I always thought Lafarge Lake lights would be the same every year! But I was wrong there's some new…read morestuff they add each time ^^ so it was refreshing to see, it's a cute date idea for free to do with friends or luved ones

My last review had me proclaiming that this was goodbye to Yelp ... as far as 2023 was concerned…read more But I lied - here I am with one final review for this year. Hee! I was very impressed with the holiday display yesterday at the annual - Lights at Lafarge. The display surrounds the entire Lafarge Lake here in Coquitlam, not far from Coquitlam Centre Mall. Kudos to the team that put it all together! The light show was a step up from previous years & this is why I waited to do this review. An easy gentle walk around the lake, budget your time for 1 hour. Dress warm but mind you last night was a Global Warming climate comfortable experience at 10°C/50F with light rain & no breeze. I've experienced this same walk before & it had been quite chilly & heavy with rain. Lucked out too last night cause it was not crowded at all. I've tagged this event for Christmas next year. Rather than ohhhhhhhh & ahhhhhhh you with words, have a look at my pix! Cheers! Oh & did I mention that this was a completely free event? Free as in absolutely free! Come on down! Yahoooooo! Happy new year to all you Yelpies! Bear with me while I catch up with LIKES on your pages. I need to hire a Yelp assistant. Ha! SYOY-24!

If you are looking for an usual experience on Orcas Island do not forego visiting this very special…read moreprivate museum that has over 800 works of art from 250 San Juan Island artists. It features the largest collection of HELEN Loggie's work and an extensive collection from James Hardman all in an exquisite architectural setting on the water with breathtaking views complete with follies. It is breathtaking and will provide you with inspiration and awe along with thanks that people like Leo Lambiel exist in this world.

Leo Lambiel's guided tour of his awesome home cum museum is awesome, and well worth the $20 fee per…read moreperson. His taste in art by San Juan Islands artists is eclectic -- inspiring, humorous, ironic, abstract, representational -- in a range of media. The house reflects his own craftsmanship in construction and decoration, and grew from its origins as a cabin to a mansion of many rooms, soaring ceilings, windowed walls, and outdoor stairways. Leo's folly is the grotto, which he continues to work on after 17 years. Wine also is his passion, and his wine room has patterned walls made of used corks. Altogether, a wonderful tour.

I loved the ambiance and corner store vibes. Loved the coffee and pastries along with all the…read moreinteresting arts and crafts. Went back several times during our stay

My friends and I stopped here for a pre-hike coffee and a treat. I don't have any photos of this…read morebut inside there are tons of other wonderful things. If you're looking for some handmade soap or some other crafty items this is a place for you. A wonderful place to find items to bring home if you need souvenirs for loved ones. I got a latte and two different squares. The coffee was very tasty and rich in flavor. I tried the lemon Square and the blueberry square. I have to say the lemon square was the winner. It had such a nice zest to it with the delicious lemon curd.

Have you seen the drama "The Beachcombers". Yup it was filmed in Gibson Landing and that is what…read morethey are known today. The known restaurant Molly's Reach is operating in Gibsons. Well it was really a stage prop but the owner of Molly's Reach bought it many years (10 years or so I believe) after it was left abandoned and transformed it into a real restaurant. They also have the Persphone boat on site great for picture taking. The boat is beside or within walking distance from Molly's Reach. I actually came here in 2015. Surprised that I didn't write a review at that time. Today Gibsons Landing is a tourist attraction landmark. Not all restaurants are open during regular hours in the summer due to labour shortage (not sure if this is still the case but it was for many years). It is a really cute tiny town. You do need to take the ferry if you are coming from Vancouver (or you can drive the extra miles up Squamish, cross and back down). Yes it is not really an island and yes it is connect to the mainland. Also you need a car to sight-see.

I booked with non refundable hotel and then find out I can't go stay there. After communicating…read morewith owner they kindly offered to refund me. I appreciate it. Thank you

If you haven't been to Barnston Island, you're missing out on an adventure. First, there's the…read morewacky ferry to get over there. It's basically a tugboat with a barge attached that chugs back and forth across the river every ten minutes or so. You can drive, but the ferry has limited capacity for cars (maybe six?), no public parking on the island, and you have to back up off the ferry when you get to Barnston Island. It's better to leave the car in the free lot at the end of 104 Ave in Surrey and walk or take your bike. (The ferry is also free.) Most of the island is private property (lots of "no trespassing" signs), although there is one park at the northwest corner with picnic tables and some marshy beach. A narrow paved road encircles the island, a 10 km route with very little traffic and plenty of scenery. On our summer bike ride, we saw everything from goats to eagles to skydivers, with views of Golden Ears Bridge, the North Shore Mountains and Mt. Baker in the distance. An abandoned home with brambles taking over the doorway was also strangely cool. Barnston Island has a peaceful feeling, inhabited yet abandoned at the same time. One car passed us on the entire ride, and the only other people we saw were fellow cyclists and walkers. There are also no stores on the island, so be sure to bring your own water and provisions. You can say you've been somewhere without really leaving.

The coolest (and still free!) ferry! It's a fun little ride over to the island and only 10 km…read morearound... Very idyllic and restful... Nice for a little bike ride, a walk in the country or just a peaceful drive... I wish there was a legal place to enjoy a picnic beside the river, though.., And it is a smart thing to bring some mosquito repellant because they like to attack fresh blood... Lol

Located in front of Hillcrest Community Centre are nine black bird sculptures, over six feet high…read more The sculptures were installed in 2009, although it was only last week that I noticed them, as I am rarely in the area (but that's not really an excuse; I have gone to Hillcrest a handful of times in the past 16 years!). The sculptures, which remind me of chess pieces, are actually ravens and it was created by Manitoba Aboriginal Arts Council, Inc, an Aboriginal Artist collective based in Manitoba. The artists are: Colleen Cutschall, Irvin Head, Ian August, Riel Benn, Roger Crait, Jasyn Lucas, Jeff Monias, Gayle Sinclaire, and Jackie Traverse. More information can be found here: https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/grand-entry-manitoba-aboriginal-arts-council.pdf I had to do some googling to find out what these sculptures were as the information on the plaque had been rubbed away. Per the link, each raven is by a different artist. It would have been helpful had there been a small plaque in front of each raven with the name of the artist (although perhaps there was and I didn't see it). Overall, pretty cool sculptures, and I'm glad I finally noticed them and spent the time to look at them. [Yelp collections: Public Art]

Located in the New Westminster River Market, this is the World's Tallest Tin Solder. He stands 9.75…read moremeters tall and is wearing size 60 boots. He weighs 4540 kilograms and was recorded in 2002 by the Guinness Book of World Records. The Tin Soldier is based on a replica of a Sergeant Major of the Royal Engineers Columbia Detachment. He was originally installed on November 29, 2000 at the Royal New Westminster and then relocated to its current location on the Quay on February 14, 2002. He was originally owned by the Simon Fraser Society of Community Living and gifted him to the City of New West Minster in 2011. I saw him in October 2023 so he's not a "seasonal" thing rolled out for Christmas. [Review 20893 overall - 69 in British Columbia - 1877 of 2023.]

Touted as being "the world's largest tin soldier", this super-tall sheet metal sculpture is located…read moreprominently on the New West quay. The piece is even included in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the world's tallest. Who knew? It's very bright. It's very tall. It's very whimsical, in a childlike way (after all, it's a replica of a child's toy. Just....bigger). I'm not sure I like this work in this location. It would seem better fitted to be installed by a children's museum or a children's hospital. But I understand that it was created to honor a Sergeant Major of the Royal Engineers Columbia Detachment and his role in establishing the city of New West. What I do find really cool about this piece is the fact that, contained within his chest is a time capsule, made to be opened in the year of 2025. Neat!

Having watched the 2010 Winter Olympics on television, I hoped then to someday get the chance to…read morevisit Vancouver to see it in person. Today was that day of a wish coming true. While it seemed more impressive on the tv screen back then, I nevertheless appreciated the moment.

This history with the 2010 Winter Olympics makes this thing seem cooler than it is. I saw some…read morepictures from back when it was lit up with flames and it is in fact pretty spectacular looking. Now it's only lit for special occasions. But besides that as a "landmark" it's just meh. Since I was in this part of Vancouver it was somewhat worth it to stop by just to see it. The big black LEGO dolphin nearby is much cooler.

When I think of a "stairway to heaven", this is probably something that comes to mind…read more We parked at Little Squalicum Park and walked down a short path to get here (there's a little steep section). Originally, we saw that there was a pier and thought to try crabbing here. I don't think this is a pier for fishing nor crabbing. The water depth is only a few feet even at the end - it's quite shallow, not deep enough for crabs or any serious fishing. We tried a few casts anyway and didn't come up with anything, unfortunately. But, it's an awesome long pier walk that really gets you some scenic views at the end of the surrounding areas. Great nature view. You really take the full force of the sun out there, so wear some sunscreen.

I was not expecting to be as impressed as I was by this brand new pier at Little Squalicum Beach…read more For decades, I've visited this rustic little beach park with family or friends, always gazing out at the long-dilapidated former shipping pier. Fast forward to just a few weeks ago, and they've transformed this creosote-scented landmark into a place of beauty. We were lucky to be there on a warm, sunny day. We walked out to the end and took it all in. From views of Lummi and Orcas Islands to the west, Mt. Baker to the east, and even some humongous-looking crabs wandering the shallow depths beneath the bridge, it was a delightful (and free!) way to spend some time in nature.

Came across this lone girl while bicycle riding around Stanley Park. It was low tide, so you could…read moresee the entire boulder that she is on. And you could also walk/jump amongst the rocks to get a closer look. I find her gaze to be quiet and contemplative. I find the setting serene and peaceful. Nice :)

This was one of those landmarks in Stanley park that either you completely understand and love or…read more... like me, admire for the given moment and then look for the next. I'm not saying it's not worth your time but this is a 'your mileage may vary' situation. I've seen the Little Mermaid in the Copenhagen harbour. It's crowded as it's surrounded by a never ending mountain of tourists. Girl in a Wetsuit is MUCH further out from the shoreline and you could miss it if you're not paying attention. When I was here.. she was alone and if anything, I would say the sombre weather was mimicked in her too. I could have approached her since it was low tide and she perched on top of her rock. For me, the only interesting tidbit I found about her was a simple plaque on the side of the path. It mentioned she was placed in 1972 and her meaning is Vancouver's dependence on the water. A simple sculpture with a simple meaning. Perhaps it'll resonate with you but to me, her solitude was one of longing and poise. Perhaps that's Vancouver but I dont see it quite represent the current Vancouver.