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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Published in partnership with ZenSeekers. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
Abandoned for centuries, surveyed in 1984, and now open for exclusive tours with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, the ancient capital village site of Kiixin is a remarkable place to behold. Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island near Bamfield, and archeologically mapped in 1984, this national historic site holds millennia of history under a mossy canopy just steps from the ocean.
How To Explore an Ancient Village with Kiixin Tours
Getting here: Follow the Alberni Inlet south on Bamfield Road from Port Alberni to Bamfield for 87km. Terrain: The hike is about 2km each way, starting at a trailhead in a parking lot, heading down into the forest, over boardwalks, and then down a steep embankment to the beach.
This was another amazing adventure I experienced with ZenSeekers. Kiixin is the only known site on the southern coast of British Columbia that contains the undisturbed, standing remains of traditional longhouses of a First Nations’ village.
You can only access the site with a guide from the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, and Kiixin Tours is you all-in-one resource.
I made Port Alberni my home base and traveled to Bamfield for the day to meet up with Stella from Kiixin Tours. Through forest trails and traversing the beaches at low-tide, the hike to the site was already impressive, but once I arrived I was blown away by the standing archeological remains that contained so much history.
Contact the Kiixin Tours office (250-735-3432 or e-mail [email protected]) for directions and to meet up with your guide. Tours run May 19, 2018 to September 28, 2018.
Search #ExplorePortAlberni for more inspiration. Be sure to tag #ExplorePortAlberni while exploring the region as you could be featured on our social media channels!
For 12 years it’s been one of the top free things to do in Vancouver throughout the summer, and Sunday Afternoon Salsa at Robson Square has just released their schedule for 2018.
Sunday Afternoon Salsa at Robson Square
Where: Robson Square rink (dance floor) 800 Robson St, Vancouver When: July 8 to August 26, 2018 drop-in 3:00pm to 9:30pm Admission: FREE to all skill levels
This free community salsa dance event is organized by Jennifer and Stephen Dancey of the Dancey Ballroom and SalsaVancouver.net. The dances happen every Sunday in the summer months of July and August and are run by a team of volunteers from Vancouver’s salsa dance community.
Sunday Afternoon Salsa events start with a free beginner salsa dance lesson at 3:00pm for anyone who has ever wanted to learn how to dance salsa, even those who claim they have two left feet. The lesson lasts for half an hour and is taught by some of Vancouver’s best salsa instructors. Social dancing is then on until 5:00pm.
At 5:00pm there is a dance show featuring performances by some of Vancouver’s more talented dancers.
Stick around for the after party at 7:00pm featuring a different style of music each week (Hustle, West Coast Swing, Kizomba). The after party starts with a free dance lesson at 7:00pm to 7:30pm, followed by dancing until 9:30pm.
Summer in Vancouver means a trip to the PNE with the family and no experience is complete without checking out the amazing entertainment lineup that the fair offers each year. This summer is no exception with a roster of exciting concerts announced this week.
PNE Summer Concerts
The Summer Night Concerts, free with your Fair admission, will run nightly at 8:30pm in the PNE Amphitheatre.
Saturday, August 18 @ 8:30pm Boyz II Men
Sunday, August 19 @ 8:30pm Air Supply
Tuesday, August 21 @ 8:30pm Dean Brody
Wednesday, August 22 @ 8:30pm Goo Goo Dolls
Thursday, August 23 @ 8:30pm I Love the 90s Tour
with Salt-N-Pepa, Color Me Badd & More
Friday, August 24 @ 8:30pm Wilson Philips
Saturday, August 25 @ 8:30pm Marianas Trench
Sunday, August 26 @ 8:30pm Lost 80s Live
with A Flock of Seagulls, Men Without Hats & More
Tuesday, August 28 @ 8:30pm 112 Featuring Slim
Wednesday, August 29 @ 8:30pm Kool & the Gang
Thursday, August 30 @ 8:30pm Jann Arden
Friday, August 31 @ 8:30pm Burton Cummings & Band
Saturday, September 1 @ 8:30pm Chicago
Sunday, September 2 @ 8:30pm Village People
Monday, September 3 @ 8:30pm Cyndi Lauper
Seating & Reserved Tickets
New this year — Free with admission tickets will be available both onsite (at no cost), and online (with small service fee), on show days beginning at 11:00am. These will be general admission tickets which do not guarantee a seat in the venue. Max 2 per person.
Reserved seats start at $25 and will be available starting May 25, 2018 at 10:00am.
New Entertainment and Attractions
Free with admission:
Knights of Valour
Pacific Coliseum, Daily, 1:00pm, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
POPnology
Rollerland Building, Daily, 11:00am to 11:00pm
Action Sports World Tour
Pacific Coliseum, Daily, 4:30, 8:00pm
Street of Dreams
Miller Drive, Open Daily, 11:00am to 11:00pm
Silver Starlets
Festival Park, Daily, 12:30pm, 3:00pm, 5:30pm
NOVA: The Emergence of Light
Festival Park, Nightly, 10:15pm
Lost World of Dragons
Garden Auditorium, Open Daily, 11:00am to 10:00pm
ARCY LIVE! – Live Event Mural
Festival Park, Daily, 11:00am – 6:00pm
The 2018 Fair will run from Saturday August 18, until Monday September 3, 2018, and will be closed on Monday, August 20th and Monday, August 27th. Open 11:00am until late (weather permitting). Follow the Fair at the PNE on Facebook and Twitter.
The Only Animal and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity present World Premiere of SLIME – which tunes into the impact of humans on the ‘great animal orchestra’ – the biophony – in which we are immersed, and from which we have become dangerously disconnected by our infatuation with the sound of our own voices.
Commissioned by the Banff Centre, and penned by Bryony Lavery, the acclaimed British playwright of Tony-nominated, Frozen, SLIME is set just slightly in the future, at a climate-change conference where animals are at the table. The cast includes 100 animals, seven young animal translators, scientists and suits, and you, the audience.
Theatrical World Premiere of SLIME
When: June 15 to June 24, 2018
Tuesday to Sunday evenings at 8:00pm; Sunday matinées June 17 & 24 at 2:00pm Where: Russian Hall (600 Campbell Ave, Vancouver) Tickets:Available online now for $22/$25 plus service charges.
Seated amongst the animal delegates, you might hear an otter swimming down an aisle, a dolphin whistling at your elbow or a sea bird speaking over your shoulder: animals too have something to say.
We come together to face an absolute threat to life on earth — an insatiable creature taking over seas called SLIME. Like other forces in our 21st century lives, facebookslime or googleslime, SLIME moves with viral force, gobbling up all available resources. Humans enabled it, but nothing can stop it. This conference is the last hope for salvation for all life forms. Except SLIME.
Performed by: Lisa Baran, Pedro Chamale, Teo Saefkow, Anais West, Eddy Van Wyk, Sophia Wolfe, and Mason Temple
Win Tickets to the Theatrical World Premiere of SLIME
I have a pair of tickets to give away to opening night on June 15th, here’s how you can enter to win:
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I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2018.
Imagine there was a search engine tool specifically for hikes. Maybe you’d select “waterfall”, or perhaps “beach front”. More criteria might be “old growth forests”, “viewpoint”, or even a unique feature like “suspension bridge”. If you were searching in the Port Alberni Valley, you’d be checking every box and getting all of the results I got to experience recently on my adventure with ZenSeekers.
Hikes Near Port Alberni
The night before my day of hiking, the ZenSeekers crew met up with a team of locals at at Twin City Brewing, including our guide for the morning, Sandy McRuer. When it was announced that he’d be taking us to Gracie’s Lookout just after sunrise, smiles lit up the room – we were in for a treat.
1. Gracie’s Lookout
Distance from Port Alberni town centre: 32km
Hiking distance from parking: 10-15 minutes, gradually uphill.
Details: Park in a pullout on the side of the road where you’ll see a wide trailhead on the east side of Mount Anderson that almost looks like an overgrown driveway. You’ll come to a clearing where the path levels off and to the north is a rocky plateau that will reveal a panoramic view of Sproat Lake and the entire Alberni Valley.
2. Nahmint Lake Recreation Area
Distance from Port Alberni town centre: 37.6km
Hiking distance: 500m to explore the campground and beach area
Details: Located across the Alberni inlet from Port Alberni, it features waterfalls, old growth trees, and a pristine mountain lake. This is a provincial park campground so there are facilities including walk-in and drive-in camping. Follow a trail along the creek to get to the waterfalls, about 250m from the lakefront.
3. Fossli Provincial Park
Distance from Port Alberni town centre: 16.6km
Hiking distance: 2.5km
Details: The first stretch is a gravel path down to the suspension bridge. Over the bridge you’ll come down to creek-level with a flat grove of old growth maples forming a lush green archway. The marked trail leads to a picnic area along the Stirling Arm of the south side of Sproat Lake. The whole distance is about a 2.5km, with an elevation loss/gain of about 60m if you do a loop.
Search #ExplorePortAlberni for more inspiration. Be sure to tag #ExplorePortAlberni while exploring the region as you could be featured on our social media channels!
The Only Animal and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity present World Premiere of 
