FEATURE STORY 18
FRIDAY
May 15 2015
High school: 1955 vs. 2015
Vol. 106 No. 38
ENTERTAINMENT 26
In search of U2 SPORTS 29
Triathlete’s psychodrama There’s more online at
vancourier.com WEEKEND EDITION
THE VOICE of VANCOUVER NEIGHBOURHOODS since 1908
Put the Victoria into the Day
Top 10 things to do this long weekend Andrew Fleming
afleming@vancourier.com
It’s been 114 years since the reign of Queen Victoria came to an end, but marking her birthday continues to be one of the most anticipated Canadian holidays of the year. This probably has more to do with the Victoria Day long weekend being widely considered the unofficial beginning of summer than it does Canadians’ lingering fondness for the ruling monarch at the time of Confederation, but Her Majesty still deserves props. Despite her actual birthday being May 24, Victoria Day is celebrated each year on the last Monday before May 25, and Canada is the only country from the former British Empire to celebrate it as a public holiday. (Quebec, being Quebec, instead gives people Monday off so that they can celebrate the failed attempt by
French Patriotes to defeat the British colonial government during the Lower Canada Rebellion of 1837.) The national holiday is also meant to mark the current ruler’s birthday, which this year sees Queen Elizabeth II turn 89 and narrow the gap to two years from reaching her great great grandmother’s record of 63 years on the throne. Unlike Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria never visited Canada but she nonetheless left her mark here and on British Columbia in particular. Here are 10 ways to spend the Victoria Day long weekend in suitably Victorian fashion. 1. Although the remark “We are not amused” has famously been attributed to her, there’s no direct evidence that she ever said it and she was instead known for, as far as dread sovereigns go, having a decent sense of humour. Continued on page 6
Vancouverites choose bikes over cars Vehicle use declines, transit ridership levels off Mike Howell
mhowell@vancourier.com
More people than ever before are taking transit, walking and riding bikes to get around Vancouver instead of relying on a vehicle for transportation, according to a new report that went before city council Tuesday. The shift means for the first time in the city’s history that an equal number of people — 50 per cent — are choosing transportation alternatives other than the vehicle, with its use dropping from 60 per cent in 2008 to 50 per cent in 2014. “To see this dramatic of a shift is phenomenal,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson after listening to a presentation from members of the city’s transportation staff, who pointed out the city achieved its goal five years earlier
than projected. “It speaks to how people are making those choices in their lives — that people are embracing the goal to be the greenest city but also to get around in healthier ways without being in cars.” An increase in people riding bikes is largely the reason for the shift, with staff presenting an accompanying report that revealed cycling trips are up 11 per cent from 2013 to 2014, while injuries to cyclists have dropped. The highest bike traffic was on the Burrard Bridge, followed by the path that runs past Science World and Union and Hawks streets, which is part of the Union-Adanac bike route. An average of 100,000 bike trips per day were made across the city in 2014, up from 50,000 in 2008. Continued on page 9
DUTY AND THE BEAST Courier intern Kathleen Saylors checked out Playland’s latest attraction for her first assignment. See story on page 20. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET
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