Stories

The game of golf is either an art form - or a gong show. Those that have mastered the swing and can smack that orb on the perfect arc are amazing. For the rest of us, we need to practice. But that’s the best part. Alberta and British Columbia are covered with fantastic golf courses that are either looking at oceans, trees, mountains or big beautiful prairie skies.

#OkanaganExploring Sipping his morning pick-me-up out of a coffee mug featuring a photo of his family, Sun Country Cycles owner Ricardo Smith was gracious enough to meet me as I began my Vernon cycling journey. I arrived first thing in the morning and the Sun Country parking lot was already full of customers - either dropping off their bikes to get serviced or picking up rentals like me.

#OkanaganExploring Ogopogo is B.C.’s very own Loch Ness Monster, turned friendly water creature, the legend hunters have been trying to capture on film for the past half century. It’s seemingly a part of our heritage, until you find out the true meaning behind the serpent-turned-cartoon-statue and you become, as the kids say, woke - with a sudden understanding of the spirit of Ogopogo truly means.

#ExplorePortAlberni Instead of counting highway lines – because there were none – I looked out the window as narrow rows of timber whisked by like larger-than-life barcodes. The forest services road from Port Alberni to Bamfield follows the ocean inlet from the Pacific flowing in from the west, which many people often forget since Port Alberni is so close to the east coast of Vancouver Island.

#ExplorePortAlberni “That’s a MacGillivray's warbler,” said our intrepid guide Sandy McRuer, pausing mid-sentence, looking up into the trees.

Spring is a time for renewal, growth and getting back out in the garden.

Taking up a new hobby, like arts and crafts, cooking or creating a fairy garden might also be on your spring inspiration list.

“I’m not sure how it happened,” said the man sitting next to me with a flight of beer in front of him. “We started out in Port Moddy sipping an IPA called “Sit and Stay” at some crazy little brewery called Yellow Dog and suddenly here we are, in Golden B.C. drinking…” he looks down at the cheat cards, “Thread the Needle Witbier.”

Our objective is to bring our readers and followers stories about people and places that will enlighten and inspire. 

Somebody, or probably a lot of them at the front of the pack are probably grinding their gears as hard as they can to take the lead. Me? I’m MAYBE near the middle of a long line of brightly dressed cyclists. I’m happily keeping a pace that allows me to look around and enjoy the view. While they dash for the destination, I’m happy on the journey. Participating in a Gran Fondo cycling event, is a great way for cyclists of every ability to enjoy the freedom of the highway where friendly volunteers fuel you and cheer you on.

Somewhere between being shot out of the waterslide like a cannon ball and jumping off the top deck into shimmering Shuswap Lake, we declare houseboating our new favourite way to vacation.

“This whole area is one fantastic, giant archeological site,” Candace Campo told me as we convened near the picnic area of Porpoise Bay Provincial Park on the Sunshine Coast.

Candace, who was wearing a beautifully woven cedar headband, explained the entire park area is a traditional Sechelt First Nation village site, filled with resources, history, and even her own childhood memories.

Roxanne Jerema’s journey from working as a taxidermist in land-locked Saskatchewan to running a fishing charter on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast are worlds apart.

The project’s premise was simple: one tree equals one sea-worthy canoe built by many hands, some more experienced than others.

The wind is strong from the east. Our jackets flap, our hair tangles and our invisible scent carries with the wind. If it was our day for driving the buffalo over the edge of the cliff, we’d go hungry. The massive mammals would have smelled us long ago and thundered away. At Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site near Fort McLeod, you find out just how much that buffalo meant for survival for the Blackfoot Nation.

On April 29, 1903 at 4:10 a.m., 82 million tons of rock broke off Turtle Mountain’s summit and came hurtling down on the sleeping town of Frank. While the slide avoided the main part of town, at least 90 people were killed. The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre describes what life was like before, during, and after the disaster, and shares amazing tales of heroism and survival through modern, hands-on exhibits.

“We like to say that Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the Royal Tyrrell Museum are the battleships, and we are the Royal Yacht,” says Howard Snyder, manager of the Remington Carriage Museum with a twinkle in his eye. There is indeed a regal feeling about this grand building – at 64,000 square feet – full of carriages that have transported dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II, Pierre Trudeau, and Ulysses S. Grant.

Whew! It’s been hectic! Between rounding up friends and families for festive cheer or blasting through the snow on winter adventures, its been one busy holiday season. You might be tempted to constantly be on the go—even while on a getaway in the mountains. While all those decadent holiday meals may have you wanting to hit the slopes 24/7, it’s just as important to take time for some “Me Time.”

Winter is a tough season for some people to get excited about. It's cold and dark so it takes extra effort to find motivation. Add in the festive season and stress levels peak. Don’t let the season bring you down. Here are our top ways to pick up your mood and hopefully reduce some stress.

Winter is definitely sinking in. Boots instead of flip-flops, jackets instead of T-shirts and toques instead of ballcaps. Depending on where you live, the season settles in differently. For instance, the prairies may be -20 C and sunny like the Bahamas. Meanwhile, the Okanagan is warm but overcast. How come?

Make this the year to finally take that ski holiday in western Canada, because if the early-season snow that’s been consistently falling any indication, you’re in for a treat.