Famous sister

Around Edmonton, my sister is fairly well known....kind of famous....especially in the Halls of the U of A Physical Education Building....so when she hit the news papers and TV during a game when Canada's Juniors wiped the Ice with Finnish hockey players, I could not resist to show the world her picture. That is what blogs are for. I'm really proud of her and her accomplishments...but not when she kicks my butt on the golf course.

Hi sis..... the guy to her left is her mate...he was a buddy in high school.....he's OK...

Snow is here to Stay so What Now?

Day one it snowed and melted mostly...that is typical Victoria. Day 2, it snowed and turned the area into a winter wonderland. Day 3, the pineapple express that was supposed to hit Washington State hit Victoria and buried us. This doesn't happen in Victoria. Well now it seems to be happening. Minus 5..yeah I know you prarie people are freezing, really freezing, but heh, this is Victoria and THiS is not supposed to happen. Whine, Whine, Wine...now theres and idea. Linda and I went to the empress to have one of the 1908 cocktails. What else can you do when it snows like this. This is one of those things you have to try when you come to Victoria. Get your 1908 cocktail at the Bengal Lounge in the Fairmont Empress.For pictures of the snow, check out our Facebook Page.

Maritime Museum of BC in Bastion Square Victoria BC

Visit the Maritime Museum of British Columbia at 28 Bastion Square. Three floors of exhibits....1st floor...find one of the jewels of the museum...Tillicum a dugout canoe that circumnavigated the world....2nd floor our marine history ...3rd floor...18th century Supreme Court and Library....don,t miss the magnificent elevator. Enjoy. To see more photos of this great Victoria attraction go to our facbook page.

Sauce Restaurant and Lounge - Great Food Victoria BC

Linda and I spent our Sunday evening getting to know a Victoria Restaurant that we had never been to before. We were there with friends from the Victoria Guest Services Network. We had great service from the friendly staff and were provided with some of the best food we have had in Victoria. I had Beef Short Ribs as did a few others. The staff said it was one of the best items on the menu. The Ribs were to die for. Linda had a steak as did a few others. The appetizers were wonderful. We found the menu to have lots of selection. There is something on the menu for everyone as you will see if you go to our Facebook page and look at the pictures of the marvelous food fed to our group. We certainly are beginning to recommend this restaurant to our friends. As tourism promoters for Victoria, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, we are proud to add this to our list of recommended restaurants. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

A Cold Day in Victoria -1C...yikes

Today it was only -1C...cold for Victoria and what is worse, we had snow....what did we do to deserve this. Oh well, lets make the most of it. How about we go to Esquimalt Lagoon and feed the poor birds who are starving for sure. Then perhaps make a snow person, or ghost, or something in the front yard. This was a tough task, because there wasn't very much snow and it was not sticky as it was in the shade. Maddy did her best. On the way past the Fisgard Light House we noticed a cruise ship and a BC Ferry in for repairs. They dwarfed the light station. Check out all our photos on Facebook.

Wanna be a Star...check it out...

National Leader in Performing Arts Training Celebrates 15 Years of Discovering & Training Top Talent
Victoria— The Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA) is looking to top a very successful 2011 season with a new round of national auditions and large-scale 15th anniversary celebrations.
“Students who earn a spot at the College this year will be a big part of our commemoration,” says CCPA College Director Ron Schuster. “This past year we challenged our students with nationally renowned instructors and directors, tremendous performance opportunities and a rich and rewarding outreach program.
Highlights of the 2011-12 season include(d):
Mounting stellar productions guest-directed by veteran Stratford Director Darcy Evans and Stuart Aikins, Casting Director of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Eclipse and the recently released Breaking Dawn.
Long-awaited return performances with the Victoria Symphony featuring suites from South Pacific, Footloose and Ragtime. Collaborations with Jacob Richmond, the creative force behind this year’s acclaimed national touring production of Ride the Cyclone.
Workshops and Master classes with Artistic Directors like Michael Shamata, of the Belfry Theatre and guest instructors like Richard Lucas of Lucas Talent Agency.
Continued success by CCPA alumni in earning top-contracts in theatre and musical theatre productions across the country and around the world (see attached Where Are They Now).
CCPA’s national tour goes from February 4 to March 3 and includes stops in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna and Vancouver. Video auditions are also accepted until May 1. The tour includes the New Horizons Scholarship given for Most Promising Overall Audition Performance. For more information about the college and auditions, go to www.ccpacanada.com or call 250-595-9970.
The college is owned and operated by the Canadian Heritage Arts Society (CHAS), a registered charity that oversees the college’s operations. CHAS ensures that training at CCPA is financially accessible to all Canadian students, raising $500,000 in Bursaries, Scholarships and Tuition Subsidies for CCPA students!
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Editors: Profiles of CCPA grads who come from, or are working in your city are available upon request.
For more information, contact:
Steven Seltzer,Communications Manager
Communications@ccpacanada.com
Phone: 250-595-9970
Cell: 250-882-8441 www.ccpacanada.com

Victoria Tea Festival Feb 18, 19 at the Crystal Garden

North America’s Largest Tea Festival Predicts Record Attendance for 2012

VICTORIA, BC: The countdown is on to the launch of North America’s largest tea festival. The 6th Annual Tea Festival takes place Saturday, February 18th and Sunday, February 19th at Victoria’s historic Crystal Garden. 4,000 Greater Victoria residents and visitors are anticipated to attend this weekend tea extravaganza that presents tea from every possible angle.

Festival attendees are invited to taste teas from around the world, sample tea-foods, attend complimentary presentations on a variety of tea topics, shop for hundreds of teas, tea-related products and exquisite tea wares, and bid on items in the Festival’s Silent Auction.

“We’re expecting record level attendance in 2012, due in part to media the festival attracted last year including the Globe and Mail, National Post, and the Washington Post,” said Festival Chair Lisa Stekelenburg. “The Festival also has a loyal following of fans that come back year after year to sample and stock up on their favourite teas, tea products and tea wares.”

Generous support from sponsors also plays an important role in making the event happen. “Murchie's has been a proud member of the BC community since the company was founded in 1894, said managing partner Kelly Robinson. We’re delighted to be a Victoria Tea Festival Diamond Sponsor again this year and share our award winning teas with festival attendees.”

Advance tickets are $20 each; $25 at the door. Attendees can also buy five tickets and get one free. For a complete list of ticket outlets, event details and presentation descriptions, visit http://www.victoriateafestival.com/ or call 250-370-4880.

The Victoria Tea Festival is a fundraiser for Camosun College’s Child Care Services and is sponsored by Silk Road Tea, Murchies Tea & Coffee, Serious Coffee, Vancity, Times Colonist, Chek News and Ocean 98.5.

For more photos, please go to our facebook page.

Skiers Alert - Learn all about Avalanches at Mt. Washington

photo courtesy of Mt. Washington

When it comes to avalanches on Vancouver Island, a popular misconception is that they don't happen. Not only do they happen, they happen frequently and can wreak havoc on a back country adventure.

To promote avalanche awareness and provide basic education on snow safety, Mount Washington is hosting an Avalanche Awareness Day this Saturday, January 14th. The event will be fun, informative, and will provide a jumping-off point for skiers and boarders looking to increase their knowledge in the world of snow.

“We have an extensive avalanche control program at Mount Washington that incorporates both explosive and ski cutting techniques to initiate avalanches within our Resort boundaries," explains Jesse Percival, Patrol Director at the Resort.

Mount Washington's Pro Patrol staff make their way up the slopes in the early hours of the morning to ski cut and detonate explosives in the snow to release weaker layers hidden within the snow pack. The control work is vital in maintaining safe slopes for skiers and boarders on the mountain.

“We have a team of Pro Patrollers that are trained as Avalanche Technicians,” adds Percival. “All of our Avy Techs have received their certification through courses developed by the Canadian Avalanche Association.”

On Mount Washington, steeper terrain in the popular Outback and West Basin areas are part of the regular curriculum for avalanche control work after a big dump of snow. In the backcountry and beyond the patrolled boundaries of the Resort, the slopes are not controlled and this is where the greater risks exist for skiers and boarders.

“You need the proper training and tools to perform self-rescue when venturing into uncontrolled terrain.”

It sounds like serious business and at the end of the day, it is. The Avalanche Awareness Day this Saturday will provide a great introduction to the tools and techniques used in determining snow stability and performing snow rescue. In addition, there will be an amazing Canadian Avalanche Rescue Dog (CARDA) demonstration and, as always, there will be beacon races for those with a more competitive nature!

A silent auction will also be held during the day with all proceeds going to the Canadian Avalanche Association. The money will be used to support snow safety education programs and the maintenance of various avalanche bulletins across the province through the Canadian Avalanche Centre.

The event takes place at the new Backcountry Access Beacon Training Park which is located on the flats between the bottom of the Whiskey Jack and Eagle Chairs. For more information and the event schedule for this Saturday, visit the event calendar at mountwashington.ca.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located 30 minutes above the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. WestJet, Central Mountain Air, Pacific Coastal Airlines, and Island Express service the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ). To find out about accommodation and package information, call Mount Washington Alpine Resort at 1-888-231-1499 toll free or locally at 250-338-1386. Surf to www.mountwashington.ca for additional information including our live snow cam.

Food Sustainability - A Concern for Victorian's

We import so much of our food that it is quite likely that with continued population growth, there will be a world food shortage. It bygone years about 75% of our food was produced locally and now that percentage has dropped dramatically (5-10%) or so. A solution is to promote local production and support local production. One way is to support local markets where local producers can show and sell their products. If they are well supported their businesses will grow and we will all benefit. Fresh produce is always a lot better than shipped produce anyway. Check out Victoria's Downtown Farmers' Market. See above. For other markets check here.

Ducky, just Ducky - a good day to feed the ducks

Took my granddaughter to Cadboro Bay today to feed the ducks. There were a bunch of cool looking Mergansers about so I got so wrapped up in trying to get a good photo of one that I forgot to take a picture of my granddaughter. Sorry Madi. These are one cool looking bird. For more photos, see our Facebook page.

Seasons of Love at the Muse Winery

January events in Greater Victoria

Click here to find out what is going on in Victoria during the month of January 2012.