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Wildlife in Northern British Columbia

June 24, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Fort St. John, Wildlife Viewing - Marine & Land

If you are ever in Northern BC and curious about observing wildlife you are in the right place! In this area of BC you can see a huge variety of different animals, and at times you can see them in your front yard!

At the beginning of the summer, I was entering Fish Creek Community Forest that is in the north part of Fort St. John. When I was on the path towards the forest, I came across an open patch of grass with a moose grazing on it. It was amazing! The moose was tame, I kept my distance, which is what everyone should do when they encounter a wild animal. It was the first time I saw this large of an animal up close and I couldn't believe my eyes! The texture of the animals coat was something I could not have imagined, the large head and big ears!

Another great experience of viewing wildlife was just the other night, when I was at a friends house. We were driving on a dirt road in the countryside and all of sudden there were two deer in the middle of the road. They were interested in who or what we were because they stood for awhile but the thing I found most spectacular is when we started driving they started running beside the car. There crisp white tails straight up in the air and the way they run almost looks like a gallop, it was a great sight especially with a beautiful sunset in the background.


Please make sure that you are aware of basic wildlife viewing safety.

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Posted by Samantha, Fort St. John at 12:28 PM

Finding a little Peace in Peace Country!

June 24, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Fort St. John, Backcountry Touring

In mid June 2009, I ventured to a friend's piece of land outside of Fort St. John, toward Cecil Lake. While I was driving I was unsure of what to expect....will we be in a small hut in the middle of a forest? will there be deer? and bears? and moose?
But once we got there I was bewildered, it was breath taking! The vast rolling landscape caught my eye and heart.
After we took a long walk through some of the property, we built a campfire, toasted some marshmellows and made some amazing s'mores!
When we were about to leave, the sun was setting on a perfect cool summer evening. But once we saw the sun heading for the horizon, we decide to pull off the road and take some pictures of a single seed shed in the middle of a field.

The picture that I have attached is to show the amazing beauty that can be seen in this area of British Columbia, the days are quite long here so this picture was taken at around 10pm. That is the amazement that is Fort St. John and area!

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Posted by Samantha, Fort St. John at 12:08 PM

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre Opens!

June 24, 2009 | Field Reports > Sidney, Aquariums

The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney, BC showcases the marine life of the Salish Sea! Tourism British Columbia Field Reporter Chris Wheeler attended the opening day and journeyed from "seafloor to seashore"! You'll love the sea elevator and all the spectacular marine life in the Gallery of the Salish Sea!

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Posted by Chris Wheeler, at 07:52 AM

Say "Khutzeymateen" five times fast

June 23, 2009 | Tips from Us > Prince Rupert, Bear Watching
Find more information about Prince Rupert, Bear Watching

Just north of Prince Rupert, near the Alaska Panhandle, is the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. Although the sanctuary is remote and protected, travellers can visit the area on a boat tour from Prince Rupert. I recently joined Prince Rupert Adventure Tours on a visit to see the bears - we spotted five grizzlies that day! You'll get a sense of what the experience is like from my video. 

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Posted by Janice , at 10:08 PM

West Coast Railway Heritage Park

June 23, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Squamish, Museums

The West Coast Railway Heritage Park is situated in Squamish, between  Vancouver and Whistler.

It is a great half day visit with activities for the whole family.  
You can ride the 3km miniature railway, climb inside old trains or  
enjoy one of the many historical displays (it has the only restored  
Railway Post Office car in Canada).

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Posted by Matt SamyciaWood , at 09:09 PM

Fun with the fishes!

June 23, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Vancouver, Aquariums

This past weekend my husband, my 2 year old son and I took advantage of a rare rainy June morning and visited one of our favourite spots in the city ... the Vancouver Aquarium! The aquarium is one of the few places in town that we buy an annual pass for because my 2 year old son loves it so much and we visit regularly!  This visit was particularly special because we were there to visit the aquarium's newest addition ... the baby beluga! It was kind of neat to see 3 generations of a beluga whale family together. As a bonus, while we there we had the good fortune to wander by the dolphin tank while they were doing some training and we enjoyed a private dolphin show! As usual, the Amazon Gallery was a big hit as we visited our duck friends and looked for the elusive sloth!  No luck ... we couldn't find her.  We'll come back again and I'm sure we'll find her next time!  Rain or shine ... the Vancouver Aquarium is worth a visit.

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Posted by maryann, at 03:39 PM

A hike that started with a bang

June 23, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Campbell River, Hiking

Located 15.5 km's from Campbell River the ripple rock trail was a perfect way to spend a sunny day. This 4km (1 1/2- 2 hours each way) hike will take you down to a beautiful beach before you start the climb up in to the forest for views that will stop you in your tracks time and time again. As you scale your way up and into the tree line you would never know Ripple Rock is the home of the largest non nuclear blast. Once in to the tree line you pass thu old growth forest and there are 2 great lookouts which we found perfect for some lunch. The last part of the trail was a little bit of a grind but was well worth it once you come out to the stunning view of Seymour Narrows and Quadra Island. I would recommend this hike to anyone in the area for even a day.

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Posted by Visitor Centre, Campbell River at 02:06 PM

100 Mile Marsh

June 22, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Bird Watching

Attention avid bird watchers!! I came across this bird watchers paradise while hiking in the South Cariboo. Located by the South Cariboo Visitor Center, the 100 Mile Marsh is home to many bird species. I saw a red winged and yellow headed black bird, Canadian geese, ruddy duck, pilealted woodpecker, and even a blue heron. Nice 20 minute walk around the trail circling the marsh offers plenty of opportunity to view the wildlife. Good ideas everyone…happy travelling!

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Posted by GoCanucks17, at 04:43 PM

108 Heritage Site

June 22, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > 100 Mile House, Historic & Heritage Sites
Find more information about 100 Mile House, Historic & Heritage Sites

 We loved the 108 Heritage site! A cluster of old buildings curved around the edge of the 108 Lake, near a rancher’s field. We were greeted by costumed guides that looked like they stepped out of the late 1800s, when the gold rush brought thousands of gold seekers in quest for a fortune, ranchers, and road houses (hence the name 108 Mile) The heritage site boasts a general store, post house, barn, church, black smith shop, school house, ice house, trappers cabin, collection of sawmill machinery and a HUGE Clydesdale barn… we were so surprised at how much there was to do and see. We could’ve spent hours wandering the Victorian styled ranch house admiring the restored parlour, kitchen, bed rooms and much more. We went for a long walk around the well maintained 108 Lake and Sepa Lake and had a picnic on the sandy beach. We enjoyed chatting with the friendly locals who also were enjoying the nice weather and relaxed, small town atmosphere. Hope to return again soon!

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Posted by GoCanucks17, at 04:31 PM

Sunshine Coast Splendour

June 21, 2009 | Tips from Us > Sechelt, Dining

Combine spectacular coastal scenery, first class accommodations and unforgettable cuisine and you get the Painted Boat Resort & Marina which I was lucky enough to spend a short time at recently.   While the villas are comfortable and elegant, the infinity pool relaxing at any hour and the spa (which I did not enjoy on this trip) inviting,  I was particularly impressed with the food at the Resort's cove-view restaurant.  As it turns out, the Painted Boat Restaurant (open year round) has the ambitious but achievable goal of creating a "culinary trail" for the Sunshine Coast along with a number of other fine eating establishments that string the Coast from Gibsons to Lund.  These restaurants focus on creative regional cuisine and they purchase most of their fish, fruits, vegetables, seafood, coffee and honey from local farms either on the Coast or off the nearby Gulf Islands.  The Queen Charlotte Islands halibut we enjoyed for dinner was of the melt-in-your mouth variety and, when paired with the organic greens salad and white wine from BC, I was in heaven.  If you plan on heading up to Madeira Park and the Painted Boat Resort, make sure you meander off the main highway from time to time to enjoy the communities (and the food) along the way - Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay & Secret Cove, to name a few.  I can't wait for my next trip and my next splendid meal.

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Posted by Kathleen, Vancouver at 04:33 PM