Cold Monday in Vancity — bundle up and mind the Expo Line

Morning, neighbour. It's a cold one out there today, 4°C and mostly cloudy, so this is a day for the warm layer you've been putting off since the weekend. UV is basically nothing, so the sun won't be doing you any favours, but you won't need sunscreen for the bus stop. Sunset comes at 5:50 PM, which gives you just under ten hours of daylight, so plan anything outdoors for the middle of the day and don't count on the walk home being in the light.

If you take the Expo Line, pay attention this morning. The down escalator from the Howe Street entrance to the Compass vending machine level at Waterfront Station is out of service for now, and the up escalator from the platform to that same Howe Street level is closed until tomorrow at 4 PM for maintenance, so give yourself a few extra minutes if you're carrying a bag or a coffee. Tonight's track work runs from 9:30 PM until the end of service, with trains single-tracking both ways between Royal Oak and Edmonds. Platform 1 is closed at both stations, so board from Platform 2. Tomorrow night brings the same setup starting at 10:30 PM, so if you're heading out late this week, check before you head down.

On the local front, Richmond is moving to expropriate the Watermania aquatic centre before its lease runs out, which is a big deal for anyone who's spent years swimming or splashing there. Up north, a B.C. firm is eyeing a copper and cobalt mine inside the Tatshenshini-Alsek Park World Heritage Site, and that one's getting a lot of talk. City hall, meanwhile, just sold a $175 million bond at a 4.43 per cent all-in borrowing cost, which is the sort of number that matters to the folks who pay the taxes.

If you're hungry after work, there's some news worth noting. Hook Seabar on Denman Street is closing after nine years, so if you've been meaning to make it in for a last plate of oysters, don't wait. Baan Lao's team is opening two concepts on Granville Island this summer, which is worth keeping an eye on. And tonight's Le Tigre and Toki Doki reunion, a one-night Japanese street food pop-up at Torafuku on Main Street, is the kind of thing that sells out, so if you're interested, be quick about it.

For the evening, the marquee is Sunn O))) at The Pearl, with shows listed at 8 PM and 9 PM, depending on which listing you're looking at, so check your tickets. Davide De Pierro is at The Rio Theatre at 4 PM if you want something before the workday ends. Halloween x Unlimited Dance Club kicks off at Fortune Sound Club at 10 PM for anyone who's still in costume and in the mood to dance. The week's mood is simple: catch a show at The Rio before work if you can, then pick your vibe later, whether that's live music or a couch and a good series. It's cold enough that the couch will feel pretty good.

Stay warm, take the escalator with care, and have a good one, Van.