Vancouver Views

This past week Tim had a conference in Vancouver, and I didn't have any teaching scheduled so I went along. Wednesday morning, we woke up to see snow outside our window! And this view across the water to North Vancouver. Clouds hung heavy over the North Shore, obscuring the snow-covered hills for most of the day.

Constructed for the 1986 World Exposition, Canada Place is surrounded by a busy working harbour in the heart of downtown Vancouver. The building itself juts into Burrard Inlet, evoking thoughts of a large ship with its iconic sails. It's now used as a convention centre and it's here where cruise ships dock.

Walking around the centre almost feels like walking around the deck of a cruise ship. And looking up, it's easy for that illusion to continue.

This view, from Canada Place up Howe Street, is typical of downtown Vancouver, where old and new architecture melds in a city that is always changing. Our hotel is the curved building to the right. All the snow was gone by Thursday, but the skies were still grey and a nipping wind blew off the water.

So much activity in the harbour. Float planes, passenger ferries, huge tankers, container ships, and smaller boats come and go constantly.


While Tim was in meetings all day, I ventured out on my own. On Wednesday I drove to Ikea and picked up a few things (there's no Ikea on the Island), had lunch with my cousin who works at Children's Hospital, and wandered around town a little. It was so cold that I didn't stay out very long, and instead went back to the hotel to read, and look out the window. 

Thursday's weather was a little more pleasant and I ventured out to visit a couple of shops. One was Dressew - a fabric shop with no website that takes no credit cards, but has an amazing two floors of fabric and sewing related stuff. Some of it is junk, but there are treasures to be found if one is willing to look closely. I did and I picked up 3 pieces of fabric and some notions. 


Aren't the colours in the Dominion Building, pictured above, striking? When completed in 1910, at 13 stories high, it was the tallest building in the British Dominion. Hard to believe now. It was also the first steel-framed high rise in Vancouver. The square in front of the building is Victory Square, where a cenotaph honours those who fought for Canada in the Great War, and later wars.


Tomorrow I'll have a few more photos of Vancouver, featuring the Gastown area.