Reddit mentions of Petrodex Dog Dental Care Kit, Poultry Toothpaste with 2 Toothbrushes

You can definitely have anesthesia-free dental cleaning for dogs, the vet I take my dog to does them although it's not in Vancouver.

You should probably call some vets and ask them if they offer that - it might not be year-round because sometimes it's a specialist that travels between cities every few months that does it. Googling "Vancouver vet anesthesia free dental" led me to http://animalcareclinicvancouver.com/index.php , although I can't find the page on it. At worst, you should call them and see if/when they offer it, and if they don't then you can ask them if they know any other vet clinics that do, and if not keep calling other vets. Vancouver is about as large as the city I live in, so I would be very surprised if no options are available.

In the longer term, you can also brush his teeth yourself, although most dogs won't like it you might have to get him used to it for his own health. Link to dog toothbrush and toothpaste.

Also, why does he have a tendency to build up tartar? Is it because of his food or some other condition? Does he have enough chew toys? Chew toys are supposed to help keep a dog's teeth clean.

Best wishes for you and your dog.

Edit:
Adding this link I found after a bit more googling
Anesthesia Free Cleaning in Victoria
It's not Vancouver, but it's pretty close

In my experience the dental chews function more are breath mints rather than cleaning the teeth. Their is special toothpaste for dogs because they don't know to spit out the toothpaste so it is important you don't use human toothpaste because the fluoride will upset their stomach. This is what I use http://www.amazon.com/Petrodex-Dental-Poultry-Toothpaste-Toothbrushes/dp/B0002AQASO/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_22 and I also bought an additive for his water which did improve the smell. I usually brush my dogs teeth right before we go to bed because they say they shouldN'T drink or eat for 30 minutes before or after the brushing although I don't know why that is.

edit: also you only need to brush the outside of the teeth not the inside.