Hanging Out at the Quay in Vancouver's North Shore

Vancouver’s North Shore refers to the scenic, mountainous region across the Burrard Inlet from downtown Vancouver. It comprises the North Vancouver and West Vancouver. It is known for its blend of dense urban living and rugged wilderness, offering easy access to hiking, biking, and skiing. Think of it as a cluster of peaceful, family-oriented communities, often affluent, with the world’s most beautiful nature at your backyard – three ski hills (Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour, and Cypress Mountain), two suspension bridges (Capilano and Lynn Valley), and a beautiful quay (Lonsdale).

I had a job that had an office in North Vancouver, then moved to the beautiful Ambleside Park neighbourhood in West Vancouver, right by a sandy beach, a lovely park, and the seawall path across the water behind our parking lot, and a row of trendy cafés, shops, and restaurants facing the main entrance. And we had the North Shore mountains as background!

My daily commute included crossing the majestic Lion’s Gate Bridge from downtown Vancouver by bus from the Burrard Skytrain stop or by a twelve-minute scenic ride on the SeaBus from the Waterfront Skytrain terminus to North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay and a short bus ride to West Vancouver. The commute was long, but very relaxing.

I loved going to the North Shore. I’ve always told myself that one day, I will live in West Vancouver, close to the mountains but still able to reach downtown in less than thirty minutes.

I was a regular at Lonsdale Quay. Sometimes, I would wait for the later SeaBus and spend an hour or two there – just browsing the shops or having a coffee while enjoying the view. Londsdale Quay was also a “must-visit” for out-of-town” visitors. They always enjoy the SeaBus ride from downtown Vancouver and back, as well as the seafood and artisanal goods at Lonsdale Quay.

The Vancouver SeaBus is a passenger ferry, but a lot of tourists take it because it is cheaper than doing a touristic harbour cruise. While you don’t get the commentary, you still get the view for a fraction of the price.

On my last two visits to Vancouver, I took my aunt, brother, sister-in-law, and niece there for a stroll and a seafood lunch, then did the same with my husband and son.

My husband was already familiar with the SeaBus since he also lived in Vancouver, but it was a novelty for our five-year-old son. He loved the ride! We were fortunate to get front row seats both ways. On the way to Lonsdale, he had the best view of the North Vancouver skyline, and on the way back to downtown Vancouver, it’s famous skyline with the Vancouver Lookout Tower and the sails of Canada Place. The best of both worlds!

My favourite places at the Lonsdale is the Quay Market and Food Hall, the most famous destination there right beside the SeaBus terminal and the Shipyards.

If you want a wide variety of fresh seafood, local produce, baked goods, and specialty foods straight from the fishermen, farmers, and bakers, this is the place to go. There is a food court with a small, but well-rounded selection of eateries offering global flavours. There are boutiques and artisan stores providing a range of products from fashion to home decor. There are play areas and kid-focused shops for younger visitors. There is a lookout on the second level where you can see the working tugboats at the Shipyards and the SeaBus plying the Burrard Inlet. There is even a boutique hotel onsite with stunning views.

We took our son to the food hall first. We had a nice seafood lunch – clam chowder, grilled salmon, grilled tuna, and some sushi for me. Then, we enjoyed some cupcakes and cookies from a bakery run by a mother-daughter team that makes the best treats from scratch.

I went to my “go-to” tea shop, Blue Teapot, where I bought a stash of flavoured rooibos tea to take home. I first discovered rooibos tea from this place when I went there for tasting and I had been getting my tea supply from there since then. They offer a wide variety of loose leaf black, green, herbal, rooibos and fruit tisane teas, as well as tea accessories, specialty teapots and glassware.

My favourite has always been the rooibos and honeybush teas from South Africa. They have long been recognized for having many health promoting properties. Both are naturally caffeine-free, high in antioxidants and low in tannins, without any bitterness. I also got my husband hooked into this. We got an assortment of my usuals – Rooibos Blueberry, Rooibos Berry Blast, Rooibos Strawberry Cream, Rooibos Lavender Valley, Rooibos Vanilla, African Dream (honeybush with raspberries), African Spirit (honeybush with grapes, papaya, and red fruits), Japanese Genmaicha, and Chinese Sencha. As you could probably tell, I adore berries and lavender, while my husband likes vanilla and green tea.

We revisited the artisan shops at the second level, where the vendors sell unique items crafted from local artisans. I recall getting a set of glass blown fish and sea creatures many years ago that I had put in a fishbowl for decoration. The pieces came with transparent strings and a glass weight, so they could float in the water. They were made in a variety of colours and when illuminated at night, they look magical.

After losing my Siamese fighting fish pet, I switched to these glass creatures. I didn’t want to confine another live fish in a small tank, even though captive-bred Siamese fighting fish only require a small area (males are usually kept alone in the tank as they can be aggressive to other males or other similar-type fish). Siamese fish are native to Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, and they thrive in shallow rice paddies with warm water. I felt bad buying another one and keeping it in my small tank, only to die a few weeks after.

The boys found a giant chess set in a corner (with pieces as tall as our son), so while they played a round, I checked out the rest of the artisanal shops on the second floor.

After their game, we visited the kitchenware store downstairs. Oh, they have such pretty items!

Then we bought some wine and cheese and had some gelato before boarding the SeaBus and heading back to Vancouver downtown.