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. You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to yours…

PITCH IN | This week is The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup. Get your grubby jeans and gumboots on and head down to your favourite bit of shoreline (be it river, ocean, estuary or stream) to pick up a few bits and pieces that shouldn’t be there. Bottlecaps, cigarette buts, plastic bags, bottles, rusting pipes, mannequin hands – if it isn’t a rock, shell, piece of seaweed or driftwood, chances are good that it doesn’t belong. Roll up your sleeves and show Mother Nature that you care!
Sept. 21-29 | Anytime | anywhere where land meets water | Free and extra karma points | DETAILS

CONFESS | Vancouver artist Jamie Smith likes secrets and confessions. Over the summer she built an electronic confession booth function into her website and has been busy gathering anonymous confessions as the basis of a series of paintings. Smith begins her paintings with a confession and then adds layers of texture, colour and pattern to gently obscure the majority of words. In the end, the artist explains, “Some of the words are revealed to the viewer and some are hidden; just as we show parts of ourselves to the world and conceal others.” Jamie Smith’s recent paintings are showing at The Beaumont Studios this Friday night, so head down to them check it out. Bonus: there will be a full-sized confessional booth on site that you are invited to take advantage of and, if it helps (and sometimes it does), there will be a bar serving beer and wine for $5 apiece.
Fri, Sept. 27 | 7pm-midnight | Beaumont Art Gallery (316 West 5 Ave) | Free | DETAILS

SUBMIT | In a nutshell, SubmiT is an event that sees a curated group of local artists come up with designs for a series of limited-edition t-shirts. The shirts are then sold (for a preferred donation of $40) over the course of an evening bash (complete with cocktails and live music) in support of the charity Imagine1day. The line-up of artist participating are: Drew Young, Adam Lupton, Scott Sueme, Luis Lopa, Brent Clowater, Chanty Dayal, Andy Dixon, and Steffen Quong. We may not be able to afford an original Drew Young canvass, but a T? That’s totally doable!
Fri, Sept 27  | 8pm | Imperial (319 Main Street) | $20 Cover / $40 t-shirt | DETAILS

FILM | The Vancouver International Film Festival is on. It’s big. How big? Over 340 films big. Almost overwhelming, right? Narrow things down by browsing by series (organizers have classified films into a number of series such as Canadian Images, Cinema of Our Time, Nonfiction Features and Special Presentations) as well as by genre and venue. There’s a lot to take in. This week we’re keen to check out Finding Vivian Maier (“Vivian Maier was a mystery even to those who knew her. A secretive nanny in the wealthy suburbs of Chicago, she died in 2009 and would have been forgotten. But John Maloof, an amateur historian, uncovered thousands of negatives at a storage locker auction and changed history. Now, Vivian Maier is hailed as one of the greatest 20th-century photographers along with Diane Arbus Robert Frank, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Weegee.”)
Sept. 26 – Oct. 11 | Various Times and Locations | DETAILS

THE EMERALD | Old school Vegas-inspired restaurant and lounge The Emerald opens it’s doors on the eastern edge of Chinatown this week. The Emerald is split into four sections – a 23 seat bar and lounge, a 65 seat dining room, a semi-private “boardroom” long table, and a still-unfinished performance venue tucked away in the back that will showcase live comedy acts and such. Think round tables with white linen, deep set booths, a mounted sailfish, cozy recliners, huge chandeliers, even a bearskin. It’s almost like a movie set, and there’s nothing on the exterior that hints at the interior save for an old Sinatra quote on the awning: “The big lesson in life, baby, is never be scared of anyone or anything. On the menu: scampi, prawn cocktail, waffle fries, shake and baked cauliflower, tea sandwiches, spaghetti and meatballs (including a vegetarian version), and a great many other things that gel with the theme. There are about 15 beer taps in the lounge, nearly all of them craft and local, plus a deep list of vernacular cocktails that includes a Bloody Caesar made at the table from a push cart. The Emerald is open 5pm to midnight seven days a week at 555 Gore Street between Keefer and Pender.

BOOKS | The Vancouver Antiquarian Book Fair sets up shop at UBC Robson Square this weekend. Peruse rare antiquarian books, collectible ephemera, old maps and unique prints – all with that awesome ‘old book’ smell. If you are a lover of books and printing, this is a fantastic event. The room will be full of the really neat books that you won’t find on the shelves of second-hand joints or libraries. Here you’ll find beautifully bound, meticulously cared for and clearly respected books. If you’re a book wonk, this is also a fine place for conversation with knowledgeable dealers.
Sept. 28 + 29 | 12-7pm /12-5pm | UBC Robson Sq, 800 Robson | $8 (good for 2 days) | DETAILS

FOODIE ALERT | Love good street food? Get ready for the Hawker’s Market at East Van Studios this Saturday night. There will be fine line-up of vendors on site, some savoury (Aussie Pie Guy, Jo Jo The Wonton Girl, Ramen Burgers, Blue Mule) and some sweet (Nice Pops, and and the notorious ‘adult’ sundae bar) but all delicious. And, not that you weren’t already set to buy your tickets, there will also be drinks, music, and mingling, too. That’s a solid Saturday night right there, kids! Tickets are 10 beans when you grab them in advance and 15 at the door. Snag ’em here.
Sat, Sept. 28 | 7pm | East Van Studios at 870 East Cordova | DETAILS

EMILY CARR | This is a fantastic weekend to schedule some time to wander around at Emily Carr. Not only can you catch the one-of-a-kind comic book convention on Saturday (expect to find the Atrium of the South Building jam-packed with comics, zines, and comic-inspired artwork), but you can also check out the art supply and equipment sale at the Leeway Open House (Leeway is an ECUAD campus studio that rents space to students, alumni and the general public), which offers nifty gadgets for sale like analogue slide projectors and digital camcorders, as well as tours of the space that will give you a sense of the possibilities available to those interested in setting up a place to develop their creativity.
Emily Con | Sat, Sept. 28 | 11am-5pm | S Building Atrium – Emily Carr (1399 Johnston) | DETAILS 
Leeway | Sat, Sept 28 | 10am-3pm | Room 276, North Building, 1399 Johnston. | DETAILS 

THINK | The Vancouver Institute presents an evening lecture with Professor Professor Jo Anne Van Tilburg. Van Tilburg is a Research Associate from the University of California who studies the culture and people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Expect this talk to cover some fascinating ground.
Sat, Sept. 28 | 8:15pm | Lecture Hall 2 | Woodward Instructional Resources Centre, UBC | DETAILS

TASTE | Kitsilano’s O5 Rare Tea Bar is hosting an evening of Rum and Chocolate on Sunday night. If you’ve never been before, it’s a sleek-looking shop on West 4th dedicated to the art of tea. Occasionally they team up with someone as passionate about spirits as they are about tea and together they explore the delightful areas that the two overlap. In this special evening, O5 will join Moonshine Tastings to pair chocolate with a carefully considered selection of rum and some outstanding tea. Nights are getting colder, so rum, tea and chocolate seem like a good move!
Sun, Sept. 29 | 7pm | O5 Rare Tea Bar (2208 W. 4th) | $30 | DETAILS 

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

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Michelle 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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