Five ways to spend a rainy day

Because two out of three Vancouver days are damp

Noteworthy for: Apart from a dry spell during the summer months from July-August, it's either raining in Vancouver, or just about to. Fortunately, there are loads of indoor activities to keep you busy.
Go Curling: Give this Winter Olympic sport a whirl at the Richmond Curling Club. You'll need at least three people; a curler, two brushers and preferably a fourth to act as caller. Wear sneakers and clothes you can bend in; jeans are too restrictive. Lansdown SkyTrain.

Watch the salmon dance: The free Capilano River Hatchery offers an opportunity to watch various salmon species climb a "ladder" to lay their eggs. Catch bus 246 on West Georgia Street, changing to 236 for hatchery.
Get outdoors: The covered walkways of the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden are rimmed with hand-made drip tiles that make a downpour flow onto the pebbled courtyard like a beaded curtain. And the tree canopy in Stanley Park is so think it'll shield you from a downpour.

Hit the ice: Eight Vancouver community centres have indoor, public ice rinks, all offering skate rental. Try the West End rink, open Oct-Mar.

Gallery hop: Skip Yaletown's Science World in favour of a wander through the Catriona Jeffries Gallery, Vancouver's most important contemporary arts space.