Some cities you never get tired of visiting. If you had your way, you would stay for weeks, months or even a lifetime. Vancouver is one of those cities. You want to marry it and pledge your eternal fidelity.

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New Westminster, a suburb of Vancouver. We leave the Sky Train (a “subway” that runs over the city rather than underground), loaded like pack mules. (Why in the world did we replace our rolling suitcase with a gigantic backpack at the last minute?) Under a radiant sun, we drag ourselves and our gear over to the Inn at Westminster Quay. Maya is howling to get out of her stroller, my arms are about to detach from my shoulders, and Joseph is walking as fast as possible so that he can unburden himself of my enormous backpack (not adjusted to his height), filled with clothes, travel guides and press kits.

We go to our room and catch our breath. From our window, we watch the boats for a while before heading out for some food.

Three hours later, we’re back on the Sky Train. We catch a bus at the Broadway station and get off at the corner of Granville. Just a few more blocks and we finally reach heaven, Tojo’s multi-award-winning Japanese restaurant. Jo and I discover the inspired creations of Tojo’s colourful chef (a real character––you can see him on the restaurant’s website), while Maya sleeps like a log.

“What would you like to eat?” asks Tojo-san.

“What do you suggest?” I reply.

“Is there any food you do not like? Here everything is original. No imitations! Our food is made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.”

We give him carte blanche and opt for omakase (We put ourselves in the chef’s hands). From appetizer (tataki tuna sashimi) to dessert (pineapple ginger sorbet), we savour familiar and exotic foods prepared according to the chef’s mood. This culinary artist also serves us his famous Northern Light Roll, wrapped in a thin slice of cucumber instead of the usual seaweed, with a piece of pineapple representing the light.

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The sun is still shining the next day. Perfect weather for shopping on Robson Street. We stop for lunch at Tsunami Sushi, where little boats of sushi float across the bar on a miniature “canal”. You just grab whatever strikes your fancy. Marvellous. Maya is less impressed, and is much more interested in running, always running…

We stroll along the harbour to Stanley Park. A short stop at the children’s playground (for Maya to spend some of that energy) and then on to the Vancouver Aquarium. Maya is crazy about the seals and the belugas, and is surprised to learn that the seaweed she loves to eat grows underwater with the fish.

We decide to end the day with a visit to English Bay. Not a very original idea: the beach is mobbed. But that’s a minor detail. Lovely Vancouver can be forgiven almost anything.

Family trip to Vancouver:

Pros

• It’s easy to get around by Sky Train or bus if you’re staying outside the downtown core (the stations have elevators). It took us about 30 minutes to get from New Westminster to the heart of the action. Of course, accommodations are less expensive in the suburbs.
• Sushi. There are myriads of Japanese restaurants.
• Chinatown; it’s the third largest in North America.
• The people are lovely.
• There is a real concern for the environment and health.

Cons

• House prices are exorbitant (if you’re thinking of moving there).
• The Pacific Ocean is too cold for most people to dip more than a toe in the water.

Did you know that…

… in 2009, the Sky Train will link Richmond and the airport with downtown?

… New Westminster was the capital of the province until 1868?

… Vancouver was named “best city in North America” by Condé Nast Traveller magazine in 2004 and 2005?

… Stanley Park is the third largest urban park in North America (400 hectares)?

… the Children’s Farmyard in Stanley Park is home to 200 animals? It holds special events, like an Easter egg hunt.

… you can adopt a whale living off the coast of Vancouver? Info at www.killerwhale.org

… although more than half the people in the province live in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (2.1 million people), only 545,000 live in the city of Vancouver?

… the historic Gastown neighbourhood still has a steam clock?

… Hidekazu Tojo created the famous B.C. Roll, now found on the menus of restaurants across the country?

… a number of popular movies and TV series were filmed in the province? These include: The X-Files, The Outer Limits, Smallville, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The 6th Day, The Fantastic Four, and X-Men 1, 2, and 3.

For more information:
Vancouver Coast & Mountains: www.vcmbc.com
Tourism New Westminster: www.tourismnewwestminster.com
Inn at New Westminster Quay: www.innatwestminsterquay.com
Tojo’s: www.tojos.com
Vancouver Aquarium: www.vanaqua.org
Stanley Park: www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/parks/stanley/

This report was made possible thanks to the collaboration of Air Canada (www.aircanada.ca), the Canadian Tourism Commission (www.canada.travel), Vancouver Coast & Mountains, Tourism New Westminster, and The Inn at Westminster Quay. Special thanks to Laura Woodbridge, Jennifer Rhyme, Tej Kainth, Lana Berar and Sinclair Philip (at the Sooke Harbour House: www.sookeharbourhouse.com) for acting as our go-between with Tojo’s).