Where to drink on Remembrance Day in Vancouver

Scratching around for some Remembrance-Day-themed craft beer drinking inspiration, we found a fantastic story from 2010 about the 176 Branch Royal Canadian Legion Hall, also known as the Billy Bishop pub.

On the pub’s website you’ll find this description:

Located just one block from Kitsilano Beach on Laburnum Street north of Cornwall, the Billy Bishop Legion is the only true Neighbourhood Pub in the city.

Of course, anyone familiar with Legion halls will realize that this wouldn’t be strictly a “pub” in the regular neighbourhood sense; it represents an official Legion branch, with all the meaning that accompanies that. However, as noted in the BC Living article, the Bishop is no ordinary Legion hall:

“…before your turn your nose up at the thought of drinking in the stereotypical echo-y legion hall with metal banquet chairs around beat up, stained formica tables and the walls yellowed by 50 years of stale cigarette smoke, remember, they’re not all like that. And one of the best lies in the heart of Kitsilano—Royal Canadian Legion Branch 176—The Billy Bishop.”

So can a craft beer lover actually drink there? A call to the pub today revealed the following beer list featuring offerings from Vancouver Island Brewing:

• Piper’s Pale Ale
• Hermann’s Dark Lager
• VIB High Trail Honey Ale
• Vancouver Island Lager (or it might be their Winter Lager)
• Guinness
• Molson etc

The price might be right, too. The website says “DAILY BEER SPECIAL Local draft beer $5.00 20 oz pint”, which may or may not apply to VIB. Here’s hoping.

As the article says, the Hall will be ‘packed to the rafters’, so head down early. The pub is open until 10 PM on Sundays and stat holidays (ie, today). Head down and support the folks that represent Canadian Forces veterans, on Remembrance Day or any day of the year.

Read the full BC Living article here:
http://www.bcliving.ca/entertainment/the-billy-bishop-legion-in-kits-yes-you-can-drink-there