Keira-anne.com

The calendar is about to roll over and with September will come blustery weather and days spent indoors. As summer nears its end and the gorgeous colours of fall are on their way, here’s a quick look back at Vancouver Island communities throughout the month of August…

Photo: Colin Mayer on Flickr

Photo: canadasummer2011 on Flickr

Photo: Al Smith on Flickr

Photo: Harold Gillis on Flickr

Photo: Jan Smith on Flickr

Photo: Dan O’Leary on Flickr

Photo: Phoenix Wolf-Ray on Flickr

Photo: Thomas PLESSIS on Flickr

Photo: Mark Henckel on Flickr

Photo: Barry Ferg on Flickr

Photo: wyn on Flickr

Photo: ai.dan on Flickr

Photo: wyn on Flickr

Photo: Jeremy Crowle on Flickr

Photo: Herb Neufeld on Flickr

Photo: kamran kani on Flickr

Photo: kamran kani on Flickr

27 years ago my life changed for the better. I became a big sister to a baby boy who would one day grow into an incredible man.

Despite his adolescent years in which terrorizing his big sister was the name of the game, Trevor has quickly become one of the most solid and dependable people in my life. Not only is he a “big” brother to me in countless ways, he’s also embarked on his greatest role yet: father.

To each of us – and especially to his little girl – Trevor is an irreplaceable, encouraging, loving and protective part of our lives. On this, his 27th birthday, I want to take this moment to thank him for who he is, celebrate all that he has achieved and look forward to all that is to come in his life.

14. That’s the number of bug bites I sustained over the weekend. During any given summer evening, bugs tend to avoid me. That was not the case at Birkenhead Lake.

Located a short drive north of Mt. Currie, Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park can be found at the end of a forest service road, starting about 10km south of the town of D’Arcy. Boasting close to 100 campsites and awe-inspiring mountain views, Birkenhead Lake was the perfect escape for me and my two favourite J’s last weekend.

© Google Maps

After very hurriedly pitching our tent, ditching our cell phones for the weekend and grilling some chicken for dinner, we made the three-minute trek from our campsite to the shores of Birkenhead Lake.

As we made our way around the beachfront area, we were startled by what we thought was a bear in the bushes. It turned out that it was mysteriously a bottom-feeding fish thrashing in the ditch with (probably) only a few minutes left to live.

Always the hero, J granted my humble request to retrieve the fish and return him to the lake to happily swim out the rest of his days.

As spectacular as Birkenhead Lake itself is, the same can also be said for the campsites. With a few first come, first served sites left, we found a magnificent spot on the outer perimeter of the campground. You might say a river runs through it…

While I relished in the sounds of rushing water while falling blissfully asleep each night, Jordy was excited by the area to explore and the cozy rays of warm sunshine that washed its banks.

With only one full day to zen out, early on we made a pact that we wouldn’t look at a clock all day. We’d sleep in, eat when we were hungry, swim when we were hot and nap when we felt dozy. In doing so we spent the entire Saturday on the beach of Birkenhead Lake.

As you might expect with glacier-fed lakes, Birkenhead Lake is no Mexican beach. It took quite some time to work up the nerve to finally dive under, but the refreshment was well worth it!

A few dips in the lake and some sunshine later and Jordy was well on his way to a relaxing stretch and sleep on the sand…

As the sun set and the temperatures started to dip, we made our way back to the campsite for roasted hot dogs and my personal camping favourite, UNO.

Being that our decision to go camping was a bit last-minute, we threw everything into the truck on Friday afternoon. In our rush, I forgot dog food dishes so I improvised. Jordy ended up eating his kibble from a pot and drank his water from a plastic beer cup. Whatever works, right?

Another casualty of the rush? Shoes. I brought only flip flops and since warm socks are de rigueur on cold nights, the combination didn’t bode well for my sense of camping style.

Half of the fun of camping is making last-minute decisions and finding yourself wherever the wheels take you. Our trip to Birkenhead Lake certainly goes down as one of my most epic recent camping trips.

And at the end of the day, the warm crackle of a campfire makes all the pesky bugs and long drives well worth it.

To find out more about Birkenhead Lake and other BC Parks, visit BC Parks online. If you plan on visiting the area, remember that Birkenhead Lake is in bear country so obey all posted signs and take necessary precautions. Cell service disappears entirely before the forest service road, so make sure you leave a detailed itinerary before heading out.

Earlier this month I was lucky to spend a whirlwind weekend in Victoria. With hours to spare on a warm Saturday evening, Jordy and I headed out with my camera and an eye for sunset colours. This is what I captured…

“If you only have two cents, spend one on bread and the other on music. The bread will give you the means to live, and the music, the reason.” – Anonymous

British Columbia has come a long way in the last decade in terms of healthy living and healthy eating. With a backyard as beautiful as BC’s, it’s impossible not to get outside and enjoy everything this Province has to offer.

Photo: Natalie Lucier on Flickr

As Vancouver Islanders we, in particular, have a virtual paradise right outside our doors. We hike in Port Hardy, kayak in Qualicum Bay, ride bikes in Cobble Hill and surf in Ucluelet. With farms and food producers dotted up and down the Island, eating healthy with local food has never been easier.

The Province of British Columbia has recently kicked off a health-focused initiative called Healthy Families BC. Its aim is to engage BC’s residents, educate them on the importance of healthy living and give them the tools and resources they need to live a healthy lifestyle.

Photo: Mt. Washington Auto Road on Flickr

Healthy Families BC wants to reach out to all of BC and initiate exciting thoughts and discussion on healthy living. Their Facebook page is a great place to start!

On the Healthy Families BC official website you’ll find comprehensive resources to start your own healthy living action plan. You can also follow Healthy Families BC on Twitter to stay in-the-loop about their new ideas.

Photo: BigA888 on Flickr

To celebrate this initiative, Healthy Families BC wants to give Keira-Anne.com readers a chance to be part of this new movement and possibly win a great prize for doing so! I have two prizes to give away:

• First prize is a $250 Lululemon gift card
• Second prize is a $50 gift card to The Market grocery store in Victoria (with locations on Yates Street and Millstream Avenue)

To enter to win, you must leave a comment below and tell me: your favourite Vancouver Island activity to stay in shape or your favourite locally-produced food and why it’s so good for you.

You can earn an additional entry by posting the following on Twitter:

I shared a health tip to win a $250 Lululemon gift card from @HealthyFamilyBC and @KeiraAnne! http://tinyurl.com/3v2yj7u

I will draw one winner at random on Wednesday, August 31st at noon. Good luck!

Keira-Anne.com contest winners from within the last six months are not eligible to win. The winner must reside within British Columbia.

Long known for attracting skiers, snowboarders, hiking enthusiasts and even bird watchers, in recent years Mount Washington Alpine Resort has added foodies and wine lovers to that list. Year-round events at the mountain are rapidly gaining traction, perhaps none more than the Alpine Wine and Food Festival.

This year’s festival combines two of Mount Washington’s most popular summer events into one tasty weekend. Wine makers and distributors will converge at the Raven Lodge on Friday, August 26th for your sipping pleasure. Entertainment will be provided by the Melissa Hill Jazz Quartet and samplings of BC salmon, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, BC grown oysters, Comox Valley-made Hot Chocolates and a BBQ dinner will also be on hand.

The culinary caper continues on Saturday, August 27th in the Alpine Lodge with cooking demonstrations created with fresh, local ingredients. Those attending will have the opportunity to ask chefs one-on-one questions, sample the product and take home the recipes. That evening a six-course meal of local food will be served, paired with incredible wines and commentary by a sommelier.

Ticket prices for the weekend vary: the Wine Festival is $30 per person, the cooking demonstrations are $15 per person and the Saturday dinner is $100 per person including a mile-high chair ride. Mount Washington Alpine Resort is offering package deals including two nights’ accommodation starting at $197 per person. For more information or to buy tickets, check out the Alpine Wine & Food Festival online. Be sure to follow Mount Washington on Twitter while you’re at it!

Please enjoy your weekend responsibly and arrange for a ride home. Shuttle buses will depart from the Driftwood Mall at 5:15 p.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis. This event is for 19+ only.

This morning BC Ferries reported that they’ve seen a 3.7 percent drop in passenger traffic and a 4.2 percent drop in vehicle traffic over our dismal summer. These drops equate to $20 million in lost profit that the company will have to eat up. [source]

BC Ferries’ CEO David Hahn points the finger at lousy weather and a strong Canadian dollar. He claims that more Americans are choosing to stay Stateside while Canadians are heading south the spend their dollars.

Hahn further states that he does not believe rising ferry fares play any part in BC Ferries’ financial loss this summer.

While my opinion on our ferry system is always admittedly biased, I have a hard time swallowing Hahn’s explanation for a few reasons:

1. Vancouver Island is stunningly beautiful, rain or shine. Rain has never stopped tourists from kayaking, surfing, hiking, wining and dining.

2. Of course there’s the temptation to spend the almighty Canadian dollar at Target, but that’s shopping – not tourism. BC residents will still take holidays.

3. In blaming a weak U.S. dollar, one could draw the conclusion that Hahn is implying that BC Ferries normally heavily relies on its traffic from American tourists rather than locals. That doesn’t add up.

I, for one, take the ferries far less than I used to.

Sound Off: What are your thoughts? Do you think the strong loonie and rainy days are to blame? Or are people avoiding the ferries because of steep increases in fares?

Not since childhood camping trips to Hornby Island had I slurped on a raw oyster, so on my recent trip to Victoria, I grabbed a girlfriend and headed to The Oyster Bar at Pescatores.

Taking our seats on the sun-drenched patio near the Inner Harbour, Sarah and I started with an assortment of oysters harvested from Vancouver Island and Cortes Island. Surprising to me was learning that, much like the different grapes that create varietals of wine, oysters too come in different shapes, shells, flavours and finishes.

Our oyster platter was accompanied by a number of condiments including classic mignonette, cucumber mignonette, soy lime mignonette and freshly grated horseradish. While the oysters are phenomenal on their own, adding a mignonette and a spritz of lemon juice can enhance the flavour notes of the oyster.

Sarah and I both opted for the French 75 cocktail – a crisp way to wash down the oysters.

Like any great oyster-serving establishment, The Oyster Bar hosts a daily “Buck-A-Shuck” between 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Getting there early is key! This place fills up fast…

Our appetites nowhere near to being satisfied, we ordered the fish tacos. Served with a house-made salsa verde infused with jalapeño peppers, these fish tacos were – without question – the very best I’ve ever eaten. Considering that I’ve indulged in my love of fish tacos from Mexico to Tofino, that’s saying a lot!

After that, the plates and cocktails kept rolling out. Indulging in both the sashimi tuna with avocado salad and a plate of local cheese, I think it was safe to say we’d reached our limit. Always looking to try something new, we opted for the Blushing Oyster cocktail with our salads.

Look who else joined us for lunch! Not only was Jordy welcomed on the patio (and not just tied up on the sidewalk), but our server also graciously brought a bowl of water for Lil’ J to sip on in between his naps under my chair.

Wrapping up our incredible and lounging lunch with a classic mojito, our only regret was that we didn’t have room for more. Between impeccable and informative staff, a relaxing dining ambiance and food that left you wanting more, The Oyster Bar is one of those rare culinary experiences that you can’t wait to tell your friends about.

Open seven days a week, The Oyster Bar serves up tantalizing specials all week – including $10 Eggs Benny on Sundays and Taco & Tequila Tuesdays. You can find them at 614 Humboldt Street in downtown Victoria or on the web at The Oyster Bar. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and check out their Facebook page while you’re at it!

Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 (I was not paid or expected to write this post but we did receive our meal courtesy of The Oyster Bar.)

One of my favourite parts of summertime camping is evenings spent huddled around the picnic table, shuffling card decks and challenging each other to board games by lamp light. This is the kind of stuff epic memories are made of, so you can imagine my delight when a Game On! box arrived from Mattel last week.

Stuffed full of fun, the Game On! prize pack would be a welcome addition to any camping trip, BBQ, rainy night in or long family road trip. The Game On! prize pack includes all of the following:

• Bezzerwizzer® board game, giving your know-it-all friends a taste of their own medicine with a game that combines trivia with strategy
• UNO® card game
• Mattel Game On! Summer Fun Guide
• Game On! tumbler cups and coasters
• 2 coupons for a free bag of popchips™

I want to give this entire Mattel Game On! prize pack to one lucky reader. You’ve got three chances to win!

1. Leave a comment below and tell me what your favourite summertime game is. (1 entry)

2. Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I entered to win a Mattel Game On! Prize Pack from @keiraanne http://tinyurl.com/4xpg57k

3. Visit Vancouver Island Blog on Facebook, click on “Contests” and tell me your favourite childhood summertime memory. (1 entry)

I will draw the lucky winner on Monday, August 22nd at noon. Good luck!

Keira-Anne.com contest winners from within the last six months are not eligible to win. Winner must reside within BC; the prize will not be shipped elsewhere.

Nearly half a decade ago, the Townline Group of Companies undertook to restore a bastion of Victoria’s history. Now restored to its former glory, The Hudson is a glittering example of the gentrification Townline hopes to achieve in Victoria’s Hudson district.

I was recently invited by Townline to come to Victoria, see the restoration with my own eyes and try living in Victoria on for size.

Famous for strong architecture and symmetrical design, the exterior of The Hudson has only been kicked up a notch. Maintaining the integrity of the original design, the rooftop of The Hudson has been transformed into a show-stopping 14,000-square-foot terrace with expansive views across the city and the Juan de Fuca Strait.

Also added is the internal courtyard, tidily landscaped with lush greenery and a reflective pool.

More than anything, I was struck by the impeccable attention to detail given within the restoration. Not only was Townline able to make use of salvaged original pieces from the building when it belonged to HBC, the group combined their finds with minimalist design to create a uniquely modern image for The Hudson.

Small details such as the wallpaper lining the hallways or the welcoming “store entrance” only added to the charm and served as vibrant reminders of the rich history of this building.

After our short float plane ride, Jordy and I found ourselves inside our home away from home inside The Hudson. Famished and ready for rest, I was pleased to see that dinner was served from Smoken Bones Cookhouse. My mouthwatering feast was rounded out with pulled pork, Smoken Bones’ signature ribs and a to-die-for dirty rice cake.

A bottle of wine didn’t hurt my evening either…

The inside of the building has been renovated into smartly-appointed flats, double-height lofts and superb penthouses with all the modern amenities one would expect.

For an experimental “foodie” like myself, the kitchen was nothing short of a dream. Apart from being esthetically pleasing, elite quality appliances, quartz countertops, pot lights and sleek cabinetry were welcome components.

With highly desirable open floor plans, transitioning from dinner to kicking my feet up was seamless. My suite featured enough seating for a classy wine gathering of my friends but a space intimate enough to set up my laptop and get some work done.

Perhaps my most favourite (and admittedly biased) feature of The Hudson? It’s a pet-friendly home! Not only was Jordy able to meet some new canine friends in the building, he also made it clear from minute one that he was quite at home within our apartment.

If you’re anything like me, taking baths is a relished part of any week – and in particular at the week’s end. Overlooking the main living area, the lofted master suite is undoubtedly the pièce de résistance.

The open ensuite bathroom warmed my toes with radiant in-floor heating, double sinks, a roomy glass-enclosed shower, separate vestibule for the toilet and a soaker tub that could swallow me hole.

After a long day of both work and travel, I was eager to snuggle into my bed but unsure how disrupted my sleep would be, being that The Hudson is in the middle of it all on Douglas Street. I was pleased to quickly learn that high-grade glass was installed and I didn’t hear a peep from the street.

Naturally, I wasn’t the only one interested in the good night’s sleep we got…

Reflecting on my brief time staying at The Hudson, the memory that stands out most of all was simply the feeling of community I felt from the moment I walked inside. Neighbours are warm and The Hudson feels like a place to call home.

Photo: © Hudson Living

Those that are fortunate enough to own a piece of this Victoria legacy have something to be undoubtedly proud of. The same too can be said for Townline, as I have no doubt that The Hudson will continue to be an important and recognizable inheritance in Victoria for another 100 years.

View all my Hudson photos on Flickr. Look for Smoken Bones Cookshack and 2% Jazz Espresso and Coffee Bar to call The Hudson home later this year.

Connect:

The Townline Group of Companies [web] [Facebook] [Twitter]
The Hudson [web] [Facebook] [Twitter]
Smoken Bones Cookshack [web] [Facebook]
2% Jazz Espresso and Coffee Bar [web] [Facebook] [Twitter]

Disclosure: cmp.ly/2 (I was not paid to write this post but did receive my stay at The Hudson courtesy of The Townline Group of Companies.)