Earlier this summer I was invited to Sechelt along with other media to check out the site of the new Watermark development. After working with residents to plan these new seaside condos, developers were ready to show off the buildings’ designs and locations.

We flew out of the sea plane terminal in Coal Harbour and landed on the Sunshine Coast a quick 20 minutes later. The alternative is to pay the one-way fare from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale by ferry however flying gets you there in about half the time. Located about 30 minutes from the ferry terminal in Gibsons, it’s close enough to the city yet far enough away to enjoy the beaches, forest trails, coves, rapids, artisan offerings and more that are all abundant in the region.

I’ve been visiting Sechelt for the last 20 years and there hasn’t been any major changes to the town’s core during that time (although now they have a stoplight) which is part of its charm. There are more neighbourhoods and bigger shops however nestled between the Pacific and the Sechelt inlet, the community is still very close-knit. The Watermark will have two buildings (phase one and phase two) each sitting at six storeys with terraced levels. It’s located near the Sechelt Library, the Aquatic & Fitness Centre, retail, and an oceanfront pathway.

After a quick bite at the Lighthouse Pub (right in the terminal) we hopped back into our sea plane and took off again for Vancouver in the same afternoon.

Returning home, I handed my camera over to John Biehler who rode in the co-pilot seat. Ships criss-crossing the inlet, a BC Ferry on its way to Horseshoe Bay, the green tuft of the Stanley Park peninsula, and the ever-growing skyline of the downtown core.

Sechelt from the air

The Sunshine Coast will always have a special place in my heart (and it’s still a part of the “604″ as well). It was nice to hop over for an afternoon and see how it’s growing. The Watermark development (with its impressive floor plans and affordable pricetags) seems to be just the beginning of new chapter for Sechelt. Soon enough, this alluring hidden gem won’t be so hidden.

Related posts: Skookumchuck Narrows & Sechelt Inlet, Putting Sechelt on Google Maps, Sechelt Peninsula by Air.

It was on this day in 1980 that Terry Fox was forced to end his Marathon of Hope as he succumbed to the cancer that eventually took his life. After 143 days and 5,373kms, his journey ended just outside Thunder Bay… and that’s when the rest of Canada picked up the run where he left off.

Photo credit: Bobcatnorth on Flickr

Over the last 31 years the Terry Fox Run, in his name, has raised over $550 million for cancer research. After commemorating the 30th anniversary of his Marathon of Hope last year, we lost Terry’s mother just a few months ago as well.

It’s been a very tough year for many but as Terry said, “I don’t feel that this is unfair. That’s the thing about cancer. I’m not the only one, it happens all the time to people. 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.”

The National School Run Day is Wednesday, September 28, 2011 and community Terry Fox Runs will take place Sunday, September 18, 2011.

Here are just a few locations around the Lower Mainland where you can participate in this year’s run: Vancouver UBC, Vancouver Stanley Park, Surrey Cloverdale, Surrey Newton, Surrey North, Surrey South, White Rock, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond, New Westminster, Delta North, Delta South, Langley City, Langley Walnut Grove, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, Mission, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody.

Other locations in the “604″: Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Roberts Creek, Gibsons.

Participants can sign up online to collect pledges and track progress on the new iPhone application (also available for Android). Follow the Terry Fox Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

As the BC Lions and Vancouver Whitecaps return to a new BC Place this fall, be on the lookout for the unveiling of the new Terry Fox Memorial as well.

As of January 2009 Mapquest was still ahead of Google Maps in the online map department however I have a feeling that Google has taken the top rank in recent years. We turn to it for streetviews, directions, information about local businesses or for trip planning. But what happens when the place you’re looking for doesn’t exist on the map? That is a problem all to familiar to the people of Sechelt, a district municipality on BC’s beautiful Sunshine Coast.

Sechelt is actually located where the black arrow is pointing.

I was first told about this Google Map mishap at WordCamp last week. Local web designer Robert Dall explained that over the last few years members of the community have tried pretty much everything to get their town listed. These efforts include hundreds of people reporting the issue to Google, tweeting about it @GoogleMaps on Twitter, and the Mayor of Sechelt, Darren Inkster, has even written an official letter to Google – all to no avail.

The village of Sechelt was incorporated in 1956 and today the district spans about 39 square kilometers with a population of about 8,400. It’s pretty hard to miss when you’re traveling up Highway 101. It’s home to a Provincial Park, distinct neighbourhoods, restaurants, a sea plane terminal and growing residential developments. So why hasn’t Google put it on the map?

“Sechelt is native word and so it is used in a couple different places which has confused the issue,” explains Dall who wants to make sense of this omission and get it corrected. “This really affects small businesses (especially the bed and breakfast owners), because when people using Google Maps suggest where they want to go they are usually directed to businesses in Whistler and Squamish.”

Photo credit: waferboard on Flickr

To help the plight of Sechelt, I encourage readers to Tweet @GoogleMaps with the tag #PutSecheltOnTheMap or report a new issue (if you can find out how to do so in the Help Centre). Using their MapMaker tool won’t help though as it appears to not even recognize the Sechelt Inlet on the geographic layout.

This isn’t the first time Google has missed something on their map. The town of York in Maine was erroneously marked until US Congresswoman Chellie Pingree wrote an official letter Google’s CEO, Larry Page.

Update Less than 24 hours after this was posted, Google updated their pin-point marker for Sechelt and it is now correct.

Thanks to everyone who shared this story!

As Wendy Weir from Libre Tea once told me, the Sunshine Coast is the “lost corner of the 604″. I used to go to summer camp each year in Roberts Creek and it quite often I’d have people tell me, “have fun on the Island!” The Sunshine Coast is indeed a part of mainland British Columbia and it’s definitely a region worth checking out.

Just a quick ferry trip away, it offers recreation, entertainment, and some amazing natural scenery. The Sunshine Coast also hosts more festivals per capita than any other community in Canada with its main centres being Sechelt, Gibsons, and the Pender Harbour area.

To encourage you to take a trip along an arbutus-lined coastal highway this autumn, I thought that I would highlight some activities going on in the region.

Saturday October 9, 2010

Saturday October 16, 2010

Saturday October 23, 2010

Sunday October 24, 2010

Should you have any additional events to list, please feel free to contact me. And remember, you only need ferry fare one-way as the return trip to Horseshoe Bay has no cost for cars or foot passengers.

The last stop on our Sunshine Coast weekend adventure was in Sechelt.

We had lunch at the Lighthouse Pub then walked over to WestCoast Air for a scenic flight of the peninsula.

It was really neat to fly right over the parts of the area we explored by boat just the day before. It was John’s first time in a float plane, which in itself is also an experience.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

The ferry terminal, our resort, and even a few coastal mansions really stood out from above.

It was a cloudy, rainy day so we couldn’t see all the way over to the glacier on Vancouver Island but the view we did have was good enough for me.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

WestCoast Air offers scheduled flights from Sechelt to Nanaimo, Jervis Inlet, and Richmond/YVR. I’ve also done a scenic tour above Vancouver with them before. Our flight was complimentary but you can book a one-way ticket from Sechelt to Nanaimo for about $67.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

You may view the rest of the posts in the Sunshine Coast series here or browse all of my photos or John’s on Flickr.

I know I’ve said it in the other posts as well but it’s amazing to think we did all of this in just a weekend and not once did we feel rushed. As Wendy from Libre Tea once told me, the Sunshine Coast is the “lost corner of the 604″ but hopefully after this profile series it won’t be so lost anymore.

After leaving FibreWorks, John and I made our way to Egmont, on the Eastern side of the Sechelt peninsula as we continued to explore the Sunshine Coast last weekend.

From there we met with Bryce Christie of Sunshine Coast Tours out on the dock by the Backeddy Pub. We piled into the B-Line and plotted a course to the Skookumchuck Narrows.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Skookumchuck is Chinook Jargon that means strong or powerful (“skookum”) and waters (“chuck”). Chinook Jargon became a trade language up and down the coast, used by settlers and first peoples. It is based on the Chinook language but is not the same. There are many places in BC, up to the Yukon and down into Washington State that have Chinook Jargon names such as Cultus Lake (cultus meaning “bad, worthless”), Hyak (as in the New Westminster Hyaks, means “fast”, or “hurried”), Siwash (as in Siwash Rock, is reference to a First Nations male), and Tyee (means “Chief” or “boss”).

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

We headed toward the strong, churning waters of the Skookumchuck Narrows which get up to 16 knots (30 km/h) when the current is in full swing. The inlet funnels water from the Georgia Straight up to several other inlets that all drain back down through the narrows. At certain points of the day this spot see very dangerous rapids with whirlpools, waves, and a cascading ocean that rises several feet.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

There wasn’t much churning going on when we passed through but you could definitely feel the current tugging at the boat. Skookumchuck Narrows is also a Provincial Park so you can park your car in Egmont and walk in about 1 hour to get a nice view of the water from the rocks on shore.

We spotted several hikers doing just this. Apparently the rapids are also a playground for kayakers looking for some thrills when the currents are in full swing.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Bryce took us down around the narrows then further North, toward Jervis Inlet. This area was originally explored, charted, and named by Captain George Vancouver. Bryce explained that Vancouver always had a theme in mind when naming islands, inlets and points on the map. He had a military theme (ie. Burrard, Howe Sound) followed by battles (ie. Agamemnon Channel), then a royal theme (ie. Princess Louisa, Queen Charlotte), and also nautical officers (ie. Jervis Inlet).

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

We learned about local industry (gravel, logging, oyster farms) and about how this is a scuba diver’s dream with artificial reefs and varying depths. Bryce helped us spot some pictographs on the cliffs, which are always neat gems to find and attempt to decipher.

Passing by private islands covered in Arbutus trees we just imagined what it would be like to build a house on one of them. I spotted a few island homes (and islands) that I’d like to purchase when I win the lottery.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Our tour was complimentary but you can book your own 50 minute tour from Sunshine Coast Tours for $39. They also offer a 6-hour tour up to the Princess Louisa Inlet which is about $139 for adults.

Back on dry land we headed back to the resort. The following day as we packed up and said goodbye to Pender Harbour we made a stop in Sechelt as Westcoast Air hosted us for a scenic flight tour – taking us above almost the exact path we took on the boat. That profile will be my final entry for the Sunshine Coast series.

View you may view all of my photos, or those from John, on Flickr.

After a lazy Saturday morning sipping coffee we made in our room we got in the car and headed North on Highway 101 toward our afternoon appointment in Egmont, continuing our Sunshine Coast adventure. We were given the names of some galleries, cafes, and pubs to check out along the way should we have enough time to stop in – luckily we did.

Just a few quick turns from the resort we spotted the yurts that make up Yvonne Stowell’s FibreWorks Studio & Gallery and turned down the gravel driveway.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Greeted by her loyal companions, Yvonne showed us around the gallery, workshop space, and her own personal studio.

Fibre arts include weaving, quilting and creating art with everything from paper, silk and wool to wood to sea kelp. Yvonne’s gallery space is currently showcasing some beautifully intricate works from Shannon Wardroper.

View a floor to ceiling photo by John here

Her works were on display until yesterday but as of March 27th, another exhibit featuring Ursula’s Collection by Ursula Bentz will move in until May 2nd.

The workshop yurt is a sturdy classroom where Yvonne brings in artists from around the globe to head up monthly sessions which are spread out over a few days. Current workshops on the calendar are “Painting with Wool”, and “Bull Kelp Baskets”.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Walking through the yurt’s door to Yvonne’s studio you almost feel like Dorothy going from black and white Kansas to technicolor Oz. Inside the beige canvas-like exterior of the yurt is a full spectrum of colour in wool form, covering the entire circumference of the rounded structure. Turquoise, magenta, indigo, charcoal — for a web coder like me I actually compared it to an HTML colour hex in my head.

There was a spinning wheel around one side and in the centre, just below a windowed peak that let the sunshine soak through, was a loom. The word “cozy” doesn’t even begin to describe the setting.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Tucked in this rainforest setting, you probably couldn’t ask for a better studio space. Yvonne told us her mother taught her how to weave when she was young and it’s something that she just kept on doing. As another couple pulled up, she went out to greet them as well and brought them into the studio space. She made sure to personally greet every visitor.

If you’re heading along the Sunshine Coast Highway through the Pender Harbour area I recommend stopping in to see what exhibits Yvonne is featuring. If you’d like to try your hand at any fibre arts, a FibreWorks Workshop would also probably be the best place to start.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

When we returned this weekend I had at least two people mention the Fibre Arts Festival, saying that I should return to check it out. Having discovered some of the intricate and truly unique hand-made creations during our stay, it’s something to seriously consider. The Gibsons Landing Fibre Arts Festival will take place August 19th – 21st, 2010.

The Sunshine Coast is still in the “604″ area code and is only a 40-minute ferry ride from Vancouver, which makes it a fantastic weekend getaway destination. This is the third of a few posts in my Sunshine Coast series which will continue later today or tomorrow. You may view all of my photos so far on Flickr, and John’s are up on Flickr as well.

This weekend we took a quick escape from the rush of the city and hopped aboard a 40-minute ferry to enjoy the Sunshine Coast. After our walk around Gibsons Landing, we headed up the highway, stopping for lunch.

Sunshine Coast Tourism gave us a list of places to check out but I wanted to specifically stop in Roberts Creek since I spent so much time there as a child in summer camp.

Nestled between hedges, gardens and flowering bushes, we settled on The Gumboot, which is just a quick hop off the highway down Roberts Creek Road.

We ordered the oven-baked fries with miso gravy but to call these “fries” is an understatement. These potato wedges were seasoned to perfection and the miso gravy was a delicious compliment.

John ordered the Super Salad for his meal and I had the curried perogies with a side salad. Up on the wall was a sign “100 feet from soil to plate” with reference to their vegetable garden, the source of our salad ingredients.

Our bill came to about $35 (for the fries, two meals, and a beer for John) and it was well worth it. Continuing along the highway we drove up through Sechelt and onto Pender Harbour where Painted Boat Resort hosted us for the next two nights.

We checked into our villa – one of over 30 rental properties that each overlook the water – and settled in for the weekend. We ate at the restaurant the first night (compliments of the Painted Boat) enjoying a 3-course meal prepared by Head Chef David Cox. For the second, we grocery shopped at the market and grilled steaks out on our villa’s balcony.

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Although we didn’t get to experience any treatments, I’m tempted to return and enjoy the Painted Boat’s Spa – the only full service spa on the Sunshine Coast.

In total we were about 1.5 hours outside of Vancouver (by ferry & car) yet we seemed so far removed, surrounded by Arbutus groves, centuries-old Cedars and oceanfront views.

Coming up in the Sunshine Coast series I’ll profile Fibreworks, Sunshine Coast Tours, Westcoast Air and the town of Sechelt. You can view all of my photos from the trip as they are uploaded to my Flickr set. John’s photos are available on his Flickr as well.

Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 – our stay and our meal at the restaurant were covered by the Painted Boat. I was not paid to write about the resort nor was I obligated to do so. Other meals, gallery visits etc. were out of our own pocket.

I’ve profiled Gibsons, BC as a day trip destination before but having been able to take a walking tour yesterday with John, I figured it was time for an updated article about this seaside gem.

Hopping on a BC Ferry, the 40-minute crossing to Langdale from Horseshoe Bay is a breeze.

You have the choice to walk on or bring your vehicle across and if you choose the latter, I highly recommend heading to Lower Gibsons before you hop on the main highway.

Lower Gibsons or Gibsons Landing is home to the legendary Molly’s Reach from the CBC series The Beachcombers — one of my most prized possessions as a child was a photo of Molly’s Reach autographed by Molly herself, actress Rae Brown. The town also hosts almost a dozen galleries on their main village street and harbour docks alongwhich you can pick up the freshest seafood around.

In front of Molly’s we met with Celia Robben who is the President of the Sunshine Coast B&B, Cottage Owners Association and also runs Acturus Retreat. Celia walked us around Lower Gibsons as we learned about the area, its happenings, and how it is a hub of coastal artisan activity.

You can pick up an Art Walk pamphlet to do a self-guided tour of the galleries along Gibsons Landing. You can also keep an eye out for the purple artisan flag. These fly outside galleries, houseboats, private residences or studios if there is an opportunity for your to browse & purchase works from an artist.

Many of the galleries operate as co-ops where artists, crafters and artisans can get together and sell their works from a collective store-front. The paintings we saw were vibrant, colourful, and reflective of life in Gibsons. It may be pretty hard not to find a portrayal of Molly’s Reach somewhere in the mix, but with its bright yellow exterior and harbour backdrop, there’s no wonder this icon inspires many.

I wrote down the names of some of the artists who had paintings either in a gallery or the public art gallery down Molly’s Lane. They included Anita Lindblom, Yzabelle Delisle Milton, Elizabeth Evans, Judy Heyes (just to name a few).

Weaving into galleries and along the wooden dock overlooking floating gardens and fishing boats we learned that the Sunshine Coast has more artists, crafters and artisans per capita than almost any other area in Canada.

For such a small place, Gibsons oozes art and culture — even the graffiti is creative and thoughtful.

While out on our stroll Celia kept mentioning festivals, from the April Fools Half Marathon, to the Salmon Festival, Mushroom Festival, Jazz Festival and more. Come June you can enjoy a festival every weekend in one of the communities up and down the Sunshine Coast.

Disembarking the ferry and taking time to stop and pause in Lower Gibsons was the perfect way to decompress. The pace slows, the clouds part, and you can enjoy everything from fish & chips to baked goods and breathtaking views in this small corner of the Sunshine Coast (which always manages to live up to its name).

We picked up our breakfast for the morning from The Sweet Chef and headed up the highway, on our way to Pender Harbour. I’ve been coming to the Sunshine Coast for summer camp since I was 8 years old however I’ve never been further North than Sechelt.

John and I are on a “rest & relaxation” weekend after the Olympic rush but I’ll be profiling some of our activities regardless. I’m amazed at what we’ve already done, how relaxed we are, and how many activities we have left to experience this weekend.

On tap for today, a boat ride over to the Skookumchuck – a place I’ve wanted to explore my entire life… and not just because it has a fun name.

You can view all of my photos from the weekend in this Flickr set. John’s photos are also available here.

Any good Canadian kid remembers growing up watching The Beachcombers, which took place in Gibsons, BC on the Sunshine Coast.

In recent years I had a moment at the CBC with some memorabilia, and giggled fondly when a posted about Bruno Gerussi’s beard hair in 2006 (link via Darren Barefoot). A focal point of the show and the town is the welcoming sight of Molly’s Reach, but there’s much more to the Sunshine Coast than canned CBC TV archives.

A quick 40 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay will lead you to Langdale terminal, and I must point out (because I’ve been asked countless times) that the all-encompassing Sunshine Coast is not on an island – even though you take a ferry to get there.

Photo credit: Megan Cole on Flickr

For about ten years I attended summer camp in Roberts Creek so I came to know the coast pretty well. Also, my best friend’s grandparents lived over there so once she got her license we’d cruise the strip in Sechelt looking for trouble. Okay, there was no cruising of the strip although I wonder if they have installed an actual stop light since I was there last. But I digress.

The Town of Gibsons has two main commercial areas: Upper Gibsons which has a number of shopping malls, restaurants, services and a light industrial area located on Gibsons Way and Lower Gibsons which is a quaint fishing village with bakeries, cafes, and shops that surround the bustling fishing wharf, a seawalk and the Gibsons Harbour.

Recent developments in the Town include the Downtown Revitalization of Lower Gibsons, a new log wharfinger building and boardwalk over the breakwater, and the development of the Winegarden Waterfront Park. [Gibsons]

The Sunshine Coast towns offer fishing, camping, hiking, gorgeous beaches, boast “an internet savvy population,” and the best part is that the cost of the ferry is only charged one way. Also, you can walk on the ferry at Horsehoe Bay and use the Sunshine Coast Transit System to save money, and the environment during your outing.

Photo credit: Paul Hillsdon on Flickr

In Gibsons you’ll be able to take in a Sunday Market, enjoy Jazz Week from June 7-15, and even the World’s Best Water (that one the “Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting” contest in 2005 [wiki]). It’s come a long way from its Beachcomber days, and I even remember when it got its first Wendy’s/Time Horton’s – that was a pretty big summer for us. Now that the nice weather is creeping up on us, and that one of my dearest friends lives over there, we’ll have to make a point of day tripping to Gibsons in the near future.