It’s a great time to be a tourist in your own town, supporting local operators and businesses while getting better acquainted with your home. While many activities have been scaled back due to COVID-19, these summer walking tours in Vancouver are up and running, with physical distancing and other safety protocols in place. Grab your small group/bubble and enjoy learning about nature, culture, and history outdoors:

5 Summer Walking Tours in Vancouver

Talaysay Tours: Talking Trees Tour in Stanley Park
When: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 12:00pm
Book: Online here
Details: Each plant, each tree has its own special story. Explore Vancouver’s iconic Stanley Park, Beaver Lake, with a local Indigenous guide/cultural ambassador who will highlight how the local trees and plants of the Pacific Northwest are harvested by Indigenous people for food, medicine and technology. Talaysay guides, who are members of the local Indigenous communities and the surrounding region, will share with you our ecological practices, ancient and contemporary history, stories, legends and Indigenous ways of living.

Talaysay Tours: Spoken Treasures Tour in Stanley Park
When: Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 2:00pm
Book: Online here
Details: Explore the rich history of Stanley Park and Vancouver through Indigenous eyes.  On this tour you will join an Indigenous Ambassador-Guide along the Stanley Park seawall, for an enriched, leisurely, 1.1 km, historical and cultural walk. Many of these stories and historical accounts remain in Indigenous oral traditional, yet to be in history books, of the Indigenous and settler history of the development of Vancouver. 

VJLS-JH: Historic Powell Street Walking Tours
When: Thursdays at 1:30pm and Saturdays at 11:00am
Book: Online here
Details: The Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall (VJLS-JH), which was recently designated a National Historic Site by Parks Canada, just launched this tour. Learn about the hidden history of the thriving Japanese-Canadian historic neighbourhood community prior to World War II, the strength displayed by Japanese Canadians during internment, and the resilient Downtown Eastside community of today.

Forbidden Vancouver: The Really Gay History Tour of Vancouver
When: Sundays at 10:00am
Book: Online here
Details: From drag kings and two spirit warriors, to queer church ministers and transgender crime fighters, this walking tour is a celebration of the unsung heroes who forever changed the social fabric of our city. Hear about the bravest pioneers of the LGBTQ2+ community, the famous “kiss-in” of Granville Street, drag queens who made a difference, and more.

Forbidden Vancouver: The Lost Souls of Gastown
When: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 7:00pm
Book: Online here
Details: Follow the lamplight of your guide into Vancouver’s earliest and most gruesome history. You’ll step inside a world of murder, revenge, and true grit in a dramatic retelling of Victorian Gastown’s earliest stories. Tales of deadly fire and smallpox emerge from the shadows as you venture through cobblestone streets to the shocking finale in this unique performance-theatre experience.

Bonus: Try the free Legends of Vancouver self-guided walking tour that takes you to places around Stanley Park that are talked about in Pauline Johnson‘s Legends of Vancouver, first published in 1911.

This season your family can take part in the Explore the Shore Summer Challenge for a chance to win great local prizes. Compete in 30 ocean-friendly challenges on your own time while enjoying local beaches and supporting ocean conservation.

Explore the Shore Summer Challenge

1. Register with a $20 or $30 donation (tax receipt available)
2. You’ll be sent a weekly email with 3 challenges and a bonus challenge. Complete your challenges from now until September 30, 2020
3. Record your points each week
4. Share your explorations on social media

The Challenge is presented by Sea Smart, which inspires and empowers people to love and protect our oceans through fun school programs, workshops, and summer camps.

Once you register, you’ll receive 3 challenges and a special bonus challenge each week. Each challenge takes place outdoors for 5-45 minutes and is ideal for kids ages 6-13. Complete challenges to gain points and move up the leaderboard. Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 participants.

You’ll also get a free Sea Smart guide, partner discounts, and the chance to win prizes from Arc’teryx, The Soap Dispensary, Save-on-Foods and more when you register. Follow #ExploreSeaSmart @seasmartschool on social media for bonus points.

All proceeds support ocean education through Sea Smart’s bursary program.

The following has been contributed by Steffani Cameron, who recently completed a 4-year worldwide adventure that she has chronicled at FullNomad.com.

Tips for Enjoying A Trip to Victoria in COVID-19

I’ve just moved back to BC after living in Ottawa. Something about living there during the start of the pandemic sent me deep into an agoraphobic state, where I didn’t even want to do takeout food. Big city, too many people, higher risks.

But I wanted to move back to BC, to be closer to friends and family, to have the “bigger spaces, fewer faces” that Victoria offers, and that meant conquering my fear of outdoors – flying to my new home, staying in hotels for a month, and even having to dine out.

In the end, it was a gamble worth taking, because, after travelling in 25 countries over four years, I am qualified to say that Victoria really is a magical little city.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport will be hosting its first-ever Made in Vancouver Market this weekend, in support of local artisan businesses.

Made in Vancouver Market at McArthurGlen

When: Friday, August 7 & Saturday, August 8, 2020 11:00am to 7:00pm
Where: McArthurGlen (1000-7899 Templeton Station Rd, Richmond)

Artisans include Karibu Handcrafted Body Products, a New Westminster-based business producing unique handmade body care products using natural and locally-sourced ingredients; Hooray Truffles, a mother-daughter duo selling organic and vegan treats; Indigenous wellness brand Sisters Sage with natural salves, bath bombs, and smokeless smudge; and art from Burnaby’s own Seven Eye Designs who also offers paint kits.

The market will be live for two days in the centre’s Luxury Piazza, where shoppers will be invited to explore the artisanal and craft products in an outdoor market setting.

“McArthurGlen Vancouver is dedicated to supporting and championing the local community. We have been proud to support local charitable initiatives and organizations such as the Richmond Food Bank Society and local youth soccer club, RichmondFC. It’s important that we stick together as a community, and we want to provide a platform for local businesses as well. The Made in Vancouver market provides just that, while offering our guests a new and exciting experience in a spacious and safe setting, providing the recommended social distancing.”, said Robert Thurlow, General Manager of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport is a joint venture between McArthurGlen, Europe’s leading owner, developer and manager of designer outlets, and Vancouver Airport Authority, a community-based, not-for-profit organization that operates Vancouver International Airport

Turn off the dusty gravel road to a tree-lined drive way and park under the shade of a chestnut tree. “You’re just 45 minutes from Downtown Vancouver but you’re a world away,” says Joanne Braithwaite of Glen Valley Stables. She and her husband, along with a crew of experienced guides, host horseback trail riding experiences in Langley’s Campbell Valley Park.

Before checking in, Joanne will direct you to the hand washing station where you’ll soap up and pump some rushing water. When you’re ready to go you’ll be handed a sterilized helmet and walk over to meet your horse.