3 Hours in … Vancouver
by Julie Hawrishok
Regularly listed among the world’s best places to live, Vancouver also has a lot to offer visitors. With a population of about two million, it is the third-largest city in Canada. (All prices given here are in Canadian dollars, one of which is worth about 0.60 Euros.)
The best place to start a day in the city is at the Vancouver Lookout at the Harbour Centre Tower on the corner of West Hastings and Seymour Streets. Take the glass elevator to the observation deck, where you can enjoy a 360-degree view of the city from almost 180 metres up. Vancouver’s natural beauty may surprise you. The lookout is open daily; winter: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; summer: 8.30 a.m. to 10.30 p.m.
From the Harbour Centre Tower, walk east to Richards Street and go north to Water Street. You’ll be in Gastown, the birthplace of Vancouver in 1867. Gastown is full of history, with a variety of shops and some of the city’s best restaurants and nightclubs. On the corner of Water and Cambie Streets is the Gastown Steam Clock, powered by steam that comes through an underground system of pipes. Listen as it plays a tune every 15 minutes. Continue to Water and Carrall Streets where you’ll find the copper Gassy Jack Statue, which honours the first settler in the area, saloon owner Jack Deighton.
As you walk south down Carrall Street, you’ll enter Vancouver’s Chinatown. At the corner of Carrall and Keefer Streets is the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, built in the style of Ming dynasty gardens. It is considered a place of peace and harmony, bringing together contrasts of natural elements – dark and light, hard and soft, yin and yang – to concentrate the life force, the chi. Visiting hours depend on the time of year; for more information see the web site www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
From the gardens, walk north to Pender Street and go west. At the corner of Pender and Cambie Streets is Vancouver’s Victory Square, a small park with a stone cenotaph to honour Canadian soldiers and war heroes. As you continue west on Pender Street, you’ll reach Granville Street, one of downtown Vancouver’s busiest shopping areas.
No trip to Vancouver would be complete without a visit to Granville Island. Follow Granville Street to the south and walk over the Granville Bridge. It is a 20- to 25-minute walk, so you may want to take the bus instead (details below.) Once there, visit the Granville Island Public Market, which offers fresh food and local produce for every taste (most shops are open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Visit Granville Island Brewing, Canada’s first microbrewery, at 1441 Cartwright Street. A tour of the brewery takes about 45 minutes, and samples are included. Or enjoy a glass of Canadian beer at the Taproom. Tours run daily at noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.; $9.75.
Return from Granville Island along Granville Street to Georgia Street on foot or by bus. Walk west down Georgia Street to Hornby Street, where you’ll find the Vancouver Art Gallery. The gallery contains a large permanent collection of British Columbian and Canadian Art. The photography exhibition is growing, and has become increasingly popular with Vancouverites.
From the bus stop in front of the art gallery, take the 19 Stanley Park bus to Stanley Park. Once inside the 1,000-acre park, follow the signs for things to see. You can visit the Vancouver Aquarium on Avision Way, home to more than 60,000 fish and sea creatures. In Totem Park, eight totem poles tell stories about the lives and the struggles of Canada’s First Nations population. Or simply walk a short distance along the nine-kilometre sea wall around the park’s edges and watch the waves below you.
To get back to where you started your Vancouver walk, return to the park entrance, and take the 19 Metrotown bus to the corner of West Hastings and Seymour Streets.
Seen it all before?
There’s a lot more to explore in the Vancouver area if you have the
time.
The Vancouver Public Library
The library was built in 1995, but it looks like a Roman coliseum. It as
nine floors, 315 arches and several observation decks that are perfect for
reading or relaxing.
The Commodore Ballroom
If you’re looking for the heart of Vancouver’s concert and nightclub
scene, the Commodore Ballroom is the place to go. Artists such as Jimi Hendrix,
U@ and DJ Tiesto have played here. On almost any night, the Commodore is
full of Vancouverites who are looking for great music and good food.
Whistler Blackcomb Village
Whistler and Blackcomb mountains will be the main location for the 2010
Olympic Winter Games. The area has more than 7,000 acres for skiing and
snowboarding; in winter, lift tickets to the top coast $71. In summer, Whistler
is very popular with walkers and mountain bikers; the area also offers fishing
and golfing and there’s great shopping in the village.