Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

42 things that made Vancouver Awesome this week

Take a break from the news cycle and help us celebrate the things we covered this week that are making Vancouver Awesome with a capital “A.”

Take a break from the news cycle and help us celebrate the things we covered this week that are making Vancouver Awesome with a capital “A.”

March 17-23, 2018

1. This week we released the Vancouver Is Awesome Podcast's 15th episode, featuring our guest Prem Gill of Creative BC. Subscribe and get a fresh episode every Monday. (Here we are on iTunes.)

 Prem Gill (Vancouver Is Awesome)Prem Gill (Vancouver Is Awesome)

2. There’s a massive LEGO convention coming to Vancouver in April.

3. Mmmm: 5 new brunches to try in and around Vancouver.

4. The Vancouver Art Gallery extends Friday hours for popular Murakami exhibit.

5. Birder captures beautiful video of Anna’s hummingbird.

6. Remembering Larry Kwong: Did you know the first ever NHL player of Asian descent was from B.C.?

7-8. Duelling tulip fests: The Abbotsford Tulip Festival and the Tulips of the Valley will draw floral fans (and Instagrammers) to the Fraser Valley this spring.

 Photo courtesy Tulips of the ValleyPhoto courtesy Tulips of the Valley

9. The Ready Player One virtual reality and retro gaming experience brought people out to play March 23 and 24.

10. Pop-up events bring a free tea cart and some important civic talk to Chinatown.

11. Hungry? We've got 10 awesome places for Chicken & Waffles in Vancouver.

12. Very cool: Vancouver Aquarium releases lovelorn octopus.

13. The City of Vancouver has launched a creative bike rack design contest.

14. We took a look at the incredible new exhibit "Haida Now" at the Museum of Vancouver.

 Haida tools (Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome)Haida tools (Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome)

15. Vancouverites hold march in solidarity with survivors of gun violence.

16. A Body of Art: Upcoming creative event promotes radical self-love.

17. Awesome or not? Glitter beer is a thing now.

18. And also not everyone's thing: KFC Waffle Double Down coming to Vancouver (plus how to get one FREE).

19. Fine, make it a trio: Starbucks puts glittery Crystal Ball Frappuccinos on the menu.

20. Amplify BC: $7.5M government fund gives music industry major back-up.

21. Said The Whale put out a playlist that celebrates Vancouver’s AWESOME music scene.

22. More in music: Vancouver shredders launch ‘Free Guitar Lesson Day’.

 Milton on set of The Arrow, adjacent the BC Hydro building downtown, with Harbour Centre also in the background.Milton on set of The Arrow, adjacent the BC Hydro building downtown, with Harbour Centre also in the background.

23. An "Arrow" grip shares montage of selfie videos with stunts in the background.

24. BC SPCA launches world’s first pest control accreditation program.

25. Our new This Week in History series looks at the 1986 mayoral race in Vancouver.

26. Vancouver photographer Stephen Waddell has been named a finalist for prestigious Canadian award.

27. Chill Korean’s Vancouver video shares refreshing tourist perspective.

28. Speaking of tourism: A record-setting 10.3 million people visited Vancouver in 2017.

 Volodymyr Kyrylyuk / Shutterstock.comVolodymyr Kyrylyuk / Shutterstock.com

29. This week we asked you what makes you happy. Here's what you said.

30. We're up to 91 in our 500 Coffees series. This week we talked with Dr. Scott D. Sampson.

31. Geek out! SFU sea sponge research identifies chemical compound to treat HIV.

32. A longstanding sushi spot has closed up, but the owners are moving on to an exciting ramen venture.

33. Heading out at the end of the week? BC Ferries adds extra sailings for Easter.

 @yvrairport/Twitter@yvrairport/Twitter

34-35. It was a great week for YVR Airport. They were named one of the Most Impressive Airports in the World, and they have cute service puppies in need of names.

36. Feast time! Sakura Night: Epic food event marks cherry blossom season in Vancouver.

37. Seeing them, too? First cherry blossoms spotted at Burrard Station this week.

38. We're number one! Vancouver ranked best North American city for quality of living.

39. Congrats: CEO of Metro Vancouver YWCA named B.C.’s new lieutenant-governor.

40. The world’s largest annual video game tournament is coming to Rogers Arena.

41. This week we got a rare peek at the finalists for 2018 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards--by category!

42. Plus we rounded up 10 wild and wonderful waffle dishes to try in Vancouver.

That's a lot of AWESOME!