British Columbia Canada Blog

Spring Break is in full swing and am sure you are ready to get out with your kids and have some spring family fun. Spring Break Sno Jam is being held at Mt. Washington, British Columbia from March 8th 2010 till March 13th 2010. You can look forward to:

Dairyland Crazy Cards tomorrow (March 11th 2010) - Kids can play poker-style scavenger hunt between the Alpine Lodge and the Hawk Chair.

This is a Poker-style scavenger hunt in the Green Zone!  There will be 4 stations to visit.

1) Guest Services

2) The Ozone

3) Bottom of Platter Lift

4) Top of Green Face

You get a card at “registration” at Guest Services at 12pm.  Complete the task at each of the other stations – receiving a playing card at each – and bring them all back to Guest Services at 3pm, where you will perform one last task to get your last card.  Then play your poker hand to win a prize!

Timeline:

11:30 am – tent and table to back of Guest Service Ticket Kiosk

12pm – Scavenger Hunt starts at Guest Services

3pm – meet back at Guest Services with your 4 cards to complete the last task and get your 5 card “poker hand” which you will play for prizing.
 

Old Dutch Mini Olympics on Saturday, March 13th 2010 - You can participate in your very own Winter 2010 Mini-Olympic games  at Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

Take part in this Olympic-style obstacle course to bring home the “gold,” and some delicious potato chips from Old Dutch! This one is open to all, Kids and Kids at heart! The obstacle course will be on the Elk run, behind Mtn Tek, from 11am - 3pm.  Come join in the fun!

So, pack your bags and head to Mt. Washington!

WRA Wildlife Rescue Association of BC is hosting free Earth Fest family nature festival on Sunday, April 25^th 2010 at the Burnaby Lake Pavilion in Burnaby, BC located on 6871 Roberts St, from 11am to 3pm. This is Wildlife Rescue Association of BC’s 2nd annual free, fun-filled nature event where families can come and enjoy without worrying about admission fee. The Earth Festival 2010 will offer unique opportunities to people of all ages to have fun while learning about the local environment.

You can really look forward to: - chickadee and mason bee nest boxes to make and take home - local stewardship booths- snacks and refreshments- invasive plant removal ideas- exciting wildlife-themed games and crafts- community group exhibits - nature tours (with scavenger hunts!) - Mukutano drumming and singing group performers/ live music by local artists- raffle draws and much moreSo, connect with nature during Earth Festival 2010 in Burnaby! For more information, visit: Wild Life Rescue Association Events

LifeSciences, British Columbia supports and represents the biopharmaceutical, medical device, bioproducts & bioenergy, and greater life sciences community of British Columbia through leadership, advocacy and promotion of our world-class science and industry. This year they are hosting their annual Salmon BBQ on: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 from 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM (PST) at  Cecil Green Park House located:

6251 Cecil Green Park Road
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia

Held each June at the scenic Cecil Green House, LifeSciences British Columbia’s Annual Salmon Barbeque offers members of  life sciences community the chance to come out and enjoy a great meal in the company of peers in a breathtaking setting - and without the formality of a sit-down banquet. The tickets are priced at $65-$130/person.

For more information, visit: 14th Annual Lifesciences British Columbia Salmon BBQ

To know more about what’s happening in British Columbia, subscribe to British Columbia Tours.

Recently the Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia awarded five BC Tourism businesses ‘ Authentic Aboriginal’ title and St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino is one of them. The authenticity program recognizes the most culturally authentic, accurate and respectful representations of First Nations peoples and cultures in British Columbia’s tourism industry. The first tourism operators to qualify for the new Cultural Authenticity program are:

1. Haida Heritage Centre at Kaay Llnagaay, Skidegate

2. Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre, Osoyoos

3. St. Eugene Golf Resort Casino, Cranbrook

4. ’Ksan Historical Village and Museum, Hazelton

5. Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, Whistler

Certified culturally authentic operators can display the authenticity logo on their marketing materials to help visitors easily identify them. The logo is an eagle feather and human eye motif accompanied by the words “Authentic Aboriginal.” The eagle feather symbolizes the pinnacle of achievement, the eye represents vision towards the future, and together, the logo represents how nature and people come together in the aboriginal tourism industry.

For more information about BC Tourism, visit: BC Travel Guide or learn about our travels at British Coulmbia Tours
 

Do you know that the German and Swedish teams that trained at Silver Star Ski resort in British Columbia won 12 medals during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics? Many Olympic teams in the hopes of getting the same results are using the Okanagan  again to do their final pre-Games tune-ups on local cross-country ski trails.

Some of the participating athletes are from the nordic event teams of Norway, the Czech Republic, Russia and Switzerland. In all, eight Olympic teams totalling 100 competitors are training locally, injecting money into the economy and Olympic buzz into the region. One of the most popular venues is the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre in the North Okanagan. The Norwegian biathlon team has been training there and at nearby Silver Star Mountain Resort for the past two weeks.

The region has been a popular training ground for nordic competitors for years. Most teams are staying at Silver Star for 10 to 16 days, resulting in $125,000 in total revenue for the resort. So, next time you ski in BC consider yourself lucky because you might be using the same trails which helped train Olympic athletes.

Other Vancouver 2010 Posts:

Transportation During Olympics 2010

Opening Ceremony Olympics 2010

Meet Vancouver Olympics 2010 Athletes

Tod Mountain Ranch located in Heffley Creek (near Kamloops), BC could be your next getaway especially because now they have reduced their prices for Spring 2010. Have a great horse back riding experience during your next BC vacation.

Tod Mountain Ranch is offering reduced rates on all dates in May & June. These savings represent around 15% off our usual summer rates. Check out their latest reduced summer rates at Tod Mountain Ranch Website.

Another exciting news is that they are offering Free transfers to the guests from Kamloops airport/ Bus station/ Downtown Hotel.  Also, they are advising guests about saving money on their vacation by keeping an eye on taxes. Here’s how:

The BC Government recently announced some tax changes which will affect travellers to BC after 1st July 2010. The current tax rate for ranch stays is 6.2% and this will increase to 12% for all bookings from 1st July. However, if you have already booked, or were planning your ranch vacation after 1st July, there is an opportunity to avoid this increase. Simply book and pay in full prior to 1st May 2010 and you will only be charged the current tax rate of 6.2%.

Are you excited about New year 2010? Have you made any Travel Plans/ Weekend Getaways yet? Well, we already have a few shows on our list that we want to attend in 2010 and one of them is Fraser Valley Women Show  in Chilliwack, British Columbia which is being held from March 5-7th at Heritage Park. We have a feeling that it’s going to be a blast.

Check out some of the highlights of the show:

-Salon Stage, Free Hair Cuts & Makeovers
-Ask Vancouver’s very own certified Image & Style Guru Giovanni about his expert advice
-Photography for glamour, business and fun
-Shop from on onsite boutiques
-Women in Business Conference with guest Arlene Dickinson (CBC’s Dragons Den) Great Networking, Education, Inspiration and Empowerment Opportunity
-Don’t miss Singer/Songwriter Joe Taylor: “soulful and timeless, classic rock at it’s finest”
-Jewellery on sale
-Shop for unique gifts, quality jewellery, clothing, handbags and 1000’s of accessories from over 200 exhibitors
-Fashion Shows daily featuring the NEW spring fashions, hot new resort and swimwear
-Home & Interior Decorating “How To” Seminars, discover the new 2010 New Trends and Great New Colors
- Get Free Samples,  great door prizes and even a pre-show online contest

Doesn’t that sound fun? For more information, visit: Fraser Valley Women Show

Related Links:

Plan your next Girls Getaway with BC Travel Guide and British Columbia Tours.

 One of the greatest marketing strategies for BC tourism businesses to promote their business is to connect with BC travel Guide and let tourists know that you are out there. However, if you are looking for more ways to promote your BC business or if you are an outdoor adventure enthusiast then don’t miss Vancouver Island’s Outdoor Adventure Expo 2010 which is going to be one of BC’s largest trade show on Vancouver Island (in Victoria) dedicated to people who live life to the fullest, are passionate and love the thrill of an adventure.

The show will take place in Victoria at Pearkes Recreation Centre 3100 Tillicum Road Victoria, BC V9A 6T2

As per organizers:

This Victoria, BC trade show is a great way to expose you to a highly motivated and targeted audience in a cost effective way. From the show you can gain; personal interactions, relationship building, product/service sales, sampling and lead generation.  

2010 show dates

Friday, April 9
12pm – 9pm

Saturday, April 10
10am – 6pm

Sunday, April 11
10am – 5pm

For more information about the show, contact IFM events

Silver Star and Big White Ski resorts are a great place to spend holidays with family and friends. They have accommodations ranging from hotel rooms to big chalets which can accommodate everyone’s needs and budgets.

 Also, gift cards for these resorts can be a wonderful holiday gift. Cliff Chair opened at Big White this year on Dec 21st and Falcon Chair is scheduled for Dec 23rd.  The grooming crew have been spreading some Christmas cheer opening the Snowcross course in TELUS Park as they continue to work on other features.

Up at Silver Star the 3 gladed runs on Silver Woods are now open bringing the total run count to 100. For those that just can’t get enough, night Skiing is in full swing at both mountains. At Silver Star night skiing operates every Friday and Saturday evening (except Dec 25th) from 3:30pm – 8:30pm on the Summit and Silver Queen. At Big White night skiing runs straight through until 8:00pm on the Bullet, Plaza Chairs and from 5:00pm to 8:00pm in TELUS Park every night over Christmas (except Christmas Eve and New Years Eve).

Christmas celebrations at Big White will include: Family Photos with Santa, an indoor Church service at the Village Centre Mall, Christmas carolling, the torchlight parade followed by a fireworks show with hot chestnuts roasting on an open fire and hot chocolate. Elves permitting, even Santa Claus himself will be there. This is a must attend event and it is all free. Photos will take place all day and the festivities kick off with the church service at 4:30 pm.

Christmas Eve at Silver Star is always a night to remember. The first delight is the Torchlight Parade and the spectacular Fireworks display getting underway shortly after 4pm. As the last sparkle dims in the evening sky, Santa will lead the kids to the NATC for Santa’s Gift Giving and Photos.

Plan your holiday trip today with BC travel Guide.

New ski season is almost here which means we know you are considering buying new ski and snowboarding equipment. Well, Ski & Sport Swap might be able to help. Whether you need some new gear or just want to get rid of those old skis and boots or any other sports gear taking up room in your garage, Big White ski swap can help? The Big White Racers are hosting their Annual Ski and Sport Swap on November 6th and 7th at New Life Church on Harvey. Check out the schedule below:

Nov.6th 2009: Consignments 10:00 am to 8:00 pm

Nov.7th 2009: Sale 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

Nov.7th 2009: Pay out and pick up 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Wishing you happy skiing.

To plan your this year’s Ski trip, visit: BC Travel Guide