Home - the GAYCANUCK™

The annual GATHERING PLACE STREET PARTY was this weekend and I had to check it out... of course LOL. It takes place right outside my door. They had a cheap bbq [$2 for a burger, chips and a pop ] free popcorn, bands playing and the works. They even had a watermelon eating contest [which a city councilman won lol] and a wheel chair obstical race. There was also an old bus from the 1950's on display... it's the Transit Museum. We took the tour of it, with old ads up showing products that were popular during that era... I bought a cool HARLEY cap from one of the vendors set up there. It was such a beautiful day. I saw a few of my neighbours there, Ben, Keith and a few others. Hugo a Go-Go met me there and we hung out for a while. It was a great time!

Last week whilst sitting at the CAMBIE PUB with my bro HUGO a GO-GO, a homeless guy was walking by showing off his artwork trying to get people to buy it. I couldn't believe how cool some of his work was. When he came up to us I just had to buy one from him. It is by an artist named KEN FOSTER . I was intrigued by his sheer talent and his ability to use found objects as a canvas. Then after we left we went to the OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY for dinner and we were approached by yet another atrist. Hugo remembered him from when he lived in the neighbourhood 3 years ago. The dude quickly sketched a pic of Hugo and me sitting at our table. He got my face down to a T! I was shocked at how dead-on he was with my depiction. I had to buy that one too. LOL It's wild the people who wander around the Gastown area. I am really impressed with some of the "street art" I have seen. I am looking forward to adding to my collection...

Some "Street Art" hanging on an outside wall on CORDOVA and CAMBIE Street they call it the ART ALLEY...

Every time I walk down the SEAWALL at ENGLISH BAY I can't believe how lucky I am to be living here. I know I go on and on about that, but I still get a rush when i go to the ocean. Our beloved SEAWALL is undergoing some re-construction and upgrades. We had to go down and check out what the City of Vancouver was up to. It seems like it isn't really all that major, but the seawall will be closed for a few months. I really enjoyed seeing all the flowers in bloom, and of course the palm trees. We saw a lot people enjoying the dog-days of summer. We walk by a couple who were doing some sort of horizontal-mombo on the grass. I've some PDA'S before but this was over the top... literally LOL Hugo a Go-Go has been feeling better, so we have been getting out more lately. His doctors still are not sure what is exactly wrong with him, but that hasn't dampened his spirits. They said he would be fine to travel next week to Calgary. YEAH! Today Hugo is cleaning up his crib and I am taking a much needed "ME" day. I am sitting here in my PJ'S and have NO INTENTION of changing out of them...LOL I have already organized everything for our trip. I am sure I will have some great blogs for you on our mini-vacation. Calgary Pride should be a hoot.

After 25 years the PNE put on a parade to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the fair. The PACIFIC NATIONAL EXHIBITION is Vancouver's summer celebration complete with a full midway, concerts [featuring Bryan Adams, Michael Buble and other B.C. celebs] To kick off the celebrations they had a parade at ENGLISH BAY. Hugo a Go-Go and I got there just as the parade was starting. There were some really cool "floats"... literally huge balloon characters slowly making there way down Beach Ave. There was a massive crowd. The mayor was there as well as marching bands and groups of theme dancers to entertain the crowd. It was a great parade!

Hugo and Damien goofing around before the parade...

Across from the old ARMORIE on Beatty Street is a new mural being painted. There was an beautiful mural painted there until it was "sanitized" by the city just before the OLYMPICS ruled. The artists are now back, creating something spectacular for the citizens of our great city. I hope the current civic government will leave this one alone. There are so many great murals around town and I have posted many on this blog. I find the whole artform facinating. It's like controlled graffiti. I like that better than gang-tags...

This weekend was the annual CHINATOWN FESTIVAL. It is a day version of the night market with added entertainment and local politicians attending the whole affair. I bought a cute little hanging Chinese chachka and HUGO a Go-Go bought an ORANGE PARISOL. That got peoples attention. Of course people were stopping him to pose for pictures. He loves it! We had our usual NEW TOWN BAKERY lunch. Prawn turnovers and steamed bbq pork buns. YUM!!! It was 31C in the blazing sun....LOL I JUST LOVE IT HERE... After that we went to VICTORY PARK for a free concert. I will post those soon...

My new hobby?

The flags are down, the parade is over and the floats are parked for yet another year. VANCOUVER PRIDE 2010 is officially over. I couldn't be happier quite frankly. Don't get me wrong I really enjoyed all the events I went to but I didn't get to the street party or the parade this year because HUGO was ill. He is feeling better now but was in no mood this week for crowds, noise and drag queens LOL. We took a stroll to see the aftermath of all the partying that was going on all weekend. After that we went home, packed a picnic and went back out to the beach for a nice afternoon of relaxing in the sun. While we were partaking in the lunch a friend of ours named Daryl walked by and decided to join us. He is a really sweet guy, always happy and vibrant. We sat and chatted for a while, talking about what was going on in the village and how the PRIDE events went. It was a great day, Hugo feeling better and the long weekend winding down. I am just exhausted today. It's almost weird to have a day to do nothing!

Today it was almost 30C so I just HAD to take the old BEACH-CRUISER out for a spin around the seawall. Hugo a Go-Go joined me with his radical ORANGECYCLE. I just bought a camera mount for my bike so I can safely ride along AND video at the same time. I have to remember the NEXT time to cover the mic to avoid the wind whistling and rumbling on the vid. We had a great trip around the bike path past ScienceWorld and up to the Olympic Village. We saw these cool metal chaises so we stopped and had some grub and a drink... and enjoy the incredible view. On our way back we stopped for Hugo to put on his helmet, and it was in front of a whole group of young kids. They were oooing and aweing over Hugo's bike and we heard one of them say "That's the coolest bike EVER" That was so SWEET. By the time we got back we were both wiped out...and SOAKED with sweat LOL

Every year, the weekend before PRIDE here in Vancouver there is the annual PICNIC at BROCKTON OVAL. It is located in Stanley Park. Hugo a Go-Go and I went last year and had a great time. This year was even better. With all my distractions now gone, I ws able to really have a fun time. We got there quite early and pitched our beach-tent in a nice shady spot. We decorated it with flags and foam lettering. I had prepared a nice feast of picnic goodies like the usual seafood pasta salad, some smoked turkey wraps and some iced lattes. OOHHH LALA! We were met by some guys we know from the village: ALBERT & GUY, PAT, DON and a few others Hugo knew. The turnout was slow in starting but ended up to be quite a few people later on. There was a beer garden and the usual PRIDE booths set up. It was a hot day in the sun, watching the drag races, tug of war and water balloon tossing. What a fun day we had!

On Sunday was Vancouver's FIRST TRANS PRIDE MARCH. The transgendered community took to the streets to show solidarity for trangendered rights and make their presence known. It was a small but vocal group who gathered with signs and banners to walk down Davie Street. It was a really wild bunch who participated and I was glad to be a part of it. I just HAD to video some of the march as well as the people who took part. Of course Hugo a Go-Go and Johnny were there with me.

What a day!!! Saturday was the annual GAY DAY at PLAYLAND. Hugo a Go-Go and I got dressed in red [the gay colour of the day] and went for a day of crazy rides, hotdogs and general mayhem. There wasn't as many gays there this year, probably because no one has any money anymore! We started off at the old rollercoaster. Hugo got pretty banged up on that one... LOL I just love it... anything that scares the shit outta me on the midway I am totally up for. We went on the Hells Gate, the CRAZY BEACH PARTY [which Hugo got sick after] and the big ferris wheel. I conquered my fear of heights last year and I only had a bit of anxiety before we went on it. While we were waiting in line to board it someone that was on the ride was spitting down at the people standing undernieth. They stopped the ride and tossed them off... JERKS! There was a area specially designated for the GAY party... beer garden and a place to sit and relax. It was casual and fun. We saw our 2 lesbian friends Dillon and Chris, they were already wasted by the time we got to the beer garden. They are really funny girls. Though it was a bit subduded, it was a great day. We also saw DAVID [my buddy in the wheelchair] and his husband Dale. We were waiting in line for a piece of PIZZA and chatted for a bit. I took TONS of videos and pics and I am doing this massive blog. I will post as many vids as I can here, the rest will be on my YOUTUBE CHANNEL. I don't think I have ever taken so many in one day. Hugo and I always have such a great time when we are together. I am glad it is just him and me now. We have gotten so much closer and I don't know what I would do without him. He really is a very special man. It took me a while to see how much he loved and cared for me. I'm happy I didn't blow it. Today I am recovering from all the junk food and the wild amusment park rides we went on, not to mention the miles we walked around the fairgrounds. By the end of the day we were wiped out... You can probably see why!

Every day in Vancouver is a new adventure for me. By bro BRENTAGE, my BFF for over 25 years, and I went for a nice long walk thru STANLEY PARK yesterday. It was a perfct day with a light breeze off the ocean and 23C. While on our way around the seawall we spotted all these rocks beautifully stacked up on top of each other. At first we couldn't figure out how they were staying in place. I first thought some sort of steel rods... or crazy glue... BUT apparently this artist has a knack for figuring out the centre of gravity with these boulders and picks out the ones that will stack perfectly. There was NO GLUE...wires...pegs or rods used. I was totally facinated watching him select the right stone to use. AMAZING!

www.youtube.com/user/thegaycanuck THE GAYCANUCK'S VIDEO HAS GONE VIRAL [almost] My FRINGE Video of the TV show being shot down the street from my house has now gone past 1000+ viewers. My most watched video EVER! I was freaked when 10 people would check out my vids. I am NOW OFFICIALLY PAPARAZZI! Watch out celebs, I'm now stalking you! LOL UDATE ON THE GAY PRIDE PICNIC... I got my dates mixed up... the picnic is on the 24th... tomorrow is GAYDAY @ PLAYLAND AMUSEMENT PARK... it's hard to keep my busy social calendar straight... in fact it's hard for me to do ANYTHING straight!

THE FRINGE television show was filming again in my neighbourhood. It was being shot at Emeery Barns Park just half a block from my place. Even tho the show is set in NEW YORK they are filming it here, using a YELLOW NY TAXI's and a sign that read "Martin Luther King Park" to add to the realism. I just love how many movies and TV shows are filmed in my neck of the woods. Like SMALLVILLE and the new hot show ROOKIE BLUE. I also just watched "CATWOMAN" with Halle Berry and they use Vancouver extensively in it as well. One thing is for sure, this city is never EVER dull!

The poles around my neighbourhood are a great place to see what's up in the community. Every Tuesday they rip them all down, and the dog-eat-dog posterers go at it again. I thought I would show them as they have become a part of my everyday life. I love the art in them as well. There was one about all the gay-bashings that have taken place over the past while and what one can do to protect oneself. ALSO the FRINGE TV SHOW is going to be shooting scenes just down the street from my place at the Emery Barnes Park. I already took some video of the show being filmed a few months back and it is my most watched video. They posted the info on my building. Cool!

WOW!!! WHAT A DAY! I had a great CANADA DAY yesterday. Hugo a Go-Go, Brentage and I went to 3 great events. The Canada Day Party at CANADA PLACE, the Parade [that was kinda boring] and the 420 CANNIBUS DAY SMOKE OUT. Everyone that was there seemed to have a blast. They tossed out free joints and everyone lite up at 420 to show solidarity in the fight to ban prohibition. Mind you the old GAYCANUK doesn't smoke pot anymore, but I do support the use of it as I believe people should have the freedom to do what they want as long as they are not hurting others. There was a blue haze over the entire park as people sparked up their blunts at the same time. Hugo was totally in his element. We did buy a can of BC BUD HEMP ENERGY DRINK which is mad from marijauna. It tasted great. I took a lot of photos and video. I had the best day. Today, my feet are killing me and my brain is fried. It's a down day for me. Just gonna hang out in my apt. and watch Y&R and R&R LOL

A couple NEW photos

I can't help but smile these days...

Well gang, it's official... I have finally achieved "hottie" statice. AMANDAMAGIK left me a great message that I have now made that mark. Holly also sent a great comment encouraging me in my weight loss/muscle building war. And is IS WAR HONEY! I swear, working out is the bain of my existance, and yet it has been my salvation. I "fell off the wagon" 3 times before I finally wrapped my head around a TOTAL lifetyle change. I have been going to full-steam-ahead I hadn't even stepped on a scale or looked in a full length mirror for over 6 weeks. Then the last pictures Hugo took of me I didn't comment on how fat I looked. I could see some change, but it is hard to really know how I look, and percieve myself. When I looked in the mirror I still saw this fat guy staring back. This week was my wake-up-call. Almost everyone I have bumped into on the street has comment on the change in me. I am walking a little taller these days, my confidence has skyrocketed. I know it's vain, but I have had such a bad self-image over the years, I always felt selfconcious. I feel so much better about myself. I want to THANK HOLLY, AMANDA and LWM for keeping my eye on the prize. I have a long way to go, but I feel I have made the fundimental changes needed stay the course. But it ain't easy, I have to psyche myself up every time I go one the BOWFLEX. Anyone who is on the same path, don't be discouraged if you faulter, or backslide into old habits. I did. I kicked myself in the butt for it. Then I just got back at it. I didn't beat myself up because I did succeed the first time... or second time... OR THIRD TIME.... but finally it all came together. Now it's getting easier every day. I hope by the time Vancouver PRIDE comes I will have the guts to take my shirt off in public, on the beach, in front of GOD and EVERYONE. I have NEVER felt comfortable doing that... But I am going to in 44 days...8 hours... 7 minutes... LOL

The diet change... no more chips, burgers and sugary sodas. Instead a smoked turkey wrap, avocado salad, yogurt and club soda. All the more tastier eaten at the beach!

There are literally no words to describe the BUCHART GARDNS. The experience was just overwhelming. I have never seen such outstanding architecture and landscape design. We walked around the grounds for over 3 hours. I was so exhausted after all the sensory overload. I took quite a few photos and videos. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.

I am literally surrounded by TV shows and movies being filmed on my street. They use my building I live in for the TV Show SMALLVILLE, and they just finished filming a movie outside my door last week. I've also seen filming of DaVince's Inquest, COLD Squad and Saving Silvernam which they were outside my door for a freakin' week! TODAY they were filming the TV show THE FRINGE just down the block. They were mocking up the street to look like New York City LOL Fake cop cars, fake news stands with USA TODAY on display. I couldn't resist taking a few pics and vids. I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE UP!

See the video @ www.theinfamous.ca

Pulled my head outta my ass, finally went out today and enjoyed myself, Hugo a Go-Go took this pic at the Olympic Village skytrain station. This is what I call the "money" shot, LOL

THE INFAMOUS BLOG

www.theinfamous.ca

BRING IT ON!

SHAWNO WITH OLYMPIC TORCH BEARER ANGUS PRAUGHT

RICHARD & SHAWNO at the VANCOUVER OLYMPICS 2010

I LOVE it here......

WOW!!! I am in total shock. I JUST WON BLOG OF THE WEEK!!! I almost crapped my drawers. Today I am setting up my new computer and my poor brain is freakin' fried...totally burnt. So winning this award has made my week. YEE-HA!!!

I'm grabbin' life by the balls...

I JUST BOUGHT A MIRRORBALL

WELCOME TO MY PLACE

HI! Thanks for dropping by. I'm Shawno the GAYCANUCK and this is my little home on the web. I have had this website for 7 years and it has gone thru many changes over that time. At one point, when I became ill and all seemed lost, it was the only thing that kept me sane and motivated. I also have a popular blog called www.theINFAMOUS.ca. aptly named for me by a fine young writer from XTRA WEST. This site and my blog are about my life here in VANCOUVER, CANADA. I am always taking pics and videos of my beautiful city and all of my friends. It's never dull here...and it rains a lot too. I also have a page at www.myspace.com/gaycanuck where I post my videos. Tho this site can be racy at times, there is some nudity but nothing pornographic. Check back often for local weather, lottery results, gay news, links, horoscopes + my new pics and blogs. Thanks again for visiting.