Off-campus activities

Vancouver Chinatown Walking Tour + Chinese Canadian Museum Visit

Thursday, May 1, 2025
Walking Tour: 2:30-4:00 pm
Chinese Canadian Museum Opening Hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Tour Guide: Imogene Lim
Meeting Point: Chinese Canadian Museum, 51 E. Pender St.
Cost: $20
Max. Group: 15
To Register: Click Here

Join Imogene Lim on a pre-conference walking tour of Vancouver’s Chinatown. Learn about the neighbourhood’s storied history and the tangible and intangible legacies that continue to define and redefine the community. The tour will include a visit to the Suzhou Alley Women’s Mural, a newly installed mural that celebrates the legacies of Chinese Canadian women who helped shape Vancouver’s Chinatown and community.

Delegates are invited to visit the Chinese Canadian Museum before or after the walking tour. The museum officially opened on July 1, 2023 and features rotating exhibitions highlighting the diversity of the Chinese Canadian diaspora. At the end of the event, delegates are invited to stay in the neighbourhood and explore numerous options for dinner in Chinatown, including: Jade Dynasty Restaurant, Chinatown BBQ, DD Mau, Bao Bei, Kissa Tanto, Juke Fried Chicken, Fat Mao Noodles, The Ramen Butcher, Blind Tiger Dumplings, to name a few.

This is not part of the formal conference programming, but it has been organized specially for BC Studies Conference attendees.

UBC Point Grey Campus

A Walking Tour of Musqueam House Posts at UBC (self-guided)

qeqən by Jordan Wilson (Musqueam), Curator, Pacific Northwest + Contemporary Indigenous Art at the Museum of Anthropology, is a printed guide for a walking tour of Musqueam House Posts located on the UBC campus. Free copies of the guide are available at the Belkin Art Gallery and online. With thanks to the Belkin, limited copies will also be available at the conference registration desk.

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery at UBC

The Belkin Gallery focuses on contemporary art. Admission is free. Regular opening hours are 10am-5pm (Tuesday-Friday) and noon-5pm (Saturday-Sunday). It is closed Mondays, holidays, and during installation periods between exhibitions.

From 6-8pm on Thursday 1 May, the Belkin will be hosting the opening reception of Impos(s)able Impositions: UBC Master of Fine Arts Graduate Exhibition. This exhibition features work by the 2025 graduates of UBC’s two-year Master of Fine Arts program: Solange Adum Abdala, Mahsa Farzi, Vanessa Mercedes Figueroa, Sarah Haider and Yuan Wen.

Find out more about current exhibitions, location, and other visitor information on the Belkin Gallery website.

Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at UBC

The IRSHDC Gallery is open 12pm-4pm, Monday-Thursday. (It is closed Fridays-Sundays and holidays, so will not be open during the conference itself.)

The Larry Loyie: Writing is Healing exhibition is currently on in the IRSHDC Gallery (physical collection) and online (digital collection). From the official description of the exhibition:

“Featuring a digital and physical collection of materials, this exhibit will introduce you to the life and work of Larry Loyie – a playwright, poet and author who turned to writing on his own healing journey as a Residential School Survivor. His work has opened up healing pathways and supported the education of others.”

Find out more about the IRSHDC on their website.

Looking to get outside or move around? Gardens, walks, and exercise at UBC

UBC Botanical Gardens. The oldest university botanical garden in Canada, with a wide range of gardens including BC native plants, as well as the Greenheart TreeWalk. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4:30pm. Located on the southwest end of the UBC campus (approx. 2.6 km from Allard Hall). Admission cost; free for University Neighbourhoods Association residents, UBC cardholders, and Indigenous Peoples.
Nitobe Memorial Garden. Japanese garden; sakura season varies each year, but you’ll probably be able to catch the later cherry blossoms during the conference. Open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-4:30pm. Located on the northwest side of the UBC campus (approx. 800-850 m from Allard Hall). Admission cost; free for University Neighbourhoods Association residents, UBC cardholders, and Indigenous Peoples.
Pacific Spirit Park. Surrounding the UBC Point Grey campus, Pacific Spirit Park has many options for short and long walks in the forest (varying difficulty, some trails also ok for cycling and horses), as well as beaches (Wreck Beach is clothing-optional).
UBC Aquatic Centre. Refer to the centre schedule for available drop-in swim times and drop-in rates; Friday evenings include a two-spirit, trans, and non-binary swim time (8:15-9:30 pm). Located in central campus (approx. 600 m from Allard Hall).

Here with kids? Family-friendly activities at UBC

Iona Green Park Playground. The closest playground to Allard Hall (approx. 300 m); includes swings, a slide, a climbing structure, and an open field.
Pacific Museum of Earth. Dinosaur skeletons, minerals, and more; website includes suggested activities for kids. Open 10am-5pm, Mondays-Fridays. Located in central campus (approx. 1 km from Allard Hall). Admission by donation.
Beaty Biodiversity Museum. Natural history museum, interactive activities, plus the largest blue whale skeleton in Canada. Open 10am-5pm, Tuesdays-Sundays. Located in central campus (approx. 1 km from Allard Hall). Admission free for kids 5 and under; refer to the website for other rates.
UBC Aquatic Centre. Refer to the centre schedule for available drop-in swim times, drop-in rates, and information for children and youth. Located in central campus (approx. 600 m from Allard Hall).

Future visits

Unfortunately the Chung | Lind Gallery will be closed during the conference due to scheduled maintenance in the IK Barber Learning Centre. It is likely of interest to many scholars of British Columbia, though, so we encourage you to visit again!

Additional activities

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