(Pixabay)
New York is the Big Apple. Chicago, the Windy City, Los Angeles, the City of Angels, Vancouver… Does Vancouver have a nickname? Well, not one as recognizable as those, but we do indeed have one. No fun city. Ouch.
“But Vancouver’s a great city!” I hear you say. It can’t be denied that Vancouver is visually a stunning place. Those mountains, the ocean, it’s a unique combination for sure. So it’s not the look. What about activities? There’s recreation out the wazoo, hiking, swimming, and even skiing. If shopping is more your speed, there’s a seemingly infinite number of stores to browse. There’s no shortage of restaurants either; it doesn’t matter what you’re craving, there’s a little bit of everything. What is the reason for the name?
Well, there are three main suspects I can identify, so let’s try to unmask the perpetrator.
- Outdated Laws
Without liquor, nightlife in a city is a ghost town. It’s a depressing reality, but it’s true. Vancouver’s liquor laws have been “archaic” to say the least. Not allowing drink service past 11:30 might be an idea rooted in preserving public safety, but who wants to end their Friday night at 12 am? Besides liquor, strict laws about dance floors and music have discouraged many young people from having a fun night on the town. Things are changing; bars are now allowed to serve until 2 am, and they can even apply to get permission to serve until 4, but this is a very recent change. So are the outdated liquor laws guilty? Possibly, but let’s review our other options first.
2. Everything is Outside
As we’ve established, Vancouver is beautiful, and the abundance of green space makes it ideal for exercise and leisure… For about 6 months of the year. Although Seattle is technically the “Rainy City”, Vancouver is just as deserving of that title. We live in one of the wettest places on earth, with an average of around 150 cms of rainfall each year. And when your gimmick is having an abundance of outdoor activities, monsoons that last for months on end are total buzzkills. In the city’s defense, there are still plenty of indoor attractions, but compared to other major North American cities, the selection is a little underwhelming. Science World and the aquarium Canada are meant for families and children, the Art Gallery certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and our malls, while nice, are nothing particularly special. We are an outdoor city, first and foremost, but that comes at a cost. So is this the culprit? Let’s leave it at maybe for now.
3. It’s Expensive. Very Expensive.
I don’t mean to sound like a broken record, but Vancouver is a beautiful city (shocker, I know). But unless you live under a boulder the size of White Rock’s titular stone, the cost of living has become a bit much. As a student, I feel a shiver down my spine every time I see a listing for a downtown apartment with a monthly rent higher than my tuition, and that’s unfortunately the norm. Even the metro area is absurd, a bungalow in Langley is worth more than a mansion in Texas! At least food & gas are reasonable, right? Gas was 191 cents a litre today, and my eggs were 7 dollars. It’s not hard to see why people are angry. So we’ve found it, this must be the culprit! Well, kind of.
The cause of Vancouver’s nickname is a combination of everything we’ve discussed, plus several other issues I didn’t have time to mention. It’s an anti-climactic conclusion, but it’s true. Rain, a restrictive nightlife, and a cost-of-living crisis aren’t great for a city, and it shows. So how do we fix this problem? Unfortunately, some things are tough, if not impossible, to change. Vancouver isn’t the only city facing a cost-of-living crisis; it’s an international issue. Rain is, well, rain; there’s no changing that. But things like our restrictive drinking laws aren’t set in stone, and change has indeed happened. Maybe we need to lobby for more indoor activities; we may need to spend less money on exorbitantly priced products and find alternatives, The power is in our hands; together, we can make Vancouver Fun City.
Written by Noah Schmidt
Contact: nschmidt20@my.bcit.ca