Winter Hits Victoria - Yikes

Obviously, we have been bragging to much about how little, if any snow Victoria gets. Well all that changed last night. We had a dump over night and the sun is expected to come out today, but that will bring with it much cooler temperatures. The forcast for Monday and Tuesday is overnight lows of minus 5 C. For my American friends, that is 23 F. Burr...

The hummingbirds are at the feeder about ever 30 seconds. They look cold and hungry. Eveything is covered in snow. The corn cob above looked delicous and ready to eat...alas it is frozen solid!

Well, it keeps us humble, for a short time anyway.

Winter has settled in. Now, we will just wait for it to melt. The sidewalks and driveways have melted clear already.

Comox Valley Tourism Hosts Victoria Tourism

The displays were up and the enthusiastic Comox Valley tourism marketers were ready. The event was held at Vista 18, the spectacular roof-top restaurant in the Chateau Victoria. This is truly an amazing venue with such a spectacular view of the City. Everyone we met shared with us why the Comox Valley is so special and why we should try there services. Mount Washington Alpine Resort was front and centre as were a number of other resorts/hotels and Crown Isle. There great appetizers and refreshments provided. It was a very nice presentation. Pictures above show the room set up and a picture of Ron and Brian Henry from Ocean River Sports enjoying an appetizer. Thanks Comox Valley. Well done! I didn't really need an invitation to go back to that wonderful playground called the Comox Valley, but I will indeed be back, time and time again. Give it a try and you may stay forever!

Victoria Hosts Hockey Night in Canada - Play On Tournament

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA TO HOST HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA’S PLAY ON! NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Sixty teams to battle for national 4on4 street hockey supremacy, February 11 - 12, 2011

November 10, 2010 – Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On! today announced Victoria, BC as the location for its National Championship event. Sixty teams from across Canada will compete in this 4on4 street hockey tournament in Victoria’s picturesque inner harbour Feb 11-12, 2011 for a chance to hoist the Redwood Cup, a $20,000 prize, and the title of Canada’s Greatest Street Hockey Players.

Victoria Times Colonist sportswriter Jack Knox recently wrote: “Peter Gzowski called hockey the ‘game of our lives.’ He was almost right. Ice hockey is what we watch, but road hockey is the game we actually play. The national game of Canadian mythology is played on a frozen pond, but in reality most of us spent more time, winter or summer, denting garage doors with tennis balls than slapping pucks.” It has been estimated by event organizers that there are at least three times as many people in Canada who have played street hockey as who have played ice hockey.

Each of the 54 Men’s and 6 Women’s teams that will compete in this event previously qualified to do so during one of the fifteen Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On! tournaments held across Canada this past summer.

Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On! National Championship tournament will also be featured in conjunction with the 11th annual Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada celebration on February 12, 2011 at 12 noon ET on CBC TV. Victoria, BC will be one of the satellite locations that will be visited across Canada as part of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada on CBC, with coverage from this national championship event. Whitehorse, Yukon is the official 2011 host location for Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada on CBC.

The Hotel Grand Pacific and The Fairmont Empress hotels will be Official Co-Host Hotel Partners of the event, which is also sponsored by SportChek, Powerade, Booster Juice, The City of Victoria, and Tourism Victoria.

“It’s a great honour to have CBC’s Play On! event back in Victoria as the only destination to host the event for two consecutive years” says Rob Gialloreto, President & CEO of Tourism Victoria. “With twice as many teams in 2011, we know this national championship event will be bigger and better than ever. We look forward to welcoming visitors to come and watch these athletes up close and our national audience on CBC TV Canada!”

“After the great success of the event last year, we’re delighted that Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On! has chosen to return to Victoria” says Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin. “While the rest of the country is playing on ice, in Victoria will be closing off the street for a tournament that shows-off our wonderful weather and fabulous scenery.”

“We’re pleased to once again be headed to the beautiful City of Victoria for coverage of the National Championship of Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On!, as part of our Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada coverage,” said Joel Darling, Director of Production, CBC Sports. “Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada is all about celebrating the game and this event does exactly that.”

Teams competing at the event will include those representing each of the fifteen host cities of Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On! in 2010, including St. John’s, Halifax, Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, London, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna and Burnaby. Also attending will be teams from many other locations across Canada including La Ronge, SK, Kenora, ON, Lethbridge, AB, Marystown, NL, and Niagara Falls, ON. The defending champions from Surrey, BC and a strong host team from Victoria will also compete in the event.

Hockey Night in Canada’s Play On! National Championship

Date: February 11-12, 2011
Location: Belleville Street, Government Street @ Victoria, BC Inner Harbour

Note: Full Street closures will be implemented from 6pm on Thurs, Feb 10 – 8pm on Sat, Feb 12

Game Times: Friday February 11, 9:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday February 12, 9:00am – 6:00pm
National Championship Game to begin Saturday Feb 12th at 5:00pm

Admission: This event is free to spectators. Seating available on a first come first serve basis.

Darth Fiddler - every day is Halloween in Victoria!

Two years ago, we dedicated a blog post to Darth Fiddler, one of Victoria's most unique street performers whose image had gone viral on the Web. Since then, he has continued to grow in popularity and is now approaching legendary status. This month, his opinion was sought out for an article on Victoria's economy in Focus Magazine, and just last week, The Zone 91.3 FM gave him his own radio show, where he played music from his Darth Fiddler CD and gave a stunning live performance. The Zone's Facebook page filled with cheers and a few brave souls even called in to tell him how much they enjoy him.

Darth Fiddler also has his own Facebook page, with over 3100 "Likes" (and growing!) That's where this image of Victoria's Zombie Walk appeared this week, captured by Victoria photographer James Parrott at Everlasting Memories Victoria.

Zombies attack Darth Fiddler... Darth Fiddler plays on!
Photo Courtesy of James Parrott at Everlasting Memories Victoria

Since Darth Fiddler's presence seems to make Victoria the land of eternal Halloween, we thought it the perfect time to catch up with him for an interview. We find him down at his usual place, on the corner of Wharf and Government, playing for a group of kids in Jedi costumes.

"How did all of this get started, anyway?"

"Well about 8 years ago, I found a floppy old Vader mask at the Salvation Army. I bought it, went busking on the spot, and it was an instant hit. The persona has an attraction for people. I never got that much attention playing as myself."

"What about the rest of the costume?"

"It's evolved over time. I got one of the sturdier masks that came out when Episode III was launched. The cape is from a Dracula costume, the padding from an old football uniform, and many of the other pieces I've sewn together from leather scraps, kind of like Frankenstein's monster."

Photo Courtesy of James Parrott at Everlasting Memories Victoria

"Did you choose the name Darth Fiddler?"

"No, I didn't name myself at all. People started calling me that on the Web, and it just caught on."

At this point, the young Jedis are growing impatient, and the Master must get back to work.

"Did you ever plan on gettting this famous?"

"Absolutely not! I never factored the Internet into it, that so many people would share their videos and stories. I'm astounded, really. It's taken on a life of its own."

For another Halloween blog post on Darth Fiddler, visit Darth Fiddler's Mythic City.

Many thanks to James Parrot for sharing his great photos!

Magnolia Inn and Spa's Facebook Contest - what's your most favourite memory of Victoria?

Well, today we got wind of The Magnolia Hotel & Spa's amazing Facebook Contest that runs from now right up until November 23rd.  They're asking you to Like them on Facebook and contribute your most favourite thing to do in Victoria, or your most favourite Victoria memory.


So!  For a chance to win a luxury Victoria getaway at The Magnolia Inn and Spa, with incredible prizes from Harbour Air Seaplanes, Verbena Floral Design, the Royal BC Museum, IMAX Victoria, Prime Steahouse, and Spa Magnolia, check out their Facebook contest running until November 23rd. 

Don't forget to invite your friends!

Yummies and Gyros Cafe Courtenay BC

For lunch in Comox we visited Yummies and Gyros Café at 279 Puntledge Rd. We thought after a big meal the night before and a hearty breakfast that morning that we should consider a light lunch. Hah! Katherine Kirk warned us we would be full and indeed we were. Lunch was also educational as we learned the difference between a Gyros and a Donnair. Ron craves a Gyros as comfort food especially when they are properly made, as they are at Yummies. Here are the goods on Gyros and Donnair.

A Gyros (pronounced yeer-ro) is a Greek Pita (Katherine imports hers from Chicago) which is gently grilled and then wrapped around a filling of thin slices of beef and lamb shaved from a 20 pound cone of meat which is broiled on a vertical cooker. It is then topped with Tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato and onions. Feta cheese and hummus can be added to spice it up.

A Donnair is made the same way but topped with a sweet sauce consisting of condensed milk and sugar. Other toppings include lettuce, tomato, onion, feta cheese, hummus and mozzarella cheese. This business has been locally owned and operated for the past 12 years and has quite a following in Courtenay and Comox. It is apparent if you spend time in the café and certainly if you flip through their scrap book that they are very involved in the community. The restaurant is centrally located just across the river from downtown Courtenay. We recommend you give it a try. Drop in and see the beautiful owner goddess Katherine who will be more than happy to make you a yummy gyros to fill up your tummy and she will even add that special ingredient that makes every gyros special, a teaspoon of love. Her gyros are delicious, nutritious and leave no dishes! For more pictures,
Click Here.