This is a special post for the Vancouver Twitter crowd. Reaia, Dani and I live at Woodward’s and we’ve decided to organize a tweetup at La Casita’s across the street. We want to connect with people in the neighbourhood! And what better way to make a memorable first impression than with some good old fashioned [...]
Remembrance Day Weekend: Cannons, Rainbows, Games & Zines
This Remembrance Day long weekend turned out to be exceptional. Given the variety of topics that will be covered, it’s probably appropriate to make a list in lieu of the introductory paragraph: 1. Cannons 2. Rainbows 3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the video game 4. Recipe for salmon natto yukke 5. Car crash at [...]
Fat Cat In Pigeon Park’s Pawnshop
Marie and I went for walk today after lunching at the newly re-opened Save-On-Meats. Our general goal was to head towards the Strathcona community gardens to see if the roses had bloomed. Along the way we passed Hastings Secondhand Goods, a pawnshop at Pigeon Park on the corner of Hastings and Carrall Street. Zoe: In [...]
Celebrating 125 Years of Fire and Rescue Services
Today Vancouver celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Great Fire of 1886 and the efforts of the city’s Fire and Rescue Services. There was a parade earlier this morning in Gastown and in the afternoon, vintage fire trucks lined the streets of Carrall and Water. Much to the delight of children and adults alike, there [...]
Container Gardening Workshop at Old Faithful
Today I went to the Container Gardening 101 workshop at the Old Faithful Shop (320 W. Cordova Street). I arrived a few minutes early and waited outside with the rest of the participants. Each of us began with a handmade cedar box and two starter plants. Everybody got broccoli and one herb (rosemary, oregano or [...]
Canadian Geese Nesting on a Gastown Roof
There are always sweet surprises in Gastown. I was on the balcony today and saw two geese with their fuzzy goslings. The two parents are constantly on watch for circling seagulls. I saw a seagull land near the nest. One goose spread its wings at it and the gull left. That’s all I have to [...]
Neighbourhood Studios: Dynamo Arts Association Across The Street
Have you ever noticed Dynamo Arts Association across the street from Woodward’s at 142 West Hastings Street? I remember looking up one night and seeing a seated figure painting at an easel. I wondered, what is it like to paint by a window overlooking this part of Hastings Street? I had a chance to go [...]
Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary Birthday Cake Made By Vancouver Community College Pastry Chefs
One of the things I love about my Woodwardsmile blog is that I get invited to neat events. A mega-birthday cake for Vancouver’s 125th birthday is being made by pastry students at the downtown Vancouver Community College campus. Media and bloggers were invited for a behind the scenes look at the cake making process. Pastry [...]
Poppies in Without Mountains or Water: Vancouver’s Opium Roots Remembered Through Landscape
I was invited by Rebecca Donald to write an essay on her new installation, Without Mountains or Water. It is currently on exhibition at Gallery FUKAI located at 602 E. Hastings Street. It opened April 1, 2011 and walk-in viewings are on Mondays and Wednesdays from April 4-30, 12–4 pm. Poppies in Without [...]
MASH NOTES: Urban Polling in the City and the Museum of Vancouver
Yesterday Marie and I were invited to the Museum of Vancouver to attend a talk by the curators of MASH NOTES, a collaborative project between the museum, Alex Beim from Tangible Interactive, and architect Michael Green. MASH NOTES is the third and final part of a series called Not An Architectural Speaker’s Series, which were [...]
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Off the Wall: Vancouver Chinatown’s New Murals Come to Life
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Turkey Misgivings at Woodward’s
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Two Suicides in Two Days
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Retro Cooking: Woodward’s Recipes
