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.
Chinese Gardens
Towards the end of July I visited Vancouver to see my friend off on their move to Zurich. In the time I had for some exploration I visited the Classical Chinese Gardens downtown.
Concrete Communities
I signed up for a tour to see Habitat 67 over the Canada Day long weekend. They only started allowing tours in 2019.
It’s called Habitat 67 because it was built last minute for Expo 67, itself hosted last minute in Montreal. Together there are 146 residences of varying sizes and configurations, each formed from one to eight linked concrete units.
The development was designed to integrate the benefits of the new wave of suburban living — namely gardens, privacy, views, and multilevel environments — with the economics and density of a modern urban affordable housing project.
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.
