Located across from historic St. Ann’s Academy on Humbolt Street, I’ve stayed at Parkside Victoria twice in the last year and realized that I haven’t written a word about it. The hotel, that also has residences, is one of the capital city’s newest accommodations and has LEED® Platinum Certification on top of its designer touches and amenities.
My first stay was in a 2-bedroom suite with my sister, my niece, and her friend. The girls loved the pool and went down every evening for a swim. My second stay was during a conference and I was on the harbour side of the hotel in a 1-bedroom suite.
The common areas are peaceful and warm with playful koi swimming through indoor and outdoor streams, plenty of plant-life, and a lounge area where residents and hotel guests can use courtesy iPads. There’s also a theatre room with nightly movie features.
The statues and some of the rare tropical plants you’ll find in the atrium were scooped up from Victoria’s now defunct Crystal Gardens so they tell an interesting story about one of the city’s legendary landmarks.
A common rooftop garden area and a penthouse amenities room for residents look out over the city and upon the building’s green roofs.
Each suite has a balcony with patio furniture, WIFI, a living room space with a fireplace, dining room table, and two bathrooms.
The only thing that I didn’t quite grasp was the lack of a door on the ensuite bathroom, attached to the main bedroom. There was a frosted half-wall so you couldn’t see the bathtub from the bed however the toilet wasn’t behind a door at all. If you’re in town for a romantic getaway, I’m sure you wouldn’t want to sit on the bed, warm by the fireplace, and look over to see your partner… right there.
Options or work-arounds would be to use the sink and tub in that bathroom, then use the other bathroom in the suite (with a shower and a full-length door) for anything else. The resort is impressive in all other areas. From the large indoor swimming pool and spa, to granite, slate, and natural limestone counter tops, and textiles made from low or non-emitting, non-toxic recycled materials.
I believe the Parkside is best-suited for travelers that would like all of the touches of home and who don’t mind missing some regular hotel staples (like room service or a full-service restaurant although there is a cafe downstairs). Full kitchens are available in the suites and it is within walking distance of dozens of restaurants — from The Old Spaghetti Factory to the Sticky Wicket, Brown’s, or Vista 18.
Other than the no-door issue in the master bathroom, I think the suites are comfortable, modern, and very spacious. Parkside is definitely another great hotel option in Victoria if you’d like a low-maintenance, high tech, no-fuss stay where you can cook your own meals in a home away from home.
Follow @Parkside_Vic on Twitter for updates, Victoria event information, and events they host themselves such as “Yoga on the Roof”.
Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 My first stay was on a media visit and my second was during Social Media Camp. As a speaker, my room was covered by the conference.
Next month dancers and musicians from around the world will spice up Vancouver during La Garufa International Tango Festival.
Argentine tango is a social dance and musical genre that originated in Argentina and Uruguay in the late 1800s. Recently it was designated by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage and important to preserve.
In the social tango, there is a special connection between partners as it is all based on improvised steps. It is a conversation between partner using the body instead of voice. Tango can be danced by people of all ages from 8 to 88. In fact, studies have shown that Argentine Tango can increase memory, multi-tasking skills, self-esteem, balance and motor coordination in seniors — and more fun than Suduko puzzles
You can learn to dance, watch the pros, and enjoy live music at the festival from September 8 to 11, 2011.
Artists
- Claudio Villagra & Romina Levin (Maestros from Buenos Aires)
- Ruben & Sabrina Veliz (Maestros from Buenos Aires)
- Gustavo Rosas & Gisela Natoli (Maestros from Buenos Aires)
- Sexteto Milonguero (Buenos Aires)
- Lorena Bouzas (DJ, Buenos Aires)
- Meng Wang (DJ, Vancouver)
Workshops
- The quality and esthetics of the movement.
- Forgotten steps and figures of the ’40s and ’50s.
- Navigation on the dance floor. Walking, turns and traspies.
- More Workshops
Milongas (Where the tango is danced)
- Opening night September 8, 2011 from 9:00pm: “Blue & White Night” with live music by Sexteto Milonguero & performances.
- Wine Tasting Night September 9, 2011 from 9:00pm
- La Noche De La Garufa September 10, 2011 from 9:00pm with an All‐Night Milonga from 1:00am to 5:00am A Media Luz, 2155 Commercial Drive @VancouverTango on Twitter.
- More Milongas
Tickets to hear, learn, watch, and be entertained by the artists start at $30 and are available online now. All events are at the Croatian Cultural Centre (3250 Commercial Drive). I also have a special prize package to give away to a reader.
The prize package
2 tickets to “Introduction to Tango” with instructor Angel Coria at the Croatian Cultural Centre followed by admission for 2 to the opening night milonga featuring performances by Sexteto Milonguero and 3 dancers (just across the hall). I have been asked to note that it’s not just a concert. It will be a night of music and dance in which you can (and are encouraged to) participate. Dancers from around BC and the Pacific Northwest will be cheek-to-cheek at this opening night party.
Whether you love to dance already, want to learn, or just want to get closer to that special someone, here’s how you can enter to win this prize:
Leave a comment on this post about why you want to learn to tango (or why you tango already) (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner on Friday, September 2, 2011 at 10:00am.
Update The winner is Reen!
Lumberman’s Arch is a popular meeting place and landmark on the North side of Stanley Park, West of Brockton Point. The single log propped up by two others is a monument to the major industry that built up our province and was installed by the Park Board and the BC Lumber Manufacturers Association almost 60 years ago.
The current arch is situated on the site of the former Xway-Xway First Nations village and was likely a communal meeting place in Coast Salish culture.
From the Stanley Park Ecology Society: “If we were to peel back the grass in this area, we would probably find post-holes from the long shacks built by the villagers. Evidence from a large midden (native garbage and sometime burial heap) that extends along the lower part of this area (4.3 acres) indicates that there has been some form of settlement for over 500 years, maybe longer.
During the creation of Park Drive in 1888, ground-up shells from this midden were dug up and used to pave the road. In the course of excavating the paving material, workers (who kicked the resident natives out of their homes and moved in) discovered stumps of dead cedars over 500 years old and exhumed a number of skeletons. Coast Salish natives stopped using this type of burial years before, in favour of cedar boxes or slabs containing the bones placed in tree boughs or on the forest floor.
A proper archaeological excavation has never occurred at this site, but we do know that there was a native settlement here from at least the early 1860s, consisting of four small dwellings and one communal lodge. Musqueam and/or Squamish peoples may have used this site at varying times of the year.”
It was on this day in history that the original Lumberman’s Arch was moved from Pender and Hamilton to the location we see the current arch today. Originally, the arch was a much larger structure and was constructed in 1912 for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Connaught.
1912 – The arch at Pender & Hamilton. Archives item# Arch N6.02. Photographer: Don Coltman.
From Vancouver History August 29, 1919: It was dedicated today in the park to its designer, Captain G.P. Bowie, who was killed at Ypres on July 7, 1915.
The date of the move, as Chuck Davis (from Vancouver History) has it, is 1919 although there are some photos in the Vancouver Archives that show the arch at its current location in 1913.
1920 – Archives item# CVA 99-1290. Photographer: Stuart Thomson.
The original structure was nicknamed “The Bowie Arch”. When inevitable deterioration set in, it was demolished in 1947 and was replaced by the simpler version we see today in 1952.
If you’re cutting up from the water park and sea wall, starting off a fun run, or heading down from the Vancouver Aquarium or the Artists’ Circle, you’ll walk through Lumberman’s Arch. Discover more Stanley Park monuments, statues, and plaques in the Park Board’s directory.
Located above the sea wall at Ferguson Point and nestled between our urban forest and the setting sun of the Salish Sea, The Teahouse in Stanley Park is a true gem.
Recently, they’ve made the restaurant more accessible by adding a free courtesy shuttle (in collaboration with Harbour Air Seaplanes) between the Teahouse, major Vancouver hotels, and Cardero’s Restaurant in Coal Harbour.
These convenient drop-off and pick-up locations mean that you can save on parking, taxi fares, and take transit downtown. Everyone should have a chance to experience this historic eatery with a gorgeous solarium looking out over brightly-coloured flower beds, a cool patio, and dreamy views. And I haven’t even mentioned their locally-inspired, seasonal dishes.
Spring menu at The Teahouse. Photo credit:
Tempest_Kat on Flickr
As such, The Teahouse would like to give one of my readers a $100 gift card and a free courtesy shuttle pick-up. They’ll arrange the shuttle for the winner who will get to enjoy all that The Teahouse has to offer using their gift card. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 10:00am. The Teahouse is also running a shuttle photo contest of their own until August 31. When you spot it driving around downtown or in Stanley Park, snap a photo with your mobile and upload it to Twitter mentioning @The_Teahouse. You could win a $25 gift card.
Update The winner is Claire!
The HST referendum results were released this morning and just over 54% voted “YES” to extinguish the combined tax in BC.
On July 1st, 2010, the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) came into play in BC. It combined our GST (5%) with the PST (7%) into one single 12% tax.
A few months ago registered voters in BC received referendum cards in the mail. They could vote “YES” to extinguish tax or “No” to keep it. The deadline for ballots was extended when Canada Post went on strike. 1.6 million voters have decided they would like to return to the PST (Provincial Sales Tax).
Looking at the official results from Elections BC, you can see that ridings such as Surrey-Green Timbers (75.51% Yes) and Vancouver-Kingsway (72.45% Yes) were highly in favour of getting rid of the HST. Ridings such as West Vancouver-Sea to Sky (60.78% No) and West Vancouver-Capilano (64.52% No) wanted it to stay.
There are arguments on both sides about who benefitted, why it was applied to things that were PST exempt, what it meant to consumers, and where these extra tax dollars were going. As a business owner, I actually liked the HST. As a consumer, I didn’t so much. I’d love to hear your feedback and thoughts on these results.
Resources:
HST in BC
Fight HST (site looks like it’s currently down)
Say No to HST in BC
“Problems with BC Business Council’s Pro-HST Study” The Tyee
“Pro-HST Economist Defends His BC Business Council Study” The Tyee
A sortable list of results thanks to Darren Barefoot
