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SCOUT LIST: 10 Things That You Should Absolutely Do Between Now & Next Week

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…

HERITAGE | Standing proudly at the north end of Burrard Street, Vancouver’s Marine Building, which opened in 1930, is certainly one of the most iconic and stunningly beautiful heritage buildings in the city. If the doorway is any indication of the level of craftsmanship and style of the offices inside, just imagine how impressive it must be to set foot in the art deco-styled penthouse! This week presents an opportunity to do just that. On Wednesday night, Heritage Vancouver President Donald Luxton will lead his annual tour of the lobby while Heritage Vancouver Board member, Isaac Vanderhorst, will lead participants on an informative tour of the penthouse. Tickets aren’t cheap, but this will be money well spent, particularly because your 100 beans counts as a donation to Heritage Vancouver Society (tax receipts will be issued) and there will be a reception that includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.
Wed, Mar. 6 | 5:30-8pm | Marine Building (355 Burrard) | $100 | DETAILS

MARINE BUILDING LIGHT | If neither a $100 ticket nor a free and clear Wednesday night for the above event work out for you, don’t fret. Also this week, The Vancouver Heritage Foundation (a different and distinct body than Heritage Vancouver Society) and JJ Bean Coffee Roasters are offering a special Sunday morning tour of the Marine Building’s lobby and a discussion with architect Joost Bakker from Dialog, the design firm responsible for the renovation of the new JJ Bean space in the Marine Building. Learn about the ways in which restoration and renovation decisions were made to modernize its usage, while keeping its original art deco personality. In addition to a tour of the Marine Building lobby space, JJ Bean owner and operator John Neate will be there to walk you through a coffee tasting. Included in your ticket price is a hot cup of coffee, a bag of coffee beans, and a baked good from JJ Bean. Register here.
Sun, Mar. 10 | 10am | JJ Bean, Marine Building (355 Burrard) | $25 | DETAILS  UPDATE: Tickets to this event are now SOLD OUT.

LECTURE | The Human Evolutionary Studies Program and Continuing Studies in Science and Environment at SFU are running a series of lectures called Seven Billion and You. These seek to investigate the realities of a growing global population. Big numbers, big questions. This Thursday evening, UBC professor emeritus Dr. William Rees will look at whether or not the world – in a state of overshoot – can really support the future population.
Thurs, Mar. 7 | 7pm | SFU Harbour Centre (515 W Hastings) Room 1900 | Free but reserve! | DETAILS

NURTURE | The good people at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival make it their business to know kids. Knowing kids means understanding what inspires and motivates young minds, and to do this organizers keep in touch with the latest from educators and teachers. This week they present the first in a series of four talks for parents. The Vancouver International Children’s Festival Board Chair, Tom Stulberg, describes it as “TED Talks for Parents” and the list of presenters is impressive on an international scale. The series kicks off on Thursday night with New York-based writer and mother Lenore Skenazy talking about “Free Range Kids” – a movement that urges parents to lighten up and let their kids have some independence – teach them how to negotiate public transit, start and control fire, and enjoy conversation with strangers. PEP talks brings Vancouver four intelligent and articulate speakers over four consecutive months (March 7, April 10, May 15 and June 12 ). The cost if $35 per speaker.
Thurs, Mar. 7 | 7:30 | Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St.) | $35 | DETAILS

FEAT | Fascinating Expedition Adventure Talks (FEAT) is a series of short presentations in which nine speakers take the stage for seven minutes each to tell you their stories. Similar to what we’ve come to expect from Pecha Kucha, these talks are designed to build community through sharing experience. The spin here is that the line-up of speakers are all extreme adventurers or athletes. This Friday night you can take a seat at the Rio Theatre to hear from the world’s best female ultra-marathoner, an extreme adventure photographer, a skier who traveled from Vancouver to Alaska on back-country ski trails – and six other inspired, limit-pushing, goal-oriented adrenaline junkies. All of a sudden that morning run won’t look so insurmountable! And that alone is worth the price of admission.
Friday, March 8 | 7:30pm | Rio Theatre (1660 E Broadway) | $25 | DETAILS

POUTINE | Put on by the clever people of Organisation Francophone, The Festival De La Poutine De Vancouver goes down this weekend. Day time activities include home-made poutine tastings, a customizable poutine salad bar as well as live music and kids activities. At night, more live music and more poutine, from old school basic Quebecois style to experimental versions with all manner of ingredients. As you can well imagine, poutine is popular and sadly, advance tickets are already sold out. But don’t cry in your gravy just yet. The good news is that there will be a number of rush tickets available for both the afternoon and evening portions of the festival. Afternoon tickets will be available at the door beginning at 1:30pm and starting at 7:30pm for the evening event. Ticket price includes one poutine!
Sat, Mar. 9 | 12noon – late | Heritage Hall (3102 Main St) | $10 / $20 | DETAILS

ROLLING THUNDER | Vancouver artist Curtis Grahauer has a new show opening this week that uses installation, sculpture, video and sound to address the vandalism, violence, mob mentality, anonymity, frivolity and absurdity that characterized the 2011 Stanley Cup riots. The show, which is entitled Rolling Thunder, uses as a central focal point a scorched and smashed vehicle “stripped, flipped and suspended from the ceiling” with soundtracks and archival footage for emphasis (like you need emphasis for a vehicle hanging from the ceiling). Any attempt at making sense of or contextualizing the incredible ridiculousness of this riot (sprung from the outcome of a hockey game) would be a challenge, so this show will either fascinate, enfuriate, and enlighten. Hopefully all three.
Opening night: Sat, Mar. 9 | 7pm-late | Interurban Gallery (1 East Hastings St) | DETAILS

EASTSIDE FLEA | Everyone loves a good flea market. Somewhere between a boutique vintage pop-up and a garage sale, a well executed flea offers thrifty treasure hunters the chance to score unique goods at reasonable prices. The key components of a homerun are good selection, low prices, a mix of old and new and some on-site food. New York, London, Paris, LA – all the swell cities have them, and this weekend (at least), so do we, and it sounds like all the pieces are in place, including on-site food. Expect tables of wares from many local emerging businesses — army surplus from Dead Reckoning; found, savaged and reclaimed goods from Rescued Relics; vintage clothing from Duchesse and C’est La Vie; pakoras and mango lassi from Varinicey (amazing name!); and more. We’re pretty stoked this. See you there.
Sat, Mar. 9 | 10am-4:30pm | The Wise Hall (1882 Adanac St) | Free | DETAILS

LEARN | Spring skiing is one of the greatest things about living in Vancouver. It can, however, be a little pricey. You can cut back on costs by learning how to keep your equipment in tip top shape. The Vancouver Tool Library is offering a Snowboard & Ski Tune-Up Workshop that will get you all sorted. Participants will learn how to expertly tune and wax downhill skis and/or snowboards using the Library’s tools (that can be borrowed and taken home). Advance registration is required.
Sun, Mar. 10 | 11am-1:30pm | The Tool Library (3448 Commercial St) | $20 ($15 for VTL Members) | DETAILS

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS | As you’re no doubt well aware, Vancouver in mid-March is far from ‘summertime’. Having said that, we all sincerely appreciate March as that turning point on the calendar when when we can at least begin to remember longer days and hold on tight to the knowledge that the warmth of summer is on its way. Thankfully, that momentous point (Daylight Savings Time) comes this week. Late Saturday night – or, more accurately, at about 2am on Sunday morning – clocks will spring forward, making room for a little more daylight, which is always a good idea in our books.

Check the Globe & Mail every Thursday for our Special Weekend Edition of the Scout List

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late-may-2009-169Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended 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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