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Vancouver is quite different
from virtually any other city in North America. Despite the fact it is a large
modern cosmopolitan city, it seems to have a relaxed small-town,
close-to-nature feel about it. There is little comparison with other large
Canadian cities such as Toronto or Montreal, which are more akin to the large
eastern US centres like New York and Chicago. Vancouver, like all large North
America cities, is a conglomerate of high-rise cubic office towers, although
urban planners have kept the heights down. There are, however, some notable
exceptions such as the Marine Building at the north foot of Burrard Street,
once the tallest structure in the British Empire, the courthouse at Howe &
Robson, and the library at Georgia & Hamilton.
Vancouver offers a wide
range of attractions catering to all tastes but those with only a day to spare
cannot be better advised than to take one of the many organized excursions
recommended by the Vancouver Tourist Office.
Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre
nature preserve, is Vancouver’s best-known landmark and a must for any visitor.
It was established in 1887 and, in the opinion of many, is the most beautiful
urban park in the world. Contrary to popular belief, this park was not
established through the foresight of the city council of the day, but at the
urging of a real estate developer called Oppenheimer. He is now considered the
father of Stanley Park. All areas of the park are accessible to the public
except for Dead Man’s Island, which has a small naval base.
The Eco Walk is a fun and
informative way to see the park. The guide gives information on the trees,
plants, birds and animals as well as on the rich aboriginal culture and legends
of the park. The walking is medium paced, taking three hours to complete and
covering 5 miles of relatively flat paved and graveled trails over selected
seawall and forest paths. This walk is suitable for families, including active
seniors.
There is also a world class
aquarium in the park and was the first to have killer whales in captivity and
probably the first one to stop making them into a sideshow. The aquarium feels
the purpose in keeping the whales, namely re-educating the public and stopping
the hunting of them, has been accomplished. In 2000, the last remaining killer
whale at the aquarium was sold to Sealand in California, where it died shortly
after arriving. The main threat to the park is the sheer volume of people who
want to be in it. Efforts are being made to restrict the amount of automobile
traffic passing through it. One of the ultimate goals is to eliminate the
causeway leading to Lions Gate Bridge but this will not likely occur until well
into the 21st century.
Beaches are also a big
attraction and temperatures are usually high enough to tempt most people to
have a swim. However, one of the biggest days on these beaches is on New Year’s
Day when the annual “Polar Bear Swim” attracts several hundred die-hard
individuals out to prove that Vancouver is a year round swimming destination.
Chinatown is North America’s
third largest, in terms of area, after San Francisco and New York. It is
steeped in history and is well worth walking around. It is most active on
Sundays when people head to any of a wide selection of restaurants that offer
dim sum. Chinatown also contains the world’s thinnest building at only 1.8
metres wide.
- Author Phil Biggerton & John Ross ( RTC
English )
Godivabooks@gmail.com
