Qualicum Beach shares tourism marketing with Parksville but are two rather different towns. Parksville has the “miracle mile” feel along Highway 19A with Tim Hortons, Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza and other national chains. Qualicum Beach on the other hand has only local vendors with lo-branding. The closest is the Quality Foods store, Lefty’s restaurant and the LDB (Liquor Distribution Branch) store. They have other branches in Parksville and, in the case of the government run liquor store, beyond. A few years back a shopping trip to Qualicum Beach yielded so-so results because the stores seemed generic and bland. This trip however […]

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Coombs is a 10-minute drive (about 10 km) inland from Parksville, which is considered part of central Vancouver Island. We always enjoy a side trip to Coombs when we’re in the area as there’s a couple of favourite shopping spots and there’s always something new. On Highway 4A, our first stop is Dutch Imports because some members of my family enjoy the rather peculiar-to-the-Dutch taste in candy (and other things). Stop here to find 43 types of salty licorice The store has more than odd foods. There’s a lot of traditional Dutch stuff that will make any Hollander homesick. Dutch […]

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This isn’t going to be a story where an infant saves a senior from some horrible fate in the cafeteria. Rather, it was a gorgeous summer sailing from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo. We were starting or family vacation at last before the madness of the Fall descends. We were seated near the cafeteria when my son says, in hushed tones, “Dad, is that Jimmy Olsen?” My son had successfully recognized Mehcad Brooks of the TV show Supergirl, which films in Vancouver. Later on the sailing I saw him again and stopped him and introduced my son and daughter to him. […]

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There’s a 19+ years of age movie theatre in Vancouver at 5th and Burrard (Fifth Avenue Cinemas). For the people who don’t want to deal with children, there’s an option for you. For my friend and I, children aren’t the problem (we have our own) it’s the choice of movee. Dunkirk is not for pre teens. At 5:30 PM on a Friday we managed to get a table for two outside at Trattoria in Kitsilano on 4th Avenue. We did not have reservations but what I see on other sites tells me that if you are tight for time, reservations […]

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Sometimes you have too many meetings and things go late and you are gripped by strange food urges. In this case my urge was for seafood chow mein. Also, sometimes, you find yourself not in your usual neighbourhood and you have to take a risk. Main Street from 13th to 16th in Vancouver is slowly gentrifying and certainly gives the rough-and-tumble neighbourhood feel but you see the creeping in of branded stores and eateries. In this particular case, I found Kwong Chow Congee & Noodle House. I tend to test a Chinese restaurant’s authenticity by the number of anglo-looking faces […]

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I received a call for non traditional, non chain restaurant recommendations in Vancouver. The audience is a newlywed couple wanting to be a little different. Since I have children, and have seen more grilled cheese sandwiches than I like, I reached out to a foodie friend. Here’s what he said: If you can get reservations … Kissa Tanto in Chinatown (Japanese/Italian). It sounds weird, but it works. Depending on how big their appetites are, you may need to order a few more dishes than you think. www.kissatanto.com Distance from downtown: 2.5 km Les Faux Bourgeois -French, in the Kingsway/Fraser Street […]

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It was a hazy day in Vancouver. Sadly it was not fog, it was smoke from horrible forest fires far north of the city. The air was smoky and I was in Yaletown for a mundane appointment and when I was done, the thought of regular transit back was unpleasant. Walking was my normal thought, but with the hot temps and bad air … why not ride the waves instead? Right at the foot of Davie Street is a small dock from which The Aquabus and False Creek Creek Ferries have tiny little boats that take you to Granville Island, […]

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Sophie’s Cosmic Café is always a treat for us. At 4th and Arbutus in Kitsilano in Vancouver. It can be relied for its great burgers (including a very satisfying vegetarian nut burger) plus other items including good perogies, a great nacho plate, falafel and more. Perhaps the standout item is the milkshakes. So far in experience, the milkshakes are the best in town. They had R&B Brewery products on tap that included a good lager and cream ale. The décor is always wonderful. It gives you the impression that starting in the 1960s the owners gathered up all their play […]

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Surrey BC is a community in the Greater Vancouver Regional District that is a rapidly growing city. It’s profile in the news is the home to some nasty gang violence. I think therefore those like me with less knowledge of Surrey will be wonderfully surprised by Crescent Beach, which is in South Surrey on the way to White Rock, BC. What fools you about Crescent Beach is that once you are there and have parked the car, the vibe is of an isolated beach town … the type where the population is about 40 in the off season and peaks […]

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Hike the trail at Helliwell Provincial park. Free admission, easy trail (5kms). Recommend doing it in clock-wise direction for best view of cliffs . Allow time for photos along the way. Lots of great views, including old growth forest, spectacular coastline, seals, flowers. hint: take binoculars if you have them for watching the seals and sea lions. Hornby Island Blues Society puts on several events throughout the year, including a Blues workshop in May featuring several renowned Canadian blues musicians as instructors. hornby-blues.bc.ca/concerts/ Enjoy a great dinner at the Sea Breeze Restaurant. They also have great housekeeping cabins and a […]

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