Tuesday 27 March 2012

Sechelt: Self Guided Seaside Walking Tour

Sunrise at Snickett Park Photo Courtesy of Coracle Cove

Come and enjoy the rich heritage of Sechelt, “The Land Between Two Waters”, on a Self Guided Walking Tour.  Spend time enjoying the sights, taking photos, and participating in short walks to view points, on the many suggested stops.  Build a connection to the heritage of the Shishalh Nation with a visit to the First Nations Tems-swiya Museum and take a seaside walk with a stop at the blooming gardens Rockwood Lodge, the town’s most prominent heritage building.  

 

1. Tems-swiya Museum - Located in the Sechelt Indian Band's central complex at the east entrance to Sechelt. A showcase for the shishalh nation's lengthy history and diverse culture, the tems swiya museum offers a great display of artifacts and art. Displays and decor have been newly-remodeled. Check out the extensive basket collection, and visit the tsain ko gift shop for authentic Native art, jewellery and crafts.

2. Circle of Totems - The circle of totems tells the history and hopes of the Sechelt First Nation. 

Tori Gate Photo Courtesy of Takahashi Gardens
3. Tori Gate (Dock at Wharf Road) – This beautiful gate was erected in 2002 by the Timber Framers Guild of North America.  Guild members from across Canada and the United States came to Sechelt to help build this structure and the Seaside Centre.  The Tori Gate is the entrance to the pedestrian pier at Trail Bay.

Sechelt Pier Photo Courtesy of Sunshine Coast Tourism
4.  Sechelt Pier -  Built 2001 and donated to the community by Construction Aggregates Ltd.

5.  Site of the first Sechelt Hotel (to left of Tori Gate & pier) - Built on “The Front”, which was the name commonly used in the early days to describe the area of Sechelt facing Travel Bay, by Bert Whitaker in 1899.  The hotel accommodated workers and tourists.  Rooms were $2-$2.50/day.  It burnt to the ground in June 1914.  Many volunteers fought the blaze but water pressure was so inadequate that only ashes remained.  The tide was ebbing when fire erupted, so rescued mattresses and furniture were carried to the beach where a horse and wagon picked them up.  Furniture from the hotel was sitting on the beach after it was saved.  The hotel kitchen range was setup on Trail Bay beach and bread was baked in its oven.  

6. Site of the first Sechelt Wharf - In 1904, Bert Whitaker build a wharf at “the Front”.  Having established this access he sought to promote it as a resort as well as a throughfare.  He was also proprietor of the “Sechelt Fashionable Seaside Resort”.  The wharf was destroyed in January 1921, by “the worst storm in Sunshine Coast History”.

Sechelt Seawalk (front of Royal Terraces)
7. Site of the first General Store (now the Royal Terraces) - Most early retail activity in Sechelt centred around Bert Whitaker’s general store.  In addition to lumber and game, a customer could buy a variety of items from Whitaker’s store ranging from men’s or women’s clothes to combs, mirrors, perfume, mouth organs, material, and a variety of toys.  In the late 1920’s – early 1930’s, Union Steamship Company constructed a concrete seawall on the cobble beach.  Storms subsequently destroyed the western portion of the breakwater, but about 80 feet of it still remains intact, though barely visible, in front of Royal Terraces.

8. Site of the Dance Pavillion (now the Beach House condos) - Was built in 1926 on the boulevard between Inlet Avenue and Wharf Road.  Construction work was done by Ron Whitaker and his cousin Edric Clayton.  The lumber was provided by the BC Fir and Cedar Company.  The pavilion was enlarged in 1937 and for 45 years contributed a great variety of services to the Sechelt community until fire destroyed the landmark on May 27, 1971. 

9. Site of the original family home of Bert Whitaker (now the Driftwood Inn & Pebbles Restaurant) - One of Sechelt’s pioneer families, Albert & Henrietta Whitaker, built Beach House about 1905/06.  The house contained 7 bedrooms.  The Union Steamship Company purchased the private home in 1926 and operated it as a hotel annex and later as the Sechelt Inn until 1952, when they sold the business to Florence “Manny” Duncan.  She managed the hotel successfully for a decade before a fire on July 20, 1963 rendered the building uninhabitable.  As a safety measure the firemen deliberately set a second fire the following year, reducing the inn to ashes.  The Driftwood Inn was built on the land around 1965.

10. Green Cottage (1 of 2 cottages built by Bert Whitaker still in existence) - Bert Whitaker also erected several cottages on the waterfront, prior to 1926, for the purpose of renting them to vacationing families from Vancouver.  Two of them are still in existence: Green Cottage, also know as Killarney Cottage and Kwitcherkicken (pronounced:  quit-your-kickin).

Snickett Park
11. Snickett Park – An English term meaning “little trail”.  Annie Whitely, an Englishwoman who lived near the park would occasionally look out her window and comment that someone was going “through the snickett”.

12. Rockledge Cottage (2 of 2 cottages built by Bert Whitaker still in existence) – This is the second of the two cottages, still in existence, that Bert Whitaker built on the waterfront, prior to 1926, for the purpose of renting them to vacationing families from Vancouver. 

13. Justice Building - Housing the Provincial Court House and the RCMP.  It was built in 2002/2003.  The building is home to “a coastal meadow in the sky” green roof.  The Lightweight extensive green roof will reduce storm-water runoff, mitigate the heat island effect and conserve water. 

14. St. Hilda’s Anglican Church and Pioneer Graveyard - On November 15, 1936 St. Hilda’s Anglican Church was dedicated by Archbishop Adam Urias DePencier.  The church was erected on property donated by Thomas John Cook, and is located on land that also served as Sechelt’s first cemetery.  Mr. Cook started the burial ground in January 1923 when 4-month-old Regnheld Evelyn Davidson died at Doriston and her parents had no alternative site available.

15. Rockwood Lodge - Opened for business on July 27, 1936 by William & Jessie Youngson.  The Youngsons where Scottish people who came to the village in 1926.  Jessie was a superlative cook as well as a skilful and enthusiastic gardener.  The meals she served and the beautiful landscaping she and Bill achieved attracted vacationers as well as hydro and highway crews, travelling salesmen and all manner of government officials.  Indeed Rockwood came to be known as “Government House” because of the politicians, school inspectors, assessors, police officers and the like who found a home away from home at the lodge.  The Youngsons ran Rockwood successfully for 10 years.  After that, it changed ownership 6 times between 1946 and 1980.

The building is now home to the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, Canada's longest running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers, featuring established literary stars and exciting, new voices... with opportunities for writers and readers to mingle amidst Rockwood's heritage gardens. 

16. Chatelech Elementary School  

17. Municipal Hall & Library - Built in 1996.

18. Cowrie Street – Originally known as “the back road”, became the centre of business and commerce when Highway 101 was paved in 1952.  For years, before Inlet and Trail Avenues were opened, people could only reach Cowrie by walking on a narrow plank sidewalk over the snake-infested bog behind the berm along Trail Bay.

19. Sechelt Shell Station - Frank French opened the first garage & Taxi Service in 1930.  The gas was hand pumped.  In July of 1957 Cliff Connor opened “Cliff’s Shell Service”, after taking over the station from Frank Solnik, and in 1961 Shell Oil spent $25,000 revamping the station.

Cowrie Street during the Annual Show & Shine
20. Cowrie Lane - Home of the jail, courthouse and police station in the 1950’s

21. Dentist Office - Built in 1930’s as a home and accommodation for visitors.  Called Glendalough, which was the home of Jack and Carrie Mayne.

22. Bank of Montreal Mural -  “Catch of the Day” circa 1912.  Used as advertising to attract tourists to the salmon fishing in the area. 

23. Cenotaph  

24.  Porpoise Bay Government Wharf  - Access to Sechelt in the early days of its development was almost exclusively by sea.  This meant that establishing a landing for sea traffic was instrumental in the community’s development.  The original government wharf at Porpoise Bay was constructed in 1923-24. The location of this wharf was basically the same as that of the present site. The government wharf superstructure was renewed in 1969.  The floats have been renewed or maintained on an “as required” basis.  The seaplane float was installed in 1965.  New floats for the wharf were put in place in July 1974, and were built on foam pontoons, which will presumably enjoy a much longer life than fibreglass pontoons or earlier wooden supports.
           
25. Lighthouse Pub & Odyssey Buildings - The Lighthouse tower, at 65’, is the highest structure in Sechelt.  The Lighthouse Pub and Odyssey buildings were purchased from Expo 86.  It may have been either the Bavarian Beer Gardens or the Munich Festhause.  Both were German style beer parlours.

26.  Poise Island - Sechelt natives buried their dead here a placed them in trees during the smallpox epidemic of 1862/63.  Until 1945 it was known as Skeleton Island, Dead Man’s Island and Cooks Island. 

Sechelt March Photo courtesy of Coracle Cove
27. Sechelt Duck March - Formerly known as “the bog”, high tide would often cover the road to Porpoise Bay.  The natural interaction of the fresh water from the marsh mixing in with the salt water from the ocean creates an environment attracting many different species of bird wildlife.      The Sechelt Marsh draws the attention of many birds to the area like woodpeckers, buffleheads, redwing blackbirds, swallows, Canada Geese, malards and many more water friendly birds.

28.  Sechelt Arts Centre -  In the late 1970’s the Sunshine Coast Art Council embarked on a community building project led by Clarke Steabner and funded through a job-training grant to teach log construction.  With donated labour, equipment, and supplies, including timber from their own property, Clarke and the others shaped and assembled the logs and erected the Sechelt Arts Centre, which opened in 1979.

Snickett Park Photo Courtesy of Coracle Cove Waterfront Suite





Monday 12 March 2012

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2012 on the Sunshine Coast!


Murphy's Lagh
St. Patrick's Day is almost here! It's time to go green, get jiggy and wish your loved ones good cheer and good luck.  Looking for some holiday fun? We have lots of things for you to do!


St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time -- a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic. 



1. St. Patrick's Day Dinner, Pender Harbour 
What better way to pay tribute to this Irish holiday then by indulging in a fabulous roast beef dinner complete with dessert at the Pender Harbour Legion.  Afterwards, enjoy the sounds of the fabulous fiddlers of Murphys Lagh — Damian, Shamma and Juno winner Moritz Behm.  All for $25 - Doors Open 5:30 - Wear Green - prizes may happen!

2. The Big Indoor Market, Sechelt 
Let the "Luck O the Irish" shine upon you at The Big Indoor Market at the Sechelt Legion.  You'll find a wide variety of wares from local artisans that make it, bake it, create it & grow it!  9:30am to 2pm

3. St. Patrick’s Day Fun – Go Green, Gibsons 
It's a bit o' the Irish.  Where ‘something’ green and bring your own tea cup to the Gibsons Public Library for an afternoon of good cheer.  Sit and sip a nice cup of Irish Tea while the Coast String Fiddlers and Sunshine Coast Arbutus Sounds Chorus serenade you.   1pm to 3pm  


4. McKinney’s Pub, Powell River
The McKinney’s Pub, located in the Rodmay Heritage Hotel, will have more than just green beer on St. Patrick’s Day.  Dress up in your best Irish attire, and head out for loads of fun, little green men and drink specials. 





5. St. Patrick's Night Irish Kitchen Party, Gibsons
If a St. Patty's Day dance party is what you seek, check out Kinsmen Hall in Dougall Park in Gibsons.  Enjoy an evening of Irish fun, jigs, reels and sing-alongs. Doors open at 7 p.m. with entertainment starting at 7:30. Tickets are $12, available from Laedeli in Sunnycrest Mall and Gaia’s Fair Trade, or reserve tickets by calling 604-989-3858.



6. Vegetables for our Climate, Sechelt
For those of you with a green thumb, definitely plan on attending 'Vegetables for our Climate' at the Sparling Pavilion at the Sunshine Coast Bontical Garden. Specialty vegetable grower, Elke Knechtel, will answer your questions and teach you how to select vegetables that thrive in our rainy, temperate climate. So come and hear her suggestions.  Seedlings will be available for sale.

Monday 5 March 2012

10 Family-Fun Activities | Experience Spring Break on the Sunshine Coast


Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre
Spring Break is fast approaching - do you know what you are going to do with the kids yet?  Why not pack up the family, head for the cottage and explore British Columbia’s beautiful Sunshine Coast.  Located only an hour from Vancouver but a world away from city crowds, the Sunshine Coast is a great place to reconnect and enjoy a vacation with the family.

10 family-friendly activities to do on the Sunshine Coast during Spring Break:

1. Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre
Nature lovers and families with children are well-advised to visit the Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre.  The centre houses a collection of displays and exhibits characterizing human interaction with the natural environment.  It specializes in family friendly activities and guided nature walks.




2. Dakota Ridge 
Snow can still be found up in the mountains where
Dakota Ridge Winter Recreation Area is the place to be.  12km of groomed cross country ski trails, 7km of snowshoe trails, and large areas for tobogganing and sledding.  Shuttles and equipment rentals are available.


3. Chapman Creek Fish Hatchery
For an affordable family fun activity, be sure to visit Chapman Creek Fish Hatchery
for a guided tour and kids fishing.  The education centre details the life cycle of salmon, and visitors can see the tiny fingerlings ready for release into Chapman Creek.


4. Guided Boat Tour
Get out on the water with a guided boat tour of Sechelt Inlet or Princess Louisa Inlet with Sunshine Coast Tours.  Experience some of the best sightseeing from the calm protected waters of the inlets.  Be sure to bring your camera as seals, bald eagles, great blue herons, and river otters can often be seen!


5. Family Trail Ride
E
njoy a relaxing family trail ride and take in the beautiful natural scenery by horseback. Tanglewood Farms is offering a March Break special of $25 per person including HST.  Call 613.392.8239 to book.


6. Bike Camp
R
egister your child for a Spring Break Bike Camp. Bike camps provide an excellent opportunity for your children to get together with other kids and
practice a variety of mountain biking skills, with a focus on safety and fun!   Click here for more information or to register

7. Aquatic Centre
Why not take the family to the Sechelt Aquatic Centre.  The centre features a shallow leisure pool with a lazy river, separate deep water lap pool, 250 foot waterslide, sauna, hot tub, steam room, fun water features (sprayers, tumbling buckets and water curtain), rope swing and diving board.
  If visiting Powell River, be sure to visit the Powell River Rec Complex with a 25 metre swimming pool and squirt water, slides and other fun features in the children's pool.
8. Feeding the Ducks at Sechelt Marsh
A perfect outing is taking the kids to feeds the ducks at the Sechelt Marsh.  Once a beaver pond, the marsh is now a small sanctuary and breeding ground for waterfowl. A pleasant, easy stroll around the marsh will give you a chance to view many species, including buffleheads, redwing blackbirds, Canada geese and friendly mallards.


9. Visit a Museum
Visit the Sunshine Coast Museum and learn about local maritime history, spanning from explorer Captain George Vancouver to the 19th-century Union Steamships. You can also admire a model Coast Salish village, pour over vintage logging equipment, and get your pop culture kicks from exhibits on the hit CBC TV series, The Beachcombers (filmed in Gibsons for 19 years). Housing 9,000-plus documents and photographs, the on-site archives are worth checking out too.
In Powell River, visit the Powell River Museum and learn about the history of the area.  Enjoy a guided tour and the children can participate in an exciting treasure hunt.

10. Hike in Cliff Gilker Regional Park 
Hike in Cliff Gilker Regional Park where you will discover a large growth Douglas Fir forest.  The trails will take you alongside Roberts Creek - where you'll criss-cross over the flowing water at various points on rustic wooden bridges.  The highlight of this hike is the waterfall.  With over 7 kms of scenic nature trails, a grassy playing field, children's play area and washroom facilities, this is a favourite spot for families.


No matter how you define your personal perfect getaway, the Sunshine Coast will exceed your expectations. BC’s Sunshine Coast is a stunning 40 minute mini-cruise from West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay Terminal or a pleasant sail from Comox on Vancouver Island.  The coastal communities of Gibsons, Roberts Creek, Davis Bay, Sechelt, Halfmoon Bay, Pender Harbour, Egmont, Powell River and Lund welcome you to come and explore.