Samantha Brown's Places to Love

[ Horn blow ] -When it comes to cities, this one makes everyone's most-beautiful list with a sensational confluence of glass towers, mountains, and sea.

But it's also got ambitions, and its people have set out to make this city the greenest in the world by 2020.

It is clear that the people who have called it home for decades to a millennia love it even more.

I'm in beautiful British Columbia in the city of Vancouver, Canada.

I'm Samantha Brown, and I've traveled all over this world.

And I'm always looking to find the destinations, the experiences, and, most importantly, the people who make us feel like we're really a part of a place.

That's why I have a love of travel and why these are my places to love.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" is made possible by... -Europe is a treasure trove of fascinating history, rich culture, and renowned cities.

AmaWaterways River Cruises offers a way to see all this wonder in person.

You can discover more at AmaWaterways.com.

-"Away"... ...is the smell of fresh pine.

It's a place where giants still live.

"Away" is where the farther down the road you go, the closer you get to the ones you love.

Find your "away."

GoRVing.com.

-One of the icons of Vancouver is, of course, Stanley Park, and people call it a refuge, and I always think, "A refuge from what?"

A gleaming city on pristine waters next to glorious mountains -- What's not a refuge here?

But it is a refuge.

It's also a playground, as well as an emblem of why the city of Vancouver has become one of the most sustainable and livable cities in the world.

And even though this park sustains 8 million visitors a year, it still holds its secrets, and there's still plenty to discover.

Vancouver is often talked about as being a really new city, and yet, there are elements of it that are absolutely ancient.

-Stanley Park truly is an ancient city, so to speak.

It has been a village site for people for literally millennia.

My name is Candace Campo.

I am a member of the Shshlh and Squamish nation, and our people have lived here in Stanley Park for thousands of years.

-At its height of the First Nations being here, how many would have lived here in Vancouver?

-I know the Squamish people themselves numbered 30,000 people.

-Candace leads people on what she calls a Talking Trees Tour of Stanley Park.

-This here is one of my most favorite trees.

It's the Western red cedar.

-Mm-hmm.

-And it's actually referred to as the tree of life for our people.

-Why is that?

-'Cause some of the purposes that it had were really vital to our society's well-being.

We actually carved cedar dugout canoes.

-Mm-hmm.

-And with the ability to access ancient trees, we'd be able to build a canoe that was 60 feet long... -Wow.

-...and even 6 to 8 feet wide.

So... -Oh, my gosh.

-...you could travel great distance.

You can carry many of your family members and community members.

What our people sought to practice was sustainable harvests.

So where we would have to utilize a full tree for a canoe, to build our homes, we would literally harvest the plank.

-The plank?

-Yeah.

So you would -- -So, that's just the... -...take a plank out of a healthy tree, and you would take several planks from several trees and allow the tree to live.

-So you're just taking the sections of the tree.

-Yes.

-Build your home, and the tree could go on.

-Yes.

Yes.

-Wow.

-The forest allowed us to have a really good life.

-I feel like the city of Vancouver wouldn't exist without this park.

-It would never be the same, for sure.

-Yeah.

-Yes.

-It gives it like 100 exclamation points.

I mean, just the trees itself and being here, it does not feel like we are in a city of millions of people.

-It does.

You can hear the birds.

You can hear yourself think.

It's a friendly park, and it's very accessible throughout all seasons.

-Ooh.

-Here, you have the salmonberry, and it's the very first berry that comes out in the season.

We actually believe the bear was our teacher, and the bear taught us what foods to eat.

Of course, when the bear comes out of hibernation, he will eat the salmonberries as much as he possibly can.

Yes.

-Can you eat those now, or is that something that... -They're actually ripe.

I would love to invite you try one.

-There's two, Candace.

One for me... -Yeah.

-...one for you.

-Exactly.

It has a very fresh taste.

-Okay.

Cheers.

-So, bon apptit.

-Hmm.

Oh, yeah.

-It is good, isn't it?

-Boy, after a long, cold winter... -Truly.

-...that would taste wonderful.

-Yes.

-Now, would those be eaten for medicinal purposes or just because they tasted good?

-There's no separation between medicine and food.

It's considered the same thing, and, as such, cooks in our society are highly respected.

-When did you open up your restaurant?

-We opened during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

-Was there something about the Olympics that you thought, "This is a good time"?

-It was an amazing time, and I thought, "You know, the whole world is coming here.

They need to be able to try food from the land."

-What a good point, because when you come to Vancouver, first, like you say, people all over the world come here, and then food from all over the world is represented here... -Absolutely.

-...and yet, not the first food.

-Yeah.

Every day is... -Candace has taken me to meet Inez Cook at her bistro, Salmon n' Bannock.

It's Vancouver's only First Nations restaurant.

Do you have a lot of First Nations people come here and enjoy your food, or is it really just the diverse crowd that lives here in Vancouver tasting it for the first time?

-We have all types of customers.

The First Nations are super-happy to come and have traditional foods that they can't get normally... -Mm-hmm.

-...or regularly.

-So that's introduced us to more of the world, and it's great.

-I mean, I've never done this before in my life.

-Awesome.

-So I'm just gonna...

This is the fish.

This is the fish head.

And do I eat the whole thing?

-Yes.

The whole thing.

-I was gonna say.

It's gone.

-The entire thing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

-Okay.

-Don't be scared.

-It's got a fantastic smoked flavor.

-That is fantastic.

-It is, isn't it?

-Oh, my goodness.

-The menu features aboriginal food in a modern way with a heavy focus on wild game.

Beautiful.

-This is an elk shoulder.

-Okay.

-And our chef has prepared it the style of an osso buco.

The cool thing is, is that there's still the marrow in the bone... -Okay.

-...which you'll be able to put on your bannock.

-Oh, lovely.

And this is the bannock?

This is a part of your name.

-Yes, it is.

-So this must be very important.

-The indigenous people were making their own unleavened bread for years, and when the Scottish people came, they showed them how to turn wheat into flour.

And the Scottish people called it bannock, so the First Nations adopted that word, and all across Turtle Island, which is North America, they have done their own versions.

-Uh-huh.

-And this is our way.

-So, this is my elk osso buco.

-Yes.

-Food is how Inez reached out to others, and it's also how she got back in touch with her own roots.

You had a different upbringing than Candace?

-Yes.

I was adopted, and I actually met my biological family through the restaurant after I opened.

It was all over the media that a Nuxalk person had opened this restaurant.

-Mm-hmm.

-But, because I was adopted out, nobody knew me, so it was... -When you say you were adopted out, what does that mean?

-It was a time period where the government went into the communities and adopted the children to non-native families, and... -So this is all learned?

-It's all learned.

I make jokes and say I'm a born-again native, but... [ Laughter ] ...I'm super-happy showcasing my heritage with pride.

-Would your tribes have known each other?

-At one time, we probably weren't friends, eh?

-Probably not.

-No, we weren't, to be honest, but that was several hundred years ago.

That's changed.

-That's so 700 years ago.

-That's terrific.

-Granville Island is a very popular destination.

It seems like everybody in Vancouver is at the Public Market.

That's why I love these quiet, tucked-away places.

Right now, I'm walking down a street.

It's called the Railspur District, and every single one of these studios are occupied by artists, and everything they make is unique and made by hand.

Wow.

-High five.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Are these all handmade brooms?

-Yes.

They're all made by myself and my sister.

-And you make them all right here?

-Right here.

-Right here in the shop.

We make over 4,000 brooms a year.

-Oh, my goodness.

These are works of art!

How long does it take you to make a broom?

-It takes anywhere from about a half an hour for a simple little whisk broom to over three hours for some of the full-size natural-handle ones like that.

-This is gorgeous.

So, this is a natural handle?

-Yeah, and it's always a weeklong process from start to finish 'cause there's a lot of different stages, so no broom is made in a single day.

-That is a tremendous amount of care and love and hard work that goes into something that does a lot of hard work.

-Yeah, exactly.

-"Our brooms are made to be used.

Feel free to try them out."

I mean, these are gorgeous.

Why do people pick the round brooms as opposed to the flat brooms?

Is there a reason why people prefer one or the other?

-Yeah.

The round ones cover a large area.

Basically, a broom like that is meant for sweeping big, open spaces.

So, you don't need a totally straight handle 'cause you use it more like this.

-Oh.

-So you can just dust off the deck or driveway really quickly.

-I feel like this is my broom.

What do you have?

-This one is a hockey-stick broom.

It's... -[ Laughs ] You know you're in Canada when... -Yeah, about the most Canadian broom you can get.

-We have a lot of friends who play hockey, and so, whenever someone breaks a stick, they bring it to us, and we build a broom onto it.

-So, how do two young women come about doing such an old craft?

-Well, we actually grew up with it, so it's something we learned from our parents.

-So your parents made brooms?

-Yeah.

-So, when we were growing up, we learned how to make brooms throughout our summers in high school and university.

-Mm-hmm.

-It's how we put ourselves through university.

So we decided to come back to it and start this shop here about seven years ago.

It's a great combination of just, like, constantly talking to people, as well as doing something fun and creative.

-So, how many bad witch jokes have you gotten because you're two sisters who make brooms?

-It comes with the territory, and mostly, you know, as long as people are entertained when they come in, we're happy.

So... -What is about Vancouver that makes it such a great city?

-For me, it's definitely the outdoors thing.

I spend most of my time in the backcountry.

So the fact that I can go skiing after work, I can go sailing, I can jump in the ocean, to me, it's like a small town almost, 'cause it's just crammed into the mountains, and I love it.

-And you could do that all in one day because you can ride your broom?

-[ Laughs ] Speeds things up a little.

-There, I got my witch joke in.

I'm done.

I'm done.

So, I don't know sakes at all.

I'm really intimidated by it.

Do you get that from the people who walk into your shop?

-All the time.

-Yeah.

-All the time.

-It must be nice that you get to talk personally to people... to really introduce not only sake, but your sake.

-When I can convert their thinking... -Uh-huh.

-...or their attitude towards sake, then that's a day that really makes me happy.

-Masa, I am here to be converted.

-My name is Masa Shiroki.

I am an artisan sake maker here on Granville Island.

-Masa's specialty is soft-pressed sake, which is also made right here.

-Soft-pressed actually brings a very soft, natural flavor... -Mm-hmm.

-...and aroma of the sake.

-We don't have filters.

We don't have an, you know, accordion-like press.

-All right.

-So it takes 48 hours for us to press... -48 hours?

-...as opposed to 4 hours, 5 hours if you use a machine.

-So, which one should I try first to really understand what you do here?

-I think you should try this first.

This is called "Junmai," which means only three ingredients are allowed to be used... -All right.

-...rice, water, and yeast.

-Strong.

-It is strong.

It's 15% only, though.

Fruity aroma, pear, melon.

-Mm-hmm.

But where is that fruity aroma coming from?

-Well, people actually ask that question, and it's a combination of a particular rice that we use, yeast... -Mmm.

-...and the temperature... -That's lovely.

-...that we make it.

-Smooth!

So, how is this product different than Japanese sake?

-So, compared to that one, is this less flavorful or more flavorful?

-I would say it's more flavorful.

-Okay.

-The sake that I've had Japan, it was very dry.

-Yes.

Your answer is very correct... -Okay.

-...because the way that we make sake is to have more acidity... -Okay.

-...and more flavor, because our market is not a Japanese restaurant or Japanese nationals here.

Our market is, you know... -Mm-hmm.

-...Canadian in general, because they just opened up their mind-set to accept sake... -Mm-hmm.

-...that it can come into my life.

-Canada seems a little cold for rice.

-We can grow rice here, no question about it, but there are two factors that are helping us.

One is that the people love local products.

With the spirit of a sustainable... -Mm-hmm.

-...and natural and local, we can capture people's emotions.

We can get right into people's heart and say, "You got to support this because it's not wasting anything.

It's doing with sustainable practice, and it's doing everything natural."

So, there's market here, definitely.

-Right.

-I firmly believe that we can leave some legacy onto the land that we've been so fortunate to have and bring ourselves up, and, hopefully, this will perpetuate.

-A place that highlights Vancouver's diversity is the Night Market of Richmond.

Richmond is its own city in the Metro Vancouver area, and it seems like its entire population is here, experiencing great food and a carnival-like atmosphere.

So, Colin, when you said we needed to get here early, you were right.

This is the beginning, and it's already packed.

-Yeah, and it's gonna get even more packed as the night goes through.

They typically get about 10,000, 15,000 people here a night.

-10,000 to 15,000 people?

-10,000 to 15,000 people, and they... -Oh, my gosh.

-...run from April all the way into early October.

It's really crazy here, and, you know, it's not just locals who come here.

I mean, it's people from all around the region, but we get, also, a lot of people from the States because we're so close to the border.

Plus, we're so close to Vancouver International Airport.

We get a lot of visitors from overseas who are just popping into the Night Market for something to do.

-I've been lucky enough to go to Asia many times, and especially China, and you have to go to the night markets, right?

-You do.

-Because you can get everything.

If I need socks, a cellphone case, and food, I've got it.

I'm in the right place.

-Yeah.

You can get some really unique products here, especially around the food.

-It's amazing that we're just, like, 25 minutes away from Vancouver, and yet Richmond really is its own destination.

-Yeah.

65% of our population is Asian.

-And what generation are you?

-My parents were born and raised in China, and so I'm the first generation born here.

-You're first-generation.

That's pretty cool.

-Yeah, it is.

With a lot of Asian food, it isn't just about the taste.

It's about the presentation.

-And this is a Chinese candy known as dragon's beard.

I want to get a box of those.

That looks great.

-It's like cotton candy.

They're pulling it by hand.

-That's lovely.

-So, when I talked about diversity here at the Night Market, this is, I think, a prime example.

It's about evolving food.

So, here we have Ohana Pok.

-This is my spin on it, so it's, like, a combination of flavors that I think would work well.

We tried to make it pretty just because people don't know what it is, right?

And you got to make it Instagram-able, right?

It's got to be Instagram-able.

-Oh, believe me.

I know... what it's like to always have to look good on camera.

-[ Speaking native language ] -A lot of people, you know, they're kind of afraid of squid.

-Thank you.

The other side.

Thank you.

-But if you do it right, it's fantastic.

The sign says that "we have no spicy, a little spicy, spicy, and very spicy."

-[ Laughs ] -[ Speaking native language ] Thank you.

-Great.

Thank you.

-This means we've paid.

Now we get in the back of a line, a really long line.

Two things, and that's your receipt that says you've paid.

-Do you want spicy?

-A little spicy, please.

-A little bit spicy.

-Let's see how little spicy this is.

That is wonderful.

So, what is that line there?

That's the biggest line yet.

The Rotato.

-That's for the Rotato.

It's a Korean thing.

-Oh, my gosh, and there's got to be, like, 40 people waiting in line.

It looks like it.

Yeah.

-Is it good?

-Do you like it?

-It's good.

-It's really good?

Nice?

[ Laughs ] I'll give you $14 for it.

-49!

Let's have a 49!

-So, this is Chef James.

He looks like a chef!

-He is a chef.

For his day job, he's actually a chef at a big hotel in Vancouver.

[ Man shouting indistinctly ] -He's got a little microphone!

-He's got the headset on there.

Well, Chef James is a real showman.

-Take notes on whatever you... -Yep.

-So, you've never had lamb kidneys?

-I can't say that I have.

-So, yeah, we can get chicken skewers anywhere.

That is good.

-It's really great.

-Okay.

Let's go get dessert.

Oh, a mango mochi.

Coconut, chunks of mango.

You get the tapioca pearls.

-Yeah.

-Really washes down that lamb kidney.

Trust me.

You will never grow tired of watching planes take off and land on water, and getting in one is even more of a thrill.

And the Vancouver Seaplane Terminal is located right next to downtown.

-Hi, Samantha.

-Hey!

-Welcome to Harbour Air.

-Tim.

Thank you so much.

-My name's Tim.

Yeah.

-Nice to meet you.

-Careful on your way in there.

You'll be the front right seat.

-Nice plane.

-Thank you.

-Whoo!

I must be in the front row.

-All right.

Excited to go?

-Oh, so excited.

While walking is a great way to get the lay of the land in Vancouver, an aerial tour really adds some excitement.

I got a great bird's-eye view of downtown and nearby neighborhoods and then headed out to get a closer look at the beauty that surrounds Vancouver, as well as the natural majesty of British Columbia.

So, you grew up in Vancouver, so you have a total appreciation for this, I would imagine.

-Yeah.

-Or is it just something that you're like, "Eh, it's okay"?

-No, I love it, for sure.

You can't grow up here and not appreciate it.

Most people that live here spend a lot of time outdoors, so... -I've taken a few floatplane rides before, but never to a second location.

-All right.

We're here.

-All right.

That was a very smooth landing.

I was impressed.

-Thank you.

I try.

-[ Laughs ] So, what is this beautiful location?

-Right now we're at Otter Falls, halfway up Pitt Lake on the outskirts of Vancouver.

It's a freshwater tidal lake.

-A freshwater tidal lake.

That's got the best of both worlds, right?

-It does, yeah.

-And it's absolute glass right now.

It's beautiful.

-This is a pretty ideal day.

-In 20 minutes, we went from a huge metropolis... -Yeah.

-...right, to all of my Canadian dreams coming true right now.

I've got, you know, these mountains that are just covered with pine trees.

Some are snow-peaked.

Got the sound of a waterfall providing, you know, sound therapy.

It's just... -Pretty nice.

-Is this something you just get used to when you've been brought up here?

-You never really get used to it, but not that many people in Vancouver get to come experience this every day.

-True, true.

-I feel lucky to come out here.

-There's no angle.

There's nowhere this isn't just absolute paradise.

-Yeah, it definitely is.

-All right.

Time to go.

On to our next adventure.

You ready?

[ Engine starts ] And I have a third stop on my itinerary.

Hello.

How are you?

Great.

Whoo.

Smooth.

Nice to meet you.

Samantha.

-Yeah, you too.

-And that was my first seaplane-to-boat transfer ever.

This is a beautiful spot.

-Isn't it amazing?

-Where am I now?

I just came from Pitt Lake.

Gorgeous.

-Right?

-It's, like, mountain-fed... -Pretty awesome.

-...lake.

-Floatplane ride in.

-I know.

-Unbelievable.

-I know, and it's just about to get better.

-So, we are in Deep Cove.

-Yeah.

-And just up that way, back behind us, is called Indian Arm, so this is just, like, so close to the city and such a magical place.

We could see killer whales here.

We've got seals.

We have all kinds of delicious things right beneath us.

I'm Ned Bell.

I'm a chef.

I'm a father, and I'm a champion for our world's oceans.

-And you talk about delicious things.

That's what we're on our way to right now.

-We are.

So, I set some crab traps earlier.

-Nice.

-So, you never know what you're gonna get in your crab trap.

-Right, of course.

The sea gives us what it wants.

-It sure does.

I mean, they call it fishing, but, really, it's hunting.

-And what type of crab are we gonna be hunting today?

-Yeah, so, where we are is just north of Washington.

In Washington, there's a place called Dungeness.

-Oh, sure.

-And so the crab here... -Yeah.

-...is called Dungeness crab.

We're so lucky here in greater Vancouver... -Oh, my gosh.

-...and in British Columbia to be surrounded by wilderness, surrounded by the ocean, and just surrounded by these extraordinary places that give us so many delicious things, life, and, you know, the ocean is the lungs of our planet.

-I would imagine, with your approach to seafood and sustainability, that the Dungeness crab is something that is sustainable.

-Absolutely.

It's sustainable.

I mean, I often get asked, "What is sustainability?

What does that mean?"

You know?

And so for me, as a chef, it's obviously got to be delicious.

It's coming from a wild, well-managed fishery like Dungeness crab or so many of our fisheries here on the West Coast.

It also includes responsible aquaculture, but us, as guests in restaurants and retail, grocery stores, et cetera, we're asking -- "I just don't know where my seafood is from.

I don't know my fisherman.

I don't know where they caught it, how they caught it, when they caught it."

But it's also about making sure that we're leaving enough for the next generation, right?

We're leaving enough for the next season, the next year.

Oh, my goodness!

-Yeah?

Look.

Really?

-We scored.

-Oh, come on!

-Look at this!

-Oh, my goodness.

-That is a haul.

I have to tell you.

-All right.

-You're good luck, my dear.

-Thank you.

-You are good luck.

This is what Vancouver is all about.

This is the wild West Coast in a crab trap.

And, you know, this guy... -Is he a keeper?

-...is actually a keeper.

But I'm gonna throw him back... -I like it.

-...because we're being generous today.

A traveler to Vancouver will find awesome everywhere, globally inspired, locally created flavors and people that want to share it with you no matter where you're from.

-Our people have a really strong spiritual connection to the land, and we would like to share our knowledge of sustainable practices with community and visitors.

-People in Vancouver are very curious to new things.

People are so open and free in their thoughts, and I decided to come here, and I wanted to join them.

-When we feel the exhilaration lifting off the sea and soaring into the mountains, when we look down at a city and know that the people below are committed to make sure that all the beauty you see is protected, that is when we share a love of travel, and that's why Vancouver in British Columbia is a place to love.

For more information about this and other episodes, extra scenes, or links to follow me on social media, log on to placestolove.com.

Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" was made possible by... -"Away"... ...is the smell of fresh pine.

It's a place where giants still live.

"Away" is where the farther down the road you go, the closer you get to the ones you love.

Find your "away."

GoRVing.com.

-Europe is a treasure trove of fascinating history, rich culture, and renowned cities.

AmaWaterways River Cruises offers a way to see all this wonder in person.

You can discover more at AmaWaterways.com.