At one point in time it was the tallest and most majestic structure in the city. Now the Hotel Vancouver (err… Fairmont Hotel Vancouver) is a classic symbol of our young history. Along with tales of statesmen and royalty walking its halls comes the story of the Lady in Red, usually shared around Halloween as this mysterious scarlet femme is not of the living.
The “Hotel Van” is infamous in the local Vancouver community for being the supposed residence of a fashionable apparition named the “Lady in Red”. This ghostly figure is said to glide along the 14th floor of the hotel, and has allegedly been seen by many a hotel guest and employee. [HotelChatter]
Hotel Vancouver, a well-known landmark recognized by its copper roof and gargoyles, is believed to be haunted by a lady dressed in red. Guests and employees have seen this elegant lady walking on an invisible ledge. The hotel’s elevator often makes an unscheduled stop on the 14th floor. When the doors open, this same lady appears to be floating along the hallway. [Suite101]
Back in the 1940s, a lady by the name of Jennie Pearl Cox was a regular at the Fairmont Hotel’s ballroom. Tragically, she was killed in a car crash outside the hotel in 1944. She died in her favorite outfit, an elegant red dress.
Her ghost has been seen on the 14th floor of the hotel where she causes the elevator to make unscheduled stops and is seen gliding down the hallways, her long red dress flowing behind her. [ScaryForKids]
I’m fairly certain these stories might even enhance the allure of the hotel as there are many people out there who would pay good money for a chance to meet the Lady in Red. I for one have never ventured into any part of the hotel but even the presence of these rumours makes goose bumps appear on my arms as I type this.
Known often as a tourist destination and choice spot to take out of town guests, Granville Island is a true gem to locals and visitors alike. A while back John and I took a day trip over to GI – and by that I mean we walked down to the water taxi and spent the afternoon shopping in the market and enjoying the various forms of entertainment along the boardwalks.
“The 38 acres of Granville Island, worth many millions of dollars today, were once a little mud flat worth zilch. The little mound, in fact, used to disappear at high tide. But, to a keen-eyed public official named Sam McClay, that drab little mud flat (some called it a sand bar) under the shadow of the old Granville Bridge looked as if it might be a good base for some landfill….
…A land boom had begun in Vancouver in 1905, you see, and land became so costly (especially if it had access to the waters of False Creek or Burrard Inlet) that many manufacturers couldn’t afford to locate at suitable sites; they had to go to less desirable areas….
…Locals used to call it Mud Island; it wasn’t until about 1938, apparently, that the name Granville Island began to be used regularly…
…In June of 1973 the ownership of the island was transferred from the National Harbors Board to Central Mortgage and Housing, now Canada Mortgage and Housing…
…Some 10.5 million people visit annually now, and many of them go to the Granville Island Public Market, a great urban experience…
Today Granville Island is home for many artisans, the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and various playhouses. The key attraction for us on a regular basis is of course the market – the freshest fruits, tastiest cheese and sweetest desserts can all be found within.
That’s right folks, the world’s most popular (and fantastic) photo sharing website is a Vancouver-grown creation. Hosting more than 2 billion images as of last year, Flickr was the brainchild of Caterina and Stewart of Vancouver in 2004. It was then gobbled up by Yahoo! in early 2007. However, the pair are so beloved by this town that when it was announced that they had left Flickr, Vancouver dotcom’ers used the power of social media to lure them back.
Flickr has free accounts as well as a pro version that allows you to upload, store and share all of your photos and videos for a low annual fee. Aside from its multiple uses including various tags, photo editing and a batch uploader it has very social aspects with groups, sets and collections. I think it is important to celebrate its local roots and the folks who made Flickr possible.
I’m hardly an expert on the subject of Electric Trolleybuses in Vancouver but do take my fair share of them in my commute to and from work, not to mention the post I made about not owning a car on my personal site.
To me, I love the concept that comes with this form of mass transit, especially in these days of high gas prices. The technology is fairly simple and clean, so it feels good on a personal level when you cram yourself into a jam packed, sardine can of a trolleybus in the morning.
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram or simply trolley) is an electric bus powered by two overhead wires, from which it draws electricity using two trolley poles. Two poles are required in order to accommodate the return current, which cannot pass to the ground as in the case of an electric tram (also called a streetcar) since trolleybuses use rubber tires (which act as electrical insulators), rather than electrically conductive steel wheels on rail. There are trolleybuses in many cities around the world. [wikipedia]
Even though these machines are great on the environment, you have to be flexible on their reliability and your schedule. And while you’re on one some of these buses, especially the newer ones, you have to be on your guard when you are in a standing room only situation. I haven’t quite figured out the momentary lurching that happens from time to time, but there have been a fair amount of people who have hit the deck pretty hard when it happens. Saving the environment is great, falling on your face while doing it isn’t, and I’m lucky to not have that happen, knock on wood.
Vancouver is in the midst of phasing out their older buses, replacing many of them with a third generation fleet of trolleybuses. I’ve had my share of rides on them, and they are pretty nice. Still, some of the seating configurations seem a tad odd in terms of seat placements as well as what feels like less space, but it could all be an optical illusion.
Something that is becoming a standard across the entire fleet of buses in Vancouver is GPS tracking and a computerized voice that tells you what street or cross street you are on. There are even some that tell you nice pleasantries, but I’m waiting for the day where it starts telling you the current weather conditions.
When it comes down to it though, nothing can beat the bus drivers themselves, and there are some that are absolutely hilarious. Some point out funny things around you, give various historical lessons, or those that use the opportunity to practice their best stadium announcer voice like they are calling out the starting line for a hockey game at GM Place.
Duane Storey – There was a possibility that Duane was going to be away during Blogathon this year but as it turns out he’s in town and has been going strong for about 20 hours now. Since he confirmed his spot so late and truly supports the cause, he teamed up with my effort for the Union Gospel Mission in the downtown eastside. Duane explains more in the video below:
Duane’s website: DuaneStorey.com
Duane’s cause: Union Gospel Mission (please select “Miss604 Blogathon” so that we can track the donation at the end of the weekend)
