Lexicon
Welcome to the Vancouver Lexicon. Its purpose is to pin down the patois of the City of Vancouver by recording its toponyms, nicknames, slang terms, personalities, places, and other Van-centric things.
One of the Most Beloved Players to Ever Wear a Canucks Uniform
“I was there when Gino scored a penalty shot goal against Calgary. The way the crowd erupted, you’d think we had just won the Stanley Cup!"
How a Climate Change Event Created a Local 'Cause Célèbre'
"Is Barge Chilling Beach a good first date or nah?"
How Generations of Underaged Partiers Have Avoided Cops and Cover Charges in BC
"On our way up to Jones Lake on Sunday we had to wait for a slow convoy of hungover bush party survivors to pass..."
How Vancouverites Know a Targeted Hit on a Gangster Has Just Gone Down
"Like sunshine after rain and dawn after dark, a report of a burning vehicle usually means a gangster has just been shot at."
The Dusty Rainbows That Sometimes Lead to Pots of Camping Gold
The FSRs closest to population centres are commonly used as a means for city dwellers to access free and remote campsites.
The Unkind Name Some American Border Town Residents Call Deal-Seeking British Columbians
"It's hard to blend in and avoid being outed as a Milk Piranha when your license plate gives the ballgame away..."
Somehow These Two Words in Latin Permitted the Crown to Claim Sovereignty Over British Columbia
Despite its fancy Latin name, the doctrine of 'Terra nullius' was of a calibre of argument typically employed by kindergarten bullies.
This Beloved Vancouver Legend Passed Away 99 Years Ago Today
"It's a testament to how special Joe Fortes was that so few in the century since his death have measured up to his respect and renown."
No, Today Is Not the Most Depressing Day of the Year (Unless You Want It To Be)
"I'm ditching work as I don't think I'll be able to get out of bed this morning on account of it being Blue Monday..."
This Harrowing Bowen Island Ferry Ride Has Become Legend in Local Lore
"I wasn't actually on the 2:20 but my poor sister was and by Jove she hasn't set foot on the mainland since..."
A Machine With a Racist Name Revolutionized BC's Salmon Industry
"I don't feel the least bit comfortable writing the words 'Iron Chink', let alone saying them, but they shouldn't be forgotten."
The Big Red Airplane That Occasionally Buzzes the City of Vancouver
Technically a De Havilland Dash 8, this striking aircraft travels our coastline six days a week on pollution detection patrol.
The Dictionary Entry for the Most Replayed Scene of Vancouver's 2011 Stanley Cup Riot
"The only thing that made me laugh in the immediate wake of the Canucks riot was the Flashbang Nutshot."
The Fabled Mental Health Hospital That Became a Popular Film Set
"A reopened Riverview might be a better place than the Downtown Eastside for people to get the help they need..."
Every British Columbian Should Know What 'Sixties Scoop' Means
"The 'scooping' of the Sixties Scoop wasn't so decade-specific. The practise began in the 1950s and continued through the 1980s."
This Isn't the First Time This Part of Vancouver Has Seen a Large Homeless Encampment...
"90 years before Strathcona Park became a homeless tent city, it was home to a squatter camp known as Hobo Jungle."
The Old Chinook Jargon Word For Anyone Newly Arrived to BC
"This cheechako doesn't know the difference between the West End, West Van and the West Side yet..."
Over 100 Years Ago, This Ship Full of Immigrants Made Vancouver's Racism Famous
"As with many episodes in our short but often ugly history, the tragic tale of the Komagatu Maru still needs to be told..."
The Phenomenon Making Victoria Almost Three Times Sunnier Than Vancouver
"Southwestern BC isn't always wet. It really depends are where you are in relation to the Olympic Rain Shadow."
The Stretch of East Hastings St. Where Goods Are Informally Bought, Sold and Traded
"I found a Star Wars lunch box, a Public Enemy casette and a mint condition tennis racket on the Merch Block today..."
Why Are Self-Isolating Vancouverites Going Out on Their Balconies and Cheering Every Evening?
"I'd love to participate in the 7pm Cheer but I live in a rural basement suite in Surrey and my landlord would think I was insane..."
Vancouverites Remember Exactly Where They Were When This Happened Ten Years Ago...
"I was at my parents' house with my face full of seven-layer dip when Sid the Kid scored the Golden Goal..."
Long Before Markstrom, Luongo and McLean, the Canucks Had Royalty in Net
"Out of all the goaltenders who ever played for Vancouver, King Richard was perhaps the most inspiring..."
Anticipating Those Fleeting, False Days of Unseasonably Sweet Weather
"In the midst of a False Spring I know deep in my soul the rain and cold will soon return, but for a moment I indulge the fantasy…"
How Some BC Neighbourhoods Once Tried to Keep People of Colour Out
"So this racist lady on the bus starting ranting about Land Title Covenants, asking a young Asian couple if they were servants..."
The Local Nickname For a City Block Once Popular With Japanese Tourists
"There's not much left of the original Little Ginza other than a 50-year old Japanese steakhouse..."
That Time Our Government Made Millions Being Unabashedly Racist
"Most of my younger friends think racism towards Chinese people is a new thing in BC. Then I tell them about the Head Tax..."
The Honorific Bestowed Upon One of the Greatest Canucks of All Time
"I don't think the Dragonslayer will ever have to pay for a drink in Vancouver for the rest of his life, and for good reason..."
