July 30, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Cultural, Community or Seasonal
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When my friend asked me if I wanted to go along with her to water her garden, I was very intrigued by the garden she could possibly have since she lives in an apartment building. After explaining that she had a plot at the Community Gardens that needed watering and weeding, I happily agreed to join her. I was aware that City of Fort St. John was planting many edible plants around the City buildings to promote renewable landscaping, but I didn’t know too many details on the Community Gardens. After stopping to grab a couple of slushies, she drove right past the downtown cemetery and parked. I was a bit skeptable of where exactly she was taking me; however, I followed her lead to numerous raised beds. It looked like quite an enchanted place to me with rows and rows of individual gardening plots. After snooping at other gardener’s sprouting plants, we started pulling all of the pesky weeds that were growing in between the thriving vegetables. Even though each plot only measures 5 x 8 feet, many potatoes, peas, beans, carrots, and radishes exploded from the dark soil. It is still a bit early in the growing season so I was unable to take any fresh produce home this time, but I’m sure the veggies will be fully grown in a few more weeks. It was also very nice that the Community Gardens are supplied with several gardening tools, watering cans, hoses, and water on-site so everything we needed was at our fingertips. I learned for myself that these gardens truly are community orientated through the countless friendly people who were offering their advice and assistance while we were there. Also, I found it very charming that a small red stick on the corner of the plots signaled that the plot needed watering by anyone who had a couple minutes to spare. Visitors, as well as local residents can stop by the Community Gardens at any point during the summer to see the growing progress and lend a helping hand while digging around in the dirt. As I was walking back to our car, I couldn’t stop commenting on how great of an idea the Community Gardens are! For those who are just starting out gardening, don’t have a backyard of their own, or simply don't have the time to tend to a large area, the Community Gardens in Fort St. John are spectacular!
July 25, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Food or Wine
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My ultimate favourite summertime treat is frozen yogurt! Even though I also have a love for ice cream, I find that frozen yogurt is a healthier option while giving me the same great taste. Although most grocery stores offer a wide variety of choices, a big tub of frozen yogurt doesn’t allow me to try as many flavours as I would like. For this very reason, Homesteader Health Food Store is my much-loved stopped since they change their flavours frequently. I love the swirl cones of natural frozen yogurt that they offer! On this specific day, I enjoyed a mixture of vanilla and boysenberry. It is defiantly a new contender for my ultimate favourite kind. I’m still on an endless search, tasting combinations of new flavors to see if one can top this!
July 22, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Attractions
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This past weekend I had the chance to take in a free movie in Centennial Park. A large electronic screen showing “Up” and “The Big Miracle” attracted hundreds of people to the downtown park as the sun was setting. People of all ages brought lawn chairs, blow up mattresses, blankets, and snacks to the park to enjoy the two feature films on a warm Friday night. Not only did I enjoy the family-friendly movies, I loved that I was breathing fresh air instead of sitting in an over air conditioned building. Plus, it was also a bonus that there was not an admission charge and popcorn was provided by donation! Watch out for the next Movie in the Park that is playing in August for a full, free evening of entertainment.
July 17, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Recreation Sports
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I absolutely love how bright and warm our summer nights are! Lately, the sun hasn’t set until 10 o’clock so the light evenings provide plenty of time for leisure activities. It seems the longer the sun is out, the later I stay up so my sleep has been lacking, but I feel that I truly am making the most of my summer. The last couple of nights after I’ve gotten off work, I have hit the paved walking trails that surround Fort St. John. During the evenings, the trails are flooded with people walking, running, biking, and rollerblading. These paths are also very popular spots for dogs and strollers. The extensive trail system extends for over 10 km with a variety of starting points and many interpretive signs. My favourite area of the route extends north on 100th street and then west towards the west by-pass road because the path is surrounded by lush vegetation. With summer in full-swing, the countless shades of green can be enjoyed while getting some exercise. The other night, I saw several beautiful wild roses, bluebells, and many other colorful flowers that I unfortunately couldn’t identify. Moose, beavers, and birds also occupy the area, so I suggest always being out on the lookout for wildlife! It’s great that I can enjoy the wilderness while walking on a paved trail right inside the city’s limits.
July 13, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Hudson's Hope, Water Activity Tours
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It has been 10 years since the two hydroelectric dams in Hudson’s Hope have been spilled, so when it was announced that they were going to spill off some water, I hopped in my car to view this rarity for myself. The drive from Fort St. John to Hudson’s Hope truly is stunning! The highway winds through the vibrant green peace valley hills, which offers a great view for travellers. On my journey, I stopped at a designated viewpoint to stretch my legs and enjoy a birds-eye-view of the picturesque flowing Peace River.
After about an hour and a half drive, I arrived at the Hudson’s Hope Visitor Centre and signed up for a tour of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam. Since I had a bit of time to spare before the tour began, I explored the Visitor Centre and illuminated a light bulb by creating my own electricity while riding a bicycle. The W.A.C. Bennett Dam Visitor Centre also gave me the perfect spot to marvel at the enormous spillway. While on the underground tour of the dam, I learned so much! Were you aware that Williston Lake is the largest body of water in British Columbia? Or, that it is the 9th largest hydroelectric reservoir in the world? I really can’t explain just how large the turbines and generators are! You will have to go for yourself to compare your individual size to the massive machinery. My $6 for the underground bus tour of the dam was defiantly worth the money! Our personal tour guide was very friendly and informative on all of the scientific and historical information behind the W.A.C. Bennett Dam.
Additionally, this dam tour was unlike most tours since we were brought very close to the actual spillway to take in the massive amount of water rapidly being released. The picture above shows you a glimpse, but it really doesn’t do it justice. You need to feel the mist on your face, hear the loud rushing water, and feel how powerful something as simple as water can be. I left feeling much more knowledgeable about hydroelectricity and happy that I was able to experience this monumental spill-off event. Since it is not certain how long the spills will last, hurry down to the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and the Peace Canyon Dam in Hudson’s Hope!
July 09, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Dining
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In my mind, summer isn’t summer without countless barbeques! My favourite place in Fort St. John to buy meat for sizzling on the grill is from The Butcher Block. This past weekend, we gathered to have a big family BBQ, complete with fresh sirloin steaks from none other than the locally owned and operated family meat packaging business in town. Although I am not a huge meat lover, my steak exceeded my expectations. The quality of the meat is only of the many things The Butcher Block has to brag about. I find the prices to be very reasonable and consistent outstanding service. You sure can tell that this is a local business that truly cares about it’s customers. Even though the beef is delicious, The Butcher Block also offers great turkey, chicken, pork, fish, sausages, and cooked meats. My evening ended up being very enjoyable while connecting with all of my family members over a delicious BBQ dinner and a few energized card games on our patio.
July 04, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Museums
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Since the travelling British Home Child Memory Quilt Exhibit is currently at the Fort St. John Museum, I went down to check it out while I had the opportunity to. Although the North Peace Museum mainly has local history of the pioneer days, it is wonderful that travelling exhibits frequent the museum to share a broader history with local residents and visitors. Whenever I visit our local museum, I always leave with a ton more historic knowledge about events that I didn’t even know existed.
Today, I sauntered out of the museum feeling surprised, shocked, and somewhat oblivious to pieces of Canada’s history that I was completely unaware of. The British Home Child Memory Quilt defiantly opened my eyes to a small portion of Canada’s immigration past. I discovered that not all of the 100,000 British orphans who came to Canada in search for a better life actually received one. Although there were stories of abuse, poor working conditions, and loneliness for many of the British home children, there were also uplifting tales of the many opportunities Canada provided these children. I took the time to appreciate and read each square of the hand-crafted quilt since each piece had a different child’s story or picture. The friendly staff at the North Peace Museum also played the accompanying documentary called “Nobody’s Child” for me so that I could soak in even more history. The British Home Child Memory Quilt Exhibit is moves onto another community at the start of September, so find the time in the next two months to go see this memorable exhibit!
July 02, 2012 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. John, Attractions
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To mark Canada’s 145th birthday, a huge celebration took place in Fort St. John. A pancake breakfast kicked off the festivities and soon after countless excited people lined the streets in anticipation of the parade The activities in Centennial Park attracted individuals of all ages. Children let out energized cries while playing games in the park and the adults especially enjoyed the Classic Cruisers Show & Shine. I personally enjoyed wandering and looking at all of the fancy old cars and listening to the music performances in the park. The Canada Day events continued into the evening with even more talented musicians providing entertainment for the community. Finally, Canada Day ended with a bang as the magnificent fireworks filled the sky. It really was uplifting to see the community uniting over a joint love for Canada.