World Fisheries Trust and Esquimalt Parks and Recreation are hosting an Oceans Day Festival at Esquimalt Gorge Park on Sunday, June 3rd 2012 from 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM.
World Fisheries Trust, a local NGO that delivers environmental education and conservation programs both locally and internationally, is working in collaboration with Esquimalt Parks and Recreation to join hundreds of other educators, conservation organizations, stewardship groups and thousands of individuals around the world to celebrate our shared ocean.


This year's Oceans Day theme is "Youth - the Next Wave for Change", and we are promoting and coordinating activities worldwide with a focus on getting youth involved in conserving the world's oceans. As such, our Oceans Day Festival will include activities such as live music, crafts, food, face painting, canoe tours of the Gorge, touch tanks with local marine life, interpretive walks, and educational and interactive displays and models among other activities.


Admission to the festival is absolutely free.

Chateau Victoria - Hospitality Night

The Chateau Victoria hosted members of the hospitality industry tonight at Clive,s Classic Lounge and Vista 18. Everyone in Victoria and all visitors in Victoria should know this. On may17, 2012 The only bar and bartender in Canada to be recognized at this years Tales of the Cocktail and Spirited Awards is right here in Victoria. Clive';s Lounge and it's Executive Barkeep, Shawn Soole were recognized in the prestigious Top 10 list for World's Best Hotel Bar and International Bartender of the year respectively. The announcement was made from New Orleans on May 17, 2012, following a rigorous evaluation of hundreds of nominees in 17 categories. Both Clive's Classic Lounge and Shaw Soole share the top 10 designation with some amazing international company. Congratulations are indeed in order. The drinks at Clive's Classic Lounge are amazing and the food and the views from Vista 18 are incredible.

For more informaton about the Chateau Victoria, visit their web site.
— at Clive's Classic Lounge.For more pictures see our Facebook Page

The Nanaimo Rhododendron Society (NRS) is hosting the American Rhododendron Society (ARS) Western Regional Conference here in Nanaimo in Sept of this year. The convention will bring together people from all over the Pacific Northwest to discuss and share ideas about rhododendrons, in addition to travelling and enjoying the countryside.
Title: American Rhododendron Society (ARS) Western Regional Conference


The theme of the conference is: Rhodos in Paradise


Dates: September 21 to 23, 2012


Place: Nanaimo, BC


Host: Nanaimo Rhododendron Society, Nanaimo, BC


website: http://arsnanaimo2012.ca


"Imagine a place,


Surrounded by mountains and oceans


Where winters are mild,


Summers are warm,


and the gardening is easy...


Welcome to Nanaimo...


A Rhodo Paradise!"

Go to our facebook page for more photos.

Abkahzi Gardens - A Small Wonder

This small but exceptionally beautiful garden is located near the Oak Bay Victoria Border. It is operated by a volunteer group and today was their annual plant sale. There is a tea house in the Garden that is worth a visit. The flora is truly amazing as you will see below. Go there in the spring especially. The time is now.  Visit our facebook site for more pictures of this amazing garden.

Once again that dreaded spring time freak of nature buries parts of greater Victoria making life here for locals absolutely miserable. Sidewalks arre slippery, road ways impassible, spring flowers smothered and this time a golf course devastated. See for your self by going to our Facebook Page for more pics and story.

Ric's Grill Victoria BC - Home of Good Food

Last night Linda and I had the opportunity to attend a taster evening at Ric's Grill with members and friends at the Victoria Guest Services Network.  We had a delicious meal and some great wine.  Some of the wine was local, from Muse Winery in North Saanich.  I would recommend that you give Ric's a try, they are doing some amazing things with their menu.  Ric's restaurants are all over BC and Alberta and we are lucky to have one in Victoria.  It is a 910 Government Street, so if you downtown, stop in. You will be glad you did.  To see more pictures of the great food we tried, please go to the VGSN Facebook Page.  See you at Ric's.

Kayaking the San Juan River at Port Renfrew

We recently did a kayak trip up the San Juan River near port Refrew.  It was an amazing adventure with lots of scenery.  To see more pictures go to our Facebook Page. 

To read more about our adventures in Port Renfrew go to our Travel Magazine.

Port Renfrew has big trees, really big trees

Port Renfrew has big trees, really big trees! 

Port Renfrew is definitely the Big Tree Capital of Canada. If you go to Port Refrew, you must visit these trees. Some take a hike to get to and others like the San Juan Spruce and the Harris Creek Fir are very easy to access.  If you go to our Travel Magazine Article you will get more pictures and directions to these trees.  If you go to our Facebook site you can see more pictures of these magnificent trees.

Botanical Beach Provincial Park near Port Renfrew BC on Vancouver Island

We just visited Botanical Beach (2-3 km) and walked 20 minutes down a good trail to the beach to catch the morning low tide.  We recommend exploring the tide pools at Botanical Beach when the tide is 4 feet (1.2 m) or less at low tide.  You can check the tide tables at local marinas, ask almost anywhere in town, or go on-line to the Fisheries and Oceans Canada web site.  Botanical Beach is a mystical shoreline that faces Juan de Fuca Strait where it empties into the Pacific Ocean.  If you get a blue sky day it is outstanding.  If you get a grey day it is spectacular.  If you get a windy day it is a great sight but the tide pools might be a bit cloudy.  Any day is a good day.  The scenery is inspiring, the tide pools are prolific and intriguing to explore.  Be sure to take time to sit down and relax and absorb the whole experience and enjoy the serenity around you.  You will quickly realize that this is a very special place.  Botanical Beach Video   Youtube Video You can read our complete article about Port Renfrew and go to our Facebook Page for more pictures of Botanical Beach and Port Renfrew.

Wild Coast Cottages and Water's Edge Recreational Properties Port Renfrew

On our visit to Port Refrew,  Rosie Betsworth took us to some of the new recreational property offerings in Port Renfrew, including a relatively new recreational development called Wild Coast Cottages.  Phase One of this affordable ‘micro-cottage’ development sold out in 2011.  Phase 2, ‘Water’s Edge’, consists of a small village of waterfront and water-view cabins, each 515-660 sq. ft.  These well landscaped oceanfront cottages have spacious decks, with 2500 sq. ft lots.  Cottages are priced from $229,900 to $399,000, including the lot, cottage and HST.  Owners hold regular “free title” to their cottage and maintenance is strata managed.  This project was created by Three Point Properties.  Wild Coast Marina is being developed on the shores below Water’s Edge – bringing deep-water moorage to Port Renfrew for the first time.  Rosie also drove us into the new Port Renfrew RV Resort, now under construction across the road.  It has 55 RV lots under development and each comes with a small 8 x 12 ft. bunkhouse building.  Each lot has water, hydro, on site waste disposal, and optional Wi-Fi and Satellite TV.  Fancy camping!

For more great photos of the Lodge visit our Facebook page. Read our article about Port Renfrew on our Travel Magazine.

Soule Creek Lodge Port Alberni - great accommodation

Soule Creek Lodge in Port Renfrew is one of the finest accommodation available.  They offer rooms in the Lodge, a cabin and yurts for an exciting novel experience.  They have phenomenal dinning experiences as well.  The views from the property are outstanding.  The area around Port Renfrew offers some amazing acitivity such as fishing, kayaking, tide pools at Botanical Beach, giant trees, and a lot more.  Treat yourself soon to Port Renfrew and be sure to stay at Sould Creek Lodge.  For more great photos of the Lodge visit our Facebook page.  At Soule Creek enjoy the views, get information about the area, enjoy some spectacular and tasty food, and great hospitality. Read our article about Port Renfrew on our Travel Magazine.

Painting Victoria in Colour and Culture-ARTISHOW 2012

QUADRA ISLAND STUDIO TOUR 2012

Quadra Island Artists are hosting their tenth annual Studio Tour on the first weekend of June. Quadra is situated in the beautiful Discovery Islands, just a short ferry ride from Campbell River. Visitors can enjoy exploring the island (with its beautiful vistas to both the coastal ranges on the mainland and to Vancouver Island’s peaks to the west) and check out the work done by the island’s many fine artists. The Tour presents work in many talents – blown glass, stone sculpture, pottery, photography, printmaking, painting and more – and an opportunity to meet the creative people behind the artwork. Add a picnic on Rebecca Spit, gazing across the waters of Sutil Chanel, and it is a perfect weekend outing.

Mark your calendars for June 2nd and 3rd on Quadra Island. Tickets can be purchased for $5 per person (kids under 12 are free) from:

 Hummingbird Office and Art Supply

 Quadra Tourist Info Centre

 Campbell River Public Art Gallery

 Comox Valley Art Gallery (Courtenay)

 And at Quadra Island resorts

More details can be found at http://www.quadraislandarts.com/.

Or check us out on Facebook at Quadra Island Studio Tour

Can’t make the Studio Tour weekend? Many of the studios are open to visitors throughout the summer.

Contact: Kathryn Manry, Cell Phone: 250/205-1002


Email: kamanry@gmail.com

Amazing- Octopus eats a seagull...

To see more pictures of this amazing event, please go to our Facebook page. Sidney, BC, March 22, 2012: It’s well known that birds feast on marine life, but what about the other way around? Ginger Morneau of Langford was walking on the breakwater at Ogden Point with family from out of town when the sound of splash...ing caught their attention. Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw when they looked into the water. “The orange tentacle of an octopus wrapped around a seagull and they were struggling. It felt like time stopped as we watched the encounter.” Morneau was fortunate enough to have her camera on hand to document what in actuality took less than a minute. The octopus drowned the bird and pulled it down into the water. “My husband laughed at me, but I wanted to save the seagull. It was very shocking to watch.” Says Morneau. While it’s rare for this feeding activity to be caught on camera, it’s not that unusual for an octopus to eat a bird. “Octopuses are smart and if they see a bird that consistently lands on a rock they can access then they may have a go at catching it. Birds, on the other hand, are not all that smart and often will not move when an arm comes out of the water because they do not recognize it as a threat.” Say Jim Cosgrove, author of Super Suckers, the go-to guide on Giant Pacific Octopus. The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney has a large male giant pacific octopus, fondly known as “The Dude”. He has shown his aquarists first hand just how clever these creatures can be “The Dude learned how to open a jar and retrieve a crab within a minute of us showing him how to do it!" says Paula Romagosa, Head Aquarist. “They’re also incredibly strong, there has been more than one occasion in which it has taken several people to retrieve the cleaning pole when he decides to hold on to the end." Says Romagosa. The Centre will be releasing The Dude soon so that he’s able to continue to grow and complete his breeding cycle in the wild. A wild giant pacific octopus captures a Seagull at Ogden Point -30- About Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is an aquarium and marine education centre focused on the amazing ecosystem of the Salish Sea. The Centre operates as a not-for-profit community facility that is self-supporting through admission fees, grants and donations. The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is governed, funded and owned by the New Marine Centre Society. Capital funds for the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre were raised through generous community support. The Centre is located in a spectacular waterfront building in Sidney, BC. Media Contact: Leshell Michaluk, Sales & Marketing Director marketing@oceandiscovery.ca 250-665-7511 Ext. 109
Thanks to the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre for passing along this story.