by Michelle Sproule | 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.

The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda 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 Canucks are back at Rogers Arena on Thursday night (tonight) against the Nashville Editors (7pm, SNET VAN) and Saturday afternoon against the Minnesota Something-Rathers (1pm, SNET P). Hopefully, Lu will have found some form by then, because…er…4 goals on 10 shots? Moving on…

SOUNDS

Zulu is having one of their kick-ass in-stores tonight (Thursday). Scoot over and grab a seat on the carpet to catch Lou Canon. Hot damn – have a listen to this girl – she has it going on. Thanks Zulu!
Thursday, October 20 | 7pm | Zulu Records | Free

Lightning Dust and Hard Drugs are at the Waldorf Thursday. Everyone loves Hard Drugs and Lightening Dust, right?
Thursday, October 20 | Doors 9pm | Waldorf Hotel (1489 E Hastings) | $12

Slow Learners play the Astoria (rocking lately) and everyone is excited about that. This is sure to be another great gig.
Friday, October 21 | The Astoria Hotel (769 E. Hastings)

Death Cab For Cutie will be at Rogers Arena Friday night with special guests The Hold Steady. You can still score tickets. Rogers Arena, though? Seriously?
October 21 | Doors 6:30pm Show 7:30pm | Rogers Arena | $25 | Details

Again, Portishead is coming up. Score tickets here.
October 24 | PNE Forum | Doors 7:00pm / Show 8:00pm | $55.00

Watch our front page for a giveaway to the upcoming Arkells show soon!

CULTURE

There’s a new show hitting the Gam Gallery. It’s a two-part exhibition of work called An/Aesthetics Part I: Aesthetics opens Thursday. Photography, paint, drawing and installation art will be employed, by a slough of the fourth-year Bachelor of Fine Arts students from UBC , to illustrate varied interpretations of the term “aesthetic”. In other words: Art?  Anyway, there’s more to it, and you can find out everything here. The exhibit runs until November 3.
Thursday October 20 | 7-10 pm | Gam Gallery 110 E Hastings St (at Columbia St) | Free

Trench Contemporary Art opens David Mayrs: After That All Hell Broke Loose this week.  “An often misunderstood painter in Vancouver, these dramatic, satirical and provocative early works demonstrate his painterly sensibilities, his solid grasp on color and a tendency to look in the shadows of human nature, sexuality and culture for subject matter.”
Opening Reception | Thursday, October 20 | 6-9pm | 102-148 Alexander

The 2011 Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival continues and you can still grab tickets here and there. I gotta say, they have a pretty sweet gathering of authors going on! Solid bets are Russel Banks (The Sweet Hereafter, Cloudsplitter and Continental Drift and Lost Memory of Skin) on Thursday, October 20 at 8pm ($26), or David Adams Richards on Friday, October 21 at 8pm ($26).
Now through October 23 | Granville Island | Website

30 for 30 is on at the VAG. It’s a networking gig – but don’t roll your eyes quite yet. First plus: proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. That’s pretty good right-off-the-bat. But wait, there’ll be also be a live DJ, roaming entertainment, art exhibits, a silent auction, and a fully stocked bar. Woot! And it all goes down on the beautifully polished floors of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Swish.
Thursday, October 20 | Doors 5:45 pm | Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby) | $30

Learn about the history of rap and hip-hop in Vancouver. Raincity Rap is a two day forum where key players in the development of Vancouver’s hip hop scene congregate to talk about their experiences and expertise. It’s an opportunity for Vancouverites and industry members to engage in dialogue and discussion, check out a few performances, and generally appreciate the vibe. Visit the event’s Facebook page for a list of participating artists.
Friday, October 21 / 7-11 pm Saturday, Oct 22 / 4-11 pm | Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre (7646 Prince Albert) | Info

A Tribute to Jimm Rimmer! If you love letterpress printing, movable type or learning about cool Vancouverites, you’ll want to head to SFU Friday night for a celebration of local movable type expert and all around stand-up guy, Jim Rimmer. Rimmer passed away in 2010 and Richard Kegler speaks about Jim, his contributions to the world of type design and his film, Making Faces: Making Metal Type in the 21st Century.
Friday, October 21 | 7pm | SFU Harbour Centre (515 W. Hastings) | free

The Window Community Art Shop is set to open some time over the next month or so. It’s a unique retail and studio space where people can make, create and sell hand crafted items. Think of it as Etsy or Cargoh in 3-D. Right now they’re in the planning stages and they are looking for unique and cool HANDMADE items to be sold on consignment in their non-profit gift shop. So, if you make cards and stationary, jewellery, apothecary, beauty products, clothing, woven, felted and knit items, ceramics (you get the drift), then you should scoot down to the new store front on October 27 to hook up. Get creating!
Thursday, October 27 | 2pm-8pm | The Window Community Art Shop (9 West Hastings) | Free

GLUTTONY

Don’t whine about the lack of fresh fruits and veggies in winter. Learn how to preserve those harvest foods now so that you can gorge on them later! To do it right, hook yourself up with a Canning 101 workshop at Britannia Centre over on the Drive and learn basic canning methods for fruits and vegetables at a hands-on workshop (you’ll take home a canned treat!).
Thursday, October 20 | 6-9pm | Britannia Community Services Centre | To register: 604 -718-5895

Celebrate the last market of the 2011 farming season at the UBC Harvest Festival. What better place to appreciate fresh farm produce? Stock up on storage veggies for the winter or take home a carved pumpkin just in time for Halloween. There will be numerous activities including, Pumpkin carving, a Pumpkin carving competition (win a Cinderella pumpkin!), a Magician, Complimentary apple cider, Hot prepared food and live music! Thanks for the heads-up Kayla, we’d hate to miss the Harvest Fest. We will be there with bells on.
Saturday, October 22 | 9am – 1pm | UBC Farm | Free

There’s a Lawns to Loaves Celebration happening happening in Strathcona on Saturday. From plant to pizza, The Environmental Youth Alliance plans to use this year’s ‘abundant wheat crop pooled from a number of plots throughout the city’ to make pizza from freshly milled urban grains (they have a dual bike mill!). The pizzas will then be baked in a wood burning oven courtesy of Terra Breads. How awesome is that?
Saturday October 22 | 10am-4pm | Strathcona Community Garden House | Free

Head to The Hive to connect with the good folks of Home Harvest to learn about growing food. “Join us on Saturday October 22nd with our hosts, The Hive, to learn how easy it can be to assert more control over the food that we eat by growing it ourselves. Don’t let limited space, insufficient knowledge, or a tight budget deter you. You’ll see how to integrate affordable, easy and compact growing systems and approaches into your life no matter where you live. Take things one step further and you may soon find yourself selling or gifting your surpluses to the people around you.” More here.
Saturday, October 22 | 6:15-9:45 pm | The Hive Vancouver (128 W. Hastings) | Contribute what you can ($20)

Oh oh oh – Seed Exchange! Remember that rad little communal garden project called Grow – Bulkhead Lab? As the garden draws to a close, organisers want to celebrate by sharing the numerous seeds from the garden. They explain it better than I can: “In an effort to disperse Grow broadly we invite everyone to plant these seeds around Vancouver. If you have some seeds of your own that you would like to trade, pop them into envelopes, seal and label with the date and seed type and bring them with you. Expand your range of veggies, herbs and fruit by trading your radish seeds for a neighbour’s kale seeds.” Love it.
Wednesday, October 26 | 7-9pm | Multi-purpose Rm. 1, Creekside Community Centre (1 Athletes Way) | Free

Tickets for the Clayoquot Oyster Festival (November 17, 18, 19) have gone on sale. Think about it: storm watching, Tofino Brewery beer, fresh oysters, awesome people. This is a seriously fantastic event and well worth making advance arrangements for. We hope to see you there.

Farms to Forks is a fundraiser to support the  Growing Chefs! program and it goes down this weekend. Easily the best way to fill your belly with local food prepared by many of the towns best chefs without having to hop from one parking spot to the next. Chefs from Bishop’s, C, Hart House, Maenam, Vij’s Cibo, Kale and Nori, La Brasserie, La Quercia and West (to name a only a few) are hooking up with local farmers to produce dishes that will blow you away. For example, The Dirty Apron Cooking School and Delicatessen partners with Mikuni Wild Harvest and the result will be a Roasted Duck and Wild Chanterelle Mushroom Cake. Get the picture? It’s going to be a fantastic event and all proceeds go to helping support Growing Chefs. Read more here. And if you didn’t already know, Growing Chefs is that amazing and wonderful classroom gardening program that pairs chef volunteers with elementary school classrooms (grades 1-3) to give students hands-on experience growing and cooking their own food. Sunday, October 23 | 5PM | Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts (1505 West 2nd (Granville Island)

This is the end of the Farmers Market season. Make the most of this last week and hit the market in your neighbourhood. Apples are amazing right now. We’re going to hit Kits for yam and black bean tacos, Helmer’s potatoes and some honey to last us through cold season. It’s a pretty awesome time of year. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Trout Lake: Saturdays until Oct 22 | 9am–2pm | John Hendry Park Trout Lake
West End: Saturdays until Oct 22 | 9am – 2pm | 1100 Block of Comox | FREE
Kits: Sundays until Oct 23 | 10am – 2pm | Kits Community Centre | FREE

Sunday night Longtable series at The Irish Heather is a tasty-sounding Oven Roasted Turkey, Onion Stuffing & Cranberry Chutney with a Driftwood Ale. Veg option: Chickpea Stuffed Ravioli, Lemon, Garlic, Chilies & Pecorino (also with a Driftwood Ale). Details.
Sunday, October 23 | 7pm | Irish Heather | $16

Grab a few tickets to next Thursday’s (October 27) 5-course Italian family style dinner with wine pairings at Tavola Italian Restaurant. “100% of proceeds benefiting Camp Moomba’s work to provide fun, year round camps for children infected and affected with HIV/AIDS. A portion of the ticket will be eligible for a charitable tax receipt.” To purchase tickets, contact Luke at [email protected] or by phone at 604-684-1701.
Thursday, October 27 | 6:30 -10:30pm | Tavola (1829 Robson @ Denman) | $150 (Good Karma!)

This is the last weekend to score from Chef Andrey Durbach’s (Pied-à-Terre, La Buca and Cafeteria) annual mushroom and wild game menu. Comfort food focused Cafeteria will be featuring dishes such as grilled lemongrass game hen and wild mushroom and spinach risotto. “Intense Italian flavours take centre-stage on Durbach’s menu at La Buca with items such as wild mushroom crostini, smoked ham, and melted taleggio; tagliolini with truffles and pine mushrooms; and veal with chanterelle mushrooms, sage.” And the French focused Pied-à-Terre boasts such dishes as wild mushroom consommé; grilled squab; arctic char, braised lettuce, French peas, chanterelles, and beurre blanc.
Now-October 23 | Pied-à-Terre, La Buca and Cafeteria | Various times, locations and prices

And speaking of Fall menus, La Quercia is holding it’s 3rd Annual Truffle Dinner on November 11th. Tickets are pricey ($300) but tell me you wouldn’t sell your grandmother for a spot! I’m telling you now because they will sell out fast (and you’ll need a little time to sell your Grandmother).
November 11 | La Quercia (3689 West 4) | $300

INTEL

OK, so this is important: campaign season has started and it’s a good idea to hear from potential elected representatives before any election, so find out what they think about the things that matter to you. Here’s a good starting point: make some time to hang out at Heritage Hall next Wednesday night. The Residents Association Mount Pleasant is hosting a Candidate’s debate on citywide planning issues that will be very interesting. “Representatives from all elected parties–Vision Vancouver, the Non Partisan Association, the Coalition of Progressive Electors and the Green Party–have confirmed their attendance. Residents from neighbourhoods across Vancouver are invited to attend. Debate questions will be selected in advance from online solicitations, and there will be opportunity for additional questions from the floor. A coffee hour will follow the debate to allow attendees to speak directly with the candidates.” (email your questions regarding city planning issues affecting your neighbourhood to [email protected])
Wednesday, October 26 | 6:45-9:30 pm | Heritage Hall (3102 Main) | Free

The Vancouver Parks Board is considering the installation of a communal garden on the rooftop at the West End Community Centre. Head out to hear all about it and get involved in greening the city with locally produced food.
Wednesday October 26 | 3:30 – 7:30pm | West End Community Centre, Lobby | Free

Oh, and then there’s this: re:CONNECT invites the citizens of Vancouver to join with local and international designers to ignite discussion and dream new possibilities for the future of the Viaducts and the City’s broader Eastern Core. “Roll up your sleeves, sharpen your pencils and join the already over 50 individuals from over a dozen countries around that world who are entered to help inspire our city and shape the future of the city’s eastern core.” Do some brainstorming. If you’re planning something, we would love to know about it. Registration deadline is Wednesday, November 2nd with submission due by Friday, November 4th. Winners will be selected by an independent jury of renowned local and international architects, urbanists, educators, sustainability and economics experts. There will also be public voting to select a ‘People’s Choice’ winner in each of the categories (online voting will run from November 21-25, 2011). Winners will be celebrated and profiled at a public forum in early December. Find out more here.

FESTIVE

It’s Diwali Downtown! Pop in to Yaletown’s Roundhouse Community Centre on Sunday to get down! “Diwali is a time to celebrate the universal light that exists in everyone, so come “Light Your Sprit!” at the 8th Annual Vancouver Celebrates Diwali Festival. This year’s festival promises to be our biggest ever, with events taking place over the entire weekend. We’ll be bringing the best traditional and contemporary South Asian culture to the Roundhouse!” Click here to see what will be going on.
Sunday, October 23 | 12-6 pm | Roundhouse Community Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews) | Free

The Parade of Lost Souls is coming up (Saturday, October 29) and in the run-up to the parade there are a number of cool Public Dreams imagined workshops that sound like a hoot. First there’s the “Let’s Party Like its 1889: Victorian Zombie Thriller” dance. Oh yeah! Get coached on the dance moves from “Thriller” and then, wearing your very best zombie garb, “take to the streets as a very refined breed of the undead. “
Tuesday October 25 | 7-9pm | Britannia Community Centre (1661 Napier) | free

Less with the freaky undead 80’s dance performance and more along the lines of ‘family fun’, Public Dreams is also holding a drop-in Creation Lab. You can make Halloween crafts or create a beautiful mask or remembrance mosaic to be hung in our Community Remembrance Shrine on the evening of Secret Souls Walk. Pick your favourite activity, or try your hand at all of them. Each craft should take approx. 1-2 hours, and all are appropriate for ages 6 and up. Details.
Saturday, October 22 (12-5pm) + Sunday, October 23 (12-3pm) | Brittania Community Centre (1661 Napier) | free

Ahem, yay for Public Dreams.

NERD-O-RAMA

Down at the Stanley Park Ecology Centre you can join biologist Maria Morlin in an exploration of the many species of salmon that swim past Stanley Park and learn about ways in which the fish influence not only the streams they inhabit but the forests around them.
Sunday, October 23 | 1:30-3:30 pm | Lost Lagoon Nature House (Foot of Alberni) | $10

The Planetarium is having another one of those Nuclear Astrophysics talks. This one, From the Big Bang to Now, covers a fair bit of ground, natch. Get learning.
Saturday, October 22 | 8 pm | H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (1100 Chestnut | $11

I really like the sound of this gig out at UBC : Beyond the Magic is a day-long open house sort of event at the Chemisty Building. There will be demonstrations and tours, plus you can build marshmallow molecules and taste liquid-nitrogen ice cream. Sure, it’s aimed at kids. But nerds of all ages can appreciate the magic. You feel me? More info here.
Saturday, October 22 | 10am–5pm | UBC Chemistry Building (2036 Main Mall) | Free

Been waiting for this one for sure! The Vancouver Mycological Society is setting up tables for the 32nd annual Mushroom Show. There will be oodles of shrooms on display – edible, poisonous, dubious. How could you not come out ahead of the game by learning a little more about these tasty, tricky, trippy little fungi. Details.
Sunday, October 23 | 1pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden Floral Hall (5251 Oak) | $3

And while you’re at it, the brand new VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre has one of those ribbon-cutting cake eating happy unveiling party things on Sunday. Free cake!
Sunday, October 23 | 1pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden | Free

Lastly, as part of the CBC Massey Lecture series, author, essayist, and New Yorker contributor Adam Gopnik drops into town to show us how science, economics, psychology and religion made for a new and modern idea of winter. He’s calling his talk: Winter–Five Windows on the Season. Massey Lectures…man, they always nail it. No way you’ll have wasted this $22.75.
Sunday, October 23 | Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd, UBC) | $22.75

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Michelle 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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