Vancouver has its fair share of born-and-raised celebrities (ahem Ryan Reynolds) and sightings of famous tourists, whether it's fellow Canadian Shawn Mendes swinging by for Canada Day or John Cena flying into town for his wedding.
But there are also those celebrities that aren't quite famous but whom everyone in town still knows. Vancouver has a lot of those too.
Meet Vancouver's un-famous celebrities:
Roller Girl
Roller Girl is the traffic hero Vancouver didn't know it needed. Often seen directing traffic at Main and Hastings, she's easy to spot by her bright pink attire (not because she's in the middle of the street). Going to court quite a few times doesn't stop Roller Girl from alleviating the city's traffic.
Vancouver Duck Lady
Everyone stops and stares wherever the lady and her duck go, and the internet is filled with photos of the beloved granny strolling around her winged pet. It even has its own boots to waddle around in!
Canuck the Crow
Crows have garnered a reputation for being slightly murderous, but Canuck was a very friendly neighbourhood crow. Much adored by Vancouverites for swooping into a crime scene and snatching a knife, Canuck was also seen drinking Tim Hortons coffee and riding the SkyTrain by some lucky few before he disappeared. No one knows Metro Vancouver's unofficial ambassador's whereabouts to this day.
Guy in The Pink Hat
Locals who frequent the West End near Davie Village would have likely spotted a man dressed head to toe in pink donning an iconic pink fedora. That's Glenn Tkach, the creator and leader of the Really Gay History Tour, and locals love him. Join him on one of his walking tours and you'll learn all about Vancouver's queer history.
"Daddy" Seabus
If the name doesn't ring a bell, the memes will. In times of political tension and depressing winter weather, the Seabus Memes Instagram account will give you a good laugh with memes heavily sprinkled with insider Vancouver humour. Daddy Seabus made a beer too, because some days will have you reaching for a drink too.
The Barge
This unofficial Vancouver icon has quickly made it onto the list of local celebrities, and the romantic drama that sparked on Twitter between the Barge and the Burrard Bridge is worthy of its own reality TV series, although the Twitter account is hilarious on its own.
Nardwuar the Human Serviette
This chaotic Vancouverite was described by David Rees in The New York Times Sunday Magazine as "an obnoxious young man accosting musicians I held in high regard, who was only rarely physically assaulted for his impertinence." The media personality and music mega-nerd has become a recognizable name in Vancouver (as well as the rest of the world, of course).
Mr. Bentley the Dog
Vancouver's favourite pup isn't afraid of heights and loves to share his helicopter adventures on Instagram. He's taken several other celebrities out for a ride too, including Steve Aoki and Ben Kielesinski.
Pee and Poop mascots
Indeed, Vancouver does have mascots, but they're not what you would expect. Metro Vancouver's "Unflushables campaign" in 2019 revealed what quickly became the city's mascots: a giant turd and a large droplet of pee. (P.S. we have Pee and Poop shirts for the diehard fans).
Dude Chilling Park and the actual Dude
The Dude Chilling Park sign was originally a prank but now has official public art status and forever a city-wide fanbase. (And no, this is not the same sign as the one by the barge, though it is hilariously similar). To make it even better, there's a dude actually chilling in the park too.
Opera Man
There's a mysterious man who sings opera at the top of his lungs around Vancouver and, though his real name is Francesco Pepita, locals call him the Opera Man.
