UBC

On my last day in Vancouver I made the arduous bus trip to UBC (the wealthy residents of Point Grey still don’t want a metro in their pristine neighbourhood). It was the first time I had been back to the campus since I stayed for a week in the dorms during the summer of ‘08. The reason I was here this time was for the Nitobe Memorial Gardens. The garden celebrates the memory of Dr. Nitobe a diplomat and author who looked to reduce the cultural distances between Japan and Canada.

The second thing I wanted to visit on campus was the Museum of Anthropology. Unfortunately it was closed for renovations; it looks like I’ll have to schlep out here again in the future.

Doors Open

This weekend was Doors Open T.O. where the city opens Public Buildings like the courthouse to the general public. I got to visit some architectural firms around the design district to see the direction the city is going. I also visited the U of T Daniels Building, Osgoode Hall, and the Lawrence Building.

Centre Court

Centre Court at the 141st edition of the Canadian Open tournament has its own microclimate; intense, pressurized, and high octane. The players ferocious grace makes them appear to float a fraction above the hard court surface at Toronto’s York University. On the qualifying weekend spectators can attend for free to watch some of the best players in the world compete for the title.

With Serena Williams’ announcement that she will be retiring from tennis after the 2022 US Open; Sobeys stadium was filled to capacity. Serena’s famous forehands exploded off her racquet like popped paper bags and for a few games in each set she reminded us of the Serena Williams of old — the magic of a player who had written herself into tennis’ past, present, and future.

Winter Stations

Got out to the Woodbine Winter Stations. After weeks of sustained spring-like conditions, we had a snowstorm last night. Unfortunately the weather didn’t heat up until much later in the afternoon so I was left out there freezing while waiting for the kids to finish climbing all over the structure.

You can learn about the structures here.