A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Scout List: An Eclectic Agenda For Discerning Vancouverites

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The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit.

This is our carefully considered first rate list of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

The Scout List

First off, take a minute to check out the brand new Catalog Gallery in Gastown. The current show, ‘Natural Hazards’, focuses on “vulnerability linked to beauty, and beauty linked with power” through the work of three amazingly talented local artists (Lincoln Clarkes, Byron Dauncey & Jen Osborne) in a curated photographic collection. Preview the beautiful show here. Natural Hazards runs until November 28. Catalog is located at Unit 100-56 Powell Street in Gastown, right where the original Sharks + Hammers used to be.

Next up, The Big Lebowski Beverage Garden goes down Friday night. Costumes encouraged. White Russians expected.
November 19 | 7 pm | Norm Theatre (UBC SUB) | $6 | Details here.

The Oh Sees (a psychedelic rock band from San Francisco) crosses the border to set up at the Biltmore Friday night. The Dead Ghosts are opening. Should be a good gig. Tickets are going fast.
Friday, November 19 | 8pm | Biltmore | Tickets $17 (try Zulu)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows also comes to town this week. Pretty much every theater in the lower mainland will be happy to take your money for this, but keep your hard-earned dough ($12) in the local food chain by taking in the show at the kickass Rio.

Have you ever thought about who created the parks? A new exhibition entitled: Drawing on the Land offers a ‘behind the scenes look at the thought process that goes in to designing and humanizing open spaces’. The show features hand-drawn and computer-generated works which showcase the breadth and depth of the profession of landscape architecture.
Find out more… | Now – December 4 | Pendulum Gallery (885 W Georgia)

Now And Again: Vancouver’s History In Moving Pictures. A gala fundraiser for the DOXA Documentary Film Festival, hosted by Bill Richardson and featuring local singer-songwriter Veda Hille combining her music with footage drawn from the local film archive. More info.
November 19 | 7:30 pm | CBC Studio 40 ( 700 Hamilton) | $35

Esteemed Japanese animation filmmaker, Koji Yamamura, throws down at Emily Carr on Saturday night. Check out his short films on you tube here. Wild.
November 20 | 7:30 – 9:30pm | Room 301 – South Building Emily Carr

There’s a Jewish Book Festival happening (mazeltov!). Authors include Stanley Coren, Martin Fletcher, Myla Goldberg, Daniel Kalla, Gary Shteyngart, and Eleanor Wachtel.
November 20-25 | Jewish Community Centre (Go figure) 950 W. 41st Ave

Also of interest this week: The Vancouver Institute has lined-up a lecture entitled Local Food – Global Food: The Future of Food Security. Here’s the scoop from the Vancouver Institute themselves: “A former dean of the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UC–San Diego, Professor Timmer has held faculty positions at Harvard, Cornell and Stanford. In 1992, he received the Bintang Jasa Utama (Highest Merit Star) from the Republic of Indonesia for his contributions to food security. He served as the chief outside advisor to USAID for developing their strategy on growth and agriculture for the Natsios Report (Foreign Assistance in the National Interest), and he was one of the key advisors for the World Development Report 2008: Agriculture for Development. He currently serves as an advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on agricultural development and food security issues. Professor Timmer’s work focuses on four broad topics: the nature of “pro-poor growth” and its application in Indonesia and other countries in Asia; the supermarket revolution in developing countries and its impact on the poor (both producers and consumers); the structural transformation in historical perspective as a framework for understanding the political economy of agricultural policy; and the functioning of the world rice market.” Basically, you’re gonna come out of this a little bit smarter, and not just because it’s free.
November 20 | 8:15 pm | Lecture Hall No. 2 Woodward Building (UBC) | Free

Human Rights Activist Dr. Sima Samar speaks at The Chan Centre. Samar, a visionary in the field of human rights, will address the poignant question “how can the west support human rights in other parts of the world?”
November 20 | 8 pm | The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts | $26

Don’t get cold weather lazy: eat local.
November 20 | 10am – 2pm | East Parking Lot, Nat Bailey Stadium – 30/Ontario

Bakers Market! Breads, scones, pain au chocolat, German pretzels, shortbread cookies, Parisian macarons, madeleines, cupcakes, marshmallows, chocolates, biscotti, organic vegan, gluten-free items. Want more?
November 20 | 11 am – 3 pm | 408 East Kent Avenue South

The Winter Show. The season of the Craft Fair is upon us! Score local jewellery, fashion accessories, handcrafted handbags, scarves, belts, bobbles and other shiny bits at Heritage Hall this weekend. There is absolutely no excuse to shop at bigboxchainstores when this kind of quality is made right in your neighbourhood and available for reasonable prices.
November 20 & 21 | 11 am – 5 pm | Heritage Hall (Main St) |$2

Crofton House School brings you a winter bazaar. The usual: art, gift baskets, jewellery, crafts, designer handbags, and books, eat from a selection of international foods, bid on the silent auction, and have your picture taken with Santa.
November 20 | 10 am – 3 pm | Crofton House (3200 W.41) $2

And Make It brings The Handmade Revolution back to Vancouver this weekend. They claim to have almost 100 of hippest, coolest designers and artists from across Canada ready to fill the Croatian Cultural Centre with their “clothing, jewellery, art, baby stuff and other one of a kind delectable items all which are handmade, up-cycled or re-purposed.” Oh – and beer and wine. Let’s see Crofton House do that!
November 19-21 | Croatian Cultural Centre (3250 Commercial)

Sunday brings the Main Street Vinyl Fair. Buy, sell, or trade new and used vinyl, LPs, and cassettes in support of the 2010 CiTR Fundrive. Really, cassettes?
November 21 | 10 am – 3 pm | VIVO Media Arts (1965 Main) | $2

There is a cool-sounding yoga class happening at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens in Chinatown on Sunday. Classes move between the heated indoor ‘Hall of 100 Rivers’ and the gardens.
November 21 | 11 am – 12:15 pm | Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens | $13.50

Learn about the lives of plants in Stanley Park. Botanical naturalist Terry McIntosh will lead a walk through a the park and point out and explain various habitats. If you’ve ever wondered how mosses and trees work together to produce a functioning and healthy ecosystem within the urban landscape (and you know you have!), here’s your chance. Mysteries will be revealed! Discovery Walks depart from the Lost Lagoon Nature House on the southeast shore of Lost Lagoon. More here.
November 21 | 1:30 pm | Stanley Park

Echo Chamber comes from our pals at the Eastside Culture Crawl: “Mingle with the creative life blood that runs through our East Van veins!! It’s a fusion of live music, live dance, live painting – a curated exhibition of Eastside Culture Crawl artists’ work “Process & Intent: The Making of Art”. Check it.
November 21 | 7pm – midnight | The Cultch | $15

Another cool way to spend Sunday is the Ghost Walk in Chinatown. The guided walk by artist Ken Lum is a pilot for Artists Walking Home, a year-long series of 32 walks guided by artists, designers, and architects presented by Walking Home Projects in conjunction with 221A Artist Run Centre. The program invites participants to experience a direct connection to the city’s immediate environment – both natural and constructed – and to gain an understanding of how ideas and intention become policy, resulting in action and infrastructure which shape our social and lived experiences in public spaces. Participants will explore sudden change of ambiance in a street within the space of a few meters; the evident division of a city into zones of distinct psychic atmospheres; the path of least resistance that is automatically followed in aimless strolls; and the appealing or repelling character of certain places.” Keep in mind that there’s a limited capacity of 15 people for this walk and Mr. Lum does have a bit of a following, so connect with 221A quickly to get yourself on the list ([email protected])
November 21 | 12:45 pm | 221 Artist Run Centre (221 E. Georgia) | $15

Yuriko Iga is offering a screen printing class next week: “Screen print your own designs onto ceramic tile. 4″ and 6″ bisque tiles provided. Learn to print using actual glazes. Makes a lovely gift, coaster, soap dish, or wall art. All materials provided. You bring your own designs or we can provide some.”
November 22 | 6 – 9 PM | Blim | $60 (incl. materials)

If you’re an ink-digger kicking about on Robson Street Monday night with nothin’ on the go, slip in to Chapters to behold tattoo artist Kat Von D as she signs copies of her new book, The Tattoo Chronicles.
November 22 | 7 pm | Chapters Robson, 788 Robson | Free

Pacific Cinémathèque is screening F for Fake (directed by Orson Welles) next week. Basically, it’s a pseudo-documentary chronicling some of history’s greatest cons. Read all about it here. Sounds good.
November 22, 24 + 25 | 7 & 9:05pm | Pacific Cinémathèque | $10.50

Tired of the same old lunch-time routine? Grab your lunchbox and head for 555 Seymour Street where Jim Bussey (Formwerks Architectural Inc) is giving a bit of a talk about what’s happening to the old Nichol house at 16th & Granville. Hear the plans to save the house and build infill townhouse units.
November 24 | 12 – 1:30 | BCIT Downtown Campus | $10

The Vogue is the place to be next Thursday night. Yes, it’s finally here: Pecha Kucha Night!
Tickets sell like a hot-damn, so hook yourself up asap. The Racoons are opening. Speakers are promising: Timothy Taylor (Novelist and Journalist); Phoebe Glasfurd (Designer Glasfurd & Walker); Matthew Soules (Architect); Kelly Diels (Writer); Jonathan Igharas & Alexander Suvajac (Makeuse Studio); Sapna Dayal (Imagine 1 Day) Mark Brand (Boneta, Diamond, Monstr Sushi); Mike Weinmaster (Living Walls and Design); Steve Rosenberg (Pull Focus Film School) Charles Campbell (Journalist) Kim Anami (Bodacious Life Coaching) and the one and only Danny Fillipone (The Penthouse Night Club). After party is at Venue. See you there.
November 25 | Door 6:30 / Start: 7:30 | Tickets

If you can score tickets to Pecha Kucha, don’t fret. Head over to The Museum of Vancouver where James MacKinnon and Allisa Smith, authors of The 100-Mile Diet, will share their top-10 list of innovative local food projects currently underway in North America. Find out more…
November 25 | 7 pm | MOV | Free with admission

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late-may-2009-169Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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There are 2 comments

  1. Hey, Michelle!

    The Baker’s Market isn’t way down there anymore, it’s just over at Olympic Village. Woot! : )

  2. your lists are fantastic, Michelle, and super-helpful… but (and i’m sorry to be high-maintenance) it was so awesome over the summer and fall when you were separating your listings by category – – art, food, etc.

    could we bring that back? thanks!

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