A319 FLT CREW REPORTS TCAS RA; WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR 8L AT CYVR; WITH ACFT BEING VECTORED FOR 8R. A319 FLT CREW COMPLIES WITH RA AND IS THEN VECTORED AROUND FOR ANOTHER APPROACH.

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CYVR APCH VECTORED US ONTO A L DOWNWIND FOR ILS RWY 8L APCH AT CYVR. FROM THE BASE LEG; WE WERE CLRED TO DSND FROM 5000 FT TO 3000 FT; AND A L TURN TO 110 DEGS TO INTERCEPT FINAL. AS WE BEGAN THE TURN AND IN THE DSCNT; A TA INDICATION APPEARED ON THE NAV DISPLAY; AND I LOOKED IN THE DIRECTION TO LOOK FOR THE TFC. SUDDENLY; CYVR APCH INSTRUCTED US TO TURN R TO 230 DEGS AND CLB TO 3500 FT -- OBVIOUSLY FOR THE TFC. I WAS SURPRISED AS TO THE 'R' TURN; SO I ASKED AGAIN TO CONFIRM THE R TURN SINCE WE WERE ALREADY IN A L TURN TO 110 DEGS; AND A R TURN WOULD TURN US INTO THE TFC. THEN AN RA SOUNDED; 'MONITOR VERT SPD;' AND PASSING THROUGH 3200 FT; THE FO LEVELED OFF AND COMPLIED WITH THE RA WITHIN PARAMETERS ON THE GUIDANCE. THEN APCH INSTRUCTED US TO TURN L NOW; TO A 050 DEG HDG; AND 3500 FT. AS WE CONTINUED OUR TURN TO THE L; WE RECEIVED A 'CLR OF CONFLICT' FROM TCAS AS OUR TFC WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 8R. WE GOT VECTORED BACK AROUND FOR ANOTHER UNEVENTFUL APCH TO A FULL STOP. I BELIEVE THE CTLR LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHILE VECTORING US AROUND THE PATTERN. I DO NOT THINK HE REALIZED THAT HE HAD TURNED US NOSE TO NOSE WITH THE RWY 8R TFC ALSO ON HIS BASE LEG. WHEN HE FIGURED IT OUT; HE BLURTED OUT INSTRUCTIONS THAT WERE CONFUSING TO THE PLTS; AND UNCLR AS TO THE INTENTIONS. CRM WORKED WELL WITHIN THE COCKPIT; IN THAT THE FO KEPT FULLY SITUATIONALLY ORIENTED; AND COMPLIED WITH THE RA THAT I AS A PNF HEARD; BUT DID NOT SEE; WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLARIFY AND COMPLY WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS. ALTHOUGH WE WERE DOING SEPARATE TASKS FOR THE MOMENT; WE NEVER LEFT THE SAME PAGE; AND ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE NEW VECTOR; WE WERE ABLE TO 'COME TOGETHER.'