Vancouver's Strangest Places - An In-Depth Guided Tour from Two Expert Guides
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
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In this video, Jessica the Museum Guide (that’s me!) and Alasdair Butcher, owner of Vancouver DeTours, take you on a detailed guided tour of the oddities of their hometown, Vancouver. We show off our Vancouver-themed tattoos, tell some personal stories, and shake our heads at how bizarre our weird city really is, despite its ‘liveable’ reputation.
0:00 - Introduction to the tour
1:23 - Land Acknowledgement
1:37 - Dr Sun Yat Sen Garden and its Murderous Otter
7:25 - The Vancouver Police Museum's Coroner's Court and Morgue
11:03 - The Sam Kee Building - The World's Skinniest Commercial Building
13:58 - Save-On-Meats and Vancouver's Neon History
16:56 - The Museum of Vancouver - Smilin' Buddha Cabaret
18:47 - The Ovaltine Cafe and Hollywood North
22:43 - Blood Alley - A Long Con
26:53 - Leg-in-Boot Square - Strangely True
28:07 - Vancouver's Dismembered Feet
30:15 - The Sun Tower's Fake Copper Roof
32:54 - Dude Chilling Park
35:14 - Holy Rosary Cathedral and Acid Al Hubbard, The Johnny Appleseed of LSD
38:55 - Floating Gas Stations and McBarge
41:05 - The Marine Building's Art Deco Splendour
We start at the stunning and unique Sun Yat Sen Gardens to investigate a blood-thirsty otter, and then Jess takes you on a tour of the Vancouver Police Museum, housed in an art deco morgue. Get ready to learn more than you ever wanted to know about Errol Flynn’s genitals!
Next, we’ll measure ourselves against the world’s shallowest building, the Sam Kee Building, and utter harsh words to Pittsburgh. Jess then takes you on a deep dive into the city’s illustrious neon history at the Museum of Vancouver, Save On Meats, and the Ovaltine Café (where we have a grilled cheese and talk about the X-Files).
It's on Blood Alley, where Alasdair details the history (or lack thereof) of the name, followed by a truly macabre name origin, Leg-In-Boot Square, and the mystery of the washed up feet that plague Vancouver’s shores.
Jessica explains the long con of the Sun Tower (where her granny worked!) and visits two dudes in Dude Chilling Park, and then Ali and Jess recount the Catholic church that once preached LSD from the pulpit. Yes - church-sanctioned acid trips.
We finish with the floating gas stations and McBarge, before touring the magical Marine Building, an art deco masterpiece.
As always, thanks for watching. Be sure to leave your comments and questions below. If you enjoyed this virtual tour, then please consider leaving me a tip at paypal.me/jessicatourguide or buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/JessicaG... (I promise I’ll give Ali half!)
If you’re booking a trip to Vancouver, book a tour with Alasdair - get in touch at www.vancouverdetours.ca/
Remember - if you’re planning a trip to London, you can book a tour with me. Email me at jessica@themuseumguide.com.
You can also book fantastic Vancouver excursions and attractions here at Get Your Guide - check them out for discounts on attraction tickets. www.getyourguide.com/s/?q=van...
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A part 2 AND a radical Vancouver, please and thank you! My best friend moved to BC in the early 90's. When I went to visit her, the only thing on my itinerary was the Police Museum. When we got there, it was closed for reno's. I whined at the kind man who came to the door and he let us come in and we had the museum all to ourselves. Eudon Rhymer, wherever you are, thank you forever, for allowing us in and becoming a huge bright spot in my memory. I do wish this small town girl had been brave enough to agree for the three of us to go to lunch. Thank you so much for this tour, Jessica. I must admit to being sad about all the changes that have taken place in Vancouver. There's improvement, then there's what happened to so many unique aspects of the city, massive loss of character.
Thanks for this - I have lived in Vancouver since '79 and enjoy these little islands of interest, too. Pierre Burtron said, "Vancouver is not a beautiful city - it's a beautiful PLACE for a city" ...!
Too true.
I have lived here in Van for over 26 years now and although I have visited some of these places on field trips with my kids when they were in school you have taught me more to visit on staycations. I would love more videos. Thank you!
You're very welcome! I also visited these places as a kid during field trips - it is so nice to visit them again as an adult.
i love how my favourite channels are often the fellow Canadians ❤
We have a uniquely strange sensibility ;)
You’re from Vancouver! Thank you for shining the spotlight on our city 😊 & yes, create more please
I am! I live in the UK, but I visit YVR around twice per year. :)
So good! You hit such a diverse selection of odd places and curious events. I learned several fascinating new things and I've lived in this town for nearly 25 years. Super fun, thanks for doing this both of you.
Thanks so much Wes!
Part 2 AND a Radical Vancouver tour, please! Now I want to visit Van City!
It's a great city for a holiday!
That was great thank you ❣️ I have lived in Vancouver most of my life but I want a tour with you guys
Yes! You should book one with Ali. I’m very picky about my guides, and he’s the best.
Another fantastic tour. You've definitely put Vancouver on the list of places I'd love to visit. The 'radical Vancouver' video idea sounds great.
So happy to hear that! Definitely look Ali up when you visit.
@@TheMuseumGuide Will try to if I ever get the chance.
Yes, I want to see “Radical Vancouver” as well!
My hood, Kitsilano, used to be quite the hippie hub. There’s a vegetarian restaurant on 4th that’s been the GQ of many hippies over decades, the Naam: lovely service, big portions of classic fares like the fries and miso gravy, eclectic music and opened 24/7 pre-pandemic.
A sale sign recently popped on the building... now we’re holding our breath to see if this institution will fall prey to the development greed 😬😕
I KNEW you were a fellow Canadian! Couldn't mistake that accent! 😄
Haven't been to Vancouver in years. Definitely time to head back.
Hopefully this video will help you plan a cool trip!
Excellent video! Thanks!
You’re very welcome!
The Marine building, yasss! ❤ 🌊 🚢 🦑
You forgot another name for the city... Hongkouver. It’s heartbreaking that we’re also know internationally for the infamous term “the Vancouver Model” - even the New York Times wrote an article about it 😕
How lovely the city would look if we somehow preserved all the neons, or replace them and create many more! I went to take photos of the now-closed MovieLand Arcades on Granville, I hope they will save the old sign. Granville looks ugly to me now, especially after the “embellishments” before the 2010 olympics, when they cut the tall cherry trees which would explode in fragrant pink blooms all along the street 🌸 🍒
Thank you for this video, it was a random UA-cam recommendation and now I want to go visit about! I def would love to see a whole series about Vancouver ❤😊❤
Thank you for watching! I would never use that nickname, because it would really hurt my Chinese loved ones’ feelings, and it’s quite a racist term.
I miss the cherry trees too!
You are a Gifted Tour Guide!! Amazed at how clean Canada is!; I live in Baton Rouge; a filthy drug infested mess...
Fascinating! Jessica, you make brilliant videos of both the creepy and mundane variety!
Glad you like them!
That Marine Building could be an entire vlog on it's own - or an entire "Tatt-Tour". LOL :)
What a silly - but fruitful - mistake!
Genius!😀
I'd love to see more on Vancouver!
Awesome! Extremely engaging. Thank you for putting this together, and yes please do a RadicaL Vancouver Vid!
Thank you!
Born & raised here in Vancouver. Live in Chinatown just down the street from where Jimi Hendrix grandmother had her Chicken cafe & where they had Jimi Hendrix museum *no longer there. I actually worked at the Smilin Buddha in the 70's & 80's, Lachman Jir owned it then. Have been to all of these places you showed in this video. Just stumbled onto your UA-cam channel a few days ago & finding your videos quite interesting. Keep up the great work & thankyou for sharing them with us.🙂
Great video! Thanks so much for the love and perspective.
You are so welcome!
Hi . Much love from the UK .
Thanks! I’m in the UK- I was just visiting my hometown here, but I live in the Southeast. :)
wish I'd seen this when we went to Vancouver back in 2000. And I can confirm I got sunburn there !!! great holiday that was on the Rocky mountaineer ... would love to go back to finish off the tour thru to Nova Scotia where my mum and dad lived for time during WW2
nick
Love your London videos - next time you are home, it might be fun for you to make a video of filming locations made famous in Vancouver
Thanks for the idea!
Thanks for the info. Yes, I like part 2 of my hometown.
You’re very welcome!
Loved this! Vancouver born & raised. If you haven’t done one already, I would love a haunted Vancouver tour; guarantee there’s something going on in Gaoler’s Mews and the building space underneath.
Thank you so much for watching! Sadly, Gaoler’s Mews is another embellished story without any truth to it- the same era as Blood Alley!
After working events there, I def think the Hycroft mansion is haunted, brrrrrrr. 😱😨😬
@@sophiemarcaurele I wouldn’t be surprised! Lots of history there. And even though she totally blew me off, I can tell you there’s something going on around Gaoler’s Mews (in Gas Town) as well - another area with a lot of history.
very interesting ! You know your city! keep them coming.
Thank you!
Love this!! Thank you for the video. Would love more videos on Vancouver. I had no idea that Errol Flynn died 3 blocks from where I live.
You’re very welcome! I plan on doing another Vancouver video in the future. :) Radical Vancouver!
More Vancouver videos please, I live in the UK and visit Vancouver twice a year, been to many of the places included
We'll film Radical Vancouver in the Spring. :)
Thank you for this. I live in Seattle, and come up to Vancouver when I can. I have new list of places to visit from this video! Tell me more about Vancouver!!
I was actually going to make a video about Seattle, too! But we were just too busy in Vancouver. Next time!
I’ve lived here all my life my father worked at the sun building he is 101
Know I miss the lights and Woodward building for the Xmas displays. And all the musicians from late 60s and
70s thanks for the history.🌈
You’re very welcome! Maybe he and my granny knew each other. 🥰
Those elevator doors would be an amazing tattoo!
Don’t give me and Ali any ideas!
Very cool! I lived in Vancouver for 10 years in the 60s and 70s, and still have family there and on the Island. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting along with you. Thank you for sharing. PS: I’d love a video about radical Vancouver…I was there.🖤🇨🇦
That’s amazing! Thank you so much for watching.
@@TheMuseumGuide It is always a pleasure to watch your content.🖤🇨🇦
"Blood Alley" I used to love going to Hombres there when I was a kid.
Such a great memory! Thanks for watching.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention my favourite fact of the police museum! According to city of Vancouver official planning, it is still listed as an emergency location for mass causality events for body storage.
I did actually know that! It just slipped my mind. I’m not sure how, as I’ve spent a lot of time in the overflow morgue. 😨
Hi east van gal... Also team Otter.. I love telling visitors this battle..
🦦🦦🦦
..also in or near downtown eastside: the famous Steam Clock in Gastown? And elsewhere the big 'golfball' Science World? (contains an Omnimax theatre). Also the Maritime Museum which contains the old N. W. Passage ship the St. Roche. And yes, a littele house dedicated to Jimi Hendrix's grandmother who lived there. Many movies & TV filmed hereabouts..
I would suggest that in the future you should mention what country you are in. Especially, 9:17 when there are two Vancouver's with in driving distance of each other.
Sorry for all the comments, all in one day, but I live in Vancouver! Lol also in Sun Yat Sen garden is where some of my daughters first steps were taken! In the water garden area.
Please do a Vancouver true crime video series!!!!! Also the radical Vancouver series would be amazing!
Allister is pretty cool too!
The ovaltine had a fire and almost closed, it was boarded up for a few months it just opened back up.
And omg, when you showed blood alley @23:14 that is my works dumpster, I've worked for a place called MeeT for quite a few years! The entrance from the alley is where the blue construction fence is......you can barely see the red sign. Sorry I will quit geeking out....
Take a tour with Ali! He runs Vancouver DeTours.
Been to all these places. Some haunted places for sure. A pure Vancouverite ✨️ all my life. Stop all that name changing.
I’m a full proponent of name changing! We’ve always done it throughout history.
like your tuke-------
Thanks! I'm repping Herschel, a Vancouver brand!
#TeamKoi
Poor Madonna deserved more.
Loved this video! I knew nothing about Vancouver and I learned the most intrested things ( in my opinion lol). And yes, a video about true crimes would be amazing! :)
Poor Madonna! Thanks for watching.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.. I'm already trembling.
There is a street named Blood Alley?😰 _WTF?!? was it given that name to lure creepy people?_
You'll have to watch to find out!
I keep offering to give a tour of my honwtown (Wichita, KS), but I have not had anyone take me up on it. Granted, I don't have some of the details that you two have, I do belong to our local historic preservation group, so I do know a few special things.
Jessica. Could you provide a list of all of your guides. It is difficult for me to try and find all of the ones on line.
Thanks for watching, Dan! If you click on my name “the Museum Guide” a list will come up. :)
Here is the link:
youtube.com/@TheMuseumGuide
I live and born in Vancouver
Born and raised there! But now I live in the UK.
More of museum of the mind please
The one in London?
@@TheMuseumGuide yes I think that would be really good
Yes please, we know little about Vancouver's crimes :)
I find the Castellani Milkshake Murder the most interesting!
And the young, unidentified First Nation boys murdered in Stanley park... 🤔😕
lmao remove the Koi then look for the otter, dont wait until its eaten almost all the fish
Right? 🤣
The delivery of everything is sooooooo dry. This ends up being sleep material.
My dude needs a pop filter or something
Sound is my biggest challenge. 🤦🏻♀️
Smiling Buddha is still around?
No, but the sign is in the Museum of Vancouver!
I have lived here in Van for over 26 years now and although I have visited some of these places on field trips with my kids when they were in school you have taught me more to visit on staycations. I would love more videos. Thank you!
You’re very welcome!