The broad swathe of Vancouver south of False Creek/Burrard Inlet contains only a couple of sights, namely Queen Elizabeth Park, which has the Bloedel Conservatory, and the pretty VanDusen Botanical Garden. For those who know the city, however, there are a handful of small neighbourhoods which are more interesting and reveal more of what the city is really about than the boutiques on Robson Street. This is where you go to savour shops, bars, restaurants and atmosphere. West Broadway contains pockets of interest other than the Kitsilano stretch, while Commercial Drive and Main Street are delightfully gritty, bohemian and cosmopolitan. The latter leads south to Vancouver’s Indiatown. Further out at the extreme corner of the uninteresting suburb of Richmond is Steveston, a picturesque fishing village that still harbours the biggest fishing fleet on Canada’s Pacific Coast. SightsVanDusen Botanical Garden 5251 Oak St and 37th Av, T 8789274, http://www.vandusengarden.org Daily 1000-2100 Jun-mid-Aug, 1000-2000 May and mid-Aug- mid-Sep, 1000-1800 Apr and late Sep, 1000-1600 Oct-Mar. $5, $3.50 concessions, $2 children, family ticket $11. Bus No 17 on Burrard or Pender. This 22-ha garden, originally purchased from the Canadian Pacific Railway by locals keen to ensure that it was not developed for housing, contains over 7,500 different plants from around the world, including some rare species. Set around lakes, ponds and waterfalls and dotted with sculptures, its 40-odd small theme gardens are considerably more romantic and contemplative than those at UBC. As well as a few suggested walking routes, self- guiding sheets change with the seasons to take visitors around those plants that are at their peak. Early spring is the best overall time. A perennial favourite with kids is the Elizabethan hedge maze. Courses and lectures on various aspects of gardening and botany are offered year round. In December the gardens host the Festival of Lights. Queen Elizabeth Park Cambie-Ontario Sts and 29-37 Avs, Bloedel Conservatory: T 2578570, Apr-Sep Mon-Fri 0900-2000, Sat and Sun 1000-2100. Oct-Mar 1000-1730. $4, $3 concessions. Bus No 15 on Burrard or Robson. Named in honour of the Queen Mother, this 53-ha park on Cambie and 33rd Avenue, is the former site of two basalt quarries, now converted into ornamental gardens, which make for very pleasant (and free) summer strolling. Along with an extensive rose garden, there is an arboretum said to contain a specimen of almost every tree found in Canada, including some rare species like the giant dogwood. There’s also a roller rink, pitch and putt golf, tennis courts, and a nine-basket disk-golf course. Paths lead past a t’ai chi area and a bizarre Henry Moore sculpture to mark Vancouver’s highest point (150 m), the peak of an extinct volcano, with good if rather obstructed views of the city below. Arguably the best vistas in town are reserved for patrons of the wonderfully romantic Seasons in the Park restaurant, which hosted a summit lunch for Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin. Nearby is the park’s major draw, the Bloedel Conservatory, a giant dome that contains 500 varieties of exotic plants from tropical rainforest, subtropical, and desert ecosystems, as well as floral displays that change with the seasons and about 160 free-flying tropical birds. Main Street Bus No 3 on Seymour or Hastings. Mixed in among the antique and second-hand stores, trendy but gritty little cafés and restaurants are starting to appear on Main Street, south of 6th Avenue. Further south, between 48th and 50th Avenues, is Vancouver’s Indiatown, also known as the Punjabi Market. Here you will find all-you-can-eat buffets, Bollywood music, silk and gold and even the odd pan walla. Check out the splendid Sikh Temple at 8000 Ross Street, another Arthur Erickson special. Commercial Drive Bus No 20 on Seymour or Pender, or Broadway SkyTrain. Once it moves far enough east from the seedy East Side district, Hastings Street loses little of its rough and ready nature, but becomes notably more multicultural and presentable, with some great cheap eateries and ethnic bakeries. It soon connects with Commercial Drive, arguably Vancouver’s most worthwhile neighbourhood. Once known as Little Italy, ‘The Drive’ still retains a number of little Italian coffee shops, but has long since become a much more widely cosmopolitan area that also attracts many of the city’s bohemian, artistic, alternative or just plain less wealthy citizens. There are no ‘sights’ as such, but it’s a fascinating place to wander, eat, drink and people watch. Steveston Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site 12138 4th Av, T 6649009, http://www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.com 1000-1700, daily Jun-Aug, Thu-Mon Apr-May and Sep-Oct, pre-booked tours only Mar and Nov. $6.50, $5 concessions, $3.25 children. Bus No 401, 406 or 407 south on Howe. South of the Fraser River, far from Downtown but close to the airport, Richmond is flat as a pancake, an ugly, sprawling suburb of malls and megastores. In its southwest corner is Steveston, which has been a fishing village for over a century and still boasts the largest commercial fishing fleet on Canada’s Pacific shore. In 1901, when over 10,000 people crowded its boardwalks and saloons, the village’s 50 or so canneries set a record by shipping out a staggering 16 million pounds of salmon. A reminder of those heady days and Steveston’s biggest sight is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, nicknamed the ‘Monster’. Tours of the site include the Journey Through Time multimedia presentation, 10,000 artefacts and machinery dating back to 1900. Nearby are the restored Britannia Heritage Shipyards, the oldest remaining structures on the Fraser River. When the boat comes in, the sea’s bounty can be bought directly from fishing boats at the public fish sales dock. At 3811 Moncton Street is the small Steveston Museum, which is easily missed. The village’s real appeal resides in its salty seaside atmosphere, though high numbers of tourists in the summer can take the edge off the experience. The best strolling is along Bayview Street between No 1 Road and 3rd Avenue, where a number of outside tables at the many restaurants make for romantic dining on a summer evening. Buddhist Temple 9160 Steveston Hwy, T 2742822, http://www.BuddhistTemple.org Daily 0930-1700. Free. Bus No 403 on Howe (50 mins). Once you’ve come this far, it’s worth considering a lengthy diversion to the incredible Buddhist Temple, justifiably vaunted as one of the finest examples of Chinese palatial architecture on the continent. Built in the late 1970s, its spectacular exterior, with golden porcelain tiles and flying dragons on the roof, and marble lions guarding the foot of the stairway, is only surpassed by the sumptuous interior. Outside is a Classical Chinese garden, twin gazebos, fountains, pools and sculptures, and a lovely courtyard with a ceramic mural. Look out for the bronze incense burner, the row of Tang Dynasty lanterns, and the 22-m-long Seven Buddha Mural. Buddhist ceremonies, lectures and meditation classes are held, as well as art exhibitions.
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