I would be in Vancouver in a few weeks and was wondering if their is a pool close to Canada place? Also I will be available to go out for few drinks so maybe we could have a Vancouver
ST evening out.!
thank you
Stef
Yep, the Vancouver Aquatic Centre is a 50m pool, located at the North end of the Burrard Street Bridge. Avoid Tues and Thurs evenings, they reconfigure it to 25yd and it sucks.
Re: meet up for a pint, there’s always STers ready for that, just shout out closer to the date.
AP
great thanks!
stef
While you are in Vancouver, you also definitely need to run the seawall. You can find a map of Stanley Park which the seawall encircles from here:
http://city.vancouver.bc.ca/parks/parks/stanley/landmarks.htm
The Lions Gate Bridge also has a lovely path over it and is another spectacular place to run looking down over the whole harbour. On the other side, if you’re up for a challenge, you can run all the way up Grouse Mountain starting with some uphill road followed by some killer uphill road and culminating in the infamous Grouse Grind, a trail that gains 800m over less than 2km. From the to of the paved road, there is also a skyride up Grouse that offers fantastic views over the city.
If you want trails, there are some mellow ones in Stanley Park or tons of more challenging options on the North Shore. You could take the Seabus almost right from your hotel. Pacific Spirit Park out at UBC is also has really nice trails. That is about a 40min bus ride from Canada Place. The Museum of Anthropology at UBC is very much worth a visit if you do go out there. They have a fabulous collection of art and historical artifacts from the coastal first nations.
UBC has another very nice 50m pool but definitely check the schedule as it is only open to the public at certain times.
Hope that you have a great visit and that the weather co-operates for you! I’m afraid I’m out of town at he moment otherwise would love to meet you.
Cheers,
Miranda
The Lions Gate Bridge also has a lovely path over it and is another spectacular place to run looking down over the whole harbour. On the other side, if you’re up for a challenge, you can run all the way up Grouse Mountain starting with some uphill road followed by some killer uphill road and culminating in the infamous Grouse Grind, a trail that gains 800m over less than 2km. From the to of the paved road, there is also a skyride up Grouse that offers fantastic views over the city.
If you want trails, there are some mellow ones in Stanley Park or tons of more challenging options on the North Shore. You could take the Seabus almost right from your hotel. Pacific Spirit Park out at UBC is also has really nice trails. That is about a 40min bus ride from Canada Place. The Museum of Anthropology at UBC is very much worth a visit if you do go out there. They have a fabulous collection of art and historical artifacts from the coastal first nations.
UBC has another very nice 50m pool but definitely check the schedule as it is only open to the public at certain times.
The Grouse Grind won't open till later in the spring, the the skyride is probably the way to go this time of year ... Also, the trails of Pacific Spirit park are not what they used to be, the past few years, Metro Vancouver has been working really hard on turning the trail into hard packed gravel ... it really sucks. There are only a few "real" trails remaining. For real trail running, the north shore is a much better option. Also, I think the Museum of Anthropology is close for renos until the spring, but I could be wrong...
Metro Vancouver has been working really hard on turning the trail into hard packed gravel …
This is true and it’s freakin’ pissing me off… What the hell? We have (had) the most incredible network of soft trails for running/riding/horseback riding and they want to go and pour tonnes of gravel onto them and pack them down so that they’re more friendly for strollers and people who can’t handle walking on an unpredictable surface.
As Phil, Prince of Insufficient Light would say: Darn them all! Darn them to Heck!
Metro Vancouver has been working really hard on turning the trail into hard packed gravel …
This is true and it’s freakin’ pissing me off… What the hell? We have (had) the most incredible network of soft trails for running/riding/horseback riding and they want to go and pour tonnes of gravel onto them and pack them down so that they’re more friendly for strollers and people who can’t handle walking on an unpredictable surface.
As Phil, Prince of Insufficient Light would say: Darn them all! Darn them to Heck!
I complained to the park office (on 16th) like a million times … they told me that eventually all the trails would be covered with that crappy gravel, it just makes me mad…
I discovered, just before Christmas, that they had done the same to the trails around the harbour where I live. It was be a worldwide plan to sanitise real trails and stop us all running on them by packing them with strollers and wheelchairs!
Stef, there are some awesome trails around Byntzen Lake jsut North of Port Moody on the East end of the Burrard Inlet. They are most definitely worth a visit.
The YWCA is significantly closer to Canada Place than the Aquatic Centre but is only 25m and more expensive ($10 or $12 drop in) as it’s a private facility. It does, however, have way, way nicer change rooms and the pool is ozonated rather than chlorinated. I think the drop in works for the whole day so you can come back and hit the weight room or a yoga class. Or if you’re around on the last Friday of the month I can get you in for free (member’s bring a friend day).
Running the seawall is a must and places like La Bicicletta rent decent bikes (Cervelos, I believe) so you can get in a ride but not have to pack your bike and/or worry about smuggling it into your hotel room.
I was going to tell you to bring your rain gear but you’re from Victoria so you know that already!
People, Stanley Park has an AWESOME network of trails to run on, trained there for years. Why run on the seawall competing with rollerbladers, bikers, dog walkers etc, when you can run on soft trails for as long as you want. Its actually also closer to where the OP will be staying.
There is a reason for this, believe it or not. It’s the same at Burnaby Lake and the reason they started there is that the hog fuel (yes that’s what they call bark mulch) leeches toxins and sediment. Anywhere there is a fish-spawning stream, or aquatic life sanctuary, you will see the phasing out of bark mulch. I don’t like it either but that’s what it is.
AP
I had no idea… I kind of wonder how ground up trees end up being bad for the environment, but I suppose there are scientists who study that sort of thing.
It still sucks.
But it sucks less, knowing the reason behind it.
Thanks Andy.
Yeah, I nearly led off that post with “It’s a little known fact, there Normie…” 
AP
.
That would require beer!
There is a reason for this, believe it or not. It’s the same at Burnaby Lake and the reason they started there is that the hog fuel (yes that’s what they call bark mulch) leeches toxins and sediment. Anywhere there is a fish-spawning stream, or aquatic life sanctuary, you will see the phasing out of bark mulch. I don’t like it either but that’s what it is.
AP
I find that hard to believe, that it’s the only reason behind it …(are the north van trails next on that list?)the folks at the park headquarters on 16th ave had a bunch of other reasons (including older folks tripping on roots & rocks and complaining …). Wood chips would have been a better option.
And I agree with Khai … whatever the reason, it still sucks!
mmm… beer…
Alexia: this was straight from the GVRD parks guys who were pulling up the hog fuel and putting down pea gravel at Burnaby Lake (when they started doing this work about oh 3-4 years ago). I actually called GVRD to complain, and was told the same, also was given DFO and MOE contact info if I had further concerns/questions. I have no doubt it’s true. There are a lot of fish bearing streams in PacSpirit.
AP
mmm… beer…
Alexia: this was straight from the GVRD parks guys who were pulling up the hog fuel and putting down pea gravel at Burnaby Lake (when they started doing this work about oh 3-4 years ago). I actually called GVRD to complain, and was told the same, also was given DFO and MOE contact info if I had further concerns/questions. I have no doubt it’s true. There are a lot of fish bearing streams in PacSpirit.
AP
Yeah …beer
no, I believe you, they sort of told me the same thing, and a bunch of other reasons too. I’m a member of the Pacific Spirit Park Society (volunteer organization independent from Metro Vancouver), which does a lot of restoration work in the park, and they don’t exactly know why Metro Vancouver does this, I guess it doesn’t make much sense to them either. I just have a hard time believing that this industrial gravel is actually better than a natural trail. Just north of 4th ave, off the Spanish trail, they cut what looks like a highway thru the woods (this new trail is called “Chancelor” I think) … it’s just sad.
BTW, when are we going for a beer? (& a burger)
mmmm… burger. I get to have a burger tomorrow night 
So I hate to say it but I hear rumors that the Stanley park trails are also going to get the same treatment…first on the agenda may be beaver lake. Not sure of the extent but hope this is not the case.
Anyway here is a map with the Stanley park trails that is very interactive for planning a workout.
Although my local trails are on the edge of the harbour or beach none of them have mulch on them, so it can’t be the reason here. I suspect it’s the litigation reason here.