Vancouver International Airport

Miniature horses at Vancouver Int’l Airport

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A real dog and pony show at YVR Airport

The folks at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) know travel can be stressful.

That’s why this award-winning airport has great art, a public observation area, a giant aquarium and lots of other great amenities.

Since 2017, the airport has also had a pet therapy program called the Less Airport Stress Initiative or LASI (get it?).

Until now, the LASI program was staffed with dogs.

But this summer, the airport is adding miniature therapy ponies to the team.

Throughout the summer, Miniature horses, Magic and Tinkerbell (3 and 17 years old respectively), and their handlers will be visiting from Green Acres, a local organization dedicated to equine-assisted activities (EAA) to improve well-being.

So pack some carrots in your carry-on.

While YVR may be the first airport in Canada to welcome miniature horses to the airport, they are not the first airport in North America to do so.

For several years, starting in 2016, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) welcomed miniature therapy horses from a local farm to mingle with travelers.

Travel Tidbits from Airports Near You

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Here’s a quick roundup of fun posts and new amenities recently spotted at airports.

New York’s Albany International Airport (ALB) is getting ready for all the travelers who will be arriving for the Belmont Stakes horse race in Saratoga on June 8.

They’ve set up a selfie station with a horse statue just past the security checkpoint.

Party on!

Airports often put together a gate-side celebration when an airline kicks off a new route. But Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) does it especially well.

We’ve been watching these Jabbrrbox workspace pods sprout at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) over the past few months and have yet to try them out. Given how busy the airport is this season, though, we’re sure travelers with work to do or important calls to take will find them useful.

We’re keeping an eye out for the colorful posts from airports in support of Pride Month.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is lighting up its tower with a two-fer in support of Indigenous History Month AND Pride Month.

And we got a kick out of this TSA post recognizing National Hug Your Cat Day. Is that even a real thing?

Travel Tidbits from airports here and there

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Flight attendant unions mark an anniversary

Shuffleboard (!) at United Airlines’ new DEN lounge

Sheep at London’s Gatwick Airport

Formula 1 car at Schiphol Airport

Pancakes for a cause at Vancouver Int’l Airport

Cool Airport Amenity: Smoothie Vending Machines at YVR Airport

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Here’s a great, new airport amenity we hope to see at other airports very soon.

In what may be a first for North American airports, Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has partnered with the Trendi Smoothies company to host smoothie vending machines at the airport.

The 24-hour vending machines offer sippable snacks that are nutritious and eco-smart because the smoothies are made from rescued fruit and vegetables.

Each machine can blend up a smoothie in about a minute. Flavor options include Groovy Guava, Mango Tango, and Strawburst; each with no added sugars or preservatives.

But what are ‘rescued’ fruit and vegetables?

They’re imperfect foods that aren’t quite pretty enough to send to retail stores but are otherwise just fine to eat.

Traveling to or through YVR soon? Look for the smoothie vending machines at Gates B13, B27, and B28 in domestic departures and D62 and E74 in US and international departures.

First Nations Welcome Figure lands at Vancouver Int’l Airport

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‘The Story of Frog Woman and Raven,” by Dempsey Bob, courtesy Vancouver Airport Authority

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is well-known for its impressive art program featuring the work of many First Nations people.

Throughout and around the airport, passengers see art that draws on and invokes the themes of land, sea and sky. 

This week, the Vancouver Airport Authority righted a past cultural wrong in the airport art program by installing a new Musquem Indian Band welcome figure near the International Arrivals Area, in Chester Johnson Park.

The newly raised welcome figure, carved by ʔəy̓xʷatələq (Musqueam artist Brent Sparrow), is visible when you exit YVR’s International Terminal and is in a spot significant to Musqueam culture.

Courtesy Vancouver Airport Authority

Musqueam are the original stewards of Sea Island, which is the land where the airport is now located. And, per an agreement made between the airport and the Musqueam in 2017, the Indigenous artworks at the airport and on Sea Island are to be created by Musqueam, reflect their culture and tradition, or be approved by the Musqueam.

That’s why the airport also moved three traditional Gitxsan poles from the airport to a nearby park.

The poles were created in 1970 by Gitxsan hereditary chiefs and students, and have been on loan to YVR from the Museum of Vancouver since 1995. The poles at YVR predate the airport’s agreement with Musqueam and were moved because, while Indigenous artwork, they do not represent the Musqueam, whose land they were on.

Celebrating the history of airports

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The history department here at StuckatTheAirport.com is a big fan of anything having to do with the history of airports.

Airport libraries? We’ve read up that.

Moving walkways at airports? We’ve researched that too.

And we’re always glad to learn more about airport history over on the AirportHistory.org site.

The team there recently posted their top five illustrated airport history stories from 2021, starting with #5: a photo feature celebrating Vancouver International Airport on its 90th anniversary. You can see that feature here.

#4 on their list is a great story about the history of Montréal–Mirabel Airport. #3 is a story about Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in the 1960s (see that story here).

And #2 on their list is a roundup of the world’s 10 busiest airports at the dawn of the Jet Age in 1961. See that story here.

And we are not surprised to see that their #1 story for 2021 is a piece featuring some great photos celebrating the 40th anniversary of Singapore’s Changi Airport, one of our favorites. See that story here.

“Smell Your Journey” with YVR’s Eau de Baggage.

Fun Stuff,

We’re not sure how we missed this one, It’s not like we’ve been too busy traveling.

But we just love this Eau de Baggage video put out by Vancouver International Airport (YVR) back in February that parodies a perfume commercial and urges travelers to ‘smell your journey.’

Evidently, others loved this too, because it just won an award.

Face masks required at more airports in the US & Canada

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In trying to keep people safe during the current COVID-19 pandemic, an increasing number of government entities around the country now require people to wear non-medical masks or face coverings when out in public.

In many cities, those rules now apply to airports.

Two examples: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

Starting this week, Canada’s Minister of Transport is requiring all air passengers traveling to, through or from Canada to have a non-medical mask or face covering to cover their mouth and nose.

“Aviation passengers on all flights departing or arriving at Canadian airports will also be required to demonstrate they have the necessary non-medical mask or face covering during the boarding process otherwise they will not be allowed to continue on their journey,” Transport Canada said in a statement.

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) jumped right on this rule – and had some fun with it (maybe too much fun?) in a Twitter thread.

Holiday tips from Vancouver Int’l Airport

Holidays,

Vancouver International Airport is having fun with travel tips this holiday season.

First, Scuba Claus stopped by to visit the fish in the airport’s aquarium.

Then Vancouver International Airport (YVR) shared travel tips inspired by the classic holiday movie “Home Alone.”

Here’s part of the thread.

Stress-busting pups at Vancouver Int’l Airport

Animals, ,

There’s been a blossoming of programs that bring dogs (and, in some cases pigs and miniature horses) into airport terminals to interact with passengers as an antidote to the the stress of travel.

The animals are cute, passengers’ reactions are heartwarming and even some of the program names – such as Denver International Airports’ CATS program (Canine Airport Therapy Program) are adorable.

Now comes LASI (an homage to the TV dog Lassie) – which in this case stand stands for Less Airport Stress Initiative – at Vancouver International Airport.

The program will brings Ambassador Dogs from the city’s St. John Ambulance’s Therapy Dog Program into the terminal to help passengers manage the anxiety associated with traveling, work and general stress.

Seven dogs are part of the LASI team (Molly, Bailey, Mira, Norman, Grover, Kermode and Soda) and they will be onsite Mondays through Fridays, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m, wearing branded bandanas and accompanied by a dog handler and a YVR Green Coat Volunteer.