(Cheater Exposure/Flickr)
A few weeks ago, I had the rare opportunity to show my friend around YVR. The friend in question, let’s call him “Mr. M”, has never stepped foot into an airport in his life, so I took it upon myself to show him the area as best as I could. We typically hang out in the same couple of places, namely White Rock and Crescent Beach, so a trip outside of our realm of expertise seemed like a daunting task.
I consider myself to be fairly well-travelled. I’ve been to plenty of different airports during my life, yet YVR still remains the nicest one. The terminal, in it’s current form, has been a fixture of Metro Vancouver since 1968, welcoming visitors from every corner of the globe. Speaking of visitors, what did Mr. M think?
When we first arrived, Mr. M was shocked at the size and scope of the terminal. YVR is approximately 3,311 acres in size, so I can see how someone would be taken aback by a facility that large. Upon entering, his shock turned to awe, as it seemed like the building just kept going infinitely in either direction. When I asked him what his initial thoughts were, he told me “I think the officialness and efficiency of everything (surprised me). With all the airport employees doing different things that all worked to get people to their destinations”.
The architecture inside YVR is like nothing I’ve seen before. Unlike, say, LAX, YVR has a distinctive Pacific Northwest theme to its interiors, with impressive displays of local art, and facades meant to replicate the seaside village atmosphere of places like Steveston Village. The color pallet of greens, blues and yellow give it a unique rainforest feel, which I vastly prefer over the bland whites and greys of other airports. Mr. M agreed with my sentiments, telling me “It was minimalist and gave a good representation of what modern architecture is like in Vancouver, and still managed to feel inviting”.
As we wandered around, we decided to check out the stores and the Fairmont. Mr. M was surprised by the amount of shopping and dining available, and of course we had to visit the Vancouver Aquarium gift shop, where we both picked up some souvenirs to remember the visit by. Later in the evening, we decided to eat at the White Spot, which has an exclusive menu. Mr. M said the food was “very good”, high praise indeed.
After we’d seen it all, it was time to leave. We met with my sister (who herself was there to say goodbye to someone, which was the reason we went in the first place), and made our way to the parking garage. 3 hours in the terminal cost $59.99 in parking fees, absolute highway robbery. But was the 60 dollars (plus food and souvenirs) worth it? Absolutely. Going to the beach for the 100th time would’ve also been cool, sure, but getting the chance to go somewhere different and explore is something else entirely, something that Mr. M and I will remember more than another day hanging at the pier. I don’t know where we’ll go next, but if our time at YVR is anything to go by, it’ll be time well spent.
Written by Noah Schmidt
Contact: nschmidt20@my.bcit.ca