Archive for October, 2010
Congratulations To Port Alberni – Canada’s Ultimate Fishing Town!
This past summer, the World Fishing Network held a contest asking Canadians to nominate and vote for their favourite angling hot spot. After weeks of fierce competition and enthusiastic voting, Port Alberni has been officially named as Canada’s Ultimate Fishing Town!
Photo: alaskapine on Flickr
With top honours comes a $25,000 community donation aimed at promoting fishing initiatives in Port Alberni. The WFN will also be on-hand to film a 30-minute feature on Vancouver Island’s fishing paradise.
Canada’s top ten finalists are:
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1. Port Alberni, BC
2. Nestor Falls, ON
3. Dauphin, MB
4. Nipawin, SK
5. Seeley’s Bay, ON
6. Port Rowan, ON
7. Miramichi, NB
8. O’Leary, PE
9. Thunder Bay, ON
10. Chilliwack, BC
Congratulations to all winners!
Game On
With a little over three weeks until the 2010/2011 season kicks off for the Phoenix Suns, pre-season got underway last night in Sacramento. Though Phoenix fell 95-109 to the Kings, here’s hoping that a stop in Vancouver will turn things around and give the Suns the momentum they’re looking for to carry them into regular season play.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have been offered the opportunity to join the Suns’ digital media team for the game tonight at Rogers Arena. I’ll be reporting from the sidelines, providing live Tweets and Twitpics throughout the game – and believe me, you don’t want to miss snapshots of Steve Nash’s pilates-like stretches by the bench!
The game airs in Canada at 7:00 p.m. tonight on TSN. Be sure to follow both me and the official Phoenix Suns on Twitter for all the updates, action and information!
Winter Is Officially On Its Way
Imagine my surprise to wake up on the morning of October 4th, only to learn that Mount Washington had their first dusting of snow. I’d almost be willing to bet that last year’s snow-pack hasn’t yet entirely melted! Nonetheless, Mother Nature is gearing up to wallop the West Coast with another epic snowy season.
Photo: Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Mount Washington has always had the fortune of great snow, and with La Nina getting set to flurry all over the place, things are looking really fantastic for an epic 2010/2011 season on the mountain. “For the Pacific Northwest, La Nina tends to bring cooler and wetter than normal conditions for autumn and winter,” explains Patrol Director Jesse Percival. “Our history with La Nina has been excellent with both La Nina seasons of 1998-99 and 2007-08 producing record or near-record snowfall.”
So will Mount Washington annihilate the 15-metre record set last year? Only time will tell, but I have no doubt that those slopes will be buzzing with anticipation over the coming months! Mount Washington Alpine Resort opens for winter operations on Friday, December 10, 2010.
The resort is located 30 minutes above the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. WestJet, Central Mountain Air, Pacific Coastal Airlines, and Island Express service the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ). To find out about accommodation and package information, call Mount Washington Alpine Resort at 1-888-231-1499 toll-free or locally at 250-338-1386. Surf to their website for additional information including the live snow cam and information on season passes.
Island Profile: Shamrock Farm
If each of us took the time to stop and visit some of the places we see in our everyday travels, we’d likely find some real gems in our own backyards. This morning I made such a discovery when I was fortunate enough to visit Shamrock Farm in the Comox Valley with my mom and 18-month-old niece, Sienna.
Situated on a picturesque acreage on the outskirts of Comox, Shamrock Farm is a hop, skip and a jump from both the airport and Little River ferry terminal. While it may be easy to miss, hidden behind leafy trees on the roadside, keep your eyes open for the orange and black pumpkin sign at 2276 Anderton Road.
Map: Google Maps
Run by a friendly family, the three of us were instantly greeted by Shamrock Farms’ proprietors, Mike and Shannon Farrell, and their children. Their land is entirely sustainable and prescribes to an organic farming practice. Even more admirable is their commitment to treating their farm animals in a humane manner. Everywhere you go, animals are freely roaming the grounds.
Pumpkin-producing farms are few and far between in the Comox Valley, and Shamrock Farm is the Valley’s largest provider of these seasonal gourds. They have been producing a sea of orange since 1993, and their pumpkin stock completely sells out each year.
Shamrock Farm provides 60% of their pumpkins to local supermarkets, while the remaining 40% are sold through in-person visits at the farm. Because no pesticides or herbicides are used, each year’s crop is rotated to a different place from the year before to give the soil an opportunity to rejuvenate.
Shamrock Farm is open each day during the month of October in anticipation of Halloween. In keeping with the ghoulish feel of this time of year, the barn is decked out into a spooky spectacle, complete with a witch’s cauldron and boney bad guys. Enter if you dare!
Pumpkins aren’t their only claim to fame at Shamrock Farm, and I was personally enchanted with the stretching lavender gardens. Their fragrant aroma was intoxicating and I made sure to bring a dried bunch home with me.
Shannon grows her lavender organically, with the harvest yielding soaps, edible lavender and satchels. Shamrock Farm is also home to two honey beehives, producing some of the Valley’s sweetest honey. The bees assist in pollinating the lavender, apples and berries, translating into tasty jams and jellies.
The Farrell family aren’t the only ones that call Shamrock Farm home. Visitors will find a goose, goats, horses, baby turkeys, roosters and chickens on patrol, all of which are entirely domesticated. My niece had particular fun feeding grain to the chickens and getting up close and personal with the goats.
A family-friendly place that’s easy to spend an entire afternoon at, Shamrock Farm is something not to be missed this autumn. As we pulled out of the driveway, my mom simply remarked “boy, they sure were nice people.” And she was right – we’ll most certainly be back again next autumn!
Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., admission to Shamrock Farm is entirely free and everyone is welcome. School tours are also available for groups interested in making an educational experience out of it. Visit Shamrock Farm online for more information. You can view the rest of my photos in my set on Flickr.
Do you have a Vancouver Island-based business or group you’d like featured in Island Profile? Is there a community you’d like to learn more about that hasn’t been covered yet? Please feel free to contact me with your ideas!
Win A “Doggy Bag” Of Goodies From Bow Wow Haus
Those of us that love our dogs really love our dogs. British Columbia is an active and lively place to live and, for most of us, that means that wherever we go, our canine companions come with us.
Despite his adventurous attitude, I can’t deny that sometimes Jordy ends up a little on spoiled side. More often than not, that involves new toys and tasty treats. When it’s time for either, we always end up at Bow Wow Haus.
Photo: iwona_kellie on Flickr
Initially opening its doors in Gastown, BWH has quickly become a staple of Vancouver’s West End (but I definitely see a market for their boutique in Victoria or Nanaimo). Think of it as a candy store for dogs, offering some of the finest and healthiest snacks and treats, puzzle toys, squeakers, sweaters and so much more than you can imagine.
The team at BWH is offering one lucky Keira-Anne.com reader the chance to take home some of their fantastic swag. I’m giving away a gift basket including a gift card, a training toy, bio-friendly poop bags, treats and a few other fun surprises. You have two chances to enter:
I’ll announce the winner on the morning of Tuesday, October 12th and will ship the gift basket anywhere on Vancouver Island or within Greater Vancouver. Good luck!