Postcards from the left coast

Last March I was in British Columbia, skiing at Whistler and a day in Vancouver.  It happened that the manager of the St. Clair noticed me sketching and a few months later asked permission to use the sketch as a postcard.  About the same time I was contacted by Dave, one of the owners of the Southside Diner in Whistler with a similar request.

And here they are.

Joe Fortes

On our way home from Whistler we spent a night in Vancouver.  The concierge at our hotel directed us to Joe Fortes Restaurant, where we had possibly the best salmon I've ever tasted.  Just proves why people from Vancouver don't fly east to eat salmon, or to ski for that matter.  The restaurant parks a restored 1940's taxi cab on the street as a classy billboard.  I went back the next morning to sketch it.  Too bad I smudged the ink.

A couple of days later back at home, going  through my mail, a stamp caught my eye. Joe Fortes, in recognition of Black History Month.  I had assumed Joe owned the restaurant. Not so - Joe Fortes is a local legend who is fondly remembered for teaching children to swim in English Bay and as the beach's self-appointed lifeguard. He is credited with saving at least 29 lives, although the real number is thought to be much higher.   A monument to commemorate him was erected a few years after his death in 1922, with the inscription "children loved him" and a local library is also named after him.  In 1986 Joe Fortes was selected as the Vancouver Citizen of the Century.

The Wikipedia description is worth having a look at -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Fortes

The St. Clair

One of the fun things that happens now and then when I'm sketching is that someone asks me about what I'm doing.  This narrow hotel and neighbouring roof terrace caught my eye as I was hanging out with my skateboarding son in Vancouver.

Blake, the Hotel manager noticed my suspicious activity and came over to investigate.  Turns out, he is an artist and was pleased to see me taking a few minutes to sketch the Hotel.  He gave me a little background on the building which piqued my interest enough to look it up.  It was built by a famous sea captain and was the first concrete building in Vancouver, built in 1911.  Captain Pybus and his Canadian Pacific Steamship, the Empress of Japan, are remembered for winning the Blue Ribbon for setting the trans-Pacific crossing record in 1897.

Today St. Clair is rebranding itself as a hostel, offering affordable accommodation to travelers.