Granville Island Buskers

On a beautiful spring weekend Granville Island is home to crowds of people, thousands of sea gulls, and a few buskers. The buskers are, by far, the most entertaining. So one day at the Market we sat down, had a coffee or two, and enjoyed acts by two of them.

Stephen Spender is a singer-songwriter with a strong voice and interesting interpretations of songs of other artists and a collection of his own. He seems to let his songs speak for themselves and doesn't offer much in the way of talk between them, though I'd like to hear some of his thoughts about what he has written. Great vocals, nice guitar and songs that resonate through a variety of emotions. Polite and appreciative, Stephen smiles and says thank you when people buy his CD from a box at the front of the "stage."

Eden Cheung is a magician with a hilarious rapid-fire commentary on people and events, and he knows how to work a crowd. Idealistic and obviously well-informed, Eden's take on ethnic relations in Metro Vancouver, and his comments about various nationalities, with the emphasis on what makes us different, or the same, are sharp and funny. Midway through his act he ran up to an older man of Chinese-appearance and exclaimed "Dad! You're out of prison!" Then, returning to his "stage" he said, "It's okay, we all look the same to us too." Not to be outdone, the magic at Eden's grand finale is wonderful. How do those oranges appear under the hat? Or the water melon?

Both buskers remind us of one of the reasons why we love this city, and because Stephen and Eden, and others too, provide great entertainment we need to be supportive. Would it hurt anyone to applaud or offer thanks with some toonies or a five dollar note? Artists like these buskers enrich the city with laughter, music and wonder. Next time you see a show, don't just walk away: offer your appreciation with applause and more. It's a good thing to do and it's one of the reasons we love this place.

Photos by Jim Murray. Copyright 2013.

Fire Escape Sunset in Vancouver

We don't have a balcony here at the Lee Building. Nobody else has one either. We had a large porch in Dawson City. We had a great balcony in Buenos Aires. We even had a balcony for several years in Richmond. Not here.













What we do have here that the other places don't, is a fire escape, and it provides for some great views of the city towards the west and north. Ideal for sunsets at the beginning of spring in Vancouver.

Of course fire escapes are not necessarily meant for viewing the sunset, or anything else. They are fire escapes after all. With a heavy emphasis on escaping if necessary. Especially since the Lee Building's elevator doesn't work right now. Folding chairs and a barbecue on the fire escape might not be such a good idea.

The Lee Building in Vancouver

After six months leave, we are back in Vancouver,
staying in a small, studio apartment at one of Vancouver's busiest intersections: Broadway and Main. The neighbourhood is called Mt. Pleasant and while it is busy, it's nothing like Buenos Aires.

The Lee Building is an interesting landmark in Vancouver, and it is where the writer, and me, find ourselves for the month of April. Built in 1912 it was among the tallest buildings in the city at the time especially outside the city centre to the north. It was built by and named for Herbert O. Lee. Mr Lee headed a merchant class family in Vancouver, was active in civic affairs and operated a successful grocery business for a number of years.

It was an exciting time in Vancouver in the early part of the twentieth century, with fortunes to be made and lost on the booming cycles of the economic activity. Towards the end of the Great Depression in 1937, the Lee family lost their fortune and the property to the Royal Bank of Canada, though they were allowed to continue to live on the top floor until later in the 1940s.




It is a seven-story building with hardwood floors and over-height ceilings throughout. We are on the fifth floor looking north towards the downtown and the mountains beyond.


Views are impressive and the location is great, if you like this sort of thing.

As for us, we get to enjoy the location, the neighbourhood and some impressive sunsets from the fire escape. No balcony here in the Lee Building, and the elevator has been out of service for four days, which adds to the adventure here in our own home town.