More Reasons to Jump on the Ferry and head to Victoria, BC
MUK MUK DID – “CALM ON OVER” TO BC’S CAPTIAL
With the Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games just days away, British Columbia’s capital city rolls out the welcome mat to visitors from around the world who are looking for a little getaway during Games time. A city known for its resort-like atmosphere, Victoria, BC invites visitors to “calm on over” and enjoy a little “island time.”
Island time is exactly what our beloved marmot, Muk Muk, mascot sidekick and number one fan of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games is doing before the whistles start to blow and the Games commence on February 12, 2010. From golfing and shopping to kayaking and sipping tea at The Fairmont Empress, Muk Muk has been busy taking in all the splendours of BC’s capital city. Videos of Muk Muk’s Adventures in Victoria can be viewed online at www.tourismvictoria.com/calm.
For visitors wanting to follow in Muk Muk’s paw prints and visit or perhaps stay in Victoria before, during or after the Olympic Games, Tourism Victoria can assist with those getaway plans. Victoria boasts reasonably priced accommodation and availability at every level, from high end hotels to historic inns and bed and breakfasts and this info is available on www.tourismvictoria.com/calm. Visitors can now use an online easy-to-read daily transportation guide, created to help take the guess work out of travelling to and from the island so they can stay connected to the Games. Found just a click away, this guide shows how direct flights to Vancouver are readily available and BC Ferries provides extended ferry transport for the duration of the Games with support from Pacific Coach Lines for foot passengers. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com/calm.
NEW VISTA FOR AN OLD FAVOURITE
On February 5, 2010 Victoria, BC’s only rooftop restaurant re-opens to locals and visitors alike, unveiling a new look sure to match their fine local fare and spectacular views. Housed on the 18th floor of the Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites in the heart of downtown Victoria, Vista 18 features crisp new décor with modern simple lines. Decadent glass and mirror pieces adorn the fine dining restaurant, which sees its focus taking a new turn to a “Uniquely BC” menu. From BC wines and brews, to the freshest seasonal ingredients found in the waters seen through the restaurant’s wall of windows, Executive Chef Garrett Schack’s goal is to emphasize the island’s rich bounty. Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner or late night small bites, Vista 18 has something for everyone. Live music fills the space on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, celebrating some of the Island’s finest entertainers. For more information visit www.vista18.com.
RAISING THE BAR – PAIRING TEA AND CHOCOLATE
Two Victoria, BC favourites, Silk Road Aromatherapy & Tea Company and Rogers’ Chocolates have teamed up to create a sweet treat sure to dazzle the taste buds. Blending certified organic premium Silk Road Teas with Rogers’ Chocolates’ organic 72% dark chocolate, the pair have developed a series of tea-infused chocolate bars. The ‘High Tea Bars,’ to be officially launched at the Victoria Tea Festival held in Victoria, February 13-14, 2010 before being available for retail sales, are offered in three delicious flavours – Earl Grey, Chai Tea and Matcha (Japanese Green Tea). The bars are antioxidant-rich making them a delicious snack, perfect for guilt-free nibbling. Celebrating 125 years in business this year, the first Rogers’ Chocolates were made in 1885 by Charles (“Candy”) Rogers in the back of his Victoria grocery shop. The original Victorian-inspired store, a National Historic Site of Canada, is still in operation on Government Street. At the other end of the street, in Victoria’s historic Chinatown District, Silk Road Aromatherapy & Tea Company have been in operation for 18 years. Owned and operated by Daniela Cubelic, a Tea Master who was taught the Chinese tea tradition and blending techniques of Chinese and Taiwanese Tea Masters and Herbalists, Silk Road continues to encourage visitors and Victorians alike to think beyond the tea bag. For more information visit www.rogerschocolates.com and www.silkroadtea.com.
CELEBRATING THE ARTS IN VICTORIA, BC
You can feel the pulse of a city through its arts and entertainment. This is certainly true in Victoria, BC; a cosmopolitan city alive with culture! This February, visitors to Victoria will get a chance to take in a number of world-class events in the capital city by purchasing a single pass. Tourism Victoria and ProArt Alliance have joined forces to present Bravo!Victoria, which brings together theatre, dance, film, music and visual arts. Locals and visitors alike are encouraged to purchase a Bravo!Victoria pass at www.tourismvictoria.com/bravo. With pass in hand, visitors can experience any two arts events for $50 CDN / $47 USD or four events for $100 CDN / $93 USD. Participating members include The Belfry Theatre, Victoria Symphony, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and Dance Victoria to name a few. From historical playhouses and modern arts centres through to small, picturesque community theatres, there is something for every arts lover. The Bravo!Victoria pass is available until February 21, 2010 via online purchase only. For more information visit www.tourismvictoria.com/bravo.
CULINARY SHOWDOWN AT THE FAIRMONT EMPRESS
On February 24, 2010 the iconic Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC will host the inaugural Mission Emp-Possible – Battle of the Chefs competition. Hosted by Kevin Brauch, world-renowned Iron Chef America and host of The Thirsty Traveler, the culinary showdown will see The Fairmont Empress’ Executive Chef, Takashi Ito go head-to-head against the Okanagan’s Mission Hill Executive Winery Chef, Matthew Batey. Each chef will be asked to prepare a five-course tasting menu to complement five of the Okanagan winery’s finest wines handpicked by Mission Hill’s chief winemaker, John Simes. A panel of celebrities from around the Pacific Northwest will be on hand to critique the gastronomic delights on display and judge each course according to flavour, appearance and complementary wine pairing and ultimately crown the winner. Tickets to the event are $150 CDN / $140 USD. For more information visit www.fairmont.com/empress.
BC’S ONLY CARBON-NEUTRAL HOTEL PROPERTY
The Inn at Laurel Point, known for its stunning location overlooking Victoria’s picturesque Inner Harbour and accommodations that exude a zen-like ambience, can now also be referred to as British Columbia’s only carbon-neutral property. Teaming up with Offsetters, a Vancouver-based company that helps both individuals and companies to understand, reduce, track and offset their climate impact, the Inn at Laurel Point proves that they are committed to environmental sustainability. Eco-conscious travellers staying at the Inn will have their carbon emissions offset through purchases by the hotel at no cost to them. This move to carbon-neutrality is in addition to the other eco-features currently taking place at the Inn at Laurel Point all of which have helped them garner their Four Green Key Eco-Rating. These measures include paperless check-in, eco-friendly room keys (made of recycled paper stock and vegetable dye inks), a comprehensive waste reduction plan featuring composting, compacting garbage and baling cardboard, and using an Ocean Wise and organic menu in their award-winning restaurant, AURA Restaurant + Waterfront Patio. For more information visit www.laurelpoint.com.
AN ODE TO CHOCOLATE AT BEAR MOUNTAIN
On March 27, 2010 chocolate lovers are invited to the 7th Annual Chocolate Fest taking place at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, BC. The evening event will bring together Victoria’s leading chocolatiers as a fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria. The Fest will feature chocolate demonstrations, exhibits, games, giveaways, food, wine and entertainment. Admission tickets, printed on the wrapper of a specially created Rogers’ Chocolate Signature Chocolate Bar, are $75 CDN / $70 USD for one adult aged 19 years and over. For those unable to make the evening event, there will be a series of workshops held at Bear Mountain Resort earlier that afternoon. The exclusive workshops will feature chocolatiers, chefs and other culinary artists. Running 1.5-2 hours long, tickets for the workshops are $25 CDN / $23 USD. And, Ace of Cakes wannabes will want to watch out for the Cake Decorating Challenge, a three-hour challenge showcasing the talents of Victoria’s professional pastry chefs and bakers. Cakes created in the challenge will be displayed for voting during the evening of Chocolate Fest. Tickets for Chocolate Fest and its workshops are available online from February 8, 2010. For more information visit www.chocolatefest.ca.
CHINA’S WARRIORS INVADE BC’S CAPITAL IN 2011
From late 2011 to 2012, Victoria, BC will welcome what is considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world – the Chinese terracotta warriors, which date back to 210 B.C. The exhibition, entitled The Warrior Emperor and China’s Terracotta Army will stop at the Royal BC Museum next year as part of a four museum Canadian Tour. With 300 artifacts set to be presented, including eighteen of the famed clay sculptures, this exhibition will be the largest display of the First Emperor’s terracotta army ever to be seen in North America. Nearly thirty per cent of the featured objects have never travelled outside China, and some have never even been displayed in any museum in China. The exhibition will not only highlight the life and times of Qin Shihuangdi, the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty, who had the terracotta army created to ensure his safe journey into the afterlife, but also allow visitors a glimpse into China’s rich history and a chance to explore the political and social transitions that took place during various dynasties, changes which were influential to the form, style and purpose of the sculptures themselves. For more information visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.
February 8, 2010
Posted in: Canada