Vancouver Island Reviews and Information

In celebration of the launch of Lucky's Liquor mezzanine in Nanaimo, Ayaka Nagata hosted this delightful Vancouver Island Food Blogger gathering! The food aspect of blogging has always been my personal favourite so I was honoured and excited to try some different local wines, beers and ciders, as well as connect with some other local business owners and food bloggers/photographers. 

 We arrived at 7pm sharp and made our way up to the gorgeous looking mezzanine overlooking the massive six thousand square foot liquor store. We were quickly greeted by Vancouver Island Brewery territory manager Monique who offered us their new seasonal beer the Storm Watcher Winter Ale. We had tried this beer a month earlier, when we did a brewery tour and told Monique the brewery is awesome and gushed at how much we enjoyed the new seasonal brew. Monique also introduced us to the new 650ml seasonal Dough Head Gingerbread Ale. Although I am not such a fan of spice or ginger beers this one was delicatel…

The lovely Goody Niosi (a local writer and avid hiker) submitted this stunning photo of the view from the blue trail on Maple Mountain. Maple Mountain is located in North Cowichan and has 4 access points.

Off Osborne Bay RdFrom the end of Chilco road in CroftonOff Arbutus Ave in Maple BayOff Maple Mountain Rd in Maple BayHikers, walkers and mountain bikers frequent this area which includes 14 kilometers of built trails (as well as informal trails).

We've spotted deer, bear, elk and even owls on our many hikes but never have I come across this creature. It has been identified as a Northern Alligator Lizard. Though usually very elusive, this little guy darted across the road as we were hiking up near the Harewood Plains. 

There is a fold of skin running down each side, this allows the body to expand while breathing, eating or full of eggs. They grow to a maximum of 20 cmIf caught these lizards can "release" (autotomize) their tails. This is to act as a decoy to predators and over time a smaller tail will grow in it's place.In the winter they hibernate in underground densFemales give birth to 4-6 lives young between August and September.

Festival of Trees – A Nanaimo Tradition in Support of VIU Students Festival includes holiday activities and events for everyone Nanaimo, BC – November 20, 2012 – Today at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre, the Vancouver Island University Foundation announced a $150,000 fundraising goal for the 18th Annual Festival of Trees. The festival, which showcases specially decorated holiday trees, raises money to support VIU students directly through greatly needed bursaries and scholarships, as well as help fund state-of-the-art improvements to classrooms. This year’s festival runs from November 22 – 30 at the Vancouver Island ConferenceCentre, with a variety of events to enjoy the magic and splendor of the holidays while supporting VIU students. Everyone in the community is invited to come see the beautiful trees decorated by members of the community through a new festival initiative, the TD Bank Community Tree Decorating Challenge. “The Festival raises critically needed funds to ensure st…

Being an island, we are blessed to be surrounded by the mighty Pacific ocean. The abundance of gorgeous beaches needs to be mentioned, so in no particular order here are my 
choices for the Top 10 beaches on Vancouver Island



Parksville/Qualicum Beach - chosen as Canada's best family friendly beach destination by Better Homes & Gardens, it's not a surprise this mid-island region is considered "Oceanside". Rathtrevor Beach, Parksville Community Beach and Qualicum Beach are all visit worthy destinations.  

Raft Cove- Raft Cove Provincial Park is located 65 km southwest of Port Hardy, it is accessed via gravel road out of Holberg. Access to the beach is via a 2 km hike through coastal old growth hemlock, red cedar and Sitka spruce.

Cadboro-Gyro Park - home to the legendary sea monster "Caddy" believed to live in the bay, this sandy beach is easily accessible and family friendly. It is located 10 minutes from downtown Victoria.

Island View Beach - Loc…

Arbutus Events presentsthe wonderful musical talents of Hey Ocean!described as Canada's best up and coming acts. Their catchy, infectious tunes can be heard on radio stations across the country: 





Their live show has been described as engaging, high-intensity and dynamic. They have opened along side Xavier Rudd and Sarah Harmer. 

  They have 4 shows on Vancouver Island this week:

  Nov.13 (Parksville Community Centre) Tickets are $25 at the door or $20 at the following locations. Shades of Green on Craig St. Parksville, PostNet in Errington
Parksville Community Centre, Cranky Dog Music Parksville, Mod Apparel Qualicum
Arbutus Music Nanaimo (This is an ALL-AGES SHOW)The other shows are brought to you by Got Pop? Concerts Inc.

Nov.14 (The Queens - Nanaimo) Nov. 15 ( The Avalanche Bar - Courtenay)Nov.16 ( The Cobblestone Pub - Cobble Hill)We will be giving away 2 tickets to the Parksville show to a lucky winner that shares this most! 
Will be announcing the winner tonight at 7pm, good luc…

The Kinsol Trestle (located in the Cowichan Valley) is an important part of the Trans-Canada Trail system. The Trestle was originally built in 1920 as part of the "Galloping Goose" rail line. The last train to cross the Kinsol was in 1979. It was then revitalized and re-opened in July of 2011.

Six Regional Innovators Honoured With a MISTIC Innovation Award 2012 Announced as Final Year for MISTIC Innovation Awards Nanaimo, BC November 5, 2012– The six winners for the 7th annual MISTIC (Mid-Island Science Technology & Innovation Council) Innovation Awards were announced on Friday November 2nd at the “Retro Tech” themed gala dinner at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre. This year’s winners are making strides in technology and innovation across Vancouver Island (Malahat North to the tip of the Island), the Sunshine Coast and Gulf Islands. MISTIC announced at the gala that this will be the final year for the MISTIC Awards. The Innovation Awards were created in 2006 to highlight and recognize the emergence of many knowledge-based businesses on the Island. “We have had an amazing run with the awards for the last seven years, but it now time to move on to focusing on developing the local talent through different services that will help bring ideas and technology to life,” sai…

The Haslam Creek Suspension Bridgewas installed in 2002 as part of the Trans-Canada trail system. This is located out near the Nanaimo Airport, past Rondalyn Resort. Walking time to Spruston Rd is approximate 2 and a half hours.