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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Sponsored by the CCCTA Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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Until further notice, all non-essential travel to and within British Columbia should be avoided. Now is the time for us to stay local and support local, so that we can all explore BC again, soon.
While now is not the time to travel outside our communities, I wanted to (re)introduce you to one of BC’s most spectacular regions for your future travel consideration. If you’re looking for quiet, uncrowded, off the beaten path adventure in our beautiful province, here’s how you can travel safely and responsibly in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast:
Reconnect and Redefine Travel in BC’s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
With a vast landscape of forests, fjords, peaks, and plains ranging from the Pacific Coast to the Cariboo Mountains, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast has something for every British Columbian to experience.
My last brush with wildlife in the region was in Williams Lake at the Scout Island Nature Centre, where I spotted deer, turtles, red winged blackbirds and dozens of other migratory birds along the 2.5km network of trails right on the edge of town! Read more about bear safety and awareness, Leave No Trace principles, hiking safely with your dog, and personal hygiene in the outdoors here.
Personal Safety
There are over 8,000 lakes in the Cariboo, and I paddled a good half dozen of them on my last trip a few summers ago. On that trip I rented a kayak from Lone Butte Sporting Goods (who also took me on a fishing adventure) and dipped my paddle into Horse Lake in 100 Mile House. There are so many options, both on dry land and in the water, that personal safety when it comes to dressing in layers, packing the essentials is key.
Understanding navigation is also an important element, especially when you’re taking an epic Gold Rush Trail road trip like I did from the charming town of Horsefly, around to Likely, and over to the Quesnelle Forks ghost town site along dusty gravel roads.
Read more about these trip essentials including route planning and checking forecasts here.
The Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Tourism Association gratefully acknowledges that we live, work and play on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the St’at’imc, Secwepemc, Nlaka’pamux, Dakelh, Tŝilhqot’in, Nuxalk, Tsimshian, Heiltsuk and Wuikinuxv peoples.
I love learning more about the culture in the communities I visit, and doing so in a respectful manner. Whether it’s a visit to the Station House Gallery or the Potato House Project in Williams Lake, a walk to Moffat Falls inHorsefly, settling in for a pint at Jackson’s Social Club & Brewhouse in 100 Mile, or riding ranch land trails in 108 Mile.
The most impactful experience I have had in the region was when I was invited to the Chief William Fathers Day Traditional Pow Wow. The food, the shopping – so many great booths filled with hand-made pieces and artisanal treats – and of course the community and camaraderie was unlike any type of event I had attended.
Aside from learning about and respectfully participating in Indigenous culture, you can find some great resources for observing protocols, guidelines, and traditions of communities and cultures here.
I can’t wait to plan my next trip back, in the form of a road trip perhaps with some camping as well. There are so many options in the region, and on top of the culture, food, epic landscapes and options for adventure, the history is incredible.
Get inspired, and informed, for your future travels in this stunning and diverse region and check out some of the incredibly unique accommodation offerings as well.
Follow the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to save some posts for your future trip planning.
Miss604 is the proud Blog Sponsor of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation through the Miss604 Health Check Series. The following has been contributed by their team.
Thalia Otamendi: Concussion Patient Puts Her Mind to Enhancing Care
“I just couldn’t get better. I tried to go to work, but I couldn’t concentrate. Everything was too bright, too noisy, and it was all very overwhelming. I didn’t know what was wrong with me — I was scared.”
Thalia Otamendi loved soccer. Ever since she moved to Canada from Mexico when she was 10 years old she was always on the field, playing, practicing and competing. But over the years the sport took its toll on her body, and shortly after completing her undergrad she suffered a serious concussion while playing.
Modern problems require modern solutions
At first, Thalia thought the symptoms would go away on their own. But they only grew worse. After a few weeks she went to see local care providers for help, who told her to stay indoors in dark rooms until the symptoms subsided. This went on for months.
“I was feeling so overwhelmed, anxious and depressed,” says Thalia. Her mental and physical health was steadily declining. She felt increasingly isolated and had no idea how to recover. That is until she met clinician-scientist Dr. William Panenka, a leading traumatic brain injury and concussion expert at VGH and UBC Hospital.
From patient to researcher
Thalia was so grateful for Dr. Panenka’s care that she has since gone on to acquire a Master’s in Kinesiology from UBC. Thalia is now a PhD student studying psychological effects in concussion patients. “I don’t want other people to live through what I had to live through,” says Thalia. “That’s why my research is focused on the psychological component of concussion treatment. It’s a piece we’re missing right now, and I want to change that.”
Concussion Facts, Signs and Symptoms
Did you know?
An estimated 25% of mild traumatic brain injury patients develop a mental health condition within three months of their injury. These mental health factors triple the risk of long-term disability for these patients.
Brain injury is the leading cause of death and disability for Canadians under the age of 40.
Sports and recreational activities are important risk factors for concussion. Cycling, playground activities and hockey are the greatest contributors.
If you experience these symptoms, seek help from a doctor immediately:
neck pain
double vision
loss of consciousness
seizure or convulsion
regular vomiting
headaches that grow more severe
weak, tingling or burning feeling in arms and legs
Brain Breakthroughs aims to solve difficult challenges in brain health, with a goal of raising $35 million to expand knowledge and enhance care in traumatic brain injuries, concussion, stroke, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases, MS and more.
Follow the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation on Facebook for more info and updates.
The Skoden Indigenous Film Festival returns for a two-day online event March 26-27, featuring Indigenous filmmakers and creatives from across Canada and British Columbia.
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival
When: Program March 26 & March 27, 2021, films available to watch until April 5th Where:Online Tickets: Pay what you can, book online here (suggested donation $10 per program)
The festival was created in 2019 by Simon Fraser University film students Carr Sappier (Wolastoqew) and Grace Mathisen from SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts.
The annual film festival is maintained through a semester-long interdisciplinary class taught by Sappier and Kathleen Mullen, a filmmaker and film festival consultant. SFU students from all faculties are invited to participate in building this festival. Read more about the Skoden Indigenous Film Festival course in SFU News.
Skoden is an Indigenous slang term meaning ‘Let’s go then!’. According to Sappier: “Skoden represents a sense of happiness, inclusion and a space where all filmmakers can feel like they are part of something that holds them up in respect.” Mullen adds: “We are sharing experiences and knowledge through this course and for me this is what SKODEN means—Let’s Go Then! with humour, dialogue, and respect.”
More than 100 films were submitted to the festival, and this year’s features include an eclectic selection of filmmakers including comedian Jay Cardinal Villeneuve (Is That One of Your Jokes), rising-star Asia Youngman (This Ink Runs Deep), and hip-hop artist Diana Hellson (The Foundation: Indigenous Hip Hop in Canada).
The festival will open with a welcome ceremony led by Elder Syexwaliya and will also include a series of Q&A sessions. Festival-goers can access five film programs that include: Program 1: Healing the Nation; Program 2: Back to Grassroots; Program 3: Future Generation; Program 4: Potpourri, a program ranging from Indigenous life to music videos; and Program 5, the feature filmShadow of Dumont by Métis director Trevor Cameron.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Sponsored by Imagine Van Gogh Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival‘s biggest night of fundraising – the Sakura Night Gala – has been transformed into Sakura at Home. This culinary event will see seven all-star chefs create exclusive take-out meals that capture the beauty of the cherry blossom, paired with a local entertainment lineup.
Sakura at Home
When: Sunday, April 25, 2021 at 6:00pm Where: Your house! Register:Online here for $79.80 – $161.62
The Chefs
Paul Moran of Wild Origins (Winner, Top Chef Canada, 2019)
Andrea Carlson of Burdock & Co. (Vancouver Magazine’s 2020 Chef of the Year)
Will Lew of Nootka Marine Adventures resorts on Vancouver Island, with Clement Chan (Represented Canada at the World Culinary Olympics)
Salmon n’ BannockCulinary Team – (Vancouver’s only Indigenous restaurant)
All guests will receive a Sakura at Home gift from sponsor McMillan LLP, and tickets purchased by March 25th will have a chance to win an “Akebono” Cocktail Kit from The Keefer. As each restaurant has a limited number of meals for sale, it is advised to order now while you have the choice of all six distinctively unique menus.
Each tax-deductible ticket will entitle the buyer to an exclusive cherry blossom-themed meal from the restaurant of their choice on April 25, with the exception of Wild Origins, which will deliver a Cook-Along with Chef Paul Moran meal kit for four.
“These flowers feed our spirit and fill our heart with hope and promise…feed your spirit and body with the variety of the seasonal selection of flavors and textures being showcased at Sakura at Home.” – Darnell Stager of Salmon n’ Bannock
The Entertainment
The virtual portion of Sakura at Home will feature: a performance by Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra music director and conductor Ken Hsieh on Vancouver House’s flying Fazioli piano; Bard on the Beach Artistic Director Christopher Gaze reading winning poems from the 2020 Haiku Invitational; and the world premiere of In Full Bloom, a short film by Patrick Weir of Peacemaker Filmworks. Following the film, Patrick will describe how he used drones to capture Vancouver coming into bloom this Spring, bringing the calming beauty of the cherry blossoms into everyone’s homes to make spring even more memorable.
Follow the festival on Facebook for more information this season.
