Earlier in the week, on the local news, we caught an interview with a doctor spearheading a campaign for people to have themselves checked for leaky heart valves. We'd been thinking about travelling to the Waterfront so we could turn in our old transit passes. Jay and I both recently got new cards and the old ones can be turned in for a $6 rebate.We combined both activities on one trip from our apartment to downtown Vancouver on the SkyTrain. A one-way trip takes about a half hour.
The free heart check was at the Roundhouse Community Center in Yaletown. We were right there when the line formed at 9:30 but didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes.
The future doctors were training at UBC's Cardiology Department and trying out their people skills as well as their newly learned medical skills.
Neither Jay nor I had any detectable problems, which we assumed as we have regular checkups with our family doctor. However, it was an interesting way to spend some time.
Jay also wanted to walk to see the new buildings of his former employer, Covenant House, Vancouver. We walked up Davie Street and past Seymour. We had not walked down Granville Street for a long time but it surely wasn't better for the wait! We've visited a lot of international cities in 2024 and none looked quite as dirty, falling apart and potentially dangerous as a main area of the largest city of our region. Of course, the morning was gloomy and grey which didn't help.