Spring has Sprung!

The long weekend has officially started! Now, whether you have both Friday and Monday off or just Friday, who cares cause you have got extra time for yourself...or for friends and family. I plan on doing all of the above. My weekend is going to be full of great food, great company, great weather, and maybe even some "great" activities. Now I am sure you have checked out our "What's Happening" section so you already know about a few of the amazing things going down this weekend, but what about all the "touristy" things we always forget about.

Wednesday's post on City Cycle Tours (http://cyclevancouver.com/) has inspired us to write about other typical tourist destinations and activities we local's sometimes ignore. For example, The Capilano Suspension Bridge; I passed up the opportunity to check out the suspension bridge more times than I can remember. Growing up in North Vancouver I would just go to the Lynn Valley Suspension bridge or not go at all. Both however, have so much to offer...aside from the beautiful scenery. Plus if you bring proof of address when you go to the Capilano Suspension bridge you can return for free!

What else you ask, how about the Aquarium? Last summer the aquarium got some adorable and endangered African Penguins. Plus, who can resist the dolphin show or the outdoor whale tank. The main attraction at the moment? Nothing cooler than the secret lives of sharks and rays on a hot day.

Personally, I enjoy a good hike and although it may not be Grouse Grind season yet (thankfully) there are smaller hikes all over the lower mainland from UBC, to Deep Cove and lets not forget our beloved Sea Wall or Stanley Park.

Maybe a stroll around a beautiful garden is more your style. Vancouver has quite a few - Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, UBC Botanical Garden and Vandusen Botanical Garden to name a few. My favourite garden trip is actually strolling along the railroad tracks by 5th Ave. in Kits and checking out the beds the locals have set up.

Another great way to explore the city? One of my favorite ways to get from sushi in English Bay to the penguins at the Aquarium, volleyball at Kits Beach to a picnic in Queen Elizabeth Park? Car2Go. Pay by the minute, drop it off and pick it up pretty much wherever available, two seats with the windows down and music playing. A quick, easy and relaxed way to see the sights.

I love doing little adventures throughout the city, going to new places and meeting new people, so even if it's not any of the above I suggest taking the time and exploring the wonderful city we are soo lucky to live in. The picture of a clear blue sky with calm water, shiny buildings and snow-capped mountains is such an easy reminder why just a walk around this unique city can be the simple and perfect outing of the day.

CITY CYCLE TOURS

As a local business ourselves, we like to hear more about other local businesses and entrepreneurs; so we decided what better way to do that then to interview them! We will be periodically posting our interviews, such as the past Amanda Parker interview, up on our blog. I am personally a fan of this next company because I love to bike and I love Vancouver, so when I heard about City Cycle Tours I thought it was a genius idea! So with the bike season fast approaching, we asked Josh Bloomfield (The founder/owner of City Cycle Tours) a few questions that we thought everyone needed to know... or at the very least would find interesting. 

The City Cycle Tour Gang (photo taken from their website http://cyclevancouver.com )

Do you find City Cycle Tours gets more tourists or locals participating?

We primarily have catered to visitors in the past due to the nature of our tours, but I’ve found that locals are getting more and more into learning about their city. In early June we will be launching the “Art Wheelers” tour program, which is a series of tours exploring Vancouver’s public art installations by bike! I’m expecting this will attract a lot of locals.

Which of the 5 tours City Cycle offers is your favourite? 

I have to say my favourite tour is the Food Tour. I can’t think of a better way to explore Vancouver then by biking around and sampling delicious local cuisine bevies on a beautiful summer day?  The best part is meeting the personalities behind the making the food as we tour around.

After reading your and your other guides bios I noticed you all share a passion for both biking and meeting new people, what is it about biking that you think can bring people together?

There is definitely a spirit of curiosity and friendliness that exists with all of our staff.  We have all traveled by bike and know how much it means to get help from strangers and make new friends while traveling.  I think it’s something we all keep in mind while we’re guiding in Vancouver.

Vancouver is known for its rain, has this affected your business at all?

Our tours operate from May through early October and rain is inevitable.  While we provide ponchos and recommend that our guests come prepared with appropriate rain gear, we keep our tours moving so that guests don’t get cold and pop in for a warm drink if necessary.  I think the Temperate Rainforest in Stanley Park is even more beautiful in the rain anyways! 

Do you have any tips for us to prepare to ride through the rainy season (which can be all year long)?

The most important tip is to keep a positive attitude and embrace the rain. Having some good quality rain gear (jacket, rain pants, shoe covers) tucked into your backpack or pannier is definitely the way to go.  Fenders help keep a lot of the road water off of your legs and face too!

Vancouver is a relatively young city, but it does have an interesting past. What is your favourite Vancouver fact that maybe not everyone knows? 

Kingsway was once a horse cart path from the Hastings Mill (where Gastown is now) and New Westminster, which was the former capital.  That’s why its runs diagonally across the entire grid system of Vancouver’s roadways. There is tons of interesting history, but you’ll have to come on a bike ride so I can show you in person!

With the extensive biking you have done you must know a thing or two about fixing them but for those of us who are not mechanically blessed where would you suggest we go in the lower mainland?

When I started touring while living in Japan, I really didn’t know anything about taking care of my bike... not even how to properly lubricate my chain.  I learnt as I went.  Learning the basics of how to maintain your bike is really quite easy if you have a good teacher. I recommend the skills courses offered by HUB (https://bikehub.ca/), for those living in the Vancouver region, but there are also lots of online tutorials on YouTube. You’ll feel empowered to go anywhere once you know the basics.

What do you think Vancouver should do next to continue to improve cycling in the city?

The more infrastructures we have, the more people will feel that cycling is a safe and convenient way to get around the city.  More bike lanes, routes, parking, and workplace facilities for bikes the better. 

As someone who did not grow up in Vancouver, what was/is it that made/makes you stay?

I love getting up in the morning and seeing the mountains and ocean being so close.  Vancouver is a big city with a small town feel.  There is so much to do year-round, both outdoors activity and indoors with its diverse culture and arts scenes.

You and your other guides have gone on some pretty epic cycling trips, do you see anything like that in the future for City Cycle Tours?

We’d like to expand into multi-day tours, perhaps taking guests to nearby Gulf Islands, but right now we are focusing on getting more people touring the city on bikes. 

What should we expect next from City Cycle Tours?

Like I said, new for this summer is our Art Wheelers Tour.  Our mission really is to get more people enjoying bike rides and learning about Vancouver, so we are going to continue to find new, interesting itineraries and topics to draw out more riders.  Most of all, we are going to keep going with this project, because we love riding bikes, telling stories, and having fun with our guests.

For more information on City Cycle Tours, or to book a tour, check out their website!

http://cyclevancouver.com 

Election is Upon Us...

I know what you are thinking. The new season of American Idol is addicting. The only problem is that the fate of my favorite (Angie) is left solely up to American fans. Fortunately, there is an election coming up in British Columbia. It’s our turn to vote!

                  Voting is a human right, embedded into the UN International Bill of Rights. In human rights terms, voting and the right to run in an election, is called “suffrage”; to be given the right to vote is called “enfranchisement”.

I believe voting is the most important thing we can do. It gives us a connection to our community, our government and the decisions that affect our lives. My mother’s philosophy is: “if you don’t vote you can’t complain”. Trust me, in my house, we take advantage of this.

The opportunity to vote also represents the privilege of Canadian citizenship. All over the world, particularly in the Middle East, people are dying for suffrage. The Arab Spring started with a local street vendor. Mr. Bouazizi was so frustrated with the corruption of democracy in Tunisia that he set himself on fire in December 2010. Revolution spread across Tunisia, eventually extending to countries like Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria. For these countries, violent revolution against an oppressive government is their only solution. In Canada, democracy is our privilege. However, it wasn’t always this way for everyone.

                  Women in Canada fought very hard for enfranchisement with the Suffragette Movement. BC women were especially faced with challenges. They began applying for the vote in 1902, facing defeat 5 times, including in 1908 when female house owners had their suffrage taken away. Finally in 1917, BC women were enfranchised.

However, in the 1920s it became apparent that the fight was not over. When Emily Murphy submitted her nomination for Senate, she was refused.  She discovered that women were not considered “persons” in Canadian law. Thus ensued the Persons Case, which resulted (after way too many appeals) in women being considered “persons” in 1929. To put this in perspective, my grandmother was 10 years old before she became a “person”.

In my opinion, every person must vote, especially women. Not just because our fore-mothers have fought so hard for suffrage, but also because only 21% of our BC Legislature is female. Furthermore, so many issues affect women in ways that they do not affect men.

Yet too many people do not vote, in fact only half of eligible voters did in the last BC election. Maybe it’s because they don’t think politics are important. I think that when politicians talk to us in language we can’t understand and when our government buildings are so far away, it is difficult to see how political our lives are. Whether you are a student, working, injured or sick, drive a car, own or rent a house, are married, or drink wine, politics plays a major role.

Or maybe they don’t have time to research each party to effectively educate themselves. I believe that voting is important, but I believe in informed voting. How can you truly pick a favorite on American Idol if you have never heard any of them sing? You could choose who your friends might like or pick the best looking one. However, you might not buy their record, let alone want to listen to them for the next four years. Informed decisions are more important when your money and time are invested.

Here is FairJAKE’s time-saving solution: over the next couple weeks there will be a series of articles on the Provincial Election. I will explore the political system and the parties (as unbiasedly as possible) in order to make the process a little less confusing. It’ll be like American Idol... but with less singing (no promises though) and a better looking host. Stay tuned… This is BC Pol-IDOL!