Vancouver has earned many distinctions and topped many lists, from having some of the best city beaches, being the most congested or most expensive to the most livable, and now it’s Canada’s Most Walkable.
Vancouver walkability heat map.
The popular website/service Walk Score ranked Canada’s cities and the list included:
- 1. Vancouver (Walk Score = 78)
- 2. Toronto (Walk Score = 71)
- 3. Montreal (Walk Score = 70)
- 4. Mississauga (Walk Score = 59)
- 5. Ottawa (Walk Score = 54)
- 6. Winnipeg (Walk Score = 53)
- 7. Edmonton (Walk Score = 51)
- 8. Hamilton (Walk Score = 51)
- 9. Brampton (Walk Score = 48)
- 10. Calgary (Walk Score = 48)
The “Walk Score Algorithm” measures the walkability of individual addresses based on proximity to nearby amenities along with city boundaries, neighbourhood boundaries, and population data.
The study rated the walkability of more than 300 Canadian cities and 1,200 neighbourhoods. Given the number of points Vancouver racked up, it also outranks Seattle (where Walk Score is based) by 4 points. Victoria actually scored the same as Vancouver but its population is too small to make the ranking.
Walk Score is a helpful tool for planning how you’ll be able to get around a city in which you’re vacationing or looking for a new home. They also have Bike Score and Transit Scores that you can look up for various cities.
The Roxy, in my opinion, is a right of passage in Vancouver. Watching upcoming bands compete in a radio station contest, spotting hockey players, and dancing to the house band like no one’s watching although 10 people are pressed against you because this song is just rockin’. Birthday parties, bachelor parties, a special event or a Friday night, it’s been a staple of local nightlife for 25 years and they’re celebrating in a big way.
The Roxy is actively looking for as many couples as possible who met at their establishment and who are now married. Couples are encouraged to send in a video entry or email a photo and written entry to promotions[at]roxyvan.com over the coming weeks. Entries can also be submitted through the Roxy Facebook page.
The top entries will be selected and invited down to The Roxy on Friday February 15th for cocktails and a private gourmet dinner. After dinner, the couples’ friends and family members are encouraged to come down to watch them compete to be THE official Roxy couple. The competition will be a sort of Newlywed Game show where couples are asked questions about their spouses and the pair who does the best (with the most correct answers) wins a second honeymoon to an all-inclusive 5 star resort in a tropical destination.
For more information, follow The Roxy on Twitter and Facebook, and encourage your friends and family members – who have that special ‘how we met at the Roxy’ story to submit their entry today.
Every few years Vancouver gets tucked into winter with a blanket of fog that drapes over the region leaving only the mountain peaks to bask in the sunshine. Back in 2009 I put together a collection of fog photos and given the pea soup streak we’ve had recently, it’s time to compile another featuring photos from the Miss604 Flickr Pool:
As always, please click through on these images to view more work from the photographers and feel free to share your own photos with the Miss604 Flickr Pool. View all photo collections here.
The new Port Mann Bridge hasn’t had the best track record during its first winter in operation. There are about 340 insurance claims filed since the December 19th snowstorm that include damage from a 40-car pile up and falling ice. Yesterday, the Ministry of Transportation revealed a three point plan to make the bridge safer for all – including robotic ice sweepers on the cables.
After the recent events on the Port Mann Bridge, engineers working on the project have assessed the concerns and identified solutions to help prevent snow and ice build-up from happening again on the bridge cables. They’ve come up with three ways, all working together, to improve safety. They include:
1) Custom-designed cable sweepers: custom-designed devices fitting around the outside of the bridge cables and move along their lengths to remove snow and ice before it can build up. The sweepers are currently being put together, with installation and additional testing planned this week. The sweepers will be installed on all 152 bridge cables crossing the roadway.
2) Hydrophobic coatings: four types of hydrophobic coatings (which reduce adhesion of water and ice to surfaces) are being tested, on the bridge and in labs, to confirm which may perform best on the Port Mann Bridge cables. These include water, ice and snow-repellent solutions that can be applied to the existing cable sheaths to determine how effective and compatible they are with the Port Mann Bridge.
3) De-icing Solution: could be applied to the bridge cables as a preventative measure in addition to the other two solutions. The de-icing solution would be applied to the bridge cables before a forecasted snow storm. If this sounds familiar, it’s because similar solutions are used to prevent ice build-up on aircraft and ocean-going ships. FYI – this concoction is non-corrosive and environmentally friendly, too.
Photo credit:
TranBC on Flickr
Authorities are hoping that these measures will ensure a safe crossing for all. You can find out more about the safety plan and get news from the Ministry of Transportation by following them on Facebook and Twitter.
The Vancouver Heritage Foundation presents Gritty City: Vancouver in the 60s at the historic Hollywood Theatre later this month. This is a mini three-night film festival that will feature Vancouver’s earlier days of neon, West Coast architecture, and the evolution of the West End. The films will include:
1958 – Granville neon. VPL Number: 65548 . Photograhper: W. Roozeboom.
Film: Glowing in the Dark (1994)
When: Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at 7:30pm
About the film: Produced by Alan Goldman with Cari Green and Directed by Harry Killas. A look at neon in Vancouver, Las Vegas and LA. Screening followed by Q&A led by John Atkin and Alan Goldman.
Film: Coast Modern (2012)
When: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 7:30pm
About the Film: Directed by Mike Bernard + Gavin Froome. Showcases the pioneers of West Coast Modernist Architecture and the homes that have become their legacies. Stepping inside the most inspired dwellings on the west coast, we feel how the light and space of a classic Modernist home can work in collaboration with the natural environment. Screening followed by an open discussion with the directors.
Films: West End ‘66 and A City’s Story
When: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 7:30pm
About the films: CBC Archival Film Program takes a look back at Vancouver in the 60s. These two half hour shorts cruise through city neighbourhoods and downtown by night and day. Screenings with open discussion after each film.
This event is in partnership with the Church at the Hollywood (Hollywood Theatre 3123 West Broadway). Entry and Concession are both by donation and there will be time after each film for discussion and debate with a different host each night.
Follow the Vancouver Heritage Foundation on Twitter and Facebook for more information about this event and many others.
