July 17, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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Though I had never heard of them, I decided to go see Miss Quincy and the Ramblers at the Granaries on Bear Mountain. The tickets were only $10, there was a barbeque by donation, and all the proceeds were going towards the new Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre (a centre I have been using for at least a decade). I was extremely surprised with not only the band, but the location.
You see, the Granaries are not at all what I had imagined. They are so much nicer than anything I could have ever come up with in my own head. Very secluded, unbelievably well-cared for, and incredibly luxurious, I couldn’t help but think of how amazing it would be to have a romantic weekend for two there...
But let me get back to the concert.
Miss Quincy and the Ramblers were fantastic! As per usual, it took a little while before us shy Dawson Creek locals got onto the dance floor, but once we did, there was no leaving. By the end of the fantastic, toe tapping, 1 hour set, preceded by another local folk group, the Sweetwater Ramblers, everyone was on the dance floor, stomping and shouting. I have never had so much fun in such a beautifully forested and maintained location. It was simply divine. Can’t wait until Groovin’ at the Granaries 3!
July 14, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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On July 1st the Tourism Dawson Creek staff celebrated Canada’s Birthday by making our way to Pouce Coupe to attend the Annual Canada Day Parade. The Dawson Creek Visitor Centre and the Dawson Creek Art Gallery spent weeks painting and decorating an Olympic themed float to celebrate the 2010 Olympic Games coming to Vancouver, BC. On the float were skiers, snowboarders, and hockey players which landed us a third place ribbon. After the parade ended there were many festivities taking place in Pouce Coupe Park which included games, entertainment for all ages, BBQ and fireworks that evening. The staff was unable to attend because we all had to return to work. We didn’t let missing the festivities get in the way of celebrating Canada Day. The Visitor Centre had BBQ hotdogs, cupcakes, Canada trivia, and gave out pins, and tattoos. Then on July 4th we celebrated Independence Day with our American Tourists with cake, hotdogs and trivia. Fun was had by all.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Outdoor Activity Tours
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On Sunday July 12, I made my way across the bumpy road to the longest wooden curved bridge in North America. It is located off of Highway 97N between Fort St John and Dawson Creek, close to the Farmington Store. I was surprised by the amount of motor homes and fifth wheels that were parked on the road, right beside Kiskatinaw Provincial Park. The owners of the vehicles were actually walking across the bridge rather then driving. So I followed suite and parked my truck. Once I got onto the bridge, I understood why people were walking. The scenery was beautiful out there! It was a gorgeous day to begin with but it is nice and quaint out there. The wooden bridge is definitely something that you can’t just drive over and keep on trekking along the highway. There is more then enough room for travelers to pull over, get out and enjoy the scenery as well as the structure of the Kiskatinaw wooden curved bridge.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Surfing & Watersports
Yesterday, July 12th, my family and I went to Swan Lake, BC, about half an hour from Dawson Creek, BC. It was an absolutely gorgeous day outside, and we spent the evening tubing and waterskiing on this glorious lake. The provincial campground here is fantastic, with friendly neighbors, a boat launch, a beach, great fishing, and for a great price (only $15 a night!). We roasted hot dogs over the campfire, and had a truly rich outdoors experience.
This lake is a favourite of locals, and once you’re there, you can see why; it’s large size and crystal surface make a great location for water sports. I would also definitely recommend the fishing, as you can catch Northern Pike, Walleye, and Perch at Swan Lake.
If you want to see some Northern wildlife, Swan Lake is a fantastic place to go. In the few times I have been to Swan Lake, I have seen endangered bald eagles, ducks, loons, beavers, deer, frogs, squirrels, and hummingbirds. Just yesterday I must have seen about 5 loons and 3 or 4 hummingbirds. There are lots of other birds that can be seen on the lake, including woodpeckers and even swans at certain times of the year!
There is also a fantastic bed and breakfast, the Rising Moon B &B, located on Swan Lake. They have awesome amenities, including queen sized feather beds, cable TV, a hot tub and much more! They also have an abundance of activities available, such as pontoon boats, paddle boats, fishing, and wildlife spotting.
I absolutely love Swan Lake, and I can’t speak highly enough about it. You’ll just have to see it for yourself!
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
The Mile 0 post in Dawson Creek is the one thing that tourists must have a picture of. I was quite intriqued to learn about the history of the post as it is not the orginal. The first post was located in the traffic circle as was foolishly run over by a drunk driver. The city felt that this post was important and decided to design a new one to honour all the hard work of building the Alaska Highway. Since then, this post has made its way to Vancouver when the engineering students stole it from UBC, been set on fire and has had endless men and women tied to it the night before their wedding. Due to all its adventures, the post is now metal and bolted to the cement. Make sure you look both ways though before you get your picture taken with post as you are jaywalking.
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
So much hard work and dedication has been done in this museum. I absolutely love animals and having the chance to see them up close and personal was amazing. My hat goes off to the South Peace Historical Society.
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Art Galleries & Artists
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I think that the Dawson Creek Art Gallery is one of the neatest buildings in Dawson Creek. It is made out of an old grain elevator and has spiriling stairs to take you up to the very top. On the walls there is art displayed which focuses mostly on local talent. There is also a room in that you can go in to see all the old pictures of construction workers during the building of the Alaska Highway. This place is a must see and I will be back again.
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Attractions
The Dawson Creek train station was built in 1931 and was used mostly for the American soldiers to come to Canada and build the Alaska HWY. Now it's been converted into an interesting museum...
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Sightseeing Tours
On June 27 and 28, Chris Arel's Monster Trucks came to Dawson Creek and did two spectacular shows.
July 10, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
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On July 6, 2009 Paul Brandt graced Dawson Creek with his country music at the Encana Events Center. Opening for him was up and coming country singer Jason Blaine from Pembroke, Ontario who is an amazing entertainer. He just released his second album and one day will be a big artist. Some of the songs he played include That’s what I do, Heartache Like Mine, My First Car and Give it to me. He is also very good looking, which helps the eyes a little.
Paul Brandt came on stage at around 8:15 and played for over an hour and a half. He played many of his old songs including Alberta Bound, My Heart Has a History and Canadian Man. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Brandt made his way to Nashville to get a name for himself and has won many awards for his songs. Brandt was very interactive with the crowd and talked about his experience in Dawson Creek the last time he was here. Apparently he was on stage last time and a small petit woman, who actually turned out to be a big momma, pulled him off stage but the nice citizens put him back up again to keep playing. This is just some of the humor that he shared with the crowd. Besides the turnout, the concert was far from a disappointment. Less then 2000 people filled the 5000 capacity seats, but those people who didn’t attend sure missed a good show. I will definitely be attending the next show that Paul Brandt or Jason Blaine hold in Dawson Creek.