Vancouver Overview
Table of Contents
Stories and photos by Michelle Fedosoff (unless otherwise indicated)
WHERE
Nestled on the shores of the Pacific Ocean in western Canada, Vancouver is home to 2.5 million people. Only 50% of the population has a European background, making this one of Canada’s most ethnically diverse cities.
Located just a 2-hour drive to Whistler, a 2-hour drive to Seattle, and a 4-hour drive to the Okanagan wine region, it is a great spot as a home base for further exploration.
HISTORY
Originally settled by the Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, the first European explorers to reach Vancouver were Captain Jose Maria Narvaez (1791) and Captain George Vancouver (1792), followed by Simon Fraser (1808).
In 1867, during the rise and growth of Vancouver, a man named John (Jack) Deighton offered mill workers free whiskey if they would help him build his saloon. The Globe Saloon was built within twenty- four hours in the area that is now known as Gastown. There is a statue in his honor there.
The University of British Columbia opened its doors for the first time in 1915 and now is a world class university boasting almost 60,000 students.
Vancouver has, and continues to, host world class events such as Expo 86, 2010 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics, and the Vancouver Open.
SHOPPING
Granville Island is popular with tourists and locals. The market has just about anything you could want; produce, fresh baked goods, cheeses, butcher shops, jewelry, fresh seafood, wine, hammocks, hats, and a children’s market.
South Granville is an area with expensive antiques, art galleries and shops, clothing stores, as well as restaurants and cafes.
Robson Street will find souvenirs mixed in with high end clothing and jewelry stores, shoe stores, and multiple options for food and drink.
Gastown was once the original downtown and is still interesting for its cobbled streets. There are many galleries and boutique shops here as well as souvenir shops selling Canadian maple syrup.
Metropolis at Metrotown is one of Canada’s largest malls and is only a 15-minute Skytrain ride from downtown. There are over 500 shops and restaurants as well as a movie theatre and Chapters.
THINGS TO DO
Golf
There are more than 50 courses within the greater Vancouver area. Some popular ones are University Golf Course, Fraserview Golf Course, Morgan Creek Golf Course, and Northview Golf Course which has hosted the PGA for multiple years.
If you are looking for a smaller course to play, Queen Elizabeth Pitch and Putt and Stanley Park Pitch and Putt are beautiful par 3 courses.
Parks
Stanley Park has an 8 km seawall to walk or cycle as well as many other woodland paths through the forest. This park is larger than New York City’s Central Park and sees 8 million visitors each year.
Queen Elizabeth Park is a 130-acre park featuring walking trails, gardens, and the Bloedel Conservatory.
Vandusen Gardens is 55 acres of plants from around the world and boasts a living maze that is very popular with children and adults alike. At Christmas, the Festival of Lights features over 1 million lights, including the highly attended light show set to music on the lake.
Sporting Events
Vancouver has four professional teams; the Vancouver Canucks (hockey), the BC Lions (football), the Vancouver Whitecaps (soccer), and the Vancouver Canadians (baseball).
Other sporting events to watch: Ultimate and the Gran Fondo.
Beaches
Kits Beach is popular for volleyball. It is also home to Kits Pool, the longest saltwater pool in North America.
English Bay Beach offers kayak rentals and a swimming raft with slide. It is also home to the Polar Bear swim, attracting over 6000 registered swimmers and as many as 45,000 spectators.
Jericho Beach is family friendly with concessions as well as the Jericho Sailing Center if anyone wants lessons.
Wreck Beach is Vancouver’s only nudist beach and is Canada’s largest naturist beach. It is 15 minutes from downtown and is busy with 12,000 beach goers per day during the summer.
Culture
Queen Elizabeth Theatre is home to the Vancouver Opera and Ballet British Columbia and hosts musical performances.
The Orpheum, in its 93-year history has been home to vaudeville, a movie palace, and a concert hall. It is currently home to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
The Vancouver Playhouse is home to DanceHouse, Friends of Chamber Music, and the Vancouver Recital Society.
These three beautiful venues are conveniently located downtown and offer the highest quality entertainment.
Night Life
Vancouver’s night life is as varied as its visitors offering a little of everything. The “Just For Laughs” comedy festival visits on an annual basis, performing in the various comedy clubs in the city. Other offerings include dance clubs, rock concerts, jazz clubs, and casinos.
WEATHER
Located in a rain forest, Vancouver has an average of 165 days of rain per year so be prepared.
The temperature in winter is mild. You could find yourself skiing in the morning at one of the local mountains, then golfing that same afternoon. Vancouverites take pride in that fact.
Spring will find the cherry blossoms in bloom.
Summer is hot enough that the many beaches are full.
INTERESTING FACTS
- The Vancouver Aquarium is known as the first to capture a killer whale for study (1968).
- Greenpeace was founded here in 1971.
- The Chinese buffet was started here to feed loggers and mill workers.
- There are 44 Starbucks locations just in the downtown area.
- Botox was invented here by Dr. Alastair and Dr. Carruthers.
- BC Place was the first covered stadium in Canada.
- Vancouver is home to North America’s first supervised injection site.
- The California Roll was invented here by Chef Hidekazu Tojo.
- Vancouver is famous for BC Bud.
- Known as Hollywood North, Vancouver is the third largest film producer in North America, behind LA and New York, so it is not unusual to see celebrities walking the streets or eating in restaurants.
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
Celebrating is a lifestyle here. Vancouver offers flower festivals, car free days, music festivals, and theatre performances on the beach. Every month of the year, there are events worth attending.
Mid-January to mid-February will find the city hosting the Hot Chocolate Festival. Cafes, bakeries, ice- cream shops, and vegan grocers will be trying to outdo each other with creations to temp your taste buds and expand your concept of what a hot chocolate actually is. Ingredients such as dark cocoa, salted rosemary, orange, black sesame, brandied cherries, oat milk, and goji berry are just some of the options.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is held in spring with events such as Bike the Blossoms with participants cycling a mapped route and the Big Picnic for families to join others in a picnic beneath the blossoms and enjoy live music.
International Pillow Fight Day. Several hundred people show up at an advertised location and then when the clock strikes the specified time, everyone yells “pillow fight!” and starts hitting others with pillows. Fifteen minutes later it is over and the crowd disburses until next year.
The Cloverdale Rodeo is one of the top rodeos in British Columbia with crowds of more than 100,000 spectators each year and has bull riding, barrel racing, saddle bronc riding, and rodeo clowns. There are also carnival rides for children, food vendors, a beer garden, and live country music.
Celebration of Light is a fireworks display that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. Held on three nights, different countries put forth their best display timed to music, competing for top prize.
The Winter Solstice Lantern Festival takes place in two or three different venues each year and offers lantern making workshops, a lantern procession through the streets, fire performances, and a candle-lit labyrinth.
PRIDE week is a week of events such as cabaret shows, parties, and BBQ’s throughout the city leading into the PRIDE parade. This event continues to grow, attracting visitors from around the world.
FOOD AND DRINK
Vancouver is made for foodies. With everything from seafood restaurants to afternoon tea to noodle houses, there is something for every taste and budget.
The Golden Plate awards are an annual event recognizing the best in international cuisine and drinks and is a great guide to finding the best of Vancouver. On the other hand, sometimes just wandering a neighborhood to find an interesting place is how you find that exceptional food experience.
And don’t forget the food truck festival where there can be as many as 100 trucks to choose from.
Craft Beer is making its way through the city with brewery tours and an annual brewery fun run. Places like Off The Rail offers the fan favorite Honey Giner Ale while Luppolo Brewing offers an amazing Imperial IPA.
Coffee is a must in Vancouver and it would be difficult to walk more than a block without finding a place for a latte or espresso. With everything from well-known coffee chains to coffee roasters to mom and pop shops, your addiction will be fueled.
PLACES TO STAY
11 million visitors come to Vancouver each year and the city is more than prepared to have them stay.
With 23,000 hotel rooms there are several options for every budget. Everything like historical Hotel Vancouver to budget chains. And if you are looking for something different, there are many options for B&B’s, boutique hotels like Skwacha`ys Lodge or homestays.
FAMOUS VANCOUVERITES
People born in Vancouver are proud of that fact and many are well known throughout the world.
- David Suzuki. Scientist, Environmentalist, and Co-founder of The David Suzuki Foundation
- Ryan Renolds. Actor, comedian, producer, and “Sexiest Man of the Year”.
- Ross Rebagliati. Gold Olympic medalist and advocate for medical cannabis.
- Jeffrey Wall. Artist and photographer known for his back lit Cibachrome photographs.
- Dolores Claman. Composer and pianist. Famous for “The Hockey Theme”, Hockey Night in Canada’s theme song.
- Michael MacLennan. Writer and producer of “Queer as Folk”.
- Yvonne De Carlo. Actress. “The Ten Commandments” and “The Munsters”
NEIGHBORHOODS TO VISIT
China Town is where you will find dim sum, tea shops, the Jimi Hendrix Shrine, the Vancouver Police museum, and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens.
Kitsilano is home to the H.R. MacMillan Space Center and the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in Vancouver, shopping on 4th, and Greek Day where you will find an abundance of souvlaki, dolmades, and baklava.
Coal Harbour is situated right on the water and is home to the Olympic flame and the 4D Fly Over Canada attraction. It is also a great place to watch the float planes land and take off while you sit at one of the restaurants on the waterfront.
Commercial Drive, known as “The Drive”, is 22 blocks of restaurants, shops, bars, coffee houses, craft breweries, and shops with items from local designers and craftspeople.
Davie Village is home to the Rainbow Crosswalk and is where you will find LGBT-friendly book stores, boutiques, cheap eats, vintage and club gear shops, and dance clubs.
VANCOUVER IS FOR EVERYONE
Although it has a varied and sometimes controversial history, Vancouver is a large city that feels like a small town. People are friendly and helpful. It is a great place to explore or to be based out of for other adventures. It offers an abundance of activities for any budget and any age during anytime of the year.
Michelle is a traveller, writer, photographer, wife, and mother. She has travelled to 13 countries and is always on the look out to find unique and interesting things to do. From counting turtle eggs in Mexico to looking for tigers in India, eating Haggis in Scotland and pig snout in Spain, drinking Chai tea from street vendors in India to black sesame hot chocolate in Canada, she is willing to try almost anything once. Michelle is a member of ITWPA, CAPA, and IAPP.