We were visiting family in Victoria in August and decided to drive the hour and a half up Hwy 1 to catch a show at the Chemainus Theatre. As my son is only 7 we enjoyed the matinee of James and the Giant Peach originally a book by Roald Dahl. This production was dramatized by Richard R. George and was just delightful. It was entirely geared to a young audience with songs, audience participation, funny costumes and wonderful puppets. The Chemainus Theatre boasts an entire festival season of 6 to 8 productions throughout the year (http://chemainustheatrefestival.ca). It was lunchtime when […]

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Victoria has plenty to see for all members of the family, museums, art galleries, gardens, churches… Miniature World is a category all on its own. Located at 649 Humboldt St., Miniature World is just around the corner from Victoria’s most famous Fairmont Empress Hotel. A Victoria attraction for over 40 years, it has over 80 displays depicting various events in history, doll houses, scenes from old story books and even a peek into Space 2201. Some displays have buttons that highlight a section, or make characters or objects move. The attention to detail in facial expressions, costumes, ground cover, cobble […]

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Finally, summer is in full swing. It is most definitely my favourite season. Shedding layers of clothing, BBQ dinners with friends and family, occasional drinks, reading on the patio, and outdoor workouts – who doesn’t love summer! Unfortunately it’s also the peak of tourist season here in Vancouver. But don’t you worry! I’m here to help you and your family find unique summer activities and hidden spots away from the regular tourist spots. For those of you who take advantage of the warmer weather by moving your workouts outdoors, the choices are endless. Here are my top three favourites: 1. […]

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Davison Orchards has been a fixture in Vernon, BC for decades. It is a family run farm and market that has opened its doors and welcomed the community in and the result is a wonderful family friendly attraction. For my children it is a must whenever we are in the area. They love the Crazy Cow Kids’ Corral with its fantastic playground. Their favourite activity, however, is the rubber duck races. Pumping the old fashioned handles as fast as they can to send more water down the chutes and make their ducks go faster. It makes for shrieking and often […]

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I don’t think anyone who’s been paying attention to the Vancouver news lately can go to the Vancouver Aquarium and not wonder about the conditions for the animals. However, if you’ve been going to the Aquarium for the last couple of decades you will have noticed a large shift from public amusement to animal rehabilitation. Last year there was a significant conflict with the Vancouver Parks Board about whales in captivity. In the end the Parks Board thought they were proposing a compromise by saying the whales could stay as long as they didn’t breed. This had a lot of […]

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This is possibly one of the easiest and most scenic bike rides in Vancouver. It was a hot summer day when my daughter and I set out on the 5.7 km (each way) bicycle ride from Kits Beach. We wanted to try the relatively new (18 months old) bike path along Point Grey Road and see how it connects to Jericho, Locarno and Spanish Banks beaches. This was the view from where we started. As you ride west, following the markings for bikes, you then follow a short stretch of Point Grey Road, which then turns back to where Cornwall […]

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The morning before starting to write this, I asked a friend, “Did you know that Vancouver was a pinball machine playing mecca?” “Really?” was his reply. Truly. I did not know until a friend of mine came in from Calgary, ostensibly to attend Folk Fest, but said “we have to check these places out.” Between the two of us and a few Google searches we came up with a short list of places. Pub 340 at 340 Cambie Street The Cobalt at 917 Main St Movieland Arcade at 906 Granville St I ruled out The Cobalt because it has the […]

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At 333 Brooksbank Avenue in North Vancouver lies Park and Tilford Shopping centre. In a quiet corner of that shopping centre is this absolute gem. Opened in 1969 by the CEO of Park and Tilford Distilleries as a gift to the people of North Vancouver it is now entirely maintained by private business and citizens. And it is beloved. It may be easy to overlook if you’re dropping the kids off at the movie theatre or grocery shopping at Save-On-Foods but if you’re up in this part of North Vancouver or keen to go for a drive, it is definitely […]

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In the spring of 2015, Vancouver had an unusual run of dry weather — milimetres of rain, not the usual feet of rain. So when our work team decided to do our second (now annual) team bike ride around Stanley Park we were expecting to work up a sweat. Of course it rained. Not hard and not for long but it was cool and damp. Another expectation I had was that it would be crowded on the sea wall walk, which is a 10 km scenic trail around this massive park. I’d heard of incidents of cyclists, inline skaters, pedestrians […]

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Queen Elizabeth Park is a stunning 130 acre oasis in the city of Vancouver and is the city’s highest point; sitting atop 150m/500ft of granite. Millions of visitors walk through these gardens every year. Since the 1960s it has played host to countless weddings, family reunions, proposals, and picnics. Moreover it is a wonderful place to visit just for a stroll on a sunny afternoon. Take a leisurely walk through the beautiful and fragrant Rose Garden, or the equally beautiful Quarry Garden and Arboretum. There’s also a pitch and putt and a lawn bowling green, picnic tables and even a […]

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