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Victoria |
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Go to the beach – Vancouver Island has
long, long stretches of public beach front everywhere. In the summer, they're
the spot to go for picnics and swimming, but the spectacular season is winter,
especially on the west coast, with its fantastic displays of stormy skies
and wild seas. One resort on Long Beach has capitalized on the show
by building its dining hall on a promontory and pipes in the sounds of the
storm. Another is actually a converted light house. (Pictured left is a
beach on Cordova Bay just north east of Victoria.) |
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Museums – Museums aren’t always
indoor collections of dust-catchers. Outside of Victoria, there are dozens
of all kinds of museums on Vancouver Island, from botanical gardens, to
an astrophysical observatory, natural history, art, First Nations culture. |
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 The
Saanich Historical Artifacts Society – Devoted to the collection
and preservation of pioneer memorabilia, the Society is located on the Saanich
Peninsula and boasts a large collection of working steam engines, tractors,
household & industrial tools from the 19th century. Check out the working
sawmill, blacksmith, go for a hay ride or pan for gold and experience the
world of the early European settlers. (Just outside Victoria.) |
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Dominion
Astrophysical Observatory – Open year-round for self-guided
tours, the real fun is on Saturday evenings from April through October,
when kids not only check-out the exhibits on the ground floor, but go upstairs
to see the 1.8-m research telescope in action, and hear a tour oriented
towards them. On some evenings, members of the Royal Astronomical Society
set up their personal telescopes and invite kids to take a peek. (North
of Victoria on West Saanich Road.) Dominion Observatory. |
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The
Sidney Museum – A small place, but it has two museums in one:
a Maritime Mammal Gallery the explores the evolution of whales, and the
Historical Gallery, which covers the history of local peoples, including
the native Salish, Europeans and Asians, through photography and artifacts.
In the Mammal Gallery, interactive exhibits encourage kids to smell whale
oil and touch whale vertebrae. |
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Cowichan
Native Village – Midway between Victoria and Nanaimo, the
village (owned by Cowichan Tribes) operates both as a tourist center and
a training center for the Native community. The Village contains the Khowutzun
Gallery with First Nations artists’ hand carved jewelry, paintings,
prints as well as demonstrations of knitting, Salish weaving, spinning,
and beadwork. The Longhouse Story Centre has a multi-media history of the
Cowichan People. The Carving Shed presents native carving techniques and
stories, (kids can try carving themselves!) At the Bighouse, a traditional
Northwest Long House with seventy foot beams, try traditional Native foods.
Go mid-day for the bar-b-que salmon & native dance program, or towards
the end of the day to catch the "Feast and Legends" program. |
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The
Courtenay Museum – Originally a volunteer historical society,
over the past 50 years it has evolved into something quite wonderful. Most
recently, the 1990s has seen major paleontological finds of 80 million year
old marine reptiles, putting the Courtenay on the Great Canadian Fossil
Trail. In the summer family-oriented tours go to fossil sites in the Comox.
Check out the hour-long programs on geology with discussion, hands-on examples,
and a slide show about volcanoes, earthquakes, and glaciers. |
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Museum
at Campbell River – No other museum does so well at celebrating
all the peoples who have lived and worked on Vancouver Island. Great exhibits
about pre-history archaeology, First Nations art (try saying Kwakwaka'wakw,
Nuu chah nulth and Salish – First Nations people who created the baskets,
masks, woodwork, and ceremonial objects you’ll see), the logging that
built up the Island, and Pioneer antique clothing and toys – some that
the kids can try out! There are travelling exhibits as well as an audio/visual
presentation. Museum at Campbell River. Click here for the Museum
at Campbell River Web site. |
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Haig-Brown
House – Roderick Haig-Brown was a writer and conservationist
who wrote over three dozen books about his beloved BC. His 1923 home and
20 surrounding acres are now a museum. A magical place for walks, also check
their schedule for flyfishing and whale watching excursions when you’ll
be in the Campbell River area. |
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Lakes – Vancouver Island has many small
interior lakes, where you
can hike, swim, picnic, and (on some) boat.. The pace in these lake
villages is slow, from another era. In fact, several have been used in
movies to evoke a nostalgia for times past, such as Shawnigan Lake,
near Duncan. If you're going to drive from one part of the island to another,
try mapping out the trip to takeadvantage of the lakes and plan a stop along
the route. |
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Sailing – A natural for an island,
sailing is a favorite. It's not hard to find boat rentals in the larger
towns on the Island, for afternoons or day trips. If you can't tell the
jib from the jetsam, there are charter trips as well – for whale
watching, fishing, or just cruising along the coast. |
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Pools – There are a number of civic
pools on Vancouver Island, but the Big Daddy of all is Saanich Commonwealth
Place with a 160ft waterslide and wave pool (there's also a sauna and
steam room). |
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Horseback riding – There
are several places to rent horses for everyone from the experienced to the
first time rider. Some offer trail rides or beach rides, and many also offer
lessons in a ring. About half
way between Swartz Bay (the BC ferry terminal) and Victoria
(along on a bus line). |
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Hiking – Over 130 Provincial
Parks are in Vancouver Island area – each one has hiking trails –
some well planned and maintained by the Parks department, others formed
by locals meandering across hills and along the ocean. Many of the Provincial
Parks permit camping, boating, and fishing; some exist only to protect the
land. A few knock up against towns, and others are outposts on lonely isles. |
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Mount
Douglas is 500 acres of parkland just north of Victoria. A great
place for children of all ages to hike, with a view from farmlands to the
ocean. You’ll see dozens of bird species, rabbits, and other wildlife. |
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Before you take
a hike on Vancouver Island, experience the world of old growth forests,
the rise and fall of the mighty Douglas fir, teeming wildlife in
the branches high above, flying squirrels, woodpeckers, spotted
owls, and on the forest floor, yellow banana slugs and Pacific tree
frogs. (Picture book)
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Young
Atlin, a chief's son in a First Nations tribe, trains to hunt the
whale, to become strong against wet and cold, to learn the ways
of the sea and the song of the whale. When his father dies hunting
a sperm whale, Atlin becomes the new chief. Vividly brings to life
the amazing feat of whale hunting. (Chapter book)
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Mid 19th century.
13 year old Tess Macqueen and her father leave Scotland to sail
around the Horn to Vancouver Island. While Tess' father works the
mines at Nanaimo, headstrong Tess escapes her horrid uncle and teams
up with an Indian, Young Seal, paddling a canoe through the straits
to reach her father. Good for older kids.
(Chapter book)
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Lyrical
story of a year in the life of a baby orca, Siwiti, as she swims
with her mother, plays games with other young whales, races in and
out of the kelp forests, and chases salmon. Close-up, exquisite
photographs. (Picture book)
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(More children's
books on other British Columbia pages) |
