Michael Kane
Sun

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Stephen Hume
Sun

Unknown when West Pender will reopen between Jervis and Bute

Darah Hansen
Sun

VANCOUVER — Some of the 60,000 commuters who head into downtown Vancouver from the Lions Gate Bridge every day face several traffic changes because of the sinkhole that collapsed a portion of West Pender Street Boxing Day.

Tom Timm, head of the city engineering department, warned drivers Monday to expect delays because of the closure of the counter-flow lane on West Georgia at Pender. Drivers will not be able to turn left on Pender while repairs continue to the portion of road damaged by the sinkhole.

Timm said Monday the city was hoping to open Bute Street to left turns off Georgia beginning today, but, as of Monday evening, he was not certain that would be possible.

If not, drivers trying to access streets north of Georgia are advised to continue along Georgia until a left turn is accessible, or take a right at Howe or Smithe, a right on Robson, and then another right on either Hornby or Seymour.

Timm said Bute Street, which has been closed since the Pender Street collapse, is expected to be re-opened today to northbound traffic. For southbound drivers the street will remain closed between Hastings and Pender.

Pender Street will remain closed to all traffic between Jervis and Bute until city engineers determine that what remains of the street beside the hole is stable enough to allow alternating single-lane traffic. Timm said that opening could come as early as next week.

Those hopping the No. 19 trolley bus will also face some changes.

According to TransLink, the westbound No. 19 trolley bus service will now terminate at Seymour and Pender at a temporary station. Diesel-fuelled shuttle buses will then depart every 15 minutes (on the quarter hour) from the terminus, then loop through downtown via: (eastbound) Pender, (northbound) Homer, (eastbound) Hastings, (southbound) Cambie, (westbound) Pender, (southbound) Burrard, (westbound) Georgia to the Stanley Park loop terminus.

Timm said the city is hoping all road and service repairs to Pender Street will be complete by the end of January.

Meanwhile, investigation of what caused the 30-metre long sinkhole is still underway by the city.

TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS MAY LAST UNTIL END OF MONTH:

1. The Sinkhole: A portion of Pender Street collapsed along the edge of a major building excavation site on Monday, Dec. 26. As a result, Pender Street, between Jervis and Bute, is closed until further notice, likely until the end of January.

Commuters should expect the following traffic pattern changes:

2. Closures: Tuesday, Jan. 3. Bute will be open to northbound traffic, but closed to southbound traffic between Hastings and Pender.

3. Left-hand turns: Eastbound traffic will not be able to make a left turn onto Pender from Georgia. Instead, eastbound traffic will be able to access the area by turning left at Bute Street.

4. Counterflow lanes: The counter flow lane on Georgia will be closed to eastbound traffic in morning rush hour. Traffic delays are expected.

The following will be re-routed:

5. No. 19 bus service change: The westbound 19 bus service will terminate downtown at Seymour and Pender at a temporary terminus. Shuttle buses will then depart every 15 minutes (on the quarter hour) from the terminus, before looping through downtown: (e/b) Pender, (n/b) Homer, (e/b) Hastings, (s/b) Cambie, (w/b) Pender, (s/b) Burrard, (w/b) Georgia to the Stanley Park loop terminus.

© The Vancouver Sun 2006

Proposed Squamish plant would serve global market

Brian Lewis
Province

If a Kelowna-based energy business developer can pull it off, up to 500 new jobs could soon be blowin‘ in the legendary Squamish winds to offset the impending closure of the Howe Sound community’s Woodfibre pulp mill.

Rick West, who heads Westtech Energy, a Kelowna company that develops small wind-driven electricity generators for residential use, now has his eyes on a much larger project — a major wind-turbine manufacturing plant in Squamish to serve commercial windfarm markets in Canada, the U.S. and offshore.

West said in an interview yesterday that the $150-million manufacturing facility would build the massive wind turbines in four sizes, from 50 kilowatts to one megawatt.

A one-megawatt turbine supplies enough power to run up to 1,000 homes. The plant would employ about 250 full-time and there would be another 250 spin-off jobs in the area, West estimates.

West says he’s already acquired the rights to a five-hectare plant site that has a 250,000 square-foot building. The property is located beside the region’s rail tracks and also has access to Squamish’s deep-water port facilities.

“Being beside the rail tracks means we can export to the rest of Canada and to the U.S. at the drop of a pin,” West says. “And having access to deep water will allow us to export globally.”

West has formed a private company, Quantum Power Corp., to develop the manufacturing plant.

He’s also working with the District of Squamish and local First Nations to bring the project to fruition and will be working closely with the federal government, which has funding programs to assist in developing wind-energy business initiatives.

While funding for the project is far from complete, West says he already has about $25 million from private investors. He’s counting on up to about $100 million from federal-government development programs that are linked with the Kyoto Accord.

As the project develops, West says the company will likely seek additional development capital from the equity markets.

“I’ve already had telephone calls from brokerages offering to set us up as a public company,” he says.

Although Squamish mayor Ian Sutherland could not be reached for comment yesterday, he told the Squamish Chief newspaper in its latest edition that the district has been looking into wind-power generation for some time.

“The potential for jobs and our local economy is huge if it all comes together,” he said.

“It certainly won’t erase the problem of Woodfibre closing but, when we get to the point of having another 250 high-paying jobs in manufacturing, it is always a good thing for the local economy.”

The company would also use Squamish to build working demonstration models of its turbines, which would take advantage of the Squamish winds, West added.

© The Vancouver Province 2005

City, developer need weeks to do repairs

John Bermingham
Province

The city has issued a stop-work order to a company excavating a site for a highrise as it tries to get to the bottom of a cave-in that sucked in part of Pender Street.

“[We’ve] issued a stop-work order for further work on the excavation,” city engineer Tom Timm said yesterday as engineers assessed the damage.

“We have required that they get their geo-technical consultant to give us a plan for putting the road back together, and expediting that work as quickly as possible.

“We’ve also hired our own consultant, an expert soils engineer, to evaluate that plan, and to advise us on it, as well as advising us with regard to causes of the failure,” Timm said.

Timm said drivers can expect traffic problems on West Pender Street for weeks.

Drivers coming into Vancouver off the Lions Gate Bridge in the morning rush hour won’t be able to turn left onto West Pender if they’re in the counter-flow lane.

“It will be closed at Jervis,” said Timm. “And that doesn’t leave you a lot of options.”

Drivers should use West Georgia instead of Pender to get downtown.

“I think it’s advisable for people to stay on West Georgia, to get past this area,” he said.

The city is putting up electronic message-board signs to remind drivers of the closure.

West Pender will remain closed between Bute and Jervis until well into the New Year.

“Quite frankly, I think it’s a matter of weeks rather than days,” said Timm, who added westbound traffic may have access earlier than that.

At least 20 metres of Pender Street at Bute collapsed into the excavation site on Boxing Day.

No one was injured, but power was cut to hundreds of highrise residents for the day after the collapse broke a hydro duct.

The cave-in also burst an eight-inch water main, and the flooding was compounded by pools of rainwater from days of heavy rain.

Timm figures the collapse may have been a failure to anchor the walls of the hole as it was being dug.

“At this point, it would appear to me it was simply a failure of the shoring system,” he said.

When digging holes adjacent to the street, he said, the walls are covered with steel mesh, sprayed with concrete and then anchor rods are inserted under the road.

“The anchors gave way, or something failed in that system, because you do need something to hold the face of the excavation vertical.”

He said the city is working with the developer of the residential tower, Pinnacle International (Ritz) Plaza Inc., to get the street repaired as soon as possible.

Pinnacle International did not return a call yesterday.

– The 19 bus between Metrotown and Stanley Park has been rerouted and now terminates downtown at Pender and Seymour. Shuttle buses run every 15 minutes. For more information call TransLink at 604-953-3333

© The Vancouver Province 2005

TRAFFIC I ‘We’ll see how that goes,’ city maintenance superintendent says of repair

Chad Skelton
Sun

It could be up to two weeks before a section of Pender Street that collapsed Boxing Day is repaired and reopened to traffic, a city official said Tuesday.

“We’re saying two weeks and we’ll see how that goes,” said Murray Wightman, maintenance superintendent for the city.

A 20-centimetre water main burst at the corner of Pender and Bute streets about 10 a.m. Monday, sending thousands of litres of water gushing into an adjacent construction site being excavated for a highrise condominium.

Giant slabs of concrete, pieces of sidewalk, utility wires and part of the road also crumbled into the site.

Pender was blocked off between Bute and Jervis Tuesday, with traffic diverted to Hastings.

City engineer Tom Timm said it could stay that way for a while.

“This is likely to impact on traffic through into the new year. This won’t be fixed in the short term.”

Geotechnical engineers for both the city and the construction company were onsite Tuesday trying to determine what caused the collapse.

But Timm said the city doesn’t believe the water main is to blame.

He said reports from the scene suggest the shoring system of concrete and steel collapsed before the water main broke.

“It’s some kind of a failure of the shoring system . . . either a design issue or the way it was put in place,” he said.

The city has issued a stop-work notice on the project, preventing the company from continuing to excavate the site.

Matcon Excavation and Shoring is the company that was working on the site.

Axel Meinardus, a superintendent with Matcon, refused to answer questions Tuesday about the shoring system.

“There’s a pending investigation. Nobody knows anything at this point,” he said. “We’re not able to talk at this point.”

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

NASA’s New Horizons faces the longest journey ever attempted: 15 years to Pluto

Nic Fleming
Sun

Man will take a bold step towards the final frontier of the solar system with the expected launch of the first mission to Pluto and beyond next month.

The piano-sized New Horizons probe will travel faster than any previous spacecraft on its journey to the planet farthest from the Sun, its moon Charon and the mysterious, icy Kuiper Belt.

Relatively little is known about the ninth planet and scientists expect the NASA mission to provide important clues to the origins of the solar system and possibly to life on Earth.

They will have to be patient, however. New Horizons will travel at 43,000 kilometres per hour for 61/2 billion kilometres to the only remaining planet that has not been observed at close quarters. It will arrive in the summer of 2015 at the earliest.

Alan Stern, the mission’s principal investigator, said: “Exploring Pluto and the Kuiper Belt is like conducting an archaeological dig into the history of the outer solar system, a place where we can peek into the ancient era of planetary formation.

“Everything we know for sure about Pluto is on about three 3 x 5 file cards. We don’t even know what we don’t know. That leaves a lot of room for discovery.”

While Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are called the rocky planets and Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are defined as gas giants, Pluto and its largest moon Charon are known as “ice dwarfs”. Pluto is the only planet whose orbit takes it into the Kuiper Belt, a flattened doughnut-shaped belt of icy, comet-like bodies in the outer solar system.

Pluto is so different from the other planets that many astronomers say it should not be described as a planet but as one of a new class of bodies called Kuiper Belt Objects.

The solar system was formed 4.5 billion years ago when a great cloud of gas and dust began spinning at growing speed and temperature until chunks of material were flung together to form the Sun and the planets. KBOs are the left-over building materials.

Because Pluto’s surface temperature is around -230C, its chemical and structural make-up should have changed far less than that of the inner solar system bodies. Studying it more closely should tell us about the material from which Earth was formed.

Observation of its atmosphere may shed light on how quickly the hydrogen originally present in Earth’s atmosphere escaped into space. That is important information in any attempt to simulate the environment in which life began.

Some scientists believe that bodies originating in the Kuiper Belt and having an impact on Earth were important sources of our water, atmosphere and the complex hydrocarbons that provided the building blocks of life.

The launch, from Cape Canaveral, Fla., will take place between Jan. 11 and Feb. 14.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Sun

Q: Upon death, what is the maximum amount of residential property that will not have any tax implications? And will one pay probate fees for one’s RRSP balance?

— Regino Romero,

Coquitlam

Chartered accountant Arthur Azana, partner with D&H Group LLP in Vancouver, answers:

When a person passes away, Canada’s tax laws dictate a deemed disposition of all property at fair market value, other than property bequeathed to a spouse or to a spousal trust. This deemed disposition may result in capital gains taxes, unless an exemption is available.

The most significant exemption available to the average taxpayer is the principal residence exemption. Fortunately, there is no maximum gain or house value which may be sheltered by the principal residence exemption. If you’re lucky enough to have both a primary residence and a vacation property, there is even some flexibility in deciding which property you wish to shelter to maximize the tax savings.

Having said that, the principal residence exemption rules are quite complex. So if you have multiple properties, or even just a single property with multiple uses, you should work with someone you trust to see how best to maximize your claim.

Although there are reduced rates for small estates, generally the probate fees in B.C. are 1.4 per cent of the gross value of the assets passing to beneficiaries by operation of a will. This includes an RRSP that collapses on death into an estate for distribution to beneficiaries.

One way to avoid probate is to designate within an RRSP a specified beneficiary who can be your spouse or a dependant child or grandchild. This way the RRSP passes outside of the will.

– – –

Q: Re: the article on being an executor (Smart Money, Dec. 16), a tax clearance certificate states that all taxes have been paid which gives the executor the go-ahead to distribute the assets. But what happens if the estate continues to earn income while you are waiting for the certificate? Now you have further tax to pay on that income. This seems to be a Catch-22 situation, so how do you get around it?

— Doug Allen,

Vancouver

Hugh McLellan, of the Vancouver law firm McLellan Herbert, answers:

This is a common problem. In many cases the executor plans on a distribution date following the last trust year-end in which a tax return is filed and then places the funds into a non-interest-bearing account, pending receipt of the clearance certificate. Another solution can be to elect to allocate the income earned after the last trust year-end in which a tax return is filed to the beneficiaries personally (but this does not work in all cases). Some executors just file another return and pay the tax after the tax clearance has been received. In this case they take the risk that the last tax return and amount paid was correct.

– – –

Q: The article on being an executor stated a tax certificate must be obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency before the distribution of an estate. Could that be misleading? From my experience this year with an estate, both the CRA and a tax specialist said a tax clearance certificate is not mandatory.

— William Murdock,

Burnaby

Hugh McLellan answers:

The Income Tax Act (section 159) provides that obtaining a tax clearance is mandatory before a distribution occurs. I do not hold myself out to be a tax expert, but I am aware of a number of situations where a clearance certificate has deliberately not been sought before a distribution was made. In all such cases the executor is still taking a risk, but often the tax advisers will recommend the executor accept the risk, given the particular circumstances of that case. Sometimes in such cases, executors will seek an indemnity from the beneficiaries to reduce their exposure to liability.

– – –

We welcome brief money questions to Michael Kane at [email protected], fax 604-605-2320, or c/o The Vancouver Sun, Suite 1, 200 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3N3

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Michael Kane
Sun

Investors in British Columbia are counting on registered retirement savings plans and their homes to fund their retirement, poll findings released Wednesday show.

They are more likely to own RRSPs than other Canadians and they put more in them, according to the 2006 TD Waterhouse Investor Poll.

But they are also the most likely — 46 per cent versus 39 per cent of all Canadians — to say they will be relying mostly on the equity in their homes to pay for their golden years.

“The value put on home equity is not that surprising given the housing boom and the pockets of strength that you have in Vancouver and Victoria,” said Patricia Lovett-Reid, senior vice-president with TD Waterhouse.

“But I do worry that people are not diversifying. Your home should be counted on but it is pretty hard to eat a brick if you decide to stay there.”

More than eight in 10 Canadian investors now own RRSPs and the average contribution has been climbing since 2002, the poll shows.

The most dramatic advances this year are in B.C. where the percentage of investors with RRSPs is up from 69 per cent last year to 83 per cent and the average contribution leads the country at $5,690.

Across Canada, the average contribution is up 30 per cent from 2002 to $5,100 in 2005.

The B.C. findings did not surprise Gina Macdonald, a fee-only financial planner with Vancouver’s Macdonald. Shymko & Co.

“People still want to maximize their RRSPs and it may relate to greater economic awareness in B.C. because a lot of people retire here.”

Macdonald noted that younger people are also embracing RRSPs to take advantage of the Home Buyers Plan which allows them to withdraw up to $20,000 toward their first home without tax penalties.

Lovett-Reid said British Columbians are working smarter because they recognize that time is precious.

“You really do get it in Western Canada that there is a difference between having a good retirement and a great retirement. The potential is really unlimited for us to do what we want to do in retirement.”

Some 57 per cent of all Canadian investors consider their home to be an investment that could be used to fund their retirement, but Lovett-Reid urged caution.

“Real estate values fluctuate over time and by region, and the further you are from retirement age, the more risk there is that your home equity may not be as high as you expect when you retire.

“Also, some people find that when they reach retirement age, they want to continue living in their home, so keeping that option open is important.”

In other findings:

– There was a large gender gap in average contributions with men socking away $5,930 compared to $3,990 by women.

– Slightly under half of 1,000 investors polled have calculated how much they believe they will need to retire but the amount has climbed dramatically from $530,000 in 2003 to $894,000 this year.

The poll, conducted TNS Canadian Facts, is considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

© The Vancouver Sun 2005

Sun

Aurora Bistro The first fine dining room on Main St. Inventive food, hip spot. 2420 Main St., 604-873-9944. $$

Bishop’s Consistently one of the city’s best. Almost 100 per cent organic foods. 2183 West Fourth Ave., 604-738-2025. $$$

Bin 941 Tapas bar in tiny eclectic space. 941 Davie St., 604-683-1246. $$/$$$

Bin 942 Creative, delectable tapas dishes. 1521 West Broadway, 604-734-9421. $$/$$$

Cru Blurs the lines of fine dining, lounge and bistro. Lovely “small plates” or a four-course prix fixe. 1459 West Broadway, 604-677-4111. $$

Lift Bar and Grill Gorgeously perched over Coal Harbour. Sibling to Monk McQueen’s. 333 Menchions Mews, 604-689-5438. $$$

Nu A sophisticated version of casual dining. Beautiful flavours, great atmosphere. 1661 Granville St., 604-646-4668. $$

Parkside Handsome room in residential West End, richly flavoured food. Great spot. 1906 Haro, 604-683-6912. $$/$$$

West Vies for best restaurant in the city. 2881 Granville St., 604-738-8938. $$$

– ITALIAN

Adesso Neighbourhood Italian spot with light, elegant food. 2201 West First Ave., 604-738-6515. $$

Amarcord Food from the Bologna and Emilia Romagna area of Italy, elegantly presented. Clear, natural flavours. 1168 Hamilton St., 604-681-6500. $$

Cioppino’s Mediterranean Grill Fine Italian cuisine with a light touch. 1133 Hamilton St., 604-688-7466. $$$

Don Francesco Ristorante Romantic, classic Italian restaurant with heart. 860 Burrard St., 604-685-7770. $$$

Quattro on Fourth An Italian restaurant with flair. 2611 West Fourth Ave., 604-734-4444. $$/$$$

– CHINESE

Kirin Seafood Exquisite Cantonese food. City Square, 555 West 12th Ave., 604-879-8038. $$$

Pink Pearl It’s been around forever and is still a going concern. 1132 East Hastings St., 604-253-4316. $

Sun Sui Wah Cantonese cuisine with light, finely tuned flavours. 3888 Main St., 604-872-8822. $$

Wild Rice Modern Chinese food in a sophisticated, hip setting. 117 West Pender St., 604-642-2882. $$

Wing Wah Shanghai Szechuan Great value food. 260 East Broadway, 604-879-9168. $

– JAPANESE

Chopstick Cafe/Shiru-Bay Great atmosphere, intriguing izakaya food, budget prices. 1193 Hamilton St., 604-408-9315. $$

En Japanese Restaurant Bucks the usual conformity of Japanese restaurants. Splendid food. 2686 Granville St., 604-730-0330. $$

Hapa Izakaya Young and stylish; great izakaya-style Japanese food. 1479 Robson St., 604-689-4272. $/$$

Tojo’s Restaurant The topper in this category. Japanese food at its best. 202 — 777 West Broadway, 604-872-8050. $$$

Toshi Sushi Tiny place always packed for the fresh, tasty sushi. 181 East 16th Ave., 604-847-5173. $/$$

Zest Japanese Cuisine Grazing style modern Japanese menu in cool modern room. 2775 West 16th Ave., 604-731-9378. $$

– FRENCH/BELGIAN

Bacchus Restaurant Some classics, some nouveau. Expect the best. Wedgewood Hotel, 845 Hornby St., 604-689-7777. $$$

Cafe de Paris Traditional French bistro. Lots of character. 751 Denman St., 604-687-1418. $$

Cassis Bistro Low budget but mod interior. Delicious traditional French bistro fare. Good value. 420 West Pender St., 604-605-0420. $$

Chambar Modern Belgian food. Hot hipster scene. Chef has cooked in a three-star Michelin restaurant. 562 Beatty St., 604-879-7119. $$

Elixir French brasserie in Yaletown; bistro food, haute quality. 322 Davie St., 604-642-0557. $$/$$$

Le Crocodile Refined French with incredible wines to boot. 909 Burrard St., 604-669-4298. $$$

Lumiere Chef Rob Feenie redefines restaurants in Vancouver. Tasting menus. 2551 West Broadway, 604-739-8185. $$$

Mistral Authentic Provencal food cooked by former Michelin chef. 2585 West Broadway, 604-733-0046. $$

Pastis French bistro with a lightness of being. 2153 West Fourth Ave., 604-731-5020. $$/$$$

Salade de Fruits Very good value French country bistro. 1551 West Seventh, 604-714-5987. $$

The William Tell A Swiss-French restaurant. Service excels. Georgian Court Hotel, 773 Beatty St., 604-688-3504. $$$

– GREEK

Apollonia Well-prepared Greek food and very good pizzas. 1830 Fir St., 604-736-9559. $/$$

The Main Friendly, funky spot. Wonderful roast lamb. 4210 Main St., 604-709-8555. $$

Maria’s Taverna Friendly service. 2324 West Fourth Ave., 604-731-4722. $$

– INDIAN

Chutney Villa South Indian cuisine, with dosas, idli and vadas. 147 East Broadway, 604-872-2228. $/$$

Clove An alternative Indian restaurant, funky, cheap beyond belief. 2054 Commercial Dr., 604-255-5550. $

Clove Upscale sibling to Clove on Commercial. Modern Indian cuisine. 735 Denman St., 604-669-2421. $/$$

Maurya Fine Indian food in glam surroundings. 1643 West Broadway, 604-742-0622. $$$

Rangoli Vij’s casual and take-out next-door sidekick. Impressive. 1488 West 11th Ave., 604-736-5711. $

Sami’s Progressive Indo-American food. 986 West Broadway, 604-736-8345 $

Vij’s Dishes are a symphony of wondrous flavours. 1480 West 11th Ave., 604-736-6664. $$

– SOUTHEAST ASIAN

Banana Leaf Homestyle Malaysian food. 820 West Broadway, 604-731-6333 and 1096 Denman St., 604-683-3333. $$

Chi Modern take on Malaysian and Thai cuisines. 1796 Nanaimo St., 604-215-0078. $$

Kedah House Halal Restaurant Malaysian food with a light, nimble touch. 5750 Fraser St., 604-325-9771. $

Monsoon An “East-West” brasserie with tropical Asian dishes, loads of atmosphere. 2526 Main St., 604-879-4001. $$

Montri Thai Restaurant Some of the best Thai food in the city. 3629 West Broadway, 604-738-9888. $$

Phnom Penh Largely Cambodian but includes Chinese and Vietnamese flavours. 244 East Georgia St., 682-5777. $

Pondok Authentic Indonesian dishes, freshly cooked. 2781 Commercial Dr., 604-872-8718. $$

Simply Thai On the A-list for Thai food. 1211 Hamilton St., 604-642-0123. $$

– SEAFOOD

Bluewater Cafe and Raw Bar Handsome spot. Impressive seafood, impressive wine list. 1095 Hamilton St., 604-688-8078. $$$

C Chef Robert Clark takes seafood to a new level. 1600 Howe St., 604-681-1164. $$$

Cannery Seafood Fine dining in rustic nautical decor on working waterfront. 2205 Commissioner St., 604-254-9606 $$$

Fish House in Stanley Park Bold and imaginative seafood dishes by the creative Karen Barnaby. 8901 Stanley Park Dr., 604-681-7275. $$$

Joe Fortes Seafood and Chop House Fresh shucked oysters, cedar plank salmon, grilled chops. High energy. 777 Thurlow St., 604-669-1940. $$$

Rodney’s Oyster House Specializes in very fresh shellfish and oysters. 1228 Hamilton St., 604-609-0080. $$

– AMERICAN

Memphis Blues Barbecue House Slow-cooked, southern style BBQ. Delish. 1465 West Broadway, 604-738-6806; 1342 Commercial Dr., 604-215-2599. $

– VEGETARIAN

The Naam Wide variety of vegetarian fare. Quiet patio in summer. 2724 West Fourth Ave., 604-738-7151. $

Om Vegetarian Flavourful, fresh Buddhist-based vegetarian food. 3466 Cambie St., 604-873-6878. $

Raw Raw veggie and fruit dishes (preserves enzymes) as well as cooked. Food is 80 to 90 per cent organic. 1849 West First Ave., 604-737-0420. $

– LATIN AMERICA

Banano’s No-frills Venezuelan/Colombian cafe. Delicious arepas. 1223 Pacific Boulevard, 604-408-4228. $

Baru Casually chic South American food for discerning diners. 2535 Alma St., 604-222-9171. $$

Havana Cuban food, tweaked for Commercial Drive. 1212 Commercial Dr., 604-253-9119. $

Lolita’s South of the Border Cantina Casual Mexican food with sparkle. Lots of buzz in the room. 1326 Davie St., 604-696-9996. $$

Mexico Sabroso A slice of Mexico. Very inexpensive, authentic Mexican cafe. 440 West Hastings St., 604-688-7426. $

Mouse and Bean Fresh, homey Mexican food, in a funky space. 207 West Hastings, 604-633-1781. $

Tio Pepe’s Yucatan food, nicely prepared. 1134 Commercial Dr., 604-254-8999. $

– MEDITERRANEAN

Circolo Italian, French, and a little bit of New York. Awesome wine list. 1116 Mainland, 604-687-1116. $$$

Provence Mediterranean Grill The menu is a marriage of French and Italian. Lovely flavours. 4473 West 10th Ave., 604-222-1980 and 1177 Marinaside Cres., 604-681-4144. $$

– NORTH SHORE

Beach House at Dundarave Pier Spectacular setting for brunch by Dundarave Beach. West Coast cuisine. 150 25th St., West Van, 604-922-1414. $$$

Beach Side Cafe Elegant room, summer patio, fine Italian cuisine. 1362 Marine Dr., West Van, 604-925-1945. $$$

Brown’s Restaurant and Bar Casually chic and bustling bistro with burgers, rice bowls, entrees. 1764 Lonsdale Ave., North Van, 604-929-5401. $/$$

Dundarave Fish Market Charming spot; fabulous seafood from the adjoining fish market. 2419 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, 604-922-1155. $

Gusto Di Quattro Cosy, warm. Italian food. 1 Lonsdale Ave., North Van, 604-924-4444 . $$/$$$

La Regalade A truly, deeply French bistro. Wonderful atmosphere. 2232 Marine Dr., West Van, 604-921-2228. $$/$$$

Palki An Indian restaurant with a good grip on the spices. Fresh ingredients. 116 East 15th St., North Van, 604-986-7555. $$

Saltaire Gorgeous roof patio. Good value West Coast food. 2nd floor – 235 15th St., West Van, 604-913-8439. $$

Zen Japanese Restaurant Creative kitchen, quality ingredients. Good sake list. 2232 Marine Dr., West Van, 604-925-0667. $$/$$$

– BURNABY/NEW WEST

Bombay Bhel Lovely Indian food. Menu features Mumbai-style snacks. 4266 Hastings St., 604-299-2500. $/$$

The Hart House In Tudor mansion. Exacting West Coast fare. 6664 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby, 604-298-4278. $$$

Orange Room Casual tapas. International flavours. 620 Sixth Ave., New Westminster, 604-520-6464. $$

Pear Tree Small menu, sublime continental food. 4120 Hastings St., Burnaby, 604-299-2772. $$$

– COQUITLAM, POCO, PORT MOODY

Kirin Seafood Restaurant Chinese food for the discriminating palate. 2nd floor, Henderson Place, 1163 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, 604-944-8833. $$/$$$

Pasta Polo Organic wheat pastas, pizzas. Family restaurant. 2754 Barnet Highway, Coquitlam, 604-464-7656. $/$$

– RICHMOND

Also Lounge and Restaurant A blend of Italian/French with Asian accents and high-end presentation. 4200 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-303-9906. $$

Globe at YVR Impressive food, sleek contemporary decor with view of U.S. arrivals terminal. Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver Airport, Richmond, 604-248-3281. $$$

Shiang Garden Part of a successful Taiwanese restaurant chain. Impressive seafood. 2200 — 4540 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-273-8858. $$

Sun Sui Wah Impressive way with seafood. 4940 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, 604-273-8208. $$

Zen Fine Chinese Cuisine Multi-coursed tasting menus and personalized dinners. Excellent. 2015 — 8580 Alexandra Rd., Richmond, 604-233-0077. $$$

– SURREY, WHITE ROCK, DELTA, TSAWWASSEN

Giraffe Charming place, eclectic West Coast menu. 15053 Marine Dr., White Rock, 604-538-6878. $$/$$$

La Belle Auberge In a heritage house in Ladner. Sublime French food. 4856 48th Ave., Ladner, 604-946-7717. $$$

Pearl on the Rock Modern Pacific Northwest cuisine with emphasis on seafood. Delicious fare. 14955 Marine Dr., White rock. 604-542-1064. $$$

Southside Grill West Coast cuisine, tasteful ambience. 1201 — 56th St., Tsawwassen, 604-948-2662. $$/$$$

– FRASER VALLEY

Bacchus Bistro At Domain de Chaberton Estate Winery. Limited hours. Mediterranean food. 1064 — 216th St., Langley. 604-530-9694. $$

Bravo Bistro Swish little bistro, run by former Delilah’s restaurant veterans. 46224 Yale Rd., Chilliwack. 1-604-792-7721. $$

© The Vancouver Sun 2005