Footloose
in Kitsilano
by
Jerry W. Bird
The
other day we were talking about how many different
locations in Vancouver we have lived in over the
years, and it made me realize that one of the most
livable, laid back and likable areas was at
Kitsilano Point, where the dining room at the
Vancouver Museum our meeting place - and my second
office - for several years. We still go there
quite often for events at the Planetarium in the
same complex (the star shows with music and sound
are spectacular ) and for various museum
presentations by the Council of Tourism
Associations, the Truck Loggers Association, and
others. One of the most fascinating events last
year was a major display on First Nations basket
making, truly an educational experience. This is a
great place for outdoor activities in the summer
months, when things are going full tilt on the
sands and grassy areas of Kitsilano Beach. Our
whole family and connected families used to go
there by street car with loaded picnic baskets all
the way from Grandview, and stay until dusk. The
Vancouver Maritime Museum is another wonderful
attraction nearby, and that fine facility is
capably managed by the popular and well known
author, adventurer and international marine expert
James Delgado, whom we had the honor of having as
our Chairman for the Air and Marine Tourism
Conference at Simon Fraser University in 1998. His
pride and joy was and still is the famous RCMP
Icebreaker, which plied the Northwest Passage and
sailed into the history books in those colorful
past decades. We had the opportunity of meeting
Jacques Cousteau at the Vancouver Marine Museum
during Expo '86. I have much more to tell, but for
now, here are some items we have gleaned about the
area with
times and places to guide you.
Events
and Exhibitions at Vancouver Museum include
"Through the Eye of a
Needle. Stories from an Indian Desert." Ongoing
until September, 2003.
In the Kutch Desert on India's western border with
Pakistan, women record the history of their desert
lives in the language of the stitch. This
embroidery tells of their past, their journey to
the present, and the possibility of a future rich
with heritage and cultural memory.
Examine this collection of
stories, extraordinary embroideries, photos and
video from the diverse tribal population that
inhabits Kutch.
Full Circle: First
Contact
Vikings and Skraelings in
Newfoundland and Labrador
Ongoing until February 2003
Once considered to be
legend, Viking contact with the Aboriginal peoples
(Skraelings) of North America is proven through the
evidence uncovered at l'Anse aux Meadows in
Newfoundland. FULL CIRCLE: First Contact chronicles
humankind's exodus from Africa and into the New
World. Some would turn left and some would turn
right, but they would meet one hundred thousand
years later on the east coast of Canada.
With more than 250 artifacts,
photos, scale models, artist's impressions and
maps, FULL CIRCLE: First Contact shakes our
previous understanding of our past.
Yuquot: The Centre of Our
World
Ongoing until October 29, 2002. Discover the
rich history of the Mowachaht &endash; Muchalaht
First Nations people, told in their own
voice.
Portrait V2K. The
City of Vancouver Millennium Story & Photograph
Collection. Ongoing. Highlighting some of the
city's most compelling memories and anecdotes, this
exhibit features Vancouver images that are both
affectionate and evocative.
Vancouver Museum,
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver, BC V6J 3J9,
Canada t. 604.736.4431
f. 604.736.5417 http://www.vanmuseum.bc.ca
Vancouver
Maritime Museum
http://www.vmm.bc.ca/home.htm
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