The Most Epic Structures in Canada

Confederation Bridge by Tuer Geist

We live right next to one of the most commercialized nations on the Earth. The result? Everybody knows the story behind the Statue of Liberty, WTC and Capitol Hill, but not many people have even remotely considered the possibility that there might be something grand in Canada - except for its nature, of course. Maybe it’s time to take on a bit of an American attitude and properly promote some of Canada's breathtaking structures. This article will prove that Canadians not only think big, but that they can build epic! The following few paragraphs will walk you through the vastest, longest, tallest, and most expensive structures in the country.

Vancouver Pest Control Tips & Tricks

Norway Rats by Wikimedia Commons

Not only are they dangerous for your personal health, but they also pose a serious threat to your property. They carry around various contagious diseases, and some of them seem as if they've come around just for one reason: slowly, but steadily destroy your house and push you out of your comfort zone. We’re talking about pests, practically at small creatures with the power to reduce the quality of our lives significantly. They’re something you can't overlook, but with the right procedures and a rapid response time, it’s not a problem that can't be dealt with. This article will help you recognize the most common and dangerous pests in Vancouver and find professional help, and give you tips what can you do to prevent them from returning and wave them goodbye forever.

Greater Vancouver Real Estate Market Results: December

Downtown Vancouver by PoYang

Our market remained in a balanced state for most of the year, although higher levels of demand for detached properties in the region’s largest communities caused prices in certain areas to rise higher than others. For example, the benchmark price of a single-family detached home experienced double-digit increases in nine areas within the region over the last 12 months.

New Year’s Eve Events in Vancouver

Vancouver Fireworks by Jon Rawlinson

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner. Another year, another reason to celebrate. Seems like we’ve barely finished with Christmas gifts and we’re stuck trying to figure out what to do on the craziest night of the year. This NYE’s events offer a surprisingly diverse mixture of parties, fireworks, traditional sleepovers, great food, and fabulous drinks. Whether you want to dress to the nines and head out to the last glamourous party of this year or you want to spend the night with your family, you have plenty of options to choose from. This article brings you a list of the most interesting events and venues to go to on this NYE.

World’s Strangest Christmas Traditions

Cagatio by Wikimedia Commons

From this part of the world, it seems that everyone must celebrate Christmas the way we do and are so proud of. But don’t be too fast with your ethnocentric judgments; our choice of the strangest Christmas customs from around the globe will certainly change your notion of the typical festive time celebration rituals.

How to Meet People Online Safely

Computer party by Eyeliam

Not many social networking sites, message boards, blogs, internet dating sites, and other online resources that are used to connect people on the daily basis advertise the online safety issue. Some of them are used for online meet-ups only; some of them even result in face to face get-togethers. What all of these online services have in common is the risk of personal data exposure and abuse. How can you prevent this? This article will give you crucial advice on how to avoid problems that might arise from your communication with others on the Internet.

Best Vancouver Christmas Events

Van Dusen Festival of Lights
by JamesZ Flickr

Christmas time is here, and as with every year, Vancouver offers a myriad of events for you and your family. Take your children to visit Santa, see beautiful Christmas lights, and enjoy various cultural events — either in theatre or ballet. These are the most interesting events and venues to visit during this lovely period of the year in Vancouver.

Greater Vancouver Real Estate Market Results: November

Vancouver by Maya-Anais Yataghine

November is behind us, and as the year 2011 slowly comes to an end, we bring you a short review of this year’s 11th Real Estate Market Results report, issued by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver. November 2011 didn’t experience any major diversions from this part of the year’s usual home sale and listing activity.

How to Use Car2Go in Vancouver

Car2Go in Vancouver by Richard Eriksson

This short article will help you register and start using Vancouver’s Car2Go car-sharing program and hopefully explain all the questions you have about this new exciting opportunity in our city.

Vancouver Galleries: First Nations and Inuit Art

Daphne Odjig in Lattimer Gallery

Aboriginal art has always had a very strong tradition in Vancouver, both in homes and galleries around the city. Most of the galleries selling First Nations and Inuit art were established some 30-40 years ago, in the times when Aboriginal motifs became highly fashionable. According to some gallery owners, nowadays, as the First Nations and Inuit hype is no longer so powerful, people tend to be less interested in the “mystery” behind these artworks. Instead, they take interest in quality and artistic value, and if they’re considering purchasing an art-piece, they are happy to buy even one from a contemporary artist using First Nations or Inuit motifs. This gives many younger artists focusing on aboriginal art an opportunity to display and sell their works. Here is a selection of the finest Vancouver galleries that make this happen.

Movies Shot in Vancouver

Wolverine Poster

A friend of mine asked me, “Did you realize that more and more films are being shot in Vancouver?” And honestly, I didn’t. What I did notice was just some guys running up and down the streets of Vancouver from time to time, carrying filming equipment, microphones, and those huge, shiny aluminium boards that make actors’ faces look so nice in movies. Yet I hadn’t realized that these could be big productions from Hollywood or even Europe shooting future crowd-pleasers.

U.S. Rentals on the Rise

Front of House by Chanel Wheeler

An October 2011 economic outlook report by Freddie Mac reveals an increasing trend in choosing rental housing over homeownership, hinting at positive economic developments in the multifamily sector in the U.S. market.

Chinese Real Estate Bubble – About to Burst or Just Slowly Deflating?

Chinese House by John Heaven

The question many economists have been analyzing lately relates to one of the biggest real estate markets in the world: China. It is clear that there is a housing market bubble, and nobody disagrees that its impact could be considerable. The real question is: how big is it really going to be?

The Most Expensive House in Vancouver

2190 Camelot Avenue, West Vancouver, BC V7S 2M2
Price: $39,900,000

Camelot Estate
by Charpac Properties Ltd.

The most expensive house in Vancouver is also the most expensive house in the whole of Canada. The name of the avenue on which this house can be found is quite significant. The three-building estate you’ll get for the listing price is more like a modern castle than a normal house. The property is located in West Vancouver with a view of the Lower Mainland, downtown, the U.S., and Vancouver Island.

Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary Celebrations: November

Celebrate Vancouver 125

With only two months left, the City of Vancouver has prepared another set of spectacular cultural events — more proof,that living in Vancouver offers vibrant arts scenes, astonishing cultural background, and diverse and culturally rich communities. This month, we’ll celebrate 125 years of the Women in Leadership Foundation, explore cultural, architectural, and technological evolution of the city through the voices of our elders, and have an opportunity to attend many other artistic events through the whole of November. We’d also like to present a collection of ten classic Vancouver books, now newly edited. Here are some of the events that you may find interesting.