RECENTLY, I went to travel around Vancouver, British Columbia, when I went to the AT-CURA conference. I had a great time sightseeing and visiting places. The first place I went to was the TELUS World of Science. I learned many things like how the world used to be one big supercontinent known as Pangaea. I even learned about how I would look when I grew up to be 65 years old. I also discovered a beehive where the goal was to try to find the queen bee, which in fact was an extremely hard thing to do.
Canada Place was an amazing sight to be at as it overlooks the Burrard Inlet, a sheltered fjord of Georgia Strait that lies between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast, with scenic mountain sights. As I walked down Canada Place’s West Promenade along the Canadian Trail, I came across names of provinces and territories embedded in the pathway with monuments beside them showcasing Canadian culture. I also enjoyed the simulated ride on top of Canada Place known as FlyOver Canada. I loved how the 3-D aspect of the ride showed me all of Canada’s landscapes from Newfoundland to British Columbia in less than 8 minutes. It was definitely worth the ride!
Stanley Park was where I really got to enjoy the natural beauty of Mother Nature. This was where the tallest of the tallest trees have ever grown. Unfortunately, during the winter storm of 2006 some of the trees had fallen down. This resulted in the park closing down for a while as many trees had blocked entrances and it wasn’t safe to go around those areas.
At Stanley Park, I was also able to go to Prospect Point where I could take in the spectacular view of Lion’s Gate Bridge. Talking about breathtaking views, I was also able to go up to the top of a mountain peak known as Grouse Mountain where there was a wind turbine known as the Eye of the Wind. From there, I could see all of Vancouver, Delta, Langley, Surrey, Victoria, and Abbotsford overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The bridges from a distance looked like miniature noodles and it was quite funny noticing the little things you wouldn’t easily be able to note from a distance.
The Skyride took us up the mountain, which lessened the task of physically climbing it. On top of the mountain, I was greeted by a lumberjack show and it was a great way to show how people today still make a living off of chopping wood down. Grouse Mountain was fun but the scary part would probably be on the way down when the big drop came and it felt like my heart jumped, no joke! I also enjoyed yet another exhilarating experience on the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Built in 1889, this bridge is a suspension bridge that shakes and makes you feel as if the bridge isn’t going to hold. It overlooks a river with jagged rocks, so you could say that if you fell, it would really hurt.
On a beautiful sunny day, I even got to go out to White Rock Beach and feel the beach vibe. It was great walking along the boardwalk while watching people tan and swim. I even saw crabs and held a starfish in my hand for the very first time. Holding the starfish was kind of weird because I wasn’t really able to tell where its face was but it was still pretty cool. During the walk along Canada Place, I also saw the sign where the government of Canada had commemorated the ship known as the Komagata Maru. This was the incident when the ship holding 367 passengers of Indians who were mostly Sikh wasn’t allowed to enter Canada at the time and was to be returned back to Calcutta. Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued an official apology on behalf of the government of Canada regarding this terrible incident.
But then there was also a terrible sight that I still cannot believe exists in Canada. On East Hastings Street you can always see people doing drugs. This has resulted in there being an official place to safely dispose of needles, as the needles used to be just thrown on the streets.
Overall, I had a great time in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and can’t wait to go next time to explore Kamloops or Victoria.
– BY HARNOOR GILL
Grade 10 student
Christ The King Catholic Secondary
Georgetown, Ontario
