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…

PORTSIDE | Mark Brand (Save On Meats, Boneta, The Diamond, Sea Monstr Sushi) opens a new establishment this week. It’s called Portside, and it’s a three level, 24 tap craft beer bar and live music venue with 120 seats and a standing capacity for about 240. Though it’s liquor primary, there’s a cool Coney Island-esque food kiosk dispensing hot dogs, dim sum, and pulled pork/chicken/beef sandwiches. Portside opens for business on Monday night.
7 Alexander St. | Gastown | DETAILS & PHOTOS

GRITTY CITY | Clear your Tuesday evenings for the next few weeks so you can take in the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s new film series Gritty City: Vancouver In the Sixties. The series kicks off with Glowing in the Dark, a documentary about the history of neon and Vancouver’s role as the ‘neon capital of North America’ during the 40s and 50s. Next up (February 12) is the excellent 2012 film Coast Modern, a stunning doc focusing on the pioneers of West Coast Modernist architecture. Closing the series (February 26) will be an evening of CBC archival films — A City’s Story: Vancouver and West End ’66, two shorts that depict a younger Vancouver on the verge of unprecedented growth and change. Films are followed by discussions and Q&A sessions.
Jan. 29, Feb. 12+26 | 7 pm | Old Hollywood Theatre, 3123 W Broadway | by donation | DETAILS

CLASSICAL | When was the last time you attended a classical music gig? If it’s been a while, you should sort yourself out this Tuesday night when Music on Main presents Vicky Chow on Piano. She may have been described as “a monster pianist” by Time Out New York and “brilliant” by The New York Times, but we’re particularly stoked because she’s doing a solo piano performance of one of our favourite pieces: Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring (marking the 100th anniversary). Curious how she’ll do it without horns or woodwinds? Us, too! See you there. Chow’s first performance sold out, so don’t wait on snapping up your tickets, click here.
Tues, Jan. 29 | Bar 7pm, Concert 8pm | Heritage Hall (3102 Main St) | $35 | DETAILS

LEARN | Trade School Vancouver is a barter-for-knowledge learning community wherein Vancouverites can sign up to take classes and pay their teachers in goods or services rather than cash. To wit, if you’re a photographer who wants to learn how to cook, you can teach your skill in exchange for lessons on, for example, pasta making or knife skills. How awesome is that?
Classes this week are on bike maintenance, conflict management and art philosophy | DETAILS

INTERSECTIONS | Each intersection has a personality that is characterized by its architecture, its environment, and the velocity of its traffic. They are markers, meeting places and transfer points; places where stories begin, end, or pass right on by. Seven of Vancouver’s top graphic designers have created large, 36? x 54? posters that represent iconic local intersections. These will be revealed at Waterfront Station and other highly visible locations along the Canada Line route in February, with the series debuting at The Chinatown Experiment this Thursday night.
Thurs, Jan. 31 | 6pm – 9pm | The Chinatown Experiment (434 Columbia) | Free | DETAILS

CROWS | Have you ever witnessed the menacing stream of crows cutting across the Vancouver skyline at sundown and wondered where they’re headed? Well, this Saturday you are invited to hop on your bicycle and follow them to find out. Still Moon Arts Society has partnered up with local artist and bike enthusiast Sarah Ross to organize a bike ride that follows the crows to their roost on the banks of Still Creek on the Vancouver/Burnaby border. If it’s raining, the ride will be rescheduled to February 9. Meet at Lakewood Drive Central Valley Greenway at 4pm (for a shorter route, meet at Renfrew Skytrain Station at 4:15pm).
Sat, Feb. 2 | DETAILS

PECHA KUCHA | Pecha Kucha Night Vol.25 goes down this week. As per usual, the gathering of local creatives will be presenting 20 images (for 20 seconds each) on what inspires them. Particicpants include a fascinating group of artists, musicians, community activists and business owners. Late additions to the speaker line up include the Waldorf Hotel’s recently bounced Thomas Anselmi and Ernesto Gomez. PKN remains one of the greatest mind-expanding, culturally significant ways to spend your time in Vancouver. Yes, it’s sold out, but we do have a pair of tickets to give away, so stay tuned.
Thurs, Jan. 31 | Doors 6:30 | Vogue Theatre 918 Granville St | $15 (Sold Out) | DETAILS

GROUNDHOG DAY | Tradition has it that if a groundhog crawls out of its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow, we can expect an early end to winter. If, on the other hand, the little bugger sees its shadow, winter will continue for 6 more weeks. I don’t know about you, but we’re hoping for crappy weather out east this week because in Canada we rely on predictions from Nova Scotia’s Shubenacadie Sam and Ontario’s Wiarton Willie to determine the arrival of warmer weather. Regardless of the outcome, Saturday is a prefect day to get a great big bowl of popcorn and settle in on the couch for a home screening of Groundhog Day. Because when is Bill Murray ever a bad idea?
Sat, Feb. 2 | Sat, Feb. 2 | Sat, Feb. 2 | Sat, Feb. 2 | Sat, Feb. 2 | See what I did there?

EAT WELL | The Winter Farmers Market fills the Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot on Saturday. In addition to the usual awesomeness of the market proper there will be twice the number of food trucks on site. Yes, beginning this week and continuing through the month of February, the farmers market will feature a congregation of Food Trucks to serve your hungover ass. Also hook yourself up with hearty root vegetables, fresh bread, dried fruits and scores of other locally-grown goodies.
Sat, Feb. 2 | 10am – 2pm | East Parking Lot of Nat Bailey Stadium 4601 Ontario St | DETAILS

FEELING BRAVE? | The PuSh International Performance Arts Festival is drawing to a close this week and if you haven’t yet had the chance to indulge in one of their events, you should squeeze something in this before it’s too late. We suggest Do You See What I Mean?, a one-on-one ‘performance’ that sees you (the participant) blindfolded and led on a two and a half hour tour through streets, stairwells and storefronts of the city to experience, through other senses, what secrets and beauty the city holds. What does Gastown smell like, how does Main Street sound? Don’t worry, you won’t be out there wobbling about with a piece of cloth tied around your head looking like you’ve just escaped interrogation. Well, sort of. You’ll at least be accompanied by a trained guide, and you only live once.
Feb. 1-3 | Departures every 15 minutes, 12pm – 4:45pm | 222 East Georgia | 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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