September 23 2025: The movie star, the mayor, and the medal

Hey there. Let me put on my Seinfeld voice for a minute: what’s with all the mayoral announcements? 

No, seriously: why, when the Vancouver municipal election is over a year away, do we already have two candidates proudly announcing their intentions to run for top dog? Why is OneCity sending pressers promising a mayoral candidate update in the next few weeks? Why is the Vancouver city council election comparing press cycle lengths with the U.S. midterms?

And why is any of this happening for an election that only around a third of voters even bother to show up for? Yes, obviously, the answer is that it takes a lot of time to sort this out… but can’t we have a couple more months before we have to start worrying about it?

— V.
Senior editor

— FEATURE — 

The Collectors puts private collections centre stage

Art collectors are vital to the visual art ecosystem. And yet, they are normally out of sight: mysterious figures who buy works at auction, commission new works, or occasionally make museums or donate things to galleries. In Griffin Art Projects’ new exhibition, The Collectors, lens-based artist Christos Dikeakos turns his camera on the people who are holding onto all this art—from philanthropists to museum curators to antique dealers. “I loved exploring and how collections look back at me,” he explains.

SPONSORED BY DAVID A. HAUGHTON - ARTIST

Two Havens - Paintings of Refuge - September 25 to October 8, 2025

David Haughton

Two Havens - Paintings of Refuge and Peace

Visual Space Gallery, 3352 Dunbar Street, Vancouver

September 25 - October 8, 2025; Noon – 5PM daily

Forty-two exuberant, colorful new paintings of MacKenzie Beach near Tofino and Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island. Haughton’s twenty-fourth Vancouver solo exhibition.

— CITY & CULTURE —

Ryan Reynolds awarded Vancouver City Council’s highest honour

In a move that is surprising only for the amount of time it has taken to happen, all-round famous guy Ryan Reynolds has been awarded the Freedom of the City. Seth Rogen is, presumably, fuming.

• City councillor Rebecca Bligh is running for mayor

• Have you tried our new crossword puzzle?

• The Improv Centre's hilarious slasher movie spoof I Know What You Did Last Weekend is slaying audiences with laughs - you don't want to miss it.*

• iSAFF 2025 marks 15 years of celebrating South Asian cinema with an exciting lineup. Join us from September 24-28, including the Red Carpet Gala on the 26th!*

*sponsored listing

SPONSORED BY TOUCHSTONE THEATRE

Women Of The Fur Trade | September 24 to October 4

Fresh from acclaimed runs at NAC Indigenous Theatre (Ottawa) and Native Earth (Toronto), Women of the Fur Trade by Frances Končan lands in Vancouver September 24.

Presented by Touchstone Theatre, in association with Western Canada Theatre and UBC Theatre & Film, this ferociously funny comedy is set in a Red River fort “in eighteen hundred and something something,” as three women sip tea and debate revolution, colonization—and yes, the sex appeal of Louis Riel.

A razor-sharp look at survival, power, and cultural inheritance that flips fur trade history on its head. Don't miss this celebrated hit! 

Directed by Renae Morriseau and featuring Kelsey Kanatan Wavey, Cheri Maracle, Columpa Bobb, Victor Hunter, and Jonathan Fisher.

— MUSIC —

Review: Ice Cube proves he can still melt the Pacific Coliseum stage

Ice Cube has spent 40 years speaking Truth to Power, but does he still have the fire? In short, yes, as Nathan Caddell reports from amid a crowd of black jersey-clad fans.

• Review: Billie Marten is even better than we want her to be

• What’s In Your Fridge: The Improv Centre’s Jalen Saip

• Keep your licence. The experienced lawyers at Acumen Law Corporation will give you the strongest legal defence to keep you in the driver’s seat.*

*sponsored listing

— FOOD & DRINK —

Burdock and Co.'s Andrea Carlson can't stop innovating

In 2022, Burdock & Co. became the first Canadian restaurant owned and operated by a woman chef to receive a Michelin star. Since then, chef Andrea Carlson has been busier than ever—but she wouldn’t have it any other way, even if she can’t say what the secret sauce is. “I still don’t really understand how any of it works,” she admits. “Good luck—that’s kind of the long and short of it.”

• Oceanic Bow & Stern charts new waters in Brentwood

• Craving dinner with waterfront views? Savour the flavours of the season at Dockside Restaurant. Book your table today for a memorable evening on Granville Island.*

*sponsored listing

— ICYMI —

• Photos: Inside a North Van modern mansion

• Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair gets its due in new doc

• Rise FC is the most exciting thing in Vancouver soccer

• Moulin Rouge! The Musical kicks off its first NA tour in Vancouver

— THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK —

MUSIC: Pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa and visual artist SD Holman collaborate on Music for Turtles. (September 23-4 @ Historic Theatre)

THEATRE: Get a dose of Americana with musical Pump Boys & Dinettes. (September 23-37 @ Evergreen Cultural Centre, Coquitlam) 

COMEDY: Sasha Mark and Savannah Erasmus host camp! comedy! (September 24 @ Fox Cabaret Projection Room)

LIVING: The Interior Design Show returns with more ways to beautify your home. (September 25-28 @ Vancouver Convention Centre)

FOOD & DRINK: The 2018 Best Bartender in the World Orlando Marzo works a guest shift. (September 25 @ Prophecy)

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

That’s it!

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