July 22, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Art Galleries & Artists
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From the moment I first saw the rough outline of this carving at the 2006 Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship, I knew it would always be my favourite.
I have always loved moose and I collect moose figurines at home. When this big guy was finished, and placed downtown, I just had to get a photo with him!
Editor's note: Learn more about Chetwynd's chainsaw carvings here.
July 21, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Climbing & Caving
Yesterday a group of friends and I headed out toward Tomslake to see the Gundy Caves: sandstone depressions in the side of a cliff. Some of the depressions created little caves and when the right note is hummed, echoes resonate in the ears.
The cliffside shows the sedimentary layering of the lake that once filled the Peace Valley. The cliffside also displays the grafitti talents of past Dawson Creek graduates, adding a different layer to the past.
The view from above the caves reveals a scene true to the Peace Region: pasture, forest and sky.
July 21, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Chetwynd, Hiking
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One of the greatest adventures in my life was hiking Mt. Azouzetta in the Pine Pass south of Chetwynd.
The trail is steep and difficult, in places you have to make your own trail as the original trail has washed away. Our reward for our efforts to get up the mountain was well worth it - the view from the top is amazing as you look across mountain ranges in every direction.
The alpine wildflowers were blooming and we saw a few ptarmigan out and about among the rocks near the summit as well!
Editor's Note: Learn more about hiking around Azouzetta Lake and Pine Pass here.
July 21, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Festivals & Events
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The annual Canada Day Parade is a staple in the South Peace festivals that Dawson Creek holds every year. Hosted by the village of Pouce Coupe, the Parade brings out hundreds of people from the community to enjoy the floats and the candy that usually accompanies them!
This year was once again a success with plenty of people out enjoying the warm (albeit a little windy) weather. As you can see, the Visitor Centre float made the local newspaper with their spoof of Baywatch display.
In addition to the floats, candy, and festive flags and toys, there is a BBQ after the parade and the day concludes with a pretty impressive firework display. Looking forward to next year's Canada Day already!
July 21, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Sightseeing Tours
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If you have been driving through the Peace River Country in July, you have undoubtedly noticed a lot of bright yellow fields as far as the eye can see. It's canola. And it blooms for a few weeks every July.
I love it when visitors come here in Canola season, often it's the first time they've seen this remarkable sight. When the sun shines it's spectacular.
This is where much of your canola oil comes from. It's harvested in the fall after the blossoms have faded and the pods have developed.
Another common sight at canola season is people standing beside their vehicles on the side of the road taking pictures of the landscapes. The color is a fabulous backdrop for old buildings, barns and wildlife.
Deer find the canola fields a great place to hide when they are resting and it's common to see only heads above the blossoms or a herd leaping and bounding over the sea of yellow.
We never tire of the beauty.
July 20, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Kitimat, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
I am a summer student at the Kitimat Visitor Center. An enthusiastic couple stopped by our visitor center here in Kitimat, BC. The video is just a clip of them promoting the town but they wanted to share their experience with you guys in a write up.
They have travelled around the Southern BC many of times and this was their first experience up in the Northern part. They said so far their experience has been amazing, and happy to say they will be back. They were in Prince Rupert yesterday and were telling us about their experience and how beautiful the drive was. They also went on and told us how they have traveled across Canada, more than once!
With their love to travel they were impressed with our information about our town that we provided for them. They used our internet to interact with their children, one of them being all the way in Uruguay modeling.
Not only did they gain knowledge from us but we gained some from them too. They told us about their area (Tsawwassen, BC) which sounds like a beautiful town!
Editor's Note: Learn more about Kitimat and Tswassassen.
July 20, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Historic & Heritage Sites
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If you're interested in historic buildings, the Usk Pioneer Chapel, just outside of Terrace B.C. on Highway 16, is one to stop at. I've lived in Terrace most of my life, but I never took the opportunity to visit the small church until just last week. It was a blast!
Even though it's such a small church, it is full of rich history. The church originally was in use at Usk during the early 1900's but was replicated and moved in the 1960's to be east of Terrace on Highway 16. The church contains four small pews and a table full of small bibles and a guest book, signed by hundreds of people from all over the world. There is also a picture on the wall explaining the story behind The Untouched Bible, a bible that survived the 1936 flood that destroyed the Usk village.
It's an unique, worthwhile stop for a brief glimpse into the history of the pioneers of the Terrace area.
July 20, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Attractions
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Whenever I drive north on the Alaska Highway, I always look
forward to seeing the giant lumberjack about 30km north of Fort St. John on the
south side of the highway. It has been that way since I was a child. I used to
beg my parents to stop so that I could jump out of the car, walk up to him and
just see how large he was, and just how small I was. His yellow hat, red shirt,
blue jean coloured pants, his silly grin are pretty much legendary to people
who drive up the highway. Many people love to stop and take pictures with this big
friendly giant.
July 20, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Sightseeing Tours
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After living away from the Peace region for a few years, I
totally forgot how beautiful the wide open skies are! It seems every summer
evening the sky is beautiful when the sun is setting, and the light bounces off
the clouds to create a seemingly never ending heaven. There is a window of
opportunity for some fantastic and fun photos.
My friends and I took a drive up
the highway and on the drive back I glanced at the setting sun and it was
something out of the
Africa savannah. The sun
was huge and beautiful, I had to snap a picture with the sky bright pink and
orange and then giving way to blue, it was almost a spiritual feeling and then
I remembered why I love the summer evenings in the Peace.
July 20, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Vancouver, Professional & Spectator Sports
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What's a great way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon? Watching wiener dog races at the Hastings Race Course Track, of course! Having never been to the track before, I was compelled to go this Sunday to watch cute wiener dogs battle it out in a 20m dash. There were 3 heats, which took place in between the horse races. The dogs were hilarious to watch, even though not all crossed the finish line: some ended up going backwards, others circled each other and one just plain decided he didn't want to race anymore. But the two that did cross the finish line got loud cheers from the crowd for their photo finish race.
Although the wiener dogs were fun to watch (note: they only happen once a year), the horse races were definitely my favourite. It was great getting beers, hot dogs and placing cheap bets on the horses (you can bet as low as $2.00), and then cheering on your horse as they whipped by you! Word of advice: betting solely on the cool-factor of a horse's name is not a good strategy, and may lose you a few bucks. Overall it didn't matter that I lost money, because there was nothing better than spending a day in the sun, having some drinks and food and watching horses race by!