Story Ideas from Tourism British Columbia
Here is a captivating collection of Fresh Story Ideas from
Tourism British Columbia.
Vancouver Island: Dive Into Deep Bay Marine Field Station: If
the mussels, clams, oysters and crabs of Baynes Sound could talk, they
would tell a story that spans 400 million years. They would
spin a yarn about Vancouver Island's original human population — the
innovative First Nations people who relied on them for food. They would
tell tales about what it takes to keep the ecosystem clean — a key task
for shellfish, which are essentially the self-powered filters of sea.
And
they would undoubtedly discuss the precarious future of the environment,
and shellfish's relationship to it. But since these miraculous marine
creatures cannot speak, Vancouver Island University's new, multi-million
dollar Deep Bay Marine Field Station is encouraging others to speak for
them. The
Station, near Qualicum Beach, is a stunning clamshell-shaped structure
that gazes over the waters of Baynes Sound; it is an architectural
triumph, honoured with a 2011 National Green Buildings Award.
At this facility, aquaculture research is treated the same way
land-based agricultural
field research has been done for years. The building also functions as a
marine science museum with huge aquariums up to nine-metres (30-feet)
long, jellyfish tank, touch-tanks and skeleton of a ten-metre (32 foot)
grey whale. Here, children and adults can plunge — educationally
speaking
— into the world beneath the ocean and explore the marine life the
planet depends on. www.viu.ca/deepbay
To read more story ideas from the Vancouver Island region, visit www.hellobc.com/vancouverislandmedia.
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast: No Worries at Nimpo Lake Resort:
A tiny community in BC's wild West Chilcotin boasts a beautiful lake
ripe with big opportunity for outdoor adventure. Perched on the
doorstep of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Nimpo Lake Resort is the ideal
jumping off point for wilderness experiences and exploration. Five cosy
cabins set on or near Nimpo Lake are the perfect place to retreat from
the chaos of the "real world" and relax. The linens, bedding, towels,
firewood and
the unspoilt beauty around you are all part of the package. So remote is
Nimpo Lake that this area is often called The Floatplane Capital of BC,
as much of the region beyond the resort is inaccessible by road. A
flight-seeing trip high above Hunlen Falls (Canada's third-longest
freefalling
waterfall) and the pristine icefields of the Rainbow and Monarch
Mountains is an experience that won't soon be forgotten. But there is as
much to explore on foot, mountain bikes, ATVs and all manner of boats,
and since the area is home to an abundance of wildlife including bears,
caribou, mountain
goats, eagles and moose, it's wise never to go out without a camera and
binoculars. Solitude, jaw-dropping vistas and pristine wilderness are
reason enough to explore this unsung corner of BC, but the trout and
fly-fishing are definitely another, with Nimpo Lake offering up natural
rainbow trout up
to five pounds (2.3 kilograms). With no cell phone service and limited
wireless Internet access, there's no better place to pull up a chair on
the dock, sit back and say goodbye to any worries. www.nimpolakeresort.com
To read more story ideas from the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region, visit www.hellobc.com/cccbcmedia.
Thompson Okanagan: The Big Buzz About Arlo's Honey Farm:
There's been a lot of buzz in culinary circles about bees lately, and
with a membership of over 30 beekeepers in the BC Honey Producers
Association, Kelowna is no stranger to apiaries. Take Helen Kennedy from
Arlo's Honey Farm, for example. Lovely, energetic and passionate about
beekeeping, Kennedy treats her bees like members of the family — and
perhaps the bees acknowledge that love by producing a honey that has
been
recognized as the "Best Honey In BC." Kennedy doesn't just raise bees,
she also celebrates them through National Day of the Honey Bee. An event
that Kennedy conceived a year ago at her 46-hectare (114-acre) farm in
southeast Kelowna, the day sees neighbouring farms and beekeepers come
together to
display their products, offer honey tasting and treats, and bee farm
tours, which truly makes the area a hive of activity for one day every
year. www.arloshoneyfarm.com
To read more story ideas from the Thompson Okanagan region, visit www.hellobc.com/totamedia.
Kootenay Rockies: Finding Fun This Summer is as Easy as Riding a Bike:
The Kootenay Rockies region is known for its steep-and-deep skiing, and
rightly so. But the mountains that offer such adventure
each winter become an entirely different playground in the summer, and
discovering summer fun can be as easy as riding a bike — literally.
People head to Kicking Horse Resort Bike Park for something new, and
they get it. The highest of all Canadian bike parks, it boasts vistas of
three mountain ranges and the wetlands of the Columbia Valley from the
top, and from there it's all downhill — in the best way. You might even
peek a
Boo: Boo is the resident grizzly bear at Kicking Horse's protected
grizzly bear habitat, the world's largest.
The bike park at Panorama Mountain Village is accessed by a high-speed
chair lift from Thursday to Sunday all summer long, with downhill trails
for every level of rider. With mountain bike lessons, rentals and
cross-country trails, the mountain is perfect for family fun. Great
golfing, rappelling
and a Kids Adventure Camp also on offer, Panorama clearly understands
that a memorable family holiday doesn't necessitate spending every
waking minute together.
Another incredible mountain, Fernie Alpine Resort, boasts the largest
mountain bike park in the Rocky Mountains. But the resort's new Aerial
Playground & Rippin' Zipline is also taking visitors by storm. An
exhilarating leap of faith is all it takes as you zip through a rope
course 18 metres (60
feet) above the ground — then there's the suspended, gravity-defying
climbing walls, walk-the-plank and high-wire acts, which also get the
heart rate up.
Need a day off the adrenaline high? All three resorts also offer scenic hiking trails and great food, good for all ages. www.skifernie.com; www.kickinghorseresort.com; www.panoramaresort.com
To read more story ideas from the Kootenay Rockies region, visit www.hellobc.com/krbcmedia.
Northern BC: Get a Big Nature Experience at Haida House:
Magical and mysterious, Northern BC's Haida Gwaii is a place of
pristine natural beauty known for its wildlife, hiking, art, surfing
and historic and contemporary First Nations culture — plus the Haida
House at Tllaal. Perched on the edge of Graham Island between the
community of Masset in the north and Queen Charlotte in the south, the
Haida House gazes upon both the Tlell River and the rugged shores of the
Hecate Strait.
A 2,400 square-metre (8,000 square-foot) post-and-beam cedar lodge on a
2.8-hectare (seven-acre) wooded property, the House is the perfect place
for visitors to tuck comfortably into the grandeur of the landscape and
unwind. Take an excursion led by a Haida cultural ambassador — who will
impart the stories of the Haida people in the way of ancient oral
tradition. Explore the ever-changing dining menu at the on-site gourmet
restaurant, which specializes in fresh seafood from the region and local
seasonal vegetables, and be sure to ask about trying traditional Haida
foods. Most
people come for a few days; many wish they could stay forever. www.haidahouse.com
To read more story ideas from the Northern British Columbia region, visit www.hellobc.com/northernbcmedia.
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains: Thrill-seekers Take to the Whitewater at Sunwolf:
Near Squamish, Sunwolf resort is the perfect place to discover why the
area deserves its moniker the outdoor
recreation capital of Canada — and you won't have to do much digging to
get to the bottom of it once you're there. While Sunwolf offers
kayaking, fishing and flight-seeing tours, whitewater rafting is
arguably where it really makes its mark, as thrill-seekers from young
kids to retirees
discover between May and September each year. Looking to get your heart
rate up? Power your way through spectacular scenery in nearly continuous
whitewater on a rafting tour down the Elaho River, which includes a
gourmet salmon barbecue on a private beach. Want a slower pace? The
Cheakamus River
Family Float is more scenic than scary as you float along crystal clear
water through Paradise Valley, watching for black bear, cougar, deer and
coyote. Just 70 minutes from Vancouver, the tidy, riverside cabins with
hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and gas fireplaces make for the
perfect
overnight stop. Just be sure not to miss Sunwolf's Fergie's Café, where
Chef Pixie's homemade sausage and BBQ packs are fast becoming the stuff
of legend. www.sunwolf.net
To read more story ideas from the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region, visit www.hellobc.com/vcmbcmedia.
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