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 list 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…

Food & Drink

Last Chance

If you get your ducks in a row real fast – like today – you can still place an order for 2009 JoieFarm wines to pick up in the city (save on those courier costs from Naramata). This is your opportunity to plan ahead. Think of how pleased you will be to have your secret stash of Joie when everyone else in the city bounces from store to store only to discover that the goods are sold out. Again. Principals Michael Dinn and Heidi Noble will be at The Storeroom (1396 Richards) on Saturday February 6th to personally hand over your order to you, but you have to order by today on their website.
Feb 6 | 10 – 2 | The Storeroom – 1396 Richards

Free Cheese and Chocolate

Oh ya – the Swiss know how to start a party. Free cheese and chocolate at the House of Switzerland in Vancouver. And the fun doesn’t end there : many “surprise acts” are promised as well. Perhaps the legendary Pablo Picante will be bringing his yodeling skills?
Feb 5 |5:30 | Bridges – Granville Island | FREE

Super Bowl Chili Cook Off

Well this sounds rad! Catch the Super Bowl Chili Cook Off at the Anza Club. If you figure out what time this event begins – you’ve got one on us. What we can tell you is that it goes down in Anza’s Tiki Lounge.
Feb 7 | before, during, or after the Superbowl |  Tiki Lounge Anza Club |

Art

Monster Reception

Monsters have appeared throughout the ages and in most cultures. Fear, paranoia and the triumph of good over evil manifest in horror, polarized societies, and intolerance giving rise to monsters rooted in folklore, mythology, legend, literature, art and popular culture. This contemporary art exhibition features innovative works by leading Canadian and international artists Shuvinai Ashoona, Shary Boyle, Lutz Braun, Beau Dick, Marcel Dzama, Alexandra Flood, Sandra Meigs, Nick Sikkuark, Corin Sworn, Joseph Tisiga, Howie Tsui and Nicola Tyson who explore monstrous sensibilities in their practice.
Feb 4 | 7pm | West Vancouver Museum | FREE

First Nations / Second Nature

“The inaugural exhibition in the new Audain Project Gallery at SFU Woodward’s is First Nations / Second Nature, curated by Candice Hopkins. With its roots in the local history of Vancouver, First Nations / Second Nature is built of works which mediate the politics of site and the shifting conceptions of territory. The works, from local, national as well as international artists, together offer divergent engagements with the politics of site from the national to the local as it is defined by First Nations’ conceptions of place and territory. Artists include Rebecca Belmore, Matthew Buckingham, Greg Curnoe, Sam Durant, Jimmie Durham, Andrea Geyer, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Brian Jungen and Patricia Reed.
Feb 6 | 7 pm | The Audain Gallery, SFU Woodward’s (149 W Hastings) | FREE

The Age of Pretence: Reflections on Post-Modernism

“We consider some of the trends of the post World War II period: for example, the decline in deference to authority; the casual approach to dress; in art and architecture, “the courage to challenge good taste”, the “dumbing down of society.” These and other trends are part and parcel of Post-Modernism. What is behind these trends? Is there any coherence to Post-Modernism?
Feb 10 | 12 – 1 pm | VPL | FREE

Shop

Tired of chain stores?

Feeling indecisive? Too spent to apply yourself to a shopping game plan? Try hooking up with Chicwalkers. They will lead you around upper Main Street – in and out of unique boutiques (including many local designers) restaurants and cafes and watch that you don’t wander into traffic (presumably) while you soak in the coolness of Main Street. Complimentary Champagne, cloth shopping bag and “nibblies”…oooh – they had me until the “nibblies” bit. Nibblies? Who says that? Anyhoo – it’s an option. Take it or leave it.
Feb 4 | 6pm | District Main Lobby, 4453 Main Street (beside Nesters)

Retro Designs & Antiques Fair

“175 tables and booths of fun, fabulous finds for you and your eclectic abode! Mid-century Modernist decor, vintage & estate jewelry, pop culture classics, boho & shabby chic accents, French country collectibles, old toys & dolls, retro glam accessories, decorative art pottery & glass, funky 50’s kitsch, Art Deco & Art Nouveau, ephemera, paintings & prints, antiquarian books, textiles & linens, memorabilia, period lighting & fixtures, and much, much more…Plus Drop-In Appraisals All Day” Find out more...
Feb 7 | Croatian Cultural Centre | 10am – 3pm | $5

Lectures

An Evening with Annabel Lyon

“Ms. Lyon’s first book, the short-story collection Oxygen, was nominated for the Danuta Gleed and ReLit awards and her second collection, The Best Thing for You, was nominated for the Ethel Wilson Prize for Fiction. Her first novel for adults, The Golden Mean, was the only book nominated in 2009 for all three of Canada’s major fiction prizes: the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Award for Fiction and was the winner of the Rogers’ Writers Trust for Fiction.”
Feb 6 | 8:15 | Lecture Hall No. 2, Woodward Building, UBC | FREE

Sport & Society

“A provocative and timely five-part speaker series featuring Olympic & Paralympic athletes who have used their celebrity to make a global difference. Up first, ‘Sport, Ethics and Technology’, challenging the boundaries of what is considered a level playing field in high performance sport. Richard Pound – former Olympic athlete and World Anti-Doping Agency Chairman, Dr. Jim Rupert – Associate Prof. School of Human Kinetics, and Beckie Scott – former Olympic athlete and member of the IOC explore ideals, ethics, and public scrutiny on the journey to peak performance.
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
Feb 8 | 8 – 9:30 pm | The Chan Centre| $10

Community

C.R. Avery

The first of four in the concert series “Toque Sessions” presented by CBC Radio features CR Avery with the Legal Tender String Quartet. From CBC: “C.R. Avery is a poet, pianist and composer who has received accolades from the likes of American music icon Tom Waits who said ‘…(he’s) blowin’ my mind’…” Let him blow yours. These are free, live concerts at the CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre that will later be broadcast on CBC Radio One and 2. Check CBC to get on the list!
Feb 6 | 7 – 9 pm | CBC | FREE7 – 9 pm | CBC | FREE

Bamboo Welcome Gates Installation Official Opening

Be there for the official opening of this installation in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. Head to Zodiac Square for the chance to write ‘Welcome World Wishes’ for an athlete and/or country. Wishes will be created and placed onto the Bamboo-Cedar Gateways in colourful red, water-resistant envelopes and be read everyday to groups of visiting school children and Olympic visitors.”
Feb 11 (to 28th) | 10 am – 5 pm | 50 E. Pender Street, Zodiac Square (Chinatown) | FREE

Green

Pruning 101

Learning how and when to prune your shrubs and trees will give you greater confidence and knowledge to keep your plants in good health, and it’ll make your neighbours happy too –  Everyone loves a well pruned bush! Please Note Advance registration required.
Feb 6 | 9:30 am – noon | UBC Botanical Garden |$40

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives by the beach in Vancouver 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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