July 31, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Historic & Heritage Sites
View a larger image on flickr.com
The Kiskatinaw
River Bridge
is the last remaining curved wooden bridge on the Alaska
Highway. But it has aged well. I stumbled upon this rare, scenic find
just off of the new section of the Alaska Highway.
The slight detour is well worth it for the history and the beauty of the old
bridge. There is also a Provincial
Park which we found down
below the bridge, it was the perfect place to enjoy a picnic and a dip in the
Kiskatinaw River.
July 31, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Historic & Heritage Sites
View a larger image on flickr.com
Fort St. John
is located along the well-known
Alaska Highway.
Yesterday, I took advantage of the nice weather and went to learn a little
bit more about the construction of the
Alaska Highway.
According to the monument at
Charlie
Lake and some
literature, I found out that the Highway was built in only 8 months and 12
days! A shocking comparison to current construction follies! The monument
was erected in 2008 in memory of twelve American soldiers who lost their
lives while floating construction equipment across
Charlie Lake
on a pontoon barge. Not only does the monument hold substantial value to
the families of those soldiers, it is also a gorgeous viewpoint. This
visit to the
Charlie Lake Monument
has sparked my interest in the history of the
Alaska
Highway! I think I will go to the Alaska Highway House soon
to learn more!
July 29, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Art Galleries & Artists
If you haven’t been in downtown Fort St.
John lately, you will now find a colourful
addition. On the site where the old Fort
Hotel once stood, there are now paintings done by youth artists in a cheerful
summer theme adorning the property fence.
It looks like there are a few more spaces to be filled – I hope they put
some more paintings up!
If you want to check out more art while you
are downtown, next door to the outdoor paintings is Peace Gallery North (inside
the North Peace Cultural Centre) which has lot’s of great local artwork,
jewellery, pottery, and other handicrafts.
Both venues display the talented artists of Fort St. John - young and old!
July 15, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Festivals & Events
View a larger image on flickr.com
I have
discovered that
Fort
St. John has
some
excellent parks! 'Play in the Park', an event
led by the City’s Recreation Programmers, gives residents and visitors the
chance to experience the beauty of three different parks.
Three
times a week between July 6 and September 4 there is an opportunity for participants to
take part in crafts, games, sports and fun at different parks!
Although the play time
is primarily directed for children, parents and other citizens can
use
this pre-organized time to experience the exceptional parks.
Families have the chance to
partake in festivities from noon to two at Centennial Park,
Kin
Park or Matthew’s
Park. This week’s theme was ‘Birds, Bugs & Buds,’ but I would like to
go back and attend next week for ‘Pirates & Princesses’ or on week
nine for the ‘Ultimate Challenge Adventure.’
Matthew’s Park has tons of
cool equipment for children and some basketball courts which
attract the
teenager and young adults. There is also a forested area which I
use for
walking my dog.
Each event is led by an
instructor and is extremely well organized to include children of all ages.
Yesterday the fun was held at Matthew’s Park! Every child was fully
immersed in the fun for the full two hours while enjoying
Fort St. John’s beautiful facilities and
the warm weather!
July 03, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Festivals & Events
View a larger image on flickr.com
How
did you spend our nation’s 143
rd birthday? I spent Canada Day
in
Fort St. John’s Centennial Park taking in a vast array of celebratory
festivities.
The annual parade ran through town, showcasing many of
Fort St. John’s sports groups, clubs,
businesses and community groups. The fun and games then moved into the
park, where blow up toys, a dunk tank, face painting, and a petting zoo entertained
the children.
Adults also kept busy with the Farmer's Market showcase. At the market you can find fresh
produce, home baked goods, and crafts.
The Canada Day festivities also
gave an opportunity for locals to show off their prized possessions. The
Classic Cruiser Show & Shine blocked off the street to display
different types of impressive and antique vehicles.
Singers and dancers also had the chance to show
off; they performed on stage and showcased the amazing talent found in
Fort St. John. Many of the singers are
regular performers at local pubs’ "open mic" nights.
Although Canada Day is
over, most spectators found themselves enlightened by the extensive
opportunities offered in Fort St. John
.