British Columbia Magazine

Anyone who has grocery shopped while herding a three-year-old wearing a tutu or a unicorn costume knows that children love play-acting and pretending, anytime, anywhere. I figure that it is never too early to spark a love of theatre, so I’ll be bringing my kids to the Victoria Fringe Festival this weekend.

The special one-day FringeKids Fest takes place this Saturday  from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Victoria’s Market Square (560 Johnson). The free event promises puppet making, crafts, live performances and an inflatable bouncy bunny. Families are encouraged to bring new school supplies to donate to the Single Parent Resource Centre.

I’m also planning to buy some tickets for  Aladdin, The Secret Voyage, presented by Victoria’s own Story Theatre Company. And yes, I do hope to see some grown-up shows during the Fringe, which starts today and runs to September 4. Happy 25th anniversary to the Victoria Fringe, and thanks to all the staff and volunteers who make the magic happen.

Last week, I was invited for tea at the Point Ellice House & Gardens, a National Historic Site located in downtown Victoria.  The Victorian-era home, with its pretty, white-picket fence, seems like an anachronism in its now industrial neighbourhood along the Gorge Waterway. But when I stepped out of my car and into the heritage rose garden, I could understand why the O’Reilly family made their home here for several generations, even after others decamped from the neighbourhood. Birdsong filled the air as I walked through the garden towards the house. When I spotted the toy-like Victoria Harbour Ferry dropping visitors off at a dock below, I wished I’d thought to arrive here by water.

I was given a tour of the house by Heritage Branch Director Jennifer Iredale, who explained that when the family sold the house to the Province, they left behind all of its contents–room after room of original, Victorian furniture, china, portraits, music instruments, board games, kitchen utensils, and more. These family furnishings give the house such a sense of authenticity–and afford the visitor a glimpse into the life of Peter O’Reilly, who became one of B.C.’s first Gold Commissioners.  ”It’s a fascinating mixture of high English gentility and the objects from his life on the road in Gold Rush B.C.,” explains Jennifer.

As we peered into the diningroom where our first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald, once dined, I could almost imagine the lively conversation. They say there are ghosts at Point Ellice House, and I did feel a tingle down my spine as I walked through the house. It was a fine summer’s day, so afterwards, we enjoyed afternoon tea in the gardens–a lovely spread of homemade goodies.

f you’re in Victoria this Sunday, visit Point Ellice House & Gardens as they celebrate their 150th anniversary. The traditional festivities begin at 11 a.m. and run until 4 p.m., and include light refreshments, music, dancing, croquet and children’s activities, and “Ask the Heritage Experts” (bring your questions about gardening, historical restoration, antiques, military history, and the O’Reilly family).  Admission is $12 for one adult; $20 for two adults; $6 for children; and $25 for a family (two adults, two children).

Photo of afternoon tea: Susan Rybar

Info: 250-380-6506 or ellicehouse@gmail.com

In May, Associate Editor Shanna Baker and I took a road trip to the Tofino/Ucluelet area, travelling up over the beautiful ‘Hat (Malahat) on Hwy 1 from Victoria, then over to Port Alberni and onward to the west coast of Vancouver Island.  As we drew closer to Ucluelet, a relentless rain began, forcing us to slow down and enjoy the drive on the winding mountain roadway. To our left, vestiges of the winter’s snowfall remained, while streams rushed with spring runoff to our right.

Our first stop was the new Kwisitis Visitor Centre at the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada. If you are in the area, I encourage you to stop in and check out this facility, formerly known as the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre.  The timber structure, which also houses the Wickaninnish Restaurant, is perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, on one of this country’s most beautiful white sand beaches.

Writer Elizabeth Nolan profiled the centre in our Summer 2011 issue, but we wanted to show it to you in one of our Editor’s Videos. Interpretive designer Donald Gunn trekked over from Saltspring Island to show us the 20 brand-new exhibits, most of which were developed in close collaboration with the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations.

Click here to watch the video. Note: Keep your volume on high: the sound quality isn’t the greatest, and our outdoor scenes are pretty windswept!

We hope the video will give you a taste of the beauty of the park and a preview of the interesting new exhibits on display at the Visitor Centre.

Vancouver is the place to lighten up this February, as Yaletown hosts its annual neighbourhood party to show off some spectacular light installations. Illuminate Yaletown features live entertainment and light-based creations from the city’s top designers and artists.

The first party, held in 2009, drew 20,000 people to view 27 installations. This year’s event stretches over two nights and is intended to commemorate the anniversary of  the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Yaletown Business Improvement Association, area businesses, design companies, and artists host the free event, which takes place in the Yaletown Heritage District, along Mainland and Hamilton streets, between Davie and Nelson. It runs February 11 and February 12, from 5:59 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

If you haven’t visited Victoria’s Royal BC Museum recently, this week is a great time to become reacquainted with its many fascinating exhibits. Admission is by donation from January 2nd to the 9th, as a gift from the museum to the community.

I was part of the crowd there yesterday, bringing my two preschoolers to learn about everything from longhouses, to woolly mammoths, to alien species. They sat, quietly spellbound, while we watched the presentation on different types of aboriginal masks. It’s an ideal time to take little ones for a brief visit to get a taste of all our museum has to offer.

Admission by donation runs until January 9th. A donation of $5 per person is suggested.

British Columbians wear their Cowichan sweaters with pride. This Sunday, you can show yours off at the Victoria launch of Sylvia Olsen’s new book: Working with Wool: A Coast Salish Legacy and the Cowichan Sweater, published by Sono Nis Press.

Wear your sweater or other Cowichan knit and hear Olsen give a reading from her new work. Some of the oldest Cowichan sweaters will be on display, including one made 90 years ago.

The event takes place December 5 at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (1040 Moss Street) from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free to the public. Drinks and snacks will be served.

High fives to British Columbia Magazine contributor Frances Backhouse, who took home the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize last night for her adult non-fiction work, Children of the Klondike, published by Whitecap Books.

Frances, who had to awaken at 3:50 a.m. this morning to catch a flight to attend a writers’ conference, is still a little stunned. “Despite the lack of sleep, it was a thrilling night,” she reports.

Cheers to British Columbia Magazine contributor Frances Backhouse. The Victoria writer and biologist was recently nominated for a City of Victoria Butler Book Prize for her non-fiction work, Children of the Klondike, in the adult book category. The award goes out each year, along with a children’s book prize, to a writer living in the Capital Region.

Frances, the author of five books, wrote “Children of the Chilkoot” for our Spring 2010 issue, and has contributed several other articles and features to our pages.The awards take place October 13, 2010, and Frances is among some excellent company. Congratulations, Frances! We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

I admit it.  I’m a foodie.  So when I received an invitation to attend the live, red carpet premiere of a new culinary travel television show last Sunday night, it didn’t take me long to RSVP.

I actually met the producers of Flavours of the West Coast, Karen and Dai Davies of Cedarwood Productions, last year, when they won our Meet Nick Bantock contest.  (Small world, this province of ours!) In their new 13-part series, which airs Sunday nights at 6.30 p.m. on CHEK-TV, host Steve Walker-Duncan, executive chef and owner of Victoria’s Ambrosia Conference and Event Centre, travels across the province to profile local food and wine producers.

After enjoying a tasty selection of hot and cold hors d’ouevres, B.C. wines, and ciders from Saanichton’s Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, guests settled in to watch the live airing of the first episode, which focussed on Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley area.  We travelled with Steve, who is also a chef-instructor at Camosun College, to Cobble Hill to learn about Venture Schulze Vineyards and their fine, aged balsamic vinegars from owner Marilyn Venturi.  Then we tromped through a meadow near the Cowichan River with First Nations chef Jared Williams to pick stinging nettle, of all things. Williams prepared a mouth-watering meal of stuffed local pork chop, served over mashed potatoes, with the cooked and pureed nettle.  The audience sighed when the meal was plated. (Many of us, in fact, couldn’t help but murmur, “YUM!”)

The episode wrapped with Steve showing “Rookie Chef” CBC/CHEK news anchor Tony Parsons how to prepare one of the simplest, tastiest, late summer dishes of all time — bruschetta — using fresh local ingredients.  Finally, the show’s wine expert, Tony Phillips, stepped in and offered suggested pairings with B.C. wines. Then the credits rolled, and the live audience erupted in applause.

Food has a way of building community, whether it’s around a kitchen table, or at a gathering like this one in a conference centre.  Last Sunday in Victoria, media, program sponsors, guests from the first episode, chefs, and the folks who created Flavours of the West Coast all came together in the name of great B.C. food.  Just thinking about it is making me hungry all over again!

Watch excerpts from the first episode here.  Tune into episode two this Sunday at 6.30 p.m. PST on CHEK-TV.

History and art will mingle this weekend in the historic Cariboo gold-rush town of Barkerville and neighbouring community of Wells (featured in our Fall 2007 issue). The ArtsWells Festival, dubbed the “festival of all things art,” features everything from music, to film and ballet, to drumming, puppetry, stilt walking, and a whole slew of varied artistic disciplines in between. Take in concerts and performances, participate in workshops, peruse artisans’ wares, poke around Barkerville’s mining-era buildings — there are plenty of interesting options to occupy your August long weekend.

ArtsWells — which was recently named one of Canada’s top ten music festivals by CBC Radio 3 — runs July 30 to August 2nd, 2010. See www.artswells.com for more information.