UBC Botanical Garden is Canada’s oldest continuously operating university botanical garden. The original mission of the garden was research into the native flora of British Columbia. Over the past nine decades, our mission has broadened to include research, conservation, teaching and public display of temperate plants from around the world, particularly Asian, alpine and native plants. We’re also home to the Greenheart Canopy Walkway. Come visit us – we’re located at 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC. You can find more info at ubcbotanicalgarden.org

The Physic Garden

While the Harold & Frances Holt Physic Garden is one of the smallest garden features in the Botanical Garden, it is well worth a visit. The garden itself is a formal, circular space, bordered by a high yew hedge. Inside the hedge, concentric planting beds are built around a sundial at the centre of the garden. These beds are planted with a variety of European plants from the late Middle Ages that were valued for their supposed medicinal uses. Look for interpretive signs that explain the history of physic gardens and the uses of plants at the entrance and throughout the garden, or you can get a more in-depth analysis in the Physic Garden booklet, which is available at our gatehouse. The formal design of this garden, which is based on a 16th century engraving of a monastery garden, sets it apart from the mostly informal spaces around it. Indeed, with its pleasing geometry and high, wall-like surrounding hedge, the Physic Garden is a quiet retreat—a refuge that in late spring leaps into bloom, the bounty of flowers creating an opulent counterpoint to the structure around them.

Click HERE to visit a photo gallery from a recent walk through the Physic Garden.

We’re also looking for volunteer garden tour guides. Contrary to popular belief you don’t actually need to be a “plant expert” to be a Garden Guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know through our guiding program. We have two training sessions coming up in June, one Sunday session on June 20th (10am – 2:30pm) and a weekday two-session series on the evenings of Tuesday June 15th and Tuesday the 22nd (both 7-9pm) at the Botanical Garden. If you would like more information, or to register, please contact Ingrid Hoff at garden.volunteer@ubc.ca or 604-861-3005.

More information is available on our WEB SITE

The 2009 Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival starts up today with a ton of interactive and informal talks with author and their public.

Writers from Canada, the US, the UK, Italy, France, Australia, Bolivia and China will join thousands of readers at the annual 22nd Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival, October 18–25 on Granville Island.
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In case you’re wondering why you have the day off today, it’s because…

Victoria Day (in French: Fête de la Reine), colloquially known as May Two-four, May Long, or May Run, is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday before or on 24 May, in honour of both Queen Victoria’s birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign’s official birthday. It has been marked since before Canada was formed, originally falling on the sovereign’s actual birthday, and continues to be celebrated across the country on a fixed date and in various fashions, also being considered an informal mark of the beginning of the summer season.

Trying to think of a way to tie this into Vancouver specifically I instantly thought of Queen Elizabeth Park. A quick Wikipedia visit told me that it was named after the present queen’s mother and dedicated as such by King George VI and her (the O.G. Queen E., pictured above with King G. VI) on their visit to Vancouver in 1939. What the internet does not tell me, however, is if they do anything special there on this day every year. And do the parks employees that work there have Queen Day off as well? These are questions I would appreciate answers to.

Another question is “Will the Queen be Read more

While I try to keep with the VIA mantra of ‘if it’s not rainbows and teddy bears, it’s not going up…’ ie no politics, when someone throws in hamburgers to the mix, I just can’t pass it up…

Ipsos Reid?  Angus Reid?  How about De Dutch Hamburger Poll…yes the famed pannekoek house not only sells burgers, they’re running their own informal survey.  If you ask me this kind of survey is the best, the phone ones are o.k. but yelling “I won! I won!” into the phone is getting a bit old, and answering the door naked just isn’t what it used to be.

John Dys the restaurant founder started the poll in 1963, and it ran until the mid 80′s but now they are back again.  For $5.00 you get a delightful hamburger and a chance to cast a vote for the party of your choice.

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One totally awesome aspect of Vancouver is all the creative entrepreneurs doing their thing. Informal Attire for example is the brainchild of a friend of mine/well known North Van local and is designed right here in the city by local artists and designers. David Lynch fans will recognize the Twin Peaks influence and the rest of the line takes cues from film, classic literature, and paranormal mythologies. Really well thought out products for a high end skate/snow collection.

Anyone else know of some rad local companies? Post them up – Homegrown businesses are the best!