Next week is the first annual Look Fashion Show to benefit youth programs. The goal is to educate youth about healthy lifestyle choices, and have them share their insights on the topic through vlogs (video blogs) and the fashion showcase. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
I love random stats and tidbits of information which is why I’m currently addicted to Google’s Insights for Search feature.
Basically you can pop in a search term and see trends such as which cities or countries search what term the most, where people are located, what are some top searched words, and various other statistics.
I just received an email from Google letting me know some of the top Canucks trends, and I thought these were definitely worth noting:
Biggest Googling Canucks fans in BC…
What Canucks fans are searching for:
You can also text Google to get scores on the fly using their sms search service by texting the words “canucks score” to 466453. The result is a message in return that may look like this:
Vancouver Canucks (45-27-10)
Last game: 30 Apr, Vancouver Canucks 5 – Chicago Blackhawks 3
Next game: vs. Chicago Blackhawks, 2 May 10:00pm ET
canucks.nhl.com
It’s pretty evident that Canucks fans are connected, which you can even tell on game day when the term #Canucks is one of the top ten in the world on Twitter. I’m really liking the text feature and I think the search data may be valuable information for hockey bloggers and content creators.
Finally, according to Google, Canadians search for “hockey” more than any other country in the world, they search “NHL” more than anyone else and in BC, “hockey” is more popular than “Britney Spears”… as it should be in my books.
Photos in this post are from the Round Two Canucks #NHLTweetup
The next stop on the Circle Farm Tour for my group this week was the Kilby Historic Site in Harrison Mills [Google Map].
Kilby was a bustling whistle stop destination home to thousands at its peak where Mr Acton Kilby ran the general store (1906), post office, hotel, and most elements you’d find in a turn-of-the-century town.
When the rail lines changed and the gold rush ended, it became a ghost town however many elements from the 1920s and 30s era were preserved by Acton Kilby. In the 1970s the Kilby family decided to turn the whole place into a museum – from old gas pumps, barns, elevated boardwalks, and of course the general store. Mr Kilby had collected so many items over the years – rooms full, really – including everything from turn of the century cigarette tins, to canned goods and clothing, the diversity of the collection is remarkable.
Aside from the museum, they have a farm (with goats, bunnies, ducks, chickens, and cows) and they work together with the local 4-H Club.
The gift shop is filled with goodies from local artisans and their restaurant serves up hearty meals from old-fashioned recipes including hand-squeezed lemonade, fresh baked pies, and their pulled-chicken sandwich.
You can visit Kilby from Thursday to Monday (11:00am to 5:00pm) and as of May 14th they’re open every day from 11:00am to 5:00pm. The family admission price is $24 (for families of any size) and they also have seasons passes, $22 for adults and $52 for the whole family.
They also have special events throughout the year including a Black Powder Festival, a Thanksgiving meal, and even spooky haunted Halloween tours.
The Kilby Historic Site is also adjacent to a campground (with 22 spots) in Harrison Bay where I’m certain my family has stayed before but will merit another visit sometime soon. The history, natural beauty, farm features, and stories told at Kilby definitely make the trip worthwhile.
Our first official stop on the Circle Farm Tour was at the Tulips of the Valley Festival on Seabird Island [Google Map] where we were greeted by owner, Kate Onos-Gilbert.
Having a working farm with a million tulip bulbs spanning over 40 acres means Kate is one busy woman. She told us that she wanted to open up the fields to the public so all could enjoy — and thank goodness she did, welcoming thousands last weekend along. Kate also has a goal to provide Canadian-grown bulbs so everyone can enjoy tulips at home in their own gardens, and said that since the bulbs have been in this soil for three years now, they are now considered Canadian.
The lifecycle of the tulip process spans over months but for a few short weeks in the spring Kate opens up her tulip farm to visitors for the festival.
You can head out among the other 30 varieties of tulips, take photos, enjoy the scenery, as snack on some bannock made by June Harris.
Kate has been growing and cultivating the tulips for years and seeing what types work best in Canada, since they are not indigenous to this country. You can currently purchase almost 20 different kinds of bulbs from her fields on-site as and she also has a permanent stand at 1694 Tranmer Rd in Agassiz.
The 2009 festival only runs until May 3rd so this weekend is your last chance to check it out before the greenhouse tulip life cycle begins again.
I have been a guest of the Harrison/Agassiz region for the last 24 hours and although I have numerous entries yet to come about our stops on the Circle Farm Tour, our first destination was Minter Gardens. I thought this would be perfect opportunity to expand my Day Tripping series.
Located just off Highway 1 [Google Map], I’ve driven by the Minter Gardens turn off for almost 30 years and have never stopped to visit, which is a really a shame. Just 90 minutes from downtown (which is the actual time it took me) Minter Gardens is more than just a show garden. Its unique location, landscape, and collection of horticultural wonders make it a fantastic place for a stroll, for a colourful photowalk, or for an avid gardener who wants to pick up some ideas.
When we arrived we were greeted by Erin Minter, the daughter of founder Brian Minter, in the Trillium Restaurant who gave us a tour of the gardens. Erin took us along the “self guided tour” path, for which visitors will get a map when they first arrive. The map points out different spots of interest along the way, as well as a few other trails for exploring. Erin encourages everyone, when doing the self-guided tour, to stop at the points of interest and do a 360 degree turn, “you’ll get a different view each time.”
The 32-acre show garden has 100,000 tulips, a 1,000 rhododendrons, unique species, and thousands of other beautifully groomed and cultivated trees and plants. There is also a kids play area and Minter Gardens is dog-friendly (although they ask that you keep your pup on a short leash).
There are several water features throughout the gardens which Erin explained not only help the plants, naturally, but they also serve to create lovely, natural sounds (drowning out the vehicles over on the highway), while also creating movement and a quiet place for visitors to site, rest, or reflect.
Erin said they already have 83 weddings booked for the season at both of their wedding sites in the gardens.
However, you will notice there are no fish in the ponds, creeks or the Lake Garden, “ask the herons and raccoons,” Erin said. Many of their sites and gardens need to be planned according to what type of creatures it might attract, aside from bloom-loving humans. Being nestled near Mt Cheam means bears might also pay them a visit in the gardens.
At many spots on the tour she also noted plants and collections that were donated to the gardens such as the fern garden. “You never do something this massive without the help of the community.” This is something that I felt resonated throughout the day, and carried through to every other place in the Agassiz/Harrison area that we visited. The sense of community out here is uplifting and inspiring.
There is indeed a strong sense of community in the area and it was great to hear about the family business at Minter Gardens. Erin said her 86 year old grandma still helps out in the Country Garden Store — the retail location for plants, bulbs, blooms and pots that the family also runs. Erin said that many often get ideas for their own gardens when at Minter, and can then go to the Garden Centre to pick up the necessities try things at home.
Right now is a good time to visit Minter Gardens since the blossoms are emerging, however due to the harsh winter, the plants are about 3-5 weeks behind their natural schedule. Things are also beautiful in the fall, when everything turns bright red, gold, orange, and rust-coloured in the tree tops. The Gardens officially close from October to March, however they run special events and activities during the Christmas season.
Minter Gardens opened on Mother’s Day in 1980 and this year for Mother’s Day they’re hosting a special brunch in the restaurant. They often host special events however simply stopping by the gardens any day seems like a good idea to me.
Admission is $16 for adults, and they have rates for seniors, youth, and kids 5 and under are free. They also have a family rate and I would recommend getting the “seasons pass” as it’s only $5 more – then you can come back anytime and see the seasonal changes in the plants. They also have a special printable coupon online, which you can download from here.
There are other show gardens around but none compare to the unique location and setting of Minter Gardens – combined with its features, collections, amenities, as well as family and community pride.
