Vancouver Daily Photo

A l'Hotel d'Europe

2012-01-27T23:10:00.000-08:00

There are plenty of photos of Vancouver's flatiron-style building, the Hotel Europe, out there. As I walked past it on a stroll through Gastown this afternoon, I took a quick snap of this ironwork protecting some pipe/works and the doorway on the Alexander Street side.

Post title from this song by Narmine Ducap (link in French).

Kaitlin

2012-01-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

I don't know if this is genuine sentiment, cynical marketing, or public art. Snapped this poster at the corner of Granville Street and Robson Street this afternoon, on a rare sunny winter day. The word "Williamsburg" at the bottom of the poster makes me suspect hipster tomfoolery.

Post title from this song by Matthew Pfeifer.

Support

2012-01-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

I love big infrastructure projects, and find it fascinating when you can see the bones. This is one of the support structures for the five sails at Canada Place, close up. Another support, in the background of this shot, gives you and idea of the scale of the thing.

Post title from this song by Deadmau5.

Heroin

2012-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

And now, chasing a dragon of a different colour entirely. Spotted this warning sign about black tar heroin posted near the entrance to an alley just off East Georgia Street between Main St and Gore Avenue in Chinatown.

Post title from this song by Lou Reed.

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

Gung hay fat choy, my friends. Today is the first day of the Year of the Dragon. Here, a lamp standard in Chinatown befitting this auspicious day. Happy New Year!

Post title from this song by Slice & Soda.

Les Feuilles Mortes

2011-10-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

We had a terrible summer, weather wise, but autumn this year in Vancouver has been spectacular. Here's a sample of the fall colours taken from my apartment window looking over Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park in early morning light. Gorgeous.

Post title from this classic song.

Uncovering a Lie

2011-10-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

Stumbled over what I thought was a manhole cover on Beatty Street near Robson Street, and then I noticed the words "Collected Memory Dispersed" in the glass centre. A bit of googling later, I discovered this is one of a four part public art project by Jill Anholt and Susan Ockwell called "Uncoverings" installed in 1998.

Post title from this song by Iris Aneas.

The Last Marathon of Terry Fox

2011-10-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

A while back I wrote about activating my mental detonator every time I walked past the Terry Fox memorial adjacent to BC Place. I know I wasn't alone, because recently the eyesore that was there has been replaced, and I have to say I like the new one much better. It was designed by Douglas Coupland, and to me is much more representative of the man and what he stood for.

Post title from this song by Group of Seven.

Happy Melted City

2011-10-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

The last time I posted here, four months ago, was the day of the last 2011 Stanley Cup Finals game. If you follow hockey at all, you know that the Canucks did not win. And if you were following the news, or twitter, or know anyone who lives in Vancouver, you know that the city erupted in violence within minutes of the game's ending.

I was heartbroken. (I posted about it on my personal blog.) I was devastated by the damage done to businesses, to my neighbourhood, to my perception of my personal safety. The riots came within a dozen blocks of my apartment – at once a world away and far too close. I haven't been out taking photos for this blog since.

Until today.

This photo's from back in June, two days after the riots. It was a sunny day. Broken glass had all been swept up, broken windows boarded up or replaced, evidence of the riots quietly removed or covered over. I took this on Seymour St near W. Georgia, where a car had been set on fire outside The Bay. The heat was such that it melted this nearby parking meter. The burning car had been removed, but the parking meter bore a sort of silent witness.

Tomorrow, something more cheerful!

Post title from this song by Black Moth Super Rainbow.

2011-06-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Just about a year ago, I posted a shot of this same statue of Lord Stanley. This morning, I took this picture for a reason. In a few hours, the Vancouver Canucks will play the Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup Championship. This is huge here in Vancouver. HUGE. The city's a sea of blue and green jerseys. Crowds of up to 100 000 people have filled the streets to watch the games leading up to tonight. Productivity in Vancouver has ground to a halt. For every Vancouverite I know, it's as big as, and more personal than, the Winter Olympics last year.

Some enterprising soul decorated this statue of Lord Stanley (for whom the Stanley Cup was named) with a Canucks jersey, hockey stick, and imitation trophy. Just a few minutes ago, I learned that the actual Stanley Cup (for many Canadians, the equivalent of the Holy Grail) is in the city, in Rogers Arena, where tonight's game will be played.

I live on the other side of downtown from the arena, and already, hours before game time, I can hear people in the streets below my apartment hooting and hollering, with air horns and cow bells. Several major streets in the downtown core have been closed since noon. Public transit is experiencing delays, and one local news outlet has described traffic levels as "epic." The city is basically at a standstill. Anxious. Nervous. Waiting. Hoping. Daring to believe.

The last time the Canucks made it to the final, in 1994, there were riots in the streets when they lost. For that reason, and many more, I hope they win it tonight.

Ozymandias

2011-05-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Another grey day out today, so I thought this broody bit of black and white would be appropriate. Another Biennale piece, this one's called Eros Bendato Scrippolato by Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj. It's located in a cobblestone square in Yaletown. There's something Ozymandian about it, which appeals to my science-fiction post-apocalyptic sensibilities.

Post title from the poem (here recited by Ben Kingsley) by Percy Bysshe Shelley.

For the 'Nucks

2011-05-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

Vancouver is a hockey-mad town. When Canada won the Olympic gold medal in men's hockey in this city last year, the streets immediately filled with jubilant people. Yesterday, our team, the Vancouver Canucks, won a hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, securing themselves a spot in the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals. If you're not Canadian, this likely means not much to you, but if you were in Vancouver last night when Kevin Bieksa scored the game winning goal in double overtime, you would have heard the screams of celebration all over the city. It went on for hours!

I can only imagine the joy this vehicle owner must have felt - snapped this quick picture last Wednesday with my iphone as I was walking past this car parked near Rogers Arena, the Canucks' home ice.

Post title from this song by Chris Penton and the Superfans.

Hammock

2011-05-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

We've had a grim spring so far. Endless rain. Cool drizzly days. It's depressing. I even posted on flickr a shot taken from my apartment window of the murk and cloud, titled: This is what despair looks like.

However, on a rare sunny day last week, the first day I actually got out on my bicycle this year, I happened upon a couple of enterprising souls who had managed to string up a pair of hammocks on this piece of public art. I'd been meaning to get a photo of this sculpture for months, as it's near my neighbourhood, and very close to this and this. Glad I had my camera with me!

Post title from this song by Elevator Suite.

Building a Boat

2011-04-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

Detail of a sculpture found in the International Departures area of Vancouver International Airport. Here's a shot of the whole sculpture. It's a quite remarkable piece, a twin of "Spirit of the Haida Gwai, The Black Canoe" that Bill Reid created for the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. This one was commissioned by the Vancouver International Airport Authority, and is called "The Jade Canoe". The sculpture is featured on the back of the Canadian $20 bill. Pictured here is "...The Frog who sits partially in and partially out of the boat and above the gunwales: the ever-present intermediary between two of the worlds of the Haidas, the land the sea."

Post title from this song by Matt Mays & El Torpedo.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2011-04-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Snapped this quick pic last time I was at Nat Bailey Stadium for a Vancouver Canadians baseball game. My car emerged unscathed from the experience.

The Billboard Song

2011-04-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was taking the Canada Line out to the airport. Unexpectedly, there were no ads in the frames on the trackside wall. I wasn't sure if they were in the midst of changing them, ran out of time and had to clear off the track, or if it was some sort of Canada Line art installation I wasn't hip enough to understand. The ad-free frames did look a bit like mirrors - but non-reflective, so you couldn't actually see yourself in them. What the heck, if I say it's art, it's art. Right?

Title post from this song by Homer and Jethro.

Anyone for Tennis?

2011-02-28T13:15:00.000-08:00

We had an unusual snowfall - unusual for this late in February - a couple of days ago. Yesterday morning I looked out my living room window to this accidental (or maybe not?) giant game of tic tac toe on the tennis courts in Stanley Park.

Post title from this song by Cream.

Poisoning Pigeons in the Park

2011-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was near the corner of Granville & Georgia, and I happened to glance up and see these pigeons perched halfway up the glass wall of the Vancouver City Centre Canada Line station. Glad I had my iPhone handy.

Post title from this lovely song by Tom Lehrer. Mr. Lehrer's absurd melodies were very much a part of my childhood.

It Don't Mean a Thing

2011-01-17T22:27:00.000-08:00

Another mosaic, this one on the sidewalk on Georgia Street outside the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. This one's called "The Swing of Things", and features Dal Richards - a well known bandleader in Vancouver for the past 60 odd years. His big band played regularly at the Hotel Vancouver for decades, and were featured weekly on CBC Radio. You can learn more about him at his website: www.dalrichards.com. But be aware, music auto-plays when you visit.

Post title from the swinging Duke Ellington tune.

Graffiti

2011-01-16T22:13:00.000-08:00

Snapped this quick picture at the same location as this one, a warehouse complex near Venables and Clark. The graffiti is so over-the-top it almost looks like a movie set - but it isn't one.

Post title from this song by Digable Planets.

Horse and Rider

2011-01-15T22:53:00.000-08:00

This sculpture, called, simply enough, "Equestrian Monument" by David Robinson, is part of the Canada Line Public Art Program. It's located outside the Yaletown-Roundhouse station. Rather than try and get a shot of the entire horse and rider, I was taken by the way the light was hitting only the rider's face, so I pointed my iPhone lens in that direction as I walked by.

Post title from this song by Share.

Honeysuckle Rose

2011-01-15T16:49:00.000-08:00

What would possess someone to want, buy, or create a Pepto-Bismol coloured limosine is beyond me, but we all know by now that I am a philistine lacking the sophistication to understand these things, as is evidenced by my complete lack of comprehension as to why honeysuckle has been named the colour of the year for 2011. This bright pink limo is often parked in my neighbourhood. I took this photo back in late summer, but it was on my street again today. Given the scarcity of parking in this neighbourhood, I'm surprised they can find a spot to fit the length of the car.

Post title from this song by Fats Waller and Andy Razaf.

This post was supposed to go up yesterday but I'm an idiot and forgot to hit the "publish" button. Gah.

Conspiracy Theory

2011-01-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

While waiting for a friend on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery the other day, I grabbed this quick shot of what seems to be a permanent fixture (don't let the temporary set up fool you) on the plaza on the Robson Street side of the gallery. These guys are always there trying to convince passersby that 9/11 was an inside job. Although I will admit I haven't looked very closely at their literature and I've never visited their website, I'm not one for conspiracy theories. On my personal baloney meter, this group sits right about the same place as these guys.

Post title from this song by Steve Earle.

Echo Beach

2011-01-12T20:43:00.000-08:00

Grabbed this quick shot on Saturday while we were leaving brunch with some friends near Kits Beach. It'a another biennale piece, this one called "Echoes" by Canadian artist Michel Goulet. It's comprised of a line of chairs with phrases in English and French on the seats. It reminded me a little of the metal chairs you can find in the Tuileries in Paris. My own little homage to Paris Daily Photo.

Post title from this song by Martha and the Muffins.

Olympics

2011-01-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

Stumbled across this stenciled bit of protest graffiti about six months after the 2010 Olympics had come and gone. It was on a curb outside a warehouse where I was picking up my share of a local wheat harvest. (44 lbs of flour!) The website is no longer operating, but in one way they got their wish. It's not 2010 anymore.

Post title from this song by Ben LB.

Black Mark

2011-01-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

On the 27th of December, there was an apartment fire in my part of town. Fortunately no one was hurt, and most of the damage was contained to one suite due to the building's concrete construction. It was an exciting evening in the neighbourhood! As I was out for a walk the next day, I grabbed this quick shot with my phone. Two weeks later, despite several restoration company vehicles parked in front every day, it looks almost exactly the same - there's now plywood in the window. I can't imagine what the inside must look like, and how hard it must be for the folks who live there to be suddenly homeless for a while.

Post title from this song by Samuel F. Scott & the B.O.P.

Meat

2011-01-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

About two blocks away from where I grabbed this photo, there was more graffiti on the same bike route. This one slightly more sinister in nature than the whimsical tone of the first one. Here the bicycle rider has a chicken on a leash, and the words "Slave Meat".

I have no idea what that is supposed to mean.

Post title from this song by Robyn Hitchcock.

Time Travel

2011-01-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

Walking along the seawall near the Cambie Bridge recently, I stumbled across this bit of public art I'd never taken notice of before, despite the fact that it's been there for four years. It's called "Time Top" by Jerry Pethick. It's comprised of this vaguely spaceship-looking piece, combined with a 1930s comic-book strip by William Ritt (who at this time has no wikipedia page in English, but oddly, does in French) and Clarence Gray, carved right into the granite stone of the seawall's edge. A mad scientist type has invented a machine, the Time Top, designed to travel through time and space. Apparently, it's washed up here on the bank of False Creek.

Post title from this song by Behrouz.

For Making Art

2011-01-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

Been a while since I posted a Biennale piece, called "Joe Sola Is Making Art". This one's suspended near the escalators at the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station at the corner of Davie St and Mainland St. The piece is by, obviously enough, American artist Joe Sola.

Post title from this song by Mal Blum.

Roaming Dragons

2011-01-06T11:52:00.000-08:00

Beginning in the fall of last year, the City of Vancouver has allowed street food vendors to proliferate. We always had hot dog carts, but following the lead of other west coast cities like Los Angeles and Portland, Vancouver's street food scene is expanding. One of the leaders of the pack, and a personal favourite of mine is the Roaming Dragon. The guys at the truck, often found at farmers markets on the weekend and usually parked curbside on W. Georgia near Thurlow weekdays, have an infectious enthusiasm for food. Their menu is limited, but everything on it is delicious. Snapped this quick picture of the corner of their truck's awning as I waited for my order (Korean short rib tacos & lychee basil lemonade) one clear day back in October.

Even if I wasn't posting here regularly, I was still taking photos with the intention of using them for this blog. I'm so happy to be back at it - didn't realize how much I missed it!

Post title from this song by Full Service.

Sign O' the Times

2011-01-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

I've posted about the Woodward's building before, and its iconic W sign. The old sign that sat atop the Woodward's store for decades was removed before the original building was demolished, but it was too decrepit to return to service atop the new construction. A new sign, a replica of the old, was put there instead. I didn't realize until recently that the old sign has been installed as a public art piece on the ground adjacent to the new building. It's a relic, pockmarked with rust, red paint flaking, but I'm glad in a self-servingly nostalgic way that they kept it and have put it on display. I managed to find an angle, while walking through that area one day, that included both signs, the old one at ground level, and the new shiny one perched atop its tower. On the left is the new residential Woodwards development.

Post title from this song by Prince.

Apres Ski

2011-01-04T18:45:00.000-08:00

Although yesterday started out with fog, by mid-morning it was gone, and I did get the chance to head up to the top of Grouse Mountain, one of three local ski hills on the North Shore. There are two ways to get to the top: hiking the Grouse Grind (closed in the winter) or taking the Skyride, a cabled aerial tramway.

Foreground is a run called The Cut, middle ground is the Burrard Inlet, with freighters on the water, background is the city of Vancouver. Deep background, and mostly obscured by cloud, is part of the Cascade Mountain Range.

Post title from this song by Cinerama.

Shadow on the Fog

2011-01-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

Woke up to a foggy morning out my windows today. For a moment the fog was so substantial in one spot that my apartment building. lit from the rising sun on the other side, cast a shadow on it. I'd planned to go to the top of Grouse Mountain today. Hope the fog clears or there will be nothing to look at - and nowhere to point my lens!

Post title from this song by Saxmourtzoukos.

Market Fresh

2011-01-02T20:50:00.000-08:00

In the past I've posted here a couple of shots from land-based vantage points that included the small ferry boats run by False Creek Ferries and Aquabus that transport people to and from Granville Island and other points around False Creek. Today, on a stellar sunny winter day, as I was touring around with some friends from out of town, I finally got a chance to take a picture from one of them. From the water, then, a shot of the Granville Island Public Market as we approached by boat.

Post title from this song by Broken Social Scene.

Frozen

2011-01-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

An appropriate image, since this blog's been more or less frozen since last September. But I'm back, and plan to post regularly again. Took this picture on a walk today around Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, not far from where I live. The surface of the lagoon was mostly covered in ice, with a few open spots where the few swans that overwinter here were huddled. I have no idea how this 2 metre long branch ended up on the surface of the ice far from shore. Perhaps some drunken New Year's Eve revelers were practicing their javelin tossing skills last night.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Post title from this song by Tegan and Sara.

The Fountain

2010-09-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Out for a walk the other day, I cut through a little park off Barclay Street. There was a wedding in progress, so I quietly skirted around the middle of the park and stumbled upon this little slice of almost-Europe. The park is called Barclay Heritage Square, and a plaque on the fountain reads:

Donated on Vancouver's Centennial
In tribute to West End pioneers
Samuel Brighouse First Resident arrived 1862
Michael Wilkinson-Brighouse arrived 1887
Jane Ann Wilkinson-Brighouse

By Jane, John and Freda Wilkinson-Brighouse

Post title from this song by Echo and the Bunnymen.

Whimsical Lifestyle

2010-09-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

The City of Vancouver uses these icons of bicycles painted on the street to denote bike routes. The other day as I was bicycling along the Chilco bicycle route in the West End, I had to stop and get off my bike to get a quick shot of this graffiti. I love its whimsicality!

Post title from this song by Mojib.

Singing on the Sidewalk

2010-08-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

Not a manhole cover, although it's about the same size as the ones I've photographed before. This is a decorative metal plate embedded in the sidewalk at the corner of Bute Street and Pender Street downtown. Identical metal plates repeat at seemingly random intervals up Bute St on both sides to Alberni Street. I've no idea why they're there, or if their positioning is random or has a pattern, or what, if anything, they signify. But they're pretty!

Post title from this song by Jeremy Fisher.

If I Only Had a Brain

2010-08-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

This friendly scarecrow points the way to the Granville Island Farmers Market, on every Thursday morning all summer long. We're almost past blueberry season, and well into apricots, peaches, and fresh corn. This week saw the appearance of the first apples of the year. I'll miss the markets when winter arrives.

Post title from this song from the classic sung by Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.

Reincarnation

2010-08-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Recently there was, mere steps from my apartment building, the Hare Krishna Chariot Festival held in Stanley Park. I wandered around to have a look. Wil Wheaton was there too, although I didn't run into him! He mentioned it on his twitter account - and his interpretation of a very similar photo to the one I took here says all that needs to be said, in my personal opinion.

Post title from this song by Roger Miller.

Slanted? Oh Yeah!!

2010-08-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Came across this oddity on Granville Street near Georgia Street, just a few steps away from this sculpture. I'm not sure what its purpose is - perhaps an information booth of some sort? I've never seen one that is intended to sit on a slant that way. But the sign says they'll be back at two o'clock, so I guess I can go back and figure out the mystery.

Post title from this song by The Time Lodgers.

Mosaic

2010-08-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Another mosaic from my wanders-about-town. This one's at the corner of Robson Street and Burrard Street - one of the busiest intersections in downtown Vancouver. Which means I have walked past it a kajillion times and never noticed it before. It's part of this series, and is called Sounds Around Town.

Post title from
this song by Laurence Juber.

Cheap Art on the Walls

2010-08-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Found these posters for an art show on a recycling bin on Comox Street near Denman, long after the one-day show was over - although I knew about it at the time, I just wasn't able to make it to
The Cheaper Show 9. I hope to be able to attend 10.

Post title from this song by Taxpayer.

Rivet

2010-08-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

The same day I was wandering around Granville Island and took this photo, I also followed my feet to a spot almost directly under the Granville Street Bridge and pointed my lens straight up. I love being able to see the detail of all the many thousands of rivets holding the structure together.

Post title from this song by Praxis.

Fountain

2010-08-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

I seem to come across a lot of mosaics in my daily wanderings - more things I've never noticed before. I had no idea the streets of Vancouver were so bedecked with shards of tile. This shot's taken looking at the bottom of the fountain in the Georgia Street plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Until I googled vancouver art gallery fountain mosaic bc I had no idea this fountain was called Centennial Fountain. It was commissioned and installed in 1966; Canada's 100th birthday was July 1st, 1967.

Post title from this song by Sara Lov.

Like a Prayer

2010-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ran across this mystery sculpture of giant praying hands on Granville Street near Georgia the other day. No idea why it's there; no sign, plaque or explanation of any kind. It's Sunday, so I thought the image was appropriate for those who believe.

Post title from this song by Madonna.

Holiday

2010-08-14T22:44:00.000-07:00

Have been on a bit of a blog holiday for the last ten days or so. I'm back. Daily photos to resume immediately.

The photo above is not actually of Vancouver, but a shot from the deck of a friend's place, on one of the Gulf Islands mostly populated, in the summer, by Vancouverites. So I'm cheating, a little.

Post title from this song by Astrud Gilberto.

Forest Fire

2010-08-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

There are, at last count, over 400 forest fires burning in the province of British Columbia at the moment. This can make for quite dramatic sunsets - including the orange haze in this shot of English Bay. The sun is still fairly high in the sky, but the light it's casting is very much like the "golden hour" light of later in the day due to the smoke in the atmosphere.

Post title from this song by Lloyd Cole.

Bridge

2010-08-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I was lucky enough to be invited to join a friend on a Harbour Air flight to one of the Gulf Islands for a weekend away. On our way out of the city I took a few shots with my iPhone, including this one as we approached the Lions Gate Bridge. Behind the bridge is Prospect Point, and below it the seawall. Bottom right corner of the photo is the Beaver aircraft's port side pontoon (the floats the sea plane lands on, on the water's surface) and bottom left corner of the photos is one of the struts from the centre of the wing to the body of the plane. It was a gorgeous day, and a relaxing weekend away, but it's good to be back!

Post title from this song by Amon Tobin.

Carving

2010-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Grabbed this quick shot of some totem pole carving mid-process in the carving shed on Granville Island, located between the public market and the gates to the Ocean Cement plant. The sign saying "Gone Fishing" is dated July 23rd. It must be a long trip out on the water as I took this photo on July 29th!

I'll have to try and get back there while carving is actually taking place to take photos of the carvers in action.

Post title from this song by Opien.

Pride (In the Name of Love)

2010-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is Pride Weekend in Vancouver, and today is the Pride Parade. At the intersection of Davie Street and Denman Street there is a stand of flagpoles. Through the year the Canadian flags on the taller poles stay the same, and the slightly shorter ring of poles surrounding them change according to what's happening in the city; Heart and Stroke awareness month in February, the Vancouver Marathon in May... For the last couple of weeks the Pride flags have been proudly, gaily flying.

I love my neighbourhood.

This photo also, coincidentally, fits in with the City Daily Photo Theme Day for August 1st: bright colours. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Post title from this song by U2.

Funky Tomatoes

2010-07-31T01:49:00.000-07:00

Heirloom tomatoes on display at the Granville Island Farmers' Market, held every Thursday all summer long.

Post title from this song by the band of the same name, Funky Tomatoes.

Celebration of Light - VII*

2010-07-31T01:38:00.000-07:00

Part of the finale to the Celebration of Light fireworks

Last one, I promise. This photo, and all the Celebration of Light posts that came before it, were taken on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. The country competing that evening was Mexico. They made a valiant effort, but in my opinion, Spain, who competed the previous Saturday, has it sewn up. Their display was quite magical. Tonight, July 31, is China's turn. Alas, I will be away and won't get a chance to see it.

*This post is the last in a series about the internation fireworks competition called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light - VI*

2010-07-31T01:31:00.000-07:00

More fireworks from the Celebration of Light

*This post is part of a series detailing the international fireworks competition called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light - V*

2010-07-31T01:26:00.000-07:00

The Celebration of Light fireworks from the roof of the building I live in.

*This post is part of a series detailing the Celebration of Light international fireworks competition.

Celebration of Light - IV*

2010-07-31T01:13:00.000-07:00

The crowd on the beach at English Bay about an hour and a half before the show begins.
After this it got too dark to take any more photos of the crowd. There were live concerts near the beach, streets were closed, and people started to head to the roof to enjoy a glass of wine on a perfect warm Vancouver summer evening before the fireworks began.

This post is part of a series about the fireworks competition called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light - The Third*

2010-07-31T01:07:00.000-07:00

The beach crowd grows at English Bay, about three hours before the show begins.

*This post is part of a series about the annual fireworks competition hosted at English Bay called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light - Redux*

2010-07-31T01:01:00.000-07:00

The beach at English Bay, about four hours before the show begins.

*Part of a series of posts about the annual fireworks competition in Vancouver called the Celebration of Light.

Celebration of Light

2010-07-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

I want to catch up with all the missing posts from July before the end of the month, so I'm going to cheat, and post several, all on the same topic, in one day. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

The Celebration of Light is an annual international fireworks competition that takes place above the waters of English Bay. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. There are usually three or four countries competing, on two consecutive Wednesdays and Saturdays at the end of July. The fireworks displays, set off from a barge in the bay, are choreographed to music and last 30 full minutes each night. It's a huge celebration for the city. About 300,000 people crowd onto the shores surrounding English Bay to watch it every evening of the competition. It just happens that I have a view of the beach at English Bay from one of my apartment windows, and a view of the fireworks barge from the roof of my building. The photos over the next several posts should give you an idea about the size of the event.

The beach at English Bay, about seven hours before the show begins.

Post title from this song by Marina Ray.

Critical Mass

2010-07-31T00:22:00.000-07:00

The last Friday of every month in downtown Vancouver means Critical Mass - a sometimes militant, often vocal, usually unruly mass bicycling demonstration through the streets. Woe to the car driver trying to get home during rush hour; Critical Mass usually snarls up traffic for hours, often closing the Lions Gate Bridge entirely for an hour or more. As much as I'm a cyclist myself, and advocate for more bicycle lanes and better vehicle driver awareness, I'm not personally a fan of their methods. To me it seems counter-productive - I just can't figure out how cycling through the streets without regard for the rules of the road, blocking traffic, and angering vehicle drivers is going to make anyone more enthusiastic about cyclists. Perhaps I'm just not very clever.

Caught this snap with my iPhone at the beginning of about a thousand cyclists barreling down Beach Avenue early this evening, fresh from their triumph at closing one of only two accesses to the North Shore in the midst of Friday rush hour at the beginning of a long weekend. I must be mindful as I go about my business next week, that vehicle drivers may be tempted to run me down if they think I was a part of the demonstration.

Post title from this song by Brian Sanhaji.

Cityscape

2010-07-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Another shot from the deck of the Lazee Gal. Not the most perfectly framed picture I've ever taken, but a boat bobbing on the water doesn't give you the most steady tripod to work with! In the picture: foreground is a Harbour Air sea plane taxiing for takeoff, middle is The Vancouver Convention Centre (including, on the right, Line of Work). The unusual light standards surround Jack Poole Plaza and you can just see the top of the permanently installed Olympic Cauldron peeking out. On the left is Douglas Coupland's Digital Orca installation. In the background is the Marine Building, one of Vancouver's most elegant highrises and a rare example of Art Deco architecture.

Post title from this song by Lush Life.

Stainless Steel

2010-07-27T13:26:00.000-07:00

Another Biennale piece, this stainless steel sculpture, "Borbora" by Vladas Vildziunas of Lithuania sits across the street from the main train station, in Thornton Park. I've managed, without really planning to, to take photos of ten of the Biennale's thirty-one current installations. Twenty-one to go!

Post title from this song by Emily Weedon and Delta.

Under the Bridge (Sous le pont)

2010-07-26T19:12:00.000-07:00

Recently I was invited to join a short cruise aboard the Lazee Gal, an early 50's wooden yacht built by Thorton Grenfell (a locally renowned mid-century naval architect) and owned by a succession of prominent Vancouver families. It was a lovely evening, and while aboard I took the opportunity to get some photos from angles I wouldn't normally be able to see - like this one of the underside of the Lions Gate Bridge, mid-span.

Post title from this song by Benoit Charest from the Triplets of Belleville.

Corrupt

2010-07-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

Woke up a few mornings ago to find this graffiti in my quiet residential neighbourhood on a few of the streets. It says "BC CSIS corrupt". I have no idea why it's been written in bright orange paint in the middle of the street. CSIS stands for Canadian Security Intelligence Service - basically our national spy agency. About two months ago there was quite a stir about the Canadian government being infiltrated by spies, but whether this graffiti is connected to that, and why it would only appear in the last week is a mystery to me.

Post title from this song by Depeche Mode.

Spanning Time

2010-07-26T16:54:00.000-07:00

Another of the mosaics installed by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association. I keep meaning to look up their locations and go photograph them and instead I just kind of stumble on them randomly as I'm going about my business in the downtown core. Fortunately I've had my camera with me most of the time. This one's called Spanning Time and is a stylized view of the Lions Gate Bridge. It's near the corner of Georgia Street and Howe Street, just steps away from where I took this photo.

Post title from this song by Parade of Sinners.

Clock Tower

2010-07-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

The clock tower of the historic Sinclair Centre at the foot of Granville Street downtown. From their website:

"The [Post Office] building is easily identifiable by the 43m (141 ft) clock tower. The historic atrium clock was built in 1909 by John Smith & Sons and is the largest clock movement in Western Canada. The four, 12-foot diameter clocks were restored in 1986."

Post title from this song by AudioBody.

The Words Don't Fit the Picture

2010-07-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

This large installation outside the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, called, obviously enough, "The Words Don't Fit the Picture" is by Ron Terada. It's a part of the city's Olympic public art project, like this piece on the opposite side of the main library building. It's meant to be evocative of Vancouver's neon sign history.

Post title from this Willie Nelson song.

Manhole (redux)

2010-07-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Another decorative manhole cover, also on Robson Street. COV at the bottom right is for, of course, City of Vancouver.

Post title from this song by Freddy King.

This post is the second of two posts for today. I'll be posting twice a day until I'm caught up from the days that were missed.

Brush With Life

2010-07-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

This interesting piece of public art is located off the seawall near David Lam Park, not far from this photo. The floats at water level cause the angle of the top part to change with the tides, as well as rotate back and forth with winds, currents, and boat wakes. Sensors on the piece transmit information to www.brushdelux.com. It's called Brush With Illumination, and is by Buster Simpson.

A couple of boats from the small ferries that serve False Creek can be seen in the background.

Post title from this song by Litterbug.

This is one of two posts I'll be publishing today, in order to catch up from the several days I missed.

Lost Hiker

2010-07-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I decided to tackle the Grouse Grind (previously mentioned here) for the first time since 2007. About a hundred yards up the trail from the entrance is this sign, basically telling you that the owners of Grouse Mountain will take no responsibility whatsoever for any potentially dangerous choices you might make or mayhem you decide to perpetrate as you ascend. I took it fairly easy, and completed the hike up in 1 hour 22 minutes. The fastest people do it in just over half an hour. That's not me!

Post title from this song by Liz Durett.

Time Stand Still

2010-07-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

A combination of circumstances has put this blog on the back burner for the last several days: a broken camera lens (I weep), a flurry of new business activity (I celebrate), and the general busy-ness of summer.

But I'm back! And I'll be posting two photos a day until I'm caught up. Here's the first of today's:

This morning I read that the 2010 Olympic countdown clock, situated on the Georgia Street plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery since February of 2007 was going to be split up and moved. I've had it on my mental list of things to take a picture of for months, so I hopped on my bike and did so. Rather than try to get a shot of the whole thing in a plaza filled with summer tourists, I got up close and pointed my lens at just the LED numbers, which have stayed at zero since the Olympics began. Reflected on the shiny surface of the clock's face is the Hotel Vancouver, which was opened in 1939. I like the image of one of downtown Vancouver's older buildings superimposed on a clock showing that time has run out.

Post title from this song by iconic Canadian band, Rush.

The Newspaper

2010-07-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

A sampling of the proliferation of newspaper boxes on the street corners of my neighbourhood. From left to right: The National Post, which purports to be a national newspaper but is very Toronto-centric; The Vancouver Sun, which is the local business newspaper; The Province, owned by the same media company as the Sun but much more tabloid in nature, and then the two free commuter dailies, 24 hours and Metro, which in my very biased opinion are excellent for wrapping fish.

Post title from this Citizen Cope song.

Skateboarding Music

2010-07-10T22:06:00.000-07:00

During the Olympics, one of the best things about being downtown was that many of the major streets were closed to vehicle traffic. The celebratory atmosphere was electric; even if you didn't get to go to any official Olympic events, the party was in the street and just wandering around people watching was good fun in and of itself. Because it was such a success, the City of Vancouver has decided to close Granville St and make it pedestrian only during the weekends all summer. Last weekend was the first of these closures, and I wandered down to have a look. Caught this photo of a skateboarding competition that was taking place in front of the Vogue Theatre.

Post title from Anti-Flag.

Clouds

2010-07-10T21:51:00.000-07:00

This building near the corner of Hastings and Burrard is really that bronze-ish colour. I just loved the reflection of the clouds on the glass in this picture.

Post title from the classic Joni Mitchell album.

Opportunity

2010-07-08T12:02:00.000-07:00

Another mosaic, this one at the northwest corner of Burrard Street and Dunsmuir Street, in the heart of downtown's business district. This one's called Sea of Opportunity. It's a part of this series.

Post title from this song by You Say Party! We Say Die!

The Blob

2010-07-08T00:33:00.000-07:00

Another Vancouver Biennale piece. Made of stainless steel and located at the corner of Georgia Street and Granville Street, it's called Artificial Rock #143, by Zhan Wang of China. I like the way, in this shot, it looks like an amorphous mass oozing through the city, like The Blob.

By this point you may have guessed that science fiction books and films figured prominently in my growing-up years.

Post title from this song by The Five Blobs.

Figaro

2010-07-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I come across this Nissan Figaro parked in my neighbourhood. I was out last week looking for reflection photos for the last City Daily Photo Theme Day, and took this quick snap. In the end I went with a different photo for my theme day post, but I still really like this one.

Post title from this remix of the opera classic by ANT1.

Summer's Cauldron

2010-07-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

If you do a search on flickr for the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron, there are many, many images by photographers more talented than I am. Although I missed getting a shot of it lit up, this is what it looked like when I sat perched on the edge of the reflecting pool, almost directly underneath it a couple of days ago, and pointed my iPhone straight up on a sunny day with high scattered cloud in the sky.

Post title from this song by XTC.

Orca

2010-07-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

I stopped by Jack Poole Plaza a couple of days ago to get a picture of the Olympic Cauldron now that construction of the reflecting pool is complete and it's no longer behind fencing - I missed getting a shot of it lit since it was extinguished by the time shipboard fireworks viewing was over on Canada Day. Instead I stumbled across this relatively recently installed piece by Vancouver author and artist Douglas Coupland, called Digital Orca.

Post title from this song by Wintersleep.

First Nation

2010-07-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

There's a bit of controversy brewing about Stanley Park at the moment. A First Nations elder recently suggested that the name be changed to Xwayxway to honour the First Nations history of the park land. Although there is no formal proposal to rename the park before city, provincial, or federal government, politicians are stumbling over themselves to agree or disagree with the idea. I wonder what Lord Stanley himself would think. Here he is, pictured above, on a pedestal inscribed with the words:

TO THE USE

AND ENJOYMENT

OF PEOPLE OF ALL COLOURS

CREEDS AND CUSTOMS

FOR ALL TIME

I NAME THEE

STANLEY PARK

Lord Stanley

Governor-General

October 1889

I took this photo near the entrance to the park back in April, thinking of using it for the City Daily Photo theme day on May 1st. Today seemed an appropriate day to post it instead.

Post title from this song by Atikamihk.

Frigate Autumn

2010-07-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the good fortune to be invited aboard the HMCS Vancouver, a frigate in the Canadian Navy, which was docked at the north end of Canada Place as part of the celebration of Canada's Navy's 100th birthday. As my husband joked, "Wow, the Canadian Navy, almost an old as a Japanese person!"

HMCS Vancouver is usually based out of CFB Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, home of Canada's Pacific Fleet, but has been visiting her namesake city for a few days now. As yesterday, July 1st, was Canada Day, a national holiday celebrating the formation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867 (before that we were a collection of separate British and French colonies), a number of civilians were invited aboard the Vancouver to view the Canada Day fireworks, set off from a barge just off Canada Place. I didn't really take photos of the fireworks - the photos never quite live up to the real event - but here's the ship just before I went aboard.

Post title from this song by Zhanna Klimova.

Reflections

2010-07-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

The City Daily Photo theme for today is reflections. I took this one at Marinaside Quay in Yaletown a few days ago. The yacht is the Hotei, owned by a charter company in Vancouver.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Transportation

2010-06-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

More mosaics - more things you don't notice when you're driving. When I was looking up information on the last mosaic I stumbled across, google told me about another mosaic project in downtown Vancouver, this one instigated by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association. There are 18 of these mosaics in total, each one approximately one square metre. They were created by mosaic artists Liz Calvin and Bruce Walther. This one's called Transported Through Time, and is situated near the corner of Burrard Street and Smithe Street.

Post title from this song by DJ Alexis Freites.

Vandal

2010-06-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

When I took this photo this morning on Cordova Street near Abbott (across the street from this photo), I had no idea what Vandal Team Supreme was, I just thought the sticker looked odd and interesting next to the fire department connection on the side of a building. Google tells me it's a group of graffiti artists. There is a tag on one of the connections - maybe it has to do with that.

I just thought it looked kind of cool.

Post title from this song by YUNYU.

Lost in the Supermarket

2010-06-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

The weather for the last several days here has been dismal. People have taken to calling it Junuary, what with all the rain and gloom. So I look for other ways to put a smile on my face, and one of the things I love most about Vancouver, especially living downtown, is being in the midst of such a multi-cultural environment. On any given day I hear about a dozen languages spoken around me in my neighbourhood, and today I passed by this sign on Seymour Street. I don't know what the Arabic says, but I love that it's paired with a shout-out for Mexican products in the same store. (Foodness Supermarket)

Post title from this song by The Clash.

On a Bicycle Built For Two

2010-06-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Was biking around the downtown business district today and came upon a happening at the Vancouver Art Gallery. This immense, solar powered tricycle, (called Daisy, apparently) a part of eatart.org, was giving people rides around the plaza on the Georgia Street side of the Gallery. Also there were the Gramorail and a DJ tent blasting fun dance tunes - powered by people pedaling stationary bicycles. It was delightfully unexpected - the carnival atmosphere put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

Post title from this song by Nat King Cole.

Also, this post was supposed to go up yesterday (Sunday) but I neglected to hit Publish. I've been a little busy with my new business venture, and things have slipped through the cracks here and there. My apologies. This week will be better!

Waffle House

2010-06-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

This brutalist building, once the home of MacMillan Bloedel, at one time a powerhouse company in Vancouver's economy, is one of Arthur Erickson's early buildings at 1075 Georgia Street (at Thurlow Street). The concrete structure, opened in 1968, looks to me like the setting for a fascist overlord's empire in a futuristic movie. Stark, solid, and unapologetic - and starting to show a few cracks in the facade.

It's locally referred to as the concrete waffle or the waffle building.

Post title from this song by David Wilcox.

Tea Ceremony

2010-06-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

Met a friend at her office near Granville Island yesterday, and we walked to a nearby Japanese spot, Sawa, for lunch. I'd never been there before. Sawa is located in a concrete building and looks like just another hole in the wall lunch counter sort of place, until you venture in past the menu board and down the stairs into a simply but beautifully decorated back room. Around the centrepiece here is a square seating area - a communal table for people who come in alone to sit together. Lovely.

Post title from this song by Shan Di Orchestra.

Note: this was supposed to be Friday's post. Clearly I'm not very good at typing in the date when I'm scheduling a post.

When I'm Cleaning Windows

2010-06-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

Another photo from my wanderings around the Central Branch neighbourhood downtown, this one's the Westin Grand Hotel on Robson Street at Homer St. I liked the almost sinuous lines of the building's curves, with the tiny dangling window-washer to give it the human element.

Post title from this song by George Formby.

Breakout

2010-06-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

While I was near the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library the other day, I pointed my lens upward and got a shot of a bit of its rooftop garden peeking over the side. Opened in 1995 and designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the building is a downtown landmark. I love the way it looks as though a modern concrete and glass construction is trying to break through and muscle its way out of an older style of building.

Post title from this song by Swing Out Sister.

Hope

2010-06-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

At the foot of Robson Street where it intersects with Beatty Street, on Terry Fox Plaza adjacent to BC Place, is one of the most phenomenally hideous monuments in Vancouver (or that I've seen anywhere, for that matter). In my opinion it demonstrates everything that was wrong with early 80s architecture and public art: pastel colours, incongrous building materials, classico-roman pretensions. According to www.vancouverhistory.ca, the design by Franklin Allen was chosen by a nine-person jury that included architect Arthur Erickson, and generated considerable negative public reaction upon its unveiling in 1984. I personally activate a mental detonator every time I pass by.

Having said that, the man the monument and the plaza are dedicated to, Terry Fox, is a Canadian national hero. His Marathon of Hope inspired a nation and raised millions of dollars for cancer research. Annual runs in his name continue to raise money every year (to date $500 million) in dozens of countries around the world. Terry's mother, Betty Fox, was one of the Olympic flag-bearers at the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies here in Vancouver, and she and Terry's father, Rolly, participated in the lighting of the torch at the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies, which also featured a video tribute to Terry himself. I cannot see the iconic image of Terry Fox running on his artificial leg without wiping instant tears from my eyes.

Post title from this song by Jack Johnson.

Sit Down Young Stranger

2010-06-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

***Ack! Due to a typo on my part, the post that was supposed to go up yesterday did not. First day I've missed since I started the blog! Here it is - there will be two posts today, to catch up.***

On the plaza outside the Vancouver Public Library Central Branch at the corner of Georgia Street and Homer Street, there's an art installation called Walk In/Here You Are by Christian Kliegel and Cate Rimmer. It's part of a larger collection of art commissioned by the City of Vancouver's Olympic and Paralympic Public Art Program for 2010. According to the "listen to the artist" phone number (604.998.8038, press 2) on the sign accompanying the piece, it's a collage of street furniture arranged in front of a projection screen. Through the year, six different curated video selections will be projected for public viewing. Christian Kliegel is responsible for the seating arrangement, Cate Rimmer for the video curation.

Why the benches and picnic tables are half-sunk into a wooden deck escapes me. But it's possible I'm just not very sophisticated about art.

Post title from this song by Gordon Lightfoot.

Face in the Crowd

2010-06-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

I got a few strange looks yesterday as I crouched down on the seawall in English Bay to take photos of this nondescript bit of coastline. But if you look closely, you can see what piqued my attention: someone has subtly painted faces onto a few of the rocks. I have no idea when this was done - I walk this stretch of seawall a couple of times a week and have never noticed it before. Likewise, I have no idea who the artist is.

Post title from this song by Brownie McGhee.

Garden

2010-06-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a beautiful day: perfect for a stop at the West End Farmer's Market this morning, and then I wandered a few blocks to check out the Davie Village Community Garden - a lovely little oasis at the corner of one of the busiest intersections in downtown Vancouver: Davie and Burrard Streets. In the midst of all the bustle is this chunk of land, formerly the site of a gas station, now a community garden where people grow flowers and vegetables in assigned mini plots. I'm tempted to put my name on the waiting list to get my own $10/year spot - my balconies on the 21st floor are too windy and don't get enough sun to grow much of anything.

The glass towers in the background are The Wall Centre - including until recently Vancouver's tallest building.

Post title from this song by Pearl Jam.

Glass Ceiling

2010-06-18T12:53:00.000-07:00

I was wandering down West Hastings this morning and happened upon the new-ish Coast Coal Harbour Hotel. The entrance off the street is fairly nondescript - until you look up. I took some black and white shots of the ceiling, but in the end the jewel tones won out and I'm posting a picture in colour.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Post title from this song by Metric.

Manhole

2010-06-17T19:43:00.000-07:00

Most manhole covers I've come across on Vancouver streets are pretty dull; just a metal grid within a round frame. But lately, as I've been paying more attention, I've noticed that there are some that are quite decorative. Snapped this quick picture today in the middle of an intersection on Robson Street. Had to point, click, and get out of the way of oncoming traffic. Nothing like a little dodge-the-bus to get your heart rate going in the morning!

Post title from this song by Ani Difranco.

Lipstick Sunset

2010-06-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Sunset, yesterday evening. I love the way the red light reflects off the clouds and onto the surface of Second Beach Pool in Stanley Park. I took this photo through my living room window.

Post title from this song by John Hiatt.

Pink Moon

2010-06-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

In West Vancouver near Bellevue Avenue and 22nd Street is this vaguely Dr. Seussian and decidedly pink building. It was built in the mid-1960's. I imagine if I lived here I would avoid a lot of bold colours in the interior design of my personal space!

Post title from this song by Nick Drake.

Mosaic

2010-06-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

I literally stumbled across this mosaic embedded in the sidewalk near the corner of Hastings and Cambie Streets the other day. After doing some poking around on the web, I've discovered that this is one of 17 distinct mosaic tile art pieces placed in sidewalks around the Downtown Eastside. A project called "The Footprints Community Art Project", it was undertaken in 2001 as a joint effort by Western Economic Diversification Canada, The Carnegie Community Centre, the federal government, and residents of the downtown eastside. Now that I know these mosaics exist, I'm looking forward to finding and photographing the rest of them.

Post title from this song by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers.

Dock

2010-06-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

This one's not, strictly speaking, Vancouver. It's in Tsawassen, a suburb to the south of Vancouver. This is the BC Ferries terminal that services the Vancouver to Vancouver Island routes, among others. I spent the weekend in Victoria (the capital of British Columbia) and took this quick photo of the dock as we approached this evening on my way home. The ramp that seems to end in the middle of nowhere (centre of frame) allows cars to drive off the upper vehicle deck. The ramp and walkway on the right is for foot passengers. It was a lovely weekend away, but it's good to be home!

Post title from this song by Jayface.