It was 1 AM (5 AM Halifax time) by the time we arrived at our hotel in Surrey. We chose a hotel in Surrey, because the hotels in Vancouver proper are now out of reach: it's difficult to find anything decent for less than $400 a night. The only problem staying in Surrey is that it takes 90 minutes by transit to reach the heart of Vancouver.
Due to the time change from Halifax, we were wide awake by 6 AM. We had a nice breakfast at the Sheraton and then headed out to get a bus to the Skytrain station; the skytrain connected us to another bus to Granville Island Public Market, where we met our good friend, Greg, at 10 AM. (Greg served as the best man at our wedding in 1992.)
Greg and his family live on a boat in False Creek, which is adjacent to Granville Island. He is a Granville Island guru, as he knows every nook and cranny of the place. We had a wonderful visit, after several years of not seeing each other. We visited his boat at the marina, where he lives, explored the Public Market and the Island, and said goodbye at 2 PM.
Another good friend, Tamar, who is a professor at the UBC Sauder School of Business, then picked us up in her snazzy e-vehicle, and we headed to Stanley Park for coffee and catch-up. Tamar lived with us for several months back in 2003, when she moved out east to work. After taking in some sights in magnificent Stanley Park, Tamar then drove us to the ferry terminal in North Vancouver, where we took the Translink Seabus to downtown Vancouver.
From there, we took the Skytrain and a connecting bus back to our hotel in Surrey, arriving by 6:30 PM. We ate at the hotel, and called it an early night, as we were zonked.
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| Originally built for Expo 86, the Skytrain has been continually expanding throughout the greater Vancouver area, and it serves as a vital link in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). |
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| On our way to downtown Vancouver, we passed so many signs of the never-ending upward expansion of the GVRD. |
Granville Island and Visit with Greg
Bordering False Creek and sitting underneath the massive Granville Bridge to downtown Vancouver, Granville Island underwent a metamorphosis in the 1970s and is a world class example of rejuvenation of a former industrial site. It is one of Vancouver’s top attractions.
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| The bustling food stalls of the Granville Island Public Market. |
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| We thought this was an ingenious idea! Walking your dog and wanting some time to shop? You can park your pet outside the Public Market in this “Pet Parker” contraption. |
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| The view of Yaletown in the heart of downtown Vancouver from Granville Island's Sea Wall. Yaletown is a dense collection of high-rise condominiums, built on the former lands of Expo '86. |
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| It was a very rainy day in Vancouver! |
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| Our friend Greg, at the entrance to the marina where his boat is moored. Greg has lived here for 30 years and loves it. |
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| Greg and his boat. |
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We were amazed at the variation in the False Creek tides. When we visited, it was low tide. But Greg told us that he has seen the tide almost reach the top of these pilings.
 | | No, these are not remote-controlled toy boats. In fact, they are tiny public ferries. They scurry all over False Creek, plying established water routes. |
 | | Greg and I lived in the same residence at the Vancouver School of Theology from 1990 to 1991. He has been a long time and true friend. |
Stanley Park and Visit with Tamar
 | | Stanley Park was in full bloom. |
 | | The view of the Lionsgate Bridge from Prospect Point in Stanley Park. |
 | | The view of West Vancouver from Prospect Point in Stanley Park. |
 | | With our friend Tamar at Prospect Point in Stanley Park. |
 | | We took the Seabus from North Vancouver to downtown Vancouver. |
 | | The Seabus lands adjacent to the Pan Pacific Hotel and the cruise ship terminal. In February 1991, I had an interview at the Pan Pacific Hotel for a new program of the federal government. Pam had come to visit me from the university of Western Ontario during her reading break, so we both left the UBC campus by bus in order to make it to the Pan Pacific Hotel in time for my interview. When we reached the edge of the Granville Bridge, the bus came to a halt, and everyone was told to get off. A massive protest was making its way from the other end of the bridge towards us. The protest was against George Bush's Iraqi war. Being long before the days of Ubers and cellphones, I started running in my suit, asked Pam to call the Pan Pacific Hotel from a payphone and advise them of my delay. Soaked with sweat, I ran into the hotel 15 minutes after the interview was due to start. By a miracle, the interview panel received Pam’s message from the payphone. They bought my story, were impressed that I had tried to contact them, and I was hired. And so began my career with the Government of Canada! Seeing the Pan Pacific Hotel today brought back that all-important moment in my life. |
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