From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver from January 8 to January 14, 2020. Please note that you can now get the Scout List – with a few extra pieces of intel included – sent to your inbox every Thursday. Sign up for your subscription in the sidebar.

MOVE | UBC has once again done Vancouver a solid by combining everyone’s favourite January activities (exercising and not spending money) in “Free Week”. Between now and Sunday, students, staff and the general public are invited to try out as many of the instructor-led classes offered by the UBC Recreation Centre as they want – for free! Drop into fitness, yoga, pilates, dance, martial arts, boot camps, and aquatics classes. Registration is advised for some activities. Find out more.

ART | It’s not very often that we catch wind of an Antisocial art gig far enough in advance to share the information via the Scout List, so we’re feeling pretty lucky this week. The Main St. skate shop always puts on a good show, and since a good show generates good vibes (which in turn draws good people), I think hitting the Antisocial + Girl Skateboards mini Girl Doll Show this Friday night will be an all-around super wise decision. Find out more.

SWEAT | 2020 is here! It’s time to get rid of the toxins you accumulated in 2019. One great way to do that is by sweating it out in a steam room or a sauna. Not only are saunas known to help the body detox, they also increase metabolism, improve circulatory health, boost cardiovascular function and bolster immune function… plus they’re a nice way to warm up in the middle of winter (have you heard, we’re expecting snow several days this week). Not sure where to go? From luxurious hotel spas to affordable community centre saunas – we’ve made a list for you. Have a look here.

LAUGH | Comedian and bad writing sadist Sara Bynoe hosts another one of her hilarious Teen Angst evenings this Friday night. From Sara’s website: “Somewhere in the back of your closet gathering dust and turning yellow with age is comedic gold. Those old journals, poems, and essays you wrote as a teenager when you thought you could do no wrong, would probably make you cringe if you were to read them today. Now, imagine sharing them in front of an audience. That’s exactly what happens at Teen Angst Night. You held on to those diaries for a reason, right? This is that reason!” Chill, listen and laugh. Find out more.

ADVENTURE |  Looking for new and interesting ways to work exercise into your life but also want to make sure you’re having enough fun? Consider snowshoeing! Seymour Mountain offers a cool “Twilight Snowshoe” tour on Saturday night that is the best of both worlds. Make your way up the mountain for a peaceful and restorative hike through fresh snow under towering trees. Breath in the crisp mountain air and take in the lights of the city from on high. The tour includes an experienced snowshoe guide (not to take home, just for use on the trails), snowshoe rental and trail pass, as well as a post-tour mug of hot chocolate. Can’t make it this weekend? No worries. Chocolate Fondue snowshoeing goes down next weekend, which sounds even better!  Find out more.

CHEAP EATS | If you’re feeling the financial impact of the holiday season and want to keep things cheap in the short term, consider loading up a plate of good food, sitting your bum down at a communal table, and making new friends at Perogy Night. On the first Friday of each month, the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral off Main St. sorts plenty of people out by serving up an authentic Ukrainian dinner with a warm and fuzzy community glow for cheap. A “Regular Dinner” consists of 6 perogies, 2 cabbage rolls, sauerkraut or salad and sausage and costs just $13 (upgrade to a Super Dinner for $17 and pick up an extra 4 perogies and another cabbage roll). If you’re looking for something a little lighter, a mini dinner is only $10 (4 perogies, a cabbage roll, and some Ukrainian Koubassa). Veg options available. It’s an awesome deal that could only get better if they had $3.50 desserts. Wait…they do?! See you there. Find out more.

LET GO | Still looking at a fully decked-out Christmas tree? We’re here to tell you to move on. Recycle that little needle-shedding bugger and make room for new things. The City of Vancouver will be collecting spent trees from households with City Green Bin service this weekend. To ensure pickup, set your crispy little fire hazard in the lane (or wherever you generally place your Green Bin) by 7am on Saturday, January 11. Don’t put your tree IN your Green Bin. Just beside it. Make sure you’re removed all your precious ornaments before you give it the boot. If for some reason you can’t get yourself organized for the tree pick up, you’re looking at a trip to a transfer station or landfill for responsible recycling. Find out more.

EAT LOCAL | Focused on getting healthy this year? We suggest you hit up the Winter Farmer’s Market for provisions – no one does a better job of providing tasty fruits and vegetables than the people who actually grow them. There are two markets to choose from this weekend: The Riley Park Market goes down on Saturday, or, if Sunday works better for you, you skip over to the PNE on Sunday. Either way, a farmers market is a great place to score your fruits and veggies (think apples, cranberries, Brussels sprouts, carrots, potatoes and herbs), as well as fresh bread, honey, dried fruits and loads of other goodies. Don’t forget to pack your reusable tote bags! Find out more.

ROOTS TO SHOOTS | If you entered the new year with a renewed commitment to sustainably sourced food, a desire to eat more vegetables and an aim to support local farmers and independent restaurants, you should know that Wildebeest Chef Ian McHale joins forces with Chef Devon Latte from The Acorn for a one-night-only all-vegetarian Winter Harvest Dinner at Wildebeest this Monday night – and there are still a few seats open. Grab your ticket (here) to enjoy this creative, multi-course vegetarian feast that includes black turtle bean & carrot terrine, mushroom tartare, harukei turnips with water buffalo ricotta and fermented fennel, Hasselback German butter potato with Walla Walla consommé, leeks and wild garlic and ‘trees & flowers’ cannoli stuffed with grand fir Chantilly, rocket flower curd and Nootka rose. Tickets are $69 per person plus tax and gratuity… and you know that the cocktail, wine and beer program at Wildebeest is strong, so take a little extra in your pocket to indulge in wine pairings and a pre-dinner libation. Find out more.

CITY | Interested in art, urban planning, community connectedness, and culture? Clear a few hours on your schedule to attend the “A City Without Artists?” lecture next Thursday (we’re giving you the info now because this free event may fill up and we wouldn’t want interested advocates of arts & culture to miss out). From SFU: “It’s an old urban story: a low-rent neighbourhood attracts artists; they make the area hip, which attracts people with more money. As property values increase, the artists are pushed out….Vancouver has the highest density of artists per capita in Canada. But they’ve lost nearly 400,000 sq. ft. of studio space in the past decade, while their median rental rates have increased more than 65 per cent”… You get the drift. Expect a lively discussion about the importance of art to community and the cultural costs of any decline in affordable studio space, as well as the idea of non-profit and community ownership. Get in there to ask questions and express opinions! A city without art is a sad place to be. Find out more.