Description:                                

Located in Vanier Park, a hop, skip and a jump from downtown Vancouver, this small but impressive museum has evolved around the St. Roch, an RCMP schooner that explored Canada’s Arctic in the thirties and forties. It was the first ship to transit the treacherous Northwest Passage in both directions and a self-guided tour of the restored vessel leaves you in awe as to how its crew lived in such crammed quarters for almost two years. Dogs slept by their sleds on the outer deck, alongside an Inuit family of seven who lived in a small tent and without whose guidance, the St. Roch might not have transited safely. Details on board include everything from matches circa 1935, magazines, radio broadcasts and canned goods from that same era. Afterwards, head over to the Children’s Maritime Discovery Centre and its world of hands-on activities.