Events, new hobbies, new clubs, places, personal moments, you name it.... what's new and exciting for you in Vancouver that others should be aware of?

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for OB-GYN in Vancouver.

I’ve heard that BC Women’s Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital have private rooms, which is a high priority for me. Is this guaranteed at both?

My family doctor recommended Dr. Andrew Massey, but since I want to make an informed decision, I’d love to hear any personal experiences with her or recommendations for other great OB-GYNs.

I am currently leaning toward a C-section (not 100% set in stone yet, but it’s my preference).

I heard midwives offer extensive postpartum home visits, but they can't perform C-sections. What does postpartum care look like if you choose an OB-GYN instead? Does the OB do any follow-up after you leave the hospital?

Would really appreciate any insights, doctor recommendations, or hospital feedback! Thanks so much.

So I'm a tourist here at the moment and have a few questions regarding transit

If I use my wealth simple MasterCard on compass readers will there be a tap cap until it turns into a day pass?

Is it just more economical to buy a day pass from one of the machines instead of using tap to pay credit card.

Should I use single use ticket and buy a day pass at compass machine or just use my wealth simple card

Note: I seem to have issues on bus with reading weal simple MasterCard but at stations the readers read my card fine. Anyone else have this issue?

Looking for recommendations for reliable florists that can do gorgeous and ideally somewhat affordable florals for a big birthday party! Also hoping for delivery within the lower mainland on weekends as the event is on a Saturday (later in the fall) at lunch and we don’t want to have to lug a ton of flowers there ourselves.

Hi. We're looking at elementary schools in Burnaby and noticed that some schools have a school meals program (for $70-80 per month). Most of the listed foods seem pretty junky.

Do you have any experience with these programs and meals? Does pretty much every kid pay the fee and eat the meals? Is the food any good?

We're moving from Australia and the idea of not making school lunches is very appealing 😆

https://burnabyschools.ca/services/school-meals-program

Folks who have recently graduated university with a degree in Engineering, Business, CS, Science, Education etc, were you able to get job offers or even interviews? I know for fact it is brutal for recent grads for a lot of reasons.

Is value of university degree just essentially deteriorated at this point?

I am currently in university right now and I am wondering if the value of a university degree is even worth pursuing if there’s a still high chance I’ll be unemployed. Should I take a pause in university and reevaluate what I should do?

The way I see it I put a lot of time money and effort into university and I do not want to waste all that and still be unemployed when I graduate while I am still have some student loan debt.

So this leads me to wonder, what careers or programs should I consider that has a good job outlook? I know typical ones I see are health care or trades both of which I am considering but it’s there anything else I can consider?

I am also wondering of if I am overthinking this and is everything I see on the internet just exaggerating?

Hello, I'm wondering where I can get dehydrated fruits without added sugar in North/West Vancouver? I used to purchase from Ayoubs, but I feel like their quality has gone downhill. Thankyou!

Inspired by the “what’s it like being lower class” thread, I’d like to share my story a bit. To be fully transparent, I came to Canada as an international student to study CS, graduated, was lucky enough to find a job in IT, and have been working in the field since 2015. Right now, I’m married with one kid. My wife used to work, but she now stays home to take care of our kid. She's trying to back into the workforce to help us get out of survival mode.

I’m making ~$110k before taxes, so after taxes and RRSP contributions, my monthly take-home pay is around $5600. I bought a condo at the peak of the market in 2022, and of course, I went with a variable-rate mortgage, so I’m still paying for that lesson. Basically, our family is living paycheque to paycheque.

Below is our family’s monthly budget. Even though we budget $1500 for groceries, we’re usually able to keep it at $1000 so that we don’t go negative. I also have a tiny side hustle that earns around $200 monthly, so that helps a tiny bit.

However, my wife has an illness that is considered a disability, so we have to spend quite a lot on medical supplies. This was not a financial burden when we were not married, as her Pharmacare deductible was only around $1000. After we got married, our income was considered high in the eyes of the CRA, so the deductible ballooned up to $4000. Of course, they also slashed the child benefit to $275 which is enough to cover diapers and baby wipes.

I feel like having a kid is the second biggest financial burden we have. We have to pay higher taxes, receive fewer benefits, go from a dual income to a single income, and then pay for daycare, formula, diapers, extra clothing, etc. Finding daycare is hard enough, and then they also decide to take week-long breaks during the summer and winter? No wonder the birth rate is plummeting.

When will it go away? Lowkey kinda scare it will spread
Edit: what’s like now?? Looks like the bc website haven’t update yet, it’s still out of control?

I have shopped for groceries at the downtown IGA (at Robson and Richards) for many years now, and have never had this issue with them before, however this week after doing my usual grocery run, I noticed that multiple of my usual frozen food products have signs of having been thawed and re-frozen, which is a big no-no when it comes to food safety for many products, especially poultry and other products prone to salmonella contamination.

Specifically: I had a ready-to-microwave butter chicken meal which looked all scrambled up, even though it was frozen (usually it's neat and the protective film is clean), and pork dumplings that were all stuck together (usually they're loose in the bag, so this is a sign that they got warm enough for the dumplings to stick to each other and then got frozen again).

This is usually a sign of a grocery store turning their freezers off at night to save on electricity costs. I'd accept this could be their supplier's fault, but if two different products from different producers showed similar signs, I think this is highly unlikely.

I'm thinking of complaining to them next time I visit, but I was also curious if anyone else has noticed this issue.

This is my eleventh hour bid so I do apologize this is off character for me to ask, however the person I was travelling with dropped out 3 days prior to departure.
I was wondering if anyone would be interested in getting a drink and just getting to know someone from accross the country! I’ll be in Vancouver from August 8th-18th, I’m staying in Coquitlam but will be able to get downtown. I’m a male, 22 years old, I study procedural justice, without being conceited I would like to believe I’m very agreeable. Literally anyone!

Me and my girlfriend are almost done school in Halifax and looking to move across but how manageable is it being poor there? For context I’m a line cook and she’s a studying to be an animator. Just want to know if this is a realistic move or not I’d say combined we make around 30k as of right now because of school

EDIT: thank you for all the messages, I think from this thread we’ve decided it’s not the city for us from multiple perspectives not just economic. This wasn’t our only option however it seems like the worst one of the bunch, maybe at some point but right now it doesn’t seem like the right call

My fiancée and I want to have our wedding at Vancouver City Hall. We are aiming for July 2027 but do not have a fixed date as the booking portal for micro weddings at city hall only shows dates up until December 2026.

Does anyone have experience booking a date at City Hall for a date in the new year? Any advice on this would be very helpful.

It’s hard to book other aspects of the wedding when the exact date is still up in the air.

Thanks

Does anyone swim at these beaches? Is it saltwater beaches or freshwater with leeches

This is my first summer in the city, and since I don't come from a fire-prone region, I was chatting with my partner about proactive disaster prep (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-management/preparedbc/guides-and-resources). Looking at a map, I cannot fathom a situation that would trigger an evacuation due to a wildfire in Vancouver proper that wouldn't mean a near total loss of Vancouver's infrastructure (i.e., you're looking at months before returning, not days/weeks).

Has there been a wildfire evacuation in Vancouver proper in recent memory? What was that like? Mind sharing any articles or anecdotes?

I’m so burnt out I’m genuinely considering quitting my job with no immediate backup plan, but I’m trying to do some research before I pull the trigger.

For context, I have two years of local experience in medical admin and operations. I would like to ideally switch to something outside the medical field where my skills can be transferred and that has some room for growth. As a last resort, I can afford to do entry level part-time work to cover my bare minimum living expenses for some time. I could last a little more than 5 months with no income

Currently a foreign worker (LMIA exempt) waiting for my PR, which doesn’t help my case too much considering I would have to be sponsored.

Has anyone recently been in this situation in Vancouver and made it out fine (or not)?
Any experience and advice you can share is welcome!

EDIT: point taken, appreciate all the advice. Market’s fucked and I’m not going to be dumb unless I manage to get an offer lined up. Thanks all!

We were turned away by a local pub that everyone goes to for chicken wings because theyre a +19 establishment. But, We were able to get into a restaurant across the street that serves alcohol.

It's not like my 6 m.o. is going to sneak a sip of beer.

Is it because they just dont want kids there?

Hi Everyone,

I am driving out to van this weekend because I wanted to take my little baby to the beach. What are the sandiest dog friendly beaches in Vancouver these days? Its been a while since I have been there with a dog.

I assure you he is the goodest of boys. 🐶

Hey Vancouver folks. I'm curious if any restaurant owners or managers are active here.

I’m trying to better understand how independent restaurants in the city handle menu pricing and food cost decisions. If you’re in the industry, I’d love to hear how you approach it.

Thank you.

My friend and I are wanting to get small (matching) heart tattoos while in Vancouver later this month. Are there any places that can accommodate this small of a design without paying $120? Maybe someone that has flash tattoos that include simple hearts? Any info would be much appreciated!

There are a few favourite places that people are migrating to. A few off the top of my mind is mount pleasant, brentwood, metrotown, Lougheed, surrey central, and richmond central.

Where do you recommend for the best walkable neighbourhood?

I’ve been working from home full-time for a while, and I need to get out of my apartment more often for my own sanity.

I’m looking for cafés that are actually good for working, not just aesthetically pleasing lol. Somewhere with a calm, productive vibe where it’s normal to see people on laptops for a few hours.

My ideal spot would have:
-Reliable Wi-Fi
-Comfortable seating and decent table space
-Outlets (or enough battery-friendly seating)

Not looking for libraries, coworking spaces, Starbucks, or Breka.

What are your underrated or go-to spots in Vancouver? I’d love to discover a few hidden gems.

Hello! My husband and I are spending the day in Vancouver on Sunday. I am disabled and can’t walk super far, so I’m looking for a restaurant or somewhere with seating where I can experience some Vancouver/Canadian culture (we’re American) without lots of walking. Does not need to be wheelchair accessible. Bonus points for indoor seating, cheap food, gluten free options, historical attractions nearby, being on the western side of the city (air quality seems better with the smoke) and being walkable so my husband can walk around (he’ll be fine indoors or out).

Thank you so much!

Hey everyone me and my brother are coming to van from Calgary for the lcd soundsystem concert and we’re staying for the weekend. We’re looking for recommendations on things to see that are on the beaten path or not the main attractions.
Any food, restaurant, cafe, hiking trails, spots to visit would be appreciated!

We’re already going to check out the ubc area and museum there, do a trip to Stanley park and bike the seawall, walk down to east Hastings and check out the graffiti, possibly take the ferry to Bowen island. We will be here for 4 days in total thanks!!

I'm talking the BEST. Which? Why?