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Sport Football and ice hockey enjoy a firm following in Vancouver. The BC Lions (tel: (604) 589 7627; website: www.bclions.com), of the Canadian Football League, play at BC Place Stadium, 777 Pacific Boulevard (tel: (604) 669 2300; website: www.bcplacestadium.com). These Lions are not so fierce, however, trailing at fifth position in the 2002 Western Division CFL standings, behind the Edmonton Eskimos, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders. General Motors Place, 800 Griffiths Way, between Gerogia Street and Dunsmuir Street (tel: (604) 899 7400 or 7444), is home to the Vancouver Canucks (tel: (604) 899 4625 or (888) 672 2229; website: www.canucks.com) of the National Hockey League. The Canucks clinched the playoff berth in the 2002 Western Conference NHL standings, coming in second in its division, after Colorado and eighth overall in the NHL Conference Standings, making it into the playoffs. However, the future is shaky, seeing as the Canucks recently lost a top player, Andrew Cassels, to a much less formidable team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. The city and area also host the Molson Indy car race, PGA golf tournaments and World Cup downhill skiing. But Vancouverites are much more interested in participating in sports than watching them. Opportunities abound with wilderness, right on the city’s doorstep. Kayaks can be hired on English Bay, there are mountain bike trails near the University of British Columbia and on Seymour Mountain, hikers relish the Grouse Grind and rollerbladers can be found everywhere. In the Vancouver area, there is scuba diving, paragliding and rock climbing for the adventurous, while whale-watching, fishing and camping are less strenuous options. Further information is available from Tourism Vancouver – see Sightseeing. In the winter, snowboarders and downhill and cross-country skiers head for the slopes. There are easy runs on Seymour, Grouse and Cypress mountains, visible from the city, and it is possible to get a lot of runs in at world-class Whistler on a day trip. Vancouver and Whistler are jointly bidding to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Tickets for sporting events are available from Ticketmaster’s Sportsline (tel: (604) 280 4400; website: www.ticketmaster.ca) and Show Time Tickets (tel: (604) 688 5000; website: www.showtimetickets.com). Fitness centres: Many Downtown hotels have fitness centres. There is also the YMCA of Greater Vancouver, 955 Burrard Street (tel: (604) 689 9622; website: www.vanymca.org). A C$10 day pass allows visitors access to two swimming pools, squash courts, a boxing room, gym with cardio and free weights, and a sauna and steamroom. Golf: Vancouver has some spectacular links, with stunning views of the ocean or mountains. General information is available online (website: www.golfvancouver.com and www.bcgolfguide.com). Furry Creek Golf and Country Club has an 18-hole, par-72 course, overlooking Howe Sound, just off the Sea to Sky Highway north of the city (tel: (604) 896 2224 or (888) 922 9462; website: www.furrycreekgolf.ca). Green fees vary (C$55-100), depending on the time of day and how far it is into the March-October season. A 35-minute drive south of Vancouver is the Morgan Creek Golf Course, 3500 Morgan Creek Way (tel: (604) 531 4653 or (800) 513 6555; website: www.morgancreekgolf.com). Green fees vary by day and season (C$55-90) and membership is not required. West Coast Golf Shuttle (tel: (604) 730 1032 or (888) 599 6800; website: www.golf-shuttle.com) provides transportation to both of the above courses, as well as to others, with all-inclusive packages starting at C$89 (C$105 in the high season). Mountaineering: Among the many outdoorsy options in the wilderness north of Vancouver are the mountaineering courses and trekking expeditions, organised by the Canada West Mountain School (tel: (604) 878 7007 or (888) 892 2266; website: www.themountainschool.com), a division of the not-for-profit Federation of Mountain Clubs of British Coloumbia. Skill levels, trip duration and prices vary. Skiing: Some of the best skiing in the world is available at Whistler-Blackcomb (tel: (604) 932 2394 or (800) 944 7853; website: www.tourismwhistler.com), only two hours north of Vancouver and accessible by scheduled coach and rail services, chartered air or by car. Lift tickets start at C$69 per day. Swimming: The best spots for summer swimming in Vancouver are free – at Jericho Beach, Kitsilano Beach (there is a salt-water pool here, for a fee) and, for those who dare to bare, Wreck Beach at the base of the bluffs near the University of British Columbia. There is a popular pool at Second Beach in Stanley Park, although it can become crowded with children. For serious lap swimmers, the Aquatic Centre, 1050 Beach Avenue, below the Burrard Bridge (tel: (604) 665 3424; website: www.parks.vancouver.bc.ca), is the city’s best choice. Rates are C$4.15 (concessions are available). Tennis: The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation (website: www.parks.vancouver.bc.ca) maintains 183 first-come first-served tennis courts within the city limits, including ten at Kitsilano Beach and 15 at Stanley Park. A further six courts at Stanley Park are available by reservation (tel: (604) 605 8224), May to August only. Court fees are C$4.50 per half hour. |
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