Metro Vancouver’s largest free outdoor lights display has returned for the festive season! While you’re at Coquitlam’s Lights at Lafarge, don’t miss out on all the amazing places to eat, shop or explore before or after your walk. Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit:
What is Coquitlam’s Lights at Lafarge All About?
Picture hundreds of thousands of lights and illuminated creations decorating the trees, ground and even the lake. It’s like a scene out of Alice in Wonderland, with enormous flowers, a lighted 27-metre framed caterpillar you can walk through, and even woodland creatures peering out of a quirky treehouse.
Did we mention the display is free to view? Follow the 1.2-km lakeside trail around Lafarge Lake to uncover plenty of surprises.
How Do I Get There?
Head to Lafarge Lake at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park. While there is some on-site parking, this is a popular event and it can get busy. Your best option is to hop off SkyTrain at Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain station, which drops you off right at the park. For your bus options, use TransLink’s Trip Planner.
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Take a Hike Foundation is a full-time alternate education program that supports vulnerable youth in grades 10-12 to overcome barriers to achieving success in school and in their lives. They use the outdoors and adventure to engage students in school, community, and mental health supports. Their goal is to help students build the skills and resilience they need not just to graduate, but to navigate life as they become young adults.
An estimated 19,000 youth in BC in grades 10 to 12 experience one or more mental illnesses at any given time.
- Only 1/3 of these youth will receive the specialised treatments they need.
- 40% will experience concurrent substance use issues.
- 16% will fail to graduate high school.
These are the vulnerable youth who are at risk of falling through the cracks of the mainstream school system.
About Take a Hike Foundation
Take a Hike partners with public school districts to engage vulnerable youth in a full-time mental health and physical and emotional well-being program embedded in an alternate education classroom. Take a Hike Foundation engages youth in intensive and continuous clinical counselling, adventure, and community, Public School Districts engage youth in high quality education, and together they empower vulnerable youth to change the trajectory of their lives.
Make a donation online this #GivingTuesday December 3rd and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more info.
Imagine you had a winter bucket list, filled with activities, adventures, and delicious eats, along with a budget that won’t break the bank. What if I told you I can serve that up to you right now thanks to my first-hand experience while on assignment with SnowSeekers last winter? It’s as easy as following these simple steps and planning your visit to Harper Mountain, located just 30 minutes from Kamloops.
Fuel Up in Kamloops
Arrive in Kamloops by plane or car, and fuel your body up for a day of Harper Mountain adventures at Hello Toast (428 Victoria St, Kamloops). Omelettes, scrambles, bennies, French toast, hot cereals and more. Kamloops is a great basecamp for winter fun in BC, with awesome eats, craft beer, and so many opportunities to explore the outdoors.
Harper Mountain, A Family Hill
Harper Mountain is owned and operated by the same family since 1973, and chances are you’ll meet many of them during your visit – in the rental shop, on the slopes, or having lunch in the lodge. Speaking of family, half day lift passes for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 juniors) is less than $130!
Downhill, Snowshoe, Tubing
There’s 400 acres of terrain and a 1,400 vertical feet in elevation to explore and savour some epic views of the region below. You can start with a lesson (that includes your lift ticket and rentals for the day) or head right up in the lift or handle tow to ski or snowboard. There are 16 named runs, consisting of 25% beginner, 50% intermediate, and 25% advanced. Even on a blue sky day in January, I never once waiting in line at the lift.
The lift-assisted tube park is an experience of its own! Slide all day or get a night tubing pass this season. Grab and go lunch at the lodge and warm up by the fire pit between slides.
The snowshoe trails range from a 870m loop to 3km. I took the Powder Highway trail from near the tubing park up to Chase On to get some photos at sunset from about 1,300m. The cross country trail (on my list for next time) is a 3km loop through a forested area as well, without the 100m-200m elevation gain.
Après in the Lodge
Warm up by the fire, perhaps with a cup of cider or mulled wine. If you need a snack, I recommend the poutine (the large is LARGE) or the chicken caesar salad. Up for night skiing? Head out under the lights on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
When You Go
Visiting before Christmas? Catch the CP Holiday Train as it rolls into Kamloops on December 15, 2019. It’s a dazzling light display like no other – on a train that’s been traveling across the continent – paired with a FREE concert with Terri Clark, all in support of local food banks. This event and more can be found on the Kamloops event calendar.
My Facebook memories are telling me that ten years ago, I was traveling to Switzerland ahead of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. I visit the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, which featured a totem pole, branded banners, and a preview of what would become #Van2010. Just a few months later, the City welcomed the world and really, I had the time of my life (especially writing 120 blog posts in 2 weeks, which forever changed my career).
A decade later, while I’m not sitting on a train through the Swiss Alps to get a preview of what my city will be doing in the coming months. I have the chance to perhaps be more engaged than ever in Vancouver’s future — and, so do you.
On November 14th the City launched the process of Planning Vancouver Together. If you live, work, or play in Vancouver, the City is asking you to share your voice to help develop a new Vancouver Plan.
The Vancouver Plan: Have Your Say
Share your Vancouver story through a 3-5 minute online survey. This is your chance to be heard, and to help shape the city’s future. This will be an engaging process with Vancouverites to develop a long-term, strategic vision and actionable Vancouver Plan.
- What inspires you or brings you joy in Vancouver?
- What keeps you up at night?
- What should the City think about as they begin this process?
The goal over the next 2.5 years will be to create a shared roadmap. This roadmap will identify priorities, key strategies related to climate change, growth, transportation, the economy, social and cultural systems along with funding and partnership strategies, where the City needs to build infrastructure, and what needs to change to get us all there.
Everyone is invited to complete this survey, so please share it far and wide with all fellow Vancouverites. I don’t know what #Van2020 and beyond will look like, but it begins by us all having the opportunity to have our voices heard.
