I’ve lived in Vancouver for almost fourteen years.  Growing up in Saskatchewan, my family travelled to BC almost every summer to visit relatives in the central Prince George area and then made our way south through the Okanagan to pick fruit and just enjoy the spectacular scenery and weather. One of the areas I have never explored is the south east corner of the province, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.  I’ve been through Golden and Revelstoke along Highway 1, many times, and also along Highway 3 through Fernie, Creston and Trail, but never the area in between.  I […]

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As I was reading through the Spring 2010 issue of British Columbia Magazine, I found an article on my home-community, Kitsilano in Vancouver. This article was well written, and amusing to say the least, but it brought up a few points in my head about truths about this neighbourhood. I’d like to explore three select topics that every tourist will be invested in: Food, Shopping and Things to Do. The article shows a large colour picture of people lined up for the Naam restaurant, at 4th Ave. and Macdonald. While I have always really enjoyed the Naam, I would have […]

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I actually took my daughter and two other children (a friend of my daughter’s and her toddler brother) to the Vancouver Aquarium about a week ago, during spring break.  I know, I know, friends and strangers alike were questioning my sanity, but it actually turned out well, and fun was had by all.  The key that made this venture bearable was the fact that we are all members of the Aquarium.  When we first arrived (which was within an hour of the opening), the line up was huge.  I initially thought we would have to find something else to do, […]

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Ride A Slow Train Now !…. Natural  Majesty         – Based on true story –   Today in Lillooet there was a little shower, and was also  cloudy.I prayed for a nice sunshine day for a little trip to Seton  by train.When I arrived at the station, no one really showed up  for ticketing until the train’s arrival ….   The ticketing lady stayed in the train while it was running. Finally, the train arrived at 11 am (with a 30 minute delay). I paid for a round trip for $10.00 and got on the small train. […]

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On February 11 2010, my family took to Burrard Street to try to catch a view of the Torch Relay.  The atmosphere on the street was fun, relaxed and rather full of police.  But the police on bikes, motor cycles, horses and on foot were having a good time too.   Our glimpse of the relay was too short, so we headed north over the Burrard Bridge into Yaletown just in time to see the cauldron lit up on the big jumbo tron screen. We were treated to a few fireworks before heading back home.  (The under-age-2 set don’t like […]

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I got a chance to walk right under the robotic lights in Vanier Park three nights ago.  I was with my 8 and 2 year old children and we approached Vanier Park with the goal of answering the question “just where are these things?” The reaction to the 20 lights that were in continual movement was hugely positive from the kids.  There are ten search lights in the West End and 10 in Vanier Park.  Even on a rainy night they look great as the light makes the moisture in the air shimmer. When I got home I looked up […]

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I got in trouble for my last entry on grumpy Vancouverites, so I thought I’d give some practical suggestions for visitors.   I imagine someone involved in the Winter Olympics might only have a day or so to play in the city.  So I tried to think of my five favourite things that Vancouver has to offer. 1.  Walk the Stanley Park Sea Wall.  It’ll take a couple of hours, but even in the rain, the vistas of both nature and man-made facilities are unique. 2.  Go to Hamilton Street Grill for a steak.  It’s at 1009 Hamilton Street in […]

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This past December, 2009, I had the opportunity to sing Christmas Carols onboard the Vancouver Harbour Cruise Ship Lines. I performed with three other talented singers, and we formed a quartet, singing traditional Christmas Carols, along with an extremely energetic Sing-A-Long. Upon boarding the medium-size, brightly lit yacht, we sang “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” at the entrance, and were received with extreme friendliness by the staff and by the patrons. Everyone seemed to enjoy the festive ambiance as they boarded the ship. We sang a few more sets for about an hour as the guests lounged, indulged in […]

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Fun and Colourful Davie Village One of the most interesting areas of the West End of Vancouver is Davie Street. It’s known as the gay village and has shops and restaurants of all types. There is a high concentration of LGBT people and businesses catering to this group, but the neighborhood is also very family-friendly. Shopping-Strolling The stretch of Davie Street between Burrard Street, all the way down to Denman Street at English Bay, is a great place to stroll, stop in some unique shops, people watch (some very colourful people in this ‘hood!) and take in the amazing scenery. […]

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One of the best parts about Vancouver in the summer is the number of places to go and things to do that are free, or very inexpensive. On a hot day, nothing beats a water park.  These are my favourites in or near downtown Vancouver: Variety Kids Water Park at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley ParkThis water park is located just off the seawall along the north side of Stanley Park, across from an attraction known as Lumbermans’s Arch.  There are plenty of things to climb on and kids can run through water geysers and canons. The waterfall is lots of […]

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