Current as of May, 2004. Best to double-check all addresses and phone numbers before use.

• Metals

  Metal Supermarkets (Richmond)
  The Convenience Stores of the Metal Industry
  rod and bar, aluminum, brass, steel, copper
  12060 Vulcan Way, Richmond,
  604 244 7626

• Plastics, Adhesives, Safety Supplies
  
  Industrial Plastics
  http://www.ippnet.com/index_tree.htm
  120-5726 Minouru Blvd
  Richmond bc
  (604)278-4977
  Good For:
  Very Very good supplier of plastic+ acrylic + some foams. They have sheets of different thicknesses + rods of different diameters. They also have a variety of glues and bonding materials. In addition, they have materials to build molds for rubber + silicone + plastics.
  
  Dunbar Lumber
  http://www.dunbarlumber.com/
  (604)224 0434
  3637 West 16th
  Good For:
  Power tools, safety equipment.

  Lee Valley
  http://www.leevalley.com/home/main.asp
  1180 S.E. Marine Drive
  (604)261-2262
  good For:
  Power tools, foredoom accessories (dremel), some prototyping materials, woodworking tools, blades, saws, hardware.

• Foam for Shaping and Machining

  Norseman Allfoam (Richmond, BC)
  http://allfoam.bc.ca/home.htm
  (604) 277-7710
  
  Surrey PlasticWorks Ltd. (Surrey, BC)
  http://www.plasticworks.ca
  (604) 501-9033
  
  Foam for Shaping
  http://www.generalplastics.com/products/product_detail.php?pid=19%00
  Now, the details. The company I acquired the foam from (IDEO) orders a special density (7lb), not listed. This apparently has better properties for machining, hand working and painting than those listed.
  General Plastics knows it as 7107.
  I called them and a sheet of 6 x 48 x 48 inches would cost you $273.28 They have a minimum order of $250. Shipping that would cost approx $65
  IDEO orders it in 48 x 24 inch sheets - easier to handle. As you can see from the webpage you can get it in any thickness up to 12 inches. I suggest 6 inches because you can easily cut it down to thinner from there. Maybe get a 2 inch sheet too, as larger pieces can bow when machined thinner.
  The guy I spoke to was called Larry - very helpful.

• Electronics
  
  eParts Electronics
  http://www.e-parts.ca
  Phone (604) 710-5646
  Stocks locally, and takes a genuine interest in helping students as well as
  Universities
  
  New England Wire Technologies
  130 North Main Street
  Lisbon, New Hampshire
  03585 USA
  p. +1 (603) 838-6625
  f. +1 (603) 838-6160
  http://www.newenglandwire.com
  Wide assortment of specialty cables (e.g., flexible, shielded cables)
  
  RP Electronics
  http://www.rpelectronics.com/
  604-738-6722
  2060 Rosser Ave
  Burnaby, BC, Canada
  V5C 5Y1
  Good for:
  AC/DC adapters, A/V cables & connectors, Cooling fans, EPROM & flash programmers, Experimenter kits & modules, Networking accessories, Test equipment, Tools & Tool kits
  (online downloadable pdf catalog)
  
  DigiKey
  http://www.digikey.com/
  Good for:
  Electronic components, Circuits and building materials and supplies
  
  All Electronics
  http://www.allelectronics.com/
  Good for:
  Buzzers, motors, electronic devices.
  Surplus cheap parts
  
  Measurement Computing
  http://www.measurementcomputing.com/
  Good for:
  Computer I/O boards + accessories
  
  Main Electronics
  http://www.mainelectronics.com/
  4554 Main St.
  Vancouver
  Good for:
  Motors, circuits, KNOBS, circuit elements, fans, building and testing materials.
  
  Active Electronics
  3695 E. 1st Ave
  Vancouver
  (604) 654-1057
  Good for:
  Electronics supplies, circuits, prototype boxes.
  
  CBI Electronic
  982 Granville Vancouver
  (604) 685-1937
  Good for:
  electronics supplies
  
  Lee's Electronic Components Ltd
  4522 Main St.
  Vancouver
  (604) 875-1993
  Good for:
  electronics supplies, buzzers.
  
  Radio Shack
  2865 W Broadway
  (604) 731-8322
  good for:
  Nothing really...but close by.

• Mechatronics + building materials:
  (aka hobby shops)
  Apollo Hobbies
  8441 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby, BC V5A1X3
  (604) 421-4182
  one of the best supplies for both building materials + radio control bits (rc/ servos)
  
  Imperial Hobbies
  5451 No 3 Rd, Richmond, BC V6X2C7
  (604) 273-4427
  (604) 273-8916 (fax)
  (877) 273-4427 (toll-free)
  http://www.imperialhobbies.ca
  orders@imperialhobbies.ca
  
  Central Hobbies
  2845 Grandview Hwy, Vancouver, BC V5M2E1
  (604) 431-0771
  http://www.central-hobbies.com
  
  Team 1 Hobbies
  42 Begbie St, New Westminster, BC V3M3L9
  (604) 518-3039
  http://www.team1hobbies.com
  
  Golden Horizon
  3779 Sexsmith Road 2132, Richmond, BC V6X3Z9
  (604) 207-2108
  Hours: 14:30-18:30 M-Sa
  good supply of linkages, rods, and other mechanical bits + vibration isolation FOAM (as seen on Mario's experiment)
  
  Jet Hobbies Ltd
  1175-8888 Odlin Cres, Richmond, BC V6X3Z8
  (604) 278-3855
  http://www.jet-hobbies.com
  sales-at-jethobbies@telus.net
  
  Magic Box Hobbies
  2105 W 37th, Vancouver, BC V6M3W4
  (604) 264-1746
  Hours: 10:00-18:00 M-R,Sa; 10:00-20:00 F; 11:00-17:00 Su
  http://www.magicboxhobbies.com
  (a lot of train and modelling stuff!)

• Exotic Stuff
  
  Electro-Active Polymers Website
  http://ndeaa.jpl.nasa.gov/nasa-nde/lommas/eap/EAP-material-n-products.htm
  Listing of vendors of artifical muscles. For example, I would think these
  could be used to form fabrics.