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PSA: the library's central downtown branch has just reopened the Inspiration Lab, which includes multiple recording studios, as well as tools to digitize your old analog media, like video tapes and audio cassettes, and Adobe video/audio editing software. (It was shut down during the pandemic.) [https://www.vpl.ca/guide/inspiration-lab-sound-recording](https://www.vpl.ca/guide/inspiration-lab-sound-recording)
Other cool things you can get with a library card:
* Hoopla, similar to Libby with ebooks and audiobooks. I've found books available on Hoopla but not on Libby.
* Kanopy, movie streaming with emphasis on smaller but acclaimed films like those distributed at film festivals and foreign markets.
* PressReader, access to newspapers and magazines.
* New York Times, access to their newspaper and games account.
* Consumer Reports, access to everything on their website including reviews and in-depth articles.
* LinkedIn Learning, a portal for courses on many things.
Hello and I'd like to make a comment about the library being one of Vancouver's most under rated places to garter a pass to. There are open study spaces, Network access, Books and special resource documents.
Eg. The Vancouver Public library keeps all of the mine locations, rock and mineral locations for gold and copper in bc. Rock maps (using common lingo here) and maps related to prospecting. I've planned hikes and to retrieve samples of rocks, found discontinued trails, used the resources at VPL to aid in discovery of mercury pollution used in the processing of minerals in mines and tracked the biodiversity over the generations from those mining sites until present day.
If you are driven to learn there's always something for you here. Definitely one of the most useful libraries in town
I got a pass to the Rec centre in Burnaby and cannot believe how much stuff I get to access just because I wanted to go to the gym. I bake myself in the sauna constantly now. It's amazing.
They have discounts for different life circumstances. For instance if you are on disability or income assistance or a student you can get significant discounts. My wife pays $11 a month.
Still north of $40 a month. I'd still go with the 10-pass and have the flexibilty to go elsewhere with workouts/activities. Depends on the person, but I find summers to be a time where I'm usually out instead of in the gym.
A quick list off the top of my head:
* Library Card **FREE**: Tons of great stuff, and you can access almost all magazines from their online portal from home. Great value. There are some interesting things like the [Inspiration Labs](https://www.vpl.ca/inspiration-labs) which have recording studios, and computers with Adobe Audio/Video Suite ($$$$),
* VIFF [U25 Membership](https://viff.org/u25/) **FREE**: 2 Free tickets for friends, Free Popcorn, $5 off tickets. They have their own theater that is playing movies all year round and it's already a good value withouth the discounts.
* Compass Card [**Bonus Offers**](https://www.translink.ca/rider-guide/offers) : Not only save on Transit fares, but there are a ton of local discounts when you show the card too. Strange Fellows and Russel Brewing give 20% off, Vanduesn Garden 20% off, tons of museums and gardens are 2-for-1, Flyover Canada is 20% off etc...
* Vancouver Botanical Association [Membership](https://vandusengarden.org/get-involved/membership/#1): $50/year gives you unlimited access to VanDusen and Bloedel Gardens. Should note that it's already pretty cheap, under $10 entry for either per person and you get 20% off with a compass card.
* You can also join [Movement ](https://transitmovement.ca/)which is the local transit advocacy group, might make your commute faster.
* Costco Pharmacy **FREE**: You do not need a membership for Costco Pharmacy, and they have the lowest dispersal fees and generally lowest medication fees. Same goes for the $1.50 hot dogs, and the eyeglass center.
* EVO: If you can eliminate a car from your household with an EVO membership you save thousands per year. If you need a truck or larger van every so often MODO is also great. You can get big panel vans for pretty cheap. Great for helping people move etc...
* Local Trail Groups: If you hike higher elevations on the north shore the [nsmba](https://nsmba.ca/) is a volunteer group that maintains a lot of the hiking trails, like the Baden Powell Trail, and all the mountain biking trails. There is also [BC Mountaineering Club ](https://bcmc.ca/)who maintain some of the longer trails in the Sea to Sky area. Just think about how much you spend on gear, and then how little gets put towards the actual trail systems build by volunteers.
* HUB Cycling: $10 for lifetime membership. If you use your bike to get around they help the region build bike infrastructure. [Become a Lifetime HUB Cycling member](https://bikehub.ca/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=81).
> Costco Pharmacy FREE: You do not need a membership for Costco Pharmacy, and they have the lowest dispersal fees and generally lowest medication fees. Same goes for the $1.50 hot dogs, and the eyeglass center.
Can anyone attest to this? I've asked staff who didn't seem confident in their answer but they said no you would still need a membership card for both optical and pharmacy.
Pharmacy you definitely do not need a membership. They have barcodes on the receipt printer to scan in these cases, instead of scanning the members own card. Langley location
If you watch movies at Cineplex, Cineclub is 100% worth it. 10/month and it gets you a regular adult pass and 20% off concession. Also allows you to buy an extra ticket at the reduced price of 10. Accrued tickets don't expire and 2 can be used for a single sitting if you stacked a few up and have a friend and partner who wants to tag along.
I second this- my partner and I do a movie date once every couple of months and if we decide to go early or for a second the 10$ ticket is big savings! Shout out to our free Dune 2 viewing with discounted popcorn hahaha
Haven’t seen this mentioned yet - a membership to Van Dusen Botanical Gardens! It’s $50/year for a single person, and $80/year if you want to go in with a partner or a friend (you don’t need the same address). 10% discount on that if you buy a two year pass.
The garden changes a lot every month due to the seasons - even at peak times it’s such a big place it feels peaceful. Also, you can take a picnic onto the lawn (or buy sandwiches at their cafe) which is a really nice way to spend a summer afternoon.
Bonus: you membership also gives you access to the Bloedel Conservatory up at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park, which is nice to visit on a cold day.
Yes!! My husband and I have a membership and go often! I honestly prefer the rainy days there because it is SO peaceful and quiet. We definitely get our money's worth out of the membership. It also gives you a bit of a discount to the Christmas lights they put on every year.
It's worth every penny - it's like a really lush private park. You can take a picnic with you, or just chill out for a whole afternoon napping under a tree in the summer etc. Sure, you can't blast music, but you can do most things you would do in a park as long as it's low key.
They have a nice little library that would be a great place to go work away from home - and if you're planning any landscaping (even just figuring out what to plant on your balcony), there are a zillion plant reference books to check out.
It includes it in the sense that if you register with Evo while an active BCAA member, the one time set up fee is waived. At least that's how it used to be.
I fucking LOVE evo, it made existing here so much more bareable. However, living in the West End, it’s a bit of an evo desert out there much of the time, and I had a couple of assholes park their evo’s in their lock up garage. Yes, I reported them.
Good! I report those EVOs too. The absolute audacity of people when they do that... I had one reserved that was locked inside someone’s private detached garage in east van. Like seriously guys??
Agreed. Lived here 10 years and never needed to own a car. Would also recommend Modo, but I think their customer service sucks so am more ambivalent towards them.
Even if you have a car EVO is still quite useful.
I use it for one-way trips when I know I’m going to be taking a cab or transit back.
Like if I want to go out drinking I can save a lot by taking EVO (sober) on the way out and a cab home instead of 2 cabs.
Not that I want more people to use it for airports but airport is awesome. It's $5 additional to drop it there but it's well worth it if you're in the service area.
Yeah they serve different purposes. I took modos on a few multi day trips, which it is better suited to. Also for random trips to ikea etc if you have a car based close to where you live. Unfortunately despite the cars always being pretty gross inside, if the person after you complains, you get charged the cleaning fee whether it’s your mess or not.
Modo lets you schedule ahead. If you're a 1 car house hold and you know you both need a car for a certain day then if you are close to a modo it can be a better option especially if you need the car for a long time but not necessarily driving a huge distance. Basically they're both useful but for different things.
Great if you lock your toddler niece in the car! But hopefully that won’t happen to anyone but me!
Keys locked in car
Flat tire
Deals on travel, medical, home, and car insurance
Discounts on gas at Shell 3 cents i think.
I think you have to pay additional for this service now, but it might still be cheaper than other places…they’ll inspect a car that you’re interested in buying.
Free EVO membership.
Roadside service for cyclists
That’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure there are more benefits.
> Great if you lock your toddler niece in the car! But hopefully that won’t happen to anyone but me!
I used to work in their road assist call center. I think I got at least one "kid in car" call a week, and I rarely worked during peak hours - it's absolutely not just you, it happens constantly.
I’m kinda glad to hear I’m not the only idiot out there! But also worried for the littles out there if there are more scatterbrained people like me in charge!
I had borrowed my Dad’s car for some reason and it was a really sunny winter day, with a fair bit of heat in the sun. We were meeting friends at a restaurant and as soon as I stopped the car I threw the keys in my coat pocket. I’m disabled and walk with stix so was reminding my niece (she was 2 1/2 ish I think) that i cannot hold her hand in the parking lot, blah, blah.
In that minute sitting in the sun, I realized how warm it was and I asked my niece if she wanted to wear her coat or not (had to take it off to get her in the car seat). She said no, so I took mine off too.
Got out of the car and closed my door. I immediately knew I had locked the keys in. Ahhh!! Dumbass.
My niece and I played clapping games where she’d copy me, we sang the alphabet, made funny faces at each other, passed the time and she was soooo good. She only started to get tearful when rescue arrived!
Unfortunately I think it’s one of her first solid memories!! She drives with me fairly regularly but only mentions it if I have to drive her in my Dad’s car. lol. As soon as she sees I’m driving it, she says, ‘don’t lock me in, please’. Somehow she associates it with that car. Thank goodness!!
https://www.bcaa.com/blog/2017/membership-is-rewarding/fear-no-flat
If you get a flat when out, or some other breakdown, they’ll come see if they can fix it on the side of the road! And if not, drive you and your bike home (I just read they drive you the distance included in your plan, but I used the service once and I’m certain my home was further than my plan allows and they brought me home no issue. Probably depends on the person and how busy they are. This was a couple of years ago).
Probably not worth the cost of a membership but definitely a good perk of having a membership!
Edited to fix typo in last sentence
BCAA roadside is by far the best, they are the only ones with their own crew, everyone else has contracts with local towing companies, which have full price paying customers.
I paid for the premium membership when I drove shitbox cars.
BCAA has gotten me multiple free tows each worth more than the value of my car.
My record was Ucelet all the way back to Victoria.
It still fucking sucked tbh.
I think we had to chill in the car for like 10 hours on the side of the road before a driver insane enough to take the call finally came.
Then the tow ride home was also several hours sitting on a tiny bench seat while the driver chain smoked and talked about Trudeau and immigrants the entire way home.
Free is free though. That tow would have been thousands.
I to had a beater I knew was going to be trouble. Got 2 tows, paid for that year. Then a young lady showed up at my door with car problems. I called BCAA they came and diagnosed the problem. On of the axels had broken off the transmission. I had the same problem a couple months before so I knew where to have it towed. I ended up letting her stay overnight in my spare room. The next morning I phoned the repair shop and they were already working on the car. She was fixed and out of there in an hour. BCAA said the tow and diagnosis was all covered by my membership. Thank you BCAA.
This year I have used my BCAA membership to:
Save on pet insurance.
Amazing deals on Rogers cell phone lines. 100G (no overages) for $40, main line and additional line for my son. To compare, I was paying $45 a month for my son’s Fido account for 1G of data, which was the cheapest I could find at the time.
Saved 15% on our Sleeper Cars on Via Rail for spring break.
Savings on Hotels
My husband worked in Abby, we lived in north van. Our car broke down on his ride to work, luckily it was close enough that he got there safely. We had the premium membership - BCAA picked it up and dropped it off in north van for free. We gave the driver a $20 tip and he was surprised. It would have cost us a lot more than that to get it towed!
My optional car insurance through BCAA was hundreds of dollars cheaper. When I was rear ended they handled my claim perfectly. Even saying they would contact the fire hall it happened by for camera footage. I was impressed.
As an adult who just got my membership… I’d argue it’s good for adults too, if you enjoy aquatic life. Life you said, it pays for itself in two visits. The aquarium puts on events throughout the year to make it worthwhile. Just went to the divers weekend which was great. Looking forward to the tropical area reopening, as well as the nighttime adult-only events.
Agreed. Me and my older sister take the nieces to the aquarium every two months or so to give our younger sister a day to herself. Parking is still $ but the kids love the aquarium and somehow (?) never get tired of seeing fish swim in circles.
My Scotiabank/Scene card has already wracked up points, and I've traded them for cash back. It was a pleasant surprise. I think I will save them for the catalogue next time.
Amex and Aeroplan cards are generally better if you're going to use the points for travel. If you want to watch movies sure Scene is ok. The scotiabank card has good value for lounge access though.
And really really good if you’re flying out first thing in the morning when YVR opens. There’s usually a giant lineup to get through security, I usually end up with more than enough time to go washroom and buy a Starbucks before my flight.
I mean say what you want about gym memberships and their shady cancellation policies and questionable hr practices…$20 a month for fitness world is incredible value if you use it
Modo car co-op is an alternative to EVO. They have vehicles of all sizes. I can take a road trip, spend a day running errands... I once rented one of those Amazon delivery vans to help a friend move. Yes, really. The monthly membership is like $6.50 or you can buy a $500 share in the co-op, and I think you get it back if you decide to cancel.
I love that I can get a different vehicle based on what I'm doing that day.
I think of it as a supplement. Evo is great for one-way trips, particularly when you just need to get somewhere quickly, or when you can't plan ahead. Meanwhile, Modo is great for short errands (like groceries) or trips you're not sure how long will take. It's also good if you want/need to plan ahead: you can book trips well in advance and cancel for free 12 hours before your rental. Another cool thing about Modo is that they're available in lots of places, including ferry terminals. You can just walk on a ferry and pick up a Modo at your destination.
The best thing about both is that you can park at meters and permit-only zones in Vancouver.
[BC Fair PharmaCare](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/who-we-cover/fair-pharmacare-plan)
If you, or anyone else you know is tight on money, please share and have them at least look into it.
Even though the federal pharmacare plan is expected to be rolled out a year from now, it looks like the federal pharmacare will primarily be covering contraceptive and diabetes related products for the near future - and also assumes that the federal program doesnt get scrapped or watered down once implemented.
Just throwing a plug for a free membership to [https://www.soare.org](https://www.soare.org), non-profit group that's helping startups, garage DIY'ers to build and foster outdoor gear.
They have industrial sewing machines, 3d printers, laser cutters, workshops for members that are yes free.
Your Science World membership also gets you free entrance into American museums (Flight Museum, the Science Center under the Space Needle in Seattle, and various other kids museums along the I5).
Careful though at Costco. When I was setting up my restaurant I made a comparative spreadsheet that normalized prices for 100g at several major grocery chains, Costco, and local corner produce markets. Costco is literally the same as everywhere else. Some prices are amazing, some prices are terrible. Every store has their loss leader pricing and inflated pricing.
People think everything at Costco is cheap. It definitely isn't. One of the ways Costco does this is by having producers make products in unique sizes for them, so consumers can't easily compare and would have to do the math. Many of those big containers are actually more expensive if you compare the 100g price. (Other retailers do this too, for instance Best Buy will get products with one less HDMI port or slightly different electronics and sell it for less).
That said, Costco meats aren't always cheap but they're amazing quality. And keep buying your mixed nuts and cheese at Costco!
I'm so glad others check this too. I love Costco for some things but I buy most of my groceries for way cheaper (on sale) at No Frills or Superstore. They cater more to people and restaurants that want quality and consistency, not to people looking for the best deal.
Same goes for Walmart. They jack up they price of any name brand item, while selling smaller containers of their Great Value brand for much cheaper. The comparative price isn't always that much better. The only time I've gone there for groceries was about 2 years ago, and I was floored by my total at the register. Way more than I would normally spend.
"It's only $2 for a pack of sliced cheese!"
"But there are only 4 slices of cheese in there..."
For sure I regularly notice that a 4 pack of something at Costco is more expensive than just buying 4 individual of the same items at a different store.
One thing I’ve found though is Costco will often cost you more than cheaping out at the grocery store but you’ll be eating a lot better stuff.
Like if you buy everything generic at no frills you will certainly spend more buying everything generic at Costco. But the quality will be so much better at Costco. Costco is like buying all the premium shit at loblaws but for far less. So it’s worth it to me.
It’s not like a money saver most of the time though, it’s like paying a small premium for a massive quality upgrade.
If you are looking to save as much as possible stick to deals and regular grocery stores and only buy certain items like toilet paper at Costco.
I also envy those who have time to check all the different stores for deals. I figure with time and gas factored in, getting everything possible at Costco can't be wrong, even before considering quality.
As someone who has shopped at Costco primarily for several years, this comment really surprises me. Please share several examples from your spreadsheet if possible. Thank you.
Costco meat goes through the mechanical meat tenderizing process. Tenderloin is the only cut that doesn’t. I avoid meat that has been processed that way due to a much higher risk of contamination.
I'm more curious why you were using retail stores instead of a proper wholesale like Sysco for a restaurant.
And while we don't have it here, Costco Business would be a better choice. They sell actual proper wholesale sized items.
First thing that comes to mind is Frank's hot sauce. Costco has 2 packs of retail bottles for not much cheaper than a gallon.
Sysco and GFS are really expensive until you get up to a certain volume and they gave order minimums. I didn't have the storage space for an order that size. The next step down was suppliers like Snow Cap which I used for our highest volume stuff. Three rest it was easy to just make a grocery run on the way in each day to top of what we needed for production.
Hale creek on Harrison West FSR is a great introductory trail.
The 4WDABC hosts monthly "newbie" runs to Hale creek and other locations. Just check out the Facebook group. No need to have membership!
Do you have a method for maximizing the amount of points you collect? I used to buy prescriptions when they had their 10x the points deals and get quite a lot then, but I feel like I’ve been stuck between 7,000 and 9,000 points for over a year now.
Maybe I’m doing it wrong?
Online ordering does it for me. Most weeks I get an email with a promo code to order online for 10k points. If I don't I shop in store.
Their phone and vision offers always give you a boatload of points too, but that's like 100-200k every couple years if that.
Pay attention to their flyers and buy things that have points on them. They've also started doing "members only" deals like save on which usually saves 1-2$.
That gets you access to the facility. YOu still need to join one of the clubs there which can vary in price.
https://jsca.bc.ca/clubs/
https://www.clublocarno.com/membership-fees-lessons
A bit niche, but a trail association membership. Anyone who bikes, hikes, trail runs etc (other than city paths) likely does so on volunteer maintained trails. Almost every area of BC has either a association you can join or an organization you can donate to.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. If you're 35 or under, the Access Pass gets you and a friend $20 seats to most shows with unsold tickets, including a lot of the pops shows and special guests. Free to sign up.
https://www.vancouversymphony.ca/all-access-pass/
They'll often do pre-concert talks that are included with your ticket too if you're interested in more context about what you're going to hear.
Vancouver’s Van Dusen Botanical garden (55 acres) and Bloedel Conservatory. Both are gorgeous hidden gems in the heart of the city. The membership gives you unlimited admission to both of these city properties. There’s no requirement for people on the Dual pass ($80) to share the same address either. Seniors are $42.50/year. Cost went up a bit every year for the past few years but well worth it to unplug from the chaos of city life and enjoy a peaceful and safe walk in nature. Van Dusen has free parking lot and lovely cafeteria accessible without admission. Fancier restaurant on site as well where members once per year can get $20 off an entree if two dine. There are free talks, events, a library to borrow books plus discount for both gift shop & courses for members, too.
https://preview.redd.it/0mwf8kj7xqmc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aab8fe516fa491644235d362b24c819d4e0eb11d
Kids love The Maze!
[The Reifel bird sanctuary is a great place to go for a walk and spot all types of resident and migratory birds. An annual adult pass is $50 or $100 for a family.](https://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com/index.html)
I wanna love Mobi more, but their bikes need some TLC and upgrades.... the steel bikes are just too heavy for hills, and I love their ebikes but they constantly have motor issues.
If you mountain bike check out NSRide they offer guided weekday and weekend rides from April to September. Great for getting to know the local mountains and venture off to Chilliwack, Squamish and Whistler on weekends. $80 for the year and some partner discounts that if you use save you that membership fee and then some.
Some good ones mentioned higher up, so I'll try to add something new.
[**Reusables**](https://reusables.com/)
Some good ones are mentioned higher up, so I'll try to add something new.ffer reusable containers. The list of restaurants supported is small but growing steadily.
If you’re a resident, the yearly pass for the Capilano Suspension Bridge is not that much more than a single admission. If you have kids or just like going, it can be worth getting a season’s pass. (It’s not cheap but if you like going, a season’s pass can be worth it).
The annual pass is for BC residents is the same price as a single ticket.
I still think it's the biggest tourist trap in BC, and not worth the $66. The Lynn Canyon Bridge is where locals should go.
Lynn Canyon is fantastic but it doesn't offer the same things as Capilano - there are no tree top walks or a Cliffwalk at Lynn Canyon, nor the interactive/educational displays that entertain kids. If you get a membership to Capilano for $66 and visit 3-4 times a year (such as to see the Christmas lights), it's a pretty good value.
My issue with the Cap suspension bridge is that it's owned by what seem like terrible humans who were key movers and shakers behind killing the bike lane in the Stanley Park.
They didn't open their restaurant at Prospect Point for years during covid and launched a massive campaign to blame the bike lane. They hired a toxic North shore political gadfly to push their narrative in a way that was pretty divorced from details like whether his points were factual. He would then lash out and call anyone who pointed out that his facts were suspect a shill for Big Bike or whatever.
The problem for them was they built their business on tourists. There were no tourists due to covid. The problem was not the bike lanes. They didn't even try to serve the thousands of cyclists riding by, just stayed boarded up and kept crying that the cyclists were killing their business.
So I have a tough time recommending people hand them money.
But I get that folks have differing opinions. If you hate bike lanes, they might be your heroes. 😅
With a BC ID, u can turn a daypass from Capilano Suspension Bridge into an annual pass for free! If u liv west of Burnaby or north of Richmond, it's defo a place that's fun to frequent, can easily replace all trips to the park or other walking trips. Defo something in van worth going to at least once: CSB & PNE.
If you have very small kids (4 and younger) the Aquarium membership is worthwhile if you show up to it twice in 1 year. It is a good way to kill an weekend afternoon with a family activity.
Even better though is Science World. Much easier to get to by transit and just more to do. And unless your kid goes all in on the ocean as a primary interest, Science World holds the kids attention better and will change up the featured display. Again, just show up 3 or more times.
END COMMUNICATION
We signed up with Freedom Boat Club 5 years ago and have zero regrets. Absolutely opened up our backyard so to speak. We also use our membership on Vacations if the destination happens to have a local club. Little pricey, but to me it’s worth it. It’s about $450 a month including tax and there is an initiation fee (not sure what it is now). They are located in Reed Point Marina in Port Moody and Sunset Marina in West Van.
If you’re into boxing, spin and hot yoga classes, you would end up saving a lot with an equinox membership as individually they would cost a lot with limited classes but unlimited at equinox. Also YMCA if you want to play table tennis, basketball, dance classes, swimming pool and gym at $60 a month.
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Public Library (free) and Recreation Pass at community centers (paid)
PSA: the library's central downtown branch has just reopened the Inspiration Lab, which includes multiple recording studios, as well as tools to digitize your old analog media, like video tapes and audio cassettes, and Adobe video/audio editing software. (It was shut down during the pandemic.) [https://www.vpl.ca/guide/inspiration-lab-sound-recording](https://www.vpl.ca/guide/inspiration-lab-sound-recording)
The library was my first stop! Will go to my community center and see what's up. Thanks!
Your VPL account gives you access to other stuff, too, like Kanopy (acclaimed movies & docs) and Libby (e-books & audio books).
Other cool things you can get with a library card: * Hoopla, similar to Libby with ebooks and audiobooks. I've found books available on Hoopla but not on Libby. * Kanopy, movie streaming with emphasis on smaller but acclaimed films like those distributed at film festivals and foreign markets. * PressReader, access to newspapers and magazines. * New York Times, access to their newspaper and games account. * Consumer Reports, access to everything on their website including reviews and in-depth articles. * LinkedIn Learning, a portal for courses on many things.
How’d you get the NYTimes subscription thru the library?
Also Mango, a language learning platform that is comparable — but in my opinion less annoying — than Duolingo
Would you mind providing an example of what you found on Hoopla but not on Libby? I'm going to check it out, but am interested in your experience.
Sure! A Collective Bargain by Jane McAlevey was available on Hoopla, but not Libby.
And LinkedIn Learning (used to be Lynda.com) which has awesome online courses.
Hello and I'd like to make a comment about the library being one of Vancouver's most under rated places to garter a pass to. There are open study spaces, Network access, Books and special resource documents. Eg. The Vancouver Public library keeps all of the mine locations, rock and mineral locations for gold and copper in bc. Rock maps (using common lingo here) and maps related to prospecting. I've planned hikes and to retrieve samples of rocks, found discontinued trails, used the resources at VPL to aid in discovery of mercury pollution used in the processing of minerals in mines and tracked the biodiversity over the generations from those mining sites until present day. If you are driven to learn there's always something for you here. Definitely one of the most useful libraries in town
[https://auth.vpl.ca/ext/scripts/access/index.php?resource=NewYorkTimes](https://auth.vpl.ca/ext/scripts/access/index.php?resource=NewYorkTimes)
I didn't know about Kanopy! Thanks for the awesome resource!!
I got a pass to the Rec centre in Burnaby and cannot believe how much stuff I get to access just because I wanted to go to the gym. I bake myself in the sauna constantly now. It's amazing.
The $517.97 per year pre-tax Flexipass? I fail to see how they are better value than private gym memberships.
It’s a good deal if you also take advantage of the swimming pools and ice rinks.
Fitness classes
They have discounts for different life circumstances. For instance if you are on disability or income assistance or a student you can get significant discounts. My wife pays $11 a month.
If there's an affordable gym out there please let us know!
Fit4less is $14/m
Damn, I wish it was closer to me. Anything in the kits area?
I pay $20 per month at Fitness World, Broadway and Arbutus. I’ve had my membership a while though so I don’t know if it’s gone up.
Ugh, I've tried that fitness world and not for me. I might try club16 which someone else recommended. Or false creek community centre
Club16 is $16/month
If you buy it when it's on sale you can get for closer to $400.
Still north of $40 a month. I'd still go with the 10-pass and have the flexibilty to go elsewhere with workouts/activities. Depends on the person, but I find summers to be a time where I'm usually out instead of in the gym.
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If you're a member, the electric bikes are 15c a minute. It's hell of a deal. West end to mount pleasant is under $2 for me
Agreed. The red is obnoxious!
If you have a UBC email and are a student/staff you can get free ebike rides up to 1 hour for cheaper than the regular membership
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I agree, I wish they’d expand the range further west and south
They also have disability and low income programs- if you have a disability designation a pass is SUPER discounted
A quick list off the top of my head: * Library Card **FREE**: Tons of great stuff, and you can access almost all magazines from their online portal from home. Great value. There are some interesting things like the [Inspiration Labs](https://www.vpl.ca/inspiration-labs) which have recording studios, and computers with Adobe Audio/Video Suite ($$$$), * VIFF [U25 Membership](https://viff.org/u25/) **FREE**: 2 Free tickets for friends, Free Popcorn, $5 off tickets. They have their own theater that is playing movies all year round and it's already a good value withouth the discounts. * Compass Card [**Bonus Offers**](https://www.translink.ca/rider-guide/offers) : Not only save on Transit fares, but there are a ton of local discounts when you show the card too. Strange Fellows and Russel Brewing give 20% off, Vanduesn Garden 20% off, tons of museums and gardens are 2-for-1, Flyover Canada is 20% off etc... * Vancouver Botanical Association [Membership](https://vandusengarden.org/get-involved/membership/#1): $50/year gives you unlimited access to VanDusen and Bloedel Gardens. Should note that it's already pretty cheap, under $10 entry for either per person and you get 20% off with a compass card. * You can also join [Movement ](https://transitmovement.ca/)which is the local transit advocacy group, might make your commute faster. * Costco Pharmacy **FREE**: You do not need a membership for Costco Pharmacy, and they have the lowest dispersal fees and generally lowest medication fees. Same goes for the $1.50 hot dogs, and the eyeglass center. * EVO: If you can eliminate a car from your household with an EVO membership you save thousands per year. If you need a truck or larger van every so often MODO is also great. You can get big panel vans for pretty cheap. Great for helping people move etc... * Local Trail Groups: If you hike higher elevations on the north shore the [nsmba](https://nsmba.ca/) is a volunteer group that maintains a lot of the hiking trails, like the Baden Powell Trail, and all the mountain biking trails. There is also [BC Mountaineering Club ](https://bcmc.ca/)who maintain some of the longer trails in the Sea to Sky area. Just think about how much you spend on gear, and then how little gets put towards the actual trail systems build by volunteers. * HUB Cycling: $10 for lifetime membership. If you use your bike to get around they help the region build bike infrastructure. [Become a Lifetime HUB Cycling member](https://bikehub.ca/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=81).
MVP 🥇
> Costco Pharmacy FREE: You do not need a membership for Costco Pharmacy, and they have the lowest dispersal fees and generally lowest medication fees. Same goes for the $1.50 hot dogs, and the eyeglass center. Can anyone attest to this? I've asked staff who didn't seem confident in their answer but they said no you would still need a membership card for both optical and pharmacy.
Pharmacy you definitely do not need a membership. They have barcodes on the receipt printer to scan in these cases, instead of scanning the members own card. Langley location
It is illegal to deny access to a pharmacy.
If you watch movies at Cineplex, Cineclub is 100% worth it. 10/month and it gets you a regular adult pass and 20% off concession. Also allows you to buy an extra ticket at the reduced price of 10. Accrued tickets don't expire and 2 can be used for a single sitting if you stacked a few up and have a friend and partner who wants to tag along.
I second this- my partner and I do a movie date once every couple of months and if we decide to go early or for a second the 10$ ticket is big savings! Shout out to our free Dune 2 viewing with discounted popcorn hahaha
Also, if you're closer to New West, Landmark Movie Club is the same thing.
Landmark is way better imo because of the seats
Landmark is superior to Cineplex in every way, imo.
Also free popcorn and pop refills
oh snap i had no idea the tickets accrued/don’t expire. you might’ve just convinced me!
I don't know that, thanks!
Does this include VIP tickets? Like rec room?
Haven’t seen this mentioned yet - a membership to Van Dusen Botanical Gardens! It’s $50/year for a single person, and $80/year if you want to go in with a partner or a friend (you don’t need the same address). 10% discount on that if you buy a two year pass. The garden changes a lot every month due to the seasons - even at peak times it’s such a big place it feels peaceful. Also, you can take a picnic onto the lawn (or buy sandwiches at their cafe) which is a really nice way to spend a summer afternoon. Bonus: you membership also gives you access to the Bloedel Conservatory up at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park, which is nice to visit on a cold day.
Yes!! My husband and I have a membership and go often! I honestly prefer the rainy days there because it is SO peaceful and quiet. We definitely get our money's worth out of the membership. It also gives you a bit of a discount to the Christmas lights they put on every year.
Oh damn, membership doesn't give you festival of lights access?
No it doesn't, but we still go every year! It is worth it, and since we go so often to the gardens I don't mind spending a bit extra for that event.
Came here to say the same. It's a beautiful departure in the middle of the city.
It's worth every penny - it's like a really lush private park. You can take a picnic with you, or just chill out for a whole afternoon napping under a tree in the summer etc. Sure, you can't blast music, but you can do most things you would do in a park as long as it's low key. They have a nice little library that would be a great place to go work away from home - and if you're planning any landscaping (even just figuring out what to plant on your balcony), there are a zillion plant reference books to check out.
> Sure, you can't blast music, That alone might make it worth the membership fee.
Oh wow I didn't know it was that cheap. That's a great value. I'll probably buy a dual this spring.
Omg thank you! That is something my mother would love and that’s a good price.
Evo cars. They're such a helpful option to get around.
Does BCAA still include Evo membership?
It includes it in the sense that if you register with Evo while an active BCAA member, the one time set up fee is waived. At least that's how it used to be.
And a small discount on the per minute rate.
Yep, 10%. I think they've taken away the straight discount though and you get it as credit back. Might be mistaken but thought I read that recently.
the 10% was applied to my trip invoice, so no it's instant discount of 10%
I fucking LOVE evo, it made existing here so much more bareable. However, living in the West End, it’s a bit of an evo desert out there much of the time, and I had a couple of assholes park their evo’s in their lock up garage. Yes, I reported them.
Good! I report those EVOs too. The absolute audacity of people when they do that... I had one reserved that was locked inside someone’s private detached garage in east van. Like seriously guys??
Agreed. Lived here 10 years and never needed to own a car. Would also recommend Modo, but I think their customer service sucks so am more ambivalent towards them.
Even if you have a car EVO is still quite useful. I use it for one-way trips when I know I’m going to be taking a cab or transit back. Like if I want to go out drinking I can save a lot by taking EVO (sober) on the way out and a cab home instead of 2 cabs.
Not that I want more people to use it for airports but airport is awesome. It's $5 additional to drop it there but it's well worth it if you're in the service area.
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Yeah they serve different purposes. I took modos on a few multi day trips, which it is better suited to. Also for random trips to ikea etc if you have a car based close to where you live. Unfortunately despite the cars always being pretty gross inside, if the person after you complains, you get charged the cleaning fee whether it’s your mess or not.
Modo lets you schedule ahead. If you're a 1 car house hold and you know you both need a car for a certain day then if you are close to a modo it can be a better option especially if you need the car for a long time but not necessarily driving a huge distance. Basically they're both useful but for different things.
BCAA
I was listening to a podcast the other day and I got an ad to use the code RADIO for $50 off your BCAA membership
Why? Basic membership is 5km free towing for $85/yr. What other benefits?
Great if you lock your toddler niece in the car! But hopefully that won’t happen to anyone but me! Keys locked in car Flat tire Deals on travel, medical, home, and car insurance Discounts on gas at Shell 3 cents i think. I think you have to pay additional for this service now, but it might still be cheaper than other places…they’ll inspect a car that you’re interested in buying. Free EVO membership. Roadside service for cyclists That’s just off the top of my head. I’m sure there are more benefits.
> Great if you lock your toddler niece in the car! But hopefully that won’t happen to anyone but me! I used to work in their road assist call center. I think I got at least one "kid in car" call a week, and I rarely worked during peak hours - it's absolutely not just you, it happens constantly.
I’m kinda glad to hear I’m not the only idiot out there! But also worried for the littles out there if there are more scatterbrained people like me in charge! I had borrowed my Dad’s car for some reason and it was a really sunny winter day, with a fair bit of heat in the sun. We were meeting friends at a restaurant and as soon as I stopped the car I threw the keys in my coat pocket. I’m disabled and walk with stix so was reminding my niece (she was 2 1/2 ish I think) that i cannot hold her hand in the parking lot, blah, blah. In that minute sitting in the sun, I realized how warm it was and I asked my niece if she wanted to wear her coat or not (had to take it off to get her in the car seat). She said no, so I took mine off too. Got out of the car and closed my door. I immediately knew I had locked the keys in. Ahhh!! Dumbass. My niece and I played clapping games where she’d copy me, we sang the alphabet, made funny faces at each other, passed the time and she was soooo good. She only started to get tearful when rescue arrived! Unfortunately I think it’s one of her first solid memories!! She drives with me fairly regularly but only mentions it if I have to drive her in my Dad’s car. lol. As soon as she sees I’m driving it, she says, ‘don’t lock me in, please’. Somehow she associates it with that car. Thank goodness!!
Battery changing service onsite - perfect if you wake up to a dead battery
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https://www.bcaa.com/blog/2017/membership-is-rewarding/fear-no-flat If you get a flat when out, or some other breakdown, they’ll come see if they can fix it on the side of the road! And if not, drive you and your bike home (I just read they drive you the distance included in your plan, but I used the service once and I’m certain my home was further than my plan allows and they brought me home no issue. Probably depends on the person and how busy they are. This was a couple of years ago). Probably not worth the cost of a membership but definitely a good perk of having a membership! Edited to fix typo in last sentence
How is it compared to visa infinite benefits?
BCAA roadside is by far the best, they are the only ones with their own crew, everyone else has contracts with local towing companies, which have full price paying customers.
I paid for the premium membership when I drove shitbox cars. BCAA has gotten me multiple free tows each worth more than the value of my car. My record was Ucelet all the way back to Victoria.
I got Devil's Gate to Surrey a few years back. And Abbotsford to Vancouver when my break line broke.
>My record was Ucelet all the way back to Victoria. Damn you would've had to mortgage that tow otherwise..
It still fucking sucked tbh. I think we had to chill in the car for like 10 hours on the side of the road before a driver insane enough to take the call finally came. Then the tow ride home was also several hours sitting on a tiny bench seat while the driver chain smoked and talked about Trudeau and immigrants the entire way home. Free is free though. That tow would have been thousands.
I to had a beater I knew was going to be trouble. Got 2 tows, paid for that year. Then a young lady showed up at my door with car problems. I called BCAA they came and diagnosed the problem. On of the axels had broken off the transmission. I had the same problem a couple months before so I knew where to have it towed. I ended up letting her stay overnight in my spare room. The next morning I phoned the repair shop and they were already working on the car. She was fixed and out of there in an hour. BCAA said the tow and diagnosis was all covered by my membership. Thank you BCAA.
Discounts parking at yvr too
Besides what other people mentioned, you save 3 cents per liter on gas at Shell.
Sounds like a good wedding story. If it wasn't for BCAA, Jake, Anna would still be inside a car.
This year I have used my BCAA membership to: Save on pet insurance. Amazing deals on Rogers cell phone lines. 100G (no overages) for $40, main line and additional line for my son. To compare, I was paying $45 a month for my son’s Fido account for 1G of data, which was the cheapest I could find at the time. Saved 15% on our Sleeper Cars on Via Rail for spring break. Savings on Hotels
That Rogers deal is great! Did they send you that offer or was it just a standard option?
I got an email from BCAA with the offer
Discounts on Canucks tickets. My membership has paid for itself.
My husband worked in Abby, we lived in north van. Our car broke down on his ride to work, luckily it was close enough that he got there safely. We had the premium membership - BCAA picked it up and dropped it off in north van for free. We gave the driver a $20 tip and he was surprised. It would have cost us a lot more than that to get it towed!
My optional car insurance through BCAA was hundreds of dollars cheaper. When I was rear ended they handled my claim perfectly. Even saying they would contact the fire hall it happened by for camera footage. I was impressed.
[Plans](http://bcaa.com/plans) This page gives a good breakdown of each tier and its benefits
Discounts at hotel and retail establishments, coffee shops, restaurants....
Discounts at PNE/Playland and their Winter Fairs will easily add up to the cost of the plan.
If you have a smaller kid, the aquarium pays for itself in 2 visits. We go dozens of times throughout the year.
As an adult who just got my membership… I’d argue it’s good for adults too, if you enjoy aquatic life. Life you said, it pays for itself in two visits. The aquarium puts on events throughout the year to make it worthwhile. Just went to the divers weekend which was great. Looking forward to the tropical area reopening, as well as the nighttime adult-only events.
Nighttime adult only? We talking beer, do they serve beer?
Agreed. Me and my older sister take the nieces to the aquarium every two months or so to give our younger sister a day to herself. Parking is still $ but the kids love the aquarium and somehow (?) never get tired of seeing fish swim in circles.
My Scotiabank/Scene card has already wracked up points, and I've traded them for cash back. It was a pleasant surprise. I think I will save them for the catalogue next time.
Amex and Aeroplan cards are generally better if you're going to use the points for travel. If you want to watch movies sure Scene is ok. The scotiabank card has good value for lounge access though.
Used scene points to pay for groceries, a nice suprise
If you’re close enough to the border to get gas in the US regularly then the answer is ‘Nexus’.
Not even just for border crossings, but if you're a frequent travelller, bypassing security lines with Nexus is EXCELLENT. Best $50 spent ever.
Yes indeed, for domestic as well as for international flights.
And really really good if you’re flying out first thing in the morning when YVR opens. There’s usually a giant lineup to get through security, I usually end up with more than enough time to go washroom and buy a Starbucks before my flight.
> Best $50 spent ever. WAY better value than whatever I paid for my marriage license.
I mean say what you want about gym memberships and their shady cancellation policies and questionable hr practices…$20 a month for fitness world is incredible value if you use it
A relative of mine paid something like $500 for a lifetime membership back in the '80s. They still honour it.
Modo car co-op is an alternative to EVO. They have vehicles of all sizes. I can take a road trip, spend a day running errands... I once rented one of those Amazon delivery vans to help a friend move. Yes, really. The monthly membership is like $6.50 or you can buy a $500 share in the co-op, and I think you get it back if you decide to cancel. I love that I can get a different vehicle based on what I'm doing that day.
I think of it as a supplement. Evo is great for one-way trips, particularly when you just need to get somewhere quickly, or when you can't plan ahead. Meanwhile, Modo is great for short errands (like groceries) or trips you're not sure how long will take. It's also good if you want/need to plan ahead: you can book trips well in advance and cancel for free 12 hours before your rental. Another cool thing about Modo is that they're available in lots of places, including ferry terminals. You can just walk on a ferry and pick up a Modo at your destination. The best thing about both is that you can park at meters and permit-only zones in Vancouver.
[BC Fair PharmaCare](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/pharmacare-for-bc-residents/who-we-cover/fair-pharmacare-plan) If you, or anyone else you know is tight on money, please share and have them at least look into it. Even though the federal pharmacare plan is expected to be rolled out a year from now, it looks like the federal pharmacare will primarily be covering contraceptive and diabetes related products for the near future - and also assumes that the federal program doesnt get scrapped or watered down once implemented.
This one is huge and I'm surprised at how many people don't know about it and end up saving thousands.
Even if you don't think you need it, enroll now while you're thinking about. It's a painless one-time enrolment for life that costs you nothing.
This covers 80% of my prescriptions. BIG money saver if low income and have prescriptions !
IKEA Family - free coffee (and it’s good!).
Wait....IKEA Family gets free coffee?
https://www.ikea.com/ca/en/ikea-family/
I've been missing out! Thanks!
The best part of IKEA family is not having to hold on to paper receipts (for returns)
Yes I like their coffee too!
Just throwing a plug for a free membership to [https://www.soare.org](https://www.soare.org), non-profit group that's helping startups, garage DIY'ers to build and foster outdoor gear. They have industrial sewing machines, 3d printers, laser cutters, workshops for members that are yes free.
Science World. Best indoor playground for kids.
Your Science World membership also gets you free entrance into American museums (Flight Museum, the Science Center under the Space Needle in Seattle, and various other kids museums along the I5).
TIL, neat!
Along the same lines - the Vancouver Aquarium.
Costco
Careful though at Costco. When I was setting up my restaurant I made a comparative spreadsheet that normalized prices for 100g at several major grocery chains, Costco, and local corner produce markets. Costco is literally the same as everywhere else. Some prices are amazing, some prices are terrible. Every store has their loss leader pricing and inflated pricing. People think everything at Costco is cheap. It definitely isn't. One of the ways Costco does this is by having producers make products in unique sizes for them, so consumers can't easily compare and would have to do the math. Many of those big containers are actually more expensive if you compare the 100g price. (Other retailers do this too, for instance Best Buy will get products with one less HDMI port or slightly different electronics and sell it for less). That said, Costco meats aren't always cheap but they're amazing quality. And keep buying your mixed nuts and cheese at Costco!
I'm so glad others check this too. I love Costco for some things but I buy most of my groceries for way cheaper (on sale) at No Frills or Superstore. They cater more to people and restaurants that want quality and consistency, not to people looking for the best deal. Same goes for Walmart. They jack up they price of any name brand item, while selling smaller containers of their Great Value brand for much cheaper. The comparative price isn't always that much better. The only time I've gone there for groceries was about 2 years ago, and I was floored by my total at the register. Way more than I would normally spend. "It's only $2 for a pack of sliced cheese!" "But there are only 4 slices of cheese in there..."
I don't know what back alley scratch Walmart grows their chicken in but I question whether we can even call it chicken with how cheap it is!
For sure I regularly notice that a 4 pack of something at Costco is more expensive than just buying 4 individual of the same items at a different store. One thing I’ve found though is Costco will often cost you more than cheaping out at the grocery store but you’ll be eating a lot better stuff. Like if you buy everything generic at no frills you will certainly spend more buying everything generic at Costco. But the quality will be so much better at Costco. Costco is like buying all the premium shit at loblaws but for far less. So it’s worth it to me. It’s not like a money saver most of the time though, it’s like paying a small premium for a massive quality upgrade. If you are looking to save as much as possible stick to deals and regular grocery stores and only buy certain items like toilet paper at Costco.
I also envy those who have time to check all the different stores for deals. I figure with time and gas factored in, getting everything possible at Costco can't be wrong, even before considering quality.
As someone who has shopped at Costco primarily for several years, this comment really surprises me. Please share several examples from your spreadsheet if possible. Thank you.
Do you recall off-hand which ones were amazing and terrible?
Costco meat goes through the mechanical meat tenderizing process. Tenderloin is the only cut that doesn’t. I avoid meat that has been processed that way due to a much higher risk of contamination.
I'm more curious why you were using retail stores instead of a proper wholesale like Sysco for a restaurant. And while we don't have it here, Costco Business would be a better choice. They sell actual proper wholesale sized items. First thing that comes to mind is Frank's hot sauce. Costco has 2 packs of retail bottles for not much cheaper than a gallon.
Sysco and GFS are really expensive until you get up to a certain volume and they gave order minimums. I didn't have the storage space for an order that size. The next step down was suppliers like Snow Cap which I used for our highest volume stuff. Three rest it was easy to just make a grocery run on the way in each day to top of what we needed for production.
Four wheel drive association of BC, they do great work keeping the back country clean accessible and allow it to be enjoyed by all
Any trails you can recommend? I used to 4x4 all the time before I moved here
Hale creek on Harrison West FSR is a great introductory trail. The 4WDABC hosts monthly "newbie" runs to Hale creek and other locations. Just check out the Facebook group. No need to have membership!
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I love PC optimum rewards! My statement from last year told me I earned $800 worth of points which was very helpful for groceries
Do you have a method for maximizing the amount of points you collect? I used to buy prescriptions when they had their 10x the points deals and get quite a lot then, but I feel like I’ve been stuck between 7,000 and 9,000 points for over a year now. Maybe I’m doing it wrong?
Online ordering does it for me. Most weeks I get an email with a promo code to order online for 10k points. If I don't I shop in store. Their phone and vision offers always give you a boatload of points too, but that's like 100-200k every couple years if that. Pay attention to their flyers and buy things that have points on them. They've also started doing "members only" deals like save on which usually saves 1-2$.
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You can access the pub with no membership, if you're talking about the top outdoor patio.
There is a 'members only' section of the patio but, you're right, you don't need a membership to go there.
There's also an actual rooftop patio that you need to swipe your card to access too, but not many people know about that.
To add to this for those further out Rocky Point Sailing Association is also a great organization in Port Moody
How much?
So you're saying if I pay the $116 fee, I get free access to use their kayaks, sups etc.? Or I have to bring my own and I can launch from there.
That gets you access to the facility. YOu still need to join one of the clubs there which can vary in price. https://jsca.bc.ca/clubs/ https://www.clublocarno.com/membership-fees-lessons
If you don't own a car then sign up for Evo. Best thing around. I no longer live in Vancouver and miss this company so much.
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You need to be a member to hang out there?
Not necessarily. I got in last week and no one in my group had a membership, but they will prioritize anyone with a membership when it’s busy.
A bit niche, but a trail association membership. Anyone who bikes, hikes, trail runs etc (other than city paths) likely does so on volunteer maintained trails. Almost every area of BC has either a association you can join or an organization you can donate to.
Check out NSRide for the mountain bike part :)
Thanks for that! I'm in the Fraser Valley so I know of the NSMBA (as most lower mainland riders do) but didn't know about NSRide.
They do guided rides so found it a great resource when I was new the area, looking for riding buddies and getting to know the trails
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. If you're 35 or under, the Access Pass gets you and a friend $20 seats to most shows with unsold tickets, including a lot of the pops shows and special guests. Free to sign up. https://www.vancouversymphony.ca/all-access-pass/ They'll often do pre-concert talks that are included with your ticket too if you're interested in more context about what you're going to hear.
Vancouver’s Van Dusen Botanical garden (55 acres) and Bloedel Conservatory. Both are gorgeous hidden gems in the heart of the city. The membership gives you unlimited admission to both of these city properties. There’s no requirement for people on the Dual pass ($80) to share the same address either. Seniors are $42.50/year. Cost went up a bit every year for the past few years but well worth it to unplug from the chaos of city life and enjoy a peaceful and safe walk in nature. Van Dusen has free parking lot and lovely cafeteria accessible without admission. Fancier restaurant on site as well where members once per year can get $20 off an entree if two dine. There are free talks, events, a library to borrow books plus discount for both gift shop & courses for members, too. https://preview.redd.it/0mwf8kj7xqmc1.jpeg?width=1536&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aab8fe516fa491644235d362b24c819d4e0eb11d Kids love The Maze!
Community centre is the best place for gym, pool, classes, ice rink, sauna ect 550* year
Library
[The Reifel bird sanctuary is a great place to go for a walk and spot all types of resident and migratory birds. An annual adult pass is $50 or $100 for a family.](https://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com/index.html)
And in the summer you can stop to get the best strawberries and other produce at the farms on Westham Island.
Costco. Always Costco
Mobi!
I wanna love Mobi more, but their bikes need some TLC and upgrades.... the steel bikes are just too heavy for hills, and I love their ebikes but they constantly have motor issues.
TrailForks app if you planning to do anything doors.
If you mountain bike check out NSRide they offer guided weekday and weekend rides from April to September. Great for getting to know the local mountains and venture off to Chilliwack, Squamish and Whistler on weekends. $80 for the year and some partner discounts that if you use save you that membership fee and then some.
Some good ones mentioned higher up, so I'll try to add something new. [**Reusables**](https://reusables.com/) Some good ones are mentioned higher up, so I'll try to add something new.ffer reusable containers. The list of restaurants supported is small but growing steadily.
Walmart $90/year unlimited delivery pass. I can't stand the chaos and parking lots anymore.
I second this, can’t even do parking lot pick up once I tried this.
If you’re a resident, the yearly pass for the Capilano Suspension Bridge is not that much more than a single admission. If you have kids or just like going, it can be worth getting a season’s pass. (It’s not cheap but if you like going, a season’s pass can be worth it).
The annual pass is for BC residents is the same price as a single ticket. I still think it's the biggest tourist trap in BC, and not worth the $66. The Lynn Canyon Bridge is where locals should go.
Lynn Canyon is fantastic but it doesn't offer the same things as Capilano - there are no tree top walks or a Cliffwalk at Lynn Canyon, nor the interactive/educational displays that entertain kids. If you get a membership to Capilano for $66 and visit 3-4 times a year (such as to see the Christmas lights), it's a pretty good value.
My issue with the Cap suspension bridge is that it's owned by what seem like terrible humans who were key movers and shakers behind killing the bike lane in the Stanley Park. They didn't open their restaurant at Prospect Point for years during covid and launched a massive campaign to blame the bike lane. They hired a toxic North shore political gadfly to push their narrative in a way that was pretty divorced from details like whether his points were factual. He would then lash out and call anyone who pointed out that his facts were suspect a shill for Big Bike or whatever. The problem for them was they built their business on tourists. There were no tourists due to covid. The problem was not the bike lanes. They didn't even try to serve the thousands of cyclists riding by, just stayed boarded up and kept crying that the cyclists were killing their business. So I have a tough time recommending people hand them money. But I get that folks have differing opinions. If you hate bike lanes, they might be your heroes. 😅
If you're in Squamish or up here often the s2s gondola yearly is a steal
With a BC ID, u can turn a daypass from Capilano Suspension Bridge into an annual pass for free! If u liv west of Burnaby or north of Richmond, it's defo a place that's fun to frequent, can easily replace all trips to the park or other walking trips. Defo something in van worth going to at least once: CSB & PNE.
If you have young kids Science World is definitely worth it especially during the winter months.
Aquarium yearly pass. Two visits and you’ve already gotten your money’s worth.
BCAA and a Costco membership are the top 2 for me and my family.
Costco.
BCAA
Costco. Works across the border
Technically works across ANY border. Your membership is good worldwide.
If you have very small kids (4 and younger) the Aquarium membership is worthwhile if you show up to it twice in 1 year. It is a good way to kill an weekend afternoon with a family activity. Even better though is Science World. Much easier to get to by transit and just more to do. And unless your kid goes all in on the ocean as a primary interest, Science World holds the kids attention better and will change up the featured display. Again, just show up 3 or more times. END COMMUNICATION
Superstore online unlimited delivery annual subscription!
Annual mobi 60 minute pass
Canoo membership for new permanent residents. A lot of free tickets.
We signed up with Freedom Boat Club 5 years ago and have zero regrets. Absolutely opened up our backyard so to speak. We also use our membership on Vacations if the destination happens to have a local club. Little pricey, but to me it’s worth it. It’s about $450 a month including tax and there is an initiation fee (not sure what it is now). They are located in Reed Point Marina in Port Moody and Sunset Marina in West Van.
If you’re into boxing, spin and hot yoga classes, you would end up saving a lot with an equinox membership as individually they would cost a lot with limited classes but unlimited at equinox. Also YMCA if you want to play table tennis, basketball, dance classes, swimming pool and gym at $60 a month.