Dogfish on Tour: Oh, Canada

From wch2012vancouver.com

After getting most of the financial issues under control, I can finally formally announce that I’ll be joining in on the annual meeting of the American Elasmobranch Society (AES), which this year is part of the World Congress of Herpetology (usually it meets as part of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists).  Even better, this year’s conference of elasmophiles takes place in Vancouver, a place I’ve always dreamed of visiting.  For those who will be there or are on the fence about being there, the list of presenters (warning, it’s a long list) may convince you.

I’m looking forward to hanging out with my fellow shark people and seeing what they’re all up to, but I’m extra excited because I get to go to Canada.  Not just Canada, but one of the most naturally-beautiful parts of the North American continent.  I’ve had a fondness for our neighbors to the north ever since spending my high school years in Vermont, where the stations broadcasting from Canada were playing the better music (Limp Bizkit was topping the charts in America at the time, kids).  Since I count several Canadians, former Canadians, and people who have generally spent time in Vancouver as friends and regular readers, I’d like to enlist your help in the comments section with any recommendations for my “Vancouver bucket list” of things I should/need to do while I’m up there.  Intriguing and/or entertaining suggestions will be added to the list below the jump, so keep checking in to see if it grows.

Vancouver Bucket List

– Eat a helping of authentic poutine.

– See a wild killer whale.  Bonus points if it’s actually killing something.

– Drink a beer that I can’t get at home (general plan for any time I travel somewhere new).  I don’t expect Vancouver to disappoint in the beer department.

– Karaoke something by Matthew Good.

– Find filming locations for Fringe (The Girlfriend requests the Chinese restaurant that keeps showing up in the background of pivotal scenes).  Or really, any decent, nerdy sci-fi show filmed since the mid-90s.

– Take the ferry over to check out the island.  The AES portion usually finishes up a day before the rest of the conference, which gives me a day to do something big like this.

As you can see, the list is pretty short and basic.  Any and all suggestions are welcome.

4 comments

  1. Dave Riddell · July 6, 2012

    While it’s too much travel for a day trip, if you make it out to Vancouver Island you should check out the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre and rub shoulders with some of North America’s most prominent dogfish (and hagfish) researchers who’ll be working there in August.

    • Chuck · July 6, 2012

      Looks cool. I’ll see if I can scrounge enough time to check it out.

  2. ElOceanografo · July 6, 2012

    Shoot, I was actually there (and not checking the internet) when this post went up. Favorite activities included: renting bikes and biking around Stanley park, eating huge quantities of cheap sushi, and watching the sunset from Kitsilano Beach. Oh, also the Lynn Canyon suspension bridge. Okanagan Spring seems to be the local brewery of choice…

  3. Pingback: Summer of the Shark: Stingray City | Ya Like Dags?

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