Gibsons Landing - Feb 8, 2010

Today was an absolutely picture perfect day. The sun was shining, the air was warm (53F/11C), and the excitement around the 2010 Winter Games is building. 4 day to go!

I took the opportunity to wander through Gibsons Landing. You can see that our local shops are getting into the spirit. There are Canadian flags everywhere. You can't see it well because the sun was so bright, but everyone has red and white Christmas lights up.




What a wonderful town to call home. Don't forget to go inside and shop! Lots of new spring merchandise in stock.

I LOVE the red maple leafs in front of The Landing Gallery. This gallery displays the work of local artists. One of them got into the spirit and created little wooden maple leafs and "planted" them with the red & white flowers. The new show is great too. Canadian and sport themed pieces highlight the current exhibit.

Olympic Torch Relay - Feb 4

Thursday was just an amazing day.
The Olympic Torch Relay started the day at the far end of the Sunshine Coast in Powell River.

Pender Harbour, Sechelt, Roberts Creek & Gibsons all had community celebrations as the Torch passed through.

This is our celebration in Langdale. Members of the community started arriving 2 hours before the Torch, just to be a part of the excitement. Many took advantage of the beautiful sunshine and walked down to the celebration.

The yellow ponchos are the 100+ Langdale Elementary students. As we planned the event over the past month, we were very concerned about rain or snow for the big day. We wanted the kids to be dry & we also wanted to be able to identify all the kids. We tried for red Canadian ponchos, but couldn't find enough so yellow was the winner. The television photos were great with the swarm of yellow poncho kids following the flame down the ferry ramp. Great images and they made the National CTV broadcast!

The event was just fabulous. We had people of all ages from our local community, many dressed in red for Canada. Our raven from Rababoo Puppet Theatre shown here was loved by the children. Music, games, clowns, prizes and pictures kept the crowd excited as we awaited the flame's arrival.

Bill McCormick was the final torchbearer on the Sunshine Coast. He is a BC Ferry employee and fittingly brought the flame through the terminal and onto the Coastal Renaissance for its trip up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Squamish.

The kids followed the Torch down the ramp chanting GO CANADA all the way and waiving the flags they had made. It was a very special moment. You can see me in the background on the left...the really tall person. (ok, I am standing on a barricade so that I could see)

Once on board the ship, Bill lit a cauldron which carried the Flame across Howe Sound to Horseshoe Bay.

Last photos as the Torch sails away.

Everyone went back to Langdale Elementary for treats...red & white cupcakes and cocoa. Yum! The kids had a great time and all of us had a very memorable day.

Howe Sound - Feb 3

It was a gorgeous afternoon on Wednesday. I had the chance to go for a long walk for the first time in a while. Good excercise with a purpose...I was posting flyers for Thursday's Torch Relay celebration right here in Langdale.

It had been a very foggy morning, but the sun came out and burned through the clouds. Only this whispy strands were left by mid-afternoon. I love these days....Howe Sound has a mystic quality sometimes.

These shots are from our Grizzly Bear balcony because I forgot the camera when I headed out on the trek.


You can see there is lots of snow to the left but there is very little to the right. Cypress Mountain is just to the right of the picture...not much snow there either. Just a patch where they will have the freestyle skiing & snowboarding events.

Olympic Line Streetcars - Jan 22

Friday was a gorgeous day with sunshine and warm temps for January. I was on my way to the Seattle Travel Show, but had some extra time before leaving Vancouver. The previous day had been the grand opening of the Olympic Line - Vancouver's new streetcar system that will operate during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

I decided to take the streetcar for a spin. What a ride! I was not the only local having an adventure that day. Multiple parents were pushing strollers and showing off the streetcar to the kids. Other lucky residents playing hooky from work like me were enjoying the beautiful day.

The Olympic Line connects the Athlete's Village and downtown Vancouver with Granville Island. From downtown, I hopped on the Canada Line to 2nd Ave/Cambie. As you exit the train, you literally walk across the parking lot to the new Olympic Line station. From there it is a quick 3 minute smooth and quiet ride to the fabulous Granville Island Market. Best of all, the ride is FREE! Leather seats, clean and sparkling new, and a bit of adventure makes for a fun travel experience.

I only wish the streetcars were a permanent part of the Vancouver transit system. So much more fun than riding the bus, and extremely energy efficient running on electricity. I can just picture these sleek quiet cars whisking visitors and residents along the existing tracks on the North Shore. What a beautiful ride it would be along Marine drive from Lonsdale Quay to Park Royal and then to Horseshoe Bay. Oh...a girl can dream, can't she?

Snickett Park - Jan 18, 2010

So, it's the middle of January...the heart of Canadian winter. Well as you can see from these photos, there are only the smallest patches of snow remaining at the very top of the mountains. Look closely...it is still there...only at 1,000 meters or more.

Here along the beach of the Georgia Straight on the Pacific Ocean, temperatures are about 12C (54F) and every couple of days we get this gorgeous sunshine.

Overnight, we had just had huge storms with gale force winds and heavy rain. This coupled with high tides created lots of debris along the shore, though you can't really see it here. Most of the rural areas were without power for hours as crews repaired the lines and removed fallen tree branches.

Meanwhile, many people were out to celebrate the sun, the warm temperatures and one of those many picture perfect days here on the Sunshine Coast. Maybe the storm was nature's way of reminding us to get away from the computer and the office and to get outside to appreciate her.

These pictures are from Snickett Park which is a popular seaside trail in downtown Sechelt. Dog walking is an extremely popular activity here. Others finish off the walk with a friendly conversation on the many park benches taking in the spectacular view.

Here is to more days spent outside...at least for part of the day.

Polar Bear Swim - Jan 1, 2010

I started off 2010 with a goal of taking in as many Sunshine Coast festivals as possible this year. First up, the annual Polar Bear Swim at Davis Bay on New Year's Day. No ice and snow in sight this year, just a little wind and light rain. Too warm for any hypothermia but still a fun time for all involved.




The event kicked of with a few brave soles under the age of 12.













They were soon followed by a crowd of adults of all ages who braved the high tide and cool waters.



I think I will wait until summer to dip my toes in the ocean. Davis Bay is the largest public beach on the Sunshine Coast and a very popular destination. It sits at the mouth of Chapman Creek making it great for salmon fishing.

Fly! Sunshine Coast - September 30, 2009

I had the most amazing experience this week with my new friends Greg & Dana who own Fly!, a local air service. They are based at the Sechelt Airport and available for scenic tours, taxi service, and flight instruction. We had a beautiful sunny day and had a fabulous tour of the Sunshine Coast.

We flew north over Sechelt and over Sechelt Inlet, Salmon Inlet, and crossed the mountains to Jervis Inlet. We then came down over the Skookumchuck Rapids, Pender Harbour, and down the Georgia Strait coastline over Secret Cove, Halfmoon Bay and back to Sechelt.

This 2nd picture was the highlight of the day. This lake is about 2,500' completely surrounded by forest. At the near end of the lake, there is an amazing waterfall that tumbles into Jervis Inlet below.

Sechlet really is the "land between 2 waters". The Georgia Strait is in the foreground and Sechelt Inlet lies behind the town.

4 of us went up in a 4 passenger Cessna. It was very interesting to be able to see all the dials and gauges while we flew.

It is amazing the different perspective you get once up in the air. I know I live in the forest, but you tend to forget the immensity of this forest until you get above and see the vastness. There are just so many trees!

Fresh new snow on the mountains!

Safe approach back to the Sechelt Airport.

What a great trip! I would highly recommend a trip with Fly! the next time you visit the Sunshine Coast.

To see these areas on a map, click here.