An expert expat’s tips for Vancouver, Canada

The expat

Originally from Wembley, a leafy western suburb of Perth, Ross Avenell travelled to Canada to visit friends in 2011 and never left. He now has three children with his Canadian wife and lives in Vancouver, where he works for Australian-owned adventure company Aurora Expeditions.
See auroraexpeditions.com.au

Downtown Vancouver: buzzing metropolis with a dramatic mountain backdrop.Credit: iStock

See

Vancouver has such a plethora of fantastic museums it’s hard to limit the list to one, from the Maritime Museum to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park or one of my kids’ favourites, Science World (scienceworld.ca). Watch out for the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, an impressive First Nations collection expected to reopen in late 2023. The must-see is FlyOver Canada, an interactive movie experience giving a bird’s-eye view of Canada – a stunning country – without leaving Vancouver.

The renowned The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia Campus.Credit: iStock

Do

Granville Island was once an industrial wasteland, but the warehouses and buildings have been transformed into markets, theatres, art studios and restaurants. Join locals and tourists alike travelling to the island via the cute, colourful tugboat ferries from Downtown. Your first stop should be the Public Market, a foodie’s delight filled with locally sourced produce, seafood, bread, cheeses and homemade goodies. Grab something delicious for a picnic lunch or visit one of the many eateries. For families, the Kid’s Market is brimming with toys, activities and even clothing. Granville Island is home to a multitude of craft studios and artisan workshops in the Artisan District or Net Loft, all offering the coolest locally made handicrafts – fantastic for treasured souvenirs. See granvilleisland.com

Vancouver’s Granville Island.Credit: iStock

Eat

Vancouver is filled with chain restaurants, so there are surprisingly few independent dining options here. However, I can’t go past Cardero’s in Coal Harbour – its stunning views over the marina and mountains are matched by its Dockside platter: a dozen fresh oysters, clams, prawns, mussels and crab claws, ahi tuna tataki and salmon poke. See vancouverdine.com/carderos

Drink

The Moose Down Under Bar and Grill helps curb any homesickness by serving Aussie beers and a great parmie. It also shows all the Aussie sports including cricket and AFL, so I don’t miss home. For a little more sophistication, you can’t go past The Keefer Bar in Chinatown, an apothecary-themed cocktail bar with over 25 cocktails known to cure my ills. The signature Tokyo Drift is my go-to – Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky, ambre vermouth, kumquat gomme and “tobacco” bitters.

Expat Ross Avenell in his new home town.

Avoid

Don’t forget to tip everywhere – it’s essential here, with the current minimum being 15 per cent for such services as taxis and in restaurants (but not at fast-food chains). Like most large cities, Vancouver does have a dark side, so it’s best to avoid the East Hastings area where there is a lot of homelessness, and drug and violence issues.

Thrive

Get out! Vancouverites are great outdoors people with myriad great hiking and biking trails on their doorstep through amazing parks, up mountains and around lakes. The renowned Stanley Park sits at the city’s edge and stretches to the ocean and is a great place for cruise nerds like me to watch the many ships coming and going. Just remember to take a waterproof jacket as it can rain unexpectedly. See vancouver.ca