Five reasons to check out the West End audio tour
GREAT BLUE HERONS
Aaron Chapman hosts the new audio walking tour WE Live Here, brought to you by the folks at Carfree West End. The 1.5-hour excursion features audio recordings from five local storytellers, including Pamela Post. Post narrates a piece about the great blue herons of Stanley Park. “It’s not just a bunch of birds sitting around a park,” says Chapman. “Believe me, there’s a whole soap opera going on down there.”
THE BEACH
Writer, poet and podcast host
Dina Del Bucchia offers a fresh perspective on English Bay, and sights and sounds familiar to many Vancouverites.
THE KANAKA RANCH
Squamish elder Dennis Joseph connects centuries-old Indigenous stories to the old Denman Arena, once located at Denman and W. Georgia streets. “It’s a surprising connection between some of the old Indigenous territory as well as what was a Hawaiian encampment,” says Chapman. “The story crosses generations.”
ROBSON PUBLIC MARKET
Longtime West End resident Bill Richardson takes walkers on a tour of the local landmark, so be sure to plan your visit during their open hours: daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
MAXINE’S HIDEAWAY
Along with hosting, local historian Chapman delves into the storied past of Maxine’s Hideaway. “There were all these rumours that it (Maxine’s) was a brothel, and there were tunnels connecting it to the Rogers Mansion, where girls would be sent, and another tunnel that went to English Bay to smuggle booze during Prohibition. I guess you could say I do a little myth-busting. But the truth in this case is more fascinating than the fiction.”