March 30, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
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Hey guys! Today I went out and hiked the Iona Pipeline with Bailey. The pipeline? Isn’t that connected to the Richmond Wastewater Treatment Plant? Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Well actually, it’s better than it sounds.
Iona Beach is a regional park that offers some great wild life viewing and a fantastic hike or bike ride if you’re up for it. If you’re not sure where it is, it’s located just north of Sea Island and the Vancouver International Airport. Yes, it’s close to the treatment plant, but keep an open mind and hear me out on this one!
It’s really not as bad as it sounds. The park is clean, well kept, and frankly looks like any other beach in the lower mainland. The treatment plant is located at the entrance to the park, but is so out of the way you barely even notice it. Iona is a great place for picnics and interestingly, stargazing too. It’s far away enough from the main parts of the city that you don’t get the light pollution and the entire sky is very easily visible. There are not too many other places around Vancouver where you can easily do this.
The really cool thing here though is the 4km man-made jetty that supports the huge outfall pipes that carry the treated water from the plant. At the end of this jetty, the treated water flows an additional 3 km in submerged pipes to deep water in the Straight of Georgia, where tides and currents disperse it into the ocean.
There is a great walking/jogging/biking trail that goes overtop of them with plenty of nice views and opportunities to see local wildlife. During my trek out there I saw all kinds of birds, eagles, and even a seal!
Be warned! The trek is deceivingly long! At first glance it didn’t seem that much of a hike. I took Bailey out there and it was a haul - roughly 8km there and back! (Especially carrying 40lbs of camera gear! Yikes!) That being said, it was very rewarding reaching the end and watching the sunset with my puppy at the observation deck. There were plenty of other people around enjoying it too, and it was nice to laugh about how much fun a waste treatment plant could be.
The Iona Pipeline is a great hike if you’re looking for a new route around Richmond! Check it out and try something new!
- VideoChris
March 03, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
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Hey guys! Today I am going to give you a quick peek at the West Dyke Trail, part of Richmond’s extensive dyke system! If you’re up for a nice stroll, bike ride, dog walk, or just want to take in the natural beauty of the place, then the West Dyke Trail is for you.
The West Dyke Trail is a gravel pathway that offers excellent views of the Sturgeon Banks marshes, the distant Howe Sound mountains, and the Gulf Islands along a 5.5km path between Terra Nova and Garry Point Park. (Steveston).
It should be noted that this is only a tiny part of the Richmond’s entire dyke system, which surrounds the entire island and is a total of 49km in length (now THAT is a hike!). Richmond itself is only one metre above sea level, and located on a floodplain (as we are on the mouth of the Fraser River). These extensive dykes actually keep us from flooding during high tides and excessive rain and are a mandatory measure to keeping us nice and dry.
The West Dyke Trail, which is the western most stretch of this dyke system, is open to the public all year around and is a fantastic walk or bike ride filled with scenic landscape and plenty of wildlife. In fact, while I was there today I even managed to catch a glimpse of a coyote! I’ve lived in Richmond my whole life and I’ve never seen one up close before (about 10-15 feet away!). Unfortunately, I had my puppy Bailey with me, so I had to stop filming and grab him before the coyote realized what was going on! In hindsight, I probably could have gotten one of those great National Geographic hunting scenes on video, but Bailey is just far too cute for that. =)
Don’t fret though- The West Dyke Trail is an incredibly safe place for humans and dogs alike. This is the first time in my life I’ve come across a coyote, so this shouldn’t be a deterrent to enjoy the mountains and marshes. It’s just a friendly reminder that this is a wild living habitat to countless birds and other small animals. In fact, the Sturgeon Banks marsh is a major migration route for almost 1.4 million birds annually, including our famous snow geese!
Whether you’re here in the summer to enjoy it’s lush green marsh grasses, or make it in the winter to see it’s sepia, honey toned vistas, the West Dyke Trail is the ideal backdrop for some great recreational activities and wildlife to boot. Just don’t feed the coyotes!
- VideoChris
February 14, 2010 | 2010 Olympics >
Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
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View a larger image on flickr.com
Complementing the myriad of shows, installations and games at Richmond’s Olympic OZone complex is BC Street. I took a stroll along its collection of stalls showcasing British Columbia’s diverse communities, from log cabins in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast to alpine peaks in the Kootenay Rockies. All offered competitions to win awesome holidays in the province.
At the Comox Valley tent, I delved back into pioneer history on a virtual heritage walk. Exhibits at the Vancouver Coast & Mountains stall included guest ranching, scuba diving and winery touring. I made the most of their free samples of local honey and cheese.
Vancouver Island’s Sooke demoed its ‘Wild by Nature’ side, with a killer whale replica and mock marina, complete with lighthouse. Also coastal and wild, Tofino’s booth proved a real hit, taking photos of visitors on green screens, then superimposing them onto surfing or salmon fishing scenes. My husband can now boast he caught the Tyee (the “big one” in Aboriginal parance).
February 09, 2010 | Field Reports >
Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
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Getting around Vancouver area is a lot easier with the new Canada Line
Skytrain system. From Richmond and Vancouver in just 26 minutes, you
can hit all the best spots in the city along the way. From Richmond Centre Mall to the Richmond Oval, to the River Rock Casino and we haven't even hit downtown!
The Canada Line
also take you to Olympic Village where the Olympic Line Demonstration
Streetcar will be running through February and March. Take a ride while
you can! It's so fun and convenient, I hope it will stick around but we'll have to see!
The Canada Line also connects you to downtown Vancouver where the other Canada Line and the West Coast Express begin. You can virtually get anywhere in the city - cheap and conveniently!
March 01, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
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What to do on a lovely sunny day? Pay a visit to the fishing village of Steveston, in Richmond, BC! It's about a half-hour drive from Vancouver. Buy fresh fish and prawns right off the boats near the pier, have fish n' chips overlooking the marina or wander around town and check out the Historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery or Steveston Museum. Steveston's also got some lovely specialty food stores, including a fabulous Italian one called Papi's Market. ps, this video was shot in the end of February - check out the crocuses coming up!
November 20, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Richmond, Sightseeing Tours
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Ever since
The Fairmont opened at the
Vancouver International Airport I have wanted to spend a night there, thinking that it would be fun to order room service and watch planes comes and go. Last week I got my chance and my expectations were blown away. My 5-year-old son loved the coupon he was given for free milk and cookie delivery. The two-feet-deep kiddie-pool is right beside the hot tub, so I could soak and keep on eye on the kids at the same time. Our room had a luxurious tub and a scrumptious bed. A comfy chair was set up for sitting by the floor-to-ceiling soundproof windows and watching the action. Binoculars provided. The room looked north into the International arrivals and departures areas. Ground crew moved about below like a real-life Little People Airport. Due to the stormy weather, the view of the North Shore Mountains was replaced by close-ups of airplane tails tattooed with markings from WestJet, Air Canada, Fiji, Alaska, and KLM. We turned off all the lights and spent hours in the dark staring into the microcosm. Overall, a perfect mini-vacation 20 minutes from home. p.s. While wading in your bathing suit at the pool, walk to the windows and wave to the passengers checking in for International flights below!