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!

BE PREPARED | Scoot over to the Kits Community Centre this Wednesday for a little mid-week earthquake preparedness. Learn the key points to hit when developing a family emergency plan, how to conduct a “home hazard hunt’ and talk a little about what you might expect should the big one ever happen. An hour and a half of preparation could make a world of difference!
Wed, Mar. 16 | 7-8:30pm | Kitsilano Community Centre (2690 Larch St.) | Free | DETAILS

GIG | Daughter, indie folk trio from England (famous for deliciously dark and forlorn music), is in town and playing the Vogue this week. Not gonna lie, tickets will be hard to score – but a little live music is a worth the effort and these guys are awesome. Try craigslist with crossed fingers.
Fri, Mar. 18 | 7pm | Vogue Theatre (918 Granville St) | DETAILS

MOST LIKELY TO… | Dig out your high school annual and haul that embarrassing reminder of your former self to Hot Art Wet City Gallery on Main Street for Graham Clark’s Yearbook Show. Expect tears, blushing, wincing and laughing as Graham flips through the pages of high school yearbooks (his and yours) to comment on pictures, captions, and (best of all) those heartfelt scribbles left behind by classmates who never in a million years expected their words to be read aloud to an audience of grown-ups looking to amuse themselves. PS, this show will sell out, so advance tickets are recommended. HAGS!
Fri, Mar. 18 | 8-10pm (doors 7:30) | Hot Art Wet City | $7 advance $10 at the door | DETAILS

EQUINOX | Spring gets real this week. The Vernal Equinox (March 19th at 9:30pm) officially signals the beginning of longer days and warmer weather. Yup, pack up the winter hats and coats, folks! It’s time to turn soil and appreciate cherry blossoms! True story: there are those who claim that the Vernal Equinox is the only day of the year when an egg can be perfectly balanced on its end. Hours of frustration/fun can be had giving it a shot.
Sat, Mar. 19 | 9:30pm | Free and so exciting | DETAILS

NIGHT QUEST | Shadows, noises, animal calls, and the sound of snapping branches – walking through Pacific Spirit Regional Park at night can be an intimidating prospect! It’s best to do it in a group. Follow a guide and add more than a few cheerful lanterns — all of a sudden you have a pretty magical Saturday night! Such an opportunity presents itself this weekend when The Pacific Spirit Regional Park Society hosts Night Quest. It’s a gentle 2km walk along a lantern-lit trail; an outdoor evening of storytelling, campfire music, and a bit of wildlife education. Wear your gumboots, pack a flashlight and take along a travel mug. This is a really great event appropriate for anyone interested in the mysteries of the forest at night (geared toward kids but highly recommended for all).
Sat, Mar. 19 | 7-10pm | Pacific Spirit Regional Park, 16th Ave Park Entrance | Free | DETAILS

WILD EDIBLES | Head to UBC Farm on Saturday morning and take part in a hands-on edible and medicinal plant identification workshop. Learn about historic and contemporary ways in which plants, trees and shrubs that grow on the farm can be used for food or medicine. Master Herbalist Sarah Orlowski will school participants on identifying features and tips on how to process plants for consumption.
Sat, Mar. 19 | 9am – 12pm (3 hours) | $45 | DETAILS

BLIMMERY | It’s time for Blim’s Spring Community Market. Head to The Heritage Hall on Main Street to check out loads of locally made clothing, accessories, vintage trinkets, pottery and hand made jewellery as well as live music, gourmet chocolates and the occasional cupcake. Always a good gathering of makers!
Sun, Mar. 20 | 12-6 pm | Heritage Hall (3102 Main) | $ by donation | DETAILS

GET INFORMED | The Messenger is a Canadian documentary that is not only beautiful to watch but it also carries an important message: humans are changing the environment faster than birds can adapt to it and – like the proverbial canary in the coal mine – they are trying to tell us that something is wrong. As the New York Times explains “The arguments are persuasive, the message from the birds powerful, and the film a rich and satisfying call to action that is presented with some novel ideas for how to restore the ecological balance.” Swing by the Rio on Sunday to watch a screening of The Messenger and stick around for a post-film Q&A segment.
Sun, Mar. 20 | 12:30pm | Rio Theatre (1660 E Broadway) | $12 | DETAILS

NATURE | Put a little time aside this Sunday to touch down with nature in Stanley Park. The friendly and knowledgable peeps from the Stanley Park Ecology Ecology Centre have organized an evening stroll centred around water animals (World Water Day goes down Tuesday, March 22 ). From SPEC: “Celebrate the upcoming World Water Day in the domain of the otters and beavers of Stanley Park. Join us for our popular evening stroll and discover the habitats of these aquatic animals. Listen for a beaver tail slap or catch a glimpse of a beaver in the twilight.”
Sun, Mar. 20 | 5:30-7:30 pm | Walk departs from The Stanley Park Dining Pavilion | DETAILS

CINEMA SUNDAY | Get out of the house, grab a seat in a cozy theatre with a sizeable bag of popcorn and have a few laughs. This Sunday, The Cinematheque theatre throws down with a throw back to 1999 with Galaxy Quest. From Cinematheque: “The endlessly watchable, scene-snatching British actor Alan Rickman passed away in January. In memoriam, we present one of Rickman’s most delectably deadpan turns, in director Dean Parisot’s cult-status comedy — an elbow-nudging, sci-fi send-up with Star Trek, and its fervent fandom, in its sights. Once television royalty, the cast of long-cancelled space-adventure series ‘Galaxy Quest’ are now fan-convention fodder, with only Commander Peter Quincy Taggart/actor Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen) still relishing the attention. When a quartet of diehard devotees invite the ‘crew’ aboard their spaceship — an exact replica of the show’s — the washed-up thespians find themselves thrust into a real-life (and off script!) interplanetary war, recruited by aliens who believe the episodic TV space soap to be an historical documentary. Sigourney Weaver, Tony Shalhoub, and Sam Rockwell round out the cast — but it’s Rickman as the apathetic Alexander Dane, forever tied to his Spock-spoofed character, who radiates.” The whole things kicks off with a presentation about the history of sci-fi on the small screen .
Sun, Mar. 20 | 1pm | The Cinematheque (1131 Howe Street) | $10 | DETAILS