Do you love B.C.’s provincial parks? Tell us why for a chance to win some great prizes in our newest Share Your B.C. contest.

British Columbia Magazine has teamed up with BC Parks to offer readers an opportunity to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our provincial parks system.  To enter, share your top thing to do in a B.C. provincial park in 200 words or less for a chance to win one of three adventure prizes and have your submission published on our website.  Contest begins on March 15, 2011 and closes on September 30, 2011.

Full contest details, entry form, and rules here.

First prize is a Family Resort and Caving package that includes a luxurious, two-night getaway for a family of four at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort in Parksville and a guiding caving experience at Horne Lake Caves.

Second prize is a Sea to Sky package, including a two-night escape to Olympic Legacy Cabin in Porteau Cove and a half-hour scenic floatplane ride from Van City Seaplanes.

Third prize is a Go Camping packaging for a three-night stay at a BC Parks campground, a one-year BC Parks parking pass, a BC Parks picnic blanket, two BC Parks coffee cups, two BC Parks water bottles, and a 1-year subscription to British Columbia Magazine.

Like most Canadians, my family planned to watch the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games from the comfort of our home. But when some friends offered us their condo in downtown Vancouver, we jumped at the offer, booking tickets to the closing ceremonies as fast as our fingers could fly across the computer keyboard.

Getting there couldn’t have been easier. We flew by floatplane from our home on Saltspring Island right into downtown Vancouver.  After we touched down in Coal Harbour, my son noticed that we were floating right past the Olympic rings. They were larger than we’d imagined and glowing a brilliant blue in the late afternoon light.

As we walked up to street level from the floatplane dock, we spotted another key attraction: the Olympic Cauldron.  Bright orange flames danced from its four arms as we angled in between tourists from around the world for a few photos — then we joined the red and white sea of people on the streets of Vancouver.

And it’s the street scene that I remember most about our Olympic weekend. While the closing ceremonies were spectacular, even from our perch high above the floor of the stadium, it gives me shivers to remember the elation of the crowd on Georgia Street after Canada beat the U.S. in men’s hockey to take the gold medal.

I can still feel the pulse of the music at the nightly celebrations at Robson Square; still see the smiles on the faces of hundreds and hundreds of overjoyed fans; still feel the sting in my palm from the countless high-fives.  What a feeling! What a rush!

Robson Square is set to relive some the same excitement this Saturday, February 12. For a list of the activities planned for the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Games, click here.

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.

From all of us here at British Columbia Magazine, we wish you and your family a wonderful, memorable holiday season. Thank you for all your support in 2010. We look forward to bringing you more of B.C.’s best travel destinations, outdoor recreation opportunities, wilderness and wildlife, remarkable people, culture, and more in 2011!

In a small magazine team, staffers often have to step way outside their regular job descriptions to get a task done. So I didn’t flinch when Art Director Ken Seabrook asked me to put on workout gear and pretend I was surfing, to help him plan an illustration. It was only when I had climbed up on my makeshift surfboard — a thin, very pliable piece of foam-core laid across a couple of wobbly stools — and tried to “pop up” that I started to have some serious doubts. Luckily I didn’t break my neck and Ken completed an interesting illustration. You can check it out on page 62 of the Winter 2010 issue (”Surfing essentials,” Outdoor Advisor).

Do you see a resemblance? Ken did take some liberties — I never ride “goofy” foot, but his surfer does have better style.

Our Winter 2010 cover story (on newsstands and in subscribers’ mailboxes any day now) features facts on the cougar — one of British Columbia’s most powerful predators. While cougar attacks of humans are rare in this province, those who venture into the wilderness should know what to do in case of an encounter. We provide a few critical words of advice. See “What to do if you meet a cougar” by Jenny Manzer.

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.

I’ve enjoyed a few teddy bear tea parties in my time, but the one I’ll be attending in Victoria next month is special because it’s for a great cause — the Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children.

The Teddy Bear Tea Party for Kids is an annual festive event held as part of the foundation’s Bear Wear campaign, in which local businesses dress teddy bears into costumes — with themes ranging from Elvis to Harry Potter. The bears then find good homes through a silent auction. Everyone is invited to view the bears free of charge in the lobby of the Hotel Grand Pacific, located at 463 Belleville Street, from November 16 to December 19, 2010.

If you have children between the ages of three and eight, then consider attending this year’s tea party to be held December 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Cookie decorating, face painting, entertainment and a visit from Santa are all on the agenda.

Admission to the tea party is $10 for adults, $7 for the first child, and $5 for additional children. The event sells out fast, so organizers request that there be no more than two adults in attendance per child to keep more spots free for kids. Tickets go on sale November 15, and may be purchased in person at the hotel or booked on credit card by calling (250) 386-0450.

All proceeds from this year’s event will go to creation of Jeneece Place, which will provide a home away from home for families who need to travel to Victoria for medical treatment.

Eating fish and seafood can boost your heart health, excite your tastebuds, and be sustainable. That’s the message behind The Ocean Wise Cookbook: seafood recipes that are good for the planet, edited by freelance writer Jane Mundy.

The 328-page paperback includes contributions from well-known Canadian chefs, including Rob Feenie and Jamie Kennedy, and provides a range of interesting options such as Tuna Tataki with Green Papaya Slaw, and Grilled Scallops with Charred Heirloom Tomato Salad.

The new collection, published by Vancouver’s Whitecap Books, was inspired by Ocean Wise, a nation-wide group founded by the Vancouver Aquarium and devoted to encouraging people to eat sustainable seafood at home and in restaurants.

Ocean Wise also offers videos on seafood cooking tips and techniques, such as filleting a salmon, featuring some of Vancouver’s top chefs. They now have 2,800 partner locations around the country.