Vancouver, British Columbia — Activities
Vancouver Culture
Vancouver is a young city and it shows in the city's cultural scene. While there are established companies for classical music, opera, dance and theater, it is the smaller outfits and the up-and-comers that give the cultural scene a bit of an edge.
Information on performing arts can be found in The Georgia Straight (www.straight.com) and the Thursday editions of The Vancouver Sun and The Province.
Tickets can be bought directly from the venues or from Ticketmaster (tel: (604) 280 4444; www.ticketmaster.ca) and Show Time Tickets (tel: (604) 688 5000; www.showtimetickets.com). Half-price tickets are available on the day of the performance from Tickets Tonight, at the booth in the Tourism Vancouver Visitor Center, 200 Burrard Street (tel: (604) 684 2787; www.ticketstonight.ca).
Music
Chan Center for the Performing Arts
The cylindrical, zinc-panelled exterior of the Chan Center is striking, but it's the stellar acoustics of the 1,400-seat Chan Shun Concert Hall that has thrilled Vancouver audiences since it opened in 1997. The Chan is probably the best place in town to listen to classical music.
University of British Columbia campus
Tel: (604) 822 9197.
Website: www.chancenter.com
Orpheum Theater
Built in 1927 and recently refurbished in 2009, The Orpheum Theater hosts choral concerts and is a great place for live rock shows thanks to its acoustics. It is also the residence of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
601 Smithe Street
Tel: (604) 665 3050.
Website: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/cultural/theaters
Queen Elizabeth Theater
The Queen Elizabeth Theater stages a variety of performances from classical to contemporary. It is also the home of Ballet BC and the Vancouver Opera, the third largest opera company in Canada.
649 Cambie Street
Tel: (604) 665 3050.
Website: http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/cultural/theaters
Theater
Arts Club Theater
The Arts Club is Vancouver's unrivalled theater machine. It runs three theater venues, programming its own productions at the popular Granville Island Stage, the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville Street) and the Revue Stage (1601 Johnston Street), which is also home to the famous comedy improvization troupe Vancouver TheaterSports League.
1585 Johnston Street, Granville Island
Tel: (604) 687 5315 or 1644 (box office).
Website: www.artsclub.com
Center in Vancouver for Performing Arts
The Center in Vancouver for Performing Arts is one of the premiere entertainment facilities in the city. Designed by acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie, The Center hosts large-scale theatrical productions, for touring productions such as Stomp, and other events like musical acts.
777 Homer Street
Tel: (604) 602 0616.
Website: www.centerinvancouver.com
Firehall Arts Center
Built in 1906 to the east of Gastown, this former firehall was transformed into a lively theater in 1982 and now hosts avant-garde theater and dance.
280 East Cordova Street
Tel: (604) 689 0926.
Website: www.firehallartscenter.ca
Dance
Scotiabank Dance Center
Vancouver is one of Canada's most important dance centers, with around two dozen professional dance companies operating in the area, performing both classical and modern dance, as well as traditional Japanese and Chinese dance. The Scotiabank Dance Center is a useful resource and also hosts performances; it's worth checking out for the architecture alone - seven storys of glass wrapped round a former bank building.
677 Davie Street
Tel: (604) 606 6400.
Website: www.thedancecenter.ca
The Cultch
No venue in the city has the committed audience that The Cultch has cultivated. Located in a former church, The Cultch showcases contemporary dance in addition to theater and live music.
1895 Venables Street
Tel: (604) 251 1363.
Website: www.thecultch.com
Vancouver Tours
Walking tours
For guided tours that put the modern city in perspective, Walkabout Historic Vancouver offers daily two-hour walking tours, one of downtown Vancouver and Gastown, one of Chinatown and Gastown, and one of Granville Island. The Architectural Institute of British Columbia also offers a number of guided tours for a small charge in July and August. These introduce visitors to Vancouver's history through architecture. Tours take one-and-a-half to two hours.
Architectural Institute of British Columbia
Tel: (604) 683 8588.
Website: www.aibc.ca
Walkabout Historic Vancouver
Tel: (604) 720 0006.
Website: www.walkabouthistoricvancouver.com
Bus tours
There are two hop-on hop-off tours of Vancouver. The Vancouver Trolley Company runs two-hour tours with live commentary on replica early 20th-century trolley buses. Big Bus follows a similar route over 90 minutes on vintage double-decker and open-top buses with pre-recorded commentary in six languages. Both have numerous stops around the city. The easiest place for tourists to catch one is in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Robson Square. Landsea Tours operates a half-day ‘City Highlights' tour and a six-hour ‘North Shore' tour (including Grouse Mountain and Capilano Suspension Bridge). Hotel pick-ups are included.
Big Bus
Tel: (604) 229 0700.
Website: www.bigbus.ca
Landsea Tours
Tel: (604) 662 7591.
Website: www.vancouvertours.com
Vancouver Trolley Company
Tel: (604) 801 5515.
Website: www.vancouvertrolley.com
Boat tours
Dinner cruises are available from Accent Cruises. The three-hour cruise departs from Granville Island. Harbour Cruises offers trips around the harbor, as well as lunch and sunset dinner cruises. Harbour tours take an hour and depart daily from April to October. Kayak tours of English Bay and False Creek are available from Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Center on Granville Island.
Accent Cruises
Tel: (604) 688 6625.
Website: www.dinnercruises.com
Ecomarine Ocean Kayak Center
Tel: (604) 689 7575.
Website: www.ecomarine.com
Harbour Cruises
Tel: (604) 688 7246.
Website: www.boatcruises.com
Other tours
Edible British Columbia tickles your taste buds with delectable culinary tours of Granville Island Public Market, Chinatown or Commercial Drive (Little Italy); experienced chefs act as guides. Another culinary tour is run by A Wok Around Chinatown, which immerses visitors in the sights and aromas of Chinatown. The four-hour tour includes a dim sum lunch.
A Wok Around Chinatown
Tel: (604) 736 9508.
Website: www.awokaround.com
Edible British Columbia
Tel: (604) 812 9660.
Website: www.edible-britishcolumbia.com
