Whether you’re popping the big question, enjoying a honeymoon, celebrating an anniversary, looking for a romantic getaway, or planning an unforgettable date, this province has numerous places for you to make intimate memories. Here are some of cupid’s favourite and most unique choices…

BC’s internationally acclaimed wine industry rests in the cradle of the Okanagan’s arid high country where acres and acres of rolling hills produce some of the finest grapes in North America. Whether you’re staying in Vernon, Winfield, Oyama, Kelowna, Westbank, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Naramata, Oliver or Osoyoos, an unforgettable wine tour awaits you. For the free-spirited, most visitor centres carry maps and brochures to facilitate self-guided tours. But for those looking to experience more, organized tours are available at very reasonable prices. The Okanagan Wine Country Tours bring you the magic of over 60 award-winning wineries from small estates to massive international operations. Most of these tours include lunch or dinner and of course, a liberal sampling of the libations the Okanagan produces. But for something truly memorable, experience the Float Plane Tour that departs from Lake Okanagan in Kelowna and follows the lakes and mountains to the southern end of the valley to Osoyoos Lake. From there, enjoy the area vineyards as your luxury vehicle leisurely makes its way back to Kelowna. This area has a full calendar of wine festivals as well. Thousands of self-styled aficionados come from far and wide to enjoy the 10-day Fall Wine Festival, the Icewine Festival in January, May’s Spring Wine Festival and the Summer Wine Festival in August. Happy tasting!

Whistler is romantic enough with simply its mountain views and amazing dining. But if you’re looking to kick it up a notch, Canadian Snowmobile Adventures offers a summer package that transports visitors via Jeep or ATV up Blackcomb Mountain to the legendary Crystal Hut cabin where you’ll experience their world famous salmon bake. Maple salmon cream cheese spread and crackers, maple-glazed cedar plank wild salmon, Caesar salad, seasonal vegetables in a balsamic herb vinaigrette, roast nugget potatoes, candied carrots, fresh bumbleberry pie…

In the winter, take a snowmobile or snowcat to enjoy the same breathtaking view but this time, for a rich and hearty fondue feast. Are you in love with an early-riser? Experience the Waffle Sunrise in the same amazing, top-of-the-world setting. A favourite Whistler activity is the Fairmont Chateau Chalet’s Sleigh Ride & Fondue Dinner which includes a 30-minute Clydesdale-Percheron sleigh ride or dogsled tour followed by a 3-course fondue dinner including Cheese and Chinois Fondue with beef tenderloin, prawns and salmon and warm apple strudel.

For unadulterated West Coast beauty, Mystic Beach in Juan de Fuca Provincial Park offers some of the most romantic coastline on the Pacific. A 2-kilometer hike through lush rainforest leads to a long, secluded sand beach. Feel the salty spray as waves crash on the shore. Explore the numerous sandstone sea caves. Discover hidden waterfalls. Enjoy the amazing wildlife and stunning mountain views. And if a stroll on the beach doesn’t cut it, Mystic Beach is part of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail which consists of 47 km of wilderness that goes from from China Beach to Botanical Beach. Strap on the hiking boots!

The quaint capital city of Victoria offers many romantic activities and settings including the excursions offered by Tally-Ho Carriage Tours. With various outings departing from downtown, you can enjoy heritage neighbourhoods, Chinatown, city parks and the Strait of Juan De Fuca waterfront. Using Percherons, Belgians and Clydesdales horses, these tours and the gentle giants who make them possible run most of the year, weather permitting. With personalized pick-up service and warm faux-fur blanket for evening tours, this one-of-a-kind date is not to be missed! Factor in Victoria’s amazing assortment of fine restaurants and you might just have the night of your life…

Across the Strait of Georgia, the metropolis of Vancouver offers many unique attractions. And because of it enjoys a temperate climate quite unlike the rest of Canada, a culture of outdoor events has flourished in and around the city. Theatre Under the Stars is testament to this. A favourite Vancouver summer tradition for decades, this professional company has been performing amazing shows in Stanley Park at the outdoor Malkin Bowl forever. Usually running in tandem, shows alternate on a nightly basis, weather-permitting. Recent shows have included Grease, Oklahoma!, Annie Get Your Gun and Jesus Christ Superstar. In a more traditional vein, the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival at Vanier Park has for two decades been performing Shakespeare’s plays el fresco. Two performance tents provide almost 800 seats for fans of The Bard from June to September. The Mainstage Tent is open-ended, offering a magnificent view of the mountains while the Douglas Campbell Tent houses performances of some of The Bard’s lesser plays in non-traditional stagings. She said she loved the stage… show her something entirely different!

Just across the water from Vancouver Island’s Nanaimo sits Hornby Island. Unique in that traveling there involves a ferry from Nanaimo to Denman Island then another ferry from Denman to Hornby, this magical little island has a certain isolation that has nurtured a community unlike any other. The forested co-op general store has the rustic, organic charm of a hippie commune – and indeed, to all intents and purposes, the island is exactly that. But it’s the beaches that make Horby Island special. Sheltered in the placid waters of the Strait of Georgia, Tribune Bay has soft rock faces, caves, magnificent warm water and of course, acres of sand. A small but mountainous island, Hornby has many biking and hiking trails, too, if your particular idea of romance involves a good workout.

Now imagine enjoying any of these amazing, intimate British Columbia activities with your own private vacation rental accommodation to enjoy the rest of the night in. The candles are lit and the Jacuzzi tub is ready…

We’ll close the blinds and leave you alone now.

Early Appetites

How First Nations Cuisine is Redefining BC’s Culinary Scene

British Columbia is a poster-child for the ethnically diverse mosaic that is Canada’s culture – something that is reflected most obviously through the province’s vast array of international eateries.  And while the list reads like a culinary United Nations, a groundswell movement is heralding a return to traditional fare.  Now, dining enthusiast are experiencing the beautiful simplicity and rich heritage of First Nations cuisine…

Two elements set the indigenous dining experience apart from any other:  The first is the ingredients themselves.  Living off the land they inhabited for centuries, the First Nations Peoples developed a great respect and keen understanding of the resources that were readily at their fingertips.  From harvesting plants to hunting game to fishing, the traditions of the pre-European Peoples were passed orally from one generation to the next – a heritage of seasonally-dictated sustainable living and dining that existed well before the recent trends in that direction.  Hence, First Nations food is as close to a gastronomical postcard of the province as you will find.  The second unique element is the ancient culture of hospitality.  The fabric of First Nations life has always been held together by a strong sense of family and community.  This warmth has translated into intimate dining experiences that nourish the soul as much as the body.  The term, welcoming is an understatement.

Today, a proliferation of First Nations establishments are bringing the flavours of this beautiful culture to the dining public.  And depending on where you find yourself in British Columbia, a different experience awaits.  From the amazing smoked or fresh salmon prevalent in the coastal cuisine to the smoked seal meat in the north, an amazing assortment of indigenous dishes awaits to be explored.  Oolichan oil, crisp kelp on steamed rice, alder-grilled buffalo smoky, elk with sweet potato pie, bannock… this array of longhouse luxuries isn’t only one of the first menus in the province.  It’s one of the best as well.  And the experience goes beyond the palate.  Many establishments treat guests to traditional song and dance as well as rousing drum presentations.  Dinner just doesn’t seem like a big enough word, sometimes!  Let’s explore this unparalleled, unique dining experience, starting in the interior…

Nk’Mip – The Okanagan’s Ultimate Destination Resort is in the Okanagan, only moments from the town Osoyoos’ main street.  Perched on the edge of Osoyoos Lake in the heart of British Columbia’s semi-arid Desert Wine Country, this establishment, coming courtesy of the First Nations People of the Osoyoos Indian Band, epitomizes the wine country 4 season resort experience.  With luxury accommodation, a full service spa and a lakefront campground, this destination offers everything from the educational experience of the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre to the recreational experience of the spectacular 9-hole Sonora Dunes Golf Course.  But by far, the two most memorable highlights of a visit here are Passatempo Restaurant at Spirit Ridge and the patio at Nk’Mip Cellars.  The bistro-style ambience at Passatempo provides a particular magic that can only be found amidst the orchards and vineyards high above the beautiful Lake Osoyoos.  The jaw-dropping views of the surrounding lake and mountains are amazing enough… now include a menu featuring entrees such as grilled bison flatiron steak with bluecheese cream, redwine chocolate sauce and potato mash or sautéed wild whitespring salmon with goats cheese-almond sauce, quinoa, and tomato salsa and you can imagine how amazing a night or two here could be.  And with a capacity of over 100, weddings, meetings and seminars are taken in stride.  Did we mention the in-suite catering and guest picnic baskets?  North America’s first aboriginal owned and operated winery, Nk’Mip Cellars is located on a natural desert bench that overlooks Osoyoos Lake, featuring vineyards and orchards that belong to the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation.  A wine tour here isn’t just about the grapes and the their gorgeous products; it’s also about the rich history and traditions of the Peoples who have called this their home for centuries… a  fact that is obvious in the winery’s architecture which features local native art and artifacts.  And any aficionado of fine vino will be delighted by the Nk’Mip varietals which include Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Riesling and Icewine.  Hours of operation are January 1st to June 30th 9-5, July 1st to August 31st 9-7 and September 1st to December 31st 9-5.

For a more hands-on approach to the intriguing indigenous diet, the Nisga’a Commercial Group of Tourism Terrace provides a full-day Mushroom, Herb and Botanical Tour.  Thanks to their status as the only carrier of a Commercial Harvest Permit, the public can experience an unforgettable walk through ancient forests as Nisga guides share what herbs and fungi their Elders used for both medicinal and dietary purposes.  Some of natures wonders sampled on this eye-opening trek include pine, chanterelles and lobster mushrooms as well as many more and the journey concludes with a lunch provided by the Nisga’a Elders.  Trips depart and end at the Nisga’a Office Solutions in Terrace from mid-August to mid-October.

Located on the crescent-shaped Cormorant Island in coastal BC’s Inside Passage, Alert Bay is famous for more than simply amazing scenery and abundant wildlife.  This is the home to Culture Shock Interactive Gallery.  Only 180 miles by water from the metropolis of Vancouver, the 2-hour salmon barbeque is hosted by Roy Cranmer, a seasoned ‘Namgis fisherman who provides visitors with the experience of a traditional beachfront open-fire barbeque – the only way to experience Alert Bay! Be sure to book a day in advance.

In the city of Duncan on Vancouver Island, the Quw’utsun’ Cultural and Conference Centre is owned and operated by the Cowichan Band located on 6 beautifully landscaped acres along the picturesque Cowichan River.  The ancient traditions of the Cowichan Peoples are all here, including live demonstrations, and performances by the Khowutzun Tzinquaw Dancers July through August.  The Centre also includes the Riverwalk Café, a summer seasonal restaurant featuring the best Native cuisine in the area.  Traditional ingredients such as salmon, venison, buffalo, and halibut feature on a menu that celebrates the bountiful resources of the glorious Cowichan Valley.  And the patio on the banks of the Cowichan River provides some of the most idyllic dining on Vancouver Island.

Further up the island, the Tsa-Kwa-Luten Lodge on Quadra Island offers amazing seclusion on 1,100 acres only a 10-minute ferry ride from Campbell River.  Featuring Pacific Coast Kwagiulth architecture as well as traditional and contemporary native art, this destination includes a dining room that showcases aboriginal offerings in a casually elegant setting with the option of the chef’s Catch and Cook, an interactive way of enjoying the fresh bounty of the surrounding ocean.

The Aboriginal cultures of BC have a beautiful and ancient heritage.  Taste it today!

Places That Couldn’t Be Anywhere Else

Every city has a personality.  A composite of its history, its peoples, even its climate. A fingerprint that, to all intents and purposes gives a particular cluster of skyscrapers, bridges, parks, adjoining suburbs and the people who live there a common identity.  Chicago’s geographical location on Lake Michigan has earned it the title of Windy City.  Paris is the City of Lights, Los Angeles the City of Angels, Portland’s even the City of Roses.  And while Vancouver has had many half-baked labels thrust upon it (Vansterdam, Hongcouver, Lotus Land and Terminal City to name a few), none have stuck, nor for that matter, really encapsulated its essence.  But what’s in a name, anyway?  In reality, it’s the street-level subtext, the tangible experiences that leave visitors with a particular taste in their mouths – The cheesesteak in Philadelphia.  The attitude in New York, the canals in Venice…

So unique metropolitan monikers aside, let’s explore what gives Vancouver its unique face:

Unlike the rest of Canada, Vancouver’s climate is uniquely temperate with warm summers and mild winters reminiscent of its southern neighbour San Francisco – a condition that has incubated a culture of outdoor events, especially during the summer months.  Theatre Under the Stars has become a favourite Vancouver summer tradition.  This professional company has been performing amazing shows in Stanley Park at the outdoor Malkin Bowl for decades.  Usually running in tandem, shows alternate on a nightly basis (weather permitting).  You won’t find a more West Coast way of watching Broadway’s favourite shows!

But Annie Oakley, Danny Zuko and superstars like Jesus aren’t the only ones who find new life inVancouver’s fresh air.  Seventeenth Century English Playwrights also enjoy the coastal BC summer experience as well.  For over twenty years, the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival has been gracing the shores of downtown’s Vanier Park.  This two tent affair provides nightly performances from June to September, treating 800 fans to Will’s most celebrated plays with the glorious Coastal Mountains acting as a backdrop.  Now that’s much ado about something!

Like your stage a little livelier?  Expo ’86 has left the city with several legacies, one being The Edgewater Stage at The Plaza of Nations.  Catering to everything from festivals and concerts to fairs and corporate events, this glass-canopied, 750-seat outdoor amphitheatre is guaranteed to produce a wow moment.

Vancouver is famous for its wide variety of festivals.  An institution since the 1980’s, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival includes over 1800 musicians, 400 concerts and 40 venues, showcasing the city’s ongoing love affair with the genre.  Paul de Barros of the Seattle Times was quoted saying, “If this isn’t the best jazz festival in the world, please send us tickets to a better one.”  Every year, 460,000 plus visitors would have to agree.  If pyrotechnics impress you more than Wynton Marsalis, check out the Symphony of Fire, an annual firework exhibition and competition that’s become one of Vancouver’s favourite summer events.  Choreographed to a radio simulcast, these jaw-dropping displays from Canada, the USA and China light up the skies over downtown’s English Bay to the delight of the tens of thousands of tourists and locals who pack the city centre and urban beaches.  But, not surprisingly, some of Vancouver’s flavours come via a more literal method: the taste buds…

The social side of the Granville Island Theatre, Backstage Lounge is a favourite haunt for artists and art students due to its proximity to the internationally acclaimed Emily Carr College.  Not only are the city views nothing short of jaw-dropping, but the combination of micro-brewed beers and dilettantish home-grown live music make for as unique an experience as Vancouver has to offer.  For a taste of the burgeoning bohemian scene beyond Granville Island, DV8 with its vivid paintings and handmade ceiling lanterns is as hip as it gets.  This downtown joint is a popular restaurant by day, but by night the lights dim and Vancouver’s musicians, writers and artists come out of hiding!

Vancouver cosmopolitan spirit comes courtesy of numerous exotic and memorable establishments, but several are ultimate memory-makers.  BaBalu is a piece of Havana smack dab in the middle of coastal Canada.  This Cuban lounge with its mouth-watering tapas, exotic cocktails and extensive wine list serves up jazz, funk and R&B, depending on the noches.  Want your own shot at the spotlight?  In the grand tradition of the city’s Asian community, Hollywood North Cabaret is the oldest traditional Japanese karaoke lounge in town.  This cultural crossroads features a huge selection of Japanese, Korean, Chinese and English songs and includes beautiful Japanese hostesses to help you get over your stage-fright.

For an elegant Old World experience, the polished wood and fireplace charm of Bacchus Piano Lounge in the Wedgewood Hotel is a piece of Vancouver finery you won’t want to miss.  Conversely, Vancouver’s rugged Merchant Marine heritage is alive and well at the charmingly rusticMarine Club.  This small, pleasantly cluttered nautical hang-out is a favourite with sailors from all over the shipping world.  If you were to ever find a real pirate in Vancouver, he’d be sipping rum here!

Anyone with access to ESPN knows that Vancouver is a hockey city and you’d be hard-pressed to find a resident who wasn’t a die-hard Vancouver Canucks fan.  Tickets to their home games at GM Place can be pricey and hard to come by, but you’ll always find a table waiting for you at The Shark Club.  The downtown branch of this sports bar franchise has become the unofficial headquarters for serious fans on game nights.  Not only are the beers cold, the wings hot and the atmosphere electric, but occasionally, players actually pop in for a post-game bite themselves.  Heads up, autograph-hunters!

Occasionally, it’s not just the establishment that holds that local charm – it’s the neighbourhood. Gastown is one of the oldest parts of the city, tucked into its northeast corner of downtown.  These historic cobbled streets bring old and new together in a quaint collage of boutiques, bars and bohemian culture.  Just blocks away, a walk through the ornate Millenium Gate will take you intoChinatown, a world far more east than its home on Vancouver’s East Side.  Across town, the West Side’s Kitsilano is an eclectic mix of heritage homes, new condos and gorgeous boutiques and bistros posing as a tranquil beach community.

Sure, Vancouver doesn’t have a nickname.  But when you’re this cool, do you really even need one?

Meet the New Standard in Fashionable Vacationing

When the television series, Canada’s Next Top Model chose Victoria BC for its inaugural Cycle 1, a single location became the obvious choice to house its stable of coltish contestants – a luxurious, stylish property nestled in a Vancouver Island setting that rivaled the natural beauty of the show’s ten young runway hopefuls themselves…

Morningside Ocean Estate.

Located just outside of Victoria, BC, this 6-bedroom, 6,000 square foot oceanfront getaway was fifteen long years in the making.  And seeing it today atop the Saanich Inlet Fiord, overlooking the twinkling waters of the South Finlayson arm, one would have to agree that it was worth every minute.

“…the journey itself is as memorable as the destination.”

What makes Morningside Ocean Estate so exceptional?  Everything.  Whether winding through the lush rainforest by car or swooping down into the jaw-dropping landscape via float plane, the journey itself is as memorable as the destination.

And what a destination!  Imagine eight oceanfront acres of lavish green coastal forest, a deep-water dock with mooring for almost any size vessel, cultured gardens abounding with succulent offerings of bananas, grapes, olives, cherries and peaches, and you might be getting some idea.  The house itself is a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architectural masterpiece of glass and stone.  And while numerous decks allow postcard-like views from almost every room, it’s from the large outdoor pool and hot tub that one can enjoy the most unique view – the home’s tour-de-force, a majestic 30 foot-high waterfall.  Astonished so far?  We haven’t even gone through the front doors yet…

Both the great room and the dining room feature massive fireplaces, again in the trademark style of the famous architect/interior designer/writer to whom the house pays such stunning tribute.  The ideal venue for entertaining, each room comfortably accommodates upwards of 50 guests.  And if that prompts you to start counting hor d’oeurves trays in your head, rest easy.  A fully-equipped gourmet kitchen awaits challenges big and small and in-house chef services are available if cooking simply isn’t on the itinerary.

Up to 18 guests can comfortably spend the night and with 7 bathrooms, waiting is rarely an issue.  Each bedroom is a celebration of authentic arts and crafts décor, complete with decks and air-jetted tubs.

“…the tour-de-force, a majestic 30 foot-high waterfall.”

But the master bedroom is the true masterpiece.  You’ll find it at the top of the custom-made staircase, above the gorgeous indoor garden.  The 1,000 square foot Japanese cherry wood-accented space includes a Neptune’s Zen overflow tub with active-air jets, a large glass shower for two (with steamer and rain shower head), a private deck and a large all-glass gazebo offering panoramic views of the Saanich inlet.  If you look in the dictionary under ‘Romantic’…

“…in-house chef services are available if cooking simply isn’t on the itinerary.”

There are three other reasons to stay at Morningside Ocean Estate:
Location, location, location! The property is centrally situated on southern Vancouver Island, making for convenient excursions into town, up the island or around the Saanich Peninsula.

A day amid the cafes and boutiques of Downtown Victoria provides a shopping experience unlike any other.  Start on trendy Lower Johnston Street in the colourful bohemian centre of Olde Town, home to indie clothing shops, restaurants and the historic Market Square.  Stroll past the flowering hanging baskets of world famous Government Street and enjoy the array of retail shops, art galleries and patio restaurants.  Turn into Trounce Alley for European-style gift-shops, boutiques and the best tapas in town.  Follow Fort Street to Antique Row, a Tudor-style strip of collectibles stores and curiosity shops.

Craving the great outdoors?  Put down the shopping bags for an unparalleled nature experience.  Goldstream Provincial Park is home to two of the most awe-inspiring events to be found in the coastal old-growth rain forest.  This world-class salmon-spawning river comes to life between October and December as thousands of chum salmon fight the current, returning upstream to lay their eggs.  Visitors from every corner of the globe come to witness this amazing and surprisingly emotional spectacle.  Not surprisingly, the influx of fish attracts the largest concentration of bald eagles in Canada.  If you haven’t seen one of these majestic creatures up close, this is your chance.

For ambitious visitors looking to take an epic trek of their own, the Goldstream Trailhead under the giant black cottonwoods and red alders leads to the base of the Mount Finlayson trail – a hike taking you over 400 vertical meters above the trees.  Most clear days, this amazing aerial view of Vancouver Island’s southern tip affords a glimmering glimpse of the city skyline 17 kilometres away.  This isn’t just any bird’s eye view.  It’s an eagle’s.

“The property is centrally situated on southern Vancouver Island, making for convenient excursions into town, up the island or around the Saanich Peninsula.”

But more immediately visible from the summit of Mount Finlayson is Bear Mountain Golf and Country Club – the first 36-hole course in Canada.  The country’s latest and greatest mountainside resort community boasts two picturesque 18-hole courses (courtesy of Jack and Steve Nicklaus) that meander over the Mount Finlayson foothills and across the Valley Floor.  The burgeoning Bear Mountain Village also offers swimming facilities, walking and biking trails, coffee houses, boutiques, bistros and an outdoor amphitheatre.

Whatever activities define your stay at Morningside Ocean Estate  – whether improving your handicap, adding to your wardrobe, enjoying the world-renown cuisine or nature-watching… you can always look forward to a nightcap in the hot tub with the soothing sound of your own thirty-foot waterfall to lull you to sleep.

Socrates once said, “Not life, but good life, is to be chiefly valued.”

The good life doesn’t get much better than Morningside Ocean Estate.

Vancouver is famous as a cosmopolitan centre with a kaleidoscope of flavours comprising its very unique and ethnically-diverse culture. It’s no surprise that this city’s proud patchwork heritage is most obvious on the stages of its live-music venues. And while Vancouver boasts too many musical establishments to name in their entirety, some are simply too good to ignore. We’ve shortlisted an intriguing cross-section of venues, all very different from one another yet all contributing a distinct note in the harmony of sounds that make Vancouver a city not just worth seeing but also worth hearing.

Many establishments nurture musical scenes that have become as indigenous to a particular region as the people who live there. The Buck & Ear Bar and Grill in Richmond’s sleepy fishing village of Steveston sits next to the fishing docks and the famous Steveston Cannery. Nowhere in the area is the local warmth and hospitality more apparent than this establishment. With 3 fireplaces, a heated patio and room for over 350, this area landmark caters to billiard and dart players, sports-watchers and on the weekends, music-lovers. For fresh seafood, friendly atmosphere and lively local music, this cannery-town’s favourite haunt hits the spot! Not far away, the Flying Beaver in Richmond offers similar local entertainment as well as an amazing selection of microbrew beers and a phenomenal menu. It’s also a favourite place for plane-spotting, the Harbour Air seaplanes arriving and departing from the Middle Arm of the Fraser River only yards away! Head east into the Fraser Valley and things take a turn for the western. 300-plus patrons pack into Coquitlam’s Boone County Cabaret every weekend to experience the sensation that is British Columbia’s #1 country bar. The musical roster here is a veritable who’s-who of serious up-and-coming talent with many artist making this their final pit-stop before signing a record deal. (And novices can learn the ropes during mid-week line-dancing and two-step lessons.) BC’s Country scene doesn’t get better than this! Things are quite different in the city. The Marine Club on Homer Street is an authentic Merchant Marine hang-out that’s cluttered with nautical memorabilia from all Seven Seas. A unique brand of Rockabilly has gestated here. Combine this with the Old Sea Dawg clientele and you’ve got one of the most unique evenings you’ll ever have the pleasure of experiencing.

But Vancouver is just as popular for fostering cultural pockets whose music remains pristine and authentic, despite its status as an export. Sometimes, a visit to such a place is as good as a vacation to its country of origin. For example, Falconetti’s on the East Side’s ethnically diverse Commercial Drive is, to all intents and purposes, a New York City bar with a roster of live-jazz acts that have a distinct Hudson River, not Fraser River, feel. Of course, the heavily Italian clientele-base and the subsequent Mediterranean deli menu also help. Big city America is also alive and well at The Yale on Granville Street, home to Western Canada’s blues scene. For years, this 19th century hotel has played host to acts from John Lee Hooker to Jim Burns. Canada’s East Coast makes an appearance in Vancouver as well. Meet Yaletown’s Atlantic Trap and Gill. Once called ‘The Newfie Tap and Grill’, this establishment underwent a subtle name change due to a bureaucratic issue; but the music stayed the same – good old Maritime Folk. Just because you opted to vacation in Western Canada doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy oysters and ale like a regular Halifax privateer! Vancouver’s Celtic heritage goes back further than The Maritimes. The Blarney Stone in Gastown features a raucous weekend roster of live Celtic house acts and enough Guinness to drown a village. If it was any more Irish, you’d be in Dublin. Latin American influences are strong in Vancouver too, with many regularly-occurring dance nights attracting anyone with a hankering for some spicier beats. Zocalo Contemporary Mexican Restaurant on Main Street features weekend music while braver self-styled Mambo-kings can work their moves Saturday nights at the ballroom in the Howard Johnson Boutique Hotel or Robson Street’s Empire Landmark Hotel. Whether Merengue, Cha Cha, Salsa or Mambo, there’s a surprising number of choices.

Yet despite the various imported flavours that contribute to the musical vibe of Vancouver, there’s a distinct domestic flavour that sets this city apart. In one word? Coolness. This gorgeous city knows it’s something special. And Vancouverites aren’t afraid to celebrate their particular brand of awesome through various ultra-hip establishments. And no surprise, the music is up to par, too. The original Cellar Restaurant/Jazz Club on Broadway just west of Greektown in the trendy Kitsilano neighbourhood has been showcasing some of the world’s best jazz acts for almost a decade. Factor in a sumptuous food menu, an amazing cocktail list and rich red decor and you can begin imagining how good a night here might be. Like your cool a little funkier? Check out the Libra Room on Commercial Drive. With its Astrological Martini Lounge serving sweet martinis and sexy cosmic libations plus a groovy electric jazz line-up, you’ll have nothing but a shag-alicious good time. Yeah, baby! Lava lamps aside, the Latin Jazz Sundays are a favourite with visitors and locals. For a more conventional good time, Bar None on Yaletown’s Hamilton Street is a Soho-esque establishment that’s a favourite with the star-set and star-gazers alike. For over 15 years, this establishment’s reputation has preceded it with an impressive line-up of DJ’s catering to the city’s ever-growing cocktail culture. Real club-track aficionados will appreciate the underground appeal of Lotus Sound Lounge on Abbott Street in Gastown. Dimly-lit, this space is a temple to all things electronic with the world’s best DJ talent spinning everything from Tech-House and Break-Beat to Drum-and-Bass and Progressive. Modsters and Hipsters, on the other hand, will appreciate the edgy Media Club on Cambia Street, home to indie up-and-comers and a favourite locale for industry showcases, CD release parties and even fashion shows.

Even loud and angry has its appropriate enclaves throughout the city. The Morrissey on Granville defines ‘Rock’n’Roll Lounge’ with its dim lighting and long, narrow layout. What makes this establishment special is the fact that it doesn’t show up on everyone’s radar, despite the fact that it has hosted such live acts as The Killers and Kings of Leon. Cut across town and you’ll find The Lamplighter in Gastown’s historic Dominion Grand Hotel – home to some of the finest rock, metal and punk to be found anywhere.

Whatever the genre, Vancouver’s music is a part of its lifeblood. Put BC’s largest city on your itinerary. There’s lots to hear!

In the years that followed, the province grew and prospered as the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) connected the westernmost province with the rest of the country. Today, almost 150 years later, British Columbia is a booming centre of art, agriculture and industry with an ever-growing population that currently sits at approximately 4.5 million. But this beautiful province underwent many events and changes that helped form its modern face. And if you know where to look, echoes of these events and landmark moments can be found all over BC. Whether ghost town, heritage site or modern locale with an interesting pass, the pages of the province’s history are surprisingly accessible. Let’s begin on Vancouver Island…

In the quaint capital city of Victoria, the one block that is Chinatown is not only Canada’s oldest but also North America’s smallest. That being said, it has enough history and flavour to fill a hundred city blocks. You can’t miss this diminutive destination – not with the amazingly-colourful and ornate Gate of Harmonious Interest (or Tong ji Men), a free-standing structure that spans Chinatown’s street entrance, towering over the traffic lights in all its gilded, dragon-etched glory. This phenomenal pagoda-style monster, a joint Canadian-Chinese project, is reason enough to visit Chinatown. Factor in the import shops packed wall-to-wall with toys, trinkets and curiosities, the amazing restaurants and the cherry-blossom lined street and it’s case-closed. But this barely scratches the surface… literally. Below your feet, a network of apparently unused tunnels spider out from beneath Chinatown’s ancient buildings toward the rest of Olde Town and the harbour. At one time, Victoria’s Chinese population was as high as 3,500 due to the influx of migrant labourers who found work with the CPR. Allegedly, these catacombs once served as passages for opium and booze smugglers as well as providing a route for illegal immigrants entering the country. While these secret passageways are purportedly boarded and bricked up, occasional brave urban spelunkers report a different story… The jury’s still out but the blocked or otherwise, these tunnels exist. Just walk through Chinatown. They’re right beneath your feet.
While you’re strolling downtown Victoria, you’ll undoubtedly find the Causeway, a stunning harbour-front esplanade and wharf. And if you tear your gaze away from the majestic oxidized copper domes of the BC Legislative Buildings, you’ll see an equally impressive sight to your direct left. Welcome to the Empress Hotel, the 460-room Edwardian-style landmark that looks out over Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour. Now a Fairmont Hotel property, The Empress has been providing luxury lodging since 1908. Yet unknown to most, the site of this palatial structure was once water, the harbour continuing beneath the bridge that was once what lower Government Street is today. The area was drained before excavation for the hotel began but not without great cost. To this day, The Empress Hotel sinks fractions of an inch each year, the soft, water-logged foundation gently succumbing to nature. The Empress Hotel is somewhat of a museum piece that happily welcomes visitors whether you’re a guest or not. Be sure to venture downstairs. The public hallways are lined with early black-and-white photos of the area in its pre and early hotel days.

In 1861, a miner by the name of William Barker struck gold in the foothills of the Cariboo Mountains in the Northern Cariboo-Chilcotin region of BC. It wasn’t long before thousands of optimistic prospectors where flocking to the area. Billy Barker helped establish Barkerville one year later – a town that not only became the quintessential BC Goldrush community but one that also served as a vehicle toward the provinces economic growth and its eventual inclusion in the Confederation. The end of the Gold Rush spelled the end of many of the towns it had helped birth, but not Barkerville. This town thrived, eventually becoming a national heritage site – the largest of its kind in the country. Everything and everyone in this town is period 1800’s, making the Barkerville experience one of the most surreal trips back in British Columbia history. With its wood plank sidewalks, stagecoaches, saloons and even the chance to pan for gold yourself, this is the closest you’ll get to Canada’s Wild West without actually getting shot in a duel at high noon. Bring the kids here and they’ll be talking about it until puberty! Yet Barkerville wasn’t the only community fundamentally affected by the Gold Rush…

At the southwest entrance to the Fraser Canyon, the little town of Yale might not seem monumental but it’s one of BC’s oldest communities. This sleepy town was a busy steamship centre at the height of the Gold Rush. Established as a Hudson’s Bay Company fort in 1848, it became the Fraser River’s inland waystation for those travelling by sternwheeler. Ten years later, when gold was discovered just 2 miles away, a wave of prospectors saw the population spike to 20 thousand residents. It wasn’t long before the government funded a road that ran almost 650 kilometres from Yale to the northerly town of Barkerville and hence, the Cariboo Wagon Road was born – a route that witnessed the fruition as well as the demise of many wealth-seekers’ dreams. Although the population of Yale is only 200-strong today, it has become a busy tourist destination and for good reason. Visit the Church of St. John the Divine, BC’s oldest church that was built in 1863 to provide spiritual comfort for road-weary prospectors. A structure built only 5 years later plays home to the Yale Museum, a heritage site that retells the Gold Rush story courtesy of numerous artefacts and exhibits. Take a guided walking tour where you can see the old embedded rings that were used to moor the great riverboats of yesterday. Stop by the cemetery south of town with headstones marked as early as 1862… and while you’re in the neighbourhood, visit Hill’s Bar, the pebble bar that was the site of the first gold discovered in the province!

There are so many other places in the province where history is alive and well. BC is extremely proud of its past – something that’s obvious when you ask any of the locals about it. From Dawson Creek’s Mile Zero of the Alaskan Highway to Steveston’s early cannery to Fort St. James’ restored fur trading post to the cobbled street of downtown Vancouver’s Gastown, British Columbia has a story to tell.

All you have to do is show up and listen.

Let’s start on the southernmost tip of the island in British Columbia’s capital city of Victoria…

Meet Dallas Road, the famously scenic route that winds east from James Bay, along the city’s coastline where it eventually becomes Scenic Beach Drive – over 20 kilometres of Mazda-commercial-quality road that weaves around the coast all the way to the east side of the island. This popular route provides access to some of the city’s most amazing beaches and coast-side attractions. The Breakwater at the Port of Victoria is a cement jetty that juts out almost 2 kilometres into the sea with a lighthouse at its tip. A favourite with walkers, it provides staggering views of the American Olympic Mountains across the glimmering Strait of Juan de Fuca as well as close-ups of the massive luxury cruise liners that make Victoria a port-of-call. Heading east along Dallas Road, you can literally stop anywhere and find a beach access. Footpaths wind down the steep cliff-sides arriving at some of the most intimate and idyllic little coves this coast has to offer. Albeit, the beaches are a little pebbly along this stretch but there’s plenty of driftwood that serves as perfect temporary furniture! Whether you’re watching the para-gliders float on the updrafts off Fonyo Beach, enjoying children wrestling with their kites at Clover Point or strolling down the Ross Bay Sea Wall, this is one of the most amazing ways to spend a warm afternoon in Victoria. But the beach-scape begins to change as Dallas Road merges into Scenic Beach Drive…

Firstly, the road gets a little windier and climbs a little higher, offering stunning postcard-like views of the lazy, hazy south coast. Secondly, the pebbles disappear and are replaced by smooth, sandy expanses of beach. Almost European in its quaint charm, Gonzales Beach on the bay of the same name is a favourite summer destination with young adults. This little cove is so tucked away you’d miss it if it wasn’t for the small Public Beach Access sign and the public restrooms.
Keep driving along Beach Drive and you’ll find yourself heading north up the east side of Vancouver Island, passed ocean-side golf courses and luxury homes. Eventually, as you come into Victoria’s upscale British enclave, the city-neighbourhood of Oak Bay, you’ll discover one of the area’s favourite beaches: Willows Beach. Nowhere in the city is there an oceanfront expanse that more resembles an English seaside town. A large tree-lined field provides room for picnickers, sunbathers and volleyball players while full playground, concession and restroom facilities mean you can bring the kids and make an entire day of it. The beach itself is over a kilometre of beautiful sand with a paved esplanade running its length. But by far the most charming attraction is the English-style tea room overlooking the water and the distant American San Juan Islands.

Further along Beach Drive in the neighbourhood of the University of Victoria lies Cadboro Bay Beach. Another favourite sandy beach, this is also an ideal place to bring the kids. The larger-than-life Gyro Park will keep them amused for hours! This beach is the alleged home of the Cadborosaurus, a sea serpent similar to the Loch Ness Monster that has been sporadically sighted in and around these waters for well over 100 years – never before have a pair of binoculars kept the kids happy for so long! Looking for a bigger beach excursion? Drive up the Saanich Peninsula to Sidney. A quick ferry-ride will deposit you on Sidney Spit, a 400 hectare marine park with tidal flats, salt marshes, meadows, trails and of course, sandy beaches.

All the way up Vancouver Island’s east coast the beaches are nothing short of spectacular. Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville is loaded with hiking, picnicking and sunbathing possibilities while Parksville Beach is more geared toward summer sports like beach volleyball, tennis and even lacrosse. Only 12 kilometres north, Qualicum Beach and its accompanying town corner the market on picturesque with its bungalow community and endless tidal flats.

The west coast of Vancouver Island paints an entirely different picture. Not benefitting from the inland protection afforded to the island’s east coast beaches, the west coast provides the more rugged and adventurous experience of a face-to-face encounter with the great Pacific Ocean. This is a surfers’ paradise with huge waves crashing on beaches that are rimmed by acres and acres of wild rainforest. The best destinations lie between the towns of Ucluelet and Tofino and include Radar Beach, Combers Beach, Wickaninnish Beach and the 6-mile long (aptly named) Long Beach. If you’re coming for the big waves, fall and winter are the most ideal but if you’re coming for everything else, a summer day out here is almost unbeatable. Not only will you see surfers and sea kayakers but also local wildlife such as seals, sea lions and even whales!

While conditions might be a little less remote and rugged in the southwest of the island, they are no less amazing. In fact, the areas in and around Sooke are popular with many visitors because they provide the untamed West Coast feel while being only a short drive from Victoria. Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park is comprised of a long swath of sandy beach that protects the adjacent marshlands from oceanic erosion. Due to its location, every day is a windy day here, so dress appropriately. Bring the telephoto lens, too. Exceptional views of the Hurricane Ridge glacial formation in Washington State’s Olympic Range are visible across the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Many other amazing beaches are within 25 kilometres of Sooke. It’s a steep hike down to French Beach, China Beach and Mystic Beach, but the little one will have no problem navigating the gentler trails down to Sandcut Beach, Sombrio Beach and Botanical Beach. Many south islanders consider these beaches some of their best kept secrets which is why you’ll almost always find them relatively deserted. The catch is, area road signs don’t make a big deal out of pointing these access points out. Keep your eyes peeled and don’t be shy about asking the friendly locals for directions!

There are lots of ways to enjoy the beaches of Vancouver Island and a lot of beaches to choose from. You bring the sunscreen and we’ll sort out the rest!