The Truly Canadian Kiosk

There's no mistaking it -- this kiosk is in Canada.  The red and white maple leaf flag is a beacon for tourists coming off cruise ships in Vancouver who want some help navigating the city.

This kiosk was built just in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, and is located in front of the new Vancouver Convention Centre expansion that was used as the International Broadcast Center during the event.

• Click here to read more about Vancouver buildings at our sister site, Pacific Northwest Architecture.

Slice of Life: Three Starbucks on Four Corners

Take a close look at this photograph from Vancouver, British Columbia and you'll see something interesting.  This is one of the places where there is a Starbucks on the corner opposite another Starbucks.  People who live in the neighborhood say that one of the cafes is a "biker" cafe and the other is for everyone else.  I don't know if "biker" is Canadian for "cyclist" or if they mean rough-and-tumble motorcycle madmen enjoy their lattes at one of these.  The locals also tell me that a third Starbucks is planned for the same intersection and should be open in a few months.

For more on buildings in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the rest of the Pacific Northwest, visit our Pacific Northwest Architecture web site.

Slice of Life: Granville Street, Vancouver, BC

In case anyone's curious, this is the background of the blog's logo banner.  It's Granville Street in Vancouver, British Columbia.  This portion of the city is rapidly changing from sketchy to swanky as shiny new condo blocks pop up all around.

Expect to see a lot more Vancouver photos and video on this blog because I just got back from there and have a ton of media from the trip on my desktop.