As you may know, it is Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary this year. It is also the 25th Anniversary of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden which is located in the heart of Chinatown.
Although the Garden has been around since 1986, many people have never visited. In some ways, it is Vancouver’s secret garden.
To help celebrate the special occasion, the Garden recently held a special ‘secret’ tour of the grounds and a few special surrounding businesses.
We started off with a reception inside the Gardens with some special guests, Mike Harcourt, who was mayor of Vancouver back in 1986 (as well as former Premier of BC) when the Gardens opened and Joe Wai, the renowned local architect behind the project. Both men described some of the challenges of getting the Gardens built and some interesting tidbits of how it all came together in the end.
The reception was followed with a lantern-lit tour of the Gardens. I’d only ever been inside during the day so it was pretty cool to see the place lit up on such a perfectly clear (and dry) evening.
When the Gardens were originally built, there were no high-rises around the area, unlike now. Being inside the Gardens and seeing the buildings outside adds to the secret feeling the place evokes.
We then headed out into the night air just around the corner for tour of the spectacular penthouse of The Keefer Suites and a cocktail reception hosted by Danielle Tatarin (bar manager @ The Keefer Bar) served from her wonderful apocrathy cart.
My favourite cocktail was the Dragonfly (gin, Pearl Sake, ginger, lemon and Magnolia Bark).
The penthouse has been host to many famous visitors and was recently used as the apartment for Chris Pine’s character in the upcoming movie, This Means War. It features an amazing rooftop pool which can be seen from below inside the main hall of the penthouse as a stunning skylight:
After a few tasty cocktails, we headed up the street for dinner at Bao-Bei – one of Canada’s Best New Restaurants according to EnRoute Magazine, where we had a wonderful family-style meal.
We then headed back to The Keefer Bar for the Sweet Soul Burlesque show, a regular event every Thursday night.
I had the pleasure of photographing the troop previously and their latest show didn’t disappoint, especially in the intimate setting of The Keefer. More photos from the show can be found on my Flickr stream.
Read more about upcoming activities in and around Chinatown as part of the 2011 Chinese New Year celebrations.
John is an avid photographer, gadget geek and traveller. You can find him on Twitter and at johnbiehler.com where he discusses photography and all sorts of technology. All photos in this post were taken by John.
Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 Activities, services and dining experiences during the tour were compliments of businesses mentioned.
The Year of the Rabbit will be rung in with much fanfare this week as communities across the city celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year Parade
Date: February 6, 2011 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Location: The starting point is at the Millennium Gate on Pender Street (between Shanghai Alley and Taylor Street) then the parade will proceed east along Pender Street, turn south onto Gore Street, turn west onto Keefer Street and then disperse at Keefer and Columbia. Check out the parade route map for the best viewing locations.
Details: This is a free, public event that is attended by 50,000 people each year with 3,000 participants from various community and cultural groups.
Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival
Date: February 6, 2011 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm (immediately following the parade)
Location: Chinese Cultural Centre Courtyard (50 East Pender St)
Details: Free, public event with a lions dance, multicultural performances, and martial arts demonstrations. More information is available from the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver .
International Village
Date: February 4, 5, 6, 2011 from 12:000pm to 10:00pm (7:00pm on Sunday)
Location: International Village (88 West Pender St)
Details: Sponsor showcases, multicultural performances, product and service booths, kids corner with games and activities, Chinese New Year Opening Ceremony on the main stage, and free admission.
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden
Date: February 6, 2011 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Location: Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden. The entrance is in the lane off Carrall St between West Pender St and Keefer St.
Details: Drumming, children’s lions parade, flower-making, calligraphy, warm buns by Bon Chaz, storytelling, mini-tours of the gardens, face-painting, balloons and more. Admission is by suggested donation of $5.
Should you know of any other Year of the Rabbit celebrations or community events, please feel free to list them in the comments.
The Vancouver Heritage Foundation is celebrating Vancouver’s 125th birthday by seeking public assistance in nominating ‘Places that Matter‘.
1937 – The new City Hall superimposed with the first City Council in front of a tent. Archives Item# City P39
Over the next few weeks, the public are asked to submit an address, photo, and description about a place they feel is significant to Vancouver’s history. This could be a historic meeting place, a legendary venue, or a location where a momentous occasion. The VHF’s Places That Matter committee (of which I am a part) will then select 125 winning location that will receive a Vancouver 125 plaque as recognition.
The nomination form can be found online and there will be an event at the Vancouver Public Library Sunday February 26th, 2011 where you can submit your nomination in person. Nominations will be open for several weeks and then an online vote will open up March 16th, 2011. Once the winners are determined, the plaques will be written out during the summer and installations will occur in the fall. A mapping website to pin point each of the Places That Matter will also be launched at that time.
Key events: February 1, 2011: Nominations open & February 26, 2011: In-person nomination process at the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch 10:00am – 4:00pm.
Rules: All nominated places must have a history prior to 1991 and be located within the boundaries of the City of Vancouver.
Update March 2011: Voting is now open. Sites that were nominated throughout February and March have been listed and the public can now cast their vote.
It’s too hard to resist a stroll in the sunshine when the clouds part over Metro Vancouver which is why there were so many families, joggers, dog-walkers, cyclists, and bird watchers along the Traboulay PoCo Trail this past weekend.
How to get there
The three main entrance points for the trail are through Gates Park, Lions Park, and DeBoville Slough. Port Coquitlam is about 30-40 minutes outside of Vancouver heading East via Highway 1, Barnet Highway & Lougheed Highway, or Lougheed Highway 7.
Features
The Traboulay PoCo Trail network is 25 kilometers long and circles all of Port Coquitlam. The flat pathway is paved in some sections or covered in gravel and passes through a forest, over creeks, through meadows and along the riverfront. A large portion is also a part of the Trans Canada Trail.
Dogs are welcome (on-leash although I didn’t spot one that was) and there are waste baggies at several stations along the route. You can also find structured ‘lookout points’ and information placards. The trail is great for a run, walk, ride or for spotting wildlife namely about 150 species of birds that can be found along the trail.
History
Plans for the PoCo Trail began in 1967 as a part of a Canadian centennial project. Taking shape in the 1970s, upgrades were made in 1997, and in 2001 it was renamed the Traboulay PoCo Trail in honour of the late Mayor Len Traboulay.
Should you have a suggestion for the Metro Vancouver or Fraser Valley Park series, please feel free to contact me or drop a note in the comments below.
The Great Digital Film Festival at Cineplex theatres across Canada will be showing modern movie classics on the big screen February 4-10, 2011. For $5 you can scoop up tickets for some of your favourites like my friend Keira did this weekend for Big Trouble in Little China.
Scotiabank Vancouver Theatre Schedule
Friday February 4: Back to the Future, Alien, Aliens, Predator
Saturday February 5: Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King, Big Trouble in Little China
Sunday February 6: The Goonies, Ghost, Dirty Dancing, The Usual Suspects
Monday February 7: Alien, Aliens, This is Spinal Tap, The Blues Brothers
Tuesday February 8: Raging Bull, The Goonies, Back to the Future, 12 Monkeys
Wednesday February 9: This is Spinal Tap, The Blues Brothers, Lethal Weapon, The Hunt For Red October
Thursday February 10: Ghost, The Usual Suspects, Raging Bull, Fight Club
Showtimes range from 1:00pm matinees to 9:45pm late-night features. Tickets are available online, through the Cineplex iPhone app, or at the Scotiabank Theatre box office on Burrard and Smithe in downtown Vancouver.
