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MOVments: Keeping Our Cool

Posted by: Anna Wilkinson on February 19, 2013 / 4:46 PM
 
A recent survey has revealed that Vancouverites are less trusting of authority than our Eastern Canadian counterparts. Over at MOV, the report had us excitedly asking: does this mean we're finally getting some long-overdue street cred for our anti-authoritarian spirit? Maybe. But while nicknames like "no fun city" still stick, we have a ways to go in the coolness department. Nevertheless, join us this week for an exploration of all things hip, including Surrey (possibly) being the new Brooklyn, maintaining our reputation in China, and the financial and intellectual complexities of hosting a trendy lecture series (we're looking at you, TED). 
 
Whalley Is the New Williamsburg. And Cloverdale is the new Park Slope. Or at least that's what this Vancouver Sun article would have us believe. Comparing our suburb's rough, working-class upbringing and its relatively affordable housing market to the trendy New York borough, Shelley Fralic argues that it's finally becoming cool for young Vancouverites to move to Surrey. Backlash against the article can be seen in the comments on the Vancouver Sun page: "You're joking right? There's no doubt things are improving, but New West or the DTES has a better chance of becoming Vancouver's version of "Brooklyn." Surrey has little character [and] few historic buildings..." For the record, The Tyee seems to agree that it's New West that's the new Brooklyn. 
 
Cultural Ambassador to Cool. In an effort to gain more of the lucrative Chinese tourism market, Tourism Vancouver has enlisted recording artist, Wanting Qu, to be its first tourism ambassador. As part of her new role, Wanting will be producing videos that combine her music with images of the city and its surroundings. Stephen Pearce of Tourism Vancouver says, “I think the Olympics put us on the radar screen with China, and I think this relationship with Wanting Qu will do that again." In less than two years, China is set to overtake the UK for highest numbers of overnight visitors heading to Vancouver.
 
Money Talks. If we define "cool" as "exclusive" then it looks like attending the TED conference in Vancouver is going to be really, really cool. Set at US$7,500, tickets for the 2014 lecture series are not going to be readily available to most of us. The cost highlights an interesting tension in the TED mandate: it is a public lecture that broadcasts its talks online while also carrying prohibitively expensive ticket prices and a rigorous application procedure. This recent Globe and Mail article articulates some other criticisms of TED including it being derided as repetitive, middlebrow, and "the Urban Outfitters" of the intellectual world. Critic Nathan Jurgenson is quoted as saying, “The role of Urban Outfitters is to find what’s edgy, package it, label it and sell it to the masses and thereby extinguish what’s edgy about it. And so TED has sort of filled that role.” What do you think? TED lovers and critics we want to hear from you!
 
At the MOVeum:
 
 
[Image: Beautiful British Columbia Magazine cover, 1986. From the Museum of Vancouver collection, H2010.2.15]
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MOVments: Local quirks and features of high holidays in Vancouver

Posted by: Gala Milne on December 20, 2011 / 5:37 PM

MOVments: current events in Vancouver by the Museum of Vancouver

It’s five days before “the big day” and you’re traveling home, cooking feasts, and franticly overspending on the perfect gift. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some kind of alternatives?Vancouver tool library

Folks in New York are sharing a few thrifty secrets with us: toy-sharing, tree-loaning, and tool-lending  are all the rage this year. Luckily for you, Vancouver has it’s own tool library.

Never really warmed up to the idea of tofurkey? Still looking for a holiday-bird alternative? Some careful digging on The Tyee tells us that 2012 might be the year we look forward to Schmeat, meat of the future. Once you realize how tasty it is you’ll be saying…

“All I want for xmas is my two front teeth!” However, the Federal government has just announced an early gift to Canadians: reduced health care transfer to the provinces! Ontario claims this will remove $21 billion in health care funding over the next 10 years and 8.2bn for Ontario alone. Maybe we’d better stay away from those shortbreads for a while.

For those of us who aren’t skipping town this week, this fantastic 1960’s Vancouver tourism video will have you know that Vancouver was the most happenin’ place for a date. On the other hand, maybe you’re stuck with a household of sibling rivalry this winter. In which case we’ve selected a podcast on “Nemeses” from This American Life to stick under your tree.

From the MOVeum: All the best and see you in the New Year!

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