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…

DOCUMONDAY | The Vancouver Public Library is screening a free flick on Monday night. The Chocolate Farmer is a beautifully filmed and compelling documentary about cacao farmer Eladio Pop and the challenges that he and his family face as they use traditional methods and beliefs inherited from their ancestors in the working of their cacao plantation in modern day Belize.
Mon, Feb 25 | 7pm | Vancouver Public Library Central branch (350 W. Georgia ) | Free | DETAILS

ENGAGE | If you live in Mount Pleasant or have an interest in the future of the Broadway East and Lower Main (2nd to 7th) area, you’ll want to sit in on the Mount Pleasant Community Plan design session that’s going down on Wednesday night. Adopted by City Council on November 18, 2010, this plan aims to guide development, policies, and initiatives in Mount Pleasant. On Wednesday, city representatives will explain how the plan is coming along and ways in which it is (and will be) implemented with regard to neighbourhood revitalization efforts, urban design, economic development and the use and development of public spaces like parks and laneways.
Wed, Feb 27 | 6:30pm | Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House (800 E Broadway) | DETAILS

LEARN | Head out to the UBC Farm this week for an evening workshop on how to make your own organic spelt pasta. Not only will the Growing Season class cover the health, history and nutritional properties of the ancient grain, it will also teach preparation methods. Participants will also enjoy a post-lecture meal of saffron scented fettuccini, rosemary herb pasta, and squash filled ravioli. Not a bad deal for only 35 beans! Fair warning: spots will go fast.
Wed, Feb 27 | 5:30-8:30pm | UBC Farm Centre, 6182 South Campus Rd | $35 | DETAILS

TRAPS OF PROGRESS | Ronald Wright is in town and he’s giving a free lecture. Even if the lecture wasn’t free and you had to sell your car to buy a ticket – it would be worth it. The Massey Lecturer and author of A Short History of Progress always has some interesting things to say. For this lecture, which is entitled The Traps of Progress, Wright will talk about civilization, progress and ways in which humanity can learn from the past to affect change and a more stable environmental future. Sounds like a gig we would all benefit from attending. Registration is required, and you can do that here.
Thurs, Feb. 28 | 7pm | ECUAD (Granville Island) South Bdg, Room 301 Lecture Hall | Free | DETAILS

BUY ART | The Positive Negative Gallery on Columbia Street decided to wrap 56 feet of canvas around their gallery walls and invite 8 local artists to go to town filling it up. Check out the video of the process here – it’s pretty awesome. This Thursday night the resultant massive work will be unveiled. Behold the amalgamation of some fine Vancouver artistic talent, and meet the artists as well (Brent Clowater, Adam Lupton, Colin Moore , Steffen Quong, Jose Rivas, Scott Sueme , Antonis Ensoe Tsougrianis, Drew Young). Should you be super stoked on a particular section of the canvas, you can buy a piece of it. “8 Artists. 1 Canvass. You Decide What You Buy.” Cool idea.
Thurs, February 28 | 7pm | Positive Negative Gallery (436 Columbia St.) | DETAILS

SPAGHETTI WESTERN | You can always count on The Pacific Cinematheque Theatre to curate a tight line-up of films that really capture a genre. This weekend kicks off a month-long run of action-packed, dialogue-thin, dust-filled drama complete with tumbleweeds and eerie whistling echoing through the valleys below. That’s right, March is all about the Spaghetti Western! Expect films directed by Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci, soundtracks by Ennio Morricone and lots and lots of shootin’. The films run all month, but this Saturday you can settle in with a bag of popcorn at 6:30pm to catch A Fist Full Of Dollars, starring Clint Eastwood. And later, at 8:20pm, it’s Navajo Joe, starring Burt Reynolds!
Sat, March 2 | 6:30 + 8:30pm | Pacific Cinematheque 1131 Howe | $10.50 | DETAILS

DISCO DJ DANCE PARTY | Tight white pants and disco vests just don’t get enough play these days. This week, however, brings the perfect opportunity to right that colossal wrong. The Rio Theatre is screening the classic 70’s movie Saturday Night Fever on, of course, Saturday night. Following quickly on the heels of the movie will be a Disco Dance Party – because you know you’ll be wanting to dance. Admission is only $8 if you wear a film-related/disco costume ($10 without). Prize for best costume! Just sayin’.
Sat, Mar. 2 | Doors 8pm | Rio Theatre (1660 E Broadway) | $8/$10 | DETAILS

REMARKABLE WOMEN POSTER WORKSHOP | The are many amazing women who have contributed to the strength of this city – you probably know a few. But maybe you didn’t know that the Vancouver Parks Board has a Remarkable Women poster series celebrating female community leaders. Well, they do. This year the series acknowledges 14 women who have contributed to our local food community (for a look at profiles of the 14, have a look here). Program organisers had to draw a line somewhere, so they settled on 14, but there are a great many more remarkable women who are also deserving of recognition, and a poster! If you know someone that you feel should be celebrated, the Parks Board is offering a free two-hour poster making workshop where you can work on designing and producing a poster to honour the woman that you feel deserves recognition.
Fri, March 1 | 6- 8pm | Kerrisdale Community Centre, 5851 West Blvd | Free | DETAILS

GRAPES | The Vancouver International Wine Festival is on and it’s going to be pretty sweet. The best in local and international wines will be celebrated alongside wines from the theme region (California). All told, some 1,850 wines from 176 wineries are going to be available for tasting, and their 55 events to check out. That’s a whole lot of awesome! While many events are already sold out, you can still snag a ticket to the International Festival Tasting on Thursday. If you’ve never been before, imagine a grand ballroom at the Convention Centre full of colourful winery principals, personalities and representatives (pouring hundreds of wines from all over the world) and sharply dress folks shooting the social breeze with constantly swirling glasses in hand.
Thurs, Feb 28 | Vancouver Conference Centre 1055 Canada Place | $95 | DETAILS

SHITLOADS | With spring comes gardening, and nothing makes a garden happier than a healthy dose of poo. But where can one get hooked up with some quality dung? It just so happens that the annual manure sale is happening up at VanDusen Botanical Gardens this weekend, so head over to VanDusen’s lot to load up. This is a first come, first served set up, so don’t be lazy about it. This is some seriously opportunistic shit! $6 for a 20kg bag, 5 or more bags $5 per bag.
Sat, Mar. 3 | 10am-3pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden (5251 Oak Street | DETAILS

EAT WELL | Start March off right by making new friends and eating good food. There are so many options for both in Vancouver. Case in point: take a seat at a communal table for Perogy Night at the Ukrainian Cathedral. On the first Friday of each month the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral off Main St. sorts plenty of people out with an authentic Ukrainian dinner and a warm fuzzy community glow for cheap. A “regular dinner” consists of 6 perogies, 2 cabbage rolls, sauerkraut or salad and Ukrainian sausage and it costs just $12. If you’re looking for something a little lighter, borscht served with rye bread is only $3.50. And on Saturday, gather your reusable grocery bags and take them up to the Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot to fill them with hearty root vegetables, fresh bread, dried fruits and scores of other locally-grown goodies at the Winter Farmers Market.
Fri, March 1 | 5-8pm | Holy Trinity Ukrainian Cathedral | 154 E 10th | $3.50 – $15 | DETAILS
Sat, March 2 | 10am – 2pm | East Parking Lot of Nat Bailey Stadium 4601 Ontario St | 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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