Exploring Granville Island: Vancouver, British Columbia

(View of Vancouver, BC from Granville Island. All photos by Cheryl-Anne Millsap)

Exploring a city is like unwrapping a gift, with each layer revealing a different and often unexpected treat. I felt exactly this way as I explored Granville Island in Vancouver, BC.

Tucked under the south end of the Granville Street Bridge and a quick water taxi ride from downtown, the historic district (and former industrial no-man's land) is an excellent example of what land reclamation should be.

Open year round, the former jumble of railroad tracks, shanties and crumbling buildings and businesses is now home to artists, artisans, fresh fruits and flowers and delicious food.

My trip to Vancouver came with a bonus. As so often happens when I travel, while I was in Vancouver I saw something that inspired a Home Planet newspaper column and public radio essay. The gentle interaction between a young man and an older woman, both on the train to the airport, left a deep impression on me. Read: The Universal Language

You can read more about the rough and ready history and reclamation of Granville Island here.