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 Island Chef Food Fest: Eat Food & Fund Farms
Southern Vancouver Island is often referred to as “Canada’s Provence” for its high quality, niche food products. On June 10, 2012, visitors to Victoria, B.C. can enjoy the outdoors and experience Vancouver Island’s bounty all in one place with the Island Chefs Collaborative’s fifth annual food festival. Held from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Fort Rodd Hill, this year’s festival, Eat Food & Fund Farms , will include more than 60 local food producers and chefs. Culinary tourists are encouraged to grab a bite and explore around the grounds of the National Historic Site, a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s complete with three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. The food fest showcases top chefs, restaurateurs and local producers, while raising awareness on the issues and challenges of food production and sustainability on Vancouver Island. Tickets are $40 CDN for adults, $20 CDN for youth and $80 CDN for a family ticket, which includes two adults and two youth. For those looking for a healthy way to get to the festival, Habit Coffee will be organizing its annual bike trip to the fest. Skip the queue and get free bike parking as bike participants arrive before noon. The Island Chefs Collaborative is a like-minded community of chefs and food and beverage professionals with a common interest in regional food security, the preservation of farmland and the development of local food systems. For more information visit www.iccbc.ca.
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 Fly From Tee to Tee
Celebrating its 30th year in 2012, Harbour Air in Victoria, B.C. is the world’s largest carbon neutral seaplane airline. Offering flights between Victoria and Vancouver, the summer flight schedule also offers a daily flight between two of Canada’s premier golfing destinations: Victoria and Whistler. With the mildest climate in the country, Victoria offers residents and visitors golf year-round. Golfers can choose from twenty courses in the Victoria area, from full-scale championship links to smaller, less difficult courses, most with spectacular lake, ocean and mountain views. Visitors can try their hand at Victoria’s newest championship golf course Highland Pacific Golf, or Canada’s only 36-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. The truly dedicated golfer can spend an entire vacation exploring a variety of courses and follow the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, golfing their way up and down Vancouver Island at 12 premier courses. If that’s not enough, the extreme golfing fanatic can play two cities in one trip by catching a float plane to Whistler, B.C. Once daily from May 18 to September 30, 2012, Harbour Air’s flight from Victoria’s Inner Harbour offers golfers spectacular aerial views of the majestic glaciers and turquoise waters before landing on beautiful Green Lake in Whistler, B.C. and hitting the next green in just over an hour’s time. Whistler boasts four championship courses in Big Sky Golf and Country Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club and The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Flight cost between B.C.’s capital and the world-class mountain resort is $266.40 CDN. For more information visit www.harbour-air.com.
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 Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee
Victoria, B.C. has long been known for its British heritage and the city simply cannot resist celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of her 60-year reign. Several events and activities at some of Victoria’s most iconic locations have been planned around her Majesty’s milestone. The month of June 2012 has been declared Diamond Jubilee month at The Fairmont Empress. Events planned range from an exclusive Diamond Jubilee Gala to outdoor tea parties to queen-worthy spa packages. Four-legged friends are also welcome at the Royal Dog Show and Tea Party. On June 1, 2012 the Royal BC Museum will also honour the Queen with its latest exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration . Featuring nearly 100 portraits by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, this exhibit explores Beaton’s long relationship with Elizabeth, who was a teenage princess when he first photographed her in 1942. Experience the many different sides of Elizabeth in her roles as princess, monarch and mother while getting a glimpse of her royal life with a number of rarely seen photographs alongside extracts from Beaton’s personal diaries and letters. Beaton’s royal portraits were among the most widely published photos of the 20th century and this five-section exhibition charts the shift in Beaton’s style from early rococo-inspired portraits to the starker images of the 1960s. The exhibition will open June 1 and run until September 3, 2012. Tickets are $14.29 CDN for adults and $9.06 CDN for children. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress and www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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 Royal BC Museum Offers Kids Dinosaur Fun
Located in downtown Victoria, B.C., the Royal BC Museum’s fourth annual summer camp series is taking on Dinosaurs! With the feature exhibition Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opening May 17, 2012 the summer camps will allow budding paleontologists to discover more about dinosaurs. Divided into six week-long segments, campers will spend time in the exhibition, visit the paleobotany lab behind-the-scenes in the museum, attend an IMAX movie and go on a geologically inspired field trip. The camps run from July 16 to August 31, 2012. The camp costs $224 CDN and is open to children ages 6 to 12. The feature exhibition offers amazing bio-mechanical models and lush dioramas to give the thrill of discovering something brand new about the creatures that lived millions of years ago. Visitors are encouraged to dive into the exciting world of modern paleontology, where new dinosaur fossils are being discovered faster than ever before. The young and young-at-heart are invited to try some dinosaur fun with interactive animations like Dino-Pedia and Continental Drift and other fun dino activities. Designed and curated by the world-famous American Museum of Natural History, this exhibit is a must-see for all ages and Victoria is its only stop in Canada. For more information visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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 The Fairmont Empress Bees Create Sweet New Brew
In late April, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C. welcomed back their most famous summer residents– the honeybees. Last year, The hotel became the newest property in the Fairmont family to initiate a honeybee program, bringing ten hives and 800,000 bees to the hotel’s Centennial Garden. The bees produced 1,300 pounds of honey, which was used in the hotel restaurants for Afternoon Tea. In partnership with Hoyne Brewery, the honey was also used to create the Empress Honey Wheat Ale, launching just in time for summer. Beginning May 10, 2012, visitors can try the new brew in the best seats in the house when The Fairmont’s Veranda opens for the summer season. The perfect setting to enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, The Veranda offers a farm to fork menu featuring some of Vancouver Island’s finest ingredients for visitors’ dining experience. Open from 11:30 a.m. to dusk, or chilly if that comes first, the Veranda also provides heaters, wraps and sun shades for their guests’ enjoyment. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress.
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 Merridale Adds New Orchard Cookhouse
This May, Merridale Ciderworks located 25 minutes north of Victoria, B.C., offers a feast for the senses with the opening of their Orchard Cookhouse. This new outdoor kitchen is complete with a BBQ grill, brick oven and new smoker, offering endless opportunities for menu creativity. With all of Merridale’s food now being cooked outside, menu experimentations to date include: smoked cider glazed wild salmon, marinated smoked vegetables for sides and pizza toppings and pork ribs on the grill. And, if that doesn’t get your mouth watering, this summer Merridale will also feature an impressive line of burgers made from lamb, beef, seafood and chicken and also a veggie burger for those less meat inclined. The smoker will be used to smoke meats for both the bistro and the deli, offering visitors a flavourful smoked taste. Daily seafood specials will feature tasty bowls of mussels, or the freshest find for the day. Merridale Ciderworks, nestled in the south of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, is Canada’s largest producer of craft cider from English and French cider apples. For more information visit www.merridalecider.com .
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 Cycle Your Way Through Wine Country
Victoria, B.C. is rated the cycling capital of Canada (Statistics Canada 2006) and along with world-class trails, the region produces internationally recognized and award-winning wines. Visitors can experience this ever growing wine region on two wheels with a tour from Cycle Treks called the Saanich Peninsula Wine Tour. This guided, full-day tour (approximately seven to eight hours), follows the picturesque Lochside Trail through bird sanctuaries, active farmlands and over train tressles. Stops include Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, a ten-acre certified organic farm that produces hand-crafted ciders onsite, Church and State Wines, an 11-acre property producing award-winning wines and Victoria Spirits, B.C.’s first artisan gin distillery. The tour returns via the stunning Colquitz River Trail. The cost for this tour is $139 CDN and includes a hybrid-style bicycle, helmet, map, water bottle and lunch. Cycle Treks also offers Victoria City, The Butchart Gardens, West Coast Adventure, Seaside Touring Route, Cowichan Valley Winery and Lochside Trail tours as well as multi-day tours of Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. For more information visit www.cycletreks.com.
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 Tourism Victoria Provides Escape Plan
Maybe it’s the anticipation of warmer weather on the way or maybe it’s the work week that never ends; whatever the case may be, wouldn’t it be nice to escape it all? Until July 3, 2012, Tourism Victoria is offering visitors the chance to win one of five perfectly-you escapes departing from Vancouver, B.C. or Seattle, WA to Victoria, B.C. valued at $2,000 CDN each! Visitors can discover their unique travel style and enter to win using the Escape Planner app at www.WinYourEscape.com , then share the contest on Twitter using the hashtag #WinYourEscape and they’ll be entered to win one of the $100 CDN weekly cash prizes. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and is a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. This combined with the wild beauty of the Pacific Ocean and old-growth rainforests set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains makes for a nearby getaway that feels out of this world. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com.
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Coming up for us….
Holly Lenk will be in Fredericton, NB from May 2 to 5 attending the 2012 TMAC Conference and AGM.
Cathy Ray will be in Vancouver, BC on May 7 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Cathy Ray and Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA on May 8 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Holly Lenk will be in Whitehorse, YT from May 27 to 31 attending GoMedia Canada.
Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA and Portland, OR the week of June 12 to 15 along with partners from Tourism British Columbia, Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Whistler for a media marketplace event and media calls.
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Island Chef Food Fest: Eat Food & Fund Farms
Southern Vancouver Island is often referred to as “Canada’s Provence” for its high quality, niche food products. On June 10, 2012, visitors to Victoria, B.C. can enjoy the outdoors and experience Vancouver Island’s bounty all in one place with the Island Chefs Collaborative’s fifth annual food festival. Held from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Fort Rodd Hill, this year’s festival, Eat Food & Fund Farms , will include more than 60 local food producers and chefs. Culinary tourists are encouraged to grab a bite and explore around the grounds of the National Historic Site, a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s complete with three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. The food fest showcases top chefs, restaurateurs and local producers, while raising awareness on the issues and challenges of food production and sustainability on Vancouver Island. Tickets are $40 CDN for adults, $20 CDN for youth and $80 CDN for a family ticket, which includes two adults and two youth. For those looking for a healthy way to get to the festival, Habit Coffee will be organizing its annual bike trip to the fest. Skip the queue and get free bike parking as bike participants arrive before noon. The Island Chefs Collaborative is a like-minded community of chefs and food and beverage professionals with a common interest in regional food security, the preservation of farmland and the development of local food systems. For more information visit www.iccbc.ca.
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Fly From Tee to Tee
Celebrating its 30th year in 2012, Harbour Air in Victoria, B.C. is the world’s largest carbon neutral seaplane airline. Offering flights between Victoria and Vancouver, the summer flight schedule also offers a daily flight between two of Canada’s premier golfing destinations: Victoria and Whistler. With the mildest climate in the country, Victoria offers residents and visitors golf year-round. Golfers can choose from twenty courses in the Victoria area, from full-scale championship links to smaller, less difficult courses, most with spectacular lake, ocean and mountain views. Visitors can try their hand at Victoria’s newest championship golf course Highland Pacific Golf, or Canada’s only 36-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. The truly dedicated golfer can spend an entire vacation exploring a variety of courses and follow the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, golfing their way up and down Vancouver Island at 12 premier courses. If that’s not enough, the extreme golfing fanatic can play two cities in one trip by catching a float plane to Whistler, B.C. Once daily from May 18 to September 30, 2012, Harbour Air’s flight from Victoria’s Inner Harbour offers golfers spectacular aerial views of the majestic glaciers and turquoise waters before landing on beautiful Green Lake in Whistler, B.C. and hitting the next green in just over an hour’s time. Whistler boasts four championship courses in Big Sky Golf and Country Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club and The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Flight cost between B.C.’s capital and the world-class mountain resort is $266.40 CDN. For more information visit www.harbour-air.com.
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Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee
Victoria, B.C. has long been known for its British heritage and the city simply cannot resist celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of her 60-year reign. Several events and activities at some of Victoria’s most iconic locations have been planned around her Majesty’s milestone. The month of June 2012 has been declared Diamond Jubilee month at The Fairmont Empress. Events planned range from an exclusive Diamond Jubilee Gala to outdoor tea parties to queen-worthy spa packages. Four-legged friends are also welcome at the Royal Dog Show and Tea Party. On June 1, 2012 the Royal BC Museum will also honour the Queen with its latest exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration . Featuring nearly 100 portraits by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, this exhibit explores Beaton’s long relationship with Elizabeth, who was a teenage princess when he first photographed her in 1942. Experience the many different sides of Elizabeth in her roles as princess, monarch and mother while getting a glimpse of her royal life with a number of rarely seen photographs alongside extracts from Beaton’s personal diaries and letters. Beaton’s royal portraits were among the most widely published photos of the 20th century and this five-section exhibition charts the shift in Beaton’s style from early rococo-inspired portraits to the starker images of the 1960s. The exhibition will open June 1 and run until September 3, 2012. Tickets are $14.29 CDN for adults and $9.06 CDN for children. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress and www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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Royal BC Museum Offers Kids Dinosaur Fun
Located in downtown Victoria, B.C., the Royal BC Museum’s fourth annual summer camp series is taking on Dinosaurs! With the feature exhibition Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opening May 17, 2012 the summer camps will allow budding paleontologists to discover more about dinosaurs. Divided into six week-long segments, campers will spend time in the exhibition, visit the paleobotany lab behind-the-scenes in the museum, attend an IMAX movie and go on a geologically inspired field trip. The camps run from July 16 to August 31, 2012. The camp costs $224 CDN and is open to children ages 6 to 12. The feature exhibition offers amazing bio-mechanical models and lush dioramas to give the thrill of discovering something brand new about the creatures that lived millions of years ago. Visitors are encouraged to dive into the exciting world of modern paleontology, where new dinosaur fossils are being discovered faster than ever before. The young and young-at-heart are invited to try some dinosaur fun with interactive animations like Dino-Pedia and Continental Drift and other fun dino activities. Designed and curated by the world-famous American Museum of Natural History, this exhibit is a must-see for all ages and Victoria is its only stop in Canada. For more information visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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The Fairmont Empress Bees Create Sweet New Brew
In late April, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C. welcomed back their most famous summer residents– the honeybees. Last year, The hotel became the newest property in the Fairmont family to initiate a honeybee program, bringing ten hives and 800,000 bees to the hotel’s Centennial Garden. The bees produced 1,300 pounds of honey, which was used in the hotel restaurants for Afternoon Tea. In partnership with Hoyne Brewery, the honey was also used to create the Empress Honey Wheat Ale, launching just in time for summer. Beginning May 10, 2012, visitors can try the new brew in the best seats in the house when The Fairmont’s Veranda opens for the summer season. The perfect setting to enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, The Veranda offers a farm to fork menu featuring some of Vancouver Island’s finest ingredients for visitors’ dining experience. Open from 11:30 a.m. to dusk, or chilly if that comes first, the Veranda also provides heaters, wraps and sun shades for their guests’ enjoyment. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress.
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Merridale Adds New Orchard Cookhouse
This May, Merridale Ciderworks located 25 minutes north of Victoria, B.C., offers a feast for the senses with the opening of their Orchard Cookhouse. This new outdoor kitchen is complete with a BBQ grill, brick oven and new smoker, offering endless opportunities for menu creativity. With all of Merridale’s food now being cooked outside, menu experimentations to date include: smoked cider glazed wild salmon, marinated smoked vegetables for sides and pizza toppings and pork ribs on the grill. And, if that doesn’t get your mouth watering, this summer Merridale will also feature an impressive line of burgers made from lamb, beef, seafood and chicken and also a veggie burger for those less meat inclined. The smoker will be used to smoke meats for both the bistro and the deli, offering visitors a flavourful smoked taste. Daily seafood specials will feature tasty bowls of mussels, or the freshest find for the day. Merridale Ciderworks, nestled in the south of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, is Canada’s largest producer of craft cider from English and French cider apples. For more information visit www.merridalecider.com .
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Cycle Your Way Through Wine Country
Victoria, B.C. is rated the cycling capital of Canada (Statistics Canada 2006) and along with world-class trails, the region produces internationally recognized and award-winning wines. Visitors can experience this ever growing wine region on two wheels with a tour from Cycle Treks called the Saanich Peninsula Wine Tour. This guided, full-day tour (approximately seven to eight hours), follows the picturesque Lochside Trail through bird sanctuaries, active farmlands and over train tressles. Stops include Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, a ten-acre certified organic farm that produces hand-crafted ciders onsite, Church and State Wines, an 11-acre property producing award-winning wines and Victoria Spirits, B.C.’s first artisan gin distillery. The tour returns via the stunning Colquitz River Trail. The cost for this tour is $139 CDN and includes a hybrid-style bicycle, helmet, map, water bottle and lunch. Cycle Treks also offers Victoria City, The Butchart Gardens, West Coast Adventure, Seaside Touring Route, Cowichan Valley Winery and Lochside Trail tours as well as multi-day tours of Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. For more information visit www.cycletreks.com.
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Tourism Victoria Provides Escape Plan
Maybe it’s the anticipation of warmer weather on the way or maybe it’s the work week that never ends; whatever the case may be, wouldn’t it be nice to escape it all? Until July 3, 2012, Tourism Victoria is offering visitors the chance to win one of five perfectly-you escapes departing from Vancouver, B.C. or Seattle, WA to Victoria, B.C. valued at $2,000 CDN each! Visitors can discover their unique travel style and enter to win using the Escape Planner app at www.WinYourEscape.com , then share the contest on Twitter using the hashtag #WinYourEscape and they’ll be entered to win one of the $100 CDN weekly cash prizes. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and is a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. This combined with the wild beauty of the Pacific Ocean and old-growth rainforests set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains makes for a nearby getaway that feels out of this world. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com.
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Coming up for us….
Holly Lenk will be in Fredericton, NB from May 2 to 5 attending the 2012 TMAC Conference and AGM.
Cathy Ray will be in Vancouver, BC on May 7 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Cathy Ray and Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA on May 8 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Holly Lenk will be in Whitehorse, YT from May 27 to 31 attending GoMedia Canada.
Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA and Portland, OR the week of June 12 to 15 along with partners from Tourism British Columbia, Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Whistler for a media marketplace event and media calls.
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Island Chef Food Fest: Eat Food & Fund Farms
Southern Vancouver Island is often referred to as “Canada’s Provence” for its high quality, niche food products. On June 10, 2012, visitors to Victoria, B.C. can enjoy the outdoors and experience Vancouver Island’s bounty all in one place with the Island Chefs Collaborative’s fifth annual food festival. Held from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Fort Rodd Hill, this year’s festival, Eat Food & Fund Farms , will include more than 60 local food producers and chefs. Culinary tourists are encouraged to grab a bite and explore around the grounds of the National Historic Site, a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s complete with three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. The food fest showcases top chefs, restaurateurs and local producers, while raising awareness on the issues and challenges of food production and sustainability on Vancouver Island. Tickets are $40 CDN for adults, $20 CDN for youth and $80 CDN for a family ticket, which includes two adults and two youth. For those looking for a healthy way to get to the festival, Habit Coffee will be organizing its annual bike trip to the fest. Skip the queue and get free bike parking as bike participants arrive before noon. The Island Chefs Collaborative is a like-minded community of chefs and food and beverage professionals with a common interest in regional food security, the preservation of farmland and the development of local food systems. For more information visit www.iccbc.ca.
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Fly From Tee to Tee
Celebrating its 30th year in 2012, Harbour Air in Victoria, B.C. is the world’s largest carbon neutral seaplane airline. Offering flights between Victoria and Vancouver, the summer flight schedule also offers a daily flight between two of Canada’s premier golfing destinations: Victoria and Whistler. With the mildest climate in the country, Victoria offers residents and visitors golf year-round. Golfers can choose from twenty courses in the Victoria area, from full-scale championship links to smaller, less difficult courses, most with spectacular lake, ocean and mountain views. Visitors can try their hand at Victoria’s newest championship golf course Highland Pacific Golf, or Canada’s only 36-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. The truly dedicated golfer can spend an entire vacation exploring a variety of courses and follow the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, golfing their way up and down Vancouver Island at 12 premier courses. If that’s not enough, the extreme golfing fanatic can play two cities in one trip by catching a float plane to Whistler, B.C. Once daily from May 18 to September 30, 2012, Harbour Air’s flight from Victoria’s Inner Harbour offers golfers spectacular aerial views of the majestic glaciers and turquoise waters before landing on beautiful Green Lake in Whistler, B.C. and hitting the next green in just over an hour’s time. Whistler boasts four championship courses in Big Sky Golf and Country Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club and The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Flight cost between B.C.’s capital and the world-class mountain resort is $266.40 CDN. For more information visit www.harbour-air.com.
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Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee
Victoria, B.C. has long been known for its British heritage and the city simply cannot resist celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of her 60-year reign. Several events and activities at some of Victoria’s most iconic locations have been planned around her Majesty’s milestone. The month of June 2012 has been declared Diamond Jubilee month at The Fairmont Empress. Events planned range from an exclusive Diamond Jubilee Gala to outdoor tea parties to queen-worthy spa packages. Four-legged friends are also welcome at the Royal Dog Show and Tea Party. On June 1, 2012 the Royal BC Museum will also honour the Queen with its latest exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration . Featuring nearly 100 portraits by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, this exhibit explores Beaton’s long relationship with Elizabeth, who was a teenage princess when he first photographed her in 1942. Experience the many different sides of Elizabeth in her roles as princess, monarch and mother while getting a glimpse of her royal life with a number of rarely seen photographs alongside extracts from Beaton’s personal diaries and letters. Beaton’s royal portraits were among the most widely published photos of the 20th century and this five-section exhibition charts the shift in Beaton’s style from early rococo-inspired portraits to the starker images of the 1960s. The exhibition will open June 1 and run until September 3, 2012. Tickets are $14.29 CDN for adults and $9.06 CDN for children. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress and www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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Royal BC Museum Offers Kids Dinosaur Fun
Located in downtown Victoria, B.C., the Royal BC Museum’s fourth annual summer camp series is taking on Dinosaurs! With the feature exhibition Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opening May 17, 2012 the summer camps will allow budding paleontologists to discover more about dinosaurs. Divided into six week-long segments, campers will spend time in the exhibition, visit the paleobotany lab behind-the-scenes in the museum, attend an IMAX movie and go on a geologically inspired field trip. The camps run from July 16 to August 31, 2012. The camp costs $224 CDN and is open to children ages 6 to 12. The feature exhibition offers amazing bio-mechanical models and lush dioramas to give the thrill of discovering something brand new about the creatures that lived millions of years ago. Visitors are encouraged to dive into the exciting world of modern paleontology, where new dinosaur fossils are being discovered faster than ever before. The young and young-at-heart are invited to try some dinosaur fun with interactive animations like Dino-Pedia and Continental Drift and other fun dino activities. Designed and curated by the world-famous American Museum of Natural History, this exhibit is a must-see for all ages and Victoria is its only stop in Canada. For more information visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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The Fairmont Empress Bees Create Sweet New Brew
In late April, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C. welcomed back their most famous summer residents– the honeybees. Last year, The hotel became the newest property in the Fairmont family to initiate a honeybee program, bringing ten hives and 800,000 bees to the hotel’s Centennial Garden. The bees produced 1,300 pounds of honey, which was used in the hotel restaurants for Afternoon Tea. In partnership with Hoyne Brewery, the honey was also used to create the Empress Honey Wheat Ale, launching just in time for summer. Beginning May 10, 2012, visitors can try the new brew in the best seats in the house when The Fairmont’s Veranda opens for the summer season. The perfect setting to enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, The Veranda offers a farm to fork menu featuring some of Vancouver Island’s finest ingredients for visitors’ dining experience. Open from 11:30 a.m. to dusk, or chilly if that comes first, the Veranda also provides heaters, wraps and sun shades for their guests’ enjoyment. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress.
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Merridale Adds New Orchard Cookhouse
This May, Merridale Ciderworks located 25 minutes north of Victoria, B.C., offers a feast for the senses with the opening of their Orchard Cookhouse. This new outdoor kitchen is complete with a BBQ grill, brick oven and new smoker, offering endless opportunities for menu creativity. With all of Merridale’s food now being cooked outside, menu experimentations to date include: smoked cider glazed wild salmon, marinated smoked vegetables for sides and pizza toppings and pork ribs on the grill. And, if that doesn’t get your mouth watering, this summer Merridale will also feature an impressive line of burgers made from lamb, beef, seafood and chicken and also a veggie burger for those less meat inclined. The smoker will be used to smoke meats for both the bistro and the deli, offering visitors a flavourful smoked taste. Daily seafood specials will feature tasty bowls of mussels, or the freshest find for the day. Merridale Ciderworks, nestled in the south of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, is Canada’s largest producer of craft cider from English and French cider apples. For more information visit www.merridalecider.com .
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Cycle Your Way Through Wine Country
Victoria, B.C. is rated the cycling capital of Canada (Statistics Canada 2006) and along with world-class trails, the region produces internationally recognized and award-winning wines. Visitors can experience this ever growing wine region on two wheels with a tour from Cycle Treks called the Saanich Peninsula Wine Tour. This guided, full-day tour (approximately seven to eight hours), follows the picturesque Lochside Trail through bird sanctuaries, active farmlands and over train tressles. Stops include Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, a ten-acre certified organic farm that produces hand-crafted ciders onsite, Church and State Wines, an 11-acre property producing award-winning wines and Victoria Spirits, B.C.’s first artisan gin distillery. The tour returns via the stunning Colquitz River Trail. The cost for this tour is $139 CDN and includes a hybrid-style bicycle, helmet, map, water bottle and lunch. Cycle Treks also offers Victoria City, The Butchart Gardens, West Coast Adventure, Seaside Touring Route, Cowichan Valley Winery and Lochside Trail tours as well as multi-day tours of Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. For more information visit www.cycletreks.com.
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Tourism Victoria Provides Escape Plan
Maybe it’s the anticipation of warmer weather on the way or maybe it’s the work week that never ends; whatever the case may be, wouldn’t it be nice to escape it all? Until July 3, 2012, Tourism Victoria is offering visitors the chance to win one of five perfectly-you escapes departing from Vancouver, B.C. or Seattle, WA to Victoria, B.C. valued at $2,000 CDN each! Visitors can discover their unique travel style and enter to win using the Escape Planner app at www.WinYourEscape.com , then share the contest on Twitter using the hashtag #WinYourEscape and they’ll be entered to win one of the $100 CDN weekly cash prizes. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and is a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. This combined with the wild beauty of the Pacific Ocean and old-growth rainforests set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains makes for a nearby getaway that feels out of this world. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com.
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Coming up for us….
Holly Lenk will be in Fredericton, NB from May 2 to 5 attending the 2012 TMAC Conference and AGM.
Cathy Ray will be in Vancouver, BC on May 7 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Cathy Ray and Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA on May 8 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Holly Lenk will be in Whitehorse, YT from May 27 to 31 attending GoMedia Canada.
Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA and Portland, OR the week of June 12 to 15 along with partners from Tourism British Columbia, Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Whistler for a media marketplace event and media calls.
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Island Chef Food Fest: Eat Food & Fund Farms
Southern Vancouver Island is often referred to as “Canada’s Provence” for its high quality, niche food products. On June 10, 2012, visitors to Victoria, B.C. can enjoy the outdoors and experience Vancouver Island’s bounty all in one place with the Island Chefs Collaborative’s fifth annual food festival. Held from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Fort Rodd Hill, this year’s festival, Eat Food & Fund Farms , will include more than 60 local food producers and chefs. Culinary tourists are encouraged to grab a bite and explore around the grounds of the National Historic Site, a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s complete with three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. The food fest showcases top chefs, restaurateurs and local producers, while raising awareness on the issues and challenges of food production and sustainability on Vancouver Island. Tickets are $40 CDN for adults, $20 CDN for youth and $80 CDN for a family ticket, which includes two adults and two youth. For those looking for a healthy way to get to the festival, Habit Coffee will be organizing its annual bike trip to the fest. Skip the queue and get free bike parking as bike participants arrive before noon. The Island Chefs Collaborative is a like-minded community of chefs and food and beverage professionals with a common interest in regional food security, the preservation of farmland and the development of local food systems. For more information visit www.iccbc.ca.
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Fly From Tee to Tee
Celebrating its 30th year in 2012, Harbour Air in Victoria, B.C. is the world’s largest carbon neutral seaplane airline. Offering flights between Victoria and Vancouver, the summer flight schedule also offers a daily flight between two of Canada’s premier golfing destinations: Victoria and Whistler. With the mildest climate in the country, Victoria offers residents and visitors golf year-round. Golfers can choose from twenty courses in the Victoria area, from full-scale championship links to smaller, less difficult courses, most with spectacular lake, ocean and mountain views. Visitors can try their hand at Victoria’s newest championship golf course Highland Pacific Golf, or Canada’s only 36-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. The truly dedicated golfer can spend an entire vacation exploring a variety of courses and follow the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, golfing their way up and down Vancouver Island at 12 premier courses. If that’s not enough, the extreme golfing fanatic can play two cities in one trip by catching a float plane to Whistler, B.C. Once daily from May 18 to September 30, 2012, Harbour Air’s flight from Victoria’s Inner Harbour offers golfers spectacular aerial views of the majestic glaciers and turquoise waters before landing on beautiful Green Lake in Whistler, B.C. and hitting the next green in just over an hour’s time. Whistler boasts four championship courses in Big Sky Golf and Country Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club and The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Flight cost between B.C.’s capital and the world-class mountain resort is $266.40 CDN. For more information visit www.harbour-air.com.
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Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee
Victoria, B.C. has long been known for its British heritage and the city simply cannot resist celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of her 60-year reign. Several events and activities at some of Victoria’s most iconic locations have been planned around her Majesty’s milestone. The month of June 2012 has been declared Diamond Jubilee month at The Fairmont Empress. Events planned range from an exclusive Diamond Jubilee Gala to outdoor tea parties to queen-worthy spa packages. Four-legged friends are also welcome at the Royal Dog Show and Tea Party. On June 1, 2012 the Royal BC Museum will also honour the Queen with its latest exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration . Featuring nearly 100 portraits by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, this exhibit explores Beaton’s long relationship with Elizabeth, who was a teenage princess when he first photographed her in 1942. Experience the many different sides of Elizabeth in her roles as princess, monarch and mother while getting a glimpse of her royal life with a number of rarely seen photographs alongside extracts from Beaton’s personal diaries and letters. Beaton’s royal portraits were among the most widely published photos of the 20th century and this five-section exhibition charts the shift in Beaton’s style from early rococo-inspired portraits to the starker images of the 1960s. The exhibition will open June 1 and run until September 3, 2012. Tickets are $14.29 CDN for adults and $9.06 CDN for children. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress and www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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Royal BC Museum Offers Kids Dinosaur Fun
Located in downtown Victoria, B.C., the Royal BC Museum’s fourth annual summer camp series is taking on Dinosaurs! With the feature exhibition Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opening May 17, 2012 the summer camps will allow budding paleontologists to discover more about dinosaurs. Divided into six week-long segments, campers will spend time in the exhibition, visit the paleobotany lab behind-the-scenes in the museum, attend an IMAX movie and go on a geologically inspired field trip. The camps run from July 16 to August 31, 2012. The camp costs $224 CDN and is open to children ages 6 to 12. The feature exhibition offers amazing bio-mechanical models and lush dioramas to give the thrill of discovering something brand new about the creatures that lived millions of years ago. Visitors are encouraged to dive into the exciting world of modern paleontology, where new dinosaur fossils are being discovered faster than ever before. The young and young-at-heart are invited to try some dinosaur fun with interactive animations like Dino-Pedia and Continental Drift and other fun dino activities. Designed and curated by the world-famous American Museum of Natural History, this exhibit is a must-see for all ages and Victoria is its only stop in Canada. For more information visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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The Fairmont Empress Bees Create Sweet New Brew
In late April, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C. welcomed back their most famous summer residents– the honeybees. Last year, The hotel became the newest property in the Fairmont family to initiate a honeybee program, bringing ten hives and 800,000 bees to the hotel’s Centennial Garden. The bees produced 1,300 pounds of honey, which was used in the hotel restaurants for Afternoon Tea. In partnership with Hoyne Brewery, the honey was also used to create the Empress Honey Wheat Ale, launching just in time for summer. Beginning May 10, 2012, visitors can try the new brew in the best seats in the house when The Fairmont’s Veranda opens for the summer season. The perfect setting to enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, The Veranda offers a farm to fork menu featuring some of Vancouver Island’s finest ingredients for visitors’ dining experience. Open from 11:30 a.m. to dusk, or chilly if that comes first, the Veranda also provides heaters, wraps and sun shades for their guests’ enjoyment. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress.
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Merridale Adds New Orchard Cookhouse
This May, Merridale Ciderworks located 25 minutes north of Victoria, B.C., offers a feast for the senses with the opening of their Orchard Cookhouse. This new outdoor kitchen is complete with a BBQ grill, brick oven and new smoker, offering endless opportunities for menu creativity. With all of Merridale’s food now being cooked outside, menu experimentations to date include: smoked cider glazed wild salmon, marinated smoked vegetables for sides and pizza toppings and pork ribs on the grill. And, if that doesn’t get your mouth watering, this summer Merridale will also feature an impressive line of burgers made from lamb, beef, seafood and chicken and also a veggie burger for those less meat inclined. The smoker will be used to smoke meats for both the bistro and the deli, offering visitors a flavourful smoked taste. Daily seafood specials will feature tasty bowls of mussels, or the freshest find for the day. Merridale Ciderworks, nestled in the south of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, is Canada’s largest producer of craft cider from English and French cider apples. For more information visit www.merridalecider.com .
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Cycle Your Way Through Wine Country
Victoria, B.C. is rated the cycling capital of Canada (Statistics Canada 2006) and along with world-class trails, the region produces internationally recognized and award-winning wines. Visitors can experience this ever growing wine region on two wheels with a tour from Cycle Treks called the Saanich Peninsula Wine Tour. This guided, full-day tour (approximately seven to eight hours), follows the picturesque Lochside Trail through bird sanctuaries, active farmlands and over train tressles. Stops include Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, a ten-acre certified organic farm that produces hand-crafted ciders onsite, Church and State Wines, an 11-acre property producing award-winning wines and Victoria Spirits, B.C.’s first artisan gin distillery. The tour returns via the stunning Colquitz River Trail. The cost for this tour is $139 CDN and includes a hybrid-style bicycle, helmet, map, water bottle and lunch. Cycle Treks also offers Victoria City, The Butchart Gardens, West Coast Adventure, Seaside Touring Route, Cowichan Valley Winery and Lochside Trail tours as well as multi-day tours of Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. For more information visit www.cycletreks.com.
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Tourism Victoria Provides Escape Plan
Maybe it’s the anticipation of warmer weather on the way or maybe it’s the work week that never ends; whatever the case may be, wouldn’t it be nice to escape it all? Until July 3, 2012, Tourism Victoria is offering visitors the chance to win one of five perfectly-you escapes departing from Vancouver, B.C. or Seattle, WA to Victoria, B.C. valued at $2,000 CDN each! Visitors can discover their unique travel style and enter to win using the Escape Planner app at www.WinYourEscape.com , then share the contest on Twitter using the hashtag #WinYourEscape and they’ll be entered to win one of the $100 CDN weekly cash prizes. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and is a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. This combined with the wild beauty of the Pacific Ocean and old-growth rainforests set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains makes for a nearby getaway that feels out of this world. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com.
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Island Chef Food Fest: Eat Food & Fund Farms
Southern Vancouver Island is often referred to as “Canada’s Provence” for its high quality, niche food products. On June 10, 2012, visitors to Victoria, B.C. can enjoy the outdoors and experience Vancouver Island’s bounty all in one place with the Island Chefs Collaborative’s fifth annual food festival. Held from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Fort Rodd Hill, this year’s festival, Eat Food & Fund Farms , will include more than 60 local food producers and chefs. Culinary tourists are encouraged to grab a bite and explore around the grounds of the National Historic Site, a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s complete with three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. The food fest showcases top chefs, restaurateurs and local producers, while raising awareness on the issues and challenges of food production and sustainability on Vancouver Island. Tickets are $40 CDN for adults, $20 CDN for youth and $80 CDN for a family ticket, which includes two adults and two youth. For those looking for a healthy way to get to the festival, Habit Coffee will be organizing its annual bike trip to the fest. Skip the queue and get free bike parking as bike participants arrive before noon. The Island Chefs Collaborative is a like-minded community of chefs and food and beverage professionals with a common interest in regional food security, the preservation of farmland and the development of local food systems. For more information visit www.iccbc.ca.
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Fly From Tee to Tee
Celebrating its 30th year in 2012, Harbour Air in Victoria, B.C. is the world’s largest carbon neutral seaplane airline. Offering flights between Victoria and Vancouver, the summer flight schedule also offers a daily flight between two of Canada’s premier golfing destinations: Victoria and Whistler. With the mildest climate in the country, Victoria offers residents and visitors golf year-round. Golfers can choose from twenty courses in the Victoria area, from full-scale championship links to smaller, less difficult courses, most with spectacular lake, ocean and mountain views. Visitors can try their hand at Victoria’s newest championship golf course Highland Pacific Golf, or Canada’s only 36-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. The truly dedicated golfer can spend an entire vacation exploring a variety of courses and follow the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, golfing their way up and down Vancouver Island at 12 premier courses. If that’s not enough, the extreme golfing fanatic can play two cities in one trip by catching a float plane to Whistler, B.C. Once daily from May 18 to September 30, 2012, Harbour Air’s flight from Victoria’s Inner Harbour offers golfers spectacular aerial views of the majestic glaciers and turquoise waters before landing on beautiful Green Lake in Whistler, B.C. and hitting the next green in just over an hour’s time. Whistler boasts four championship courses in Big Sky Golf and Country Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club and The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Flight cost between B.C.’s capital and the world-class mountain resort is $266.40 CDN. For more information visit www.harbour-air.com.
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Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee
Victoria, B.C. has long been known for its British heritage and the city simply cannot resist celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of her 60-year reign. Several events and activities at some of Victoria’s most iconic locations have been planned around her Majesty’s milestone. The month of June 2012 has been declared Diamond Jubilee month at The Fairmont Empress. Events planned range from an exclusive Diamond Jubilee Gala to outdoor tea parties to queen-worthy spa packages. Four-legged friends are also welcome at the Royal Dog Show and Tea Party. On June 1, 2012 the Royal BC Museum will also honour the Queen with its latest exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration . Featuring nearly 100 portraits by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, this exhibit explores Beaton’s long relationship with Elizabeth, who was a teenage princess when he first photographed her in 1942. Experience the many different sides of Elizabeth in her roles as princess, monarch and mother while getting a glimpse of her royal life with a number of rarely seen photographs alongside extracts from Beaton’s personal diaries and letters. Beaton’s royal portraits were among the most widely published photos of the 20th century and this five-section exhibition charts the shift in Beaton’s style from early rococo-inspired portraits to the starker images of the 1960s. The exhibition will open June 1 and run until September 3, 2012. Tickets are $14.29 CDN for adults and $9.06 CDN for children. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress and www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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Royal BC Museum Offers Kids Dinosaur Fun
Located in downtown Victoria, B.C., the Royal BC Museum’s fourth annual summer camp series is taking on Dinosaurs! With the feature exhibition Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opening May 17, 2012 the summer camps will allow budding paleontologists to discover more about dinosaurs. Divided into six week-long segments, campers will spend time in the exhibition, visit the paleobotany lab behind-the-scenes in the museum, attend an IMAX movie and go on a geologically inspired field trip. The camps run from July 16 to August 31, 2012. The camp costs $224 CDN and is open to children ages 6 to 12. The feature exhibition offers amazing bio-mechanical models and lush dioramas to give the thrill of discovering something brand new about the creatures that lived millions of years ago. Visitors are encouraged to dive into the exciting world of modern paleontology, where new dinosaur fossils are being discovered faster than ever before. The young and young-at-heart are invited to try some dinosaur fun with interactive animations like Dino-Pedia and Continental Drift and other fun dino activities. Designed and curated by the world-famous American Museum of Natural History, this exhibit is a must-see for all ages and Victoria is its only stop in Canada. For more information visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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The Fairmont Empress Bees Create Sweet New Brew
In late April, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C. welcomed back their most famous summer residents– the honeybees. Last year, The hotel became the newest property in the Fairmont family to initiate a honeybee program, bringing ten hives and 800,000 bees to the hotel’s Centennial Garden. The bees produced 1,300 pounds of honey, which was used in the hotel restaurants for Afternoon Tea. In partnership with Hoyne Brewery, the honey was also used to create the Empress Honey Wheat Ale, launching just in time for summer. Beginning May 10, 2012, visitors can try the new brew in the best seats in the house when The Fairmont’s Veranda opens for the summer season. The perfect setting to enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, The Veranda offers a farm to fork menu featuring some of Vancouver Island’s finest ingredients for visitors’ dining experience. Open from 11:30 a.m. to dusk, or chilly if that comes first, the Veranda also provides heaters, wraps and sun shades for their guests’ enjoyment. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress.
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Merridale Adds New Orchard Cookhouse
This May, Merridale Ciderworks located 25 minutes north of Victoria, B.C., offers a feast for the senses with the opening of their Orchard Cookhouse. This new outdoor kitchen is complete with a BBQ grill, brick oven and new smoker, offering endless opportunities for menu creativity. With all of Merridale’s food now being cooked outside, menu experimentations to date include: smoked cider glazed wild salmon, marinated smoked vegetables for sides and pizza toppings and pork ribs on the grill. And, if that doesn’t get your mouth watering, this summer Merridale will also feature an impressive line of burgers made from lamb, beef, seafood and chicken and also a veggie burger for those less meat inclined. The smoker will be used to smoke meats for both the bistro and the deli, offering visitors a flavourful smoked taste. Daily seafood specials will feature tasty bowls of mussels, or the freshest find for the day. Merridale Ciderworks, nestled in the south of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, is Canada’s largest producer of craft cider from English and French cider apples. For more information visit www.merridalecider.com .
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Cycle Your Way Through Wine Country
Victoria, B.C. is rated the cycling capital of Canada (Statistics Canada 2006) and along with world-class trails, the region produces internationally recognized and award-winning wines. Visitors can experience this ever growing wine region on two wheels with a tour from Cycle Treks called the Saanich Peninsula Wine Tour. This guided, full-day tour (approximately seven to eight hours), follows the picturesque Lochside Trail through bird sanctuaries, active farmlands and over train tressles. Stops include Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, a ten-acre certified organic farm that produces hand-crafted ciders onsite, Church and State Wines, an 11-acre property producing award-winning wines and Victoria Spirits, B.C.’s first artisan gin distillery. The tour returns via the stunning Colquitz River Trail. The cost for this tour is $139 CDN and includes a hybrid-style bicycle, helmet, map, water bottle and lunch. Cycle Treks also offers Victoria City, The Butchart Gardens, West Coast Adventure, Seaside Touring Route, Cowichan Valley Winery and Lochside Trail tours as well as multi-day tours of Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. For more information visit www.cycletreks.com.
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Tourism Victoria Provides Escape Plan
Maybe it’s the anticipation of warmer weather on the way or maybe it’s the work week that never ends; whatever the case may be, wouldn’t it be nice to escape it all? Until July 3, 2012, Tourism Victoria is offering visitors the chance to win one of five perfectly-you escapes departing from Vancouver, B.C. or Seattle, WA to Victoria, B.C. valued at $2,000 CDN each! Visitors can discover their unique travel style and enter to win using the Escape Planner app at www.WinYourEscape.com , then share the contest on Twitter using the hashtag #WinYourEscape and they’ll be entered to win one of the $100 CDN weekly cash prizes. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and is a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. This combined with the wild beauty of the Pacific Ocean and old-growth rainforests set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains makes for a nearby getaway that feels out of this world. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com.
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Coming up for us….
Holly Lenk will be in Fredericton, NB from May 2 to 5 attending the 2012 TMAC Conference and AGM.
Cathy Ray will be in Vancouver, BC on May 7 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Cathy Ray and Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA on May 8 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Holly Lenk will be in Whitehorse, YT from May 27 to 31 attending GoMedia Canada.
Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA and Portland, OR the week of June 12 to 15 along with partners from Tourism British Columbia, Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Whistler for a media marketplace event and media calls.
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Island Chef Food Fest: Eat Food & Fund Farms
Southern Vancouver Island is often referred to as “Canada’s Provence” for its high quality, niche food products. On June 10, 2012, visitors to Victoria, B.C. can enjoy the outdoors and experience Vancouver Island’s bounty all in one place with the Island Chefs Collaborative’s fifth annual food festival. Held from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Fort Rodd Hill, this year’s festival, Eat Food & Fund Farms , will include more than 60 local food producers and chefs. Culinary tourists are encouraged to grab a bite and explore around the grounds of the National Historic Site, a coast artillery fort built in the late 1890s complete with three gun batteries, underground magazines, command posts, guardhouses, barracks and searchlight emplacements. The food fest showcases top chefs, restaurateurs and local producers, while raising awareness on the issues and challenges of food production and sustainability on Vancouver Island. Tickets are $40 CDN for adults, $20 CDN for youth and $80 CDN for a family ticket, which includes two adults and two youth. For those looking for a healthy way to get to the festival, Habit Coffee will be organizing its annual bike trip to the fest. Skip the queue and get free bike parking as bike participants arrive before noon. The Island Chefs Collaborative is a like-minded community of chefs and food and beverage professionals with a common interest in regional food security, the preservation of farmland and the development of local food systems. For more information visit www.iccbc.ca.
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Fly From Tee to Tee
Celebrating its 30th year in 2012, Harbour Air in Victoria, B.C. is the world’s largest carbon neutral seaplane airline. Offering flights between Victoria and Vancouver, the summer flight schedule also offers a daily flight between two of Canada’s premier golfing destinations: Victoria and Whistler. With the mildest climate in the country, Victoria offers residents and visitors golf year-round. Golfers can choose from twenty courses in the Victoria area, from full-scale championship links to smaller, less difficult courses, most with spectacular lake, ocean and mountain views. Visitors can try their hand at Victoria’s newest championship golf course Highland Pacific Golf, or Canada’s only 36-hole Jack Nicklaus designed golf course at The Westin Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa. The truly dedicated golfer can spend an entire vacation exploring a variety of courses and follow the Vancouver Island Golf Trail, golfing their way up and down Vancouver Island at 12 premier courses. If that’s not enough, the extreme golfing fanatic can play two cities in one trip by catching a float plane to Whistler, B.C. Once daily from May 18 to September 30, 2012, Harbour Air’s flight from Victoria’s Inner Harbour offers golfers spectacular aerial views of the majestic glaciers and turquoise waters before landing on beautiful Green Lake in Whistler, B.C. and hitting the next green in just over an hour’s time. Whistler boasts four championship courses in Big Sky Golf and Country Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Whistler Golf Club and The Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Flight cost between B.C.’s capital and the world-class mountain resort is $266.40 CDN. For more information visit www.harbour-air.com.
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Celebrating a Diamond Jubilee
Victoria, B.C. has long been known for its British heritage and the city simply cannot resist celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Anniversary of her 60-year reign. Several events and activities at some of Victoria’s most iconic locations have been planned around her Majesty’s milestone. The month of June 2012 has been declared Diamond Jubilee month at The Fairmont Empress. Events planned range from an exclusive Diamond Jubilee Gala to outdoor tea parties to queen-worthy spa packages. Four-legged friends are also welcome at the Royal Dog Show and Tea Party. On June 1, 2012 the Royal BC Museum will also honour the Queen with its latest exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration . Featuring nearly 100 portraits by royal photographer Cecil Beaton, this exhibit explores Beaton’s long relationship with Elizabeth, who was a teenage princess when he first photographed her in 1942. Experience the many different sides of Elizabeth in her roles as princess, monarch and mother while getting a glimpse of her royal life with a number of rarely seen photographs alongside extracts from Beaton’s personal diaries and letters. Beaton’s royal portraits were among the most widely published photos of the 20th century and this five-section exhibition charts the shift in Beaton’s style from early rococo-inspired portraits to the starker images of the 1960s. The exhibition will open June 1 and run until September 3, 2012. Tickets are $14.29 CDN for adults and $9.06 CDN for children. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress and www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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Royal BC Museum Offers Kids Dinosaur Fun
Located in downtown Victoria, B.C., the Royal BC Museum’s fourth annual summer camp series is taking on Dinosaurs! With the feature exhibition Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opening May 17, 2012 the summer camps will allow budding paleontologists to discover more about dinosaurs. Divided into six week-long segments, campers will spend time in the exhibition, visit the paleobotany lab behind-the-scenes in the museum, attend an IMAX movie and go on a geologically inspired field trip. The camps run from July 16 to August 31, 2012. The camp costs $224 CDN and is open to children ages 6 to 12. The feature exhibition offers amazing bio-mechanical models and lush dioramas to give the thrill of discovering something brand new about the creatures that lived millions of years ago. Visitors are encouraged to dive into the exciting world of modern paleontology, where new dinosaur fossils are being discovered faster than ever before. The young and young-at-heart are invited to try some dinosaur fun with interactive animations like Dino-Pedia and Continental Drift and other fun dino activities. Designed and curated by the world-famous American Museum of Natural History, this exhibit is a must-see for all ages and Victoria is its only stop in Canada. For more information visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
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The Fairmont Empress Bees Create Sweet New Brew
In late April, The Fairmont Empress in Victoria, B.C. welcomed back their most famous summer residents– the honeybees. Last year, The hotel became the newest property in the Fairmont family to initiate a honeybee program, bringing ten hives and 800,000 bees to the hotel’s Centennial Garden. The bees produced 1,300 pounds of honey, which was used in the hotel restaurants for Afternoon Tea. In partnership with Hoyne Brewery, the honey was also used to create the Empress Honey Wheat Ale, launching just in time for summer. Beginning May 10, 2012, visitors can try the new brew in the best seats in the house when The Fairmont’s Veranda opens for the summer season. The perfect setting to enjoy the sights and sounds of Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour, The Veranda offers a farm to fork menu featuring some of Vancouver Island’s finest ingredients for visitors’ dining experience. Open from 11:30 a.m. to dusk, or chilly if that comes first, the Veranda also provides heaters, wraps and sun shades for their guests’ enjoyment. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress.
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Merridale Adds New Orchard Cookhouse
This May, Merridale Ciderworks located 25 minutes north of Victoria, B.C., offers a feast for the senses with the opening of their Orchard Cookhouse. This new outdoor kitchen is complete with a BBQ grill, brick oven and new smoker, offering endless opportunities for menu creativity. With all of Merridale’s food now being cooked outside, menu experimentations to date include: smoked cider glazed wild salmon, marinated smoked vegetables for sides and pizza toppings and pork ribs on the grill. And, if that doesn’t get your mouth watering, this summer Merridale will also feature an impressive line of burgers made from lamb, beef, seafood and chicken and also a veggie burger for those less meat inclined. The smoker will be used to smoke meats for both the bistro and the deli, offering visitors a flavourful smoked taste. Daily seafood specials will feature tasty bowls of mussels, or the freshest find for the day. Merridale Ciderworks, nestled in the south of Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley, is Canada’s largest producer of craft cider from English and French cider apples. For more information visit www.merridalecider.com .
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Cycle Your Way Through Wine Country
Victoria, B.C. is rated the cycling capital of Canada (Statistics Canada 2006) and along with world-class trails, the region produces internationally recognized and award-winning wines. Visitors can experience this ever growing wine region on two wheels with a tour from Cycle Treks called the Saanich Peninsula Wine Tour. This guided, full-day tour (approximately seven to eight hours), follows the picturesque Lochside Trail through bird sanctuaries, active farmlands and over train tressles. Stops include Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, a ten-acre certified organic farm that produces hand-crafted ciders onsite, Church and State Wines, an 11-acre property producing award-winning wines and Victoria Spirits, B.C.’s first artisan gin distillery. The tour returns via the stunning Colquitz River Trail. The cost for this tour is $139 CDN and includes a hybrid-style bicycle, helmet, map, water bottle and lunch. Cycle Treks also offers Victoria City, The Butchart Gardens, West Coast Adventure, Seaside Touring Route, Cowichan Valley Winery and Lochside Trail tours as well as multi-day tours of Southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. For more information visit www.cycletreks.com.
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Tourism Victoria Provides Escape Plan
Maybe it’s the anticipation of warmer weather on the way or maybe it’s the work week that never ends; whatever the case may be, wouldn’t it be nice to escape it all? Until July 3, 2012, Tourism Victoria is offering visitors the chance to win one of five perfectly-you escapes departing from Vancouver, B.C. or Seattle, WA to Victoria, B.C. valued at $2,000 CDN each! Visitors can discover their unique travel style and enter to win using the Escape Planner app at www.WinYourEscape.com , then share the contest on Twitter using the hashtag #WinYourEscape and they’ll be entered to win one of the $100 CDN weekly cash prizes. As an island destination, Victoria offers visitors an escape from the hurried world and is a unique blend of old world charm and new world experiences. This combined with the wild beauty of the Pacific Ocean and old-growth rainforests set against a backdrop of the Olympic Mountains makes for a nearby getaway that feels out of this world. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com.
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Coming up for us….
Holly Lenk will be in Fredericton, NB from May 2 to 5 attending the 2012 TMAC Conference and AGM.
Cathy Ray will be in Vancouver, BC on May 7 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Cathy Ray and Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA on May 8 hosting a reception for the media launch of Tourism Victoria’s Summer Marketing Campaign.
Holly Lenk will be in Whitehorse, YT from May 27 to 31 attending GoMedia Canada.
Tessa Humphries will be in Seattle, WA and Portland, OR the week of June 12 to 15 along with partners from Tourism British Columbia, Tourism Vancouver and Tourism Whistler for a media marketplace event and media calls.
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