Travel Vancouver Island

06/17/2020

Biking along Dallas Rd is amazing but you sure do have to watch out for cars backing out of diagonal parking spaces along the beach. I had to dodge 3 cars in the one ride!! But that won't keep me away.

Easy & scenic bike ride from Oak Bay near Royal Jubilee Hospital, along Dallas Ride, Wharf St bike lane, ending at the start of the Galloping Goose Regional ...

05/25/2020

Physical distancing on sunny days in Victoria can be tricky. Understandably, lots of people want to get out for exercise so keeping 2 metres sometimes means having to spill over onto the streets or just bike out a bit further. My ride out from Galloping Goose trail start to Roche Cove Regional Park was amazing with friendly people all doing their best to respect each other's attempts to distance.

05/02/2020

Nanaimo wins apocalypse bingo!!

Murder Hornets set up shop in Nanaimo last fall. The guy who tried to remove them got stung through his beekeeper suit & sweatpants & is pretty lucky to have survived.

Apparently, Murder Wasps have been seen in other parts of the Pacific Northwest where their invasion of bee colonies is described as carnage — thousands and thousands of bees with their heads torn from their bodies.

Nature huh 😳🤓

Sightings of the Asian giant hornet have prompted fears that the vicious insect could establish itself in the United States and devastate bee populations.

04/21/2020

Tribute to healthcare workers mural now complete -- 965 Granville Street. Sponsored by Downtown Vancouver Business Association

03/19/2020

Nezza Naturals is an amazing, ethical store but they've just upped their game by teaming up with Victoria Distillers to produce much-needed hand sanitizer for health care workers.

A Victoria distillery and a local cosmetics business are partnering to create free hand sanitizer for health-care workers, dentists and nurses.

02/07/2020

I was looking for kid activities for the summer & came across Panorama Rec Centre. Did you know they heat their pools using Saanich's thermal recovery system?

PRC is one of the most cutting edge facilities on Vancouver Island, thanks to their Saanich Peninsula Thermal Energy Recovery System which has replaced natural gas as the heating source for the pools. This saves tons of green house gases.

02/04/2019

Nooooo … the snow is starting to stick in Victoria

10/02/2018

10/02/2018

Yay!!!! Nanaimo Aquatic Centre reno’s are all done and it’s back open for business.

08/29/2018

Tons of options for exploring Vancouver Island

Tofino Bus was founded in 2002 providing a direct backpacker and surfer shuttle to Tofino. 16 years later we have grown to provide daily schedules to all corner sof the island, Port Hardy in the North, Nanaimo and Courtenay in the East, Tofino in the West and Victoria in the South. Each schedule als...

08/23/2018

The stink from smoke in downtown Victoria is so bad it’s nauseating. I was sure a wildfire had started on Southern Vancouver Island. But it’s just that smoke has blown towards the city and is being pushed down to sea level by tonight’s colder marine air. Its supposed to improve by morning.

Shifting winds are blamed for delivering heavy pockets of smoke from wildfires

08/22/2018

German tourist Gunter Kiphard's videos of Vancouver Island are absolutely stunning! This one starts in Tofino, takes a side trip to Sandcut Beach along the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail & finally to Victoria.

New: Beautiful Vancouver Island, Tofino, Sooke, Sandcut Beach and Victoria, stunning footage and quality, also drone, english narration. Gopro 6, Karmagrip s...

08/17/2018

Who wants to experience an amazing camping adventure on the west coast of Vancouver Island? How about who would also like to do all that for free plus get some free swag? All you have to do is go to China Creek Campground's page & leave a comment. How simple is that!

Contest time! We are giving away another prize package (worth over $300) for those wanting to reconnect with family, friends and nature.

The winner will get a 3-night stay at China Creek Campground surrounded by the beautiful views of the Alberni Inlet, a large quiet beach with nearby access to world class fishing and hiking, included with a propane fire ring and 20lb tank, $50 worth of gift certificates to cover meals, snacks and beverages (non-alcoholic) during your stay and a Family Pack (4 passes) to Alberni Aquarium and Stewardship Centre to enjoy some hands on touch tanks and fun activities for the whole family!

To enter, leave a comment below on how you'd like to reconnect with nature, friends or family.

*Prize is valid until August 31, 2019!

As always, to book a campsite call us at: 1-250-723-9812 or book online: https://campchinacreek.com/contact/
Contest terms & conditions: https://bit.ly/2nGi9VK

08/11/2018

What an incredible year for blackberries. If you have to buy yours in the grocery store, keep in mind that picking these things is literally a blood sport. Those barbs will go right through shoes even.
Meanwhile ... burp .... can’t understand why the freezer isn’t filling up

08/08/2018

Wildfire in Nanaimo has grown today though they say "minimal growth towards Nanaimo"

The BC Wildfire Service is continuing to respond to a wildfire in the Nanaimo Lakes area. The most recent estimate suggests the fire is 160 hectares in size. Growth today occurred north towards Barsby Lake and west towards Nanaimo Lakes. There was minimal growth towards Nanaimo. The fire is currently 10% contained, but still considered ‘Out of Control.

BC Wildfire Service crews will remain on site overnight.
The evacuation order and alert issued by the Regional District of Nanaimo on August 6, 2018 remains unchanged. For more information, visit https://www.rdn.bc.ca/, https://www.facebook.com/RegionalDistrictofNanaimo/ or call 250-390-6538.

Traffic on the Nanaimo River Road is currently being stopped in the direction heading to the fire. People leaving the area are able to do so on Nanaimo River Road. This fire is not affecting any other roadways.

Smoke from the fire will be drifting westward today and through Thursday. This fire is now considered a Wildfire of Note, and more information will be provided as it becomes available on our website here: http://bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/OneFire.asp

08/05/2018

The Victoria Symphony Splash barge is warming up Symphony starts at 7:30

08/05/2018

Victoria Symphony Splash is today! They're just asking $5 by donation if you can manage that. Besides the concert, here are all sorts of family activities like bouncy castle & petting zoo.

The event starts at 1 but first music performance is at 4 on a barge in the inner harbour.

The annual Victoria Symphony Splash is a spectacular event that sees Victoria's beautiful Inner Harbour transformed into an outdoor concert stage.

07/31/2018

Have you managed to catch any of the free concerts in Beacon Hill Park? Never fear…they run until 3rd week of August but why wait. Tuesday evening's concert will be an amazing display of Canadian folk talent

Folk Music Evening Series Concerts in the Park at Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park

Tuesday July 31st

6 p.m. Flint & Feather
7 p.m. Quinn Bachand’s Brishen

Born on Canada’s West Coast, with its signature embrace of experimentation and improvisation, Qristina & Quinn have developed their own ‘voice’, exploring va...

07/28/2018

Another amazing weekend of sunny hot weather. Don’t waste it!

07/27/2018

Aeriosa is ballet meets mountain climbing & lucky for Victoria they’ll be performing at Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt August 10 & 11. Admission is free.

Aeriosa returns to Saxe Point Park for a second year with a new program Dancing Trees by the Salish Sea! Come marvel at the athletic grace and strength of these aerial dancers and be welcomed to the land by the Lekwungen Dancers at the start of each show.

07/23/2018

Hot, gorgeous, sunny summer weather in Victoria for at least the next week. Lucky for us there are plenty of beaches & lakes where you can go for a cooling dip: Gorge Waterway, Gonzales, Willows or Cadboro.

But if you want a spectacular experience, get out to Sooke Potholes. It's totally worth the drive or even bike ride. If you do plan to bike there via the Galloping Goose, be aware that the Todd Creek Trestle near Sooke Potholes is still under repair so you'll need to get off the Goose at the trail parking on Sooke River Rd.

Environment Canada has issued a weather statement for Greater Victoria, as an "extended stretch of very warm weather" is hitting BC's south coast.

07/21/2018

Dim Sum yummm Really busy place but great dim sum

07/16/2018

This super hot beach weather is amazing all over Vancouver Island. But dog owners need to be super mindful of saltwater poisoning. Make sure your dog drinks fresh water ever 1/2 hour and spends no more than 2 hours at the beach. Saltwater poisoning can be fatal.

Within 48 hours of drinking saltwater at the beach, Chris Taylor's seven-year-old Labrador retriever was dazed, unresponsive and had stopped eating.

07/10/2018

Paving on the Malahat between 8pm & 5am over the next couple of months means getting out of Victoria could be tricky. Breaks in the afternoon Colwood crawl will be only a couple of hours at best so plan & chill

Overnight road paving will last approximately two months

07/07/2018

Plan ahead. Best to avoid driving the Johnson St bridge July 8th. Cyclists should use the multi use path rather than the road on the new very blue bridge

On Sunday, July 8 minor delays may be experienced crossing the Johnson Street Bridge as vehicle lanes are reduced to accommodate scheduled paving work on Esquimalt Road between the west side of the Johnson Street Bridge and Harbour Road. Access for people driving, cycling and walking through the are...

07/01/2018

Downtown Victoria is usually incredibly busy on Canada Day plus quite a few streets are blocked to vehicle traffic. That means parking is limited. Your best bet is to take the bus but remember that alcohol, even if it's still sealed will be confiscated by the police.

BC Transit issued this notice:

"To ensure the safety of staff and passengers, alcohol will not be permitted on board any BC Transit bus for the entire service day. This is a joint effort by BC Transit, Municipalities and Police departments to help ensure a safe day on our buses. The police will be checking the buses and confiscating any liquor they find."

Victoria—Schedules and Maps