COVID-19 What’s Open or Closed in Vancouver

On March 12, 2020 BC Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry gave a directive to Canadians to not gather in groups of more than 250 persons due to COVID-19. With Spring Break coming up and a full slate of festivals and events around Vancouver, a majority of activities have been cancelled. Here is an ongoing/updated list of what’s open or closed in Vancouver during the COVID-19 outbreak in Vancouver:

COVID-19 What’s Open or Closed in Vancouver

Last updated: Friday, March 20, 2020 at 10:00am

The British Columbia government has declared a provincial state of emergency to support the provincewide response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This follows a provincial health order to limit gatherings to 50 persons maximum and a recommendation to social distance, staying at least 1 meter away from others.

Still Open

• Granville Island Public Market
• Twilight Drive-In
• Vancouver Farmers Markets
• View this list of virtual museum exhibits and galleries »

Paused, Postponed, Closed

All bars and restaurants in Vancouver will be closed for St. Patrick’s Day (March 17, 2020). All bars and nightclubs in BC now must be closed (March 18, 2020). Many restaurants are only open for take-out and delivery.

As of March 22, 2020, most playgrounds and outdoor public recreation facilities (sports fields/courts, skate parks, and park washrooms) are closed in Vancouver.

• 420 Vancouver
• 52nd Annual Pacific Northwest Labour History Conference
• Apple Stores (until March 27)
• Aritzia Stores
• Arts Club California Wine Fair
• Arts Umbrella
• BC Distilled (Main Tasting Event)
• BC Place
  • Playdome, Whitecaps FC
• BC Sports Hall of Fame
• Bloedel Conservatory
• BMO Vancouver Marathon
• Burnaby Village Museum
• Burnaby Art Gallery
• Burrard Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Launch
• Bsides Vancouver Hacker Conference 
• CARHA Hockey World Cup
• Canucks Autism Network: Adapted Hockey Tournament
• Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
• Carousel Theatre for Young People
  • House at Pooh Corner
• CelticFest Vancouver
• Chef Meets BC Grape (postponed)
• Cirque du Soleil AXEL
• City of Burnaby (all libraries, recreation and cultural facilities, golf courses)
  • City of Burnaby-operated restaurants
  • Barnet Marine Park Café
  • Bonsor Café Breakaways Concession
  • Burnaby Mountain Mulligan’s House Express
  • Burnaby Mountain Restaurant
  • City Hall Café
  • Edmonds Rain Catcher Café
  • Encores Bistro
  • Ice Cream Parlour Café
  • Riverway Mulligan’s Bistro
  • Riverway Mulligan’s House Express
  • Riverway Restaurant
• City of Coquitlam (most civic facilities)
• City of Delta (all recreational facilities, archives, art centres)
• City of New Westminster
• City of Port Moody (all recreational facilities, librairies)
• City of Port Coquitlam
• City of Surrey (all community centres, libraries, rinks, pools)
• City of Vancouver (all community centres, rinks, pools)
• City of White Rock (all city-run recreational programs and facilities)
• Climb Base 5 (Coquitlam and North Vancouver)
• Cypress Mountain
• DanceHouse presents RUBBERBAND & Compañía Rocio Molina
• Donnelly Group establishments
• Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (March 15-18 for filming)
• Early Music Vancouver (rest of their 50th season events)
• Easter Eggspedition at VanDusen Botanical Gardens
• Fall For Local Markets (postponed to June)
• Gateway Theatre’s From Alaska
• Granville Island Kids Market
• Great Canadian Casinos (including River Rock, Hard Rock)
• Gray Line Westcoast Sightseeing
• Grouse Mountain
• Growing Room Literary Arts Festival
• Imperial Theatre
• Indian Summer Festival,  Holi Fundraising Party (postponed)
• Keg Restaurants
• Langley Events Centre
  • CHL, WHL
• lululemon stores (March 16-27)
• Mt Seymour
• Museum of Anthropology
• Museum of Vancouver
• Parks Canada
  • Fort Langley National Historic Site
  • Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
• PNE Venue Events (Monster Jam, Gem Show, Gift Expo, Jurassic World)
• PoCo Farmers Market Opening
• Port Coquitlam May Day Celebrations
• Richmond Cherry Blossom Festival
• Rio Theatre
• Roedde House Museum
• Rogers Arena
  • NHL, NLL
• Science World (until April 6)
• Sea to Sky Gondola
• Seasons Festival
• Shadbolt Centre for the Arts
• Surrey Art Gallery Spring Opening
• Surrey’s Eggapalooza
• Surrey’s Old-Fashioned Easter Celebration
• Stanley Park Easter Train
• Starbucks (in gathering areas, “to go” only in all others)
• Surrey Party for the Planet
• Surrey’s Ukrainian Easter
• Surrey’s Vaisakhi Celebrations
• TED Conference (postponed)
• The Cinematheque (until April 16)
• Tim Horton’s (“to go” only)
• Vancouver Art Gallery
• Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
  • Cherry Jam, Japan Fair & Big Picnic
• Vancouver Civic Theatres (over 250 persons)
  • Shen Yun
  • Chopin Society
  • VRS Benjamin Grosvenor
  • The Beethoven Experience: A Most Remarkable Night
• Vancouver Food Tours
• Vancouver International Auto Show
• Vancouver Maritime Museum
• Vancouver Opera
• Vancouver Park Board (pools, hot tubs, saunas, steam rooms, fitness centres, ice rinks, golf courses, and pitch and putts)
• Vancouver Public Library (all programs cancelled)
• Vancouver Police Museum
• Vancouver Recital Society
• Vancouver South African Film Festival
• Vancouver South Asian Fashion Week
• Vancouver Sun Run
• Vancouver TheatreSports
• Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade
• VanDusen Gardens
• VIFF Vancity Theatre (until April 16)
• Vivaldi Chamber Choir
• Vogue Theatre
• West End Seniors Network (Barclay Manor programs)
• West Vancouver (all community centres & cultural facilities)
• Whistler Blackcomb (Vail Resorts) March 15-22
• World Ski & Snowboard Festival
• ZeeZee Theatre Trans Scripts, Part I: The Women

Galas Postponed/Cancelled

Fred Lee has been keeping on top of all the gala postponements and cancellations, here is his latest list:

• A Loving Spoonful’s Dining Out for Life
• BC Centre for Ability Dining for Dreams Gala
• BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s For Children We Care Gala
• Brian Jessel Cabriolet Gala (postponed to August 22)
• Chinatown Foundation Spring Gala
• Face the World Gala
• Indian Summer Festival Holi Gala
• Kinesis Dance DecaDance Gala
• Lions Gate Hospital Foundation Gala
• Looking Glass Foundation Gala
• One Night in the Valley for Variety BC
• Ovarian Cancer Canada Love Her Gala
• PALS Gala
• PADS For the Love of Dog Gala
• Rare Finds Gala
• Vancouver Opera VOX Gala
• YWCA Women of Distinction Awards

NOTE: These are events that I have been emailed about or personally researched online. There are certainly many more so please feel free to share in the comments below and I’ll add to the list. Thank you!

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