When I arrived at Britannia Seniors Centre, Linda was waiting outside. Soon Paul came out to explain that the centre had been booked to an outside group for a sleepover so we wouldn't have the use of it for the weekend; he apologized for the inconvenience and offered the library for TV and computers.
Brian and Emily showed up soon after and, given the state of the weather - cloudy with occasional light showers - we decided to wait to see if anyone else might show. While we waited, we spoke with one of the Britannia High School students who was chaperoning the sleepover. He told us that a group of Grade 5-11 students from a small isolated community in the Stikine Valley [north of Pemberton] were here for the final weekend of the PNE.
Yesterday they were treated to rides at Playland on the PNE grounds and today the group would see the Super Dogs and other special events. Tonight, they will attend the hockey game between Canada and Sweden and have seats in the Luongo box for this event. What a wonderful experience these young people are having, something they will always remember with pleasure. Brit Seniors were happy to give up our space so these students could enjoy their first trip to the big city.
From the #20 Downtown bus, we transferred to the #19 Stanley Park. On the bus, we met a group of out-of-town students who just arrived to attend Simon Fraser University. One girl was from Ontario, one from Penticton and the other from Iran. This week is their orientation and they are being shown the city by a Vancouver student; today they were on their way to the aquarium.
At Stanley Park our walk took us into the woods; we followed the miniature railway thinking we were headed straight for the north seawall of Stanley Park, but we ended up back where we started. After a brief stop at a 25-foot Grecian Pillar commemorating WWII battlegrounds in which over 100,000 Canadians lost their lives, we followed a trail to Lumberman's Arch where Brian took a photo. Past the arch, we caught the Trolley Bus which took us around the park to the Teahouse at Third Beach where we stopped for fish and chips, cheesecake and coffee.
Our walk continued along the seawall to Second Beach and English Bay. At Denman and Davie Streets, we were met by a small group of people carrying signs that read, "Free Hugs", so we all hugged each other then boarded the #5 Robson bus to Pender Street. Brian left to catch the Sky Train, Emily went on to Chinatown and Linda and I returned to Commercial Drive.
All in all, it was a day full of surprises. Emily commented that one of the reasons she enjoys being with our group (this is her third outing) is that we find interesting people and events and make them part of our walking experience.
Contributor Virginia
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