Festivals & Events in Metro Vancouver

[SpongeG]

Lights at Lafarge is on now

• Video Link

[SpongeG]

the mural festival is on, spread over 3 weeks and in 9 different areas all over the city including the River District.

https://www.citynews1130.com/video/2...hJLSmScMuHnZlk

the stanley theatre will be or is getting a large mural in the alley too

https://vanmuralfest.ca/

[giallo]

The best recurring beautification project the city's ever done.

[Changing City]

Four trailers already arrived, and surveyors marking up the area of asphalt on Pacific by the Plaza of Nations) where Cirque du Soleil open on March 25 with Alegria (now extended through May, so tickets must be selling OK).

[jollyburger]

I guess Bards on the Beach is back soon. They are setting up the tents.

[whatnext]

Seriously, what is up with this? Did the Parks Board blow its whole budget for Stanley Park on orange cones for the bike lane?

The Stanley Park Ghost Train will not be operating this October due to "mechanical issues" with the antique engines and passenger cars, officials announced Tuesday.

The cancellation marks the third Halloween season in a row that families will not be able to enjoy the problem-plagued attraction.

Officials decided to cancel this year's event after the train failed an inspection by Technical Safety B.C. The City of Vancouver said crews hope to address the issues before the annual Bright Nights event in December....

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/stanley-park-g...-row-1.6076810

[Migrant_Coconut]

Meh, the Stanley Park train ceases to be fun past Grade 4. It was only a matter of time before it went the same way as the petting zoo.

[chowhou]

Unfortunately the miniature train is ancient technology passed down to us by the predecessors. It's on an obscure train gauge, and the company that originally custom made it is (as far as I know) defunct. It's probably incredibly hard to maintain.

Part of me wants the replica #374 to be preserved, but it's probably better off being electrified with modern components.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

Meh, the Stanley Park train ceases to be fun past Grade 4. It was only a matter of time before it went the same way as the petting zoo.

It may shock and alarm you to know that new children under age 9 are being born all the time.

Stanley Park trains are extremely popular with families, and based on the pricing, must make good money for the park.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Unfortunately the miniature train is ancient technology passed down to us by the predecessors. It's on an obscure train gauge, and the company that originally custom made it is (as far as I know) defunct. It's probably incredibly hard to maintain.

Part of me wants the replica #374 to be preserved, but it's probably better off being electrified with modern components.

According to other news reports I read, it's still being made in North America.

But either way, just another big fail for the PB.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

According to other news reports I read, it's still being made in North America.

But either way, just another big fail for the PB.

According to Global's Jordan Armstrong there are hundreds operating. Why Vancouver's PB is unable to keep ours in proper shape is baffling.

Jordan Armstrong
@jarmstrongbc
- Yes, the engines are “antique” but they are still in production: ( https://www.chancerides.com/cphuntington_train/ ) (corrected link)
- Hundreds of the type operate in U.S., plus Kamloops, Richmond, Aldergrove & Victoria.

Bottom line: It raises more questions about board’s ability to maintain its key infrastructure…

https://twitter.com/jarmstrongbc/sta...74138207219715

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by whatnext

According to Global's Jordan Armstrong there are hundreds operating. Why Vancouver's PB is unable to keep ours in proper shape is baffling.

Guess he didn't do his research because the Chance Rides engine is built for 24 inch gauge tracks.

Datasheet

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Guess he didn't do his research because the Chance Rides engine is built for 24 inch gauge tracks.

Datasheet

Regardless the point being maintaining such an engine isn't brain surgery and plenty of private owners do it.

If you want the real reason, look buried in the PB news release that they are exploring "green alternatives". The COPE-Green majority on PB needs to go, although most of the sitting commissioners have fled the wreckage they created leaving a fresh crop of idiots to carry their banners.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Regardless the point being maintaining such an engine isn't brain surgery and plenty of private owners do it.

If you want the real reason, look buried in the PB news release that they are exploring "green alternatives". The COPE-Green majority on PB needs to go, although most of the sitting commissioners have fled the wreckage they created leaving a fresh crop of idiots to carry their banners.

You're reading between the wrong lines. The PB was proposing to open but Technical Safety BC refused to allow it.

[WarrenC12]

It hasn't been closed all of COVID, they ran an Easter Train earlier this year.

Just garbage management and organization.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

It may shock and alarm you to know that new children under age 9 are being born all the time.

Stanley Park trains are extremely popular with families, and based on the pricing, must make good money for the park.

And yet that's a much smaller market by excluding children over age 9, unlike Science World or the Aquarium (which themselves have had financial trouble in the past).

I don't doubt it - we used to ride it every Christmas. But the train's becoming more and more quaint; new families've been around the block, they expect better.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

And yet that's a much smaller market by excluding children over age 9, unlike Science World or the Aquarium (which themselves have had financial trouble in the past).

I don't doubt it - we used to ride it every Christmas. But the train's becoming more and more quaint; new families've been around the block, they expect better.

Is that your opinion, or do you have ridership numbers to back it up?

[djmk]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

And yet that's a much smaller market by excluding children over age 9, unlike Science World or the Aquarium (which themselves have had financial trouble in the past).

I don't doubt it - we used to ride it every Christmas. But the train's becoming more and more quaint; new families've been around the block, they expect better.

the last time I wanted to ride it (a couple years pre covid), it was sold out weeks in advance.

the free x-mas light show around the train park alone is worth the visit alone.

[Migrant_Coconut]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Is that your opinion, or do you have ridership numbers to back it up?

200k visitors a year. Before the lockdown, the PNE (also seasonal) got 732k, and Science World and the Aquarium got a million each. Evidently not the most popular attraction in the metro.

Originally Posted by djmk

the last time I wanted to ride it (a couple years pre covid), it was sold out weeks in advance.

the free x-mas light show around the train park alone is worth the visit alone.

Not sure if that's an indication of popularity, or of a lack of things to do in Vancouver during the winter break.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by Migrant_Coconut

200k visitors a year. Before the lockdown, the PNE (also seasonal) got 732k, and Science World and the Aquarium got a million each. Evidently not the most popular attraction in the metro.

200k sounds really high to me, that's 550 per day. If the average ticket is around $8 to $10 that's almost $2 million in yearly revenue. Unless they're really screwing up that sounds like a profit maker.