Way Up North

Working my way through the Northern Hemisphere

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To The Is-land

May 4: Onto the Island

Richard often takes a morning walk with his friend Dave, another Delta local, and I joined them on their walk this morning. We talked about the apartment incident from the previous night. Richard and Dave thought it might’ve involved someone they knew who is generally a nice guy but has mental health issues.

After parting ways, I headed into the central city and this time got the correct bus to take me to Granville Island.

Transit Vancouver always supports its customers.
The entrance to Granville Island.

Granville Island is situated just south of the central city in False Creek. It used to be an industrial centre (and still is to some extent), but later became the home of artisans, markets, theatres, cafés and restaurants, and yacht sellers (lots of yachts moored on its west side). I wandered around taking in the sights and enjoying the general atmosphere.

The Granville Island Improv Centre
Some of the many shops.
Looking across False Creek to the “mainland”.
Dry Dock.

One big attraction is the OSGEMEOS Giants, a huge mural painted on six silos painted by a couple of Brazilians back in 2014.

The OSGEMEOS Giants, standing guard over the Heidelberg Materials Concrete Yard.

There was still more variety to find.

The local ballet school.
A disappointing water slide in the children’s playground.
Canada Geese in Canada.
Canada Geese and Canada Goslings in Canada.
Still some industry on Granville Island.
The This Red Dress Project, at one corner of the island.
The rationale behind the This Red Dress Project.
Oil crisis? What oil crisis?

Granville isn’t a true island; there’s a land bridge at one corner. On it is the start point and map of the Trans Canada Trail if you ever felt like walking across the whole of Canada for some reason.

The route of the Trans Canada Trail. What’s stopping you?

After a couple of hours, I headed out, but not before checking out what was left of the Granville Island Railway Station, closed down long ago.

The old Granville Island Railway Station.

Where to find a good book…

Back in the city, I headed to the Colosseum, a.k.a. The Vancouver Public Library.

Outside Vancouver Public Library.

It’s Vancouver-typically huge, with several floors and a rooftop garden.

The view from the rooftop garden of Vancouver Library. The white thing with struts is the BC Place Stadium.
Another view from the Library rooftop.

I then ambled through various other blocks, notably Yaletown.

BC Place Stadium: go ice-hockey hard or go home.
A look down Yaletown.
Arty hydrant over in Yaletown.
I think this a remnant of old trains that used run through Yaletown, but there was no info about it.
Former defenses outside the old Drill Hall in Beatty Street.

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