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Tag: Kitsilano

5 Things Vancouver: Kelly McKinnon

by Dan
Kids + Travel + Vancouver / February 26, 2010

Kelly McKinnon is the co-owner of Kidsbooks. 

Kelly enjoys travelling (especially on the seat of a bicycle), building Lego with her nephews, sports and eating (although in the email accompanying her answers, she suggests that the last two are linked!).

"I love my job running Kidsbooks, along with my business partner Phyllis Simon, because it is so much fun getting everyone excited books and reading," she says.  Amen to that!

What’s your favourite book about Vancouver?
City of Glass... Doug Coupland…he nailed it.

Where’s your favourite spot to eat on a budget?
Go Fish but the line-ups are terrible on a sunny day.

What is the best thing to do with kids in Vancouver?
The Aquarium...hands down!

What’s your favourite bar?
Rodney’s….the crabcakes are westcoast comfort food.

What’s your favourite free thing to do in Vancouver?
Waterfront…Walk, run, bike...
 

Thanks Kelly!

5 Things Vancouver: Monique Trottier

by Dan
Travel + Vancouver / February 17, 2010

Monique Trottier is the owner of Boxcar Marketing, an internet marketing company. In a former life, she was our internet marketing manager here at Raincoast Books, spearheading our online marketing campaigns, including promotion of Harry Potter and the creation of the first Canadian-publisher podcast and blog.

Her thoughts on marketing and technology can be followed on Twitter @somisguided or on her blogs at Boxcar and So Misguided.

What neighbourhood do you live in?
I live in Kitsilano. Walking distance to House of Switzerland on Granville Island. Vectorial Vancouver is within sight. And we are within easy access of the LiveCity downtown venues, Athlete's Village and BC Place.

What is the single best thing about living in Vancouver?
The best thing about living in Vancouver is letting everyone else think that it rains here all the time and is a really miserable place to live. (Did I mention the cherry blossoms are out? Horrible for the allergies. You'd hate it here.)
 

Where do you look for books in Vancouver?
I used to look for books at Duthie Books, which has recently closed, so my next default is Blackberry Books on Granville Island.

What's your favourite free thing to do in Vancouver?
My favourite free thing to do in Vancouver is visiting the festivals and markets. Places like Portobello West and the Richmond Night Market, the Hippie Daze in Kitsilano, the Celebration of Lights fireworks show in the summer. Basically, if you read the Georgia Straight, you'll get a list of free events. Walk around, people watch, check things out: that's what I like to do.

Where do you plan to watch the Olympics?
I plan to watch the Olympics from Russia House, which is in Science World, just up the street from my office, at my local pub in Kits 'The Sunset Grill' and basically, anywhere with cable TV, the internet or on my little tv set with rabbit ears.
 

Thanks Monique! 

Reflections on Duthie Books

by Jamie
News / January 19, 2010

The sad news about Duthie Books closing has just hit the wires.

Today everyone at Raincoast is thinking about the wonderful staff at Duthie's, many of whom have decades of bookselling experience. These type of people are vital to the long term health and vibrancy of the publishing scene. We are rooting for them.

There will be lots of talk about what the closing of this landmark bookstore in Vancouver signifies for the book industry and for the culture of books in Canada. Let that be a debate for another day, but when that debate comes, I will argue that despite what certain painful recent examples may suggest, the future of book in Canada is very, very healthy.

For today, I want to comment as resident of Kitsilano, the Vancouver neighbourhood where Duthie's final store is located.

Many people who have lived in Vancouver longer than I, will remember Duthie Books as a large sprawling chain. I have been in Vancouver for decade and know Duthie's as single stand alone store, that stocked books I wanted to read and whose staff loved to talk about books as much as I do. I bought my son's first book at Duthie's and to this day we can't go by the expansive thirty foot store front window (with displays changed daily) without him insisting we go in. I love books on politics, he loves the books on dump trucks. Good stores, large or small chain or non-chain matter to cities. Stores like Duthie's matter to me.