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Whether we intended it or not, tea was certainly a theme of our girls’ getaway to Nanaimo and Victoria, so it seemed only fitting that Rebecca and I take some time to visit Silk Road in Victoria’s downtown core. A fixture of the local culinary scene for almost two decades, Silk Road has grown into something of a local phenomenon.

Since my last visit to Silk Road, the shop has grown into the breathtaking space next door, complete with a workshop bar, expansive wall space for all of the teas, trinkets and teapots as well as ample room for their nurturing spa products created entirely on site.

Created by two women who are both Chinese Tea Masters and Herbalists, Silk Road honours the centuries-old tradition of tea preparation and drinking. Each and every blend that lines the walls of this Chinatown treasure is unique to Silk Road with organic ingredients being especially chosen from all over Asia before being hand-blended in Victoria.

In addition to tea blends, Silk Road has also become increasingly famous for their aromatherapy and spa products. Using essential oils and only the purest of ingredients, the shop offers a complete line of body and skin care. These products are used extensively throughout Silk Road’s spa.

Being that we visited Silk Road on a Saturday afternoon, Rebecca and I were fortunate enough to partake in one of their popular tea tasting workshops. Think of it as a wine tasting but for tea buffs. Not only were we able to sample a number of the shop’s best selling teas, we – along with the 10 other participants – learned how to festively blend teas with hot chocolate. Mixing the Westcoast Peppermint with milk cocoa was undoubtedly my favourite.

Further, the workshop also proved to be interesting and informative. We were explained the differences between white, green, black and herbals teas, some of the health benefits of each and even the importance of varied steeping times. Brewing an exceptional pot of tea is truly a time-honoured art and a tradition to be respected.

Silk Road’s tea tasting workshops at the Tea Tasting Bar are held each Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. from now until the end of June. For more photos and fun from our Silk Road visit, please head over to Miss604.com and read Rebecca’s post.

Silk Road is located at 1624 Government Street (between Fisgard and Pandora Streets) in downtown Victoria. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. During the holidays, Silk Road is open for extended shopping hours, so please phone ahead at (250) 704-2688 (press 2) or visit their website to find more information. You can also find Silk Road on Facebook or follow their updates on Twitter.

There comes a time in every girl’s life when a weekend away with friends graduates to something with a bit more style and sophistication than in younger years.

Rebecca and I recently escaped to Vancouver Island for some rest and relaxation and found ourselves at the Magnolia Hotel & Spa in downtown Victoria. From the moment one enters the lobby, it’s clear that this four-diamond hotel is a true gem within the capital city.

Travelers are greeted with prompt service, smiles and the tinkering of a baby grand piano. While the winter weather outside was frightful, complimentary sugar cookies and hot apple cider in the lobby proved to be most delightful.

Our room, complete with hers and hers queen-sized beds, featured a glittering view of the Parliament Buildings and a sliver of Victoria Harbour. Though the hotel is less than a decade old, the decor of both the common area and each of the rooms is exquisitely styled in a manner that’s both refined and undoubtedly comfortable. Neither Rebecca nor myself hesitated to swap our winter boots for the luxe robes and slippers.

What is perhaps most magnificent about the Magnolia Hotel & Spa is its perceptibility toward the smaller details. From the tantalizing wine and cheese platter that awaited us upon arrival to the sumptuous selection of Aveda bath and beauty products stocked in the bathroom, no feature has been overlooked.

If I’m honest with all of you, the majority of my time in our hotel room was spent submerged in the soaker tub. The bathrooms at the Magnolia Hotel & Spa are a bather’s paradise.

No attempt at rest and relaxation would be complete without an indulgence at the spa. The Spa Magnolia, adjacent to the hotel’s lobby, features seven serenely-appointed treatment rooms and a menu of services certain to please everyone.

Rebecca and I each chose what the Spa Magnolia is perhaps most famous for – their facial treatments. Using customized Aveda products, the Outer Peace brought utter relaxation to my body with a better and better complexion in the hours that followed my treatment.

On our final night in Victoria, we found ourselves in the Prime Steakhouse & Lounge. With half a dozen phenomenal cuts of Alberta beef on the menu, Chef Batty and his team have turned the average steak into something utterly tantalizing. Prime’s dining room features ambient lighting and decor that straddles the line between art nouveau and art deco, creating an environment that evokes that classic kind of sexy.

Though Prime shakes up more cocktails than you can twist at, Rebecca and I selected a half-litre of Burrowing Owl pinot noir to accompany our meal. We each started with a succulently creamy lobster bisque to warm up our palates for the star of the show.

My 8-oz. New York cut steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, accompanied by roasted seasonal vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes that I couldn’t shovel into my mouth fast enough. The steak itself was a true treat, each bite quite literally melting upon touching my tongue. (Foodie tip: ask for a side of the brandy peppercorn cream sauce and smother your cut in it.)

They say that it’s hard to top perfection, and nothing could be more true of my visit to the Magnolia Hotel & Spa. While I would have liked more time to spend soaking in the bathtub (perhaps while simultaneously indulging in more steak), my stay has given more than enough reason to return again in the very near future.

The Magnolia Hotel & Spa is located at 623 Courtney Street in downtown Victoria. Please visit their website for more information on the Girls’ Getaway package and other great packages You can also find the Magnolia Hotel & Spa on Facebook and follow their updates on Twitter.

Disclosure: cmp.ly/2

Photo: Phil Petersen on Flickr

For me, there is no season that better captures the exquisite beauty and colour found in nature than Autumn. More than just crunchy scarlet leaves, it’s also in the crisp morning air, the reflection of fog on the water at Victoria Harbour, small houses with tiny chimneys puffing away in Union Bay, and late afternoon sunsets over the Island’s mountain spine.

Year after year, I am endlessly in awe of this season every time I set foot outside. Here are a few gorgeous shots captured so far during this year’s Autumn across Vancouver Island.

Photo: Guy Monty on Flickr

Photo: Feet wet on Flickr

Photo: Garry Zeweniuk on Flickr

Photo: Anna-Lena König on Flickr

Photo: ai.dan on Flickr

Photos: Johnny Tang on Flickr

Photo: Guy Monty on Flickr

Photo: cherrysweetdeal on Flickr

Photo: Anna-Lena König on Flickr

Photo: Phil Petersen on Flickr

Photo: Mark Margerison via BC Hydro on Flickr

Photo: ai.dan on Flickr

What do you most look forward to seeing each Autumn?

A week ago, with the bright sun shining down on us, it was hard to believe that it was October. Seven days makes all the difference because a quick peek out the window erases any doubt that Fall has indeed arrived.

While most of us would prefer to stay at home on blustery days, there are a number of indoor activities to activate the mind. The Courtenay & District Museum, Archives & Palaeontology Centre provides a unique and interactive experience that allows visitors to get in touch with the roots of this unique community. While the hands-on museum features everything from fossils to photos, I’ve taken the opportunity to highlight some of the Comox Valley’s historical snapshots from the museum’s archives that truly are worth 1,000 words.

Native Sons Hall, Courtenay, circa 1928

All photos featured in today’s Island Profile are © the Courtenay & District Museum, Archives & Palaeontology Centre. More photos from the gallery archive can be viewed online. Those wishing to visit the museum will find it at 207 Fourth Street in Courtenay, housed in the former post office. Admission is by donation.

As a young girl, I was fascinated with Unsolved Mysteries and kept my eyes glued to the TV each week, excited for the goosebumps that Robert Stack’s ghostly stories would elicit. With Halloween around the corner, I thought it would be interesting to explore some of Vancouver Island’s most famous supposedly haunted locations.

Being the Island’s biggest city, it should come as no surprise that much of the reported paranormal activity is centred around Victoria. I turned to the Vancouver Island Paranormal Society for more details on some of these terrifying tales. Read on if you dare…

Bastion Square and Helmcken Alley – Victoria

What is today a popular and charming tourist destination was once home to a jailhouse. And before that, local First Nations people believed that the spot held strong magical powers. In the 1800s, prisoners were often led down the main alley and hung in the courtyard. Today, locals experience chain rattling sounds, orbs in photographs and other strange activity, said to be the spirits of executed prisoners. [source]

Photo: thievingjoker on Flickr

Beban House – Nanaimo

Many BC timber barons called Vancouver Island home, one of the most notable being Frank Beban. His estate was sold to the City of Nanaimo in 1953 before becoming Tourism Nanaimo’s headquarters. Prior to that, a daycare centre was located in the home. Children attending the daycare often reported seeing a strangely-dressed child playing with a red ball – a child that would often show up in drawings and depictions the children shared. It’s thought that the child was a former servant that worked in Beban’s home, a young boy who had died in the house decades before. Inexplicable occurrences such as slamming doors and water taps that turn on and off are still reported to this day. [source]

Photo: Painted Turtle Guesthouse

Ross Bay Cemetery – Victoria

One of the most picturesque resting places in the capital region is home to a truly Victorian experience. Tree-lined pathways and hand-chiseled tombstones are the playground of several very notable ghosts. David Fee, who was murdered in 1890 on the steps of St. Andrews Cathedral on Christmas Eve, Isabella Ross and an unknown elderly couple have been spotted on a number of occasions throughout this cemetery. [source]

Photo: freedryk on Flickr

The Qualicum Heritage Inn – Qualicum Beach

Photo: Haunted Sites In North America

For more than a century, a boarding house for boys built in 1835 operated as such before being transformed into an inn in the early ’70s. The Inn has since become a hotbed of activity, including mystifying computer printer and telephone performances, strange dreams that grip guests in the night, followed by frightening sounds. The staff at the Inn chalk these incidents up to nothing more than the boys from the former boarding house playing pranks on guests and staff. For an added scare, check out one guest’s experience at the Inn in 2005. [source]

Victoria Golf Club – Victoria

Lapping the shores of Oak Bay, the Victoria Golf Club is said to be the scene of a grisly murder in the fall of 1936. Victor Gravlin purportedly strangled his wife Doris on the course before he himself died mysteriously not far from the golf course. Perhaps one of Victoria’s most well-known ghosts, Doris often appears as a white figure or twinkling lights, usually spotted near the seventh fairway or by the beach. Those that have encountered Doris report a sudden cold breeze and “a general sense of foreboding” when she’s near. [source]

Photo: Score Golf on Flickr

Schooner Restaurant – Tofino

One of Tofino’s most beloved eateries is also home to one of the Island’s “friendliest” ghosts. In the restaurant’s early days, a chef named Morris was the chief chowder man. Since his death, staff at the Schooner have reported a number of mysterious occurrences, all of which are credited to Morris’s presence which still lingers to this day. [source]

Photo: katie/king on Flickr

Has anything strange or spooky happened to you on Vancouver Island? Have you ever encountered something frightening at one of the places listed above? I’d love to hear your stories, so please leave them in the comments. To discover more of Vancouver Island’s spooky stories or to find out more about the Vancouver Island Paranormal Society, please visit their website.

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!

Sometimes writing an Island Profile installment comes easily and sometimes the task presents a challenge. This week I mulled over some possible choices before deciding on Nanoose Bay. I thought that there has got to be more to this seaside community than a gas station, a grocery store and a handful of schools. And, as it turns out, I was right.

Photo: Fabio in BC on Flickr

If you’ve ever set foot on Vancouver Island, you’ve likely been to or through Nanoose Bay – and probably without even knowing it. It’s another one of those blink-and-you’ll-miss-it places, a community that wraps around the aforementioned bay on the east coast of Vancouver Island, about half way between Nanaimo and Parksville.

Map: Google Maps

Though the name refers largely to the large bay of water off Georgia Strait, the Nanoose Peninsula is an area home to approximately 5,000 residents. And further, it’s said that the community’s name is derived from a First Nations word meaning “pushing forward” in relation to the shape of the bay. [source] Though it’s no longer home to any major industries and is primarily a residential community, it wasn’t always that way.

Photo: Carol Sill on Flickr

From 1912 to 1942, Joe and Max McKercher established a modern sawmill that would eventually come to be known as Straits Lumber Company. Perched on the western shores of the bay, the sawmill’s chief customer was Japan, exporting BC lumber across the Pacific Ocean.

Photo: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Vancouver Island by T.W. Paterson and Garnet Basque, Heritage House Publishing Co. Ltd.

A small town called Red Gap set up shop on the west side of the train tracks – tracks that are still in existence today – including a company store, a post office, a school, homes and boarding houses. Richard P. Wallace, pictured below with his wife at their Nanoose Bay home in 1913, was the town’s Justice of the Peace.

Workers were brought in from India, Japan and China, but they were housed separate and apart from each other. However, following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, the necessity for export dried up and the mill dwindled until shutting down permanently in 1943. It was, at one time, the largest sawmill in the entire Pacific Northwest.

Photo: Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Vancouver Island by T.W. Paterson and Garnet Basque, Heritage House Publishing Co. Ltd.

Today this ghost town and the former mill site sits empty, nothing more than the pilings on which the mill stood. Highway 19 slices through what was once Red Gap, marked only by the rest stop on the southbound side of the highway as seen below. [source]

Photo: Ken Walker on Wikipedia

Across the water from former Red Gap townsite sits the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Range, pictured below. Since the mid-1960s, Canadian and American military forces have jointly tested torpedoes, sonar equipment and other maritime warfare instruments in the depths of Nanoose Bay. Interestingly enough, this testing site sits on what was once known as Powder Point – also a ghost town.

An aggressive attempt at the gun powder and explosives industry, Powder Point had limited success as such and all production ceased in 1925. However, a prominent home found today at the corner of Northwest Bay Road and Powder Point Road is a remnant of the Giant Powder Company.

Photo: Len not Lenny on Flickr

Photo: West Coast Birding on Flickr

Today Nanoose Bay is a community that’s both sleepy and tranquil. It’s home to retirees, young families and those who wish to be close enough to nature while enjoying the conveniences of being close to city life. The community of Nanoose Bay stretches beyond the bay itself and along the shoreline almost to Parksville. What isn’t touched by water is largely dotted by farmland.

Photo: freedryk on Flickr

A fantastic hub for recreation and vacation opportunities, particularly boating and kayaking, Nanoose Bay is marked by charm and character that is distinctly its own. The giant gnome is an ironic icon that can be seen while driving south to Nanoose Bay from Parksville and once marked the spot for a mini golf park and small amusement park. Mountain biking, golfing, hiking and clam digging are also popular regional activities.

Photo: Occasional_Traveller on Flickr

Photo: miss604 on Flickr

Nanoose Bay is undoubtedly a surprising getaway from the everyday and, as I’ve quickly discovered, much more than meets the eye. Pacific Shores Resort & Spa is an anchor for the local tourism industry, also featuring scrumptious fare at The Landing West Coast Grill. If the food and accommodation isn’t enticing enough, the views certainly will be.

Photo: Carol Sill on Flickr

Photo: timichango on Flickr

Nanoose Bay is located approximately 15 km south of Parksville and 20 km north of Nanaimo on Highway 19. For more information about the area or to plan your trip to the area, please visit Oceanside Tourism online.

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!

Bumping into a movie set on the streets of downtown Vancouver is usually a given on any day of the week. In recent years, Greater Vancouver has quickly become one of Hollywood’s favourite places to film silver screen blockbusters. However, because of its gorgeous scenery, characteristic architecture and the warmth of its small towns, Vancouver Island has also provided the backdrop for many well-known films.

This week’s Island Profile takes a look at a few of those movies while hopefully inducing a few “huh- I had no idea that was on the Island!” moments along the way.

Insomnia (2002)

Photo: Warner Bros.

With dense forests and countless fishing boats, it’s easy to mistake Port Alberni for Alaska, but that’s just what the producers of Insomnia were hoping we’d do. Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank brought their star power to the mid-Island town in this cat-and-mouse drama. Though we’re made to believe it’s in and around Alaska, there’s no mistaking Argyle Street and the nearby Catalyst Mill.

Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)

Photo: Warner Bros.

While much of this adaption of Jean M. Auel’s novel was shot in the Canadian Rockies, the lush forest of Cathedral Grove at MacMillan Provincial Park provided the setting for Clan of the Cave Bear. Daryl Hannah plays a young Cro-Magnon woman, Ayla, who’s taken in by a group of Neanderthals after being separated from her family during an earthquake. Though it was largely considered to be a box office flop, the movie is made watchable if only for the incredible cinematography.

Final Destination 2 (2003)

Photo: New Line Cinema

The string of Final Destination films have gained notoriety for their grotesque opening sequences, usually depicting a horrific premonition. The Jubilee Parkway just outside of Campbell River was transformed into a roadway of destruction after a logging truck was the catalyst for an accident of nightmare-ish proportions in the second installation in this series.

Bird on a Wire (1990)

On-Set Photo: Trew Audio

One of my personal favourite films follows Rick (Mel Gibson) and Marianne (Goldie Hawn) as ex-lovers on the lam through Detroit and Wisconsin. The Gastown and financial district neighbourhoods in Vancouver stood in for much of Detroit, but Rick and Marianne’s escape to Wisconsin by ferry was shot through the Southern Gulf Islands on the Tsawwassen-to-Victoria route. And further, their infamous motorbike getaway in what was supposed to be downtown Racine was actually shot throughout Victoria’s Market Square, the Johnson Street Bridge and Chinatown – including Fan Tan Alley.

Trapped (2002)

Photo: Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures

The Comox Valley was buzzing when word came that Charlize Theron would be in town to shoot a thriller. It was hard to miss the Comox Glacier in the background during the opening scenes along the Goose Spit road. This kidnapping drama culminated in a climactic ending on the Inland Island Highway standing in for a Washington State highway.

One Week (2008)

Photo: Mongrel Media

This Canadiana favourite chronicles Ben (played by BC native Joshua Jackson) on his motorcycle journey across Canada with a desire to eventually dip his toes in the Pacific Ocean. Ben trip ends in the aptly-named One Week when he reaches the western shores, surfboard under his arm. The beaches in Tofino are incomparable in beauty to any other stretches of sand around the globe, and the film’s images of Tofino’s misty shores provide an almost sensory experience on the screen.

The above-named films are just handful of those filmed on Vancouver Island. In fact, the Vancouver Island North Film Commission (VINFC) puts that number well over 200! Some of those include:

• Twilight series (Long Beach – Incinerator Rock, Nanaimo River – Flat Rocks)
• The Scarlet Letter (White River Provincial Park, Myra Falls, Oyster River)
• Scary Movie 3 (Gabriola Island)
• White Chicks (Victoria, The Fairmont Empress Hotel)
• X-Men: Origins (Colwood – Hatley Castle)
• The 13th Warrior (Campbell River – Elk Bay, Elk Falls Park)

In addition, popular series such as Smallville and The X-Files have also been filmed on location on the south Island. The VINFC has created an interactive map that allows you to take a detailed film location tour.

Know of another film or series that was shot on Vancouver Island? Please feel free to leave a comment below and fill us in!

One of my favourite parts of penning my Island Profile posts is combing through Flickr for related photos. Vancouver Island is full of locals and visitors who each capture their experience of Island life in ways that are entirely unique. It’s almost impossible to avoid encompassing a body of water when taking those photos, and snapping shots of Gabriola Island is no exception.

Photo: Gord McKenna on Flickr

A stone’s skip across the water from Nanaimo, Gabriola Island is one of the largest of the southern Gulf Islands with a population that barely exceeds 4,000. The summer months see that number climb to almost 6,000. Its close proximity to Vancouver Island by way of a 21-minute ferry ride make Gabriola Island a favourite escape while maintaining a sense of connection.

Photo: Google Maps

Photo: biffoto on Flickr

Like most of Vancouver Island’s Gulf Islands, Gabriola is steeped in a rich history. Perhaps most famous for its petroglyphs, the ancient rock carvings are a key to the island’s archeological roots. It’s thought that Gabriola Island was inhabited as far back as at least 1500 BCE [source] with the island’s First Nations heritage belonging to the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Gabriola Island’s name is thought to have been derived following the arrival of José María Narváez on the island in 1791; he christened it as Punta de Gaviola.

Photos: sointula on Flickr

Photo: ActiveSteve on Flickr

The earliest settlers on Gabriola Island can be traced back to the late 1800s, many of which were blended families with Europeans men and First Nations’ wives. The population didn’t start to swell until the 1950s, but “hippie immigration” caused the population to balloon by the mid-1980s with residents numbering approximately 2,000. In 2010, farming maintains the title of Gabriola Island’s chief industry.

Photo: busysignals on Flickr

Photo: HerToesInTheSand on Flickr

Photo: KatysPix on Flickr

What makes Gabriola Island so incredible is the varied topography. Forests, beaches, rock cliffs, arbutus trees and brightly coloured floral splashes everywhere you look only add to the natural charm. Gabriola Island is home to three provincial parks, the most notable being Descanso Bay Regional Park. It’s where you will find the Malaspina Galleries – a display of breathtaking natural sandstone formations that seem more likely to be found on the planet Mars than coastal BC.

Photo: Aphex Twin on Flickr

Photo: YatterMatters on Flickr

Photo: canoe too on Flickr

Summertime on Vancouver Island’s Gulf Islands always holds a little bit of magic. Dozens of resident artisans and craft people sell their wares at the vibrant summer market, while true shopping lovers will want to see Folklife Village. What was once the Folklife Pavilion at Expo 86 – demonstrating Canada’s earliest settlers – is now at the heart of Gabriola Island’s shopping.

A number of festivals and events help to extend the summertime magic year-round, including the Thanksgiving Weekend Studio and Gallery Tour, the Dancing Man Music Festival and the enchanting Home and Garden Tour.

Photo: canoe too on Flickr

Photos: Rachel Fishman and danthon on Flickr

Photo: KatysPix on Flickr

There’s certainly no shortage of outdoor opportunities on Gabriola Island. This community boasts fantastic sailing and recreational boating, sea kayaking, diving, fishing, cycling, hiking, camping and even golfing. A nine-hole golf course with panoramic views over Hoggan Lake is home to the Gabriola Golf & Country Club.

Photo: biffoto on Flickr

Photo: Robert Ciavarro on Flickr

Located just off the shores of central Vancouver Island, Gabriola Island is accessible by ferry from Nanaimo or by float plane for those traveling from Vancouver. For more information on Gabriola Island, please visit the Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce online.

Fall is undoubtedly my favourite season of the year. What’s not to love about crisp air, turning leaves, hug-able mugs of tea and gorgeous autumn sunsets? That’s not to say that summer isn’t a spectacular time of year on Vancouver Island, and 2010 was certainly no exception. As we look to a new season, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at the stunningly sunny months that were.

Photo: Gord McKenna on Flickr

Photo: hradcanska on Flickr

Photo: anitakhart on Flickr

Photo: popejon2 on Flickr

Photo: ai.dan on Flickr

Photos: Garry Zeweniuk on Flickr; Stephen Rees on Flickr

Photo: natalielucier on Flickr

Photo: concrete_jungler101 on Flickr

Photo: Tequila Partners on Flickr

Photo: cmh2315fl on Flickr

Photo: jmj2001 on Flickr

Photo: VIDYO on Flickr

Photo: No More Bike Lanes Please on Flickr

Photo: RyAwesome on Flickr

Photos: vikapproved on Flickr; anitakhart on Flickr

Photo: ingoism on Flickr

Photo: jfew on Flickr

Photo: mariskar on Flickr

Photo: jcolman on Flickr

Photo: Eyestalk on Flickr

Photo: Feet wet on Flickr

Photo: The Dilly Lama on Flickr

Photo: randomidea on Flickr

Photo: Feet wet on Flickr

If there’s a community or Island-based company you’d like to see featured in Island Profile, please feel free to contact me directly with your ideas.