Today being Valentine’s Day I have had several inquiries about activities, events, and suggestions for intimate dining around Vancouver. I thought that this would be the most opportune time to re-activate my “Top Five” series and present my list of the Top Five Places for Romance in Vancouver.

John & me. Photo credit: Nordica Photography

Stanley Park
Whether you’re a casual jogger on the sea wall or trail enthusiast like we are, Vancouver’s crown jewel is filled with lush evergreens, scurrying wildlife, and breathtaking views of the inlet, mountains, and our city of glass. On a rainy day, path-side creeks swell and bubble and when the sun shines, it illuminates the thriving scenery like a theatrical spotlight. During the summer months, grab a frosty treat and head to the sands of Third Beach. In the winter, toast your mitts with a cup of tea, walk hand-in-hand, and rub rose-tipped noses together at Beaver Lake, on the Merilees Trail, or Lovers’ Lane. You can also stop in for lunch or dinner at the cozy Teahouse.

During the summer months, bring a blanket to Ceperley Meadow for a free outdoor movie date night.

Seasons in QE Park
Vancouver’s restaurant scene is so spectacular that it’s often tough to make a dining choice. So many have have fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and BC wine selections that sometimes it purely comes down to the atmosphere. Seasons in QE Park offeres a panoramic view of the entire city from atop Queen Elizabeth Park and the dining room is all class with courteous staff and candles to set the mood any day.

Cloud 9 at the Empire Landmark
As previously mentioned, there are many great options for dining in Vancouver and again my choice for this Top Five is one place with a view like no other. We go to Cloud 9 at the Empire Landmark on Robson purely for the view and the comfort food (usually offered in a 3-course prix-fixe menu) isn’t terrible either. It takes a full hour to make your way around the revolving restaurant that towers 39 floors above the rest of the entire West End.

Look out and see the glimmering lights of the city, the skyscrapers in Burnaby, snow-capped North Shore mountains, and the ships that sway back and forth in English Bay. With plenty of points of interest to mention to each other throughout your lap above the city, you can slow things down over a candlelit meal. The ceiling even sparkles with thousands of tiny lights, replicating the twinkling stars outside the 360 degrees of windows. The best time to go would be just before sunset.

Granville Island
Some of my favourite days are those that find us hopping a False Creek Ferry from the West End over to Granville Island. Stop in and grab ingredients for a home-cooked meal, enjoy a donut or treat from the bakery, stroll around and visit artist studios (maybe try your hand at glass blowing), tour the Granville Island Brewery, and catch a show at one of the many theatre companies like the Arts Club or Waterfront Theatre.

Rogers Arena
A sporting event might not be your idea of a lovey or lusty spark-inducing venue but if you’re both hockey fans, it’ll definitely do the trick. Walk to the arena, share a bucket of popcorn, and bond emotionally while riding the roller coaster that is a Canucks game. Be sure to pay attention to the big screen in case you’re up next on the Kiss Cam.

If the Canucks aren’t in town, I recommend heading to Score on Davie to watch our boys in action. Sink into a white leather booth with soft cushions and enjoy the game from one of the many large LCD screens. At The Charles Bar in Gastown you can also grab a private booth complete with your own television.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Lighthouse Park
This is an honorable mention as it’s not in Vancouver but it once again offers a naturally beautiful setting and impressive views. Walk in from the parking lot, passing ferns and thick-trunked cedars, then take a seat and watch the waves crash against the rocky shores.

Other than that, if you’re downtown in the summer why not try some dancing at Robson Square? Learn to salsa, swing and waltz with your partner during these fun, free evenings.

I’d love to know some of your favourite romantic spots, please feel free to list them in the comments.

John Biehler is currently reporting from Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in Whitehorse for Miss604.com.

By the time you read this, Hockey Day in Canada will be over so I thought I’d give you a run down of my day full of activities surrounding the event. After a good night’s sleep after the Gala Banquet, it was off to the main hub of Hockey Day, Canada Games Centre. This was where CBC Sports had setup outside on an ice rink made just for the event:

The first event in the morning was the Scotiabank Women’s Hockeyfest clinic, which had numerous NHL and Olympic athletes holding hockey clinics for community women. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

John Biehler is currently reporting from Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in Whitehorse for Miss604.com.

On the eve of Hockey Day in Canada, all the NHL Alumni, players, coaches and fans gathered for a huge community banquet at the Yukon Convention Centre in Whitehorse.

Complete with a lavish dinner, can-can dancers, a silent auction and all kinds of hockey folks you’ll instantly recognize, it was a pretty special night celebrating our nation’s game.

Scott Morrison was the emcee with all kinds of special guests, including Ron MacLean and a pretty over the top entrance by Don Cherry:

A final highlight of the evening was NHL alumnus Reggie Leech bringing the Stanley Cup around the room, visiting all the tables along the way:

Everyone was in great spirits and stayed out pretty late celebrating Hockey Day in Canada and festivities continued throughout the night. I heard over breakfast that Pat Quinn took the Stanley Cup to the hotel bar after the banquet… too bad I missed that!

Stay tuned to CBC all day for 3 NHL games (with all 6 Canadian teams) and live hits from Whitehorse throughout Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada.

John Biehler 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.

John Biehler is currently reporting from Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in Whitehorse for Miss604.com.

The Thursday morning flight to Whitehorse from Vancouver was filled with NHL alumni — Trevor Linden was sitting a few rows in front of me and Lanny McDonald was behind me to name just a few — and excited fans piled in for the journey as well. Once we all landed in Whitehorse, the NHL alumni started signing items right away for fans that must have been sitting on pins and needles the whole way up.

After a quick stop at my hotel, it was off to the local Scotiabank branch that had a lineup around the block. Wendell Clark, Cassie Campbell-Pascal and (former Canuck) Brad May were signing anything the members of the community put in front of them. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

West Vancouver will host its own winter festival this weekend, celebrating the one year anniversary of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. The Columba Festival (named after a constellation that appears over our North Shore skies at this time of year) will feature concerts and activities along the Waterfront, at the Community Centre, Ferry Building, Silk Purse Studio, and John Lawson Park [Google Map].

Friday February 11, 2011
6:00pm – 10:30pm at John Lawson Park
Community Dance Showcase (featuring Anna Wyman School of Dance Arts, Pro Arte Centre, Vanleena Dance Academy, O’Connor Irish Dancers, Hot Flash Hoofers), Phoenix Rising fire show, and performance by Mother Mother with special guests Said the Whale.

Mother Mother, Summer 2010 – Photo credit: John Bollwitt

Saturday, February 12, 2011
12:00pm – 2:00pm Dancers and drumming at the Community Centre
12:00pm – 9:00pm Park Royal Oceanside Ice Skate (14th St Ferry Building Landing)
6:30pm – 8:30pm Starlight Skate to music at the Ferry Building Landing
7:00pm – 9:00pm Jazz melodies by Emma Postl Trio at the Silk Purse Studio

All events are free of charge and the 3,000 square foot outdoor ice rink (by donation) will be setup until February 20th, 2011.