With great local products such as Little Qualicum Cheeseworks in Qualicum Beach and Blue Moon Winery in Courtenay, Vancouver Island is definitely on its way to making an impact on the culinary map. After living on the island for nearly four years, I can definitely attest to the fact that there are some amazing products and culinary experiences, from the amazing dessert wine at Dragonfly Hill Vineyard to the cheese from Salt Spring Island Cheese and everything in between.

It’s one of the reasons I was so excited to personally receive the invite from Jenn Houtby-Ferguson, Director of Sales & Marketing for Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort & Conference Centre to attend and cover Parksville Uncorked 2012. I’d stayed at Tigh-Na-Mara previously but never attended an event at the resort so I was eager to see what Parksville Uncorked would have in store.

I attended Parksville Untapped and the festival’s signature event, Swirl and they were two of the best culinary events I’d ever attended both for the value and for the vendors. Parksville Untapped is in its 2^nd year, but you would never know that it was a 2^nd year event. Held at the Beach Club Resort, Untapped had over 18 microbreweries and 10 food vendors in attendance.

The venue was packed, filled to the brim with people in cowboy gear, fitting in with the Western theme. I sampled decadent chocolate truffles supplied by the Beach Club Resort as well as shrimp “spoons” chilled on an elaborately hand carved ice shelf. The food highlights for me included the porcini mushroom risotto ball made by Sysco Foods and the chocolate fountain supplied by Tigh-Na-Mara. Dipping strawberries into the fountain was just divine but I also loved the chocolate covered pretzels supplied by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. I never knew that salty and sweet could work together so well in one item.

The big four Island breweries of Driftwood, Lighthouse, Vancouver Island & Phillips were definitely well represented and in attendance and there was also a Lower Mainland presence for breweries with Stanley Park Brewing, Granville Island & Whistler Beer in attendance. Though I’m not a beer drinker, I did manage to find a beer that I ended up enjoying. The Beach Club Resort had an ice luge that allowed beer to flow through it and directly into the glass. I just had to try it, as I’d never had what I call a “drink performance” before. I tried the Ephemere Pomme Beer after it flowed through the luge and the delivery method did impact on the taste of the beer, it was definitely more refreshing.

I also discovered a cider that has become my favorite. Although I’m usually not much of cider drinker, I was attracted to the board at Merridale Cider’s table that described their Meri-Beri cider with apples and variety of BC berries. It sounded intriguing and I couldn’t wait to try it. With each sip that I had, I could taste the distinct flavours of raspberry, strawberry and blueberry.

To cap off the night at Parksville Untapped, a country cover band performed a variety of songs, my favourite of which was “Time of Your Life” by Green Day, which was also their best cover, in my opinion.

As someone who is learning day by day to love wine, Swirl definitely fit my tastes even more than Untapped did. With over 150 BC wines being poured at the event and over 50 wineries showcasing their wines, I couldn’t wait to find some new favourites.

I was happy to see some standby favourites on the vendor list, including Jackson Triggs, Inniskillin, Mission Hill and Sumac Ridge, but I also noticed the presence of a few smaller wineries that I’d tried before like Elephant Island and St. Hubertus and I wanted to try more varieties from them as well.

With a jazz band playing and over 500 people sampling the wine as well as the chocolate fountain with desserts and strawberries to dip, I wanted to sample as much as I could and avoid the crowds. I loved the grilled cheese sandwich that Tigh-Na-Mara supplied and it paired beautifully with the Cranberry wine from Mooberry Winery.

On the list of wineries that I tried, I would have to say that my ultimate favourite was Elephant Island’s 2010 Framboise which was sweet without being overpowering and had just the right amount of tartness. It paired wonderfully with dessert and was followed by a close second, MooBerry’s Cranberry Wine and then St. Hubertus’s Gewürztraminer. Rounding out the tip five I had Muse’s Pinot Gris, Summerhill’s Rose and Calliope Wines’ Rose.

For a festival that’s four years old, it’s definitely impressive that Parksville Uncorked has attracted so many different food vendors and wineries but how does a four-year old festival continue to grow and become more successful?

According to Wendy Sears, Director of Sales & Marketing at the Beach Club Resort, it’s all about partnership. “The cornerstone to the success of Parksville Uncorked is partnership and not just the partnership between Tigh-Na-Mara and the Beach Club Resort,” she tells me over drinks at Parksville Untapped. “It’s the collaboration between so many partners such as wineries, restaurants, breweries and food suppliers. We are all working together to support not only tourism in the Oceanside Region but to showcase the diversity of our food & beverage.”

So what’s next for a culinary festival that wants to make Parksville & the Oceanside region the go-to destination for the tourism off-season? Jenn had this to say when I asked her. ““Parksville Uncorked is truly a celebration of all things BC. The spectacular wines and amazing cuisine come together in this festival of tastes. Our goal is to continue to provide festival goers with the opportunity to experience the incredible products right in their own backyard.” And that’s definitely something I want to be a part of.

Welcome to the summer edition of Island Times Magazine! We have been looking forward to this season all year long. It is our absolute favourite time of year because there is just so much to do on the Island when the weather is this nice. The staff here at Island TImes hope that all of you get out to experience the many things to do and see here on the Island and surrounding areas. We’ve highlighted just a few of them here in one of the biggest issues of the magazines to date. We’ve included features on Quadra Island and Oceanside, and covered such activities as mountain biking, horseback riding, and whale watching.

You will recognize some new names within this issue, including new writers and new advertisers. We are very fortunate to have support from all of you out there. It is because of you that we are able to produce such a varied magazine that appeals to both locals and visitors. Thank you for the support, and thank you all for reading.

This year marked Canada’s 144th birthday. Many of us celebrated the big day either by attending an outdoor concert at Transfer Beach in Ladysmith, catching the parade in Port Alberni, or by watching the fireworks in downtown Victoria.  Being Canadian has meant a lot to us all, particularly this year as we anxiously watched the polling stations at the beginning of May and followed the Canucks games up until the end of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Below are a few select things you may not have known about this amazing country:

Throughout our history, Canadian inventors have patented over one million inventions. It’s popular knowledge that notable Canadians have played key roles in inventing the telephone and the light bulb, as well as the technology to broadcast voices and music over radio waves, but we’ve also created 5-Pin Bowling, Basketball, Lawn Sprinklers, Pacemakers, Imax Movies, Instant Mashed Potatoes, Paint Rollers, Zippers, and yes –  Snowblowers. A few other noteworthy items created by Canadians are: Electron Microscopes, Electric Car Heaters, and Goalie Masks.

During a brief period, Canada had its own brand of national comic book heroes, dating back to World War II. A foreign exchange crisis led to a ban being placed on the importation of US comics, including popular titles like Superman and Batman. But the demand for graphic stories didn’t just disappear, and that’s when Nelvana, Johnny Canuck, and Canada Jack emerged. Story lines had these superheroes battling against the Axis Powers, both abroad and on the home front.

The year Canada was born was the same year our postal service as we know it was born, yet its roots go back farther than Confederation. In fact, mail was being delivered in Canada as early as 1693 when the Portuguese-born Pedro da Silva was paid to deliver mail between Quebec City and Montreal. Official postal services began in 1775, under the control of the British Government up to 1851. The first postage stamp entered the scene that same year. Then, in 1867 the newly formed Dominion of Canada created the Post Office Department as a federal government department to provide uniform service.

Canada is known for many things, one of which happens to be our large fresh water supply that comes from our extremely large quantity of lakes. The Atlas of Canada says that the number of lakes larger than three square kilometres is estimated at close to 31,752. It would seem there are too many to count. There are also 561 lakes with a surface area larger than 100 km2. For the mathematicians, this means that almost nine percent (891,163 square kilometres) of Canada’s total area is covered by fresh water.

To visitors, Canadian spelling may seem a bit “off.”  This isn’t because we are making up our own conventions, it is because we have adopted Canadian English from waves of immigration that spanned two centuries. Just think: Our language has been influenced by First Nations, French Canadians, British Loyalists, and the Irish. We came to favour British spelling in most cases largely because of Canada’s first prime minister, John A. MacDonald, who once ordered that government papers be written in the British style.

Chili Cook-Off

Vancouver Island’s famous chili cook-off is once again one of the centrepieces of the Qualicum Beach Fire and Ice Street Festival. Join us to see up to 25 teams in their decorated booths compete for the best tasting chili served by enthusiastic cooks. Teams must prepare a minimum of 75 litres of chili with each team having its own distinct flavour. A one-time cup purchase for $3.00 from the festival ticket sellers will allow you to go from team to team on the streets of our quaint and friendly town sampling the culinary fare and voting for your favourite. The teams, all from local restaurants, supermarkets, golf courses, organizations and businesses, are competing for the “Best Professional”, “Best Amateur”, and the coveted “PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD”.

Ice Carvers

Ice carvers from Western Canada compete for prizes in this annual event. Up to 18 ice carvers will be at various locations throughout the town where spectators can gather round to watch as they work their magic with chainsaw and chisel on two large blocks of ice. Cash prizes are awarded for the 1st, 2nd & 3rd best ice sculptures. There will also be an “Honorable Mention” cash prize for the most interesting sculpture not placing in the top three.

Kids Zone

Fire & Ice is a family-oriented street festival so there are lots of activities for the kids. Once again, the local branch of the Coastal Community Credit Union is sponsoring the “Kids Zone”. This is one of the busiest places in town with lots of little people getting their faces painted, listening to story time, playing games and participating in activities planned just for them. Volunteers are there all day to ensure that kids of all ages are entertained.

Entertainment

Music & entertainment will be ongoing all day on the streets of Qualicum Beach. The music varies from country and folk to jazz and rock all coming from three stages situated at various locations around town. Vancouver Island is home to some of B.C.’s finest performing artists and this festival will showcase their talents throughout the day. Stroll the streets of Qualicum Beach and listen to the music, as you taste the different varieties of chili.

Visit website to learn more

Bought by Happy Hour Eats & Drinks Ltd., its future was undecided until a chance comment by a visitor launched it towards its present purpose. Looking around at the big space and the panoramic views, the visitor remarked that it would be a great place to get married and the idea was born from there. With over 8,500 square feet of public space between the newly renovated dining room, the covered main patio and the upper sundeck, the venue can hold receptions for up to 500 people and sit-down dinners for up to 250 people.

A Grand Opening reception will take place on Friday May 13^th, 2011. Anyone interested in being added to the guest list is urged to contact Michelene Skakoon at 604-980-8594.

Location: Mosquito Creek Marina, Dock A-0

415 W. Esplanade Ave,

North Vancouver, BC V7M 1A6

Date: Friday May 13, 2011

Time: 12:00 pm-8:00 pm

Contact: Michelene Skakoon

Sales & Events Manager

604-980-8594

info@celebrationonwater.com

Website: www.celebrationonwater.com

The concept behind backyardbc is simply to encourage residents of British Columbia to travel more within the Province. What this means for you is that participating hotels & resorts offer rates and specials that are available exclusively to residents of BC, essentially a “be a tourist in your own backyard” type of program.

In order to take advantage of these savings, you need to be a resident of British Columbia (proof of residency required upon check-in), and you need to book your accommodation directly with our participating properties. Each offer has its own unique reservation code attached to it, and you simply need to mention this code (for toll-free reservations), or enter the code into the properties’ online booking engine.

Each offer is tied to BAR (best available rate), so you don’t need to worry about shopping for a lower rate on another website. At www.backyardbc.com, each participating property offers residents of BC a discount off of their best available rate.

Read More

Small businesses will be able to access free energy-efficiency advice, equipment and incentives with the new LiveSmart BC: Small Business Program.

The Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that they have been selected as the umbrella organization to provide the Services of a Business Energy Advisor to businesses with current BC Hydro costs under $50,000.00/year on the Central/North Vancouver Island, Powell River and the Sunshine Coast.
Brian Pasquill has been engaged by the Chamber to deliver the program.

Conservation and sustainability have been a primary interest of Brian’s and he has strong technical skills in this area.  Brian has strong relationships in the public and private sectors within the energy management and renewable energy industries.  His skills and knowledge of energy conservation, small business, alternative energies, and incentive/grant programs lend themselves very well to the delivery of this program. In addition Brian brings an understanding of entrepreneurial activities and the needs and requirements of small businesses.

The program was designed with small business and restaurant owners in mind. We want to make efficiency upgrades easy and affordable so entrepreneurs can focus on what matters most: serving their customers. The support and products offered through the LiveSmart BC: Small Business Program can save businesses thousands of dollars in equipment and utility costs.”

Ron Cantelon, MLA Parksville/Qualicum “The business energy advisor is going to help Oceanside small businesses do two very important things: get green while saving green. This is a great opportunity for business owners to find out exactly where they can save on their energy bill, which will help make them more efficient and lets them put the money they save to better use. Energy conservation is a major priority not just for our government, but for people here Mid-island as well and this makes going green simple and accessible at the same time.”

Building on the successful residential LiveSmart BC: Efficiency Incentive Program, this new program will support small businesses owners who may not have the time, information or resources to make energy efficient improvements.
There are four components to the program:
The Program is designed to :
deliver free energy assessments,
help owners tap into available product incentives and cash rebates, and
help co-ordinate product installation.
Direct Installation:  will fund 100 per cent of the cost of replacing and installing select energy-efficient equipment such as lighting and pre-rinse spray valves for commercial kitchens.
Enhanced Product Incentives:  will increase cash rebates for more than 10,000 energy efficient products
LiveSmart Champion:  an open call for businesses to access funding for new, innovative ways to conserve energy.
Once complete, the LiveSmart Small Business program is forecast to save businesses across the province over $7 million in utility costs and 82.5GWh of electricity per year, enough to power 7,500 homes. More than 4,000 small businesses are expected to benefit from direct installation and incentives, helping B.C’s reach its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent by 2020.

Rudi Widdershoven, President of the Parksville & District Chamber of Commerce says “This is a great achievement for our Chamber and our Community. There is an opportunity here for our businesses to be leaders and an opportunity for our community to showcase their commitment to reducing their energy footprint. This program will help businesses reduce energy expenses and increase their bottom line. In addition we will be looking at the Economic Development potential of attracting businesses that supply energy saving devices taking advantage of the opportunity to look to the Oceanside region as a leader and potential base for their operations.”

On April 26th @ 10:00am we will be doing a “walk through” assessment of the Pacific Brimm (121 Craig St, Parksville) with Business Energy Advisor Brian Pasquill and MLA Ron Cantelon.

For more information contact:

Kim Burden
Executive Director
250 248 3613
kim@parksvillechamber.com

Perched on the tailgate of his 1980 Ford pickup truck, the 84-year-old Ralph Shaw sips a cup of hot coffee, awaiting my arrival.
Mr. Shaw has been at the lake since 8:30 that morning, and our interview wasn’t until 10:00. “It was a good excuse to come out fishing,” says the seasoned fisherman from Courtenay.

Aside from the fishing excursion being an educational and relaxing one, it was also very fascinating to see someone with such a raw passion in action. “Now, maybe you can understand why I’m addicted to this,” he says. A Fish Philosophy from the Finest.

Read more about Courtenay’s infamous Ralph Shaw in our NEW spring issue.

Be sure to find your copy on the streets April 1st!

Be sure to find your copy of this story and our NEW Spring Issue! On the streets by April 1st!

www.vancouverislandpetexpo.com

Contact:
Jill R. Stefanyk
778-433-5201
jill@vancouverislandpetexpo.com

The 2nd Annual Vancouver Island Outdoor Adventure Expo comes to Victoria at Pearkes Recreation Centre on April 1,2 & 3, 2011. This three-day event is a must for the Outdoor Adventure seeker! With a large variety of exhibit spaces featuring camping, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, fishing, whale watching, biking, surfing, outdoor getaways, travel, products and accessories – plus so much more! Try your hand at Archery with the 40ft Range. Experience the first ever mobile Monkido Experience station at the Vancouver Island Outdoor Adventure Expo. For a minimum $2, guests can get a sample of the primal fun and games available at all WildPlay Element Parks. All proceeds benefit Power to Be.

Adults – $8
Kids– $4
Family of 4 – $20

Want to spend more than one day the expo add $2 and get a weekend pass! For more information, visit www.vancouverislandoutdoorexpo.com