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Key Attractions Stanley Park The ten-kilometre (six-mile) Seawall that circles Stanley Park (tel: (604) 257 8400) provides incredible ocean views for strollers, joggers, cyclists and in-line skaters. Sport equipment may be hired nearby. Stanley Park Horse-drawn Tours (tel: (604) 681 5115; website: www.stanleyparktours.com) offers one-hour tours every half an hour, from mid-March to late October, for C$18.65 (concessions are available). The departure point is near the park’s Georgia Street entrance. The network of trails that crisscross the 400 hectares (1000 acres) of rainforest and parkland connects the Seawall and beaches with an open-air swimming pool, restaurants, a totem pole park and the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. The aquarium is home to West Coast marine life, as well as creatures from warmer climates. Daily whale and dolphin shows and the feeding of the sea otters are popular events. Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre Stanley Park Tel: (604) 659 3474. Fax: (604) 659 3515. E-mail: information@vanaqua.org Website: www.vanaqua.org Transport: Bus 23, 35 or 135; a free shuttle bus makes a circuit around Stanley Park in the summer. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900 (late Jun-early Sep); daily 1000-1730 (early Sep-late Jun). Admission: C$14.95 (concessions available). Vancouver Art Gallery Housed in the former provincial courthouse, the gallery’s permanent collection includes a substantial number of paintings by Emily Carr, whose naturalistic style echoes that of the Group of Seven (the name given to a group of early 20th-century painters whose work highlighted Canada’s beauty). The permanent collection also includes works by Canadian and international artists and is supplemented by a variety of touring exhibitions. 750 Hornby Street Tel: (604) 662 4700 or 662 4719 (information). Fax: (604) 682 1086. Website: www.vanartgallery.bc.ca Transport: Granville SkyTrain Station; bus 5 or any Granville Street bus. Opening hours: Fri-Wed 1000-1730, Thurs 1000-2100 (Easter-Oct); Wed and Fri-Sun 1000-1730, Thurs 1000-2100 (Oct-Easter). Admission: C$12.50 (concessions available); by donation Thurs evening. Gastown Gastown, the reconstructed old centre of Vancouver, is a pleasant array of cobblestone streets, cafés and shops. It is named after Gassy Jack, a voluble saloon owner who offered the local mill-workers all the whisky they could drink if they helped construct his saloon – he was open for business the next day. Gastown is also the site of the unique Steam Clock, driven by steam from the system used to heat Downtown’s office buildings. Most tourists come here for the shopping – it is one of the best spots in the city in which to find souvenirs such as Inuit art and works by native Pacific Northwest artists. In summer, free 90-minute tours depart from the Gassy Jack statue in Maple Tree Square at 1400. Gastown Tel: (604) 683 5650. Website: www.gastown.org Transport: Waterfront SkyTrain Station; bus 1, 50. Chinatown Vancouver’s large Chinatown district is centred on Pender Street and Main Street, offering a kaleidoscope of colours and rich scents. A wide range of restaurants is the focus for morning dim sum and more elaborate evening meals. The night market (open Friday-Sunday, 1800-2400, from June-mid-September) is especially worth a visit. Chinese Canadians themselves are just as likely to shop in the southern suburb of Richmond, however, where there are a number of malls comprising mostly Asian shops. At the western edge of Chinatown, the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden was the first full-sized, classical Chinese garden to be built outside of China and offers an oasis from the gritty urbanity that surrounds it. Based on Ming Dynasty precepts, the combination of water, plants, limestone rock and pavilions has finely composed views and is suffused with symbolism. Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden 578 Carral Street Tel: (604) 689 7133 (information) or 662 3207 (bookings). Fax: (604) 682 4008. E-mail: sunyatsen@telus.net Website: www.vancouverchinesegarden.com Transport: Stadium SkyTrain Station; bus 19 or 22. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900 (mid-Jun-Aug); daily 1000-1800 (Sep and May-mid-Jun); daily 1000-1630 (Oct-Apr). Admission: C$7.50, including guided tour and tea; C$8 from Jan 2003; concessions available. Granville Island Granville Island is home to a lively mix of entertainment and eating spots, shops and a large public market. Visitors can watch potters, weavers and glassblowers as they work, or stop by the sport-fishing, model boat or train museums. There are often concerts and outdoor events during the summer months. Visitors with children will appreciate the Kids’ Market and playground. The best way to get to Granville Island is an experience in itself – on one of the tiny ferryboats that connect various points along False Creek (see Getting Around). Granville Island Tel: (604) 666 5784 (information) or (604) 689 8447 (Kids’ Market). E-mail: info@granvilleisland.bc.ca Website: www.granvilleisland.com Transport: Bus 50; Downtown Historic Railway from Science World; Aquabus or False Creek Ferries. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (Information Centre and Public Market); daily 1000-1800 (Net Loft, Kids’ Market and Maritime Market). Admission: Free. Science World The distinctive silver geodesic dome at the end of False Creek houses Science World British Columbia – an interactive museum with a special appeal for children. However, the high quality of the exhibits, temporary exhibitions and fascinating demonstrations of science should keep audiences of all ages rapt. It is also the site of the Alcan OMNIMAX Theatre, with its enormous dome screen. 1455 Quebec Street Tel: (604) 443 7443. Fax: (604) 443 7430. Website: www.scienceworld.bc.ca Transport: Main Street/Science World SkyTrain Station; bus 3, 8 or 19; Downtown Historic Railway from Granville Island; Aquabus or False Creek Ferries. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1800. Admission: C$12.75 (Science World); C$11.25 (OMNIMAX show); C$15.75 (combined ticket); concessions available. Vancouver Maritime Museum The Vancouver Maritime Museum chronicles the region’s rich maritime history with exhibits on everything ship-related, including the RCMP Arctic schooner St Roch (the first vessel to navigate the Northwest Passage from West to East) and working vessels in the Heritage Harbour. Sharing Vanier Park with the museum are the HR MacMillan Space Centre (website: www.hrmacmillanspacecentre.com) and the Vancouver Museum (website: www.vanmuseum.bc.ca). Major outdoor events take place in the park in summer. Vanier Park, 1905 Ogden Avenue Tel: (604) 257 8300. Fax: (604) 737 2621. E-mail: genvmm@vmm.bc.ca Website: www.vmm.bc.ca Transport: Bus 2 or 22 to Cornwall Street and Cypress Street; False Creek Ferries. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (mid-May-Sep); Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700 (Sep-mid-May). Admission: C$8 (concessions available). UBC Botanical Garden and Nitobe Memorial Garden For nature lovers, there are two world-class gardens on the University of British Columbia campus – the UBC Botanical Garden and the delightful Nitobe Memorial Garden. The former is a 28-hectare (70-acre) collection of temperate plants from around the globe (with the largest collection of rhododendrons in Canada), while the latter is a traditional Japanese garden and a tranquil place for reflection. 6804 Southwest Marine Drive Tel: (604) 822 3928 or 822 9666 (information). Fax: (604) 822 2016. E-mail: botg@interchange.ubc.ca Website: www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org Transport: Bus 41 or 49 or any UBC-bound bus, then a 20-minute walk. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800. Admission: C$4.75 (UBC Botanical Garden); C$2.75 (Nitobe Memorial Garden); C$6 (combined ticket). Museum of Anthropology The Museum of Anthropology on the UBC campus is a striking building designed by Arthur Erickson for the purpose of displaying a collection of British Columbia’s First Nations heritage. The simple concrete forms allow the star attraction – totem poles – to stand out against the view of the ocean visible through the expanse of glass walls. 6393 Northwest Marine Drive Tel: (604) 822 5087 or 822 3825 (information). Fax: (604) 822 2974. Website: www.moa.ubc.ca Transport: Bus 44 or any UBC-bound bus, then a ten-minute walk. Opening hours: Wed-Mon 1000-1700; Tues 1000-2100 (June-Aug); Wed-Mon 1100-1700; Tues 1100-2100 (Sep-May). Admission: C$7 (concessions available); free Tues 1700-2100. |
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