The Vancouver Guide

Ann Turner is Financial and Budget Manager at the University of British
Columbia Library.

Offering “information, advice, maps and photos,” this is an exceptionally comprehensive reference source for its size. One would hesitate to call it a “pocket guide,” but its dimensions (8.5 x 5.5 in.; 13 oz.) are quite appropriate for carrying in a large handbag or backpack. And Vancouver tourists (natives, too!) will want to carry it, because of its maps. There are 14 of them, covering in detail areas such as downtown, Chinatown/Japantown/Gastown, Stanley Park, and the U.B.C. Endowment Lands. The amount of information packed into this little volume is truly amazing. Essential services, travel accommodation, restaurants, public transit facilities, sightseeing, entertainment, sports, shopping, and activities for children are all covered, complete with addresses, telephone numbers, and in many cases current rate schedules and hours of service. Whether you are seeking a jogging path or a sushi bar, a currency exchange or a babysitter, you will find a selection of them via the book’s excellent index. The writer’s advice is helpful in making a choice and in establishing realistic expectations. Readers will enjoy the many photographs, historical summaries, and lively descriptive patter throughout. One small and probably obvious cautionary note is in order: times change, and so do prices, telephone numbers, and hours of opening. The book was up to date when it went to press in 1985, but some of its details are already out of date. That aside, it is an excellent choice for the “Travel” section, particularly in 1986, Vancouver’s Expo year.