Here’s a quick guide for getting to and around Vancouver during the conference. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Getting to Vancouver
Vancouver is accessible via air, rail, and highway. The closest airport is Vancouver International Airport, with connections from Air Canada, West Jet, and other airlines. Both VIA Rail and Amtrak serve Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station.
You can also fly via Seattle and travel up on Greyhound, BoltBus, or Amtrak (sometimes flights to Seattle are cheaper). The journey from Seattle to Vancouver takes about 4.5 hours and includes a stop at the US/Canadian border.
Once you are in Vancouver, the easiest way to get around is our public transit network of trains and buses. The airport is well connected via the Canada Line, a train which has regular service to the downtown area (the hotel is a short walk from the Yaletown-Roundhouse Station). If you are staying on campus, you can take the Canada Line to Broadway/City Hall and then the 99 express bus to the campus bus loop. From the train/bus station, you can take buses or the Sky Train in both directions. Visit Translink.ca for fares, schedules, and more information.
Visas. If you are not a Canadian resident, or a Canadian or US citizen, click here to learn what paperwork is required to visit Canada. You may need an eTA or a visitor visa, depending on your nationality.
Accommodation
We have negotiated a special conference rate at the Executive Hotel Vintage Park in downtown Vancouver (located at 1379 Howe Street). To get the rate, you can book via phone or online using the corporate code UBCCP150.
Conference venue
On Thursday evening there will be a film screening of a new adaptation of Crime and Punishment at the Vancity Theatre, located at 1181 Seymour Street downtown. The Vancity Theatre is less than 10 minutes walk from the downtown hotel and a 40 minute busride from the UBC campus.
On Friday and Saturday the conference will take place at Green College on the University of British Columbia campus. The UBC campus is located in Point Grey, a 20-40 minute bus ride from the downtown area. There are direct buses, including the 4, 14, or 44 express coming from downtown. You can also take the Canada Line south and exit at Olympic Village for the 84 express bus route to campus or at Broadway for the 99 express bus route to campus. More information about public transportation in Vancouver is available via Translink.
From the UBC central bus loop, it is a 10 minute walk to Green College. A map of the campus can be found here.
Meals and conference dinner
During the conference, coffee breaks and lunches are included. On Friday night, a conference dinner at Edible Canada bistro is also included for participants (and available as an add-on for visitors). Transportation will be provided from Green College to Edible Canada. To return to the hotel from Edible Canada, you can take a short water taxi or bus ride, or walk across the Granville Street bridge. To return to Green College, you can take a short bus ride.
The Point Grey campus has many dining options in addition for breakfast or dinner. The Nest is our Student Centre and features a diverse food court. There’s also the ubiquitous Starbucks, Tim Horton’s, The Great Dane Cafe, and Loafe (best coffee on campus) for additional caffeine and snack fixes. For more on UBC dining, click here.
Sight-seeing and other touristy things
Vancouver is a beautiful place to visit, and if you have time to stay on after or come earlier, we can recommend some of the best things.
On campus. The award-winning Museum of Anthropology is located on the UBC campus, and offers guided tours from docents (recommended) several times daily. The UBC campus is also home to a Botanical Garden featuring tree canopy bridges and the lovely Nitobe Japanese Garden. The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is an good rainy day activity, featuring an amazing natural history collection.
In town. The Dr Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden is a tranquil oasis in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown neighborhood. There are a variety of museums, including the Vancouver Art Gallery (there is no major exhibit on during the conference, but some smaller exhibits feature local artists including one on Emily Carr), the Bill Reid Gallery, the Museum of Vancouver, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, Science World, and others. The Bloedel Conservatory is a lush tropical paradise inside a glass-domed conservatory and aviary; it’s located at Vancouver’s highest point and has wonderful views of the city. Two fun downtown neighborhoods to explore are Gastown and Yale Town, which are both on the water, but you can also take a walking tour to discover more of Vancouver history or architecture. Granville Island is a fun day out, with its marketplace and many shops, and is reachable via bus no. 50 from downtown, or water taxi from many points around False Creek. Stanley Park is also a good day trip, its highlight is the Vancouver Aquarium in its center and its beautiful views of the water.
Around town. Vancouver is best known for the nature that surrounds it. The Capilano Suspension Bridge is famous, but you can visit the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge for free – it’s a seabus and bus ride away in North Vancouver. Farther north, along the Sea to Sky Highway, are Squamish, a climbing paradise, and Whistler, the famous mountain resort area. From Vancouver you can also take to the waters, either by renting a boat and heading out yourself, or by going on a whale watching or sight-seeing cruise.
