Vancouver General Discussion Thread

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by s211

Did you do it as a day trip? How long was the drive?

Yup. We left from Vancouver at 6:10am, spend 15 minutes at Sumas border crossing and were there at 8:50am (the place opens at 9am). So we spent 2 hours and 25 minutes driving there, meaning you can do it as a day trip.

We normally leave Vancouver around the same time to be first at Whistler lift lines with the difference that they start running at 8:30am. The road from border station onwards is a slow drive, although spectacular.

I don't know if one has to buy the $5 National Parks pass when visiting Mount Baker to ski. We bought it from the machine at the entrance to the park, but it seemed like nobody else did that. It wasn't very well described anywhere whether or not it was required.

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

That's the difference between countries with socialized healthcare and without it. In Canada, there is a huge incentive to keep you from getting injured because the government will have to pay for ongoing healthcare costs. In the US, it's considered government interference with private sector interests, so they don't do it.

I think that's a far fetch. Canada is not nearly as over-protective of its citizens as most of Europe is...

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Went to Mount Baker as planned today and the snow... was heavenly! Incredible snow condition at Baker with base at 102 inches and over 7 meters having fell this winter (more than all last winter, still only a little for Baker). Snow conditions were great and we had lots of fun.

I was very surprised to find that almost none of the chair lifts at Mount Baker have safety rails. I have never seen such and I have to say that it is not the most comfortable thing to be sitting on lift if you suffer from various degrees of vertigo...

I wonder how often people fall from those chair lifts and hurt themselves badly? It must have happened, especially with small kids. Mount Baker being in the US, you would think someone would have sued them over it already, so I found it very bizarre and scary.

Otherwise two nice little mountains with great snow. Definitely the place to visit if you like deep natural snow and glades skiing! Lots of people too, but no lift lineups.

That's what all the fine print on your pass is for though there seems to be some legal fights down in the US on how much weight those legal indemnities has when someone does get injured.

[jollyburger]

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

That's the difference between countries with socialized healthcare and without it. In Canada, there is a huge incentive to keep you from getting injured because the government will have to pay for ongoing healthcare costs. In the US, it's considered government interference with private sector interests, so they don't do it.

I'll say the use of safety rails would be more likely down to legal decisions then worrying about anything related to private & public healthcare.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by jollyburger

That's what all the fine print on your pass is for though there seems to be some legal fights down in the US on how much weight those legal indemnities has when someone does get injured.

Oh, for sure. The backside of their resort map is literally full of different warnings and liability excemption clauses. Your safety [at Mount Baker] is NOT guaranteed, it says with big bold black letters. Ah America, where the individual is truly free and responsible for himself...

But joking aside, the total lack of safety rails on lifts is hard to understand as it is such an obvious and basic safety feature, and not even expensive to install. Those chair lifts also travel so high up in the air at several places that there is a high risk risk of getting severely injured if not dying if you fall. It's the very high risk that they are allowing, which I find hard to comprehend and I would not suggest families with kids going there.

[SpongeG]

i've only gone downhill skiing and despite the chairs having the safety bar things, the friends i went with would put them up and i would cling to the arm rail lol

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

i've only gone downhill skiing and despite the chairs having the safety bar things, the friends i went with would put them up and i would cling to the arm rail lol

Damn snowboarders.

[s211]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Damn snowboarders.

I always put the safety bar down, snowboarders be damned.

[Klazu]

What do people think about smoking pot while snowboarding (skiers would never do that)? Doesn't that make one much slower to react to situations and many snowboarders seem to be pushing the limits (without a helmet, of course) in the backcountry setting. Seems quite dangerous, yet common, to me.

Every time I go skiing I smell pot either in the runs or from a person in a chair lift ahead of me. Very annoying.

[Klazu]

Currently in line for Star Wars: The Force Awakens 70mm IMAX Laser 3D at Seattle Pacific Science Center. Only 13 theaters in the world has the tech and this is one of them.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Currently in line for Star Wars: The Force Awakens 70mm IMAX Laser 3D at Seattle Pacific Science Center. Only 13 theaters in the world has the tech and this is one of them.

Back from Seattle. Made the trip as a day trip and holy shit did the movie look good! The story line was okay and "familiar", but the visuals were amazing. They were using the brand new dual-laser IMAX projectors (only Toronto in Canada has such at the moment) to screen the movie and the picture was so bright and sharp. The new 12-channel IMAX sound track sounded absolutely amazing and gave goosebumps during the IMAX demos and the IMAX scenes. Unfortunately not much has been show in IMAX, but the projector and sound system still made it something different.

I will be going to see the movie once more here in Vancouver in 4K Ultra-AVX as a comparison to really know what the difference was. I really hope we will soon start seeing laser projectors installed also in Vancouver theaters. Victoria is scheduled to have one and so is Edmonton. Scotiabank Theater needs to up their game. They already have the great Dolby Atmos sound system, now bring in the new projector technology!

[giallo]

Originally Posted by Klazu

What do people think about smoking pot while snowboarding (skiers would never do that)? Doesn't that make one much slower to react to situations and many snowboarders seem to be pushing the limits (without a helmet, of course) in the backcountry setting. Seems quite dangerous, yet common, to me.

Every time I go skiing I smell pot either in the runs or from a person in a chair lift ahead of me. Very annoying.

My friends and I were a mix of skiers and snowboarders that, in our older teen years, smoked weed on a regular basis while riding. It slows things down, but it also makes you way more cautious. I quite liked riding while baked, but it was basically like one or two puffs before riding. Nothing too insane.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by giallo

It slows things down, but it also makes you way more cautious.

I hope others are just like you as well, but I have not seen anything supporting it. Glad that you made it unhurt.

[Klazu]

I have been to US twice in the past week and noticed how several gas stations are offering 10 cents off the gas price if you pay with cash. How come this practice has not found its way into Canada? I am sure that the credit card companies are doing just as much ripping off on this side of the border as well and the gas stations could pass those savings to their customers.

[SpongeG]

i like that you can put cash in at the pump there, on my way back used to put all the ones i had to get rid of them

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Klazu

Back from Seattle. Made the trip as a day trip and holy shit did the movie look good! The story line was okay and "familiar", but the visuals were amazing. They were using the brand new dual-laser IMAX projectors (only Toronto in Canada has such at the moment) to screen the movie and the picture was so bright and sharp. The new 12-channel IMAX sound track sounded absolutely amazing and gave goosebumps during the IMAX demos and the IMAX scenes. Unfortunately not much has been show in IMAX, but the projector and sound system still made it something different.

I will be going to see the movie once more here in Vancouver in 4K Ultra-AVX as a comparison to really know what the difference was. I really hope we will soon start seeing laser projectors installed also in Vancouver theaters. Victoria is scheduled to have one and so is Edmonton. Scotiabank Theater needs to up their game. They already have the great Dolby Atmos sound system, now bring in the new projector technology!

Wonder if the new Marine Gateway Cineplex Cinemas will have that. It's got the VIP theatre so hopefully they will also have the most updated technology there as well.

[Klazu]

Originally Posted by Vin

Wonder if the new Marine Gateway Cineplex Cinemas will have that. It's got the VIP theatre so hopefully they will also have the most updated technology there as well.

Unfortunately it seems that Marine Gateway will "only" have a single Ultra-AVX 4K digital projector, so it won't be a dual-laser one (unless their plan has changed).

"All screens will be equipped with Christie DLP Cinema™ projectors which will provide guests with the crispest imagery and sharpest picture onscreen. Three auditoriums, including UltraAVX, will be equipped with RealD 3D technology allowing guests to experience the many 3D movies available."

http://mediafiles.cineplex.com/_att/...ay%20FINAL.pdf

I just returned from Scotiabank Theater from my second screening of the new Star Wars. Good thing I did it, as with my Seattle experience clearly on my mind I could immediately tell the difference. The screen looked so tiny vs. Seattle Pacific Science Center Boeing IMAX, which is a real old-time massive IMAX screen (today many theaters that claim to be "IMAX" are just retrofitted regular screens and not the true IMAX experience the brand is known of - google 'LieMAX'). I could also easily tell that the contrast was inferior to Seattle's dual-laser projection which produced almost perfect black when the yellow text rolled against the black space. 3D also looks much smoother on dual-projection, very similar to the smoothness of the high-frame rate projection on the Hobbit movies, just without the feel of things running on fast forward.

There is no question about the difference when you have seen both only few days apart.

However I was impressed with the Dolby Atmos sound system which is also a 12-channel surround sound just like the new IMAX sound system. It is a tie between the two as far as I can tell. Too bad that the D-BOX seats were all sold out, so I didn't get the chance to test that. I think also the regular seats in Ultra-AVX theaters have Buttkickers, as I could feel the explosions vibrate the chair gently. It's a nice touch.

In the end the difference can only be understood if you really go and compare both, but I would definitely be choosing laser projection (and IMAX) over anything else, if just available.

Now I wonder if either Riverport or Langley IMAX are real big screen IMAX theaters? The one at Telus World of Science is a Omnimax, which is a different dome technology. If neither of those are "real", then we don't have a true IMAX in Lower Mainland right now. I suppose the theater at Canada Place used to be one, but that predates me living here, so I don't know for sure. Shame.

Sorry for the tech talk, but it is quite a cool tech that really helps you immerse with the movie better. Of course also the best tech fails to save if a movie is bad. The Star Wars was good in my opinion and I didn't feel bad seeing it twice.

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I have been to US twice in the past week and noticed how several gas stations are offering 10 cents off the gas price if you pay with cash. How come this practice has not found its way into Canada? I am sure that the credit card companies are doing just as much ripping off on this side of the border as well and the gas stations could pass those savings to their customers.

I remember that from trips to the US back in the 1990s.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by officedweller

I remember that from trips to the US back in the 1990s.

If I'm not mistaken in Canada merchant agreements with cc companies would prohibit penalizing those who use a credit card for purchases.

[Prometheus]

Originally Posted by Klazu

I suppose the theater at Canada Place used to be one, but that predates me living here, so I don't know for sure. Shame.

Yeah, it was definitely a true IMAX theatre, with a real 70mm IMAX projector (that film ran horizontally through) and a screen about five storeys tall. According to Wikipedia, it was the first permanent IMAX 3D theatre ever built, upon construction in 1986 for the World's Fair, Expo 86.

I saw lots of great IMAX documentary films there back in the day.

[Klazu]

Cool. I can believe it having been the first one, considering that IMAX is a Canadian company from Ontario. That's also why Toronto was the first city to see a new laser projector being installed.

Why and when did Canada Place IMAX close down and what took its place? I assume the Flying Canada attraction occupies the space now, right?