City by the Sea
The Pacific is Vancouver’s natural element — and the
life force that has shaped its history, geography, wildlife
and people by doris ecker
Marina Mecca
Vancouver’s ritzy marinas exude an aura of adventure and luxury.
Supersized motor yachts, speedboats of futuristic design and seduc-
tively sleek fibreglass sailboats are berthed within spitting distance
of an impressive glitz-and-glass skyline. The city’s namesake, Captain
Vancouver, would not have considered these modern maritime marvels
seaworthy. In much the same way, the beamy wooden three-masted
sloops of the first Spanish explorers were an enigma to coastal First
Nations, who felt bewildered by the floating “ghost islands with three
dead trees” arriving on their shores over 200 years ago. Maritime explora-
tion may be ancient history for the international jet setters who mingle
in this urban boating playground. However, like the city’s glass façades,
their fancy yachts reflect Vancouver’s maritime wealth and legacy.
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