What could be better than a warm, sunny, Friday night on the coast celebrating our nation’s 149th birthday watching a dazzling fireworks display with friends and family? This Canada Day, you can enjoy many free activities around the region including these fireworks events:
Canada Day Fireworks
Surrey Canada Day takes place at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre, 176 Street and 64th Avenue in Cloverdale. The event opens at 10:00am with the fireworks show slated to close the day at 10:15pm. Free fun for all throughout the day.
New Westminster’s Canada Day at River Market along the banks of the Fraser will have activities starting at 12:00pm and fireworks at 10:00pm.
Burnaby’s celebration will be at Swangard Stadium, kicking off around 5:00pm with free family activities followed by concerts (The Trews and more) at 6:30pm. A fireworks show will take place at dusk.
White Rock will host Canada Day by the Bay with activities and concerts at both East Beach and West Beach starting at 10:00am. The Canada Day fireworks display will be at 10:15pm at West Beach.
There will be two simultaneous fireworks shows visible on the north shore; one off the shores of West Vancouver and one in the waterway between Canada Place and North Vancouver. The fireworks display can be seen from multiple locations along the Burrard Inlet including; West Vancouver (Ambleside and Dundarave), North Vancouver (waterfront area), Coal Harbour and Stanley Park. The pyro-musical show broadcast on Rock 101 FM.
Catch a Vancouver Canadians baseball game and stay for the Canada Day Fireworks Extravaganza.
In Downtown Vancouver, Canada Day at Canada Place will start with a parade at 7:00pm followed by the fireworks show at 10:30pm in Burrard Inlet.
This summer, you can enter to win some great local park prizes when you share your photos from a Metro Vancouver Regional Park online. To inspire your explorations, I will be sharing some of my favourite parks (with a few already listed here). Since school is out, the days are longer, and it’s officially beach weather, I’ve decided to profile a Metro Vancouver beach that doesn’t always get as much press as it deserves: Boundary Bay Regional Park and Centennial Beach.
Boundary Bay Regional Park and Centennial Beach
Boundary Bay has everything: Mountain views, sandy beaches, sea side hiking trails, picnic shelters, multi-use fields, playground, concession stand, views of birds in the Pacific Flyway migration route, and more.
The bike-friendly 12 Ave Dyke Trail is 2km long, and the tidal flats stretch out as far as the eye can see at low tide. Take a beachcombing walk to spot sand dollars, shells and crabs, while the whole family can enjoy wading in the waters. Catch a sunrise in the morning on the east-facing shore, watch aircraft take off from the Boundary Bay Airport, and soak up the views of Mount Baker.
The Centennial Beach Café provides concession services at the park throughout the summer, and facilities like Cammidge House, the multi-use field, picnic shelters, and beach picnic areas can be reserved. The beach has washrooms and change rooms, a playground and parking, along with electric vehicle charging stations. Due to the sensitive nature of the area hosting thousands of migratory birds, dogs are required to stay on-leash.
To get there from Vancouver, you can take the Canada Line to Bridgeport and hop on 601 South Delta bus. Disembark at 56th and 12th in South Delta and then you can either walk east on 12th to the top end of the seaside trail (15 mins), or take a community shuttle C89 bus from that intersection to get closer to the southern entrance to the park.
Visit during the week to avoid crowds and take some pics to share with the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Photo Contest this summer.
There are some pretty silly laws in Canada, like how you can decide an election in Alberta by drawing a name from a hat, snowmen taller than 30 inches are illegal in Souris, PEI, and it’s illegal to waterski after sunset anywhere in the nation. Some of our oldest and kookiest laws are all about alcohol, with the prohibition-era dust collecting on many antiquated statutes.
In recent years, many of these have been reviewed and revised, leading (thank goodness) to a craft beer and craft distillery boom. In Alberta for example, the Minimum Brewery Production Law was removed in 2013, 80 years after the end of prohibition in the United States. This allowed small batch, craft breweries to start production, removing the previous minimum brewery capacity or 2,500 hectolitres or 2,100 barrels of beer that they would have had to produce before then.
Southern Alberta Craft Beer, Mead, and Spirits
From production restrictions and revenue taxation, things are looking up for producers in Alberta. With the prime prairie growing conditions for ingredients like hops, barley, wheat, and corn, you can not only eat farm-to-table, you can drink farm-to-glass. Here are a few places I discovered, within the last few months alone, that are taking advantage of the spirited sea change in Southern Alberta:
Hopped Mead is My New BFF
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“It costs us more to produce honey than to buy it, but our story kind of sucks without it,” Nathan Ryan told me as I toured the Ryan’s Honey, and now Fallentimber Meadery, headquarters in Water Valley. Back in 1969, Nathan’s father Blake started the family honey business and the Blake sons opened the doors to the meadery in the fall of 2010. They offer traditional sweet and dry meads, and varieties infused with cinnamon and Saskatoon berries. What drew me in was their craft beer style seasonal meads, with ginger, hops, or IPA-inspired.
They moved away from producing only wine-style meads and it’s paid off. I bought a bottle of the Hooped Mead and I finished the last drop when I was sitting on my sunny lakeside patio in Waterton the next day. Imagine a deliciously refreshing beer with a subtle honey sweetness, the tongue-pleasing taste of barely-bitter hops, and none of the bloat a barley beer gives you. The meadery grounds host events throughout the year, and the tasting room is filled with honey-themed decor along with beeswax products. It’s worth a visit from Calgary, about an hour and 15 minutes away at the top of the Cowboy Trail.
Calgary Craft That Cares
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Back in October, Village Brewery in Calgary warmed our hearts (and filled our taster glasses) when John and I stopped in to chat with Jim Button, one of the brewery’s partners. “We’re a movement that happens to sell beer,” Jim said while we stood in a hallway surrounded by fan art – actual art pieces given to the brewery by artists as a ‘thank you’ for their support or by those who just love their beer. “It’s not about giving back to the community. It’s about giving the community an outlet so that it can do something for itself.”
On that trip we sampled approachable brews like their Blonde and Wit, and other fanciful concoctions like the Farmer Cuke, made from a local farmer’s yield. They produce about 2 seasonals a year and 5 uniques a year on top of their regular lineup. There’s a chai winter porter, and a tripel in the summer made with blueberries, blackberries, and Saskatoon berries. The events they support, through brewing unique beers to be sold at the event, have raised tens of thousands of dollars. They brew for Calgary and to support Calgarians. They’re a business as noble as the finest Bohemian Pilsner.
Distilling on the Cowboy Trail
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When you pop a bottle of Prickly Pear Equinox, the aroma will be so fruity, juicy and luscious you’ll want to splash some on your fingers and dab it behind your ears — it’s that dreamy. While I don’t recommend dousing yourself in alcohol, you’ll want to stop in to sample, tour, and shop Eau Claire Distillery in Turney Valley. Eau Claire produces three types of gin (Christmas, Rummy, and Parlour) made with all natural botanicals, the vodka is made with local grains, and the single malt whisky (coming soon) is made with Alberta rye.
While you’re there, be sure to check out some of the antiques that adorn the walls and shelves, they’re all salvaged from the original building next door that used to be a movie house. I didn’t do a tasting during my visit but I did pick up a bottle of their Porter’s Tonic Cardamom Orange Syrup. I added it to some bourbon at home and it spiced up my Old Fashioned with a effervescent citrus twist.
If you’d like to bring me back a bottle or two after your visit to these recommended tasting rooms, luckily you can now transport liquor across provincial borders in Canada, a practice that was illegal from 1928 until 2015.
To plan your day trip from Calgary, check out visiting Travel Alberta’s website and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Take a trip back in time to our local 1827 Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post at Fort Langley this summer. Watch live demonstrations throughout the day, stop for coffee or lunch at lelem’ at the fort café, pan for gold, visit the bunnies and goats, and be immersed in the heritage of this national historic site.
Summer at Fort Langley
Daily from July 2nd until September 5th, join in these activities:
- 10:30am Introductory Tour – Join a short tour providing a synopsis of Fort Langley’s story.
- 11:00am Blacksmith and Cooper – Watch sparks fly as our blacksmith bends steel, then watch as the cooper shapes barrel staves.
- 12:30pm Feature Interpretive Program – Join in the excitement of an interactive presentation highlighting the stories of Fort Langley’s original inhabitants: the boat builders, fur traders, farmers and families.
- 1:00pm Introductory Tour – Join a short tour providing a synopsis of Fort Langley’s story.
- 1:30pm Blacksmith and Cooper – Watch sparks fly as our blacksmith bends steel, then watch as the cooper shapes barrel staves.
- 2:00pm Historic Guns – What guns were used during the fur trade, and when were they used? Get all the answers at this demonstration. (Musket firing is weather dependent).
- 2:30pm BB Musket Target Practice – It’s your turn: fire a bb-style musket and take home your souvenir target. Ten shots for $3.90.
- 3:00pm Blacksmith and Cooper – Watch sparks fly as our blacksmith bends steel, then watch as the cooper shapes barrel staves.
- 3:30pm Historic Gun Cleaning – Meet a costumed interpreter while they care for the historic weapons.
- 4:00pm Farm and Garden Walk – Discover the types of plants Fort Langley has growing in the heritage garden and visit the farm animals. Learn about the history of the Hudson’s Bay Company farm.
- 4:30pm Flag Lowering – Witness the lowering of the flag with a song.
Summer Camp at Fort Langley
Camp Voyageurs runs July 18 to July 22 and again August 8 to August 12, 2016, and gives youth the opportunity to experience what life was like living as a legendary Voyageur. They will learn skills to survive in the wild, participate in crafts, music and activities related to the French, Metis and First Nations cultures of the fur trade, and enjoy traditional bannock as a tasty treat.
Trades Camp runs from July 11 to July 15, 2016 and again from August 15 to August 19, 2016 and youth will have a hands-on experience with what life was like in a Hudson’s Bay Company fort in the 1800s. They will dress up as a Royal Engineer, fire an airsoft musket, learn how blacksmiths make tools, take part in making a barrel, and pan for gold.
Parents can register their children today online. The camps are open to ages 6 to 12 and cost $166 per child/per week or $146.50 with an annual pass. For more information, call 604-513-4777.
Canada Day at Fort Langley National Historic Site
On July 1, Fort Langley will celebrate Canada’s 149th Birthday at the site where British Columbia was born. Visitors can enjoy multicultural music, cake and a ceremony at noon, and family activities.
Follow Fort Langley National Historic Site on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Under colourful flags and strings of lanterns swaying in the warm summer air at twilight, fried fare, exotic delicacies, and cheap merchandise can be found at a number of local night markets. They’re as famous for their unique foods-on-sticks and entertainment as they are for their lively ambiance and people watching. Here is a list of Vancouver area night markets that you can look forward to this season:
International Summer Night Market Richmond
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Location: 12631 Vulcan Way, Richmond (behind Home Depot)
Dates/Hours: April 29 to September 11, 2016
Fridays and Saturdays 7:00pm to 12:00am; Sundays 7:00pm to 11:00pm
Admission & Details: Free admission. Market-goers can expect to taste dishes from around the globe with the multitude of food and beverage booths on display, as well as shop for unique knick knacks, exclusive local merchandise, and enjoy diverse entertainment every night.
Richmond Night Market
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Location: 8351 River Road, Richmond
Dates/Hours: May 12 to October 10, 2016
Fridays and Saturdays 7:00pm to 12:00am; Sundays & Holidays 7:00pm to 11:00pm
Admission & Details: $3.25, free for children 10 and under, free for seniors 60+. $20 Zoom Passes are available for up to 7 visits. The biggest night market in North America will be delivering big family fun with a dinosaur theme this year. The international food fair has over a hundred vendors with over five hundred food items from all over the world. Enjoy the new Magical Dino Park, live entertainment and more.
Shipyards Night Market North Vancouver
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Location: Shipbuilders’ Square, Wallace Mews Rd, North Vancouver
Dates/Hours: May 6 to September 30, 2016
Fridays from 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Admission & Details: Free admission. Fresh food, locally made products, musicians, art and entertainment. On the Shipbuilders’ Stage there is live music until 10:00pm, showcasing talent from all over BC. You will find 100+ vendors selling fresh food, locally made products, a beer garden serving local craft beer and cider as well as Betty’s Vodka Iced Tea. You must me 19+ to enter the beer garden.
Surrey Night Market
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Location: Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds, 17726 62 Ave, Surrey
Dates/Hours: June 3 to August 14, 2016
Fridays and Saturdays 6:00pm to 11:00pm, Sundays 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Admission & Details: $2.00 for adults, $1 for children ages 3-10. Sample a wide variety of foods, services and goods, and enjoy performances by local entertainers, rides for kids, door prizes, free parking in designated areas.
All admission prices are as listed at time of publishing. All are subject to change.
