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I mostly picked up info from books when doing a Google Earth overlay showing Vancouver's original coastline, but lots of Wikipedia articles have been getting better recently. The Vancouver Archives have a lot of cool stuff, and just google searches for the history of specific items bring up articles of interest.

EDIT - I need to hunt around for a book on Vancouver's history that I had in the seventies, The Vancouver Book by Chuck Davis. It had some amazing stuff, like the tunnels in Chinatown that were used for illicit purposes, wartime stuff like where the searchlight and gun emplacements were (many still visible but few know what they are), a great story about a ship being shot and sunk (sorta) accidently by one of the gun crews.

Think I'll pick up this one too, it looks good.

I bought a car from the auto auction in the late 90's (CAAG in Surrey). Back then it was a risk v reward thing as you're never sure exactly what you're getting. You can browse the cars beforehand, start them up but they are packed in so tight you can't really drive them.

Plenty of deals to be had but its largely influenced by how popular it is that day. Best times is low season (Oct-Feb), and if it's raining. Mid week was better deals than weekends.

To judge prices, ignore blue book; Check Craigslist. Craiglist is the market.

Buy an ODB2 sensor to check diagnostics. (Depending on how old the car is, it may not work). Before every auction the auctioneer will call out any declarations and it will be on a big board (out of province, salvage, not legal etc)

The atmosphere is hectic and crazy and confusing and exciting, but once you've got a couple of times and see how it goes its not bad at all. If you want to bid on a car, have a price in mind and put your hand up if the price is right. An auction worker will come over to you and call the bids out for you so you're not confused by all the hand signals and yelling. If there is a reserve price on the car and you don't meet it, you can negotiate on the spot with the seller (standing near the auctioneer) if they are willing to take less than the reserve.

Try not to feel intimidated or bullied. Get a price in your mind and work with that.

Last note: You're going to have to settle price and insurance quickly, but they do have a broker on site to do transfers/reg/taxes

Hopefully this helps. My experience is close to 20 years old, but I spent a TON of time at the auction place and got a real good feel for how it worked at that time.

I buy Orville Redenbacher kernels myself. Jolly Time tasted absolutely terrible.

Flavacol makes popcorn amazing, IMO. It's available on amazon.ca as well but the price isn't great: https://www.amazon.ca/Gold-Medal-Products-Flavacol-Seasoning/dp/B004W8LT10/

edit: this post prompted me to make some, and I finished off a container of kernels with a 'best of' date in 2015. They still taste amazing, they keep perfectly 'fresh'.

Fellow Vancouver enthusiast and local of 8 years here, I can't recommend this book highly enough: The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver. I think it's somewhat rare these days, so good luck finding a copy at a reasonable price! It's an absolute treasure of a book, one of my all-time favourites. It's essentially the author's life's work - funny, poignant, exhaustively comprehensive and full of obscure human interest stories. I can also recommend Vancouver Special by Charles Demers, a local comedian and longtime Vancouver resident. Derek Hayes' historical atlases are quite good as well.

absolutely. try this one

i use a variation of it that is an overnight bulk ferment, but the results are still good using the same day recipe. your results will vary depending on your pizza stone/steel, how your oven/broiler behaves, and of course a ton of other things, but it's a good place to start!

if you're really keen on going further, i HIGHLY recommend buying the book Flour Water Salt Yeast. its my bread and pizza bible.

I have the g1w-c https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-Recorder-Dashboard-Authentic/dp/B00JJ3SQRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505660812&sr=8-1&keywords=g1w&th=1

Cheap. Very good quality. IF you're not happy with it too, easy to return with amazon but this has been the best dash cam I've owned. Can see plates easily.

The leaching of lead from systems is relevant in Prince George Rupert because of the acidic water. Our water chemistry is going to be very different. GVRD water reports are here.

If you're worried about water quality, run your water for a few min. And/or put in an under-counter filter like this one.

On a side note: My father was involved as an elected board member on a small water system. In their case, the water system was functioning fine and providing safe clean water. But the provincial government - in what amounted to a cover-their-ass move - mandated that every system meet some incredibly high standards that were absolutely unaffordable for small systems to implement. We're not talking lead here, but going from something like 99.9999% to 99.99999% which was overkill and millions of dollars of costs onto ~300 users. Downloading of costs and shifting of responsibility for a negligible benefit.

I'm going to leave these recommended dashcams here for anyone who might need some ideas.

[Yi Dashcam - budget pick for if you park indoors @ 65 CAD] https://www.amazon.ca/YI-1080P60-Dashboard-G-Sensor-Recording/dp/B01C89GCHU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523078644&sr=8-1&keywords=yi+dash+cam

[G1W-C - budget pick if you park outside @ 70 CAD] https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-Capacitor-Resistant-Recorder/dp/B00JJ3SQRI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1523078838&sr=8-3&keywords=g1w

[A119 - best image quality you'll find under 300] https://www.amazon.ca/VIOFO-A119-Camera-Logger-Latest/dp/B01M28B92C/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1523078871&sr=1-4&keywords=a119

[Mini 0906 - cheapest acceptable dual camera] https://www.amazon.ca/Blueskysea-Capacitor-Dashboard-Recorder-G-Sensor/dp/B075JHKBR7

[Blacksys CH100B - value dual camera setup] https://www.blackboxmycar.ca/products/blacksys-ch-100b?variant=5191081918497

Get these books:
109 Walks and
103 hikes
The directions/explanations aren't the best, but at least it will give you ideas. And lots of the listings are not super well known, so often it's less crowded. I like just flipping through and picking a random spot. The walk book has walks that can take from a couple to many hours, but the hike book has major hikes - many of them are carry-in camp style for more serious hikers. Happy adventuring!

Y'all might not want to realize the implications of this, but I strongly encourage you to read The High Cost of Free Parking.

First you have to decide what type you want - battery or capacitor?
Capacitor ones are costlier but they work well under heat unlike the battery. (In Vancouver, I don't think I needed a capacitor based cam)
Then you can search for that type, I try wirecutter first: http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dash-cam/
I bought this spy tec for 60$ from amazon.ca which is cheap but works great!

Please considering buying and installing a dashcam. They can be invaluable at times like this when something happens to you on the road. I recommend this one, because it is the absolute best bang for your buck, but there are cheaper ones out there.

Stay safe out there.

Garibaldi Lake is really nice and not too far for a day hike. I did an over nighter and had to dig out a tent pad under a meter and a half of wet snow... that was a bit unnecessary.

103 Hikes is a good book for info. You can also pick one up at MEC I'm sure.

Amazon is probably the cheapest option for all the equipment you need.

Here's a bunch of equipment you'll want to grab:


Winco Winware Stainless Steel Dough Scraper with Wood Handle https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0017HUR9E/

10" Round Banneton Brotform https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MQA0BMT/

Mercer Culinary Offset Serated Bread Knife https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01F35UGWS

Flour Water Salt Yeast: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/160774273X

You'll also want to grab a clear round plastic storage container for your starter. Amazon doesn't have any good deals on them but it seems like Walmart/Home Depot/Gourmet Warehouse may have some. FWSY has a recommendation on a size, can't remember off the top of my head.

Once Flourist opens up it'll be the place to grab your flour from.

http://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/

I liked this book too 109 Hikes of the Lower Mainland

Here's one I haven't read but it's the same author: 103 Hikes Southwestern British Columbia

Hundreds of possibilities .. easy ones are Lynn Canyon, Cap, Stanley Park, Lighthouse Park, do all the beaches, Minnekhada, Colony Farm, Seymour Demonstration forest, +1 on Pacific Spirit, Deer Lake

I have this SAD lamp. Works on a timer and it is nice to wake up to. Other than that, I like to bike everywhere and always book a trip (even if it is only small) in February for something to look forward to.

Good luck!

For anyone interested in more, I highly recommend checking out photographer Fred Herzog. He was one of the pioneers of color photography and spent decades documenting Vancouver from the 50s to the present. He has a few books that are fantastic. I picked up my copy of Photographys from Book Warehouse on Broadway for $60.

I enjoyed Vancouver Special by Charles Demers

> In Vancouver Special, writer and performer Charles Demers examines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of Vancouver, shedding light on the various strategies and influences that have made the city what it is today (as well as what it should be). From a history of anti-Asian racism to a deconstruction of the city's urban sprawl; from an examination of local food trends to a survey of the city's politically radical past, Vancouver Special is a love letter to the city, taking a no-holds-barred look at Lotusland with verve, wit, and insight.

In that case, nothing less than this:

http://www.amazon.com/Kryptonite-Fahgettaboutit-Bicycle-U-Lock-6-Inch/dp/B000OZ9VLU/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1304026133&sr=1-3

If it's a really nice bike people -will- strip the parts off it, in five minutes with some hex keys your shifters, rear derailleur, etc can be gone. In a Shimano component world I wouldn't lock any new model bike with better than Deore (MTB) or 105 (Road) components in public. For SRAM, not better than X7...

And with any thought at all it should be something that voters are strongly against. It turns out there is a high cost to free parking. Man I hope that idiot doesn't get in.

Just buy one. They are cheap, and useful. Amazon

Goes well with the Torque app

$36 for a 100 pack from amazon, which will last you a good long while.

Me too. I'm down with Nacet Platinum, all the way.

Online is definitely the right way. Buy a whole card of them.

https://www.amazon.ca/Feather-Razor-Blades-Hi-stainless-Double/dp/B004RWTQTS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486787177&sr=8-1&keywords=feather+blades

>it was Bic, it was partially or all blue, and it said Vancouver on it.


Did it look like this? Canucks lighter with Vancouver on it

I bought spytec, cost around $60, records HD, works well.
https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-Recorder-Dashboard-Authentic/dp/B00KZ0J452

bottled water is also bad.

There are ways to test your water if you are concerned. A brita filter can reduce lead levels as well.

Maybe it was a Canucks Bic lighter? Maybe. You can totally Amazon one of those if that’s right.

https://www.amazon.ca/BIC-Vancouver-Canucks-Full-Lighters/dp/B00SXHGWMC

Amazon. Get a Bluetooth one, along with torque app. There's a bunch of vehicle specific apps too.

Android can be Bluetooth or WiFi, iPhone needs it to be a WiFi obd module.

This is the unit I use.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B011NSX27A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YQgtDbRWCVX9M

https://www.amazon.ca/High-Cost-Free-Parking/dp/193236496X

this is considered mandatory reading in planning circles.

https://www.amazon.ca/Kikkerland-Woodlands-Ice-Tray-Green/dp/B00EYCQWPC

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.ca/store/product/kikkerland-reg-design-woodlands-ice-tray/1043326853?Keyword=Kikkerland%c2%ae+Design+Woodlands+Ice+Tray

Amazon

You could get regular popcorn kernals from the grocery store, and then get yourself some flavacol to make your popcorn.

https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Medal-Prod-Flavacol-Seasoning/dp/B004W8LT10?th=1

You get quite a lot in a carton considering you only use a little bit with each batch of popcorn made, so it should last you at least a year.

This is the stuff they use at movie theatres to make them so tasty.

https://www.amazon.ca/BIC-Vancouver-Canucks-Full-Lighters/dp/B00SXHGWMC

This is my favourite coffee table book.

http://www.vancouvertrails.com/

http://www.amazon.ca/103-Hikes-Southwestern-British-Columbia/dp/1553653742

I bought this one.

https://www.amazon.ca/Veepeak-Bluetooth-Diagnostic-Scanner-Android/dp/B011NSX27A/ref=pd_bxgy_263_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=92BXK3R3X07WM5PHT7QP

G1WH in my Honda, A119c in my dads Jeep.

Looks the same as this one? https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/

I ordered this camera yesterday afternoon.

Here's the review from dashcamtalk.

I was thinking of the A119 v2. Uses capacitors instead of batteries.
https://www.amazon.ca/VIOFO-A119-Camera-Logger-Latest/dp/B01M28B92C/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1517723532&sr=1-1&keywords=a119+v2&dpID=51UPd4U5xlL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

I have the Thinkware F770. Helped pay for a deductible for my insurance claim, so it paid for itself. Lady hit my car getting out of hers, and camera caught everything off the storefront reflection.

Spend money on a real lock, no cheapo $30 MEC shit. I use a Kryptonite U-Lock and a thick chain. Nobody is getting through this without some serious hardware. It's fucking heavy, but it's worth it.

You provided half of what is needed to make that a meaningful number. I already outlined what would make it meaningful, so still, so much completely useless stats.

Even if we accept it's an over representation, I dont by the way, you're extrapolating info off of 21 arrests vs 12, to the hundreds of thousands that come for the fireworks?

Do you have a degree? Did it not require stats? I know almost every single one from UBC requires one, same with Uvic, same with UofT. I have no first hand knowledge beyond that, but I imagine most do. If you do, you know you can't do that, and you look silly.

Read this book if you actually think what you're saying has any basis in reality. You'd be laughed at in any serious forum.

Read this book, it's very small. http://www.amazon.ca/How-To-Lie-With-Statistics/dp/0393310728

It'll help you build arguments based in reality in the future. I can't imagine you made it through school without reading it already, but maybe. Right now, you're lying with stats. Only the uneducated wouldn't pick up on it.

There's also the 800 page (text)book by Shoup. Which is a decent read. It does get a bit repetitive after a while. https://www.amazon.ca/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193236496X

Its the process that numbers were calculated with that you should also be concerned with. Mailing address isnt a good proxy for 'foreign' as many commenters are pointing out.

I could do a bull shit study on shit data and feed you some numbers, but hopefully you would be sceptical about it!

Also check out this book How to Lie with Statistics for a decent explanation.

I have this one. $100 plus a spare SD card.

https://www.amazon.ca/Spy-Tec-A118-C-Capacitor-Dashboard/dp/B00SK8B47W/

No fanciness like GPS (not like its speed reading is accurate anyways) or internal battery to monitor your parked cars, but it is also tiny and cheap. Stick it on the windshield behind your rear view mirror and you don't even see it at all.

The adapter it bundles with kind of sucks, but you can decide for yourself or just get a 15' USB to USB-mini cable if your car already has a spare USB power out port.

One of these should do the trick:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-goLITE-BLU-Therapy-Device/dp/B001I45XL8

Costco often has them on sale.

It's the blue part of the spectrum that's responsible for circadian entrainment and correlates well with efficacy of light therapy for SAD.
I actually use that model year round because I find I get up with the sun. I just get it to turn on about 20 minutes before I need to get up and I wake up spontaneously without any grogginess so long as I've had at least 6 hours of sleep.

Also, try to get outside around solar noon (~12:30). Except for the deepest, darkest, overcast days, there's usually enough light after 20 minutes to sufficiently combat SAD.

Vitamin D supplements have less efficacy when it comes to SAD. Sure, take them, but it seems that SAD is more dependent on light exposure rather than vitamin D synthesis.