Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa-26

Vancouver is well recognized as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, yet many Vancouverites (and visitors) may just have a few fascinating discoveries yet to make here.

Rick Hansen Statue The Living Roof

Written by Dave Doroghy and Graeme Menzies, 111 Places in Vancouver That You Must Not Miss is a new paperback guide that reveals some of the fascinating and little-known places and stories around town.

We hope our fellow Vancouverites are ready to rediscover our city like we’ve done. Our book shares all the secrets we learned along the way,” — Graeme Menzies

Doroghy, a Vancouver native and international sports marketing consultant and Menzies, director of marketing communications at UBC first met while working for the Vancouver Olympic Committee in 2010.

Dave Doroghy
[Dave Doroghy]

“We were happy to find an opportunity to work together again,” says Doroghy. “We brought that Olympic team spirit to this project, and even a bit of competition, mainly around who could find the coolest places.”

Graeme Menzies
[Graeme Menzies]

“The whole project has been a great adventure,” adds Menzies. ”We discovered places we’ve never even heard of before, and we learned new stories about the places we’ve passed by thousands of times.”

Coupe de Villa Cartems on Main
[L to R: Coupe de Villa, Cartems Donuts on Main]

“Coupe de Villa” is one such place – half of a 1960 Coupe de Sedan Cadillac sticking out of a front yard in the Kitsilano neighborhood. Steve Edmundson paints his half-caddy a different color every couple of years to keep his yard gallery fresh for neighbours and passers-by.

The BowMac Sign A Bakers Dozen Antiques
[L to R: The BowMac Sign, A Bakers Dozen Antiques]

Another relic of decades past is the BowMac sign on West Broadway, first erected in 1958 to advertise a car dealership. The landmark was saved from destruction in 1997 when the city granted it official protected status.

The Stanley Park Seawall hosts secrets of its own at Third Beach. But you need to know where on the wall to look for stones cut into the shape of a hockey stick and the four card suits.

“Extra points for finding the maple leaf stone,” says Doroghy. Another hidden treasure lies amidst the rosebushes in VanDusen Botanical Garden: the bronze bust of Archibald Menzies, the chief scientific officer aboard the HMS Discovery with Captain George Vancouver.

Jericho Beach Vancouver Catfe
[L to R: Jericho Beach, Vancouver Catfe]

At the other end of town, Jericho Beach has been a lumber business, a golf course, a flying station, a military training base – and the site of a major civil uprising. In 1970, the Battle of Jericho didn’t involve the military, but rather the RCMP attempting to roust a group of hippie occupiers who refused to leave.

Celebrities have popped up around Vancouver, some long before they became household names. Harry Houdini hung around Vancouver, literally escaping from a strait jacket and chains while hanging upside-down from a second story window on West Pender Street. There’s no marker, but 111 Places in Vancouver That You Must Not Miss helps you find the exact site where he defied death.

Neptoon Records Lotusland Electronics
[L to R: Neptoon Records, Lotusland Electronics]

111 Places in Vancouver joins a growing series of 111 Places books from New York City to Singapore. I like the easy format of a page of information on the left, a lovely photo on the right. Each place gets a single page in Dave and Graeme’s book.

The guide would be great for gifting to both locals and visitors. Addresses, hours of operation, directions, best places to park, tips and website links — they’re all included. A couple of coloured, numbered maps at the back provide an overview as to where each gem can be found. I noticed a lot are clustered around UBC.

Secret Climbing Tree Reifel Bird Sanctuary
[L to R: Secret Climbing Tree, Reifel Bird Sanctuary]

I like that several places show not only directions by car but also include nearby public transit stops. 111 Places in Vancouver That You Must Not Miss is available through Emons Publishing (distributed by ACC) for CAD $26.90/USD $19.90/GBP £12.99.

With the exception of top image, photos courtesy of Emons Publishing.

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