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Footloose
in Vancouver' Recently, we
walked Vancouver Harbor's new stretch of Seawall
for the third time since the massive construction
project began. From historic Gastown, we headed
west to English Bay via the Pan Pacific Hotel and
Canada Place Cruise Ship Centre, Coal Harbor
Marina, Cardero's and the newly renovated Westin
Bayshore Resort Hotel. Next time we'll continue the
full stretch to Stanley Park (another 5 minutes)
and beyond. What a marvelous change with all the
landscaping, shops and upscale condos. I made my
rendezvous at the Coast Hotel
From cruising
the fjords to cruising the streets On the corner, the
Marine
Building stands
like a royal guard, its 1930s art deco facade every
bit as elegant as it was I attended the Faulkner
Smith Art School there years ago as an aspiring
cartoonist. Once touted as Vancouver's skyscraper,
tallest in the British Empire at the time, it's now
dwarfed by the glass towers of the city's growing
financial district. On the Marine Building's ground
floor is the Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant,
one of the classiest oriental dining spots in town,
graced by a sweeping harbor view, with float
planes, helijets and marine craft of every
description. A snowcapped mountain backdrop
completes the panorama. Here at the foot of Burrard
Street, you might start your trek after a quick
stop at at the Tourism Vancouver Info
Center, leaving with some maps and brochures.
And as you
look at the float planes landing from Victoria,
Nanaimo and points beyond, you'll spot a new
stretch of seawalk that links the downtown's
waterfront hotels with Stanley Park, English Bay
and False Creek. We took the walk and viewed the
upscale housing developments near the Westin
Bayshore Hotel and Coal Harbor. Naturally, we
stopped at the Marina and
Carderos,
a new waterfront restaurant that's got class, a
reputation for great food, and a million dollar
view.
During this
3-day event, we've conducted interviews with
delegates from Cameroon, South Africa and Ghana.
Interest in Africa by Canadian government and
industry sources is high, and many exhibitors and
participants from Globe 2004 plan to participate in
the coming event. Africa Travel Magazine will
produce a special supplement "Eco Solutions"
for that event , plus our "Ecotourism Showcase"
edition. An Eco success story of international
proportions involves Mamsco, a Ghana-based
company which has developed a major system
step-by-step over the past 10 years. Recognized at
highest government levels and leaders of ECOWAS,
the project now includes 16 West African Countries.
The company's pilot project ; a Waste Oil Treatment
Plant at the Tema Port facility near Accra, Ghana
will be replicated in the 15 other West African
countries under the auspices of UNEDO's "Gulf
Current Large Marine Ecosystems"
project
Lotus Land's
laid-back lifestyle Head for the nearest water or
green space and you'll see that West Enders are
more into tennis, water sports and physical fitness
than their fellow Canadians. They read, shop and
dine out more often too ... and take longer coffee
and cappuccino breaks. Small wonder Starbucks and
Pastels dominate 3 corners at Robson and Thurlow,
or that the local Bread Garden is Denman's top
spot. Next to Manhattan Island, Vancouver's West
End is the continent's most densely populated
residential area, yet one of its most relaxed, laid
back inner-city communities. Speaking of Manhattan ...
a gingerbread apartment block of that same name
still stands at the above-mentioned corner. It
houses a secluded Italian cafe and a neat
bookstore, built for those with narrow shoulders.
Rivaling Hong Kong and Rio de Janeiro as the
world's most beautiful physical setting, Vancouver
has become Hollywood North, ranking third after LA
and New York as a film and TV production center.
The West End alone has more unique locations and
beautiful backdrops than anywhere else in the
city. Visitors are attracted to the
city for the same reasons most residents remain ...
a spectacular outdoor setting, a clean and safe
urban environment and a culture that celebrates and
invites diversity. For centuries this area was home
to the Coast Salish people of the Musqueam,
Kwantlen, Tsawwassen and Capilano bands as
reflected by the totems standing proudly in
Stanley Park. It was these tribes who
greeted Captain George Vancouver in 1792. His
comment must have referred to the forest and
mountain backdrop of Burrard Inlet., "This is the
most lovely country that could be imagined." I n
the late 1880s, Vancouver's first mayor drafted a
petition to lease a 1,000 acre military reserve
from the federal government ... an area that later
became Stanley Park. Named for Governor General
Lord Stanley, it's Canada's largest urban park,
with its string of inner-city beaches and miles of
walking trails that skirt Beaver Lake and Lost
Lagoon, with its fountain of dancing waters and
graceful swans. Stands of stately Douglas fir,
cedar and hemlock grow in profusion along with a
jungle-like growth of ferns. Open 365 days a year,
the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park features
killer and beluga whales, dolphins and sea otters
... a total of 650 species. There's underwater
whale viewing and outdoor terraces (Information
line 604-268-9900). One of my top perennial
attractions is Theatre Under the Stars,
where local performances of Broadway shows and
operettas fill the summer evenings with song at
Malkin Bowl. The surrounding gardens, statues and
1920s Pavilion are as beautiful as ever. Returning
to Vancouver after a twenty year absence, this is
one venue that continues to remind me of Stanley
Park at its greatest. There's no better place for a
picnic than Stanley Park, with a profusion of
specialty shops, food markets and delis on nearby
streets. The
inner-city's most popular loop Leaving the park at English Bay,
the seawall continues on to Sunset Beach, Vancouver
Aquatic Center and Burrard Bridge, connecting to a
network of urban trails on both shores of False
Creek, site of Expo '86. Stanley Park Cycle is on
Robson near Denman, Bayshore Bicycle & Skate
Rentals has locations at both entrances to Stanley
Park. Give yourself plenty of time, from 2 to 4
hours. Westin Bayshore
Resort
Hotel: We
had the privilege of being invited along with the
who's who of Vancouver, to help the Westin Bayshore
celebrate its official reopening after a multi
million dollar renovation. As a follow-up, we
enjoyed a seafood dinner at the Seawall Bar &
Bistro, on the site of the former Trader Vics. The
Seawall offers one of the world's most breathtaking
panoramas - Coal Harbor Marina and Stanley Park,
Alaska Cruise ships pulling into dock at Canada
Place, float planes and helijets taking off, and a
splendid new waterfront promenade. The Bayshore has
been a favorite for decades; now now there's even
more reason to recommend this great inner city
resort hotel. Call 800-WESTIN-1 or visit or
www.westinbayshore.com.
The Sands of
English Bay:
From English
Bay and adjoining beaches, you can see a panorama
of tanker ships and freighters awaiting unloading
by a fleet of tugboats, sailboats of every
description, kayaks, canoes, power boats, float
planes, helicopters, wind surfers and paragliders.
Multicolored water taxis skim the waves from the
Aquatic Center on Beach Avenue to Vancouver
Maritime Museum at Kitsilano Point and on to
Granville Island. Over 3,000 foreign ships dock at
Vancouver's sheltered port each year &emdash; and
all can be seen coming and going from one of many
West End vantage points. Footloose travelers
from near and far, agree that the West End's best
known rendezvous for the young and young at heart,
is the corner of Davie and Denman Streets.
Shangri-La selects Vancouver
for new luxury hotel Asian Pacific's leading luxury
hotel group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, is
supporting its expansion with a management
agreement for a five-star deluxe hotel in Vancouver
slated for opening early 2007. Set in the heart of
downtown Vancouver, the hotel is an easy walk to
all amenities. Occupying fifteen floors of a
new 60-story landmark building, the 120-room hotel
will be the tallest in Vancouver with cutting edge
architectural design. The entire multi purpose
complex will showcase the best of cosmopolitan West
Coast life. Guest rooms will be an average of 550
square feet and amongst the largest in
Canada. YVR Offers $300 Million for
Rapid Transit Vancouver International Airport
Authority (YVR) is prepared to invest up to $300
million to build the airport portion of the
proposed rapid transit line between Richmond,
downtown Vancouver and the Vancouver International
Airport. The YVR connector portion - approximately
4km (2.5 miles) of the 19.5 km (12.2 miles) line -
would include between three to five airport stops
to accommodate people working at the airport, as
well as arriving and departing
passengers. |
BC
Media Centre, Vancouver
Having
been footloose in Vancouver, British Columbia since
the days of streetcars, interurban trams, White
Lunch Cafeteria on Hastings, Woodwards Toyland and
Union Steamships, I consider the West End my
special domain. Morning, noon or night, it's always
an inviting place for rubber neckers, casual
strollers, browsers, grazers and window shoppers. A
sea of umbrellas one moment, local denizens decked
in everything from beachwear to high fashion the
next. It's a passing parade, minus the 76
trombones-just waiting for you to follow
along.
at
English Bay in exactly 45 minutes, allowing for a
leisurely pace.
5n my
opinion, Vancouver's West end extends from Burrard
Street to English Bay, taking in Coal Harbor,
Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge, English Bay,
Sunset Beach and the entrance to False Creek at
Burrard Bridge. On a tight schedule? Save a few
minutes via SkyTrain, from Waterfront Station (by
Canada Place) to Burrard Station, with transfers to
BC Transit buses. Otherwise it's more fun walking,
with lots to see and do.