British Columbia Canada Blog

Apart from the Olympic Games, there will still be plenty going on in Whistler Blackcomb. Here’s a brief rundown of the events you can attend in Whistler this year.

March 1st – 8th 2010 Winter Pride 2010

March 1-8 are the official dates for GayWhistlers WinterPRIDE celebrating its 18th anniversary. This is going to be one anniversary party you will not want to miss come and experience Whistler just after the Olympics and take in the excitement of being on the world stage.

For more information, check out: Gay Whistler

March 13th – 21th 2010 Winter Paralympic Games

From March 12-21, 2010 Whistler plays host to some very talented and extraordinary athletes at the Paralympic Games. Come cheer on your favorite athlete as they go for Gold. The Paralympics are known to be more intimate than the Olympics and just as exciting!

April 9th – 11th 2010 The Whistler Cup

THE WHISTLER CUP is an international ski event organized by the Whistler Ski Club . Having completed its  17^th year, Whistler Cup has grown to become the largest and most important ski race in North America, and internationally, for athletes aged 11 – 14 years. It is held under the auspice of FIS, the international governing body for alpine skiing. With over 390 young athletes from 20 countries, Whistler Cup brings together children from many different cultures, from around the world.

April 16th-25th 2010: Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival 2010

Related Links:

Whistler City Guide

Top Whistler Pubs

Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival

Drive to Whistler, British Columbia

Springtime in British Columbia is beautiful and we welcome it with open arms. To celebrate Spring in Victoria, British Columbia, Spinnakers Gastrobrewpub and Guesthouse (located on 308 Catherine St., Victoria, BC) invites craft beer lovers to share a day of extraordinary cask conditioned beers in its third Cask Festival, to be held on Saturday, March 20, 2010. 

The guests will be able to sample at least 20 different one-of-a-kind cask-conditioned beers made by brewers from Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Washington and Oregon at this event.

Place: Spinnakers Gastrobrewpub

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010

Time: 11:30am - 5pm

Price: $35/person and  $30 for CAMRA members*
*Get a $5 discount on admission by joining the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) at their website and click on “join”
Ticket price includes souvenir glass and first 3 drink tickets (drink tickets $1 afterwards)

For Ticket info. call: 250- 384-2739

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

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
 

Holiday Inn is one of my favourite hotels to stay while traveling across North America and am happy that Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) have finally opened one in Surrey, British Columbia. This brand new 76 room property will be a convenient stop for tourists and visitors in the area.  Situated in the heart of Surrey, the newly built 49,000 sq. ft. hotel is accessible to Vancouver by highway and is close to the USA border, Vancouver International Airport, Abbotsford International Airport, Ferry Terminals and the Trans Canada Highway.  The property is within walking distance of shops, restaurants, Fraser Downs Race Track & Casino and is just minutes from several businesses including Surrey School Board, Telus and International Paper Industries. Tourist attractions such as Downtown Vancouver, Historical Fort Langley and several golf courses are also a short drive from the hotel.
 
Some of the features of Holiday Inn, Surrey include:

-Best-4-Breakfast menu, featuring signature items such as Cinnamon Supreme French Toast™ and Skillet Inspirations™.

  -Kids 12 and younger eat free at Holiday Inn when ordering from the kids’ menu in the hotel restaurant and accompanied by a dining adult.

-Room Service

- Standard Guest rooms with double queen or king-sized beds

- Deluxe suites with a mini kitchenette, a sitting area with a sofa bed and lounge chair, cable television, hairdryer, coffee maker, iron and ironing board. 

- Guestrooms with a work desk and ergonomic chair, data ports and in-room check-out capabilities. 

-Complimentary high speed Internet access and free wireless is also available. 

- An On-site fitness centre, indoor swimming pool and restaurant.
 
 The Holiday Inn & Suites Surrey is owned and managed by Kartar Business Operations Ltd., under a license agreement with the InterContinental Hotels Group and is located at:

 17530 – 64th Ave, Surrey, British Columbia V3S 1Y9.

Telephone: 604-576.8862; Facsimile: 604.576.8892.

For more BC lodging options, visit: BC Travel Guide Accommodations
 

The Olympics may be finished come April but the action never stops in Whistler. TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival will be held in Whistler from April 16-25th 2010.  The festival will be packed with competitions, concerts and mind-blowing excitement.

It makes sense to visit Whistler during this festival because besides enjoying everything that this wildly popular festival offers, you can also take advantage of  the slopes which will be less crowded, the snow will still be great and you can get amazing low season prices.

View the entire Ski and snowboard festival event schedule here: Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival 2010 

If you’ve travelled by road from Calgary to Kelowna, the chances are you’ve passed through Revelstoke or in fact stopped their for a pee break. Do you remember admiring small but beautiful town of Revelstoke? If you like Revelstoke then you’ll be happy to know that talks are being held for rebranding Revelstoke.

 During recently held Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce’s “Business After Hours” series Hoteliers Association discussed re-branding campaign for Revelstoke. Thom Tischik’s presentation (of Kimberly based marketing firm) featured a series of poster boards depicting what could be full page magazine ads and different takes on the new logo. His campaign focused on portraying Revelstoke as ravishing and truly magnificent place to live and visit during any season.

Let’s hope involved parties will take some concrete steps pretty soon and see Revelstoke getting transformed into a brand new exciting community.

Plan your next trip to beautiful British Columbia with BC Travel Guide.

Any successful event requires a lot of planning and if it is something much awaited like Vancouver Olympics 2010 then the planning is followed by a lot of training, special changes and follow up to make sure things are moving along smoothly as planned. Vancouver is also gearing up for some changes to ensure that no one is disappointed in Vancouver as the host city for Winter Olympics 2010. After all, we want Olympics to be held here again and again.

Let’s look at some changes that Vancouver/ Vancouverites and neighboring areas will be going through during Winter Olympics 2010:

1. Early Spring Vacation has been announced for school children in Whistler and Squamish with schools closing from Feb 19th to March 1, 2010.

2. The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is closing for the entire Games from Feb 12th to 28th 2010 allowing for almost 3,000 parking spaces to be used as part of the Olympic Bus Network’s park-and-ride.

3. Vancouver will literally be converted into a partyzone. There will be live broadcast sites with giant screens in Vancouver’s downtown and Yaletown community. Robson Square will be a hub of activity around the outdoor ice rink. The city’s popular Granville Island market will be taken over with a celebration of Francophone culture.

4. Also, there will be parties in Richmond, near the Olympic oval, and in Surrey where the city is planning a $3 million, 13-day celebration with music and live broadcasts.

5. Another major change is the fact that the jury trials have been delayed between Feb. 6th and March 1 2010. The provincial courts will be processing day-to-day criminal matters, but because many police officers across the province will be deployed for Olympic security, they won’t be available to testify at any criminal trials province-wide.

6. Marine security in Vancouver’s False Creek will be restricting access to boats or escorting boats in and out of their slips near the athlete’s village.

7. If you are flying into Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet via float plane or helicopter, you will be subjected to added passenger and luggage screening, and new restrictions are being placed on carry-on baggage.

8. Think twice before planning to drive during Vancouver Olympics because there will be lot of transportation restrictions. Checkpoints will also be set up north of Squamish on the Sea to Sky Highway stopping unnecessary vehicle traffic from getting through to Whistler.

Despite all these changes most of us are still very excited about Winter Olympics 2010. Let’s hope to have a great time.

Other Related Links:

Transportation during Vancouver Olympics 2010

Meet Canadian Vancouver Olympics 2010 Athletes

Opening Ceremony of Vancouver Olympics 2010

Walnut Beach Resort in Osoyoos is a great place for your winter weekend getaway. Skiing conditions at Mt. Baldy are excellent and the Malt Wine is ready along with the fireplaces in cozy Walnut Beach Resort rooms. 

All one bedroom and two bedroom suites have their own fireplaces and insuite washer and dryers. Oh and don’t forget the Wine Bar and Bistro on site. The pool and hot tubs are open and resort also offers sauna and steam room to warm up those tired muscles.

Walnut Beach Resort’s private beach has received a go ahead for a liquor license which will make you feel like you are in the tropics with beachside bar service. Plan a wedding at the resort and we promise, you won’t be disappointed.

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.