24 Jul 2023
The theme--Monumental Scandals--turned out to be not what I had anticipated. Which was a good thing, because I had been concerned about what could possibly be included that hadn't been already exposed by literary historians and particularly in recent times, as the population faces very shameful aspects and incidents of this young city's first half-century. As the tour progressed, I found myself more and more amazed by the behaviours of particularly the local early politicians, huge and corrupt corporations, and the unfortunate ethics of the population at large that would pivot unexpectedly and in surprising directions--all woven into the fabric of several historic buildings that our focus was drawn to. Honestly, who knew; as a Vancouverite born and raised, I mean that emphatically! Diligent homework was done to create this tour!
Our guide was Glenn, an excellent storyteller who really brought every topic to life. Having a group of only 6 guests enabled a lot of opportunities for commentary and questions, which Glenn responded to both respectfully (when they were somewhat off-topic) and completely, adding even more to our new knowledge. I came away from the tour absolutely stuffed with information that I will be digesting for some time and sharing whenever an opportunity arises or even when it doesn't!
I can't think of anything that could improve this particular tour, from the specific content to our guide's friendliness, expertise, enthusiastic delivery.