July 31, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Beaches & Swimming
Can you say “heat wave”? In Fort St. John we have had the hottest late July in a long time, so hot in fact, that we have broken temperature records set in the 40s! With this kind of heat locals and travelers alike can do nothing but sweat it out – unless they happen to know all the local hot spots for cooling off.
The most important thing on a hot day is always water, but why just drink it when you can dive in? Downtown Fort St. John is home to the North Peace Leisure Pool which, with two pools and a waterslide, is an excellent indoor stop. I’ve always loved the beachy wave pool and the exhilarating 3m high dive! If you just can’t bear to leave the sun behind but still want to stay in the city, there’s also the Rotary Spray Park. Right behind the Leisure Pool, it is usually frequented by the younger (read: 3-8 yr olds) set but on a sweltering days like today, everyone is welcome (even roguish university students like myself) and the cold blast of water is ridiculously welcome.
If you have a bit more time and ambition, the BC Peace region is also home to a whole raft of great swimming rivers. For those with a 4X4, Copeland’s beach can’t be beat. It’s a great place to swim, hike, skip rocks on the river, and generally just bask in the sun on the sandy shores. Exercise caution on the first hot day of the summer (all the snow in the mountains starts to melt and the river can pull a flash flood out of its back pocket with no notice) but after the snows are melted out of the mountains, a trip out to North Pine and its main attraction (Copeland’s Beach) may be just what the doctor ordered. While north of town already, I find it’s hard to pass up the beaches just east of the Cecil Lake Road Bridge. While much easier to access it is no less appealing for a quick dip on a hot day.
If you head south of Fort St. John the Peace and Kiskatinaw Rivers are great options. I grew up visiting my aunt who lived on the Peace, and though we were warned heavily against leaping into the flow, on hot years when the water is low there are plenty of slower running back waters where it’s safe and fun to cool down and paddle around. The Kiskatinaw is also a great place to swim and, located only about half an hour south of Fort St. John, it’s not too far out of the way. My dad always liked to take the little detour in the summer to drive part of the old highway and swim in the relatively safe if a bit muddy Kiskatinaw.
Now, once you’ve got your fill of swimming you will probably need a snack. There is no question in my mind, after a long hot day on the river or in the pool, only icecream will do! Now if you read my previous blogs you probably know how I feel about icecream and just where exactly I like to go. If, however, you didn’t: Peppermint Patty’s is the coolest icecream joint in town. Check it out!
July 21, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Shopping
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Fort St. John is a long way from the retro, hippie meccas of southern B.C. but in the heart of this oilfield town an intrepid shopper may stumble upon The Rabbit Hole. I hadn’t even noticed the new retro shop until one blizzardy Monday in May when my friend dragging me (through the snow) to a poetry open mic in The Rabbit Hole. One Monday evening per month, The Rabbit Hole opens its doors to a mixed bag of local writers, giving them a chance to share their work and listen to the labours of others.
The store itself is filled with books (some old enough to classify as genuine antiques), records, bizarre giftware, and posters. From the rafters, the retro posters drip like relics of a past era and the books offer everything from modern fiction to cult classics, to linguistic treatises (at least 80 years old) and an ancient dictionary no less than 6 inches thick! I will admit that every time I wander off 100 Ave and through the doors of The Rabbit Hole I find myself drifting into a sort of book-nerd heaven laced with incense and absurdity.
So if you’re looking for a little bit of wonderland, drop by The Rabbit Hole – you will be enchanted by what you find.
The Spread the Word group is putting together a book of local poetry and short fiction, watch for it in November.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
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Hot weather demands icecream. In my world, that fact is completely non-debatable.
Friday evening, after a morning of overcast and rain, the weather perked up, the sun came out and icecream became the order of the day. With our friends from Edmonton, my mother and I headed out to Fort St. John’s only hard icecream parlour: Peppermint Patty’s.
There are over twenty different flavours and the generous scoops are available in sugar or waffle cones. It was enough to throw my mother’s friend into a fit of indecision that lasted nearly 15 minutes. In the end the girl working there found a more than adequate solution (one flavour to fill the cone; one flavour as the scoop on top) and we all left contented with huge single scoop cones of gourmet icecream.
The prices are a bit steep but when you need a creamy frozen complement to the sun, Peppermint Patty’s is the place to go.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Kayaking & Canoeing
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Now I won’t try to claim that Charlie Lake is a beautiful swimming lake; it’s not. The water is green with algae and swimmer’s itch is more common than not but the shoreline is beautiful and when the sun’s on the water, a kayaker couldn’t be happier.
I’ve been kayaking on the lake for years now and just the other day I finally made time to take my first paddle of the season. The weather was obliging and I had the lake almost entirely to myself. When I finally found my way back to the dock I was relaxed, refreshed, and pretty darn tired (I was on the water for over 2 hours).
Charlie Lake is a relatively small lake, the south end is heavily developed and offers views of both quaint and imposing lake houses, while the north end is largely untouched and offers glimpses of wildlife in and amongst the dense forests and ragged limestone cliffs.
For a kayaker Charlie Lake offers a great afternoon paddle (it’s big enough to go somewhere on but not so large as to whip up dangerous storms) and fishermen will be pleased to note that it is full of a variety of different types of fish. A local fellow offers boat rentals at the south end of the lake on nice days for very reasonable rates or if you happen to meet a local paddler you may just be able to join them on a leisurely (or workout oriented if you prefer) trip on, the fondly nicknamed, Chuck’s Puddle.
July 13, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Spas & Wellness
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I had always thought that my hometown, Fort St. John, was a desolate, yoga-less abyss. How wrong I was! Upon checking out a locally published brochure on health and wellness I discovered yoga practitioners and teachers at almost all the local gyms as well as several independent yoga studios. I was flabbergasted!
I was also determined to take advantage of this wealth of yogis so I set out to The Sacred Space Yoga Studio one grey morning. The studio was small but soothing, decked with dark wood, mirrors, candles and crystals. The instructor sat at one corner of the room on a sheepskin layered over a yoga mat. She was framed by candles, a gong, and a large willow tree making its home behind her.
After an hour and a half of yoga, meditation, chakra opening, singing, and, most importantly, learning about my breathing I was fairly sold on this musical-meditative-yoga mash-up. I emerged refreshed, relaxed, and largely at peace with the world. The next day I was more than a little stiff, but I guess even with yoga, no pain means no gain.
If you happen to be needing a little realignment, a touch of serenity, or even just a nice dose of stretching, next time you wander through Fort St. John, don’t hesitate to stop by one of the local yoga studios. If The Sacred Space is anything to go by, the local studios know exactly what they are doing!
July 07, 2009 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Gardens
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Fort St John is a city of many parks; we have everything from open fields, to children’s playgrounds to lush gardens. My personal favourite are the gardens.
Just beside the local Visitor Centre (near the North Peace Leisure Pool) there is a lovely raised square garden. Cut into quarters by paths and playing host to eight separate benches (each in its own nook of foliage), this garden is one of my favourite places to eat lunch and take refuge from the busy environment that I work in. I usually sit on the bench underneath a white lilac bush and often am accompanied by various other locals each having staked out his or her own favourite bench in the sun or shade.
The garden is in bloom all summer and is carefully maintained meaning that no matter when you are in Fort St John, so long as the ground is snow free (late April-early October), there will be charming growing things to keep you company as you find solace in the Centennial Park Garden.