Category Archives: COUNTRIES

Cultus Lake Provincial Park (British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Cultus Lake Provincial Park

On our 20th day in Canada, Grace, Jandy, Bryan, Cheska, Kyle and I were invited to join a family picnic hosted by our Vancouver friends Nene and Lito Del Rosario, with their children, sons-in-law, grandchildren and family friends, to be held at the 656-hectare Cultus Lake, one of the most popular destination areas in the Lower Mainland.

Tintin Del Rosario-Legaspi, Grace, Cheska and Kyle with our dog Luffy

We were picked up at Burnaby by Jullius and Tintin Legaspi, son-in-law and daughter, respectively, of Lito and Nene.  The 91.3-km. drive, via the Trans-Canada Highway/BC-1 E, took almost 1.5 hours. From the Trans-Canada Highway, we turned at the Yarrow (you can also turn at the Sardis Exit) Exit and drove a further 16 kms., along the Columbia Valley Highway, which lead directly into the park.

The Cultus Lake community

The placid Cultus Lake,  the source of the Sweltzer River, is a large, warm freshwater lake within a 2,729-hectare provincial park amidst scenic forest-clad Skagit Mountain Range in the Fraser Valley region of southern British Columbia.

Our picnic spot

At one time, the lake had a sawmill and booming ground until it became a provincial park on February 10, 1948. Cultus Lake, an important place for spirit quests of the Sto:lo people, was named with the Chinook Jargon word meaning primarily “bad,” “worthless” or “good for nothing,” though the same word can also mean “free,” “without purpose” or simply “nothing.”

The packed Main Beach

The wildly popular, generally calm lake is located 11 kms. (6.8 mi.) south of the Chilliwack River, near the city of Chilliwack and approximately 80 kms. (50 mi.) east of Vancouver.  The park is almost evenly divided between the mostly undeveloped northwest and the visitor-oriented facilities confined to the southeast sides of Cultus Lake.

Children’s playground, well within eye and ear shot to all the picnic tables, where kids can play while parents relax and enjoy lakeside lounging

The area, a popular recreation destination, has four campgrounds (Clear Creek, Delta Grove, Entrance Bay and Maple Bay) managed by British Columbia Parks/Sea to Sky Park Services in the area (in addition to a few privately-owned campgrounds), a large day-use area for swimming, picnicking and boating, and ample opportunities for fishing, water skiing, wind surfing, wakesurfing, kayaking, standup paddle-boarding and hiking.

Paddle boat, paddle board and kayak rental shop

As we visited during August 1, British Columbia Day (a public holiday), the tiny associated resort community of about 1,100 people grew considerably in size as folks like us flocked to the region to enjoy the lake, park and the area’s numerous outdoor activities.

The path leading to Jade Bay

The water, the picturesque views and the sandy beaches are what feed the park’s popularity during the warmer and busy summer months.  However, in the off season, it gets pretty quiet.

Paddle boats, paddle boards and kayaks for rent

As we arrived early in the morning at the Entrance Bay Campsite, we had first choice among a plethora of picnic tables in an expansive, flat grassy field offering plenty of shade from tall Douglas fir trees.  Nearby was a small children’s playground; toilet and changing facilities and a quick public boat launch.

I am guessing these are sculls

Our late breakfast was homemade pan de sal with spam and scrambled eggs while lunch was to be grilled pork liempo, hotdog and fish; igado (an Ilocano pork and liver stew), fried chicken and fried wonton.  For dessert, we had fried turon (banana lumpia).

The author taking a hike along Cultus Lake

After lunch, I tried to burn the calories by hiking all the way down to Jade Bay which is easily accessible from our campsite.  It laso has additional bathrooms and a boat ramp.

Main Beach Iced Coffee

The broad, roped-off swimming area had a long, pebbly and gently sloping beach with clear waters ideal for the kids. Our hosts brought along their inflatable stand-up paddle boards and kayak plus a unicorn-shaped party island for the kids. Jandy and I, as well as the others, tried kayaking.

By lunchtime, the area soon filled up with vacationers and, by late afternoon, the winds grew stronger and the waters choppy, making stand-up paddle-boarding almost an impossibility. Still, nothing can erase the enjoyment of the children as they frolicked along the beach.

Luxury lakeshore homes

Nearby is the fairly modern Cultus Lake Adventure Park (opened in July 2014 as the expansion of Giggle Ridge Adventure Golf, it has 18 rides and attractions) and also in the area is the Cultus Lake Waterpark and the scenic 18-hole Cultus Lake Golf Club.

A public boat launch

Cultus Lake Provincial Park: British Columbia, Canada. All four campsites are open from April to mid-October and offer free hot showers and flush toilets.  Parking is free throughout the provincial park, but not at Main Beach. Tel: (604) 986-9371.

Queen Elizabeth Park (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Queen Elizabeth Park

As Grace, Jandy, Bryan, grandson Kyle and I, with our dog Luffy, didn’t make it in time to visit the Van Dusen Gardens, we decided to, instead, just visit the nearby 52-hectare (130-acre) Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver’s horticultural jewel, which was just a 1.6-km. walk via Oak Street and West 33rd Street.  This municipal park, located approximately 125 m. (410 ft.) above sea level on top of Little Mountain (the highest point in Vancouver proper), at the geographic center of Vancouver, attracts more than 6 million visitors a year.

Entering the park

It is the location of former basalt quarries (dug in the beginning of the twentieth century to provide materials for roads in the city) that has been converted into a beautiful city park with peaceful flower gardens and trees and stunning panoramic views. It features a rose garden, the meticulously manicured Quarry Garden and an arboretum with about 1,500 native and exotic trees.

Before European settlement, the park was an old-growth forest and a spawning ground for salmon frequented by grey wolves, elk and bears. In the 1870s, settling began in earnest and the population exterminated the grey wolves, elk and bears, chopped down all the old growth forest and paved over the salmon creeks. The salmon creeks that extended, from Queen Elizabeth Park to False Creek, do still exist today but, however, they have been paved over.

In 1936, the BC Tulip Association suggested, to the city’s park board, the creation of sunken gardens within the old quarries and, by the end of that decade, the site had been turned over to the Vancouver Park Board for park and recreation purposes.

During their visit to Vancouver in 1939, King George VI, and his consort, Queen Elizabeth (the mother of Queen Elizabeth II), as King and Queen of Canada, dedicated the park. From that time, with a generous donation from the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, park staff incrementally transformed the overgrown hillsides into Canada’s first civic arboretum.

The typically meticulously maintained Queen Elizabeth Park, one of Vancouver‘s most popular outdoor spaces (second only to Stanley Park), is a very popular area for walking near Vancouver and a great place for us to spend an afternoon.  Its 2.3-km. loop trail, generally considered an easy route, takes an average of 34 mins. to complete. Often a bit busy, the park offers paved paths, hills, ponds, and lots of flowers. There is also an off leash dog park.

Check out “Stanley Park”

Bloedel Floral Conservatory

The most prominent structure in the park is the domed Bloedel Floral Conservatory, the country’s first geodesic conservatory, funded by Prentice Bloedel’s gift of $1.25 million (the largest the city of Vancouver had received to that date).  The 43 m. (140 ft.) diameter, 21 m. (70 ft.) high triodetic dome frame, manufactured entirely in Ottawa, was shipped 3,000 miles across the country to Queen Elizabeth Park. Upon arrival, the structural framework was erected in just 10 days and the entire dome and plaza took 18 months to complete. On December 6, 1969, it was opened amidst much jubilation.

Conservatory entrance

Its enclosed tropical garden, with three different climate zones, houses 500 exotic plants and flowers (bougainvilleas, browallias, citrus trees, coffee trees, eucalypti, epiphytes, euphorbia, various figs, gardenia, hibiscus, magnolia trees, lilies, yucca with pteris, etc.), more than 120 free-flying tropical birds plus an array of tropical fish. It might take you about 20 minutes to get through, depending on how interested you are in tropical plants.  Too bad it was already closed during our visit.

Dancing Fountain

Kyle frolicking at the Dancing Fountain

As it was summer, kids (including Kyle) couldn’t resist playing in the Dancing Waters fountain display beside the Celebration Pavilion. Since the park sits at the highest point in Vancouver, we had had beautiful photo opportunities of spectacular views of the city skyline of Vancouver and the Coast Mountains and shoreline from the Grace McCarthy (named after the late Vice-Chairman of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation) Plaza and at a lookout by the Bloedel Floral Conservatory.

Grace McCarthy Plaza

Lions Clock donated in April 1995 by the Vancouver Mandarin Lions Club and the Kowloon Lions Club (Hong Kong) to commemorate the twinning of the two clubs

Several sculptures are scattered throughout the plaza.  Beside the Dancing Fountain is the bronze sculpture “Knife Edge Two Piece 1962–65,” created by noted British artist Henry Moore.  Bought at a cost of $150,000 (part of $1.25 million donation), it was unveiled during the opening day of the new Bloedel Floral Conservatory in 1969.  With neither front or back, the sculpture was meant to be seen from all angles and, as you move around, from the west and east sides.

Knife Edge Two Piece (Henry Moore)

At a lookout by the Bloedel Floral Conservatory is the bronze, life-size, multi-figure sculpture The Photo Session, one of the “man in the street” series of sculptures created by American sculptor J. Seward Johnson, Jr. (born 1930 and heir of the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical fortune) and installed in 1984.

The Lookout

View from the Lookout

It depicts a man with a camera photographing three people (two women and a man).  Real people, like us, joined the appealing statues to have our pictures taken.

Photo Session – The Photographer (Seward Johnson)

In June 2008, the figure of the photographer was stolen by metal thieves but was, fortunately, found abandoned and unharmed, two months later, in an Aldergrove field.

Photo Session – The Subjects (Seward Johnson)

We were planning to dine at the highly rated Seasons in the Park, located right at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park but tables by the window and the al fresco dining area, both wonderful places from which to enjoy the views, were full. US Pres. William “Bill” Clinton and Russian Federation Pres. Boris Yeltsin dined here on April 3, 1993.

Seasons in the Park

Seasons in the Park interior

Instead, we went down a trail to the popular Quarry Gardens.  Redesigned by Park Board Deputy Superintendent Bill Livingstone, it was unveiled in the early 1960s.

Quarry Garden

It is similar, in some ways, to the famous Sunken Garden at Butchart Gardens in Victoria (British Columbia’s capital city) which we visited just two days ago.  Both beautiful and located on the former site of a mining rock quarry.

Check out “Butchart Gardens”

Grace, Kyle and Jandy at the Quarry Garden

On a lookout above the Quarry Garden is the 5.5 m. (18 ft.) diameter and 4.3 m. (14 ft.) high Love in the Rain sculpture, designed and fabricated with stainless steel by well-known Vancouver artist Bruce Voyce, was installed in August 2016.

Love in the Rain (Bruce Voyce)

This new public art project, embodying love in the temperate forest, depicts four entwined couples celebrating the shelter that love brings and the union that it forms.  The public was invited to celebrate their love by lovingly attaching locks to the skirts of each couple.  It has an integrated receptacle on site for the keys to be melted down to become part of a future sculpture.

Celebration Pavilion

 

Other attractions in the park include a Painters’ Corner, a pitch and putt golf course, Little Mountain disc golf course, tennis courts, lawn bowling club and offers tai chi and jogging. Several episodes of the long running TV show Stargate SG-1 were filmed there. Aside from summer, the best times to visit Queen Elizabeth Park are in the spring (for the flowers) and fall (for the autumn leaves).

Painters’ Corner

Queen Elizabeth Park: 4600 Cambie St. cor. 33rd Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia V6J 5L1, Canada. Tel: (604) 873-7000. Admission to the park is free.    Bloedel Floral Conservatory admission: $8 (adult). Coordinates: 49°14′32″N 123°06′54″W.

How to Get There: Queen Elizabeth Park is located across the street from the Hillcrest Aquatic Centre (at 4575 Clancy Loranger Way) and Nat Bailey Stadium (where the Vancouver Canadians baseball team plays and where the Riley Park Farmers Market takes place). The park is also accessible, via the Canada Line, on the SkyTrain.  The Oakridge-41st Avenue Station and the King Edward SkyTrain Station are within walking distance of the park. There is free on-street parking down the hill though on Cambie St. and along West 29th Ave. and Midlothian Ave., by the northern end of the park.

Honda Celebration of Light (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Honda Celebration of Lights

Grace, Jandy and I were lucky that our one-and-a half month long visit coincided with the 30th edition of the Honda Celebration of Light (formerly known as Benson & Hedges Symphony of Fire and The HSBC Celebration of Light), an annual international musical fireworks competition and one of Vancouver’s largest and most well-known festivals. Recognized as the largest and longest running off-shore fireworks competitions in the world, this multiple-day event has an estimated annual attendance of 1.4 million people.

People making their way, on foot, to Alexandra Park, English Bay Beach

The first “Symphony of Fire” was held from July 25 to August 5, 1990 with some the world’s best fireworks pyro technicians, from 3 counties, competing over 3 nights to present the best show. The event was last held in 2019 as in 2020, the competition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in British Columbia.

Kyle, Bryan and Grace joining the crowd

This year’s much anticipated festival that embodies summer was held on July 23 (Saturday), with Japan’s Akariya Fireworks participating; on July 27 (Wednesday), with Canada’s award-winning Midnight Sun Fireworks participating; and July 30 (Saturday), with Spain’s Pirotecnia Zaragozana participating.

Mounted police patrolling at the corner of Beach Avenue and Denman Street

We attended the last mentioned.  Prior to the fireworks show, the Red Bull Air Show did a spectacular pre-show performance (happening on all three festival nights), with formation flyovers performed from the iconic Canadian Snowbird team, presented by Concord Pacific, at English Bay.

Alexandra Park slowing filling up with people

Joined by our grandson Kyle, we were to be met by my son-in law Bryan who booked an Uber to bring us to Alexandra Park.  We never got near there as road closures were already in effect from 7 PM in the West End, including Davie, Denman and Beach Avenue. Access roads into Kits Point were also closed from 6 PM.

The gazebo at Alexandra Park

Roads will only re-open once the crowds have dispersed and police have given their all clear at approximately 11 PM.  Instead, we were dropped off at Bidwell Street and walked over to a MacDonalds along Robson Street where we met with Bryan.

English Bay Beach already filled up

Together, the five of us joined others, on bikes, scooters or on foot, who were headed towards the festival site.  It was as if the entire city was moving in the same direction, with all roads lead to the English Bay. Policemen, on horseback, were patrolling the streets, scanning the crowd and seemingly looking for people with alcohol, making us feel very safe. As we got closer to the beach, we realized the magnitude of this event.

Upon reaching Alexandra Park, we chose a nice grassy spot unobstructed by trees, near the corner of Burnaby Street and Beach Avenue.  We came prepared as we brought along three portable folding seats, a beach mat, snacks and water.  The park was already slowly filling up.  There’s much more happening here than just fireworks as a whole family fun type of party atmosphere was happening, with and food carts, food vendors and concession stands were doing brisk business.

The Concord Lounge at English Bay

People and sunset watching was part of the fun too.  As it was early, we strolled along the English Bay Beach already seemingly packed with hundreds of thousands of people, many in swimming attire.  Never before had I seen so many people coming together.

Dinner with a view at Concord Lounge

The reserved seating of the Grandstand, the most popular of the festival’s ticketed venues for visitors, families or groups, offering elevated and direct sightlines to the fireworks barges, was also filled up.  Other reserved seating venues were the Concord Lounge at the Inukshuk Peninsula, overlooking English Bay, and the Scotiabank Lounge on the bathhouse roof in English Bay.

The Grandstand along English Bay

The pyro-musical performance can also be seen and heard from vantage points throughout Metro Vancouver such as Vanier Park at the edge of English Bay, Kitsilano Beach, the pedestrian sidewall at Burrard Bridge (standing room only), Dundarave Pier at the West end of West Vancouver seawall, Kits Point, Sunset Beach, Stanley Park and at sailboats and yachts on English Bay.

English Bay packed with yachts, speedboats and kayaks

Promptly, at 9 PM, the carefully designed and planned synchronized fireworks were launched from barges located in English Bay, regaling the crowd with a spectacular, 25-minute fireworks display, over the water, set to accompanying music so the colored lights seem like they’re dancing to the rhythm.

Sunset over English Bay

It was a spectacular show by the Spanish team, with brilliant firework shapes and colors we had never seen before. The mind blowing finale was one of the most incredible we have ever seen.  I can’t even imagine how much it cost so set up such a show.

Jandy and the author all set to watch the fireworks show at Alexandra Park

After the wonderful and free show, we packed up our chairs and joined the crowd making their way back home.  The frustration at trying to leave English Bay or the downtown core after the show was the only drawback.

We booked an Uber but had to walk a number of blocks to be picked up. Still, this attraction was well worth our time and the best part is that’s its absolutely FREE. The fireworks were excellent, the crowd was huge but well behaved, the overall atmosphere was friendly and cool and it was a fun event well worth going to when visiting Vancouver. It certainly helped that the weather was fine and warm.

The three teams representing their country and setting their colorful expressions to music were judged on the Sizing of the Show, Overall Design and Artistry, Synchronization, Originality of Effects, Quality of Soundtrack and Quality of Fireworks.

The winning team, announced on Tuesday, August 2, was the Canadian Team which delivered the show-stopping performance with a breathtaking display that pushed creative boundaries, according to a press release. It was a pleasant and memorable evening that made Vancouver look absolutely stunning. Over the course of the festival’s three nights, there were approximately 1.3 million attendees.

Honda Celebration of Light: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Website: www.hondacelebrationoflight.com.

Buchart Gardens (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Butchart Gardens

From Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, Grace, Jandy, Cheska, Kyle and I, with our dog Luffy, rode on a double-decker Bus 72 (we missed the direct, one-hour Bus 81), operated by Victoria Regional Transit System, for the nearly 40-min. drive to Saanichton then transferred to a single-deck Bus 75 for the nearly 30-min. drive to get to the world-renowned Butchart Gardens, an absolute must see when traveling to Victoria.

Butchart garden Sign. L-R: the author, Jandy, Kyle and Grace

The lush, 22.3-hectare (55-acre) Butchart Gardens, a group of floral display gardens, located on the Saanich Peninsula, near Victoria on Vancouver Island, has delighted visitors from all around the world with its over a million awe-inspiring bedding blooms (in some 900 varieties) and unique plantings, receiving over a million visitors each year.

The iconic water wheel

It is consistently rated among the world’s most beautiful garden attractions and top places to go to in Canada by USA Today, CNN Travel, Condé Nast, National Geographic, Tripadvisor and Frommer’s and more.

Waterwheel Square

Started by Robert Pim Butchart (1856–1943) and his wife Jennie Butchart (1866–1950), ownership of The Gardens still remains within the Butchart family and, since 2001, the owner and managing director is Robin-Lee Clarke, the Butcharts’ great-granddaughter.

Here is the historical timeline of the gardens:

  • In 1888, Robert Pim Butchartbegan manufacturing Portland cement  near his birthplace of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife Jennie Butchart came to the west coast of Canada because of its rich limestone deposits necessary for cement production.
  • In 1904, they established their home near his quarry on Tod Inlet at the base of the Saanich Peninsulaon Vancouver Island.
  • In 1908, the Bucharts named their home “Benvenuto” (“welcome” in Italian)
  • In 1909, when the limestone quarry was exhausted, Jennie wanted to recreate some natural beauty from the remains of her husband’s mined-out industrial quarry site so she set about turning it into the Sunken Garden, transferring top soil by horse and cart. She commissioned Isaburo Kishida, a 67 year-old garden designer from Yokohama, Japan (he built a wildly popular tea gardenfor Esquimalt Gorge Park in 1907) before he returned to Japan in 1912.
  • In 1921, the Sunken Garden was completed and they began to receive visitors to their gardens.
  • In 1926, they replaced their tennis courts with an Italian garden
  • In 1929, the Bucharts replaced their kitchen vegetable garden with a large rose garden to the design of Butler Sturtevantof Seattle. Samuel Maclure, who was consultant to the Butchart Gardens, reflected the aesthetic of the English Arts and Crafts Movement.
  • In 1939, they gave the Gardens to their grandson Robert Ian Ross (1918–1997) on his 21st birthday. Ross was involved in the operation and promotion of the gardens until his death 58 years later.
  • In 1946, Ann-Lee Ross, Robert Ian Ross’ wife, opened the Benvenuto Tea House (now called the Dining Room) and continued the tradition of serving afternoon teato guests.
  • In 1953, to mark the 50th anniversary of The Gardens, miles of underground wiring were laid to provide night illumination.
  • In 1964, the ever-changing Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir to celebrate the 60th anniversary.
  • In 1977, during summer Saturday evenings, Christopher Ross (1944–2000), Robert Ian Ross’s son, introduced firework shows accompanied by show tunes, choreographing them until his death in 2000.
  • In 1982, the Butchart Gardens was used as the inspiration for the gardens at the Canadianpavilion opened at Epcot Centre in Orlando Florida.
  • In 1993, to commemorate their 50th wedding anniversary, the “Circle of Doves,” given by Ann-Lee Ross to her husband Ian in 1991, was installed in front of the Begonia Bower.
  • In 1994, the Canadian Heraldic Authoritygranted a coat of arms to the Butchart Gardens.
  • On September 9, 2004, two totem poles were installed and dedicated to mark the 100th anniversary.
  • That same year, The Gardens were designated as a National Historic Site of Canada.
  • In the summer of 2008, The Gardens introduced the Jennie B, an electrically driven 12-passenger boat, which plies the local coastlines in the summer giving visitors an appreciation of the waterside history plus coastal aquatic plants and animals.
  • On December 1, 2009 the Children’s Pavilion and the Rose (or Menagerie) Carousel were opened to the public.

Begonia Bower

While Jennie Butchart collected plants, Robert Pim Butchart collected ornamental birds from all over the world (he had a parrot in the house, ducks in the Star Pond and peacocks on the front lawn). Robert also built several elaborate birdhouses for the gardens and trained pigeons on the site of the present-day Begonia Bower.

In the early days, Mr. and Mrs. Butchart often hosted weekly symphony concerts for guests of the family but, later, attracted a larger audience. More recently, during the summer season (July and August) and the winter holiday season, they provide a wide range of local entertainment, from jazz to classical music.

Also, The Weeds (a band made up of staff members from The Gardens) sometimes plays during the summer season, During winter, lights and seasonal decorations adorn the gardens along with an ice-skating rink in the Waterwheel Square.

Upon payment of the admission fee, we were ushered into Waterwheel Square, our starting point, which was aptly named after a lovely waterwheel beside the entrance. The statue of a wild boar, in the heart of the square, was cast in Florence by Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry and purchased in 1973 during a family trip to Italy and installed the next year.

Butchart Boar

The snout of this replica of the Cinghiale, a 1620 marble statue (displayed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence) by Pietro Tacca (in honor of the sculptor, it is called “Tacca”) is, just like the original, shiny from the many visitors rubbing it for good luck. In front of the residence is another nearby statue, by Sirio Tofanari, of a donkey and foal.

Check out “Uffizi Gallery”

Donkey and Foal (Sirio Tofanari)

Buchart Gardens encompasses five separate gardens: the Sunken Gardens, the Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden, the Italian garden and the Mediterranean Garden.   To keep these gardens looking impeccable, they have 26 greenhouses and employ 50 full-time gardeners, 12 part-time gardeners as well as 550 staff during peak season.  With regards irrigation supply, the gardens are entirely self-sufficient as, every year, millions of liters of rainwater are collected, via runoff, from the parking lots and stored in a number of reservoirs and wells.

Laurel Walk

From the flower-lined Laurel Walk, a pathway on the left led to the Begonia Bower which was overflowing with hanging baskets of begonias and fuchsias. Designed in 1917 by Samuel Maclure as a “Chinaman’s Cottage,” it was later renamed the Gardener’s Cottage, circa 1950.

Above the Sunken Garden

Past the Laurel Walk is the top of “the Mound,” a massive limestone rock embankment (designed by Raoul Robillard) rising, above the switch back stairs, from the center of the iconic, 5-acre Sunken Gardens, the crown jewel of the Butchart Gardens.

The pair of Arbor vitae trees

Flanking the main path are an iconic pair of Thuja occidentalis Fastigiata trees (Arbor vitae), commonly called the “tree of life,” planted by Jennie in 1930 (they are now on their third pair). The Mound has spectacular views of the garden including the tall chimney of the long vanished kiln. To the left of the cement stack are six Lombardy poplars (Populas nigra italica) planted by Jennie in 1910 to hide the cement factory.

Once a pile of rock and rubble, the quiet and peaceful Sunken Garden is, as the name suggests, located below road level. The first land reclamation project in the world, the garden, dotted with benches, boasts 151 flower beds, 65,000 bulbs planted for spring and cradles an impressive assortment of flowers, trees and shrubs.

The Sunken Garden

A path, from here, winds past the undulating and spectacular Ross Fountain, installed in 1964 by Robert Ian Ross (Jennie and Robert’s grandson) to celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Butchart Gardens.  The fountain is surrounded by a rotating selection of seasonal blooms.

Ross Fountain

In summer, during The Gardens Night Illuminations displays, it comes alive as magical lighting effects dance across its waters.  Another path leads to the serene pond of the Bog Garden which is surrounded by weeping-willows.

Bog Garden

From the Sunken Garden, a path led us, half-way through The Gardens, to the 700 sq. m. (7,500 sq. ft.) Children’s Pavilion, which has a dome with a 23-m. (75 ft.) clear span, a full-fronted glass façade and a roof planted with native plant species.  It also has an event room for such things as children’s birthday parties.  Annabelle, the elegant bronze carousel horse sculpted by Nathan Scott, is located next to the pavilion.

Children’s Pavilion

Housed within is the popular Rose (or Menagerie) Carousel, the only carousel on Vancouver Island.  The carousel was crafted by Brass Ring Entertainment of Sun Valley, California.  The brightly painted and hand-carved wooden menagerie, mirroring the world from which The Gardens draws its visitors, includes thirty animals ranging from bears, to horses, to ostriches, to zebras, to cats.

Rose (or Menagerie) Carousel

In consultation with an artist from North Carolina, Robin Clarke (the gardens’ owner and great-granddaughter of Jennie Butchart) handpicked the design of each animal carving.  Done by some of the few remaining carvers of carousel art, they were carved from basswood and took many months to complete. There are also two chariots able to accommodate disabled persons.  Kyle didn’t want to miss out on the carousel so, accompanied by Jandy, tried it out ($2 per person).

Concert Lawn and Stage

Across from the pavilion is the Concert Lawn and Stage.  Here, between 1953 and 1967, the Victoria Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Hans Gruber), under the sponsorship of Mr. and Mrs. Ian Ross, performed summer concerts on the main lawn. The concerts also featured many international artists such as Teresa Stratas, Bernard Turgeon and Grace Bumbry. On occasion, guest conductors were also invited to lead the orchestra.

Organ Pavilion

Nearby is the Organ Pavilion, the original dairy barn which now houses the Aeolian Pipe Organ played at The Butchart Gardens. Fully playable manually, this organ boasts just under one thousand individual pipes, a set of twenty tubular chimes and a forty-nine note percussive harp.

California Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens, 1934)

Located on a back path behind the Concert Lawn are tallest of two California redwoods (Sequioia sempervirens) which were planted as seedlings Afred Shiner, former Head Gardener, in 1934.

Totem poles

Another path led us to two 9.1 m. (30-ft.) high and 1.2-m. (4-ft.) wide totem poles dedicated on September 9, 2004 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of The Butchart Gardens, they are a recognition of the rich cultural heritage provided by the First Nations peoples.

Eagle with Salmon, Orca, Bear with Salmon

Raven, Beaver with Grouse, Otter with Pups & Clam, Frog

The “Eagle with Salmon, Orca, Bear with Salmon” was carved in Contemporary Coast Salish style by master carver Doug LaFortune of the Tsawout First Nation while the “Raven, Beaver with Grouse, Otter with Pups & Clam, Frog” was carved in Classic Coast Salish style by master carver Charles Elliot of the Tsartlip Nation.

Seed & Fireworks Field

Nearby is the Seed and Fireworks Field.  The land here was purchased in 1903 from Mr. Fernie, a local dairy farmer. In 1969, a reservoir was excavated to ensure a water supply for irrigation and a single jet fountain was installed to aerate the water supply in the largest reservoir. Today, the fountain is now the focal point of a fireworks display.

Dragon Fountain

On our way to the Rose Gardens, we passed by the striking bronze Dragons Fountain, the newest addition to The Gardens.  A gift from Suzhou (Victoria’s sister city) and the People’s Republic in China in 2015, at night, color-changing LED lights create beautiful scenes in the waters of this peaceful fountain.

Rose Garden

The vibrant Rose Garden, in the center of the grounds, brims with an impressive collection of seven types and at least 280 varieties of roses.  From summer to early fall, this heavenly scented garden bursts to life with 2,500 rose plants.

The 30 arches, intertwined with large sprays of rambler, floribunda, climber and hybrid tea roses, is a favorite spot for a stroll.

Fountain of the Three Sturgeons

On our way to the Japanese Gardens, we passed by the Fountain of the Three Sturgeons, once the location of a large Japanese teahouse. This bronze fountain of three dancing sturgeon, purchased in 1973, is the first casting (by the Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry) from the enlargement of a work created by Sirio Tofanari in 1958. Visitors often sit on the surrounding benches and enjoy the tranquil sounds of the fountain.

Torii (Japanese gate)

A torii gate, marked the entrance, to the quiet, 1-acre Japanese Garden.  The gate is flanked, on each side, by magnificent purple European copper beech (Fagus sylvatica purpurea) planted in 1906.  The first of Jennie Butchart’s formal gardens, it was started in 1906. In her design, Jennie was assisted by 67 year-old, Japanese landscape artist Isaburo Kishida.  Under the supervision of Hugh Lindsay (the first of Mrs. Buchart’s head gardeners), laborers from the cement works implemented Kishida’s plan.

A scenic relaxation sanctuary, it is home to 500 rhododendrons and azaleas, 74 Japanese maple trees (Acer palmatum dissectum), moss-covered grounds as well as 200 m. of trickling streams.  The European beech trees and Japanese maple trees (at the head of the stone stairs leading down to the garden) are the oldest non-native trees in the Buchart Gardens.  Himalayan Blue Poppies blossom in the spring.

Star Pond

From the Japanese Garden, a path led us to the fantastic, 21,780 sq. ft. Italian Garden.  Once the Butchart family’s tennis court, it was designed by famous architect Samuel Maclure and completed in 1929.  The garden is home to 22,000 bulbs and biennials as well as 18 flower beds and 85 varieties of plants.

Italian Garden

Two beautiful, flower-studded ponds are also located here – the Star Pond (originally designed for Mr. Butchart’s collection of live ornamental ducks) and a sophisticated, cross-shaped pond. Bronze statues and the nearby Gelateria Benvenuto bring a taste of Italy to the grounds.

Mediterranean Garden

We almost missed the diminutive and quaint, 21,780 sq. ft. Mediterranean Garden which was hidden near the parking lot.  A homage to Vancouver Island’s Mediterranean climate, it hosts an array of 110 varieties of exotic plants (in 9 garden beds), ranging from electric-blue delphinium to massive-leafed banana plants and one awe-inspiring agave plant.

Coffee Shop

The food and beverage outlets within The Gardens are the Coffee Shop (salted caramel mocha;  Oh Canada latte; fresh, house-made shortbread cookie; etc.), The Dining Room Restaurant, Gelateria Benvenuto in the Italian Garden (12 locally-inspired flavors of ice-cold gelato) and the cafeteria-style Blue Poppy Restaurant.

Blue Poppy Restaurant

Buchart Gardens: 800 Benvenuto Ave., Brentwood Bay, near Victoria, British Columbia V8M 1J8.  E-mail: email@butchartgardens.com. Website: www.buchartgardens.com. Open daily, 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM (up to 10 PM during summer, June 15 to September 3).  Tel: +1 250-652-4422.  Coordinates: 48°33′55″N 123°28′10″W.

Admission (including tax):

  • Spring 2022 (April 1–June 14): CAD 35.40 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 17.70 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 2.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • Summer 2022 (June 15–September 30): CAD 38.00 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 19.00 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 3.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • Fall 2022 (October 1–October 31): CAD 31.80 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 15.90 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 2.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • November 1–November 30: CAD 24.75 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 12.40 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 2.00 (child, 5–12 years old)
  • Christmas 2022 (December 1–January 6): CAD 34.00 (adults, 18 + years old), CAD 17.00 (youth, 13–17 years old) and CAD 3.00 (child, 5–12 years old).

Japanese Canadian War Memorial (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — 1 Comment ↓

Japanese Canadian War Memorial

The Japanese Canadian War Memorial, a tribute to the Japanese-Canadian soldiers who fought in wars for Canada, was designed by James Benzie and was unveiled in Stanley Park on April 2, 1920. On August 2, 1985, a re-lighting of the memorial to Canadian soldiers of Japanese ancestry in World War I took place.

Check out “Stanley Park”

Japanese Canadian Memorial Plaque

The memorial located on the south side of the Lumbermens’ Arch Picnic Area, close to the back side of the Vancouver Aquarium.  Nearby is the Miniature Train and Junior Forest Wardens Tree and plaque. Its cenotaph features the name of Japanese-Canadian soldiers who fought for Canada during the World War I, many of whom fought in the battles of Vimy Ridge and Arras Front in 1917.

Check out “Vancouver Aquarium”

Plaque listing Japanese Killed While Serving with Canadian Expeditionary Force

This monument is in lasting memory of the 190 Japanese Canadian soldiers who answered the call of duty for Canada during World War I and to the 54 who laid down their lives in defense of freedom.  Their names are engraved on the monument.

Plaque listing Japanese Who Returned with Canadian Expeditionary Force

During World War I, Japanese-Canadians who wished to enlist as soldiers were not able to do so easily as they were not allowed to enlist at recruitment stations in British Columbia.  In 1916, many had to travel to Alberta to enlist with the Calgary Highlanders. They Japanese-Canadian soldiers later formed their own unit, the 10th Battalion. Seven of the soldiers in the 10th Battalion hailed from Raymond, Alberta and two (Kichimatsu Sugimoto and Teiji Suda) of those seven died during the war.

Centenary of Enlistment Plaque

Next to the memorial is a beautiful Japanese cherry tree that was planted at the time that the memorial was erected.  This tree blooms during spring.

Memorial Base

Japanese Canadian War Memorial:  Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  Coordinates: 49°18′04″N 123°07′55″W

Waterfront Park (North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Waterfront Park

Upon arrival at Lonsdale Quay and exiting the ferry terminal, Grace, Jandy, Bryan, Kyle and I turned to the left and, after walking less than 180 m., reached snug Waterfront Park on the banks of Vancouver Harbor. Here, there are plenty of walking trails for us to get immersed in nature, irrespective of weather.

One of the first parks in British Columbia, in the 1800s, the area of Waterfront Park was originally a sawmill. When the mill closed, the place was redeveloped and turned into a park which officially opened in 1985, just in time for Expo ’86.

Perfect for a family picnic on a nice day, wheelchair and buggy accessible Waterfront Park has plenty of benches, picnic tables and places to sit throughout the park, as well as a children’s play park. Also found within the park are a dock (Goldsworthy Dock), a large grassy area, a dog park, a small Japanese garden, a maritime memorial and restrooms. There were also several artists selling their creations.

Children’s play park

Frequently, on summer weekends, the park is activated with a festival with food, flea markets and events such as Philippine Days (cultural event in June) and Canada Day Celebrations (July 1).  Caribbean Days, a cultural festival in July, used to happen in Waterfront Park until it moved to Coquitlam in 2022.  In addition, this is a great place to watch the International Fireworks Competition from Stanley Park when it is on.

Waterfront Park is also one of about eight parks and other outdoor public venues where you can drink alcohol in public, subject to certain times and restrictions, in the City of North Vancouver. You don’t even have to buy it there as you can bring your own booze. Other venues where you can do that include Shipbuilders’ Square and Cates Deck near Lonsdale Quay, both of which are just a 5-min. walk from Waterfront Park.

Goldsworthy Dock

We strolled by the water, catching some beautiful and spectacular wide-angle views, either from the shore or the covered Goldsworthy Dock, of the Vancouver skyline, Lyons Gate Bridge and the Burrard Inlet. Here, we also watched the SeaBus come and go as well as other ships navigating the harbor.  Too bad we weren’t lucky enough to see a harbor seal or other marine mammals.

View of the Vancouver skyline from Goldsworthy Dock

We also passed some of the park’s collection of great public art honoring the history and culture of the area. Currently, within the park are three main pieces.

Cathedral (Douglas Senft)

Cathedral, the biggest and most noticeable piece of art, was created by Douglas Senft in 1985 and placed in the park in May 1986.  This archway of large flowing structural steel beams was bent and arranged to echo the outlines of the heavily-treed mountain peaks from North Vancouver to Howe Sound.

Although it’s tempting (especially for younger children), the city asks visitors not to climb on the artwork.

Harubang

A large, 9-ft. high statue called Harubang, made from porous Korean whinstone, is another notable piece of art along the waterfront. Donated to the community by South Korea to promote understanding and friendship between the Port of Vancouver and the Port of Incheon, it is similar to sculptures commonly found on Jeju Island to serve the dual function of guardian and boundary marker.

First Nations Theme Pavilion

The First Nations Theme Pavilion, at the southwest corner of the park, is also home to two Welcome Figures.  Representing a grandfather and grandmother welcoming visitors to the Great Trail, it was carved by a Squamish Nation artist.

A Welcome Figure

Not far from the First Nations Theme Pavilion is the Sailor’s Point Memorial commemorates the sailors lost in the North Atlantic during World War II. The memorial is designed like a compass with plaques and signs describing the history of the area.

Sailor’s Point Memorial

Waterfront Park: Block 200, Esplanade W, North Vancouver, British Columbia V7M 1A5.  Tel: (604) 985-7761.

How to Get There: Waterfront Park is just a 12-minute Seabus ride away, across Burrard Inlet, from Waterfront Station in Downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay in the Lower Lonsdale District of North Vancouver. The park is just a 10-min. walk away.

Gastown Steam Clock (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Gastown Steam Clock (photo: Bryan E. Cruz)

This steam-powered clock , Gastown’s most famous (though nowhere near oldest) landmark, is one of the only functioning steam-powered clocks in the world.  It was designed and built in 1977 (to marked the completion of the city’s revitalization project) by Canadian clockmaker Raymond L. Saunders to cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver‘s distributed steam heating system as a way to harness the steam and to prevent street people from sleeping on the spot in cold weather.

The author and Jandy at Gastown (photo: Bryan E. Cruz)

At the time, it was considered as either the first (the world’s first steam clock is often credited to British engineer John Inshaw, who supposedly built the clock to attract customers to his pub in Birmingham, UK during the mid-19th century) or second steam-powered clock ever built. Saunders has since built six different public steam clocks for clients such as the city of Otaru, Japan, and the Indiana State Museum. In 2010, he built a clock for Vancouver’s York House School‘s 78th birthday.

Plaque at West Side reads:
Gastown
This clock is located at the western boundary of the old Granville townsite, known as Gastown. In 1870, the shore of Burrard Inlet was only a few yards north of this point. Through the early 1900’s, Gastown was the commercial centre of Vancouver. By the 1960’s, it had become the centre of Vancouver’s ‘skid road’. In the early 1970’s, it was rehabilitated to its former stature. The success of its rehabilitation was due to property owners, retailers, and all the people of Gastown working together with city council and civic departments. The townsite committee, composed of the property owners of Gastown, were responsible for the beautification of the streets. John W. Parker served as chairman of the committee between Jan. 1967 and Sept. 1977.

Originally, its design was faulty and, after a breakdown, had to be powered by electricity. As it had become a major tourist attraction, the steam mechanism was completely restored with the financial support ($58,000) of local businesses and private donors and, although it is of modern invention, is promoted as a heritage feature.  The Gastown clock is not completely powered by steam as the steam engine that drives the clock mechanism is assisted by an electric motor. Weighing over two tons, the component parts the clock cost $42,000.

Plaque at South Side
(facing into the street) reads:

The Gastown Steam Clock
Dedicated to the citizens of Vancouver by the community of Gastown. Presented by former Mayor Art Phillips, a freeman of the borough of Gastown, to his worship Jack Volrich, Mayor of the City of Vancouver on September 24, AD 1977

The steam used to power a miniature steam engine in the base of the clock is low pressure downtown-wide steam heating network (from the Central Heat Distributors plant adjacent to the Georgia Viaduct) which, in turn, drives a chain lift. The chain lift moves steel balls upward, where they are unloaded and roll to a descending chain. The weight of the balls on the descending chain drives a conventional pendulum clock escapement, geared to the hands on the four faces.

Plaque at East Side reads:
Gastown Steam Clock Sponsors
Anonymous Contributor
The Vancouver Gastown Lions Club
The City of Vancouver
The Gastown Historic Society, Woodward’s Stores Ltd., Marathon Project 200 Properties, John & Patricia Parker, Charterhouse Properties Ltd., Central Heat Distribution Ltd., Milton & Marion Saunders, Air Canada, Simpson Sears Ltd., Georgina M. Barnes, McNab Management Ltd., Ralph Johnstone, Otto Friedl Ltd., German-Canadian Businessman Association, John Podlesnik, Cathay & May Chan, The Harco Building, Hudson House, Ashiteru Rae, The Bakersville Inn, MacDonald & Lumsden Ltd., The Water Street Café

The gravity driven “falling ball” drive was ‘engineered’ by Douglas L. Smith. The steam also powers the clock’s sound production, with whistles being used instead of bells to produce the Westminster “chime” and to signal the time. It shoots steam at the top of every hour and announces quarter hours, sounding the chimes on 5 brass steam whistlers, with the Westminster Quarters; a common clock chime melody that’s also used by London’s “Big Ben.”  In October 2014, the clock was temporarily removed for major repairs by its original builder, and was reinstalled January 2015.

Plaque at North Side reads:
The Gastown Steam Clock
Designed and built by
Raymond L. Saunders
Horologist
The world’s first steam powered clock has been created for the enjoyment of everyone. The live steam winds the weights and blows the whistles. Every 4.5 minutes one steel weight will travel by steam power to the top of the clock. The gravity driven “falling ball” drive was ‘engineered’ by Douglas L. Smith. Each quarter hour the clock will sound the Westminster Chimes. The large whistle will sound once on the hour. The steam is supplied by the underground system of Central Heat Distributors [typo – should be Distribution] Limited. The component parts cost $42,000 and the clock weighs over two tons.

Gastown Steam Clock: 305 Water St. cor. Cambie St., Gastown, Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 1B9.

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park (Whistler, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — 2 Comments ↓

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park

From the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, a 43-km. (30 min.) drive brought Grace, Jandy, Danny and I to Brandywine Falls Provincial Park which is located adjacent to BC Highway 99, between Garibaldi and Whistler. Managed and operated by Sea to Sky Park Services Ltd. Sea for BC Parks, Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, located 11 kms. (7 mi.) south of Whistler, off BC Highway 99, and 47 kms. (30 mi.) north of Squamish, is the perfect detour for anyone travelling between the two towns.

Danny, Grace and Jandy

A day use only park, it doesn’t have a lot of facilities, just a few outhouses and picnic tables.  The huge, de luxe parking can accommodate large recreational vehicles, though not overnight. There’s also a Squamish First Nation Info Legend Display Kiosk.

Check out “Sea-to-Sky Gondola”

There are two versions on the origin of the name Brandywine. In the first version, Jack Nelson and Bob Mollison, two surveyors for the Howe Sound and Northern Railway, made a wager over the height of the falls, with the closest guess winning a bottle of brandy (wine). Measuring the height with a chain, Mollison won the bottle of brandy and Nelson then named the falls Brandywine.  The second version comes from around the 1890s when Charles Chandler and George Mitchell passed out there after drinking too much Brandywine in their tea.

Squamish First Nation Info Legend Display Kiosk

The spectacular, 66-m. (218-ft.) high falls, located on Brandywine Creek, has its origin in the Powder Mountain Icefield to the west.  It was formed by the lip of a lava flow flanking the west bank of the Cheakamus River.

Cheakamus Creek

The vertical walls surrounding Brandywine Falls are comprise of the Cheakamus Valley basalts, at least four basaltic lava flows of Late Pleistocene Age that are part of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt, a northwest-southeast chain of volcanoes and related lavas that form the northern end of the Cascade Volcanic Arc.

The smooth, easy and flat trail

The lava, flowing over deposits of glacial till, silt, and gravel, then cooled, creating a hard, weather-resistant top cap over loose unconsolidated and easily weathered material, the perfect conditions for the creation of a waterfall.

Approaching the covered wooden bridge

Around 10,000 years later, ice from the Fraser Glaciation receded from Cheakamus Valley, releasing melt water and creating Brandywine Creek.  Working its way downstream, the creek started to erode the looser material and undercut the hard basalt top layer, creating the falls.

The covered wooden bridge

Around the early 1900s, Brandywine Falls used to have a train station and many log cabins (some still seen, in a dilapidated state, by the side of the trail) adjacent to the falls. As part of the BC Highway 99 improvements for the Whistler/Vancouver Winter Olympics, the area was subject to many day use improvements which replaced overnight camping with parking and picnic tables.

The BC Rail Track Crossing

Brandywine Falls is best seen from a large and elaborate observation platform at the top, directly opposite the falls, reached by a quick and easy, 1-km. (15-min.) hike over smooth, flat and easy terrain. From the parking lot (just off the Sea-to-Sky Highway), a short walking trail, beneath some towering fir trees, passes close to Cheakamus Creek.

The author, Grace and Jandy at the BC Rail Track Crossing

At the trailhead, we crossed a covered, wooden bridge over the creek. On the other side of the bridge, a marker (Falls Lookout 300 m) pointed us to the trail to the right.  The route to the left would take you along the Lava Lake Trail which extends 2.7 kms., through the forest, to a series of two small lakes at the northern boundary of the park.

The marker pointing us at the right direction towards the falls

Following the wide, well-groomed trail for a few hundred meters, we came upon the BC Rail tracks.  Just before the track, a split, off to the left, leads towards Swan Lake (not a great spot to swim as there is no beach).

Brandywine Falls

We crossed over to the other side of the track, first making sure that the coast is clear.  Keeping to the right, after 10 mins. and a few hundred meters, we were brought to a clearing beside the viewpoint.

The author, Grace and Jandy at the observation platform

The viewpoint also presents some marvelous views of the surrounding mountains and Daisy Lake, just downstream of the falls, which spreads out below as the monolithic Black Tusk probes the skyline. Depending on the time of year, the dammed lake may be, more or less, at “full pool.”

Daisy Lake

Spray from the escarpment that creates the falls, coats the sides of the gorge into which it plummets, with ice in winter and nourishes lush growth in warmer months.  During our visit, we were lucky to see a rainbow over the waterfall.

The rainbow over the falls

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park: Whistler, British Columbia.  Coordinates: 50°02′07″N 123°07′07″W.  There are no parking fees or entrance charges.

Shannon Falls Provincial Park (Squamish, British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Shannon Falls

From Britannia Beach, Grace, Jandy, Danny and I next drove the short 7.2-km. distance, along the Sea-to-Sky Highway on Howe Sound, to 87-hectare (210-acre) Shannon Falls Provincial Park, established on August 29, 1984 and located 58 kms. (36 mi.) from Vancouver and 2 kms. (1.2 mi.) south of Squamish.

Check out “Britannia Beach“

Picnic Area

One of the town’s most recognizable features and visible along the Sea-to-Sky Highway (making it a popular day-use park), facilities in this park are operated by Sea to Sky Park Services Ltd. The small concession and information center, located next to the flush toilet building on the trail to the waterfalls, is managed by the park operator and offers food snacks, park and outdoor recreation information and souvenirs.

Concession and Information Center

The main point of interest in this park, which also protects the surrounding area on the north-east shore of the Howe Sound, is the 335 m. (1,099 ft.) high, iconic, scenic and towering Shannon Falls, composed of a series of cliffs.

The start of the hike …..

The third highest waterfall in British Columbia, it is ranked behind the 481 m. high Della Falls (Strathcona Provincial Park, Vancouver Island) and the 396 m. Hunlen Falls (Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola).

Shannon Creek

The falls was named after William Shannon who first settled the property in 1889 and made bricks in the area. The tumbling waters of the falls originate from Mount Habrich and Mount Sky Pilot. Shannon Falls rarely freezes but, when it does, it’s the subject of intense ice climbing interest. The falls and adjoining woods are commonly used in television and film production.

It is just a short hike to the spectacular viewpoint just below the falls.  From the parking lot, we walked towards the park area where the picnic tables and the building with washrooms were located. From there, we veered left and began walking uphill as our path turned into a gravel trail.  At the first junction, we went straight and continued, along the gravel path, as we entered the forest and continued walking next to scenic Shannon Creek.

Shannon Falls seen from the viewpoint

The route, going up a short hill, then reaches a paved path.  We went right and, as we continued walking, soon heard the sound of the roaring falls until the waterfall came into view.  This first viewpoint was an excellent place to take photos and selfies. Further up the trail is the Sea to Summit Trail, a second viewpoint, with Shannon Falls viewed at a slightly different angle.

L-R: Jandy, Grace, Danny and the author at the viewpoint

Shannon Falls Provincial Park: Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. Tel: 604 986-9371.  E-mail: info@seatoskyparks.com.  Website: www.seatoskyparks.com.  Coordinates: 49°40′10″N 123°09′21″W

Britannia Beach (British Columbia, Canada)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Grace and Danny at Britannia Mine Museum at Britannia Beach

The weather was sunny in Vancouver when Grace, Jandy and I accepted the offer of my Don Bosco Makati high school classmate and now Vancouver resident Danilo “Danny” Macaventa who volunteered to tour us, via his car, around Squamish and Whistler.

L-R: Grace, Danny and museum guide

A 61.3-km. (1-hr.) drive, along the Sea-to-Sky Highway on Howe Sound, took us to our first stop, the former copper mining town of Britannia Beach, a small (population about 300) but charming unincorporated community in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District rich with art and history approximately 10 mins. south of Squamish.

In 1888, a copper discovery on Britannia Mountain by Dr. A. A. Forbes led to the development of the Britannia Mine and, between 1900 and 1904, the community first developed as the residential area for the staff of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company.

Sea-to-Sky Highway and Howe Sound

At the center of the town, now an award-winning 10-acre National Historic Site of Canada that has recently undergone a $14.7 million facelift, is the Britannia Mine Museum (formerly the British Columbia Mining Museum) which is visible from the highway itself. The museum now oversees 23 historic industrial, administrative and domestic buildings, over 7,000 artifacts, 9500 archive photos and 3,000 archival documents and maps.

As we arrived just before 10 AM, we decided not to join the 11 AM Mining Tour.  There, visitors can experience what life was really like in a busy  copper mining town by getting an up-close look at machinery, ore carts, a working Lime Tank and the famous Mill 3, also called the Concentrator where the ore was once processed.

Guest Services Building

Visitors can also climb aboard the museum’s mine train to ride through an historic haulage tunnel (over 210 kms. were dug), driven in 1914 to transport ore from the original mill buildings to the shore. Historic mining and lighting equipment is demonstrated to the visitor. You can also pan for gold and sit in the original throne used in the Copper Queen pageant.

The Engineering Building

We did get to meet museum director Ms. Kristine Clausen who briefed us on the history of the town and its copper mine. According to Kristine, for almost 70 years, Britannia Beach was an important source of copper ore. During the 1920s and 1930s, it constituted one of the largest mining operations in Canada. On November 1, 1974, high operating costs and taxes eventually forced the mine to close.

Old mining equipment

Old 1971 WABCO 3200B Haulpak mining truck

Nearby is a Squamish First Nation Info Legend Display Kiosk while a little bit further off is the old 800,000-lb., yellow 1971 WABCO 3200B Haulpak mining truck.  Further into the distance is the 20-storey Mill 3 building carved into the mountainside.  A highly innovative (using bulk froth flotation), gravity fed concentrator for ore processing, it was designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1987 (with a ceremony in 1988).

Britannia Mine Concentrator

Though we didn’t join the Mines Tour, we did drop by the Company Store (Museum Gift Shop), historically the only shopping place in Britannia Beach. Here, they sell rare ammolite jewelry comprised of the fossilized shells of ammonites,  copper mugs, souvenirs, locally produced wares, books, mining memorabilia, apparel and rare minerals specimens from Canada and all over the world.

Company Store

Also offered for sale are works by leading Northwest Coast native artisans and artists from Britannia Beach, Squamish, and beyond such as Angela Muellers (beautiful paintings), Frances Solar, Niel Bennett (amazing postcards of the Mill building), Jim Unger (copper artworks), Byron Anderson (copper tree sculptures) and Sarah Groves (unique copper jewelry).

Before leaving, we also dropped by the Chatterbox Café (open 8 AM to 5 PM), located next to the admissions and the gift shop at Britannia Mine Museum, which is also home to the museum’s collection of autographed photos, chronicling the history of feature films and TV production filmed at the museum and in and around Britannia Beach. 

First Aid and Chatterbox Cafe

They include Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Okja, The Man in the High Castle (TV series), MacGyver, The Flash, Supernatural, many scenes for The Crossing (TV series) in 2017, the 2010 episode of the US TV show Psych, Dual Spires, the episode “Paper Clip” of The X-Files, scenes for Travelers (TV series) in 2017, and 21 Jump Street.

Britannia Mine Museum: 150 Copper Drive, Britannia Beach, British Columbia V8B 1J1. Tel: +1 800-896-4044.  Website: www.britanniaminemuseum.ca. Open, 9 AM to 7 PM, with 16 tours daily.  First tour starts at 9:30 AM and the last tour at 5 PM (check in at 4:30 PM). Admission: $36.95 (adults. 18+), $33.95 (seniors, 65+, and students), $28.95 (youth, 13-17), $19.95 (child, 5-12), $130 (daily family rate) and free (pre-school, 4 and under).