September 2005
Journey to Emily Carr
When I prepare myself well for a trip, I appreciate the journey more. Practicing a few words in another language helps me communicate. Understanding the geographical formation and history of a particular region helps me appreciate viewpoints.
I started my preparation for a visit to Emily Carr House in Victoria over a year ago, knowing, like Emily, I could only appreciate the fullness of the trip if I developed a deeper connection to the subject. Emily Carr, a famous Canadian painter and author, was born in Victoria, lived in Vancouver and traveled throughout the BC coast up to Alaska.
Yesterday, when I finally stood in her garden, I was shrouded in the layers I accumulated from hodge-podging together pieces and experiences that touched Emily’s life in one form or another. Here is what I did over the last year to prepare for a trip to Emily’s garden.
1. First, I read The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland. In my opinion this book presents a good visual of British Columbia life at the time, and set a vivid, colourful stage of Emily’s puzzled and courageous life between 1871 and 1942.
2. Next, I read Klee Wyck, by Emily Carr. This is her own account of her travels as she ventured along the coast to paint. Klee Wyck is the aboriginal name given to Emily by the First Nations People in Ucluelet; it means "laughing one."
3. I have spent many hours wandering through the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. I love seeing first hand the totem poles and artefacts of the myriad of First Nation groups throughout BC. I tell everyone to go there. Often.
4. Emily Carr’s permanent exhibit is in the Vancouver Art Gallery. I used to go on Thursday evenings (admission is free 5 pm - 9 pm) but now I am a member and can go anytime.
5. The Emily Carr Institute of Art & Design is on Granville Island. I stopped into the student art gallery, and then went next door to Opus, where I picked up my own art supplies and painted trees for the night.
6. I read about the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). I plan to go next year to experience first hand the haunting totem poles that Emily so strongly identified with. Like Emily, I am planning to take the journey via boat. BC Ferries Inside Passage cruise is an affordable and enjoyable option.
7. Emily Carr House, along with other preserved Victorian homes, is on Government Street in Victoria. I meandered through the Victorian garden, where plaques quote quirky excerpts from her books, before finally walking onto the butter-yellow porch.
Vancouver - The Big Square Walk
One of my favourite things to do downtown Vancouver is walk in a big square. Four unique streets all join together, and in an hour or two you can capture the essence of them all and get in touch with the diversity of the city. Robson to Denman to Davie to Granville to Robson.
Yesterday I started on Robson Street, the see and be seen street. The spend all your money before you go home street. The high end, high style street that surprisingly offers much to be bought at discount prices. I made it to the other end with only a few bumps and a new bohemian bracelet, despite all the shoe stores with half price signs summoning me in.
Denman Street is laid back with funky shops, restaurants and cafes, which all lead to English Bay beach. I stopped at Bud’s for some greasy fish and chips and a brew before heading down to the waterfront, where a fire dancer just finished her show. Pretty much every night of the week you can catch some type of street entertainer, from violin quartets and comedians to African drummers and sketch artists. I threw a Toonie ($2 coin) into her donation hat and kept walking.
Davie is the gay-friendly street and is dappled in rainbows. I sat down at one of the hot pink bus stops for a rest and watched everyone walk by. And I mean everyone. An obviously well off couple in their convertible Acura. Two young, Japanese women holding hands with a picnic basket and a sleepy boy. A transvestite, I think, all dressed up. An elderly man with a fedora and walking cane.
Granville is a street in transition. I used to come down here to catch a flick, hunt through vintage clothing stores and dance at the Commodore Ballroom. Now I come down for 99 cent pizza, a drink after work with friends and to dance at the Commodore Ballroom. The street is considered the club and bar zone for Vancouver. As it was a bit early and I wasn’t in the mood for drinking and dancing, I kept people watching, counting the number of army green jackets and Doc Martins going by.
Three hours later, I was back on Robson Street. You might think I would be a bit tired of people watching by this point, but I ended my journey by sitting on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery watching resident chess players do their magic. You could say that with these four distinct streets represent only four of the sixty-four black or white squares on the chess board. There is still Yaletown, 4th Ave, Chinatown, South Main, UBC, Commercial Drive and many others. But those strategic moves must be conquered another day.
Top Summer Destination – Mitlenatch Island
Today is the official last day of summer. Sigh. But, it has been a busy, and as usual, adventurous few months and I wanted to share with you my top destination of the summer.
I had never even heard of Mitlenatch Island until the day before I left to visit it. I was told by a local boater that it was like the Galapagos of the North. I’m not sure why but pictures of penguins and sea turtles came into mind – two things you don’t find in waters 30 minutes off the coast of Campbell River.
Mitlenatch means ‘calm water all around’ in the Coast Salish language. But the island was anything but calm. The noise from the birdlife was like a chaotic musical symphony. Gulls squawked, cormorants cawed and there were hee-ha and whee sounds coming up from guillemots, oystercatchers, auklets and other species of birds too numerous to count. We did count seven bald eagles including 3 hatchlings. It was early summer and the tiny island was filled with newly born baby birds.
As we toured to the other side of the rock the relentless roar and barking of the migrating sea lions joined in the chorus. I had never seen this many large lions on such a small space before. Needless to say they were all jockeying for position, with many getting pushed back into the crashing waves.
Once on shore (just a little beyond the basking seals) we climbed over sun-bleached driftwood and were met with the park keepers. BC Parks has a program where volunteers can stay on the island for a week in exchange for maintaining trails and ensuring visitors don’t encroach on protected areas.
The island is very small but we were able to climb up to the peak to peer down to study the roosting birds from behind a lean-to. Then we meandered through a meadow filled with vibrant wildflowers with intriguing names like seablush, chocolate lilies, death camas, gumweed and prickly pear cactus. While keeping an eye out for resident snakes and mice I half expected Darwin himself to pop out from behind one of the few arbutus trees.
Needless to say, I plan on adding my name to the volunteer list for 2006 and I highly recommend the $65 trip to anyone heading to Campbell River.
Float Plane Co-pilot
Last week I had to make a quick trip to Victoria from Vancouver. Of course, like all good West Coasters, I chose float plane as my mode of travel and eagerly booked my flight with Harbour Air Seaplanes.
When the flight was ready for loading I was front of line and as luck (and a little maneuvering) would have it, the pilot asked if I wanted to sit in the co-pilot seat. Not too many people know this, but the co-pilots seat is often available on these flights. After always being the brides-maid and not the bride, so to speak, I finally figured it out - all you have to do is be the first in line or just ask.
Perhaps the best part of the trip is wearing the “official” headset and listening to all the flight chatter. My pilot was extremely amicable, complete with an Aussie accent, and I received a personal tour of the sites below. As we whisked our way over Pender Island, Mayne and Saltspring I watched ferries dock and sailboats find their moorage. From 3,000 feet up he pointed out the winery on Saturna Island and I picked out my waterfront dream home. We saw tankers, cruise ships, tugboats and the Coast Guard. On previous trips I spotted submarines and historic tall ships. I am still waiting to see a pod of whales.
Although I haven’t experienced it, Harbour Air offers the $149 Mail Run Tour, a 75 minute ride with the locals on their regular flights from Vancouver harbour to the remote villages of the Gulf Islands. That sounds pretty cool too.
Day 7 family vacation: trains & totems
One of the best things about this vacation is getting to do some things I’d never normally do in Victoria as a local. Taking some pretty spectacular things for granted is something we’re guilty of here I’m afraid. A perfect example is taking (or not taking) a ride on VIA’s E&N Dayliner, our version of a train. This isn’t one of those long trains with the little red caboose on the end. It is a dayliner which contains the engine, passenger seats and caboose all in one neat little car. It is kind of cool because the train can really pick up speed relatively quickly since it hasn’t got all that extra baggage hanging on.
It was a bit of a circus getting 9 of us down to the train station and on board by the 8:15am departure but we managed.
Lesson #4: book this trip well in advance. This is a small train with only two cars running on a usual day in the summer. When we called two days in advance, they were sold out because one of the cars had been taken off the route for maintenance. Wait listing a group of 9 people is not the easiest thing to do. Save yourself the headache and book in advance…there is no penalty for canceling or no-showing.
Attention all seniors. VIA has a promotion that enables an adult to ride free when accompanying a senior citizen. Great deal. Did I mention we invited my mother to come along?
Now I’m not an experienced train traveler, having been on only a few trips in my entire life but there is something both thrilling and relaxing about chug-chugging along, doing nothing but checking out the sights. This route took us out of downtown Victoria, along the western communities of the Greater Victoria area, through Goldstream Provincial Park and then began the climb up and over Malahat Mountain. Some of the scenery near the summit overlooking Finlayson Arm, the Saanich Inlet and Peninsula are nothing short of breathtaking.
Crossing the railway trestles on this trip is a real highlight. The train slowed down to a snail’s pace while we tip toed across these seemingly delicate structures. What an amazing feeling when we looked down and saw nothing beneath us! It is like being suspended in air. Several times during the trip we disappeared into dark tunnels and along tall cliffs of granite that seemed to almost touch each side of the rail car.
As we began our descent on the other side, we entered the Cowichan Valley into an area of farmland and vineyards. It wasn’t long before we stopped in downtown Duncan, known as the City of Totems. Soon after disembarking we saw why. There are several totem poles located alongside the train station and about 40 altogether in the downtown area.
The City offers free totem tours during the summer starting at the station. The tours are about 45 minutes long and did I mention they are free??
Sunday in Sechelt – Secret Cove
Sunday morning in Sechelt and I dragged the kids to Secret Cove, which I believe is one of the best kept secrets in British Columbia.
For only $25 an hour, we rented a motor boat and explored the area by water. Bob from Buccaneer Marina marked on the map all the hot spots. We motored around Thormandy Island and searched for lingcod in the northern shallow bays. On the south side of the island we watched harbour seals sunbathe on their bellies and roll down into the waves.
Zooming across the channel we then coasted in and around Halfmoon Bay (a great place to go kayaking) and into Smugglers Cove Provincial Park, which used to be a traditional First Nations fishing site and then a hiding place for rum runners.
The pinnacle of the day was landing on Thormandy Island for a picnic lunch. Thormandy beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in BC and is boat access only. The long, white sand beach set against an evergreen forest. There is even a small provincial campground if you want to spend a few nights. The place is full of boaters, bathers and sandcastle makers during the summer, but this weekend we were the only ones around.
Our three hour trip cost a total of $75.
Late Summer Weekend in Sechelt
Saturday - Local Hangouts in Sechelt
It’s the middle of September and I have finally managed to make my summer pilgrimage to Sechelt. Usually I come up to here at least 4 times between June and September, but this summer I was so busy on other adventures (Tofino, Campbell River, etc) that I pretty much missed the high time. This meant that I needed to fit in all my favourite local activities into one late summer weekend. Kind of like Christmas really, just a few short weeks to cram in all those traditions, but I only had two days.
Saturday morning was spent at the beach in Davis Bay overturning barnacle encrusted beach rocks and watching the kayakers paddle by. Did I mention I came up with three energetic kids? Beachcombing took a while and I was happy when we all agreed that green and black spotted crabs do exist and that they should remain hidden under the seaweed with their family. I was happy to move onto bigger and better things, namely "Troll Forest".
I had never heard of Troll Forest until my parents moved a 5 minute walk away. It starts from a non-descript pathway in Brookman Park and heads up Chapman Creek. In fact, you would have no idea you were even in Troll Forest until you got to the Troll House a few metres into the path. The House is an old tree stump with a dilapidated shingle roof. Continue walking up the path and see if you can spot the 14 hidden Trolls. A local carved these mischievous faces into tall cedars, fallen firs and spruce stumps. Some are easy to spot, some more difficult. I like to think of it as the I Spy of the natural world.
Onto Roberts Creek where I absolutely have to indulge in fries with miso gravy at the Gumboot Café. Roberts Creek is my favourite community on the Sunshine Coast, mostly because I feel as though I am on one of the Gulf Islands, complete with a vibrant art scene and a laid back ambiance. Kayaks, essential oils, pottery and Indonesian sarongs share storefronts with notices of yoga classes, mediation retreats, jazz concerts and the Annual Beach Clean-up Party.
A last activity of the day is a locally roasted coffee to go from the Georgia Strait Café and a walk along the Sechelt waterfront to the totem poles on Sechelt Nations land. On the way back to the cabin we stop at one of the many weekend garage sales and spend our “allowance” on used comic books. One day gone… one day left.
Hills Annual Garlic Festival: “A Stinking Good Time”…
…Those words are proudly displayed on my souvenir t-shirt. The event – which has become so popular, they’ve moved it from the village of Hills to the larger community of New Denver – was definitely a highlight on my recent five day road trip in the West Kootenays.
Venders from all over BC were there selling a wide variety of home-grown organic garlic. Prices averaged $6 to $9 a pound. If you’ve never had organic garlic before, I can tell you it’s well worth it. A single clove has the same potency as four or five cloves of non-organic grocery store garlic... and the flavour and aroma is incomparable.
I ended up with four pounds of garlic, a jar of organic garlic powder and, of course, the official t-shirt.
The Garlic Festival was more than just garlic. There was musical entertainment, arts and crafts for sale, and plenty of food venders selling everything from garlic-buttered popcorn to borscht and organic buffalo chilli.
Day 6 family vacation: shopping Victoria style
I believe part of being a good and gracious host is knowing your limitations, identifying your strengths and weaknesses. That is why I have deputized my wife as the leader of today’s events: planning, organizing and managing a shopping day in Victoria with five kids in tow. To me it is mind boggling to find stores that will not only be of interest to youth but will also fit within their budget. Since our marriage vows included words about partnership and supporting one another throughout life’s trials and tribulations, I agreed to at least be the driver and refrain from complaining throughout the day.
My wife was in her element to say the least: I’m not sure who was looking forward to this day of the vacation more; her or Kelsey, the 12 year old going on 16.
First stop: Mayfair Shopping Centre where the end-of-season sales were in full swing. I think she said everything was at least 50% off but then my wife was less than coherent when she called on the cell phone from one end of the mall, gasping for air as she had Kelsey in the change room with a pile of clothes that surely would take a half day to try on.
Okay, so Walter, the 6 year old and I are well matched when it comes to patience – an hour or so of this cosmopolitan stuff and we were ready to go. It didn’t take much convincing to recruit 13 year old Devin and the suave 16 year old Kirk onto our team (I kind of fibbed and told him more girls hung out at the other mall).
Soon we were off to Tillicum Centre, which, as far as shopping centres go, is as good as it gets. Why? While the girls worked toward their Ph.D in consumer spending, we headed off to the SilverCity movie theatre adjacent to the shopping centre. Ah, we found our happy place! It is like a video arcade, a fast-food haven and movie hall all in one. I was a kid again.
As I watched my wife and Kelsey struggle across the parking lot, arms stretched from holding a half dozen shopping bags on each side, it was time to take in a movie. Surprise, surprise, today’s unusually high volume of activity on the VISA card causes the credit card company to put an “alert” on the account. It was cash only at that point for entry into the movie.
Tip: if you are in the same shopoholic program as my wife and are going on vacation, it might be worth calling your card company in advance to let them know you’ll be doing some serious damage to the card. It may just avoid that ever so pleasant moment at the counter in front of the family. Coolness level just dropped a couple of notches. And I was doing so well…
So maybe the day didn’t start out as my favourite so far on this vacation but it ended up that, once again, we were able to find something that everyone deemed enjoyable and the kids seem to have more clothes than they will ever need. Or is that my wife? Even VISA sent me a thank you note.
A Very Unique Shopping Experience
If you're in the Qualicum Beach area on Vancouver Island, stop in to Smithford's Island Time Gallery in Qualicum Village. Their motto says it all ... "If you don't need it, we've got it." Smithford's uses their space to great effect, displaying unique and charming artwork by local and BC artists inside the store as well as in front, back and side garden areas. On display are fantastic folk art sculptures for the house and yard, beautiful hand-made furniture, jewellery, clothing, bath products, you name it. Smithford's merchandise isn't cheap, but products aren't outrageously priced considering their quality and unique nature. Allow yourself an hour or so to browse as there's lots to see, and you're guaranteed to leave with a smile on your face!
Day 5 family vacation: All Fun Recreation Park (Waterslides)
I’m getting the hang of this family vacation stuff. Here’s how I figure it: find a real gem of a place and stay there all day; it’s appeases the kids and it is way easier. All Fun Recreation Park is about 20 minutes from downtown Victoria and it is definitely a place where you can hang with the family all day. It is in the most unsuspecting place, amidst construction and what looks to be a gravel pit so if you are driving there and are thinking you must have made a wrong turn, keep going, you really are headed for a day of fun.
Tip: Get to the park when they first open. You will have a shot at the slides before a majority of the people arrives and the lineups start plus you can claim some prime real estate with your blanket on the picnic grounds. We planted ourselves right in front of the main pool, watching everyone plop off their slides into the water. I found it odd that spectators still have to pay an admittance fee, albeit considerably reduced. I guess when you get to sit and make fun of all the bad landings (especially the adults) you get your $6.00 worth.
I’ve discovered that kids love to teach adults the ropes. I was given a crash course in sliding which, by the way, just happened to be the exact opposite of the posted “sliding rules” put out by management. When I became airborne only to swallow a few gallons of chlorinated water after kerplunking into the landing pool, I thought it was time to worry less about being cool and more about leaving the place in one piece. Luckily, the staff seemed quite competent and after watching how the whole thing works, I felt pretty comfortable letting even the 6 year-old hike off to the slides on his own while I sat back and chilled.
Between the River Run (floating on inner tubes and dropping off a series of “waterfalls”), the drop-off slides and several of your basic, loop-de-loop ones, I barely saw any of them for the remainder of the day. I did notice the 16 year-old chatting up several girls over the course of the day, exchanging email addresses so they could later “MSN” each other or something like that. In any case, everyone was entertained and seemingly thrilled with the place.
As we packed up the Minivan and headed back to the house I noticed two things. First, that distinctively pungent smell of chlorine and second, that everyone had a big grin on their face. I think my level of coolness just shot up a couple of notches.
Day 4 family vacation: Beaver and Elk Lake Regional Park
Sometimes I can be a really lazy tourist. I get up and just want everything to be easy: no planning a detailed itinerary, no making sure I’m at the right place at the right time; just let the day happen.
Well, today was that lazy day that just fell into place. With the Minivan bursting with aquatic toys and food, kids, dogs etc…we set out for the Beaver Lake end of Beaver and Elk Lake Regional Park. This is only minutes from downtown Victoria and a real haven for families. One can easily spend hour after hour here, enjoying the warm water, sandy beach, picnic area, playground, walking trails and playing fields. We arrived mid-day and didn’t leave until after 6 o’clock. I guess we tried to leave but the kids wouldn’t let us. Wow, just when you think nothing matters to kids other than a PS2 or X Box, along comes an inflatable raft that provides hours of joyful bliss. Who’d a thunk? Again, I am the coolest uncle in town.
Tip: many stores in Victoria reduce their summer beach stuff up to 50% off part way through the summer so it is quite affordable to pick up some toys, coolers, etc... when you are here. (I’m having a flashback of a disastrous attempt to carry a beach umbrella onboard a flight once).
You know kids. We packed a refrigerator-sized cooler of food for the day but one of the wee folk spotted the concession stand and it was all over. I can’t compete with French fires and ice cream. In any case, you won’t go hungry at this park.
This is another example of a park for all ages. While the kids played, the dogs and my sister and I did the 10 km (6 mile) loop around the lakes. I don't think she heard me but I was kind of whimpering at the end: this is a long haul so I’d recommend decent walking shoes.
Tip: do not set out on the 10 km walk with a pair of flip-flops. That space between my big toe and the other guys felt like a watermelon by the end.
Evenings are so mild & pleasant here we decided to take in a round of mini-golf, a sport even I can do with little fear. I’m not sure what I got more a kick out of; the fact that I didn’t suck that much or that success at mini-golf seems to have nothing to do with age, strength or skill. The 6-year old put us all to shame with the 11-year old not far behind. My only concern that evening was that the kids would enjoy it so much they’d insist on going to one every night and in Victoria you pretty much can do that. There are lots of courses and all seem to be well-maintained and creative in their design.
Tip: evening is prime time for a round. The courses get busy so that might mean waiting between holes a bit. I guess you could always eat to pass the time. Surprise, surprise, there is still food left in the cooler.
Day 3 of family vacation: Downtown Victoria
What a day! I have officially become a tourist in my own home town. Today we took Victoria Harbour Ferries from Westbay Marina in Esquimalt across the harbour to Fisherman’s Wharf. Our entire group waited anxiously at the ferry stop but when the ferry put-put-putted to the dock we were informed there was not enough space for all of us.
Lesson #2: Harbour Ferries can only take up to 12 passengers so it is quite possible large groups may have to split up. Luckily they go about every 10 minutes or so.
Our driver informed us “this time of year, you will never find a ferry with 7 empty seats”. Well, some of us waited for the next ferry and…low and behold…8 empty seats! Ah, we’re on vacation, whatever.
Fisherman’s Wharf is where it’s at. Besides the famous Barb’s Fish ‘n Chips stand where we stood in line forever and drooled while the smell of fresh seafood cooking wafted through the air, a tame seal provided entertainment as people bought fish scraps and hand fed the lucky guy.
Tip: be prepared to wait in line at Barb’s. Don’t worry, it is worth the wait…I’ll admit though, I started getting really envious of that plump seal.
We strolled along the harbour walkway into downtown and burned off about 50 of the 8,000 calories we had just consumed. It is a short, level walk that you can easily do in sandals. How short? None of the kids asked, “are we there yet?” once. The Royal London Wax Museum was our next stop followed by a show at IMAX – Coral Reef. An awesome experience.
Tip: Perhaps IMAX and greasy food shouldn’t be experienced too close together….no need to say more.
My family loves fudge. It is kind of like a tradition and dependency all wrapped up in one. We stopped at Fat Phege’s Fudge Factory and hung out in Market Square sampling each other’s choices. This is another great place to spend the afternoon with all kinds of specialty shops and restaurants.
We took the Westsong Way walkway from downtown back to Esquimalt. This is one of my favourite walks in the city and anyone that experiences it will see why. It is a a bit of a jaunt (about 3 km (2 miles)) and this time the kids were muttering a few times along the way. Needless to say, they were tired out for the rest of the evening.
Day 2 of the family vacation: Thetis Lake Regional Park:
Good news! I ended up getting a Minivan after all…I waited at the rental agency for an hour and a half and just as I was leaving the lot (literally), in pulls the blue 7-passenger hotrod of my dreams…sometimes you just get lucky I guess! Remember: book it in advance!
Today was an easy day because everyone is tired after last night’s late arrival. We headed to Thetis Lake which just happens to be a five-minute drive from our house although we took the long route because I was still so ecstatic about procuring the Minivan that I had to show it off. Luckily, just about every route you take in this city has something beautiful or of interest to see.
Thetis Lake’s Main Beach is by far the most popular local hangout for Victoria’s young crowd so I thought taking the kids there first would show that their uncle is somewhat in the know with the youth of today. Warm, clear water, surrounded by a towering Douglas Fir forest and a network of trails made if a bonus choice. While dogs aren’t allowed to stay on the beach and picnic area during this time of year, they can be off-leash along the trails and the rest of the park. So while some kids (namely the 16 year old) opted to hang at the beach with the locals (I think her name was Melanie) the rest of us hiked around the lake, dogs at our heels and worked up an appetite for the perfect picnic. Not a bad way to sleep off an afternoon of jet-lag and for me to recover from the near Minivan fiasco.
Travel tip: Air Canada offers a non-stop from Toronto to Victoria daily, arriving at 10pm. Everything else seems to connect either via Vancouver or Calgary. Sure makes the trip shorter if you can get this one.
Planning the family vacation
Well, I've been planning this family vacation in Victoria for over four months and today it happens. Five nieces & nephews ranging from ages 6 - 16 are flying in from Nova Scotia with my sister for a two-week holiday; me playing the official tour guide of Southern Vancouver Island. The pressure is on to be the local expert and to produce a fun-filled, highly entertaining 14 days that will not only appeal to this age range but that will somehow enable our two 10-month old Jack Russell Terrier puppies to be included.
Step 1: secure ground transporation (i.e. Minivan that holds 7 people, 2 dogs and a blow-up raft)
Lesson 1: book a Minivan early! The entire city gets sold out well in advance because these are hot items on the vacation car rental market. I have been trying to find one for over a week and am still on a waitlist just hours before the flight arrives. The alternative? Perhaps they can tie two compacts together?? U-Haul? Oh boy, I think I have failed my first task.