BC Ferries. When you say this name to BC residents, you might not receive entirely enthusiastic responses. Most people place BC Ferries somewhere in the annoying category. Because many Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands communities are cut off without the service, people see it as an extension of the highways and wonder why the cost is so high when most other roads in BC have no tolls. (E.g. a Nanaimo to Vancouver ferry cost $129.15 for one child and three over-12-year-olds and that included the $15 advance reservation fee. The question of why we are charged extra to let BC […]

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In Victoria, in the Oak Bay neighbhourhood, there is a sushi restaurant called “Bon Sushi” on 1467 Hampshire Rd. I went for dinner with a few people and I have to say I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was one of those really hot summer days where nobody wants to cook so the restaurant was very full. However, we managed to get a table outside in a small amount of time which was very nice. The service was friendly and relatively quick. Since it was so hot outside, I was most definitely not in the mood for any hot […]

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Oak Bay in Victoria is a beautiful place with lots of lovely water views. There are many small parks along the vista, one of them being Queens Park. It is a small viewpoint with a piece of public artwork, a series of wolves and a deer made out of metal. And, although that was fun to look at, my favorite part of the park is it’s old swing. Now, I am not referring to some ordinary swing, this swing is built for four people and you push its floor with your feet for momentum. It’s quite calming and a lovely […]

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Recently, I have been experimenting with a Gluten-Free diet, mainly out of curiosity, just to see how I feel. However, the does mean that I can’t visit all my favorite bakeries as much as I’d love to. As I am currently staying in Victoria I was pointed in the direction of Origin’s Bakery, 1525 Pandora Ave. “Specializing in Gluten Free.” Apparently it is rather popular on the island. I went in around 4:00 in the afternoon and right away I could tell they’d had a good day of sales. There were obvious gaps on shelves where baked goods had been […]

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Everybody loves a good farmers market, especially when they’re close to home. For those living in Vancouver, I strongly suggest that making a trip to the closest market be a top priority when it comes to your food shopping. Founded in 1995, Your Local Farmers Market (The Vancouver Farmers Market) is a registered BC non-profit society. They also offer access to fresh, healthy food for low-income families through the Farmers Market Nutrition Coupon Program. The farmers and food producers offer fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, baked goods, artisan food products and fresh fish, local craft beer, wine and […]

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When visiting Vancouver Island or its surrounding companions, there is only one ferry company to get people to their destinations. That’s right, I’m talking about B.C. Ferries. Now, I know people say “Eww!” thinking about a public ferry service however, it could be a whole lot worse. It depends on what ferry you take in relation to your destination. For example, if you are traveling to Victoria, tons of people visit there all the time. The boat is going to be much larger and be fit with nicer accommodations such as, the “Coastal Café” an on ferry restaurant/buffet (that ends […]

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A gorgeous late Friday afternoon in August in Vancouver provided me with enough time to take a 23 km ride around Stanley Park and False Creek in order to land me at Kits Beach. The route I take has very little actual road riding. I find dodging other bikes and pedestrians challenge enough without fun cars! I noted the time as 4:07 PM at West Georgia and Bute Streets, downtown, where I unlocked my bike and headed north on Bute. Bute Street ends just past Hastings Street. The traffic trying to get to the Lion’s Gate Bridge was insane, even […]

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I live in busy Kits Point in Kitsilano (Vancouver), and in the summer it gets rather hot and crowded with all the visitors coming to the beach. Now, when it’s summer and you’re going to the beach often the next thing that comes to mind is ice-cream, or in this case, gelato. On Yew St, very close to kits beach is Paradiso Italian Gelato. They are a gelato place perfect for summers in Kitsilano. Locally placed, friendly and fast service with taste tests, it is very convenient. Inside the store is slightly less comfortable with mismatching chairs and slightly wobbly […]

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As a celebration for the end of yet another school season my parents took my brother and I out for dinner at Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company in Vancouver. Their main location is on 1st Avenue and Cypress St. Once inside I was instantly overwhelmed by the smell of pizza cooking in an amazing way. Right as we come in somebody comes up and gives us a seat inside near their big pizza oven and their new green wall. We met our waitress shortly after and she was very friendly, helpful and did not fail to mention any details. Now, my […]

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Annually — despite challenges obtaining sponsors — Vancouver has a fireworks competition that is on the days leading up to the Saturday of the August long weekend. This year it was on July 31 and was the Honda Celebration of Light. This long running (since 1990) fireworks display capitalizes on the geography on Vancouver’s English Bay, which allows, according to the local news this year, 500,000 people to view it. Many were curled up to a radio (of some sort) to listen to the simulcast of the music to which the fireworks are synchronized. The night my family attended was […]

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