If you walk along the Vancouver Seawall towards Third Beach, you will reach Siwash Rock, a 32 million-year-old sea stack. The Squamish legend tells of the warrior Skalsh who swam here to purify himself and his family, as his wife gave birth on the shore. Challenged by the Gods for intruding on their territory and warned to leave, Skalsh continued to swim. It is said that he was transformed into this giant rock, to commemorate his unwavering devotion to his family.
In the middle of Vancouver's Coal Harbour you can see the 8-bit Whale, a large public art display by renowned artist Douglas Coupland. It was constructed to celebrate the first annual Canadian Video Game Awards, hence the pixelated design. I was able to attend the awards that year, hosted by Victor Lucas; it was a lot of fun!
I spotted this couple taking in the view of Whistler Valley. They stood in awe for a few minutes, long enough for me to snap a picture.
This is a view from the Gondola that took us from Whistler peak to Blackcomb peak. The Gondola ride is roughly 20 minutes and travels 4.4 kilometers across the sky, holding the record for the longest freespan between ropeway towers.
Taken in November, this was one of the nicest sunsets I had seen in my 4 years living in Vancouver. The lingering storm clouds made it even more dramatic.
I took this picture from the Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, on the same night as the previous photo. That gap in the middle of the skyline is Burrard Street, dividing the down town core into East and West. The East, to the left of this picture, features the Vancouver Lookout Tower, and Canada Place on the water, as well as the neighbourhood of Gastown. To the west, you can see the Shangri-La Hotel, the tallest building in Vancouver, and the neighbourhood of Coal Harbour.
This totem pole was created by Squamish Nation carver, Rick Harry (Xwalacktan), to welcome all people to Squamish and Lil'wat land. The hand prints along the totem pole are from those who helped create the totem. I took this picture at the peak of Mount Whistler.
At Stanley Park there is a path that juts off from the Seawall and leads into the forest towards Beaver Lake. It is home to many birds, bugs and beavers. In the summer the lake is covered with Lily Pads and Lily Flowers.
In the fall, Beaver Lake is quite a different scene, but no less beautiful.
In a 2014 poll, this picture from Beaver Lake was voted the number 1 favorite photo! My favorite comment from the poll was, "it looks like a place where fairies live!" Thank you to everyone who participated!
This is the last picture I took before my move home to Ottawa. The glass on the plane created a really cool rainbow effect over the Canadian Rockies.
Third Beach; one of my favorite spots along the Seawall in Stanley Park, and possibly one of the best places during summer to watch the sun set.
The Lonsdale Quay is a travel hub and a public market. It was located across the street from our home, at the base of the North Shore Mountains in North Vancouver.
A shot of Vancouver from the SeaBus, a 12 minute ferry that would take us from our home in North Vancouver to the Peninsula of Downtown Vancouver.
This is the face of King, from the sculpture titled "King and Queen", by artist Sorel Etrog. It is located in the luxurious waterfront neighborhood of Coal Harbour.
The "Girl in a Wetsuit" can be seen from the Seawall, along the edges of Stanley Park. History and legend tells the story of the industrial men who would whistle and cheer whenever they saw a woman swimming and resting on this rock jutting out of the water. In 1972, artist Elek Imredy sculpted this statue out of bronze. It has seen much controversy since then, as Imredy was accused of copying the famous sculpture in Copenhagen, "The Little Mermaid". What do you think?
The Whistler Inukshuk was constructed at the peak of Mount Whistler, as a symbol of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games hosted in British Columbia. In the month of August I was able to take a picture of my girlfriend Jenna standing with the Inukshuk, a task that would have proven much more difficult during the winter.
Another beautiful view from the Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler Blackcomb. Random, but applicable Lord of the Rings quote: "I want to see mountains Gandalf! Mountains!" - Bilbo Baggins