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 theirs…and yours!

LITERATURE | The Vancouver Writers Fest has once again joined forces with the Vancouver Public Library to bring book lovers the “mind-altering, metamorphic” twice-monthly reading series, Incite. It kicks off this Wednesday night with “an evening about outsiders and finding hope in unexpected places”. Expect readings by authors Andrew Battershill (Pillow), Pauline Holdstock (The Hunter and the Wild Girl) and Billie Livingston (The Crooked Heart of Mercy). If you can’t make Wednesday’s reading, don’t worry, as there are two more Incite nights planned for February and another two in March. For more details and the full line-up, click here.
Wed, Jan 20 | 7:30pm | VPL Central Library (350 W Georgia St.) | Free | DETAIL

THINK | Requiem for the American Dream plays at Vancity Theatre this weekend. Take some time out to get your brain wrapped around the profound implications of inequality and the dual troubles of concentration of wealth and concentration of power. From Vancity: “Noam Chomsky and his unassailable arguments about how economic inequality has become an entrenched part of Western life are front and centre in Peter Hutchison, Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott’s superbly reasoned documentary, one part analysis and one part call to arms.” You can’t change anything if you don’t understand the situation. Noam Chomsky has a way of making things easy to understand.
Jan 22 -28 | Various times | Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour St.) |$11 | DETAILS

WINTER WANDER | Grab a warm cup of something and make your way to the Winter Wander in Vanier Park where you can take short brisk walks between five key cultural centres to take in music, science, history and art for the low price of $5. Expect live music, food vendors and prizes thrown in to make it that much more festive. Think about it: Planetarium, Museum of Vancouver, Vancouver Academy of Music, Maritime Museum, and the City of Vancouver Archives, all in one go. That’s a lot of fascination for just 5 beans. Pay your admission at the Maritime Museum or the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and get wandering!
Sat, Jan 23 | 10am-5pm | Vanier Park (1100 Chestnut St.) | $5 | DETAILS

POP-UP | There’s a unique dining experience going down in Chinatown this week. Chef David Jackman has taken over the beloved Pie Shoppe space at 721 Gore (the pie-making French sisters are on a restorative travel break) for culinary experiment and pop-up called Atelier Nomadique. This is the last week of the Chef’s residency and we suggest you make a point of getting in on the action. The chalkboard menu changes, but expect thoughtful dishes along the lines of chicken liver with fennel, watercress, celery and bannock; Angnoloti in squash broth with kale and seaweedl and Fish ‘n Grits with Anson Mills grits, short raker, side stripe shrimp, bottarga and cured oyster. It’s tight in the tiny 300ft space with only 12 seats in total, so be patient (you may have to sneak over to Mamie Taylor’s for a cocktail while you wait for your turn at the table).
Now through January 26 | 5:30 – Late | 721 Gore | DETAILS

CHOCOLATE | The annual Hot Chocolate Festival has begun. 25 of Vancouver’s top chocolate makers (as well as a few bakers, some ice cream makers and at least one coffee roaster) have created interesting twists on the classic winter comfort drink. Our pick? East Van Roasters’ Hives for Humanity Hastings Street honey with bee pollen stirred into Madagascar single-origin drinking chocolate (it comes with a house-made honey financier). Check out the list of participating businesses and their signature hot chocolate offerings here.
Now – February 24 | Various Chocolate joints about town | DETAILS

PRINT | Everyone loves a good bit of letterpress printing, right? For those of you who love it so much that you’ve even daydreamed about what you could do if you could get your hands on some moveable type and ink, this weekend brings a phenomenal opportunity to learn how to execute your own designs at a card-making workshop. It’s going down at Porchlight Press on East 6th. Gain access to and instruction on how to use an antique Vandercook letterpress machine and various wood and metal type. The cost for this class is considerable ($189), but for that price you will be printing your own designs in a stunning studio space with an impressive instructor to student ratio (12 students, 4 teachers). January is a perfect time to pump out some thank-you cards, wouldn’t you say?
Sun, Jan 24 | 12-5pm | Porchlight Press (#204–25 East 6th Ave.) | $189 | DETAILS

NATURE | Get outside. Make your way to Capilano River Regional Park in North Van this Saturday and get in on a crash course on tree identification. Not only will you be schooled on the differences between a Douglas Fir and a Western Hemlock, but you’ll also leave with a sound knowledge of the collection of animals that rely on the trees as well as some other juicy tree intel. Become a nature nerd for a few hours. It feels good.
Sat, Jan 23 | 10am | Capilano Fish Hatchery Group Mtg Place – Capilano River | $8 | DETAILS

DINE OUT | Dine Out continues. This year, 288 restaurants are on board offering everything from discounted, multi-course and prix fixe meals ($18, $28 or $38 per person) to special events. Reservations are a good idea if you can get them. For a casual approach, consider Street Food City in the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery (loads of food carts gather to one location for a street food buffet of sorts — so rad in and of itself!) Dine Out runs until Jan 30th and there’s a lot of ground to cover. Develop a plan of attack here.
Jan 15 – 30 | Various Locations | Various Prices | DETAILS

REVELRY | Strange Fellows Brewing celebrates a strange day each month. Drawn from cultures around the world and traditions of the past, the brewery has identified 12 of the oddest excuses to party and designed beer and festivities around them. This month they are all about the mid-winter pagan fire festival from Scotland’s Shetland Islands called Up Helly Aa ( involves singing, viking ships, beer and fire — a totally reasonable combo). Head in to Strange Fellows for a civilized taste of Blackmail – a sessionable Northern-style Milk Stout (on tap Jan 21st-26th) or go big next Tuesday (Jan 26, 7:30 – 9pm) with a night of live music (yes, bagpipes will play) and burning things. Pro tip: a kilt will get you get a beer for free.
Jan 21-26 | Mon-Thu 3-11pm, Fri-Sun noon-11pm | (1345 Clark Dr) | DETAILS

GREASY SPOON | Chef Michael Robbins of Kitsilano’s award-winning AnnaLena is on deck to cook the next Greasy Spoon dinner at Save On Meats this coming Monday (January 25th). The menu for this old school diner fare meal is looking rad. Think fried chicken with cheddar jalapeño waffles; honey garlic pork belly and potato agnolotti; corned beef with Béarnaise sauce and a little bit of caramel apple with cream cheese ice cream, all paired with cocktails and beer from Persephone Brewing. Snag a ticket before they sell out!
Mon, Jan 24 | Two seatings: 5:30pm & 8pm | 43 West Hastings St. | $98 | DETAILS

To submit an event for consideration, email events [at] scoutmagazine.ca

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 streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy (but faithful) camera.