June 05, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Farms & Markets
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Skeena Valley Farmers Market is the largest market in northern British Columbia and from what I know, simply the best. I had the pleasure of going this morning as well as the past few weeks since I've been home in Terrace and not once has it disappointed.
The market has over 70 vendors with preserves, baking, crafts, jewelry, art, plants, vegetables, eateries, and local meat. It is a wonderful place to stroll through and then sit and have a bite to eat while listening to the live music. This farmers market is a real treat, and if you're in the Terrace area on a Saturday morning be sure to check it out, this is one place you don't want to miss.
June 04, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Kayaking & Canoeing
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We bought a couple of Pelican kayaks a couple of years ago and although we don't use them as often as we would like, we do love those days when we take a break from the endless to-do projects and get away for a leisurely day on the water with our paddles, our cameras and a lunch.
One of our favorite places to go is Swan Lake about a half hour south of Dawson Creek. What we love about this lake are the endless nooks and crannies to explore. It's a fairly big lake and a regular camping spot for locals.
Swan Lake allows motorboats, but they can't go where we go. They stay out in the open water while we silently skim through the reeds and shallow water near shore without disturbing birds and fish. Often, we can see the bottom of the lake and are amazed at all the life under the water.
I really enjoy locking our kayaks together by holding each one end of each other's oars and forming a cluster, while we float and enjoy our lunch and a visit. Once in a while, a speedboat roars by with a skier behind, sending big waves that give us a bit of excitement.
What a great way to relax, and a great place to do it.
June 04, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Golf
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Good day everybody! Looking for recreation relaxation? The summer weather is just around the corner and it is time to dust off the old golf clubs and get on the golf course!
Just last week I was out at the Skeena Valley Golf and Country Club here in Terrace, BC and enjoyed the fresh air and sunny weather. It felt great to reconnect with nature while golfing this beautiful golf course with it's surrounding trees and mountains.
I always have a great time golfing here in Terrace whether it is with family or friends. There is nothing better than playing a round of golf and chowing down at the lounge having a tastey burger and fries watching sports highlights on the big screen!
June 04, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Hope, Climbing & Caving
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Recently I had the good fortune of checking out REO Rafting Resort near Boston Bar. What a great place! Not only do they have whitewater rafting down a range of Class 1 - 4 rapids, but a bunch of other activities - all set in a remote, wilderness location.
Besides the good food (and it was really good), I loved the rock climbing wall. They have a relatively easy, outdoor wall (although be warned - it looked easier than it actually was, as I found out first hand!), tucked away in a forest clearing, with a couple of different "routes" to challenge yourself.
Even if you aren't into rafting, be sure to check out the rock climbing and other amenities at REO Rafting Resort.
(Oh, and the picture above is of me scaling the wall, horrible technique and all! :) )
June 03, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Stewart, Sightseeing Tours
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Highway 37A has to arguably be one of the most beautiful highways in British Columbia. That stretch of road alone holds beautiful cascading waterfalls, snow cap mountains you have to strain to see the top of and all kinds of wildlife grazing along side. The road itself is very windy and with a mountain on one side and the river on the other, it's definitely one to take slow, allowing more time to take in the surroundings.
Be sure to pull over along your way at Bear Glacier, a beautiful blue glacier found 20 minutes from Meziadin Junction. Once you reach Stewart, take a drive down main street and check out the local shops, or go for a walk along the beautiful boardwalk that takes you out towards the ocean.
Highway 37A is a breathtakingly gorgeous drive and I promise you won't regret the trip up north to take in the vast beauty.
June 03, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Bear Watching
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Hi all!
We see the mysterious white face of the Spirit Bear on pamphlets and brochures all over British Columbia. Especially in Terrace, the Spirit or Kermode Bear is an iconic symbol that attracts visitors from all over the globe. But does anyone ever see them?
This morning here at the Visitor Information Centre we recieved a group of tourists that were frustrated with the fact that they had not viewed a Spirit Bear and were questioning if they even exist! I have grown up in Terrace and recall only seeing one once as a small child on the Nass Hwy. Point being, they do exist and it is at those rare occasions that you are graced with a snapshot of their mysterious presence.
The Kermode bear, Ursus americanus kermodei, is a black bear with a white coat. Spirit bears are rare because it takes a fully recessive gene code to create the white coat, this combination only accounts for around 10% of the bear population in the area. The function of the white coat versus the dominant black coat is unknown, however the First Nations people have stories passed down through their oral history of how the Spirit bear was better suited for the snow-covered landscape.
A current hypothesis researched by scientists Dan Klinka and Tom Reimchen of the University of Victoria reveals a different significance to the white coated bears. They found that the salmon capture of the white bears to be significantly higher during the daylight versus the black bear. They also investigated salmon behaviour to black and white objects by using different coloured objects in the streams. No difference between black and white objects was found during the night, however during daylight salmon were twice as evasive to the black versus white objects. In summary, this tells us the white bear is more successful hunting salmon during the day than the black bear. This research is a hypothesis to help us understand why we have the Kermode bears living among the Black bears.
So don't be discouraged if you travel to the Terrace region and never see a Spirit Bear. Just be sure to have your camera at the ready!
If anyone is interested in reading the article by the scientists mentioned about it can be found published in Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, Volume 98, pp. 479-488.
June 02, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Terrace, Sightseeing Tours
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Hi all! For myself, the perfect day always encorporates a connection with mother nature. In Terrace BC, this is easily accomplished with the numorous forests trails, river banks, and wildlife surrounding the entire town.
One of my personal favorite "green" escapes is the Ferry Island campsite and walking trail. Located only a five minute drive from the city centre off of Hwy 16, Ferry Island allows an escape from a busy day at the office. Come and enjoy thirty minutes of fresh air and bird calling while stretching your legs walking around the trail.
Equipped for overnight camping, washroom facilities, "off the leash" dog walking section and beautiful picnic spots overlooking the Skeena River, the Ferry Island trail is an appreciated local gem. I have walked the loop since I was young and still find enjoyment searching out the carved faces in the trees and identifying bird species in the canopy. Last summer I was lucky enough to spot a beaver swimming down the Skeena river next to the trail!
I always feel refreshed and awakened after enjoying time at Ferry Island and therefore I challenge all Terrace locals and visitors passing through to walk the loop this summer!
June 02, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Smithers, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Hi, this is Ali from the Smithers Visitor's Centre. On May 18th, the welcoming people from Fort St. James National Historic Site invited us to come experience what their site had to offer. Because it's a bit of a hefty drive, they offered to let us stay in one of the heritage homes to make it an overnight trip as opposed to a very long day.
4 of us from Smithers went to Fort St. James- 2 of my coworkers and myself stayed in the designated women's quarters in the officer's dwelling house, and my other male coworker stayed in the (appropriately named) men's quarters. The site is turning these amazing heritage houses into bed and breakfasts, which I highly recommend to anyone with an appreciation of history, and also looking for a rustic stay, as there are no showers for use. What there is though is a delicious homecooked meal, people dressed in period costumes, campfires, and an authentic blast into the past.
After driving in torrential downpour to Fort St. James, we were introduced to our place of stay, and given time to explore the town. Set on the shores of Stuart Lake, Fort St. James is a town of approximately 3000 people. It's a very beautiful, and somewhat unknown place, as it is 30 minutes off highway 16. We came back to a delicious meal cooked on an old-time fire stove of baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and a choice of fish or steak(or salad for us vegetarians). For dessert, there was homemade apple pie, and then off to bed.
I slept in a bed from approximately 1896, and it's interesting to note that at 5 foot 5 inches, I barely fit lengthwise on the bed. Apparently, everyone was much shorter in the 1800s, primarily from lack of good nutrition. Fort St. James was called the "Siberia of the North", because the residents were unable to restock on supplies in the winter, and had to rely on smoked fish.
The next day, after a breakfast of sausage and pancakes, we gathered on the site to play historic games, such as lahal (traditional Aboriginal game), tug-of-war, and try our best on stilts. We were served lunch by the culinary students from the College of New Caledonia, and then were given a tour of the site. The fur building, which would store, among many things, furs and supplies from the Hudson Bay Company. We tried our hand at trading (at which I failed miserably) in a mock trade of a fur with one of the staff in the trading building. We tried "hunting" with sling shots, after which we were told we would all make good vegetarians. We were also shown how fur was made into fabric, and our tour was concluded for the day.
It was all a great experience, especially for the reason that I had never been to Fort St. James. Though I have lived in Northern BC my whole life, I have never seen these places before because of a whole list of excuses that seem pretty lame now that I look back on them. So my advice to anyone travelling in BC, and especially to those living here- get out and experience everything, even if it isn't on your way to wherever you're going. If it happens to be a few hours down the road, then more the better. Remember, as I well know, people come from all over the world for these experiences.
June 01, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Dawson Creek, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Our friends from Cranbrook BC came up for a visit, and for something to do we took them for a tour around Dawson Creek.
The weather was great so we parked at the N.A.R. Park and did a walking tour. I love seeing our city through the eyes of a visitor. There are a lot of great things to see here and Dawson Creek is steeped in history.
We looked at the Mile O Cairn, which is the exact starting point of the Alaska Highway. It's where the original surveyor put his transit tool to begin.
We spent an hour in the Art Gallery. Our friends had never seen a grain elevator up close before. We wound our way up the inside ramp and enjoyed a beautiful tapestry show on display. We bought local honey and a few other crafts in the gift shop.
A short walk to check out all the artifacts and information in the museum that is housed in the original train station then grabbed a walking tour brochure at the Visitors Center and headed out to check out the historical sites and murals around town. Our friends really liked the way our city represents itself though art.
Of course, we all took turns having our photos taken in front of the Mile O Post. The cars were patient with us and someone even offered to take the photo so all of us could get in on it.
We topped off the morning adventure with a visit to the Alaska Highway House right in the center of town. Our friends really enjoyed that! Getting close up to an original Willy Jeep and seeing what life was really like during the building of the Alaska Highway is really interesting.
We have more family coming up later this year and I look forward to sharing the same with them! I'm proud to have so much to share.