Heroin

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

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

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

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

 

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

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.

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.