Excerpted with permission from Arsenal Pulp Press
There’s a quote that I like, from William Fiennes, in his book The Snow Geese. A travel
memoir inspired by the lovely and tragic old novel, The Snow Goose. In his book, Fiennes
ventures from England across the Atlantic, then from the U.S. through Canada, all the while
tracking the migration of snow geese, following the birds as they make their way north. En route,
the excursion becomes introspective, the author’s very own migration, as well as a homecoming.
The quote I like captures the gist of his expedition, discovered as geography unfolds. “We
tend towards home.” An idea that could well apply to any and every journey. Perhaps starting
with Homer’s The Odyssey, what may be the first travelogue, albeit fiction and shared as a poem.
I find that circularity of excursions, and exploration, appealing. Steering us back to where we
began, ideally with fresh insight and knowledge. At least that’s the idea, most often. Not
including getaways designed to just get away. Having fun, and not reading Homer.
My own little odyssey, walking throughout Vancouver, also tends toward home. Ranging from
a few city blocks to a couple of half-marathon, twenty kilometre days. These strolls have taken
place over a span of six months. October to March. Setting aside solstices, it’s been autumn and
winter, with a taster of spring. References to weather, streetscapes and clothing reflect this finite
city window. Summers here are lovely as well, with plenty of sun and warm weather. But for this
book, I’ve shared a select calendar swath that I feel works well on several levels.
Geography too, where I walk, has been arbitrary. Radiating out, more or less, from my home,
with dotted-line boundaries I’ve created for my view of Vancouver. In part because it’s
convenient, and for me, walkable. Also because I find the array of artwork and artifacts, history
and stories, particularly rich where I live, here on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh
land. But to give it parameters, I’ve focussed my walks south of Burrard Inlet, west of Main
Street, and for the most part, north of West Sixteenth Avenue. To the west, beaches blend with
UBC and the sea, a scenic ellipsis in blue. I feel West Sixteenth is a tidy yet flexible southern
border as it once served to delineate railway and city township lands. A muddy, forested ditch
which became a tree-lined street where my Nana and Gramps made their home. So a personal
tie-in as well. In its way, a stamp, an imaginary flag planted in dirt.
Not unlike a map of the city I passed along Granville. The layout a bit vague, only useful if
the viewer already knows the lay of the land. On the map there’s no dot and no X, simply words.
You Are Here. Which I like. And think to myself, Of course I am. Where else could I possibly be?
Applicable to anyone, anywhere, anytime, a reassuring statement of the obvious.
Another reason I chose the roughly drawn boundaries that I did is because the area
encapsulates a good cross-section of Vancouver neighbourhoods, museums, galleries, beaches,
greenways and walkways, and incorporates the various “birthplaces” of the city’s iterations, from
Gastown, and Granville, to Vancouver. Acknowledging the fact this is all Indigenous land. And
bringing home the notion that history, artifacts, stories and myth reside collectively in a ragged-
edged quilt on this bustling crescent of forested seaside.
Going home is what I’ve done as part of each walk, peeling back city layers, meeting people,
hearing stories. Even writing a bit of haiku, a tone for each neighbourhood. Maybe a nod to The
Odyssey too. While maintaining the comfortable pace of a stroll. Several in fact. Which I hope
you enjoy. Sharing the area in this manner. Where it’s nearly always A Perfect Day for A Walk.
Bill Arnott is the author of A Season on Vancouver Island and the award-winning Gone Viking books, all published by Rocky Mountain Books. A fellow of London’s Royal Geographical Society, he’s a frequent presenter and guest on podcasts, TV, and radio. When not roaming the globe, Bill can be found on Canada’s west coast.
Publisher: Arsenal Pulp Press (September 10, 2024)
Paperback 6″ x 9″ | 240 pages
ISBN: 9781551529639
Bill Arnott is the bestselling author of A Season on Vancouver Island, theGone Viking travelogues, andA Perfect Day for a Walk: The History, Cultures, and Communities of Vancouver, on Foot(Arsenal Pulp Press, Fall 2024). Recipient of a Fellowship at London’s Royal Geographical Society for his expeditions, Bill’s a frequent presenter and contributor to magazines, universities, podcasts, TV and radio. When not trekking with a small pack and journal, Bill can be found on Canada’s west coast, where he lives near the sea on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh land.
