Wild Jay Wanders

01/01/2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What a fabulous way to finish out the year! Thanks to your generosity the Firefighters Burn Fund will be receiving $145 From tonight’s tour! Thank you so much!

It has been a pleasure to take you along to all these fabulous events in the Greater Vancouver region over the last year. I am so grateful for your continued support and friendship!

I wish you all love, laughter and lots of adventures in 2024!

01/01/2024

Bright Lights in Stanley Park

31/12/2023

Another fun - albeit wet and rainy - visit to downtown Vancouver for Christmas at Canada Place and bonus stroll through Coal Harbour! As I was walking back, I heard the bark of what I was sure was a sea lion so I zoomed my phone camera as far as I could and, sure enough, the big brown lump at the end of the dock in the last photo is a sea lion! Cool!

31/12/2023

Christmas at Canada Place with Liven Up Coal Harbour Walk

24/12/2023

Wishing you all the best the holiday season has to offer! May your homes be filled with love and laughter. Thank you for celebrating the Christmas season with me!
Stay tuned . . . There’s more to come!

11/12/2023

What a great evening at Burnaby’s Village Museum, discovering the nostalgia and novelty of a 1920’s Christmas! Thanks to everyone who joined me in the rain for this wonderful event. The carousel was definitely the highlight, don’t you agree?

10/12/2023

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum

10/12/2023

Yesterday I mentioned I would post some of the photos from Fleurs de Villes Voyage that happened last spring at Van Dusen gardens. We weren’t able to do a tour at that time so I hope you enjoy the artistry and creativity,

09/12/2023

This is the view from the skytrain on my way home from today’s tour! I thought some of those raindrops looked a little thick . . . And white!

09/12/2023

Well, it was a wild and windy winter day in Vancouver! Despite Mother Nature trying to blow us away, we saw some incredibly beautiful creations by our local floral artists! Thank you all for joining me, even with our early challenges! 😂 It was definitely worth the effort!

Here are some of the ones we missed!

09/12/2023

Fleurs de Villes Noel Vancouver

07/12/2023

White Rock was lovely tonight. Thank you to everyone who joined me for a stroll among the art and light!

03/12/2023

We had a perfect morning in downtown Vancouver for a little holiday magic along Christmas Tree Lane! The Woodward’s windows were a nostalgic walk through time and the trees gorgeously decorated! Did you have a favourite? Post a pic in the chat!

27/11/2023

Tonight we all fell in love with the lights at Lefarge! Since 2011, the city of Coquitlam has been aweing visitors with their fabulous displays that seem to just get bigger and better every year! This year was no different!
Thank you to everyone who came out and joined me me for this spectacular walk around the lake!

19/11/2023

It was a perfect Sunday morning in downtown Vancouver for yet another fabulous public art walk! There’s always so much to see! Thank you to everyone who joined me and shared these sculptures , murals and mosaics !

15/11/2023

Bear Creek Park was aglow tonight ! Thank you to everyone who joined me for this celebration of light and colour! It’s the perfect family friendly kickoff to the holiday season !

09/11/2023

Thank you to everyone who joiour wet nature walk this afternoon. It was lovely to get out into the park for a stroll and show a different side than we’re used to! I promised I would post a photo of the barred owl, one of the many species common to the park. Hope you like him!

05/11/2023

Lumiere was a blast! Thank you Melissa for suggesting this fabulous event ! And thank you to everyone who discovered it with me! The creativity and interaction with the displays made it so much fun!
Did you have a favourite ? Let me know in the chat.

01/11/2023

So the best laid plans sometimes go awry when you’re dealing with wildlife ! While we all showed up, the geese did not despite having heard they were there last week! A few did a fly by but never landed!
I will arrange another attempt in a few weeks so stay posted!
Thank you to all who shifted with me for a walk around the park. Here’s a few pics of what I saw and if I have some good ones of the river otter, I’ll post them after I download from my camera .

30/10/2023

Fright Nights at Capilano Suspension Bridge was a blast! So many great displays as well as an always terrifying trek across the swaying bridge! Thanks to everyone who dared to visit with the dead!

28/10/2023

It was great to be back with all you wonderful people in this beautiful brisk morning! White rock never disappoints and the art we saw today was spectacular ! So glad you joined me!

25/10/2023

I've spent the morning trying to create events for my tours and am having no luck. I've reported it to FB and am waiting to hear back.

In the meantime, mark these in your calendars!.

Saturday, October 28, 9:00 am PST

White Rock Public Art Walk - we're going to leave the beach and head into the city to check out some of the public art in the downtown core.

Sunday, October 29, 6:00 pm PST

Fright Night in the Canyon - Yes, we're heading back to the Capilano Suspension Bridge! The ghosts and goblins have taken over the park for an eerily good time!

I'll get the events posted as soon as FB lets me.

25/10/2023

Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well! The drought finally ended and we've moved into a wet and blustery fall! The sun is supposed to reappear by the end of the week, so how about we get out and enjoy it a little? We'll be returning to one of our favorite spots at the Capilano Suspension Bridge, this time for a spooktacular tour of the Park to celebrate the season of the witches. We'll also take in some of the public art in my favourite seaside town of White Rock. And the snow geese have returned, so we'll head to Richmond to check them out!
It's going to be a great time and I hope you'll join me!

22/09/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Our final photo from last week, guessed right by Susanne and Sue, was the gardens at Hatley Castle in Victoria.

Hatley castle was completed in 1908 for James Dunsmuir, a coal and rail baron who became Premier of British Columbia and later the Lieutenant Governor. During the second world war, the property was purchased by the federal government as the home for the British Royal family, though they never took up residence, fearing their departure would be detrimental to the public.

Unused by the royal family, the site was used as a military college before becoming a public degree-granting university under the name Royal Roads University.

Fun fact, the house was used in the X-men movies as "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Pay attention the next time you watch one of those movies! (also appears in Dead Pool)

21/08/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Where are we today? HINT: Established in 1608, the name of this place was adopted from the Algonguin language.

21/08/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Judith got it right! Last week's photo took us to the village of Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Located on the Cabot Trail of Cape Breton Island, Baddeck was the summer home for Alexander Graham Bell and now the location of the Alexander Graham Bell Museum.

Bell was one of the first pioneers of powered flight, his Silver Dart taking off on the ice of Baddeck Bay for the first powered, heavier than air flight in Canada. His museum is a storehouse of his inventions, including the first hydrofoil boats.

Where will we go next? Check back tomorrow to find out!

15/08/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Where are we going this week? Hint: it's the location of the first controlled powered flight in Canada.

14/08/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Last week's photo had everyone stumped! Bruce Peninsula National Park and Five Fathoms Marine Park are located on the Niagara Escarpment at Lake Huron. In Ontario, the limestone escarpment travels 725 km from the Niagara River to Tobermorey and the Manitoulin Islands and is one of the few biosphere reserves in the world protected by legislation.

This unique environment is home to the Northern Flying Squirrel, eastern black bear, and the at-risk common snapping turtles, as well as a wide variety of unique flowers, including 34 species of orchid. (Canada has 74 and 62 are found in Ontario!) Lake Huron at Bruce Peninsula is a diver's paradise, with clear blue waters that allow swimmers to view wrecks 100 feet from the surface.

A great place to camp, hike, dive or just have a picnic before taking the Manitoulin ferry to Northern Ontario, Bruce Peninsula is one of Canada's natural wonders.

Where should we go next? Check back tomorrow to find out!

08/08/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Where are we going this week? Hint: this Unesco site is home to 2/3 of the province's orchid population and a popular spot for scuba diving.

07/08/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Michelle recognized L'Anse aux Meadows right away! Great job, Michelle!
Located in the Médée Bay in Northern Newfoundland, L'Anse aux Meadows (grassland bay) is the site of a Norse settlement dating back to around 1014 BC and has a possible connection to Leif Eriksen as mentioned in the Sage of Erik the Red. It's believed the site served as a base for exploration of North America.

Excavated in the 1960's, the village was designated a National Heritage Site in 1968 and Unesco World Heritage Site ten years later.

Where will we go next? North? South? East? Or West? Check back later to find out!

03/08/2023

What an absolutely gorgeous day with beautiful floral arrangements celebrating the start of Pride weekend in Vancouver! Thank you all for joining me this morning for another Fleurs de Ville tour!
Check out some of the great displays and watch the video for more! It will be available for the next 30 days in this page.

03/08/2023

31/07/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Hint: This settlement dating back to the 11th century is a Unesco World Heritage site.

30/07/2023

How Well Do You Know Canada?

Last week's photo was an easy guess and everyone got it right! My hometown of Ottawa, at the convergence of the Rideau, Ottawa and Gatineau rivers, is Canada's capital city and one of the best places to visit for its beauty, history and dozens of museums and galleries, including seven of Canada's 9 National Museums.

And the "Obama Cookie"? Well, in 2009, President Obama decided to make an unplanned stop on his way to the airport after his Ottawa visit, dashing into Le Moulin de Provence bakery in the ByWard Market and picking up a shorttbread cookie in the shape of a maple leaf. "I love this country", he declared while outside, excited onlookers pointed to the bakery saying "Obama. Cookie". The name stuck!

Where are we going next? Check back later for this week's destination!

24/07/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Hint: Located at the convergence of three rivers, this city became famous for for its "Obama cookie".

23/07/2023

HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW CANADA?

Melissa was correct that last week's photo was from Wood Buffalo National Park. Great job, Melissa!

Established in 1922 to protect the largest free roaming herd of wood buffalo, this 44,741 km2 (17,215 sq mile) park is the largest in Canada and second largest in the world, straddling the border between Alberta and the NorthWest Territory. It is also home to the largest freshwater delta in the world, with the Peace, Athabaska and Slave rivers all converging in the area.
It's an important location for the protection of species, including the endangered whooping crane that nests there, the red-sided garter snakes that form a breeding ball in the spring, and the only population of American white pelicans that nests and feeds on a fast moving river.
Far from the big city, this dark sky preserve is a great place to visit in the winter for the northern lights!

Check back later to see where we're going next!