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Building a History
In North American terms, Vancouver is still a young city — and a mere infant on the global scale. Yet its transformation from trading port to world-class city is well documented in the buildings that still stand — from its origins in Gastown, Chinatown and Strathcona to once-industrial areas, such as Yaletown, reborn as residential neighbourhoods. The Architectural Institute of B.C. offers walking tours covering a half-dozen of these neighbourhoods, examining the city's beginnings and what it's become. Stop by the office from Tuesday to Saturday at 1 p.m. and, for $5, join up with any of six tours.
AIBC Architecture Centre
440 Cambie St., 604-683-8588, ext. 333.
Water Walkers
For those staying downtown, the False Creek Ferries are a surprisingly efficient way to hit a number of attractions in one day. The Granville Island Public Market, Science World, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, the Vancouver Museum and Yaletown all have ferry stops just steps from their entrances. Should you choose to knock them all off your to-do list at once, the ferries offer a day pass for $12. Boats run every 15 minutes — more frequently from Granville Island, the most popular stop — and they’re heated on damp days. Best of all, the journey is truly as great as the destination: you'll cruise by kayakers, tugboats, resident seals and water fowl, and you'll get a first-hand look into some of False Creek' boathouse communities. Find ferry dock locations on the company's website, or ask a local.
False Creek Ferries
604-684-7781.
Thought for Food
Many neighbourhoods in Vancouver are renowned foodie destinations: Commercial Drive's Italian district, the streets of Chinatown, Granville Island’s Public Market and Richmond's Night Market are all so rich with fresh ingredients that even a seasoned home chef might find them overwhelming. For foodies looking for an inside track to the tastiest treats in the city, Edible B.C. runs "market experiences" through each of these areas. Tours are often accompanied by a chef who helps interpret the strange and wonderful piles of dry goods that line the streets and aisles, introduces tour members to the butchers, fishmongers, produce stores, tea shops and herbalists along the way, and provides recipes and hints to take home. (Tip: For the shorthand version, stop by Edible B.C.'s booth in Granville Island's Public Market, which features goodies crafted all over the Lower Mainland and B.C.)
Edible B.C.
604-662-3606.
