Category Archives: Days Out

A democracy of beer

October 29, 2017 By in Around B.C., Days Out Tags: Leave a comment

Brewing tanks at the Ridge Brewing Co. tasting room, Maple Ridge

Kory Tiemstra behind the bar at the Silver Valley Brewing Co. in Maple Ridge

Fraseropolis.com doesn’t usually advertise commercial enterprises, but we want to note the launch of The Growler, a print publication devoted entirely to a single burning question: where can I find fresh craft beer near my house?

The Growler illustrates a point that we often underline here: there is life in British Columbia beyond downtown Vancouver. The latest issue reports that there were four craft beer tasting rooms in Port Moody at the time of printing, four in Surrey or White Rock, and many more in the Fraseropolis region and in towns and cities around the province, with a full-page listing of venues that are “coming soon.” Each location offers a chance to sample what’s for sale, fill up a jar to take home, and talk philosophically about beer with the folks people behind the counter and whoever happens to be perched nearby. Continue reading →

Riding the Evergreen Extension

February 28, 2017 By in Days Out, Transit, Skytrain, LRT Tags: Leave a comment

screenshot-2017-02-28-09-17-42

My Facebook friend Trevor Batstone has posted a rider’s eye view from the front of the new Evergreen Extension elevated train through Coquitlam and Port Moody, stopping at Lougheed Town Centre.

We’ve reported in the past on Evergreen Line construction and anticipated effects, most recently in October 2016. The line opened in December. After a late reconfiguration, the track from Coquitlam City Hall (Lafarge Lake/Douglas) to Lougheed Town Centre has been renamed the Millennium Line, Evergreen Extension. The traveller gets a close look at the extensive high-rise development that has been mentioned on this site.

The train continues through Burnaby, (that is, beyond where the video takes us). With a transfer to the Expo Line at Broadway/Commercial the trip from Lafarge Lake to downtown Vancouver takes about 45 minutes.

Steveston village: this ain’t Manhattan

November 15, 2016 By in Days Out, Richmond Delta, Urban Villages Project Tags: , Leave a comment

boardwalk-2

The neighbourhood business association promotes Steveston as a place to visit, with its waterfront, cafes and gift shops. Co-tourist Robert Smarz and I walked the  ocean-facing pathway on the west side of the community and enjoyed lunch at the Shady Island pub on the boardwalk; we didn’t have time to stop at the Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, so there’s more to see.

development-reducedBut the designated core is attracting new residents as well as visitors, part of a general upscaling of Vancouver-area real estate. Postwar bungalows on the back streets are disappearing in favour of low-rise apartment buildings of three and four storeys. There are now enough essential services in place — such as food markets and professional offices — to make this a livable urban village with an affluent tinge. Rapid transit to downtown Vancouver is about 20 minutes away by bus, and bus service is frequent. Continue reading →

The Traboulay-PoCo Trail

September 5, 2016 By in Cycling, Days Out, Tricities Tags: , , 2 Comments
The Traboulay PoCo Trail alongside the DeBoville Slough, Port Coquitlam

By DeBoville Slough, Port Coquitlam

As an easy but interesting and varied urban bike trail, the Traboulay-PoCo Trail in Port Coquitlam measures up to anything I’ve experienced in Canada. This 25-kilometre loop passes alongside five different bodies of water. It’s virtually 100 per cent separated from traffic, with only occasional road crossings.

I was reminded of this route when I purchased a book called Easy Cycling Around Vancouver  as part of a plan to spend more time on my bike. None of the trails in the book are in Vancouver, if that matters; they’re all in the suburbs or beyond. The mountains, rivers and inlets that carve up our region are a barrier to car commuting, but they’ve helped planners and local governments build a remarkable inventory of recreational multi-use trails for the use of residents and visitors. Suburban cities like Port Coquitlam are working hard to make their downtown villages complete and attractive; a facility like the PoCo Trail connects neighbourhoods with the downtown, and puts the outdoors at the doorstep of downtown residents. Continue reading →