The first women-only pharmacy in North America is opening its doors tomorrow in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside at 29 West Hastings Street.

Even though the Downtown Eastside has more pharmacies per capita than any other Vancouver neighbourhood, most of the area's women residents go elsewhere for their prescription needs. The existing pharmacies--designed to be more like methodone dispensers than your friendly Shoppers--apparently turn most women residents off: According to Caryn Duncan, executive director of the Vancouver Women's Health Collective (VWHC), the current pharmacies are "quite hostile places and women don't feel safe."

Duncan came up with the idea of opening a pharmacy for women in 2006. The pharmacy itself was designed by UBC graduate students in architecture, who helped raise money for the project, too.

Called Lu's: A Pharmacy for Women--it was named after Lucette Hansen, a longtime volunteer for the VWHC--the women-only pharmacy plans to serve women and students who live and work in the area and provide a more friendly and confidential atmosphere for patrons to talk with female pharmacists.

Personally, I think this is a fantastic idea, and since you don't have to live in the Downtown Eastside to patronize Lu's, I think all Vancouver women should stop in to have a prescription filled and give them a boost: the pharmacy's profits will be re-invested in the VWHC.

What do you think of the idea of a women-only pharmacy?

While the Vancouver International Jazz Festival is still going on this weekend--it ends July 5--there are also some more, um, unique events to check out, too.

• Canada Cup of Beer 2009
  Vancouver's largest outdoor Beer Festival features a beer tasting of Canadian beers, beer producers, samples and more. Must be 19+. Happens Saturday, July 4 at UBC's Thunderbird Arena.

• Alices, Alices Everywhere - World Record Challenge
  The Alice in Wonderland Festival is trying to beat the world record for people dressed like Alice (from Alice in Wonderland) and needs your help! Wear your Alice costume to the English Bay Bathhouse, Saturday, July 4 at 1:30pm to join the fun.

• 13th Annual 5K Wreck Beach Bare Buns Run
  Run (or walk) you buns off--and bare them, too--in the annual charity event at the clothing-optional Wreck Beach. Proceeds go to Wreck Beach Preservation Society; registration required. Happens Sunday, July 5 at 10:30am.

Vancouver gets to brace itself for another round of Twilight-mania when Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and the entire cast return to Vancouver August 17 to begin shooting the film franchise's third movie, Eclipse.

According to the Vancouver Sun, the Twilight cast will "head to Vancouver Film Studios for the two-month shoot, with Eclipse filming scheduled to wrap up on Oct. 31, and the movie reportedly set for release June 30, 2010."

Which means we can look forward to another round of Twilight celebrity spotting around Yaletown (Twi-hards should make their reservations for Glowbal now).

_{Photo © Jason Merritt / Getty Images}

Canada Day is this Wednesday, July 1, and Vancouver is getting ready to celebrate with even more events than last year.

What's new? This will be the first year for a Canada Day Parade in downtown Vancouver.

Organized by Canada Place--the same people who bring us the Canada Day Burrard Inlet Fireworks--the first annual Parade will start at 7pm on the corner of Georgia Street & Broughton Street. Before that, there will be a street festival in front of Canada Place; that starts at 10am.

Think you'd rather eat Indian and dance to Bhangra than do a downtown street fest? Then head to Granville Island. Or, maybe you want to be part of B.C.'s biggest Canada Day event bar none? Surrey's got that one!

Get all the info you need to make this Canada Day one to remember: Canada Day Top 5.

_{Images Courtesy of Canada Place Corporation}