Greater Vancouver with writer, Kathy Bremner

 

 

Welcome to the Greater Vancouver  Area!

 

With writer, Kathy Bremner

 

Romance and Horses… throw in a good mystery and what more could a girl want?

 

After a successful 15 years training racehorses in Vancouver, Kathy and her guy spent 2 years managing a horse ranch in the middle of nowhere before returning to where her heart belongs, near the Pacific Ocean.

 

Their black Lab type dog takes them to the beach every day for exercise and their two cats manage the household quite effectively.

 

Kathy has been writing her entire life but didn’t start writing books until five years ago. There are four completed manuscripts in her bottom drawer and two more in progress. She has two contest wins so far and some very positive feedback from authors and agents.

 

Winner – Cleveland Rocks (NEORWA).  Touch Me – Romantic Suspense

 

Winner – Hook Line and Sinker (Mysteries and Margaritas). Undercover Cowboy – R. S.

 

 

Why the Greater Vancouver area?

 

I’ve lived in the Vancouver Area for most of my life and love it. Except for the two years I spent on a ranch in Princeton , BC, I’ve always been no more than a half hour drive away from the Pacific Ocean.

 

Bring your walking shoes and a light raincoat. We have walking sea-walls throughout the area.

 

Canada’s official Languages are English and French – you will see them both on most ‘official’ signage. 

 

However, in reality, things are a little different. Prepare to hear at least three different languages spoken wherever you are. (English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Cantonese, Punjabi, Hindi, Spanish, French etc, etc, etc!)

 

Don’t be surprised by traditional dress of many cultures.

 

Eat fish anywhere. It’s what we do best!

 

 

“Local” restaurants

 

Moby Dicks, in White Rock, is a hole in the wall, fish and chip restaurant on Marine Drive, right across the street from the beach. The place oozes friendly atmosphere andserves up fish to die for. You can eat elbow to elbow inside or on the patio. They even have a takeout window, so you can zip across the street and eat at the beach. (Watch out for brazen seagulls!)Lunch/Dinner for two $15-$30

 

The Derby Bar and Grill is right at the Pacific Border Crossing (can/usa)  – great food! You can watch and wager on horseracing from all over North America. About eight big screens over the bar, plus if you sit at a booth, you get your own TV! Lunch/Dinner for two range $30 – $60

 

The Observatory is perched on top of Grouse Mountain, you must ride the Gondola to get there. Food and an extraordinary view of the city are well worth the high price!

 

 

Local HOT topic

 

The dome is gone! – our big stadium, BC Place – famed for the Winter Olympic opening/closing ceremonies,  used to have an enormous, white inflated fabric roof that was a part of the city’s skyline. And it’s gone!  Soon to be replaced by a fancy retractable roof.

 

Olympic Fever – I know it’s over, but we’re still humming. Huge posters still adorn many buildings.

 

 

What is the area known for?

 

Sunshine! I know we’re world renowned for our rain.  But when the sun comes out? Man, oh man there is not a prettier city anywhere! And people become instantly happy!

 

 

Describe the general population

 

A celebration of multiculturalism.

 

 

Anyone we know from here?

 

Michael J. Fox

 

Michael Buble went to my high school – many, many years after I did!

 

Terry Fox – The Marathon of Hope – in 1980, a young man who had lost his leg to cancer, went on a mission to raise money for Cancer Research.  His goal was to run a marathon a day – 26 miles – on an artificial leg – from one coast of this country to the other.

 

The entire country got behind him, raising funds for Cancer Research and we watched Terry on the news, day after day, with his uneven gait.  Terry’s Cancer stopped him after 143 days and 3,339 miles, just outside of Thunder Bay , Ontario . He died ten months later.

 

Every year, in September hundreds of thousands of people hit the streets across the country to participate in Terry Fox Runs that have raised over 500 million dollars for Cancer Research in Terry’s name.

 

Terry’s mother Betty was one of the people to carry the flag at our Olympic Ceremonies.

 

Rick Hansen – Man in Motion World Tour hero – a Paralympics athlete inspired by Terry Fox, Rick set off on a mission in 1985, to wheel his wheelchair around the world. The 26 month trek logged more than 24,000  miles, 34 countries, and raised over 26 million dollars for spinal cord research. The song St. Elmo’s Fire (man in motion) was written in his honor by British Columbian, David Foster.

 

David Foster – Multi platinum Musician. World renowned for his work with nearly every big name in the business, from Celine Dion to Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Whitney Houston, Nsync, Chicago, Michael Jackson and locals, Mickael Buble and Bryan Adams

 

 

Three major communities

 

Little Italy is on Commercial Drive and much of East Vancouver

Chinatown is in Downtown Vancouver

 

                       

Name something about your location that might interest the Petit Fours type readers.

 

-Take a ride up the Grouse Mountain Gondola at sunset for a fancy dinner in the restaurant, or a picnic on the slopes.

-A dinner cruise around Stanley Park

 

Something that would catch the attention of Hot Tamales.

 

Tons of pubs and bars have Hot Wing nights!

 

 

If there was one must see, can’t miss thing you would recommend to someone new to the city, what would that be?

 

Sunset over the Pacific on a sunny day with just a few clouds.

 

 

Web sites highlighting the area

 

www.tourismvancouver.com

 

www.hellobc.com

 

 

You can read more about Kathy Bremner at the following site

 

www.romanceandhorses.blogspot.com