Otto Tausk, Maestro of the Vancouver Symphony. Photography by Alfonso Armold
As Vancouver continues to mature and evolve, so too do the myriad of entertainment and amusement options available within our West Coast jewel. Like a tired old bumper sticker, the moniker of ‘No-Funcouver’ has burdened this fair city for far too long. Happily, this disparaging label is finally beginning to fray and peel.
Instrumental to this change is the emergence of a new attitude in Vancouverites. With the shared successes of our City, has come a more positive frame of mind. We as a populous have endured the epoch of drudgery and tedium associated with dragging Vancouver to the next level. The rewards for this e ort are now abundant and available to all.
Res ipsa loquitur….Vancouver’s natural setting speaks for itself and always has. Through financial investment and environmentally sensitive development, we have now grown our infrastructure to the point where we can easily access and enjoy these attributes.
We have nuanced the natural with the development of new and world-class dining and entertainment venues. These assets reflect an increasing appetite for fun, excitement and adventure. The response to these experiences is a recognition of and appreciation for the changing milieu. While some continue to reflexly default to the negative, increasingly this pattern is changing to one of awareness. An awareness that this is a new time in Vancouver and that this new time brings with it a corresponding new set of positive opportunities.
The cultural scene in Vancouver is thriving. The spectrum extends from indigenous to rainbows, from art galleries to brew pubs. Each and every neighbourhood percolates its own dynamic and signature statement. Each a wonderful reflection of the whole.
It is a truism that temperaments can be contagious. There is a synergy as positive encounters positive. The net result is greater than the sum of the component parts. More and more do these attitudes seek out and reinforce each other. As we stop and look, so then do we begin to appreciate the magnitude of the attitudinal shift that is upon us. Very exciting times indeed.
Don’t look now, but Vancouver is becoming a very fun place to live, to work in, and most importantly, to enjoy.