Posted by: cherylyoung | January 28, 2012

Whalewatching is quite the norm on Vancouver Island

  There’s no seagoing experience quite like watching,

 

 close-up, a sleek whale weighing thousands of pounds

 frolic  like a child  in it’s natural habitat.

 

Up and down the coast of British Columbia,

 from Victoria  to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island,

 from Vancouver  to the BC Gulf Islands, and up to

 Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), Orcas

 (killer whales), Gray whales   and  Humpback whales

 ply the waves and perform their watery rituals.

 Whalewatching at its best!

 

Whatever else you do in British Columbia, don’t miss the

 whale watching boat – you’ll have a tale of a whale to tell


Orcas (Killer whales)

 

B.C’s killer whale population is divided  into 2

distinct groups which, curiously, never mingle.

 

 Residents travel in large pods  within predictable

 ranges  and feed primarily on fish.

 

 Transients roam in smaller groups over large areas

 of the coast,  feeding on marine mammals such

 as seals, sea lions  and other whales.

 

The resident orca population is divided into

 2 communities,  each with its own geographical range.

 

 

 The ocean around Victoria is home to the southern

 resident  community of 3 pods totalling 100

magnificent animals.

 The northern residents total 217 whales in 16 pods

 which  patrol the Johnstone Strait, the waters of

 northern Vancouver  Island and the mainland coast.

 

The transient killer whales comprise 30 small pods

 of about  160 whales and travel much further than

 the resident pods.

 

 Best viewing from May to October.

 

Pacific Gray whales migrate north along the west

 coast of the  island during March and April.

 

 They are easily accessible by boat or can be

viewed from mounted telescopes in the Long

 beach area

Over 20,000 Gray whales participate in the longest

 migration of any animal, some stop to feed and

 rest in our protected bays, while 40 to 50 grays will

spend their summers feeding off Vancouver Island.

 

Humpback whales will thrill you to the north of

Vancouver Island,at the outer edges of the Inside

 Passage, with their  acrobatic  behaviour and

 elaborate underwater song.

 

 Treasure lifetime memories of these magnificent

 whales  breaching within metres of your boat.

Minke whales, Pacific White-sided dolphins,

 Harbour porpoises, Dall’s porpoises, Harbour seals

 and Steller‘s sea lions are also  viewed in the waters

around Vancouver Island.

 

 

Pacific Rim Whale Festival

 

Whale Watching Guidelines Types of Whales, Wildlife

 and Scenery

 

Think dramatic, windswept shores, endless miles of

 sandy beaches, islands, hidden coves and

 swirling currents.

 

And of course, there are many types of whales in

 British Columbia, such as Orca, gray, Minke and

 humpback.

 

 Thousands of whales migrate along the BC coastline

 en routeto Alaska or back to Mexico. Pods of Orcas

(killer whales)  reside in southern Vancouver Island’s

protected,  marine-life-rich coastal waters.

 

Also be on the lookout for porpoises, seals, sea lions,

 seabirds and more.

 

 On many guided tours, onboard naturalists and

 marine biologists explain these fascinating marine

ecosystems.

 

Whale-watching near Vancouver and Victoria.

 

There’s not too many places in the world where it’s

 possible to walk to the downtown harbour of a

 capital city, don a marine suit, board a high-speed

zodiac and be sightingwhales within minutes.

 

This is the case in Victoria, and whale watching is

 just a short, convenient launch from Vancouver, too.

 

Feeding grounds are located close by BC’s two

 major cities.

 

Whale Watching on Vancouver Island and in

 Northern BC

 

BC boasts hundreds of kilometres/miles of remote inlets

 and a craggy coastline, particularly along Vancouver

 Island and in Northern BC.

 

Whale-watching operators head to secluded spots

where whales thrive, but are much too remote and

 harsh for human settlement.

www.bcadayatatime.

BC A DAY AT A TIME

 

 

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR, VICTORIA  B.C 

  www.cherylyoung.ca

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY BC cbythesea@shaw.ca

www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung

www.twitter.com/CherylCYoung

 

 

Posted by: cherylyoung | January 28, 2012

In Victoria B.C there is a place that is truly Magical

Join us and explore our Jungle!

Victoria Butterfly Gardens were designed and built specifically to

showcase the life cycle and free flight of tropical butterflies and moths.

 The 12,000 sq ft enclosure is a riot of tropical colour, aroma’s

and personalities.

 

 Stars of the show are the butterflies themselves – 3000

of them fluttering amongst the flora!

Enjoy up close the stunning beauty and colour of

 exotic butterflies, tropical ducks, flamingos,

other rare tropical birds and Koi swimming

 in the stream and pond.

 

Experience this living, breathing visual feast and enjoy a voyage

 of discovery, into the life of the inhabitants and the tropical

Wild Arts at Victoria Butterfly Gardens!

Come explore your Wild Side with creative adventures for kids.

 Workshops include a tour of the gardens, interactive personal

 artistic encouragement, all painting supplies, a nutritious

snack and all day access to Victoria Butterfly Gardens following

your class.

Click here for more info    www.butterflygardens.com

Origins

Lifecycle

Common Questions

There are more than 3000 butterflies flying around at

Victoria Butterfly Gardens.

Where do they all come from?

The majority of the butterflies are sourced from butterfly

 farming operations in various tropical countries.

 

 The captive breeding of butterflies can be an environmentally

 beneficial endeavour, primarily through the release of excess

 production into the wild as well as the cultivation of

 native shrubs, flowers and trees required as host plants.

 

The importing of butterflies is a very controlled and

 regulated process.

 

 Every week we receive a faxed or e-mailed list of butterfly

 pupae that are available for shipment from several suppliers.

 

 We select the species that we would like to order and advise

that supplier.

 Butterflies are then shipped to us the following Monday.

They arrive at Vancouver, are cleared by the Canadian Food

 Inspection Agency (CFIA) and shipped in bond to our facility

 here in Victoria.

 

Upon arrival we advise the CFIA in Victoria, which may or

 may not decide to inspect them upon arrival.

 The box of butterfly pupae is then brought to the gardens and

 our staff carefully place the pupae on racks in the

 Emerging Room (butterfly nursery).

At Victoria Butterfly Gardens, we successfully breed many

species in house.

 

 The stages of the life cycle are then highlighted throughout

 the gardens to enhance the learning experience.

Birds & Fish

The birds and fish that make the Gardens their playground

compliment our free-flying butterflies and add to overall

 tropical experience.

 

 Exotic birds from around the globe add song and  character to the Gardens.

 

Other garden personalities include ‘Spike’ the Peruvian Puna Ibis,

 ’Leo’ the Orange Winged Amazon Parrot, and Mango & Houdini

 the glorious Caribbean flamingos who grace the Gardens’  water features.

 

 Keep your eyes open for the dramatic South African Crested Turacos,

tiny button quail in the undergrowth and numerous species of songbirds.

The pond and steam are home to unusual tropical ducks and

 colourful, giant koi fish such as the Butterfly Kio and Gin Rins.

 

Gardens

Unique to this part of the world Victoria Butterfly Gardens

 offers an entirely ‘tropical’ garden experience, complete with

 creatures that naturally dwell in this type of environment.

Warm, aromatic and tropical, over 200 species of orchids,

thousands of tropical plants are featured, including foods

of the world and carnivorous plant displays.

 

 This carefully planned combination of trees, bushes, vines

 and creepers is a balanced eco-system that flourishes without

 the use of herbicides.

 

 

Hours
10:00 am – 4:00 pm Daily            Feb 1st – Feb 28th
9:30 am – 4:30 pm Daily               March 1st – April 30th.
9:00 am – 5:30 pm Daily               May 1st – Sept 5th
9:30 am – 4:30 pm Daily              Sept 6th – Oct. 30th.
10:00 am – 4:00 pm Daily            Nov 1st – Dec 31st.
  The gift shop will close 15 minutes after the above listed closing times. As the average visit to Victoria Butterfly Gardens is 45 minutes to an hour our latest admission will be sold no later than 45 minutes prior to posted closing times.For the safety of our younger guests, no child under the age of 14 years will be admitted into the gardens without adult (19 years +) supervision.

 

We appreciate your understanding.

 
 

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR, www.cherylyoung.com    

SAANICH  PENINSULA REALTY,

SIDNEY BC. WWW.CHERYLYOUNG.CA

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CHERYLCYOUNG

WWW.TWITTER.COM/CHERYLCYOUNG

 
 
 
Established in 1843 by James Douglas as a Hudson’s Bay Company Fort,

 the City of Victoria has a proud history of British Columbia

The Greater Victoria region covers the extreme southern end of

 Vancouver Island, including the Saanich Peninsula, Victoria,

Esquimalt, Colwood, Metchosin, and Sooke, with almost half

of Vancouver Island’s population of 750,000 people living

within the Capital Regional District (CRD) around Victoria.

Victoria has a temperate climate with mild, damp winters

and relatively dry and mild summers.

 

It is sometimes classified as a cool-summer Mediterranean

climate due to its usually dry summers.

 

 There is a rich diversity of landscapes within the region, ranging

 from the Douglas fir forests along the coast to the drier,

 exposed conditions of the higher, rockier elevations that

support arbutus (madrona) and Garry oak forests.

 

 Victorians display their love for the natural world by

cultivating flower gardens at every turn.

 

 As you’d imagine in a region where a large urban population

 interacts with such a delightful natural tableau, a vast

 network of walking, hiking, and biking routes leads through

 the many parks with which the city is blessed.

It’s easy to imagine how sweet life was for Native Canadians

who once had this all to themselves.

 

 Beacon Hill Park in downtown Victoria was the site of a village

 that had been inhabited for thousands of years prior to the

arrival of the colonial

 settlers in the 1840s.

 

A tangled web of events since then has displaced the original

dwellers, but their history is evident in the petroglyphs that

 adorn the shoreline and in the middens of seashells mounded

up beside the beaches on the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

 

 Totem poles new and old stand as proud reminders of this

 First Nation heritage.

 

To gain a fresh appreciation for the talents and skills of

First Nations peoples, combine a visit to the outdoors around

Victoria with a stop  at the Royal British Columbia Museum, a

world-class repository of  native artifacts.

 With the enriched perspective that such a visit will bring,

you’ll look  at the landscape with new interest and appreciation.

 

 The figures on the totems will no longer be static

representations from a mythological age.

 

Instead, combined with the presence of killer whales, seals,

eagles, ravens, salmon, and other species that are as vibrant

in the landscape today  as they were in the past, you’ll enter

 a timeless realm and, in the process, discover a new place

 in nature for yourself.

Conde’ Naste Traveler Magazine reader’s poll rated Victoria

one of the  top ten cities to visit in the world.

 The picture-perfect Inner Harbour is surrounded by many

of Victoria’s beautiful character buildings and premier

attractions: the stately Empress Hotel, the BC provincial

Legislative Buildings, museums and galleries.

As romantic as Victoria may be, with its delightful natural

harbour and the Olympic Mountains of Washington State

 on the horizon, the provincial capital of British Columbia is

less a museum piece nowadays than it is a tourist mecca.

 

Visitors pour in to view vast sculpted gardens and London-style

 double-decker buses, to shop for Irish linens and Harris tweeds,

 to sip afternoon tea, and to soak up what they believe is the

last vestige of British imperialism in the Western Hemisphere.

Population: 78,659

Location: Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver

Island which is situated off the southwest coast of British Columbia.

 

 Visitors from the Lower Mainland of BC travel to Victoria by

 ferry from the BC Ferries’ Tsawwassen terminal in Delta.

 

Sailing time is 90 minutes for the 27-mile (44-km) distance across

the Strait of Georgia to the Swartz Bay terminal, 20 miles north o

f Victoria.

Visitors from the United States can journey to Victoria via ferry

 from Seattle, Anacortes in northwest Washington, or from

 Port Angeles on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

 

The Anacortes ferry arrives in Sidney, at the Washington

 State Ferries terminal, 3 miles (5 km) south of Swartz Bay.

 

 The MV Coho from Port Angeles arrives in Victoria’s Inner

Harbour,  as does the Victoria Clipper from Seattle’s Pier 69.

 

 The Olympic and Saanich Peninsulas are separated by the

Strait of  Juan de Fuca, a 17-mile (27-km) stretch of (almost)

open ocean.

 

By air, visitors arrive at either Victoria Harbour (by float plane)

 or Victoria International Airport on the Saanich Peninsula,

 about 17 miles (27 km) north of Victoria.

A coach service operates via BC Ferries between Vancouver

 and downtown  Victoria (43 miles/69 km by road, excluding

 ferry travel).

 

 Pick-up is available from various locations in Vancouver,

including Downtown Vancouver, Vancouver International

Airport, and major hotels. Visit our Transportation section

for further information.

View maps of the area:
Map of Greater Victoria
Map of Victoria
Map of Victoria Downtown
Map of South Vancouver Island

Victoria Weather: One of the glorious things about the Victoria

 region is that you can picnic, golf or hike here year round,

something that much of the rest of the province has always envied.

 

 Each season has its unique character, and life is always

 assuming new forms Spring and fall migrations of birds and

 fish animate the landscape

 Evergreen forests brighten a winter landscape that otherwise

lies unveiled once deciduous trees drop their summer foliage.

 

Even snow makes the occasional appearance, though it rarely

 remains for long.

 Summer droughts and winter rains determine the songs sung

by rivers and creeks.

 

Hanging Flower Baskets adorn the city’s lampposts in a celebration

 of scent and bright colours, symbolizing Victoria’s passion

for gardening.

Flowers bloom year round in Victoria, which makes exploring

 the outdoors here enjoyable in any season.

 

 Ferns and lichens colour the forest floor throughout the

winter; come spring, an explosion of trilliums and calypso

orchids heightens the effect before  giving way to bushes lush

with huckleberry, salmonberry, trailing blackberry, salal,

 and Oregon grape.

BC Legislature: If there’s a quintessential image of Victoria

etched in the memory of all who visit the city, it must surely

 be British Columbia’s Legislative Buildings at night.

 

Adorned with 3,333 light bulbs, it takes on a magical quality.

Take a free tour of the Legislative Buildings and learn about

history  and government of British Columbia,

 

The Royal British Columbia Museum is one of the finest of

its kind in the world, offering dramatic dioramas of natural

 landscapes and full-scale reconstructions of Victorian storefronts.

 

 The museum features outstanding displays on the province’s

artifacts,  documents, history and culture, as well as national

 and international feature exhibits.

 

 Permanent Galleries include the First Peoples, Modern History

and Natural History Galleries.

 

The Maritime Museum of British Columbia allows visitors to

 explore BC’s seafaring history through more than 5,000 artifacts.

 

 Exhibits include the fort and the city of Victoria, explorers

 and pirates,  whaling and fishing, shipbuilding and shipwrecks,

ship models and paintings, the Coast Guard and Navy, and

the courtroom once presided over by the notorious Judge Sir

Matthew Baillie Begbie in the late 19th century.

 

The museum is housed in an elegant heritage building in

Bastion Square.

Old Town Victoria is the oldest section of Victoria, built up

between  the 1860s and the 1890s. Explore Johnson Street and

Chinatown, the galleries and sidewalk restaurants in Bastion

Square, and historic Market Square, a restored 19th-century c

ourtyard surrounded by  three floors of charming heritage

shops, restaurants, and offices.

 

Chinatown: The splendid lion-bedecked Gate of Harmonious

Interest marks the entrance to Victoria’s small Chinatown, the

 second oldest in North America (after San Francisco).

 

 Once a ghetto for newcomers, Chinatown is now a heritage area,

a vibrant commercial community, and an intriguing part of

 Victoria’s past and present.

 

 Visit the tiny shops and studios on Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest

 street in Canada – only 90 centimetres wide at its narrowest.

 

Relax in a horse-drawn carriage and capture the romance of an era

when tall ships docked in the Inner Harbour.

 

 Private carriage tours include Old Town, Chinatown, Beacon

Hill Park heritage homes, and the Dallas Road waterfront.

Fabulous horsedrawn carriages have been delighting visitors

with rides through Victoria for over 100 years!

 

The National Geographic IMAX Theatre will delight you with

 crystal clear images and 12,000 watts of wraparound IMAX

Digital surround sound.

Six stories high and 81 feet wide, the IMAX screen pulls you in and

 brings images to life, letting you feel like you’re really there.

 

 Located inside the Royal BC Museum.

Click here for More Attractions in Victoria

THIS BLOG IS COURTESY OF

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR,

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY B.C

REALTOR AND RESIDENT OF VICTORIA B.C AND

VANCOUVER ISLAND

www.cherylyoung.com    email cbythesea@shaw.ca          

www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung

www.twitter.com/CherylCYoung  

And to go with yesterday’s beautiful pendant you won’t want to pass up on

these exquisite Garnet earring www.cheryyoung.ca scroll down to earrigs

Located at the foot of Douglas Street, Beacon Hill Park in

 is the grand showpiece of Victoria British Columbia,

 a city with a long and proud tradition of gardening.

Set aside in 1858 by James Douglas, governor of Vancouver Island,

 the 75-hectare (200 acre) plot of land was officially established

 as a park in 1882.

 

Beacon Hill Park was named after a pair of masts strategically placed

on a hill to act as a beacon and navigational aid to mariners

 approaching Victoria’s inner harbour.

Prior to the arrival of settlers, of course, the area was the

 traditional territory of the Salish people, who had lived here for

 thousands of years.

 

 A tangled web of events since then has displaced the original

 dwellers, but their history is evident in the petroglyphs that

 adorn the shoreline and in the middens of seashells mounded

 up beside the beaches on Strait of Juan de Fuca.

 

 The first of the Indian people arrived in the region shortly after

the ice of the last glacial age had begun to retreat some 14,000 years ago.

Whilst the park boasts considerable areas of natural land in a native

 habitat, most of the park is beautifully landscaped and manicured

 with bridges, lakes and ponds, and an alpine and rock garden.

 

 Wondrous displays of exotic and native trees, including Garry Oak,

 Arbutus, Douglas-fir, Western Red Cedar, birch, willow and maples

 grace the park – to name just a few of the many.

Amongst the pond lilies of Goodacre and Fountain Lakes, a variety

 of waterfowl go about their business, thrilling visitors of all ages.

 In a copse of Douglas-fir trees an active heronry raucously sounds

its presence whilst a pair of Bald Eagles nests nearby.

 

A delightful quiet envelops this sunny spot in Victoria, where walking

 trails link with neighbourhood streets that lead down into the busy

 hum of commercial activity.

Our Farm is located within beautiful Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, B.C.

 We take pride in being able to bring the farm animal experience

 into the city where some children may never see such animals

 up close in real life.

 Our hands on approach teaches respect for living creatures is memorable

 Attractions in the park include the Beacon Hill Children’s Farm. 

The children’s petting zoo at historic Beacon Hill Park gives hands-on

 experience, which is enjoyed by young and old.

Spring Hours:
March 15 – April 30 / 10:00 – 4:00
Summer Hours:
May 1 – Labour Day / 10:00 – 5:00
Fall Hours: Labour Day – Thanksgiving / 11:00 – 4:00

This is Henry

Other attractions include sports fields and playgrounds, a bandshell

 and the world’s tallest free-standing totem pole.

 The 38.8-metre (128-foot) masterpiece was created by renowned

 Kwakwaka’wakw artist Mungo Martin in 1956, and lovingly

 restored to its original splendour 46 years later.

This is a goat birth at the farm

Beacon Hill Park is located south of downtown Victoria, between

 the downtown core and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and has easy

 access on Douglas Street, Dallas Road, and Cook Street.

 Main  entrances to the park are located east of Douglas Street between

 Southgate Street and Dallas Road. The Park is within easy walking

 distance of attractions and hotels around the Inner Harbour in Victoria

Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula is full of remarkable things to do and

here is one way that you can get to see some of the sights you might mis

 

 CHERYL C YOUNG, REALTOR

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY BC. www.cherylyoung.ca

www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung

www.twitter.com/CherylCYoung

cbythesea@shaw.ca

 Thinking about something very special this Valentine’s day?

Let me help you

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From its boom town status at the turn of the twentieth century to its

 reputation as the Whiskey Gap during the prohibition era of the

1920s, Fernie has inherited a unique and colourful history.

A town with a strong history of coal mining, Fernie was named

after mining magnate William Fernie who helped develop the

town into the  industry’s  largest centre in the Elk Valley region,

after he hadreported a major coal  discovery in 1897 that led to

the formation of the Crowsnest Pass Coal Company.

The founder of the city met a tribe of Indians during one of his

many prospecting trips.

 Enquiring about the source of the shiny black stones that

adorned a necklace worn by the Indian Chieftain’s daughter,

the Chief agreed to reveal the origin in return for  the

prospector agreeing to marrythe princess.

William Fernie never kept his promise, and refused to marry

the princess, whereupon the angered chief put a curse of fire,

flood and famine on the valley.

 On August 15, 1964, Chief Ambrose Gravelle of the Kootenai

tribe, known as Chief Red Eagle, smoked the pipe of peace with

the then  mayor of Fernie to finally lift the Fernie Curse.

Abandoned mines, museums and heritage sites invite visitors to step

 back in time to explore the area’s bustling boom years.

 The beauty of the Elk Valley entices campers and hikers, and a

challenging world-class 18-hole golf course sits at the foot of  

towering peaks.

Population: 5,168

Location: Fernie is located on Highway 3 in the extreme  southeastern corner of British Columbia, 15 miles (31 km)

south of Sparwood and 26 miles (42 km) from the Alberta/

British Columbia border.

To the south on Highway 3 is the small sawmill town of

Elko

 

Fernie boasts a world-class ski mountain.

 The Fernie Alpine Resort gets heaped with snow and is

renowned  for its fabulous powder conditions.

 Skiing and Winter Recreation in the BC Rockies.

Experience the thrill of snowcat-skiing and snowmobiling

the terrain is ideal,  leading to panoramic alpine vistas and

powder-filled bowls just waiting for you.

Grab a pair of snowshoes or cross-country skis and explore

powder filled forests,  or hop aboard a dogsled for an

ultimate adventure as you glide past scenic vistas.

The ski area rises about 5 km above the town of Fernie;

you can  see the massive bowls from Main St.

Trails on the lower mountain cut through dense forest.

 Fifty named runs and countless other secret chutes and

gullies drop a total of 2,400 vertical feet (730 m). Experts,

intermediate, and novices can all  get the chance to ski

 powder, since all levels skier can utilize each lift.

Fernie is well patronized by skiers from British Columbia

- these savvy skiers  have known about Fernie’s bounty

for years - photographers regularly descend after a major

 snowfall to take those great magazine cover shots.

Mountain biking in Fernie caters to newcomers

experiencing their first-time high, as well as hard-core

muddy madmen pushing the envelope  of extreme

competition, Fernie offers hundreds of miles of beautiful

riding terrain, through the pastoral beauty of the valley’s

farms and ranches,through the  old townsite on the Coal

 Creek Heritage Trail  o lift-accessed exploration of the 

Fernie Alpine Resort’s extensive trail system.

 

 For more one of a kind jewelery go to www.cherylyoung.ca                     

This Blog is brought courtesy of

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR  www.cherylyoung.ca

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY BC.  cbythesea@shaw.ca

Posted by: cherylyoung | January 28, 2012

Caving on Vancouver Island will thrill you to the core!

Caving on Vancouver Island will thrill

you to the core!

Vancouver Island contains over one thousand mysterious  subterranean

caves and tunnels, offering spelunkers a challenging  underground

 maze of cathedrals and corridors,  bones and skulls,  mineral

 formations and ancient native pictographs 

 
 
 
If donning a headlamp and willingly descending into the murky, unmapped
bowels of the earth is your thing, then spelunking on Vancouver Island
will thrill you to the core!
 
 
Upana Caves, all 100 or so of them, are located about 17 km west of Gold River,
 on Head Bay Forest Rd.

 

They provide an awe-inspiring adventure for those who like to explore

the interior of the earth.

There are fifteen known entrances within the system.

The combined length of cave passages is approximately 450 meters

 (1 475 feet).

 

 The individual caves vary in size from single rooms to branching

 passages of considerable length.

 

The overall passage and room dimensions are comparable with

 those of other Vancouver Island caves.

 

Dress warmly, as these caves, the deepest north of Mexico,

 extendmore than  2,000 feet (610 m) into the honeycombed

 limestone rock.

 You can take a self-guided tour through a network of caves or

 join a guided tour.

 

For an even deeper adventure, join a guided tour of the

“White Ridge” caverns.

 

Cavers named the system for the river that flows through one

of the caves.

 

 The underground sequences of the television series, Huckleberry Finn 

 and  His Friends, were filmed at the cave – Gold River is home to the

B.C. Speleological Association.

 

There are about 1 050 known caves on Vancouver Island.

Most of these caves are found in the Quatsino Formation limestone  

deposits of Northern Vancouver Island..

 

Little Huson Cave Park, nestled in the Nimpkish Valley  near Port McNeill 

offers visitors a chance to view the fascinating Quatsino System 

a network of caves that honeycomb Vancouver Island between here

 and the Strathcona Provincial Park/Gold River region.

 

If you’ve never experienced the sensation of spending time underground, 

 it’s like mountaineering in the dark with the  sight of a smooth, white

 world revealed in the beam of your headlamp.

  

Cave climates are damp and clammy, so dress accordingly.

Little Huson’s caves are a good place to begin caving or even  to begin 

 considering the possibility.

 

A short trail leads from the parking lot to a view of several caves

 through which the Atluck River bores.

Horne Lake Caves, is located north of Qualicum Beach – a gravel

roadleads  to the parking area and trailhead at the far end of Horne

 Lake,about  14 km west of Hwy 19A.

You can take a self-guided tour of Main Cave and Lower Main  Caves

throughout the year.

 
Although the distance covered isn’t great, you’ll have to bend, duck,
and squeeze your way through a series of narrow passages.
 
 
A footbridge spans the Qualicum River, from where a rough limestone
 trail leads to the Main Cave.
 

If you’re here in summer, plan on joining the challenging  Karst

Trail and Riverbend Trail tours, which last about two hours.

 

Tours leave the trailhead on the hour between 10am and 4pm.

 

No matter when you arrive, prepare yourself for a tour by  dressing

 warmly, wearing sturdy boots, and carrying a bright flashlight. 

 

(Helmets and lights are provided on guided tours).

For those with a lust to squeeze deeper into the cave system, the

 three-to-four-hour Riverbed Bottoming trip leads down through  a

series of vertical pits, the deepest of which is  nearly 19 m.

 
 
There are several hundred significant caves to explore on the island,
including Karst Creek Trail in Strathcona Provincial Park.
 
 
 
 A fascinating look at weathering appears along this trail, which begins
beside the picnic area on the east side of Buttle Lake.

 

 New caves and unusual land formations are being discovered all the

time, especially in the North Islands region where amazing natural

oddities  such as the Artlish River Caves, the Quatsino Limestone Formation,

 

Devil’s Bath, Eternal Fountain, and Disappearing River are located.

 

 The longest cave on Vancouver Island is Thanksgiving cave with a

 mapped length of 7.6 km (4.7 miles).

 

Several other island caves exceed 2 km (1.2 miles) in length Keen
to spelunk further?
 
 
For the more ambitious and adventurous souls,  wild cave tours  can
 be arranged to larger and more dramatic North Vancouver
 
Island cave systems, with unique surface and  subsurface features.
 

Local Info Centres provide details and maps and make suggestions

regarding tours.

Click for Companies that offer Caving Canada

 

 

WWW.BCADAYATATIME.  BC A DAY AT A TIME

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See view more of my exciting jewelery go to www.cherylyoung.ca             
This blog is brought to you courtesy of

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR,

VICTORIA B.C   www.cherylyoung.ca

Saanich Peninsula Realty.

www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung

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The gateway to Howe Sound, the Sunshine Coast and central Vancouver Island, Horseshoe Bay is a quaint and picturesque seaside village on the North Shore of Vancouver

Located to the northwest of Vancouver, Horseshoe Bay is best known for its BC Ferry terminal, serving Snug Cove on Bowen Island, Langdale on the Sunshine Coast, and Departure Bay in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Ferries glide in and out of Horseshoe Bay, and the wake from the larger boats creates surf as they hit the shoreline. Modest though these waves are, it’s an unusual sight in these sheltered waters.

The bedroom community of Horseshoe Bay is also the starting point of the intensely scenic Sea to Sky Highway (Highway 99), which winds through the Coast Mountains, from coastal rain forest at Horseshoe Bay, through Squamish, alongside Garibaldi Provincial Park, through the Resort town of Whistler and on to Pemberton and Lillooet.

Journeys began and ended in Horseshoe Bay long before the arrival of the first Europeans.

For Native people, Horseshoe Bay was a traditional meeting place, used both as a seasonal fishing encampment and a place to spend a night when travelling between villages on the Squamish River and Burrard Inlet.

The sheltered bay was called ch’xay or Chai-hai, after the swishing sound made by schools of little fish stirring up the waters of Horseshoe Bay. In 1991, it was discovered that Horseshoe Bay Park stands atop an ancient shell midden

The pleasant waterfront of Horseshoe Bay offers quaint cafés, a wide variety of restaurants, shops and boutiques, with great views of the surrounding mountains, islands and scenic Howe Sound.

Recreation in and around secluded Horseshoe Bay includes sea kayaking, scuba diving, boating, hiking, skiing and cross-country skiing.

Location: The Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal is located on Highway 99, on Howe Sound, 12.5 miles (20 km) northwest of Vancouver.

North of Horseshoe Bay is the community of Lions Bay.

• Information on the BC Ferries’ Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminal and other ferry routes is available in our Transportation section. •

The magnificent front doors of the Boathouse Restaurant, a large wooden-sided building on the far side of Sewell’s Marina, are well worth a look. Carved by Nisga’a artist Norman Tait in traditional West Coast style, the two large panels rival those at the entrance of the University of BC’s Museum of Anthropology. •

Journey from the bustling urban centre of Vancouver, north along the serene magical coastline of British Columbia, across the majestic waters of the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island.

Then travel south along its east coast of coves and bays, tasting the unique island lifestyle before returning to BC’s south coast.

For more information on our Coastal Circle Tour.

• Boaters can launch from the federal dock next to the park – beside the BC Ferries Terminal.

Fishing is excellent off Horseshoe Bay, and the waters around the mouth of Howe Sound are usually dotted with salmon fishermen and their boats.

• Paddlers can take guided kayak tours around a nest of islands at the mouth of Howe Sound, which is Flat-calm and an inviting place to paddle, or explore Bowen Island’s extensive shoreline and the nearby Gambier and Keats islands. • •

Boat Rentals, guided fishing charters, sea safaris and marine dockage facilities are available at Sewell’s Marina in Horseshoe Bay.

If you want to join the throng, you can rent a boat from Sewell’s Marina for fishing, sightseeing or wildlife viewing.

Bring a few friends and explore the islands and inlets of Howe Sound.

The family-owned marina has operated at Horseshoe Bay since the 1930s.

• One of Vancouver’s oldest golf courses (1927), Gleneagles Golf Course, is located in Horseshoe Bay, surrounded by the ocean and mountains. •

By far the longest hiking route on the North Shore is the almost 30-mile (48-km) Baden-Powell Trail, the thread that knits the North Shore together into one continuous strand.

The trail runs between its western terminus at Horseshoe Bay and Deep Cove on North Vancouver’s eastern perimeter.

Along the way, it climbs and descends a well-trodden route that passes through both Cypress and Mount Seymour Provincial Parks.

Altogether there are 12 entrances to the Baden-Powell Trail, most of which are located conveniently close to public transportation.

The varied terrain of the Vancouver, Coast and Mountains region of BC accommodates every outdoor recreation known to man.

• Hollyburn Ridge in Cypress Provincial Park is the domain of cross-country skiers. Hollyburn’s 10 miles (16 km) of groomed and track-set trails, as well as skating lanes, are cut through some of the most challenging terrain in Western Canada.

The tradition of skiing is an old one here, dating well back into the 1920s.

Evidence of this can be seen in the many rustic cabins that dot the woods.

There are trails here to suit all skill levels.

• Intermediate and advanced Downhill skiers and snowboarders gravitate to Cypress Mountain (25 groomed runs, 1,750 feet/537 m vertical, 3 chairlifts) in Cypress Provincial Park which is literally up the road. World-class skiing is also available at Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour in North Vancouver.

Skiing and Winter Recreation on the North Shore. •

• The North Shore is rightfully renowned for some of the most challenging offroad mountain biking trails in the world.

One of the attractions of the North Shore slopes, particularly at lower elevations, is that trails stay snow-free throughout most of the winter.

This is a prime reason why many of Canada’s elite mountain-bike riders live and train in North Vancouver.

• Cypress Provincial Park in the snow capped North Shore Mountains is a haven for all outdoor recreationists, and is one of the most popular year-round parks in B.C. Located just north of Horseshoe bay on Highway 99, the park encompasses several pristine mountain lakes, rugged snow capped peaks and forests of fir, hemlock and yellow cypress.

Cypress provides excellent wildlife-viewing opportunities, and as always in wilderness areas, hikers should be alert for wild animals, especially bears. •

Sightseers make their way into Cypress Provincial Park from the Upper Levels Hwy in West Vancouver along a 5-mile (8-km) paved highway.

Although most visitors ride up on four wheels, others make do with two.

There are four major switchbacks on the way to the top where the road ends at Cypress Bowl.

The Cypress Park Viewpoint is at the second of the switchbacks.

This is one of the most frequently visited locations in the park.

• Visit Porteau Cove Provincial Park for the day, and park beside the jetty.

This is a wonderful place to enjoy the spectacular views of Howe Sound while watching wet-suited divers enter or emerge from the cold waters of the Sound.

Eat your picnic at one of the numerous tables spread around the broad, driftwood-littered beaches on both sides of the jetty.

Take a walk to the viewpoint on the trail that leads west from the walk-in campsites and up onto the forested bluff. Porteau Cove Provincial Park provides vehicle camping spots and walk-in sites, and as this is the only provincial campground on Howe Sound, campsites are in constant demand. •

Whytecliff Marine Park’s rugged shoreline and cobble beach in Horseshoe Bay became Canada’s first Marine Protected Area.

Upwards of 200 marine animal species, with exotic names such as the speckled sanddab or the sunflower seastar call these waters home.

Beside the beach, interpretive signs explain in words and pictures the variety of marine life to be found beneath the waves. • Whytecliff Marine Park has become a magnet for local divers.

After a day at the office, scuba divers come to experience a little weightlessness as they float off into the nether world just offshore, where temperatures matter little year-round, provided you dress appropriately.

• A 20-minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay lands you on Bowen Island. Bowen is a paradise of trails, from relatively easy loops around Killarney Lake in Crippen Regional Park to the burning climb up Mount Gardner.

The island is a world unto itself, so take the time to explore and revel in Bowen’s sedated pace. Although the tempo may be relaxed, mountain bikers will find the roads that ring the island demanding, with few level stretches and even fewer beach-access points for well-deserved breaks.

For a map of Bowen Island, stop at the island’s gas station near the ferry dock.

• See the best of the area on a driving Circle Tour.

Head north out of Vancouver for a scenic tour of the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, or stay on the intensely scenic Sea to Sky Highway, passing through the magical winter resort town of Whistler and looping through the Coast Mountains.

To explore the rural farmlands and forests of the fertile Fraser Valley, travel outbound on the scenic route north of the historic Fraser River, returning westwards along the Trans Canada Highway 1 to Vancouver.

Circle Tours in BC.

i have doubled up on the last two days of the Olympicf Torch Relay because I have so many free venues and exciting thing that will be taking place at the olympics, incl the RCMP Musical ride

The Leonard DaVinci exhibit at the art gallery.

and not to forget the free ziptrek ride you can take downtown Vancouver and I am going to start tomorrow, so make sure you bookmark me so you don’t miss out on anything

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR,

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY BC   www.cherylyoung.ca

www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung

www.twitter.com/CherylCYoung

To see this and more of my fine Semi precious gemstone jewelery

www.cherylyoung.ca

 
Burnaby
Amidst outstanding beauty to the east of Vancouver, with lakes, 

 rivers and mountain scenery within its boundaries

 

 the community of Burnaby is nestled around the high peak of

solitary Burnaby Mountain.

 

As private secretary to Colonel Richard Moody, the Colony’s

 land commissioner, Robert Burnaby displayed notable talents

 as an explorer, legislator and speaker.

 

In 1859, when Moody received word from local natives that a

fresh water lake existed north of New Westminster, Burnaby

immediately volunteered for the survey party.

 

Moody would later name his discovery Burnaby Lake, a name

that pioneer citizens would unanimously choose for the

thriving municipality of Burnaby in 1892.

 

Burnaby is blessed with a remarkable number of

interconnected parks and trails of different sizes and

features.

 

Deer Lake Park, Burnaby’s hub of arts, culture and heritage,

is the crowning jewel of this park system.

 

 High atop Burnaby Mountain sits Simon Fraser University,

designed by celebrated architect Arthur Erickson, and

 named after one of British Columbia’s foremost explorers.

 

Not long ago, it used to be easy to distinguish Vancouver from

its neighbours.

 

 Bridges spanned Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River to

connect with communities to the north and south, while

buffer zones of undeveloped land defined where the

 Big Smoke left off and all else to the east began.

 

 By the 1970s, such distinctions had blurred to the point

where one hardly noticed a transition from one city to the

next, particularly between Vancouver, Burnaby, New

Westminster, and Port Moody.

 

Although mainly a residential area of Vancouver,

Burnaby’s diverse sights and attractions are yours

to discover.

 

 Burnaby has the largest retail and entertainment complex

 in British Columbia and outstanding sports and recreation f

acilities.

 

The Metrotown area, a 15 minute SkyTrain ride from

downtown Vancouver, is where you’ll find over 500 stores –

enough to keep even the most dedicated shopper happy.

 

Population: 205,477

Location: Burnaby is located in east Vancouver, 10 miles

(16 km) east of downtown Vancouver.

 

Access is by Highway 7 and 7A, and the Trans-Canada

Highway 1.

 

Take a trip down memory lane at the Burnaby Village

 Museum, a 10-acre open-air museum circa 1925.

 

Made up of more than 30 shops and homes depicting the

1890s through to the mid-1920s, the village includes a

Chinese herbalist, a rural area, a blacksmith and an

Ice Cream Parlour.

 

 Ride on the vintage C.W. Parker Carousel, wander amidst

costumed townspeople, view demonstrations and displays,

 and take part in the hands-on activities and self-guided

tours.

 

Playland Amusement Park at PNE Fairgrounds on East

Hastings Street is a seasonal amusement park offering a

collection of 28 rides and attractions, midway games, and

a variety of food venues.

 

Popular attractions include the historic wooden roller

coaster, a spectacular woodie that has been operating since

1958, the Corkscrew upside down roller coaster, the Wild

 Mouse, and the 90-foot-tall giant Westcoast Wheel.

 

Visitors can also take a spin on one of a number of flat rides.

 

 

The Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at Simon Fraser

University is home to displays of Northwest Coast Native

art and culture.

 

Extensive and detailed, these exhibits allow visitors a

 glimpse into the natural and harmonious way of life

 pursued by the First Nations people of the West Coast before

 the arrival of Europeans.

 

The Museum is located in the Academic Quadrangle on the

 Concourse Level.

 

Set in the natural splendour of Deer Lake, Deer Lake Avenue

recreates the turn-of-the-century era with over 30 buildings

 and outdoor displays.

 

In addition to the Burnaby Village Museum, visitors will

find the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and the Gallery at

Ceperley House, presented by Visual Arts Burnaby.

 

Naturalists will be amazed by Century Gardens, where

 hundreds of Rhododendrons, Burnaby’s official flower, burst

into bloom each spring during the annual Rhododendron

Festival.

 

While on Burnaby Mountain, visit the astonishing

Playground of the Gods, a home away from home for 50 or

 so totem poles carved by Japanese artist Nubuo Toko and

his son Shusheo.

 

 The Tokos are members of the Ainu culture, Japan’s first

 inhabitants. Installed on the top of an open slope looking

 west over Coal Harbour, the poles honour the ties between

Burnaby and its Japanese sister city, Kushiro.

 

The spectacular setting inspired Toko to imagine it as Kamui

Mintara, or Playground of the Gods.

 

The poles represent the story of the gods who descended to

 earth to give birth to the Ainu.

 

Animal spirits such as whale, bear, and owl adorn the tops

 of the slender poles that are bunched together in groups of

twos and threes.

 

A killer whale and a brooding raven stand apart from the

rest, looking west across the Strait of Georgia towards

Vancouver Island (and Japan).

 

This is a stunningly beautiful setting, one of the best examples

of art in a public place in the Lower Mainland.

 

You’ll want to photograph it, especially at sunrise or sunset,

to take away with you as a memory of Vancouver.

 

 

Enjoy a fascinating ride aboard the miniature railway, or

discover trails, tennis courts, a skateboard park, and a

spray pool at Confederation Park.

 

 From the park, a 5.5-km network of trails wind along the

 picturesque Burrard Inlet.

 

Vancouver and Burnaby both have beaches on the Fraser

River’s North Arm, and both are named Fraser River Park.

 

Watching activity on the Fraser is the main attraction from

both beaches.

 

The beach at Burnaby’s Fraser River Park lies at the south

end of Byrne Road off Marine Drive in Burnaby.

 

Although wading in the Fraser River is refreshing, full

immersion is a dicier proposition and is not recommended.

 

Two trails take you inland: the western route, surrounded by

wet brushland, leads to the Marine Way pedestrian overpass,

and the eastern route follows Byrne Creek.

 

 Children can pretend they’re pirates on the riverside pirate

ship, an intriguing play area.

 

Hiking and Walking: A good stretch with a forested feeling

is the Burnaby River Trail (easy; about 6 miles/10 km return).

 

This hard-packed, cedar-lined dirt pathway runs east beside

the Fraser River from the south foot of Boundary Road near

Marine Way towards New Westminster.

 

 An alternate approach to the trail is at Fraser River Park.

 

 Here in the park, the log booms that line the shoreline

 beside much of the trail give way to a long stretch of

open beach.

 

 One of the most attractive sights along the trail is Mount

Baker’s snow cone, framed by the spires and guy wires of

two bridges, the Queensboro and the Pattullo.

 

For more information on the trail and park, contact the

Burnaby Parks and Recreation Department, (604) 294-7450.

 

The Mountain Biking trails on Burnaby Mountain (elevation

1,200 feet/365 metres) are not open to mountain bikes, but

try telling that to the mountain bikers who regularly make

 their way along one of the dozens of trails that crisscross

the mountain.

 

Its high usage stems in part from the fact that students

attending Simon Fraser University at the top of Mount

 Burnaby want alternate paths up to and especially down

from school other than the two roads that wend their way

up Mount Burnaby (more often referred to as Burnaby

Mountain).

 

Golf: The contemporary designed 18-hole layout at Burnaby

Mountain Golf Course has always been a favourite with

 players of all levels.

 

It requires precise shot making to achieve par, but

 recreational players find it very forgiving.

 

 

 The natural tree-lined beauty of its fairway and the gentle

rolling terrain at the foot of Burnaby Mountain offer a blend

 of charm, character and serenity that will enhance your

enjoyment of the game. Par 71, 6,431 yards.

 

Golf Vacations in an around Vancouver.

 

Burnaby’s Barnet Marine Park is located on the site of an old

 logging community that flourished in the first half of the

20th century.

 

All that remains are the massive concrete towers and a

squat scrap burner hunkered on the broad beach.

 

 Burnaby has replaced the old wharfs with a pier from which

visitors can scan Burrard Inlet for marine and birdlife.

 

 A large boomed-off swimming section fronts the hard-packed sandy beach.

Picnic tables with barbeque stands are shaded by tall poplars.

There’s also a boat launch here.

A level pathway leads west of the park towards the Ironworkers

 

emorial Second Narrows Bridge.

 

 It provides visitors to Barnet with a chance to cycle or stroll

amid the lazy trails on those overcast days when the beach is

not the exclusive reason for visiting this charming site.

 

 Barnet has a paved driveway that can be used to launch canoes,

kayaks or sailboats in Burrard Inlet.

 

No motorized boats can be launched from here.

True to its name, Central Park is situated in a key location

on the Burnaby side of Boundary Road, the dividing line

between Vancouver and Burnaby.

 

The park is a popular place for tennis, jogging, pitch-and-putt,

cycling, picnicking, or just wandering about.

 

The numerous paths make the 222-acre (90-hectare) green

space seem larger than it actually is.

 

 A dense stand of towering Douglas fir blocks most of the noise

from the three main thoroughfares that constitute the

park’s north, south, and west borders.

 

City planners around the Lower Mainland seem to have

deliberately placed parks bordering on major roads, perhaps

 to attract passersby, perhaps to contrast the natural and

the artificial. For instance, Hwy 1 (the Trans-Canada Highway)

runs through Burnaby’s largest green space, formed by Deer

Lake Park, Burnaby Lake Regional Park, and Robert

Burnaby Park.

 

Deer Lake Park was once a popular swimming destination, but

poor water quality has forced the Burnaby Parks Board to

keep the area closed for nearly a decade.

 

Still, it is an attractive picnic area or a good place to drift

 about in a canoe, rowboat, or sailboat for a few hours.

 

A Squamish legend tells of an underground river that runs

from Deer Lake to False Creek.

 

The Deer Lake area is home to the Burnaby City Hall

(including the Burnaby Parks and Recreation Dept at 101-4946

Canada Way, (604) 294-7450, a good place to pick up maps and

information on municipal parks), the Shadbolt Centre for the

Arts, the Burnaby Village Museum, and the local Royal

Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment.

 

Deer Lake Park has a pleasant, grassy picnic location: one look

at the lake is enough to cool anyone down.

 

Too bad there’s no swimming.

Robert Burnaby Park is located about a mile (1.5 km) east of

Deer Lake, a peaceful setting of huge western hemlock, cedar

and Douglas fir.

 

 This large park is known for its wooded ravine and forest

trails, which attract walkers, joggers and nature lovers

enjoying the exercise and quiet surroundings.

 

Trails are laid out on hillsides, meandering through ravines

 and into open meadows.

 

Burnaby Lake Regional Park is on the north side of Hwy 1,

 across from Deer Lake, and is a blend of highly developed

recreational facilities alongside a completely undeveloped

wildlife sanctuary.

 

Special features in this 740-acre (300-hectare) park include

both the Nature House (open mid-May to Labour Day), and a

 BC Wildlife Watch viewing tower at the Piper Avenue

entrance.

 

An easygoing 6-mile (10-km) walking trail circles the lake.

 

 There are three main access points to Burnaby Lake Park,

including two off Winston Avenue and another off Sperling

Avenue.

 

All are well marked. For more information on Burnaby

 Lake Regional Park, call (604) 520-6442.

 

Burnaby Mountain is Burnaby’s tallest landmark.

 

Simon Fraser University sits on top, a crucible of learning

designed by architect Arthur Erickson, who also put his

imprint on the Provincial Courthouse and the Museum of

Anthropology at the University of British Columbia.

 

Simon Fraser’s campus is surrounded by Burnaby Mountain

Park.

 

The park is a warren of trails that cut through deciduous

second-growth forest. Most visitors come to visit the

Playground of the Gods.

 

In June, a formal rose garden nearby perfumes the air and

makes the environment appear even more like the

Elysian Fields.

A grassy slope descends the mountain below the totems,

contributing to the open feeling of this part of the park.

 

A special event in Burnaby is the Burnaby Village Museum

Heritage Christmas in December.

 

See the best of the area on a driving Circle Tour. Head north

 out of Vancouver for a scenic tour of the

Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, or stay on the

intensely scenic Sea to Sky Highway, passing through the

magical winter resort town of Whistler and looping through

the Coast Mountains.

 

To explore the rural farmlands and forests of the fertile

 Fraser Valley, travel outbound on the scenic route north of

the historic Fraser River, returning westwards along the

Trans Canada Highway 1 to Vancouver. Circle Tours in BC.

 

                              

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY, BC   www.cherylyoung.ca

 

 

www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung

www.twitter.com/CherylCYoung

 
Fronting the Fraser River to the north and Washington State to the south, Langley is  located in the geographic centre of the Lower mainland   

 

 

Nestled betweein Surrey to the west and Abbotsford and the

 lush farmland  of the Fraser  Valley to the east.

 

 From Vancouver,it’s less than an hour’s drive east along

 Highway 1 or via Highway 7.

 

Take a short trip across the Fraser River on the Albion Ferry

which enables motorists  to make a direct connection 

 between Highway 7 on the north shore and Highway 1

on the south.

 

 

Named after Thomas Langley, a prominent Hudson’s Bay

Company director,  Langley is considered to be the official

 birthplace of British Columbia.

 

The colony of B.C was originally proclaimed here, at Fort

 Langley, although the  capital moved from here to   New

Westminster, before finally settling at  Victoria on

 Vancouver Island.

 

The valley land between the Fraser River and the Canada-

US border ripples away like the wake behind a troller.

 

Early settlers didn’t have an easy go of it; the land was boggy 

and thick with mosquitoes in  summer.

 

 But having come this far, they dug in, cleared the trees,

farmed the land, and, in season,  hunted and fished for

wild game.

 

 

 You can still get a scent of those years as you pedal the

 backroads along the  border of Surrey  and Langley.

 

In the 1830s, the Hudson’s Bay Company began to develop

and farm approximately  810 hectares  of land in the area

 known as Langley Prairie.

 

Today, Langley has almost 40 percent of the total  

agricultural land in the Fraser  Valley, giving  agriculture a

major role in the economy of the region.

 

 With more farms than any other municipality in BC, Langley

 has the largest  number of horse farms, the largest number

of rabbit farms, the most sheep, and almost half of the

 mushroom  farms in the province.

 

Without a doubt, the most interesting and popular attraction

in the Langley area is the  Fort Langley National Historic site.

 

 The fort, preserved and restored to its original 1850s’

condition, is a gateway to British  Columbia’s early history.

 

Visit the lovingly restored  buildings of Fort Langley in the

 summer months,  when the park’s staff, dressed in period

 costumes of the era, go about their  business blacksmithing,

churning  butter and making wagon wheels.

 

 

Population: 115,326Location: Langley is located on Highway 1A, 31 miles (50 km) southeast of   Vancouver. Langley is surrounded by the communities of White Rock, Surrey, Fort Langley, and Abbotsford. Visitors exploring the Langley Centennial Museum, one of

the oldest community museums in British Columbia, will

see examples of pre-contact life’ among the Coast Salish

people, as well as early settler exhibits.

 

Next-door is the British Farm Machinery and Agricultural

 Museum – a fine location considering the first farm developed

 in the Lower Mainland of BC was at Fort Langley.

 

 Though never short on ambition, some of the pioneer’s

optimistic dreams remained  the massive yet futile 1860s’

effort to build a telegraph system stretching from North

 America to Europe, via British Columbia, Alaska, and Siberia.

 

Historians interested in aviation should visit the Canadian

 Museum of Flight and Transportation, located at the Langley

 Municipal Airport. On display is a restored original  DC-3 Dakota

 plane used in the 1950s by the Queen Charlotte Airlines, and a

 Canadair CF-104 Starfighter, referred to as the Missile

 with a man in it courtesy of its maximum speed of mach 2

- twice the speed of sound.

The Wark-Dumas House was home to two well-known

Langley families.

 

The house, the core structure of which was built in 1890,

 was restored by the Langley Heritage Society  in 1987, and

since then has become a focal point for the Kwantlen

College Langley Campus.

 

Relive the romance and excitement of the wild west gold

rush with a visit to the landmark  Traveller’s Hotel, built

in 1887 by Billy Murray on “Murray’s Corner”, about

a mile southeast  of Langley on Old Yale Road.

The hotel has been in continual use for over 110 years,

 meeting the needs of weary travellers as they journeyed

up the Fraser Valley.

 

Miners, merchants missionaries, high court judges, and

even premiers all stayed in these historic roadhouse hotels

that dotted the route to the goldfields in the 1800s.

 

Notorious train robber Billy Miner  tayed here the night

before robbing the Canadian Pacific  Railway of over

$8,000 in gold  nuggets in Canada’s first great train robbery!

 

The City of Langley has designated the Nicomekl River

Floodplain as parkland, with a network of walking trails

winding along the Nicomekl River, leading to many

 of the city’s parks.

Sendall Gardens features nearly four acres of beautiful

 and unique plants, shrubs, trees and exotic birds, a

long-standing and popular venue for wedding photographs.

 

Agriculture plays an important role in the economy of

Langley, and local farms offer  outstanding products with

 Country Style hospitality and charm.

 

Be sure to enjoy a  unique visit to one of the many country

 stores, nurseries, orchards,  or herb, blueberry  or

vegetable farms in the area.

An old-fashioned Market In The Park  featuring only BC

 grown and produced products operates on Saturdays in

beautiful DouglasPark from June 2 to September 1 –

10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 

Three Hot Air Balloon companies operate from Langley’s

Municipal Airport, offering services that range from

one-and-a-half hour champagne tours to short

 tethered rides at  special events.

Llamas and their smaller Alpaca cousins are a growing part

of the agricultural industry in Langley, with around 35

 farms raising a total of over 400 of these South

 American pack  animals.

 

 Llamas are used mainly by hikers on foot, who carry lead

 lines and let the animals carry the supplies – up to

25 to 33 percent of their body weight.

Their soft feet don’t chew up trails like hoofed animals do.

 

 A number of the llama farms offer farm visits – check at the

 Visitor Info Centre for more  information.

 

Go Wild…go to the Zoo! Enjoy an affordable and enjoyable

 family outing to the Greater Vancouver Zoological Centre,

in 264th Street in Aldergrove.

 

Enter the fascinating world  of over 200 species of wild

animals, including lions, tigers,  bears, rhino, giraffe

and more.

 

 Set on 120 scenic acres of lush farmland and forests,

attractions include a children’s play  area, the Safari

 Express Train, the North American Wilds Safari Bus Tour

 and beautiful picnic grounds.

Across the Fraser River from the entrance of Kanaka Creek,

Edgewater Bar in Derby Reach  Regional Park is a big

attraction to anglers of all ages who come to set their lines

 for salmonand watch the Fraser River flow by.

 

Fishing bars that were once prevalent along the Fraser 

 have more recently been usurped by log booms, which

makes Edgewater even more valuable.

 

 What gives this park top billing are the squares of melmac

 inlaid at the corner of each picnic table.

 

 This is the officially sanctioned place to clean your salmon.

 

Just the sight of it raises one’s hopes.

 

Throughout the 1990s, the municipality of Langley has been

 one of the leaders in the Fraser Valley when it comes to

developing trails for cycling and in-line skating: the

Langley Bike

 and Rollerblade Trails. In many places you’ll find generous,

 paved shoulders on both the backroads and some of the

 principal routes that lead through this largely rural

 environment.

 

 Several routes lead from Fort Langley and Aldergrove

 Lake Regional Park.

 

Golf: Langley offers a number of golfing options: Newlands

Golf & Racquet Club is a  challenging 18-hole, par-72

championship golf course featuring tree-lined fairways,

 extensive rock walls, and some of the Fraser Valley’s

most memorable golf holes; Tall Timbers Golf Course is a

 family owned and operated 18-hole public golf course that

 has been serving golfers of any age in the Langley area

for over 20 years;

The Redwoods Golf Course provides the effect of playing

 golf in a forest.

 

 The canopy of trees have created a natural reverb

chamber amplifying the song of the over sixty species of

 birds that call the course home (18 holes, par 71, 6,162 yards);

 and Belmont Golf Course offers excellent year-round 

course conditions and may be enjoyedby golfers of all

levels of ability. 

 

Set in the tranquil serenity of the Fraser Valley, Belmont

 plays to a par 70 at 6,416 yards from the championship 

 blue tees, to as short as 4,951 yards from the gold tees

(18 Holes, par 70).

 Golf Vacations in an around Vancouver.

The Horseback Riding paths in Campbell Valley Regional Park

are located east of 200th Street in Langley.

 

Before this was parkland, Langley riders maintained the

 bridle trails  that run east towards Aldergrove.

 

Since September 1979, when the GVRD took control  of the

 2-square-mile (535-hectare) valley, these trails have come

 into greater public use.

 

 Today, Campbell Valley Regional Park is one of the easiest

 places for visitors to satisfy a desire to ride a horse.

 

The Shaggy Mane Trail, which rings the park, runs 6.8 miles

 (11 km), an easy two-hour ride.

 

Since riders often encounter park visitors who are 

exploring the trails on foot, they must  be escorted for

the first several visits.

 

Once riders qualify,  however, they can set out on their own.

 

One of the best picnic sites in the south Fraser Valley is

located at Campbell Valley  Regional Park in Langley,

 where an unspoken welcome permeates the atmosphere.

 

 Eat a little, explore a little, eat a little more – you know

 the routine.

 

Choose from any  of three tabled sites or simply bring a

 blanket and spread yourself  beneath the arms  of the

 Hanging Tree, an imposing bigleaf maple in the valley bottom

beside the Little River Loop Trail.

 

Picnic tables and toilets are located at the North Valley

and South Valley  entrances, as well as at the Campbell

 Valley Downs Equestrian Centre.

 

 You can lose  yourself without getting lost on the park’s

miles of walking trails.

 

The landscape here is so welcoming that you won’t feel

 isolated or alone.

 

At every twist and Turn along the pathway, a bird will call,

a squirrel will chatter, and  fellow walkers will offer  a smile.

 

Little Campbell River  bubbles along its meandering course.

Follow the 1.4-mile (2.3-km) Little River Loop Trail through

 the meadows and forested slopes of the valley bottom.

 Pause at the Listening Bridge to listen. Spend an hour

or more exploring the gentle contours of the park along

 the Ravine Trail, where former owners once farmed.

 

 Wander around the Annand/Rowlatt farmstead, whose

sturdy barns, sheds, chicken coops,  and home have all

been well maintained.

 

 Peek in the windows of the old, one-room Lochiel

 Schoolhouse nearby that’s been relocated to the park.

 

 For a longer stroll, follow a portion of the Shaggy Mane

Trail that  makes  a grand 8.7-mile (14-km) sweep around

the park’s perimeter.

 

Derby Reach Regional Park near Fort Langley is the only

 Greater Vancouver Regional Park that offers overnight

 vehicle/tent camping.

 

The riverfront sites here are allocated on  a first-come basis.

 

 Wander the deeply shaded  trails, walk fields once farmed

by pioneers, or imagine the  bustle of a trading post while

 standing on the original townsite of Fort Langley, the oldest

continuously settled  European community in British Columbia.

 

Tall black cottonwoods  shelter the campsites and support the

nests of a colony of blue herons.

 

 There are group campgrounds at several other locations

such as Deas Island and Campbell Valley.

 

Don’t miss a 30-year tradition at the Langley Country Style

Days, on the third Saturday  in June, a celebration of Langley’s

 rural heritage, featuring a country parade, music and

 other live entertainment.

 

For one entire day the downtown business core of Langley

 City is transformed into a huge artist’s studio for Arts Alive.

Held on the third Saturday in August, the celebration of art

 features an Artwalk and many other entertaining festivities.

 

Langley Circle Farm Tour: Romance, repast, and regalement

 are the three R’s on this tour.

 Wine, roses and equestrian ballet are just a few o

f Langley’s claims to fame 

 

Enjoy French cuisine, tasty take-away, or a picnic basket

 filled with fresh pies, juicy berries and smoked sausage.

 

 Sample classic grape vintages and award-winning fruit

wines, then  stroll through two  beautiful display gardens

featuring roses and unusual trees.

 

 Bring the kids  to see the rare Suri alpacas, pick pumpkins,

slurp up a nutritious berry milkshake, and experience a

 real hands-on farm adventure.

 

Check with the Visitor Centre for more details.

 

East of Langley is Aldergrove, which takes its name from the

 lush growth of alder trees  In the area,  although fields upon

 fields of farmland attest to the growth of more than

just trees.

 

Like neighbouring Abbotsford, Aldergrove is also home to

 vast crops of strawberries and raspberries.

 

West of Langley is the town of Surrey, the second-largest

municipality in British Columbia and the ninth largest city

in Canada.

 

 Surrounded by lush green fields, quiet forest trails, and

over  eighty  spacious parks,  Surrey certainly earns its

motto as The City of Parks.

 

See the best of the area on a driving Circle Tour.

 Head north out of Vancouver for a scenic our of the

Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, or stay on the

intensely scenic Sea to Sky Highway, passing through

 the magical winter

 resort town of Whistler and  looping  through the

 Coast Mountains.

 

 To explore the rural farmlands and forests of the fertile

Fraser Valley

 travel outbound on the scenic route north of the historic

Fraser River, returning westwards along  the Trans Canada

 Highway 1 to Vancouver. Circle Tours in BC.

 

CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY B.C www.cherylyoung.ca

 SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY

SIDNEY B.C 

If you would like to see our one of a kind jewelery

you can go to my webiste

 http://www.cherylyoung.ca/bling_bracelets_and_rings.html

 

www.cherylyoung.ca      

 

 

 

 

 

Situated at the head of Howe Sound and surrounded by mountains, Squamish is cradled in natural beauty as only a West Coast community can be.

 

 

 

Growing in fame as the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada, visitors will discover

 the abundance of attractions , activities and opportunities to explore in the

community of Squamish.

 

Before the white man came to the Squamish Valley, the area was inhabited by the

 Squohomish tribes.

These Indians lived in North Vancouver and came to the Squamish

 Valley to hunt and fish.

The first contact the Indians had with the white man was in 1792,when Captain

George Vancouver came to Squamish to trade with the Indians near the

 residential area of Brackendale.

During the 1850s gold miners came in search of gold and an easier gold route to the Interior.

Settlers began arriving in the area in 1889, with the majority of them being farmers relocating

 to the Squamish Valley.

The first school was built in 1893 and the first hotel opened in 1902,

on the old dock in Squamish.

Squamish means Mother of the Wind in Coast Salish, which is testimony to the winds that rise

 from the north before noon and blow steadily until dusk, making Squamish a top wind surfing

 destination, and host to annual PROAM sailboard races.

The Stawamus Chief, the second largest freestanding piece of granite in the world, has made

 Squamish one of the top rock climbing destinations in North America.

 

Population: 16,199

 Location: Squamish is located at the head of Howe Sound on Highway 99,

 (the Sea to Sky Highway), midway between Whistler and Vancouver. South of Squamish

are the communities of Britannia Beach and Lions Bay.

 Rail history is showcased at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, with over 50

 

vintage railway cars and locomotives displayed in a setting of unmatched natural beauty.

Climb aboard cabooses and snowplows, and view a superbly restored

1890 railway business car and the only surviving Pacific Great Western steam engine.

Shannon Falls Provincial Park is where visitors can find the park’s namesake, BC’s

 third-highest waterfall, a magnificent cascade that drops over 1,000 feet, right above the

 Sea to Sky Highway.

A stop for naturalists during warmer seasons, Shannon Falls also attracts thrill-seeking

 ice climbers, who scale the falls when it freezes in the winter.

The Squamish Estuary provides extraordinary birding, with over 200 species identified.

Golf: The Squamish Valley Golf & Country Club is a semi-private championship course

 on Mamquam Road, south of Garibaldi Highlands, with immaculately maintained greens

 and panoramic mountain views off every tee (18 holes, Par 72, 5,639 yards). Garibaldi

Springs Golf Resort in Squamish is impeccably maintained, demands skill and accuracy,

 and falls nothing short of brilliant.

The 4,700-yard, Par 64 course is set in stunning surroundings

showing great respect for the environmentally sensitive habitat.

 To the north, The resort village of Whistler provides a number of world-class golfing o

pportunities, and south of Squamishthe Furry Creek Golf & Country Club in

Lions Bay is considered by many to be the most  scenic golf course in BC.

Golf Vacations in British Columbia.

Windsurfing: Oregon has the Columbia Gorge, Squamish has the Spit, a long breakwater

 located at the mouth of the Squamish River.

  

Although not as well known, the Squamish Spit  is the launch pad for windsurfers

 who rely on its predictable wind, known as a squamish, which blows each afternoon.

From early November through March, thousands of bald eagles gather along the gravel shores

 of the Squamish, Cheakamus and Mamquam rivers to feast on the eggs and carcasses of

 spawned-out salmon.

In 1994, Squamish set the world record with an astounding 3766 eagles

 counted in one day!

The month-long Eagle Festival is held in January, drawing crowds

 from around the world.

For climbers (and those who cheer them on) there’s a provincial campground at the

 base of Stawamus Chief Mountain in Squamish.

You’ll find spiffy drive-in and walk-in sites in Stawamus Chief Provincial Park.

The forested campground is located at the  south end of a rough road that hugs the

 base of the mountain.

Hike around Alice Lake Provincial Park, 13 km north of Squamish and surrounded by

 open grassy areas, dense forests, and impressive snowcapped peaks.

A hush prevails over this lushly forested campground. In part this is due to the thick

 canopy of westernhemlock that shelters much of the park.

 If you’re lucky, one of the sites near both the lake and the hot showers will be vacant.

The Four Lakes Interpretive Trail connects Alice, Edith, Fawn and Stump Lakes, making

it a favoured destination for hikers, anglers, canoeists and windsurfers.

Surrounded by towering peaks, rushing waterfalls, glacial

lakes and pristine forest, Whistler Olympic Park will take your breath

away.

Located 18 km south of Whistler in the

 stunning Callaghan Valley, Whistler Olympic Park is the

first Olympic Nordic venue to include all three traditional

Nordic sport stadiums in one site: cross-country, ski jumping

and biathlon.

 

The Park hosts the 2010 Olympic Games competitions in  ski jumping,

Nordic combined, cross-country skiing and biathlon as  well as the

 2010 Paralympic Games

cross-country skiing and biathlon events.

Before and after the Games, visitors, athletes and local

residents can enjoy the use of th e facility on a year-round basis.

 

Featuring 40 km of expertly groomed cross-country ski trails

at a variety of skill levels (both skate and classic), the Park

also offers lit trails for night skiing, snowshoe trails, a

 biathlon range and stadium, towering ski jumps, incredible

views and a relaxing day lodge to warm up and chill out.

 CHERYL YOUNG, REALTOR,

SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY, VICTORIA BC

 www.cherylyoung.ca 

For more exciiting jewelery fo to and scroll

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