The good thing about a torrential downpour in Metro Vancouver, once everyone’s hung up the Gore-Tex and taken shelter indoors, is that when the clouds clear, our region returns to being lush and lively. If we’re lucky, the sun peeks through, bounces off downtown buildings or moisture-filled clouds clinging to the North Shore, and we get a rainbow.
To brighten your Tuesday morning, I have put together a collection of photos featuring Rainbows Over Vancouver:
Contributed by Steffani Cameron of FullNomad.com, follow her on Instagram @snarkysteff.
I may be Vancouver-born and raised, but Victoria’s been home for three years. I’m leaving now to travel the world, but before I go, I had some unfinished business with Miss604, who I long ago promised I’d write about one of my favourite ways to spend a day here.
When my Vancouver friends, especially those with kids, have sought activity tips from me, I’ve told them what I’m telling you — one of my favourite ways to spend a low-key afternoon, and you don’t need a car or a ton of money for it.
What’s great is that it gets you out of the touristy chaos of downtown Victoria, but it’s only five-minute walk away from most of the hotels and involves a leisurely 5-kilometre walkabout afternoon.
Up the street from the Royal BC Museum, is one of Western Canada’s oldest parks — Beacon Hill Park.
Stanley Park’s a whopping 5 times the size of Beacon Hill, but you shouldn’t give this wonderful park a pass. Once ranked as one of Canada’s “top 10” public spaces for smart planning, there’s truly something here for everyone year-round, but May to September is its golden time.
In this perfect-sized park, you’ll find lots worth checking out! Such as:
The only thing you won’t find in Beacon Hill Park — or on the beachfront that runs along Dallas Road for nearly 5km — is anything to eat or drink (other than the cafe by Ogden Point, 2km from the park). It’s been illegal to sell anything on park grounds for decades, what many tourist learn the hard way. Bring snacks and beverages, folks!
Heading south from the Royal BC Museum on Douglas Street, you’re just 300 metres from the park! The first landmark you’ll hit is Goodacre Lake, the star of Beacon Hill Park and part of its original grounds. (The park has grown triple in size since formed in 1882, six years before Stanley Park was gifted to Vancouver.)
It’s here at Goodacre you’ll find Victoria’s Blue Herons nesting. In Spring, it’s a no-dogs-allowed spot as herons mate, bleating and squawking like pterodactyls — both ominous yet hilarious. Beware the large white patches you’ll spot on the ground during mating season– there isn’t a messy painter in the trees above, you’re in the Heron Poop Zone. Move it, lest you be splatted!
In the summer, on hot days, along the Douglas Street side of Goodacre, there’s the “turtle log.” See if you can beat my record — I once counted 21 turtles sunning themselves. When the turtles aren’t around, the ducks will keep you entertained.
In fall, it’s a stunning display of nature’s artistry.
Crossing south over the pond, you’re on Bridge Way. On the left, you’ll see the first of the two park playgrounds. Shortly after this is one of the park’s two bathrooms (the other is way over by the beach — don’t wait).
On the right, though, through the trees, you’ll see the Cameron Bandstand. There’s a nice walking path by it that runs parallel to Bridge Way, but under lovely big trees. Sigh and swoon as you pass the lovely flowers. A bit further right is “the stream,” the prettiest place in the park during the autumn, and the little Fountain Lake, which is so full of lilypads in spring that kids think it’s froggy heaven.
Soon you’ll hit my Moment of Zen, the free putting green, the heart of which is a giant monument to the not-at-all-connected-to-Victoria poet Robbie Burns. The green gets retired for the winter months, so don’t get your hopes up for a round of putting between November and May.
Once you reach Circle Drive, by the palm trees, look left. See the a little red barn in the distance? There, my friends, from April to September, is one of Victoria’s best-kept secrets. Brace yourself for the awesomeness that is the Goat Stampede.
During Farm season, every day at 10:10 and 5:10, all Beacon Hill Park Children’s Farm visitors line the path from the barn to the holding pen while the pygmy goats run from the barn to the pen in the morning, or the pen to the barn at night.
If you’re lucky, a staffer will instruct you to clap while shouting “Come on, babies!” as they run by, and if the goats don’t make you die of the cute, little 2-year-olds shouting “Come on, babieth!” sure will.
But let’s not neglect the other wonderful residents, like Acon the Llama, the sheep, chickens, mini-pigs, and other seasonal residents. Entry is by donation, but hey, man… it’s for the animals!
After, you can walk south and see what was once the world’s tallest totem pole, and then visit the windsports capital of Victoria — Clover Point Beach, topped with gorgeous cliffs, native grasses, and a whole lot of bliss. My happy place is somewhere along there. Clover Point Beach is arguably the best spot in the city for a sunset.
If you have kids wanting to play more, turn right from the Farm onto Circle Drive, and walk until you see the cricket grounds. Just behind there is the park’s “premier” playground, just upgraded in a couple years back, including a little zip-line for kids.
You’re now on the Cook Street side of the park. Want to see the ocean after all? Turn right down Cook and walk a few minutes. No stores or eateries that way, just amazing beaches, so keep that in mind. Hungry now? Instead, hang a left up Cook and you’ll hit two of the best family-friendly joints in the city — Big Wheel Burger and Prima Strada Pizza.
A throwback to ‘50s burger joints, Big Wheel sources ethical meat while being 100% carbon neutral with biodegradable packaging, so have no guilt if you get it to go! Don’t like burgers? Maybe Nathan’s Hot Dogs, deep-fried pickles, milkshakes, and poutine are what you’re after. There’s even beer for Mom and Dad.
Prima Strada is one of Canada’s best pizza joints — no exaggeration. It’s certified as true Neapolitan Pizza — one of only five pizzerias in all of Canada to meet the Naples pizza board’s lofty standards, and no one I’ve sent has had bad food. Love tiramisu? Get you some! Now they’re making gelato from scratch too, and it’s amazing. A word to the wise — long line-ups are frequent between 6 and 8, but they’ll text you when your table’s up.
If you make a day of this, bring along a snack, wander through the park, enjoy the rugged beauty of Victoria’s Dallas Road beaches, stroll back for the 5:10 Goat Stampede, sally on over to Cook for some dinner, then wander back downtown or head to the beach for a sunset.
All told, you’re looking at about five kilometres of walking, so it’s manageable for just about any family with kids over five.
With this detour off the “tourist” beat, you’ll be recharged for seeing the rest of Victoria’s popular attractions.
“It’s like a diner from paintings of diners,” John told me as we stepped into Royal Dinette on Dunsmuir. Greeted by Manager Chen Wei-Lee, we took our seats at the window, watching the tail end of the after-work crowd rush to their buses or to the pub upstairs.
With its tiled floors, hard woods and soft, textured accents, fine wines and preserves on display, the space to me is like a French bistro you’d find on Manhattan’s Upper West Side -minus the stick of butter you feel you’ve ingested by the end of the meal.
The menu lacked staples that would be expected from a space with such decor (steak frites wasn’t anywhere to be seen) but Royal Dinette boasts a seasonal selection of goods from the garden, cured meats and artisanal breads along with the catch of the day and BC wines. It’s hearty without being hard on the heart.
We ordered the summer Tasting Menu (that will of course change with each season) and were presented with manageable and bite-size 8 course feast.
The Tasting Menus have 2 and 3 course options but we tried it all during our visit. We began with a gazpacho that had an island of icy cucumber and a dusting of black olive. It was the most creative presentation I’ve seen for this crisp, cool soup and I loved the melting cucumber that contrasting with the creamy tomato. It was one of my favourites of the night along with the Egg Yolk Trenette simply presented with smoked butter, parmesan, and summer truffles.
Foie Gras, Ling Cod (with perfectly, tenderly grilled octopus), sourdough, Beef Bavette, and a cheese course were also included. The meal ended with strawberries, jasmine tea parfait, and dehydrated sponge cake croutons that, when put together on my fork -and although completely deconstructed- tasted exactly like my Oma’s strawberry shortcake. It was a very pleasant way to end the meal.
Tasting menus can be accompanied by drink pairings and we did partake in a few, trusting our server’s recommendations which worked out beautifully — even if we were given different wines and we presented cases to each other about whose pairing worked better, each of us loyal to our own glasses.
Royal Dinette has a warm and sociable ambiance, the kind of place where you’d want to split a bottle of wine with friends while slurping back some fresh, house-made pasta or share a charcuterie board while telling stories about lessons learned on recent travels. We’ll definitely be back for another date night, and the latest seasonal Tasting Menu which is now posted online.
Royal Dinette is open for lunch, happy hour, and dinner, closed on Sundays. It is located at 905 Dunsmuir, Vancouver. Follow on Twitter for the latest news, menus, and special events.
Western Canada’s largest celebration of reading and writing is taking over the city this month with 100 readings, 150 authors, and 20 workshops all being a part of the Word Vancouver festival between September 23rd and September 27th, 2015.
From Wednesday to Friday, experience author readings at these venues: SFU Harbour Centre, The Cottage Bistro, Christianne’s Lyceum, Banyen Books & Sound, Historic Joy Kogawa House, and CBC Studio 700. On Saturday, September 26th, take part in free professional development workshops at Vancouver Public Library Central Branch.
Wednesday, September 23rd @ 5:45pm
SFU Harbour Centre (515 W Hastings St)
Launch of The Revolving City: 51 Poems and the Stories Behind Them (SFU Public Square and Anvil Press)
Thursday, September 24th @ 7:00pm
The Cottage Bistro (4468 Main St)
Pandora’s Collective Presents Twisted Poets Literary Salon – Kate Braid & Elizabeth Bachinsky
Friday, September 25th @ 6:00pm
Christianne’s Lyceum (3696 W 8th Ave)
Adventure Awaits! – readings by Tiffany Stone, Elisa Gutierrez, Kathy Beliveau, and Lee Edward Födi
Friday, September 25th @ 6:30pm
Banyen Books & Sound (3608 W 4th Ave)
Kemila Zsange, Past Life Regression: A Manual for Hypnotherapists to Conduct Effective Past Life Regression Sessions (Journey Beyond Production)
Friday, September 25th @ 7:30pm
Historic Joy Kogawa House (1450 West 64th Ave)
Adventures in Song and Story with Grant Lawrence
Friday, September 25th @ 7:30pm
Studio 700, CBC (at 700 Hamilton St)
Pandora’s Collective Literary Awards Gala
Saturday, September 26th from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Central Branch, VPL (350 W Georgia St)
A day of professional development workshops for writers and publishers
Sunday, September 27th, from 11:00am to 5:00pm
Library Square (in and around VPL Central Branch, 350 W Georgia St)
Festival day
The big festival day happens on September 27th in and around the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library (350 W Georgia St, between Robson and Georgia and Hamilton and Homer). Come hear musical performances, free readings and panel discussions, and take part in free writing workshops. Canadian authors and book, magazine, and comics exhibitors are all gathered to share a passion for the written word. Fun for literature and literacy lovers of any age.
Check out the Family Stage, family-friendly activities all day long; and Underground Words + Art, comics and chapbooks programming and exhibitors.
Other weekend events, in and around Library Square:
Canada Writes, Authors’ Words, Family Stage, dances, poetry vending machines, typewriter stations, Kids Lit, Poetry On The Bus, Magazine Words, Writing Talks, Word Talks, and more. A crowd favourite, The Book Bag Treasure Hunt, will also return! Purchase a festival book bag for just $20, already filled with treasure. Set out on your literary journey and add to your collection as you come across participating exhibitors.
The Vancouver Book and Magazine Fair Society produced the former The Word On The Street Vancouver festival between 1995 and 2012, which was rebranded as Word Vancouver in 2013. Over the span of two decades, the festival has expanded from a single day event to a five-day event, attracting thousands of local, Canadian, and international festival-goers to its events.
Word Vancouver is part of Culture Days. Admission is FREE to all events. Download the full program here. Follow Word Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
I have a hardcover book prize pack to give away that includes:
Melvis and Elvis by Dennis Lee, illustrated by Jeremy Tankard
Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
The Jaguar’s Children by John Vaillant
Sing a Worried Song by William Deverell
Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth
Here’s how you can enter to win:
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, September 23, 2015. The winner must be able to pick up the prize from the Word Vancouver office.
The 2015 Terry Fox Run is just around the corner and while some kids may participate each year with their school (School Run Day is September 30th), this year families might need to take it upon themselves to sign up on their own. The general run takes places in hundreds of communities across Canada on Sunday, September 20th in memory of Terry Fox, and keeping with tradition there is no entry fee and no donation minimum to be met.
| Location: Abbotsford Tradex (north end) Building A. Registration at 9:00am |
Location: Burnaby Swangard Stadium. Registration: 9:00am |
“I’m not special. This just intensifies what I did. It gives it more meaning. It’ll inspire more people. I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try.” ~ Terry Fox
Location: Chilliwack
Landing Sports Complex on Spadina.
Registration 7:30am.
Location: Coquitlam
Blue Mountain Park.
Registration at 9:15am
Location: Delta North
In front of Sungod Arena (112th St and 79th Ave).
Registration at 9:00am.
Location: Delta South
Rotary Square at Tsawwassen Town Centre Mall.
Registration at 9:00am.
| Location: New Westminster New Westminster Quay/Pier Park. Registration at 9:15am (by Food Court). Location: North Vancouver Location: Port Coquitlam Location: Port Moody Location: Surrey – Cloverdale Location: Surrey – Fleetwood |
Location: Surrey – Fraser Heights Fraser Heights Recreation Centre; 10588 160th St. Registration at 9:00am. Location: Surrey – Newton Location: Surrey South – White Rock Location: Vancouver – Stanley Park Location: West Vancouver |
Find additional Run Sites online. Follow the Terry Fox Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. If you would like to learn more about Terry Fox, the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum at BC Place is an excellent resource. There is an entire gallery dedicated to Terry, featuring artifacts, news clippings, and inspirational quotes.
