I am always amazed when I land at YVR, Vancouver International Airport. I worked there during a labour dispute in the 1980's. The changes have been huge and the Airport Authority has done a fabulous job of updates and additions. I particularly love the sculpture by legendary Canadian artist, Bill Reid:
Here are some interesting facts about this famous statue:
1. In 1996, when the International Terminal Building first opened, they had to lift the Canoe with a crane and lower it through the skylights because it didn’t fit through the doors
2. Considered as Bill Reid’s masterpiece, it took the Haida artist 4 years to make. He started in 1990 and completed it in 1994.
3. Before coming to YVR the canoe was at the Canadian Museum of History from 1994 to 1996. Now, a plaster copy of the sculpture at the Canadian Museum of History
4. The Jade canoe appeared on the Canadian $20 bill from 2004 until 2012
5. There are 13 passengers on the Jade Canoe including men and women, young and old, animals, humans, and mythical Haida creatures.
6. Many passengers touch the Canoe for good luck before they travel. It is said that the luckiest part of the Canoe is on the Old Mouse Woman’s nose, which is noticeably worn out.
7. The Canoe was made in Bill Reid’s studio on Granville Island, and then cast in bronze in 1994 at the Talix Foundry in Beacon, New York
8. The Canoe was first made with clay being placed on top of metal rods and mesh. Pieces of the canoe were then removed one by one to be casted into plaster.
9. Although the Canoe is made of bronze, the green patina is meant to represent BC’s official gemstone: Jade.
10. The “Ancient Reluctant Conscript,” the person paddling near the back of the Canoe, is actually a self-portrait of Bill Reid.
11. The Canoe is 6.05m (19.8ft) long, 3.89m (12.8ft) high and 3.48m (11.4ft) wide.
The world’s best ranked airport isn’t resting on its laurels. Named "world's best airport" for seven consecutive years by Skytrax, Airport opened its new hub, “Jewel” to the public on Wednesday in Singapore.
The nearly $1.3 billion dollar project — which connects three of the four terminals at Changi Airport — aims to increase the number of passengers coming to Singapore for visits and stopovers.
Jewel Changi is home to what’s now the world’s tallest indoor waterfall — called the HSBC Rain Vortex, and is surrounded by tens of thousands of trees, plants, and shrubs. It’s being marketed as its own destination for locals as well, with a grocery store and movie theatre inside.
As for passengers planning to visit during a stopover, they will need to plan ahead of time, as the food and shopping hub is only accessible to visitors after passing through immigration and baggage claim. Jewel Changi said passengers with at least five hours or more should consider visiting.
“Overall, we wanted to create a multi-faceted project that would capture tourism mind share and just attract more people,” Jean Hung, CEO of Jewel Changi Airport told CNBC, referring to consumer awareness of the brand.
The list of some the world's worse airports:
9. Gatwick (that's a surprise)
8. Billy Bishop Airport, Toronto
7. Orly, Paris France
6. Manchester
5. Malta
2. Kuwait International Airport
1. Lisbon!
I am not sure who compiled the list, but I thought it was interesting.
