When Vancouver was first founded, False Creek was five times the size it is today. Land has been reclaimed all around the water, much of it for Expo ’86. Originally no more than a sand bar, the area now known as Granville Island had been built up into an unsightly industrial zone when, in 1973, this ugly duckling was transformed into the most attractive shopping and arts district in the city. The atmosphere here, neither tacky nor rampantly commercial, compares to London’s Covent Garden, except in the more conducive setting of water and boats. Besides the anomalous cement factory – a bizarre throwback to less picturesque days – this is the domain of yachting repair shops and charter companies, restaurants and cafés, theatres and buskers, the food and Kids’ markets, and most notably Vancouver’s artist and artisan community. Though not strictly pedestrianized, the island is well geared to aimless strolling. East from Granville Island, a pleasant seawall path along False Creek connects a series of parks, marinas and small communities such as Stamp’s Landing, a fine spot for a drink or meal. To the west of the island and Burrard Bridge, where False Creek widens into English Bay, another footpath leads to the 12-ha Vanier Park. As well as a popular summer hang-out and festival venue, with ponds, trees and plenty of lawn and beach, this park also contains the Vancouver Museum, HR MacMillan Space Centre and the Maritime Museum. SightsGranville Island Most places are closed on Mon. South of Downtown across False Creek. Take the Aquabus, False Creek Ferry or Bus No 50 from Granville St and walk. If you arrive by bus, you’ll find the Kids’ Market hard to miss. Full of retail stores catering exclusively to the wee ones, this is an obvious stop for families. It’s also a good place to start, as a couple of buildings away is the Visitor Information Centre, T 6665784, 0900-1800, which provides a Visitors’ Guide that includes a very useful map, and discount vouchers for many establishments. Behind here, the Waterpark, May-Sep, is an aquatic play area for kids, with multiple slides and a playground. If you arrive by ferry, it will drop you right outside the wonderful Public Market. The building itself is a fine lesson in the renovation of industrial structures, making great use of the natural lighting, large windows and doors, heavy timber and steel. As well as a mouthwatering collection of international fast food stalls, the place is packed with every kind of fresh, innovative and tempting produce imaginable, from gourmet breads to seafood to sausages. The courtyard outside and adjacent bars are good places to watch the aquatic world float by. Nearby, Granville Island Brewing Co, Canada’s first microbrewery, runs 40-minute tours daily at 1200, 1400 and 1600, $8.75, $2.50 concessions, including a decent round of tasters and a souvenir glass. Their taproom is open Tuesday- Sunday 1200-1800, serving tapas-style dishes. Many fine arts shops are grouped together in the Net Loft and along Railspur Alley. Sport Fishing, Model Ships and Model Trains Museums 1502 Duranleau St, T 6831939, http://www.sportfishingmuseum.ca, http://www.modelshipsmuseum.ca, http://www.modeltrainsmuseum.ca 1000- 1730. $6.50, $5 seniors, $3.50 children. Tucked away in the Maritime Market these three museums rolled into one represent one of Vancouver’s most unexpected delights. Even if you have just a passing interest in fishing or models, go! The collections are vast, world-class and lovingly displayed. The Sport Fishing Museum boasts the world’s largest displayed collections of Hardy reels and hand-tied fly plates, as well as a fine array of split-cane fly rods and many other notable pieces. The world’s largest collection of model and toy trains lives upstairs, topped off by a fabulous O-scale working layout that took six people 20,000 hours to complete. For most visitors, however, the highlight will be the extensive collection of model ships and submarines, with several dozen huge pieces that are all one-offs and demonstrate an obsessive and loving attention to detail. HR MacMillan Space Centre and Vancouver Museum 1100 Chestnut St, Vanier Park, T 7387827, http://www.hrmacmillan spacecentre.com 1000-1700, closed Mon Sep-Jun. $12.75, $9.75 concessions, $8.75 children, under 5s free. Vancouver Museum, T 7364431, http://www.vanmuseum.bc.ca 1000-1700, Thu 1000-2100. Closed Mon in winter. $10, $8 seniors, $6 children, under 4s free. With Space Centre $17, $11 children. Bus No 2 or 22 from Burrard, then walk, or ferry from the Aquatic Centre. Housed in an interesting building whose shape resembles a circus big-top, but was actually inspired by the hats of Haida natives, is the upbeat HR MacMillan Space Centre. Outside is a funky metal fountain in the shape of a crab. Inside, a collection of interactive exhibits in the Cosmic Courtyard aims to introduce kids to such weighty topics as the Earth’s geological composition, the nature of life in space and the logistics of space travel. The Planetarium has a rather dated feel that adds greatly to its appeal and has been very popular since the 1970s. It hosts a variety of 40-minute shows hourly in the afternoon. On Thursday to Saturday evenings are special laser shows set to the music of bands like Radiohead or Pink Floyd, $9-11. The Ground Station Canada Theatre hosts 20-minute shows that are basically video-assisted lectures involving a few wacky experiments designed to keep the kids interested. Tickets include as many of these and the Planetarium shows as desired, plus one 15-minute ride in the Virtual Voyages Simulator. There is also a free Observatory for star-gazing. In the same building as the Space Centre, and devoted exclusively to the short career of this city, the Vancouver Museum could easily bore those with no special interest in that history. A small collection of artefacts and recreated scenes tells the story of the first explorers and settlers. Usually of greater interest are the temporary exhibits that home in on more unusual aspects of the region’s past. Maritime Museum 1905 Ogden Av, Vanier Park, T 2578300, http://www.vmm.bc.ca Tue-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700. $8, $5.50 concessions, under 5s free. Bus No 2 or 22 from Burrard, then walk, or ferry from the Aquatic Centre. A short walk west from the Vancouver Museum, this is a real treat for fans of sea-faring vessels. The first thing you see upon entering is the RCMP St Roch, which rightly holds pride of place, for it is an extraordinary vessel. A video on its history recounts all the firsts achieved by this hardy little schooner: first to travel the treach- erous and long-sought Northwest Passage, a 27-month journey from Vancouver to Halifax; first to make the same journey back via the faster, more northerly route; first to circumnavigate North America. This front part of the museum, with its distinctive steep triangular shape, was actually built around the ship, which was lovingly restored to its 1944 condition and can now be explored. The museum contains plenty of other artefacts and stories, a fun exhibit on pirates, a hands-on area for kids and some bigger remnants scattered over the lawn outside. There is usually an interesting guest exhibit too. In the west of the park, at 1150 Chestnut Street, is the City of Vancouver Archives, T 7368561, 0930-1730 Mon-Fri, a vast and wonderful collection of old photos, books, maps and clippings.
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