North Shore - Vancouver - page 502

Sustainability also has a social side in Vancouver with Green Drinks
( www.greendrinks.org ) , a monthly drop-in gathering for anyone interested in environ-
mental issues. The meetings take place at Gastown's Steamworks Brewing Company
bar and usually attract more than 100 regulars for beer-fueled discussions on alternative
energy, global warming and the sky-high price of organic groceries. Speaking of gro-
ceries, there are lots of sustainable-food shopping options around the city, but the area's
farmers markets are the ideal way to eat well and do your bit for the world. See
www.eatlocal.org for listings of several area markets.
Consider hopping on two wheels to get around the city. Vancouver has more than
300km of designated bike lanes, so you can see the sights without burning up the plan-
et. Bike rentals are easy to come by and many operators can get you out for a citywide
pedal. The city is also working to introduce a public bike-share scheme similar to those
in London and Montreal, due to launch early 2014.
NEWEST GREEN ATTRACTION
North Vancouver's Grouse Mountain offers great views over the city, shimmering
by the water far below, and recently this became even better (or at least higher).
The outdoor attraction has added a 20-story wind turbine tower. Visitors can take
an elevator to a glass-encased viewing pod at the top of the turbine, halting just
3m away from the giant, moving blades. The view, to say the least, is spectacular
and it's a rare opportunity to see wind turbines in action. The power generated by
the turbines is fed into the system at Grouse and helps to power the mountain-
top complex. Once you've snapped your photos, stick around: in summer you can
walk Grouse's alpine trails and visit the grizzly bear sanctuary, while in winter you
can hit the snowy slopes. It's a perfect way to touch base with the outdoors
without having to travel far from the city.
Tree Hugging
It's hard not to be impressed by the towering Douglas firs in Stanley Park or the cherry
blossom trees that bloom around the city in spring. But for many, fall is the best time to
hang out with the trees. Burnished copper, pumpkin-orange, deep candy-apple red: the
seemingly infinite colors of autumn under cloudless blue skies make this the fave time
of year for many Vancouverites, and it's one of the rare times you'll see locals reaching
for their cameras. If you're here in October, charge up your camera, slip into comfort-
able walking shoes and hunt down the following pigment-popping locations.