BC Stories, June 2009

A captivating collection of fresh travel ideas from British Columbia

BC Serves Up Another Big Dose of Reality TV

• Nanaimo Harbours Olympic Plans
• Summer Cultivates Glorious Gardens in Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
• Explore Canada’s “Galapagos” in Northern BC
• Hike it out in the province’s Columbia Mountains
• Summer Sails along BC’s Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
• Staying Green: Thompson Okanagan Eco-Resort Sets the Bar High

BC Serves Up Another Big Dose of Reality TV: Hot on the heels of The Bachelorette series, British Columbia will be featured again in another huge reality show hit – FOX’s HELL’S KITCHEN starring Chef Gordon Ramsay.  Sixteen aspiring chefs will be heating things up in the kitchen and will be put through some serious culinary challenges by Ramsay.  The grand prize?  The opportunity to receive a Head Chef position at Araxi Restaurant in Whistler, joining Executive Chef James Walt in welcoming the world during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.  Tune in on Tuesday, July 21 for the two-hour season premiere.  Big egos, explosive tempers and some amazing culinary creations guaranteed. For more information, visit www.araxi.com

For more destination story ideas related to the 2010 Winter Games, visit www.destination2010.ca or to read more story ideas from the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region, visit www.hellobc.com/vcmbcmedia.

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Nanaimo Harbours Olympic Plans: Just a hop, skip, and a ferry ride from the 2010 Winter Games venues, Nanaimo, British Columbia, is gearing up for the big event.  Vancouver Island’s second largest city after Victoria, Nanaimo is an easy side trip from the Olympic arena with direct ferry service from Horseshoe Bay on the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and frequent flights on several airlines, including Harbour Air – North America’s first carbon neutral airline.  Access to the Island is so easy, in fact, that several ski and snowboard teams have opted to rest between events at Mount Washington Alpine Resort, just north of Nanaimo, rather than stay in the thick of the action on the mainland.  Nanaimo is best known as a gateway to the year-round wilderness and outdoor activities of central and northern Vancouver Island, as one of the world’s leading dive destinations, and as a base for wildlife watching trips. Besides Orca, bear, and eagles (which you can see in the wild), Nanaimo and its surrounding area, including the vast alpine of the central Island mountain range, is also home to the rare Vancouver Island marmot, the inspiration for the 2010 Winter Games mascot sidekick MukMuk.  Known as the Harbour City, Nanaimo boasts such a lively theatre and arts scene that it was named a Cultural Capital of Canada in 2008.  Hometown to jazz pianist and singer Diana Krall, the city has also produced more than its share of top athletes, including para-alpine skier Andrea Dziewior, figure skater Kelsey Ross, distance runner Steve Osaduik, National Mountain Bike Team member Wendy Simms, and para athlete Michelle Stilwell.  The Olympic Torch will arrive in Nanaimo on October 31st, 2009, just one day after starting its journey in Victoria.  An evening celebration is expected to draw sports fans and well-wishers from across the region.  www.tourismnanaimo.com

For more destination story ideas related to the 2010 Winter Games, visit www.destination2010.ca or to read more story ideas from the Vancouver Island region, visit www.hellobc.com/vancouverislandmedia.

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Summer Cultivates Glorious Gardens in Vancouver, Coast & Mountains: Hillside gardens and fine herbs tickle the tastebuds?  Bring it to BC.  Indeed, summer in Canada’s westernmost region is bountiful: local farms flourish with seasonal offerings, heady scents and plenty of tasty distractions.  And Limbert Mountain Farm, near Agassiz in the Fraser Valley, proves the perfect summer showcase for all things fresh.  Here’s a start: lace up for guided herb walks through lush hillside landscapes, or pull up a chair for
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