January 20, 2026: Sweet as John Candy

Hey there. The city might have spent the last few days wrapped in a blanket of fog, but the arts scene is really starting to wake up. 

This week feels like it marks the beginning of what 2026 culture has to offer: from the opening of Adrian Glynn McMorran’s You’re Just A Place That I Know, the North American premiere of Paradisum, and the creative whirlwind that is PuSh, things are once again happening in Vancouver. What treats lie in store for us!

— V.
Senior editor

— FEATURE — 

Q&A: Author Paul Myers talks John Candy, Vancouver media, and Canadia-fornians

Paul Myers is in town tomorrow talking about his new biography of John Candy. We caught up with the writer (and former Straight columnist) to chat about the legendary Canadian comedy icon, who’d had a rather different start to his career. “[Candy] had started out with every intention of being a dramatic actor, a serious dramatic actor,” Myers tells us. “He could well have gone that way; he could have won an Academy Award.”

— PERKS OF THE WEEK —

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— LIVING —

What does it take to make a new boutique thrive?

Rosemere on Renfrew Street might have begun life as East Van’s newest consignment store, but it’s quickly evolved into something new. “If a store is all over the place, people get confused and leave," says owner Nikki Shaughnessy of the decision to start carrying curated international inventory. “I like walking into a store and knowing what I’m going to find.”

• The Straight’s January 2026 crossword

• What would you pack if you were forcibly removed from your home today? Learn about Japanese Canadian internment in The Suitcase Project at the MOV.*

• Experience winter wellness at Lights at Lafarge! Enjoy sparkling displays, fresh-air strolls, and festive moments that bring joy, connection, and winter wellness to every visitor.*

*sponsored listing

— ARTS —

David Letterman and Zach Galifianakis join Just For Laughs Vancouver lineup

The 10th anniversary edition of Just For Laughs Vancouver just got even bigger, as two comedy heavyweights are joining forces for a show on February 18.

• What’s In Your Fridge: Jonny Paul of improv troupe Second Breakfast

• French Lessons opens at the tiny East Van Vodville Cinema

• Celebrating some of Canada’s iconic folk artists, House of Folk opens the doors to the ’60s-’70s when revolution was in the air, musically and politically.*

*sponsored listing

— MUSIC —

Festival du Bois goes all-in on fiddles

Maillardville’s historic Francophone festival has a new artistic director, Gabriel Dubreuil. And given his own background in violin, perhaps it’s no surprise that he’s really embraced the role of fiddles in French-language music.

• On Our Radar: Bif Naked’s “Snowblinded” is a rockin’ return

— ICYMI —

• Here are all the restaurants participating in Dine Out Vancouver 

• How Heated Rivalry revitalized Spencer Krug

• Published on Main puts its pantry to work over winter

• Vancouver International Wine Festival focuses on France

— THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK —

FOOD & DRINK: Chef Harry Rosen hosts The Après, a snow-season pop-up. (To January 24 @ Four Seasons Resort, Whistler)

TALKS: Abstract artist Sharon Habib and curator Leigh-Anne Niehaus demystify conceptual forms. (January 20 @ Ferry Building Gallery, West Vancouver)

BOOKS: Author Madeleine Thien and Green College writer-in-residence Theresa Muñoz discuss imagined histories. (January 21 @ UBC Coach House)

DANCE: Circus-cum-dance show Paradisum has its North American premiere. (January 21-24 @ Vancouver Playhouse)

THEATRE: You’re Just A Place That I Know traces Adrian Glynn McMorran’s family history, from Ukraine to Canada. (January 21 to February 1 @ BMO Theatre Centre)

PERFORMING ARTS: PuSh International Performing Arts Festival returns for two weeks of boundary-pushing works. (January 22 to February 8 @ various venues)

VISUAL ARTS: Annual group exhibition TILT/ emphasizes the power of art. (January 22 to March 8 @ PoMoArts, Port Moody)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

That’s it!

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