The following has been contributed by Steffani Cameron, who recently completed a 4-year worldwide adventure that she chronicled at FullNomad.com.

For families, the only thing better than a family-friendly hotel resort for a getaway is one that’s walking-friendly, with a beautiful view. Perched on the edge of the Songhees Walkway, the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort faces Victoria’s Inner Harbour, right on the waterfront.

Enjoy the Best of Victoria Harbour at the Delta Ocean Pointe Resort

There are plenty of hotels of all kinds in Victoria, with something for everyone. For those looking to get away, the Ocean Pointe is a great option offering a gamut of on-site activities and amenities suited for everyone, for when you’re tuckered out from a day of walking the town. With Victoria’s Old Town just across the bridge, a five-minute walk away, it’s easy to get out to eat and stroll the Harbour yet get back for a game of tennis, some time in the pool, or a workout at the gym.

But everyone can get comfortable at Ocean Pointe because it’s an incredibly accessible resort for those with mobility challenges. There are ramps and wheelchair-friendly entrances everywhere. Even the Songhees Walkaway around the hotel is accessible for anyone of any ability who’d like to explore more. The new bridge also has wide, easy-to-use separated pedestrian-only pathways for getting into town.

Medicine, fire-starting, building materials, food and more. Nature provides so much for us in every ecosystem and I was thrilled to learn about Indigenous plant use in the South Okanagan on my recent trip to the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos.

I love our coastal rainforests and I gained even more of an appreciation for them when I took my first “Talking Trees” with Candace Campo of Talaysay Tours. During those walks (in Vancouver and on the Sunshine Coast) I learned so much about our local ecology, how nature provides, how we can respect it, and how we are caretakers for future generations to enjoy these natural gifts.

In the desert, things look a little different: There are no lush ferns, mosses or arbutus, however nature still provides. Here are a few things I learned during our tour outside the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre on the land of the Osoyoos Indian Band.

You can once again enter a world of history and celebration of athletic achievement through Gate A at BC Place as the BC Sports Hall of Fame is OPEN again!

The BC Sports Hall of Fame is Open

Book your timed visit online in advance for entry Fridays and Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm.

 “This truly was a collective effort. Without the gracious support of our dedicated staff and the incredible generosity of viaSport British Columbia, Vancouver Foundation, the BC Museums Association, and all of our partners, our re-opening would not be possible this summer,” explains Nicholas Cartmell, CEO of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. “We also want to recognize the support and engagement of BC Place, at a time when live spectator sports and events are on pause in our province.” 

 As part of the reopening process and keeping with public health protocols, the Hall has implemented additional safety precautions to keep visitors safe. These include the required use of non-medical face masks, physical distancing practices, the installation of alcohol-based sanitizing stations as well as daily disinfection of the facility and periodic cleaning of high-touch surfaces.

For the reopening, the BC Sports Hall of Fame unveiled a pop-up Sport Fashion exhibit. The exhibit features a size 22 basketball shoe worn by Shaquille O’Neal, Victor Kraatz’s 1994 Canadian Olympic Team Marching uniform which includes a regal flowing cape, and a BC Lions Beefeaters band uniform, as well as 50 other pieces of BC sport fashion spanning over a century. 

 Visitors can take a trip back to 1979 with It Takes A Village: Celebrating the 1979 Whitecaps Soccer Bowl Championship and relive the magic of that unforgettable season. Our Hall of Champions features displays on our 2019 Inductees, with items from Vancouver’s favorite twins, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, including their gold medals from the 2006 Torino Olympics. If you’re missing the Olympics this year, visitors can see an updated Vancouver 2010 Gallery and experience the games all over again. 

The Greg Moore Gallery Experience will also have a new racing simulator arriving later this month. The Greg Moore Gallery has been modernized to pay further tribute to one of BC’s most exemplary sports icons. 

Follow the Hall on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more info.

AMPLIFY is a new series starring Indigenous singer-songwriters that is set to premiere on APTN on Friday, September 11, 2020 at 5:00pm PT.

AMPLIFY on APTN

With a strong cast of Indigenous musicians, this new series is an exciting journey into the personal lives and inspirations of some of the country’s most innovative rising stars. Combining personal stories with Indigenous history and culture, each episode gives you an intimate look into their musical creation process.

From Wolfwalker Productions and Wabung Anung Films, AMPLIFY is made up of 13 – 22 minute episodes and following the premiere, a new episode will air each week in English and separately in Ojibway. 

Featuring:

The premise of the anthology series is to invite an Indigenous songwriter to find a piece of inspiration (whether it be a book, art piece, belief, etc.) and write a song about it. Each episode is a platform for Indigenous songwriters and Indigenous knowledge keepers to share ideas about a specific topic close to them and create music out of it.

Each episode ends with a music video of the song that was created based on the theme in the episode.

The series is produced by Michelle St. John (Colonization Road) and Shane Belcourt (Red Rover) from Wolfwalker Productions and Jeremy Edwardes (Kaha:wi – the Cycle of Life) from Wabung Anung Film Co. AMPLIFY is created by Shane Belcourt and the executive producers are Jim Compton and R. Todd Ivey.

Afro Van Connect presents the Black Market and Gallery, featuring artists, musicians, designers and Black-owned businesses who will sell their work and connect with their community.

Afro Van Connect presents the Black Market and Gallery

Where: 44 Water Street, Gastown, Vancouver
Admission: $5 or by donation (RSVP on Facebook here)
When: Thursday August 20 and Thursday August 27, 1:00pm to 6:00pm; Sunday, August 23 and Sunday, August 30 from 12:00pm to 5:00pm

This is a new space provides people of African Descent the opportunity to build tools that support ownership of their creations.

Afro Van Connect would like to emerge from COVID-19 isolation by offering intimate gatherings, events, and conversations that empower the community to mobilize during this activating time. The Black Market and Gallery will feature:

The mission of Afro Van Connect is to power the voices of African Descent Youth. They establish gatherings of young vibrant creative minds dedicated to innovating authentic solutions, to increase the visibility of the underrepresented diaspora communities. They offer people of African Descent creative platforms where shared opportunities and resources are designed to support liberating education and community sustainability.

Afro Van Connect recently hosted the Black Spaces Symposium Virtual in July. Follow on Facebook and Instagram for more info and upcoming events.