fight, McGee fell in a makeshift well. Then Wilson took the smoking dynamite and threw it in the well with McGee. Then he grinned, and said, "I am going to miss McGee, he had an explosive personality."
Then when he thought McGee was hurt or dead, he said, "Today, I really blew away the competition." But then McGee crawled out of the Well and finished the last competition of log rolling.
Just when the audience was enthused with the lumberjack show, a surprise happened that caught most of us off guard. Therefore, it left most of us on the edge of our seats. And this is exactly what I will do with you. Therefore, I am keeping you in suspense just like we were. Like us, you will be waiting for what is going to happen.
Don’t miss this show. This attraction was side-splitting and all different ages enjoyed it. I heard laughs and chuckles throughout this entire lumberjack show. Children loved it! And again this show is complimentary with your entrance fee of $26 (Canadian money).
This lumberjack show is located at Grouse Mountain. It last about 45 minutes and is seen daily at 12pm, 2:30pm and 4:30pm from May through mid-October.
Grouse Mountain is located at 6400 Nancy Green Way, North Vancouver. The directions to get to Grouse Mountain are as follows: Cross the Lions Gate Bridge. Take the North Vancouver exit to Marine Drive, then turn north (left) at the first intersection, Capilano Road. Stay on Capilano Road for 5km (3.1 miles) until the road ends at the Grouse Mountain parking lot.
Written by MCJ graduate on 23 Sep, 2005
Stanley Park is an urban, 1,000-acre park. It offers several activities and attractions. Stanley Park has beaches, lookout points, lighthouses, restaurants and cafes, hiking trails, forest walks, park trails, educational and interpretive material, etc. But when our tour group went here, our guide only had…Read More
Stanley Park is an urban, 1,000-acre park. It offers several activities and attractions. Stanley Park has beaches, lookout points, lighthouses, restaurants and cafes, hiking trails, forest walks, park trails, educational and interpretive material, etc. But when our tour group went here, our guide only had us stop and get off at two locations. These were Totem Park and Prospect Point. The rest of the park we drove through, while he sited essential facts about the sites we saw. Therefore, the following information other than the Totem Park and Prospect Point information is based on notes I took while on this tour.
Albion our guide talked about the significant role Lord Stanley played in the history of the park. He said that Lord Stanley, Governor General of Canada in 1889 did a dedication at the time the park opened. He quoted Lord Stanley’s dedication: "To the use and enjoyment of people of all colours, creeds and customs for all time". And then he mentioned how a bank is named after him and so is the Stanley Cup. Albion then told us that Coal Harbor had million dollar condos. Then he proceeded to tell us that Dead Man’s Island was an Indian burial ground but then England put a naval reserve on top of it and is that way yet today. The story is that many, many years ago one Indian tribe captured the women and children of another tribe. But then there was a trade made. The first tribe traded the women and children of the second tribe for the warriors of the second tribe. The first tribe then took the warriors of the second tribe to the island and killed them.
After the above narration, the tour guide dropped us off at Totem Park for 15-20 minutes. Here we all took pictures of the totem poles and I read the signage about the poles. And we took pictures of the body water across from the totem poles.
As aforementioned in the entry of the Totem Park, I enjoyed the Totem Park the most while I was at Stanley Park. There are eight totem poles here. It is the First Nation’s culture I was enthused with. What some people do not know about totem poles is that the figures on them are called crests and are part of s family’s inherited rights. The crests and stories associated with them are considered property owned by First Nations lineage groups. This expresses their origins, inheritance, and pride.
Albion then continued his narration with telling us that the Lions Gate Bridge was built by a family called the Guinness (the same family noted for Guinness World Records). It cost them six million to build it. Then it became a toll bridge but this family sold it to Vancouver for the same amount they paid to have it built.
We then were told by Albion that the Big Red Cedar trees we saw at the park were 1,200 years old; and that the First Nation people used its wood fiber to make totem poles, log houses, baby diapers, etc. In addition, he mentioned that you could actually plant trees from the top of a stump of one and they would grow because these trees are like sponges. Also, he said animals tunneled in them during forest fires and live there.
Prospect Point was our other stop we were allowed to get off the bus and take pictures, grab a quick meal or an ice cream. I noticed there were a variety of restaurants, a Starbucks, patio dining and a gift shop here. My partner and I just walked around and took pictures from the Lookout Point. The scenery here was fabulous. At Prospect point you will see the western side of the North Shore and glimpses of Vancouver Island. Along with this, you will see the flower bed that encircles The Prospect Lookout Point Landmark Area. Prospect Point also offers many park trails, forest walks, hiking and educational and interpretive material.
After our tour bus left Stanley Park, we drove to Granville Island. It was our last stop on our tour. Granville Island is a small peninsula connected to downtown Vancouver via the Granville Street Bridge. Originally, Granville Island had been used for heavy industry since…Read More
After our tour bus left Stanley Park, we drove to Granville Island. It was our last stop on our tour. Granville Island is a small peninsula connected to downtown Vancouver via the Granville Street Bridge. Originally, Granville Island had been used for heavy industry since 1917. It was a ship-building center during World War II. But since the 1960s this area was barely utilized and therefore became ruins. However, a couple business men had a dream for this place. They started to redevelop this location in the early 1970s. And with help from the federal government, these men turned it into a multi-use facility that possesses industry, commerce and entertainment. By the end of the '70s, most of the industrial buildings’ refurbishing was completed.
Our guide, Albion, left us off on the island for an hour. We could go anywhere we wanted to. My partner, friend and I elected to walk around. We went into some stores and made some purchases such as ice cream, beef sticks, cheese, and fudge and went down by the waterfront. In addition, we took many pictures of the Island.
What is nice about this attraction is that it has many things to see and do. For instance, you can purchase vegetables, fruit and seafood at the Public Market, eat at one of the several restaurants or cafes, go to a artist’s workshop, take the children at the Kids Market (stores aimed at them), charter a boat for fishing, see live theater at The Arts Club Theatre/New Revue Stage, etc. Also, it is located in a gorgeous place, False Creek. And if the crowds get to you, you can always walk around the seawall. This will provide you with spectacular views of the mountains and the city.
I highly recommend you visiting Granville Island. It is an attraction for all ages. Granville Island’s Public Market is a shopper’s paradise and has educational highlights concerning the art world (many artists and studios here). In addition, it is a great place for children. There are playgrounds and stores for them.
While at Granville Island, I recommend you grab an island directory so you can find where you need to go. This will assist you in finding certain shops, services and restrooms. The directory is available on the Island.
The Public Market is closed on Mondays from Thanksgiving Day to Victoria Day. But the craft shops and Kids Only Market are open every day of the week. For additional information on Granville Island, you can call the following number: 604/666-5784.
Granville Island is located underneath the south end of the Granville Street Bridge. By car, you can get to it by crossing the Burrard Street Bridge going south, and turning left around 2nd Avenue. By Ferry: Service from the Aquatic Centre, South end of Hornby Street, Stamp’s Landing, Vanier Park, Yaletown, Science World, and Plaza of Nations. By bus: Bus #50 Waterfront/False Creek, to and from Waterfront Station. For more transit information call 604-953-3333.
Landsea Tours include this attraction in their city highlights tour of Vancouver. This tour is 3½ hours long. The tour current charges are the following in American money: $48 for adults, $45 for seniors, and $30 for children. Their phone number is 800/558-4955. Their website is tours@vancouvertours.com.