There are so many wonderful clubs in Metro Vancouver including service organizations, charitable groups and clubs for people with common interests.

There are outdoor clubs, fitness circles, religious organizations, educational and self-improvement groups, and pretty much something for everyone! See below for a list of examples of the kinds of clubs you can find in the Lower Mainland.

Metro Vancouver Clubs

There are so many “best places” to visit in the greater Vancouver region, and some of those “best places” are in clubs where people with common interests get together and have fun, meet other folks, learn, share, build friendships and make a difference in their own lives and of the people around them.

There are far too many clubs and organizations for us to even think about listing them all. Below we list a number of our favourites and others that might be of interest. For other ideas, check your local newspaper, recreation centre or local community noticeboard, plus ask your friends for advice. Again, there is something wonderful out there for everyone.

Note: We are personally familiar with many of these clubs, but not all. As a result, we don’t endorse every one of them. We do, however, highly recommend most of them (all depending on where you live and what your personal interests are).

Service and Volunteer Organizations

Looking for volunteer opportunities and ways to make a difference in your community? Here are some great service organizations:

• Rotary Clubs – a network of exceptional service clubs for business people, professionals and anyone who wants to make a difference. (We’re part of the Lions Gate Rotary Club ourselves and love it!)
• Lions Clubs – the world’s largest service organization that also does great things in the community.
• Kiwanis Clubs – a global organization of members dedicated to serving the children of the world.
• Royal Canadian Legion – Canada’s largest veteran support and community service organization (although no longer an organization open just to veterans).

If you’re looking for other service organizations and volunteer opportunities in your community, check out govolunteer.ca.

Clubs for Children

There are so many club opportunities for children these days, including sporting activities, educational and social clubs, and everything in between. Here are some examples:

• Boys & Girls Club – an organization that “gives kids a place to be amazing, safe, and have fun!”
• Scouts Canada – an organization for both boys and girls with over 100,000 members and over 100 years of history in Canada. Age specific co-ed groups include Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts and Venture Scouts.
• Girl Guides – a youth organization for girls ages 5 to 17 in their various Sparks, Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders and Rangers program categories.
• Interact – the youth wing of the Rotary International service club for high school students.

Youth Sports Clubs

There are far too many youth sports organizations to list. Below are just a few examples. Check with your local school or community recreation centre for more.

• Youth Volleyball Clubs
  • Apex Volleyball – based in Vancouver.
  • BCO Volleyball – based in North Vancouver.
  • Vancouver Youth Soccer Association
• Vancouver Free Style Ski Club – a club for children and youth ages 6-18 that offers coaching programs for both recreational and competitive skiers.
• Ice Hockey Teams and Clubs – for information on youth hockey opportunities see the Vancouver Minor Hockey Association website.

In addition to the above there are youth sports associations for just about every sport imaginable, from ping pong to field hockey to gymnastics. Check your local community centre noticeboard or search the Internet for opportunities in your neighbourhood.

Sports and Outdoor Recreation

There are hundreds if not thousands of sports-related clubs, circles and organizations for both adults and children in the Lower Mainland. Here is a list of just some of the options:

Boating Organizations

There are numerous boating organizations in the Lower Mainland including the following:

• Vancouver Rowing Club – based in the beautiful landmark building at Stanley Park in Coal Harbour.
• Deep Cove Yacht Club – a boating organization located in North Vancouver.
• Royal Vancouver Yacht Club – a fancy yacht club based at 3811 Point Grey Road near Jericho Beach.
• Hollyburn Sailing Club – located at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver.
• Sea Kayak Association of BC – a group of kayakers that meets on the first Monday of the month at the Sunrise Community Centre (at 1950 Windermere Street) and enjoys kayaking around the Lower Mainland.
• Fort Langley Youth Rowing Association – a rowing organization on the Fraser River.

Running Clubs

Vancouver is home to numerous different running groups. Rain or shine, in the Lower Mainland you can count on seeing herds of runners jogging along all over the place.

For a list of running clubs check out runguides.com.

There are also running clubs based out of the Lower Mainland’s various running gear stores including the Running Room, Kintec and Forerunners. Some running groups affiliated with athletic stores are free, while for most formal clinics there is usually a charge.

For a list of both fun and competitive running events, click Vancouver Running Races.

Nature & Outdoor Recreation

The Lower Mainland is a mecca for outdoor recreational activities. As a result, it’s no surprise that the region is home to hundreds of outdoor clubs and opportunities. Here are just a few of them:

• Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club – an orienteering group that offers events throughout Metro Vancouver.
• Alpine Club of Canada – the Vancouver chapter of an outdoor organization with over 100 years of history in Canada.
• North Shore Hikers – a group of hikers who enjoy exploring Vancouver’s North Shore parks and mountains.
• BC Mountaineering Club – a club with hundreds of members who enjoy rock climbing and back country exploration.
• North Shore Rescue – the non-profit organization made up of courageous volunteers who rescue hikers who’ve gotten lost in the North Shore Mountains.

Miscellaneous Sports

Other miscellaneous sporting clubs include the following:

• Bowling
  • Bowling leagues exist all over the Lower Mainland. See your local bowling alley for details.
• Cycling Clubs
  • Vancouver Bicycle Club – a non-competitive recreational cycling club for all levels of cyclists
  • North Shore Mountain Bike Club – a mountain biking group based on Vancouver’s North Shore.
• Curling Clubs – curling is so typically Canadian and there are clubs in virtually every community, including the following:
  • Vancouver Curling Club – located at 4575 Clancy Loranger Way in Vancouver.
  • Marpole Curling Club – located at 8730 Heather Street in Vancouver.
  • Richmond Curling Club – located at 5540 Hollybridge Way in Richmond.
  • Royal City Curling Club – located at 75 East 6th Avenue in New Westminster.
  • Coquitlam Curling Club – located at 633 Poirier Street in Coquitlam.
  • Cloverdale Curling Club – located at 6150 176th Street in Surrey.
• Golf Clubs – dozens of fantastic golf clubs exist, including some that are private and many that are open to the public. For a list of some of the region’s best click Top Vancouver Golf Courses.
• Ice Hockey Teams and Clubs – for information on youth hockey opportunities see the Vancouver Minor Hockey Association website or for amateur players of all ages visit your local public recreation centre or ice rink for information.
• Lawn Bowling – numerous Lower Mainland communities have lawn bowling clubs of which some are private while others are open to the public. Examples of community clubs include the following:
  • West Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club
  • Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club – located at Queen Elizabeth Park.
  • Stanley Park Lawn Bowling Club
  • North Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club
  • West Point Grey Lawn Bowling Club
  • Dunbar Lawn Bowling Club
• Martial Arts Clubs
  • Numerous clubs exist in pretty much every community. See your local dojo or martial arts studio for information.
  • Swim Clubs
  • Swim clubs are also everywhere in the Lower Mainland. See your local recreation centre or municipal swimming pool for details.
• Scuba Diving Clubs – a number of dive clubs exist including the following:
  • Vancouver Pescaderos – an independent club not affiliated with any dive shops.
  • For a list of other dive clubs see the BC Diving website.
• Tennis & Racquet Clubs – there are lots of free tennis courts around the Lower Mainland, but also private clubs and groups for both tennis and other racquet sports. See your local rec centre, park or sports facility for details.
• Ultimate Frisbee – see the Vancouver Ultimate League website for information.
• Wrestling – see the BC Wrestling website for a list of clubs and locations.
• Yoga
  • The Lower Mainland probably has more yoga studios per capital than anywhere else in Canada, and possibly the world (outside India perhaps). Odds are pretty good you’ll find a good one close to your neighbourhood.

Clubs for Seniors

• Probus Clubs – a social club for retired and semi-retired professionals, business people and other seniors that features meetings with public speakers. Examples of clubs around the Lower Mainland include the following:
  • Probus Club of Vancouver
  • The Probus Club of North Shore Vancouver
  • Probus Club of White Rock and Surrey
• Seniors’ Centres – most Lower Mainland communities have seniors’ centres that offer a wide range of social activities and events. See your local community centre or seniors centre for details.

Hobby Clubs

Hobby clubs exist for virtually every interest including gardening, model airplanes, model trains, model boats, photography, storytelling and more. Here are just a few examples.

• • West Vancouver Garden Club
  • Vancouver Society of Storytelling
  • Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club – a social club for people who love model trails. It has over 200 members from across the Lower Mainland.

Musical Groups

• Vancouver Ukulele Circle
• Singing Groups – a gazillion singing and other musical groups exist in the Lower Mainland. See your local church, community centre or community notice board for information.

Networking Organizations & Private Clubs

The Lower Mainland also has numerous business networking and private member clubs including the following:

• Chambers of Commerce – most communities have one for local businesses. Examples of some of the largest are listed below:
  • Vancouver Board of Trade
  • Surrey Board of Trade
  • Burnaby Board of Trade
  • North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce
  • West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce
  • Richmond Chamber of Commerce
• Board of Change – a network of socially progressive businesses.
• Latincouver – a network of local Latin American and Canadian business people and professionals.
• LocoBC – a network of local and socially responsible Lower Mainland businesses.
• BNI – a network of local business network chapters.
• Women in Biz Network – a network of local business women and professionals.
• Vancouver Business Network – a business network founded by the producer of TEDxStanleyPark that meets in Kitsilano.

Private Clubs

Some of Vancouver’s most exclusive private clubs include the following:

• Terminal City Club – located at 837 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver.
• Vancouver Club – located at 915 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver.
• Hollyburn Country Club – located at 950 Cross Creek Road in West Vancouver.
• Arbutus Country Club – located at 2001 Nanton Avenue in Vancouver.

Other Miscellaneous Types of Clubs

There is a club for everything imaginable in the Lower Mainland including the following:

• Book Clubs
• Bridge Clubs
• Car Clubs
  • One example is the Vintage Car Club of Canada which holds the annual Easter Vintage Car Rally at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre each year.
• Dance Clubs
• Game and Gaming Clubs
• St. John Ambulance – an organization that provides first aid training and whose volunteers offer first aid services at public events.
• Debating Clubs
• Public Speaking
  • Toastmasters – a collection of public speaking clubs that help people overcome their fears of speaking in public and become great communicators.

• Religious Clubs – including youth groups, bible studies and other church and faith-based activities.
• Gun Clubs – yes, actually, the Lower Mainland does have a few gun clubs.
• Ethnic and Multicultural Clubs & Organizations – there are numerous different ethnic associations including the following who put on major events in the Lower Mainland.
  • The Hellenic Canadian Congress of BC – it puts on the annual Greek Day on Broadway event in June.
  • Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver – it hosts the Chutzpah Festival each year.
  • Latincouver – it hosts the annual Carnaval del Sol event in the summer.
  • Scandinavian Community Centre – it hosts the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Burnaby in June.
• Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society – an organization that provides health, welfare, social services, human rights, culture, education and recreational programs for people of aboriginal descent.
• Vancouver LEGO Club – “Vancouver’s community of adults fans of LEGO.”

Other Information

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

• Vancouver Calendar of Events
• Vancouver on a Budget
• Lower Mainland Festivals & Events
• What’s Happening This Weekend