57th Annual GWA Symposium
Vancouver, Canada
September 9-12, 2005

 

Monday 12th
Up for breakfast at 7 then off on the buses to the Brockton Point Totem Pole Display - totem poles representing different First Nations styles of carving erected in the 1920's and drawing millions of visitors a year. In Stanley Park we were also delighted to see that they had put in a flower bed for us! We madly ran around taking pictures as there was much to see and not much time to see it in. Then it was off to the Strathcona Community garden and the Cottonwood Community Garden. Both are 3 acre in size and right beside each other. They are both community and private allotment gardens chock a block full. You could tell they were very proud of these gardens and eager to show them to us. The last garden on our tour was Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chinese Classical Garden in the heart of Vancouver's Chinatown. It is a beautiful garden to visit. A quick visit to the Granville Island Market and back to the hotel for afternoon sessions, then our banquet and awards dinner in the evening.

http://www2.vpl.vancouver.bc.ca/dbs/redbook/orgpgs/2/2472.html
http://www.vancouverchinesegarden.com/
http://www.findfamilyfun.com/granvilleisl.htm

There were lots of things people could add on to their time in Vancouver, but I had to get back to get ready for a tour. I hated to leave, because I could not remember the last time I had so much fun and saw so much in such a short period of time. The organizing committee did an outstanding job. It's a huge job too with over 500 registered. A very special thank you to all those who put this together. A big thank you to all the sponsors of this event. I don't think I have ever heard so many people saying how fantastic our food was. We had such a good time and I can hardly wait until 2006 and the Valley Forge, PA Symposium!