One of the first major excursions I took when I moved to Vancouver was an epic adventure to Metropolis at Metrotown - a gi-hugic shopping centre out in Burnaby. Rose and I had a number of things we needed to pick up and figured it would be easier to do it all at a mall rather than a number of little shops. Plus, we were new to Vancouver and it was one of the first results that came up in Google as we searched for shopping.
Six hours and one Seinfeld-esque drama in the underground parking lot later (warning: Metrotown has a Yellow and a Gold parking section. Seriously, Metrotown, you couldn't have come up with another colour? Aargh!)
Upon returning home, I downed several martinis (for medicinal purposes) and vowed that I would never return to Metrotown nor would its name be spoken in my presence. Metrotown = Verboten
Well, it's two years later and I've decided to soften my position. Carla Shore, founder of C-Shore Communications here in Vancouver, has let me know about a program at Metropolis at Metrotown: charitable donations via the Metropolis Express.
The Metropolis Express is the trackless train that runs on the main floor of the mall. To ride the train, you can make a donation which go into a fund. Local charities can then apply for grants from the Metropolis Express fund. Each year, the fund distributes approximately $1 million to local charities. So, if you are a charity in Burnaby, New Westminster or East Vancouver and "demonstrate a unique contribution to community life", you may be eligible. Check out the details on the Metropolis website or download an application (pdf).