Summer will soon be over, but there is still the opportunity to enjoy the last few days of sun, and revel in the culinary bounty this season brings. A short drive north of Victoria lays “The Warm Land”. The wineries and food producers of the Cowichan Valley have once again united to present the 8th annual Wine and Culinary Festival September 8th – 16th. Marsha, Wine Taster at Damali Winery The festival begins with a Grape Stomp at the … [Read more...]
Victoria Fringe Festival 2012 – my “local” picks
August 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I love the Victoria Fringe Festival! When my kids were growing up, I only attended the odd show here and there, but that all changed in 2006 when my second son moved away to take a job as a historical interpreter at the MacLean Mill in Port Alberni. Without two teenage boys to feed and house, there was suddenly disposable income. 2006 was the 20th anniversary of the Victoria Fringe, and I managed to see more shows that year than in all the … [Read more...]
Bilingual Tours of St Ann’s Academy Precinct Highlight Victoria’s Francophone Roots
August 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment
My first introduction to the Sisters of St Ann came as a young girl, visiting my grandparents near the Victoria–Esquimalt border. One of the Sisters’ properties (now the site of the Sea Gate Apartments) overlooked the water close to their house. Years later, when the downtown St Ann’s Academy fell into dis-use and was boarded up, we would go “scrumping” for apples in the orchards. And while the restoration of the Academy may have deprived us … [Read more...]
Movies Under the Stars in Victoria BC, summer of 2012
August 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Now that the weather has started to warm up, it’s time for another Victoria summer tradition – movies under the stars. New this year, in addition to the Free B Film Festival in Beacon Hill Park, and the drive-in movies at Mayfair, is Fresh Air Cinema in Topaz Park. If you live in Sooke, check out Sooke Starlight Cinema. Bring a picnic for dinner before the movie or pick up some “drive-in” snacks and enjoy an evening out. Some of the venues … [Read more...]
The Path by Impulse Theatre – a review
July 5, 2012 By 2 Comments
As the warm July day reaches a soft close and the sun heads slowly west, imbuing the air with golden light, we're gathered in the reception area of The English Inn, a period 1906 McClure mansion, prior to embarking on The Path, the newest site-specific interactive theatre experience from emerging Victoria company, Impulse Theatre. With drinks in hand, we follow our guide down the back stairs and into the magnificent gardens. She briefly … [Read more...]
BC Économusée® Launch at Hazelwood Herb Farm
July 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
The second Économusée® in British Columbia launched recently at Hazelwood Herb Farm, in North Oyster near the Nanaimo airport, and I was honoured to attend as an invited guest. A concept well established in Québec, the Atlantic Provinces and Northern Europe, Économusée® seeks to value artisanal producers and bring them to the attention of the larger population by providing a framework and network for development, publicity and promotion. An … [Read more...]
Theatre Skam’s Bike Ride 2012
July 2, 2012 By 2 Comments
Despite some rather soggy weather on the second weekend, Theatre SKAM’s fourth annual Bike Ride live outdoor theatre festival along the Galloping Goose trail attracted large and enthusiastic crowds of cycling theatre-lovers. Matthew Payne, one of the original founders of Theatre SKAM, based Bike Ride on a concept seen at HIVE in Vancouver where theatre-goers moved from space to space to view mini-plays and vignettes. He first experimented with … [Read more...]
Impulse Theatre presents The Path on the grounds of The English Inn
June 28, 2012 By 1 Comment
With summer comes the opportunity to enjoy theatre outdoors. This year a group of emerging artists, Impulse Theatre, has arranged with the venerable Victoria landmark, The English Inn, to perform their original work The Path on the stunning lawns of this historic McClure mansion. Formerly know as The Old England Inn and home to a replica of Anne Hathaway’s cottage, the site was an absolute must-visit for any tourist to Victoria in the 1980s … [Read more...]
A Summer of Theatre in Victoria BC 2012
June 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A wonderful summer of theatre awaits with productions by Theatre Inconnu and Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre underway. What do you plan to see from the shows outlined below? Will some skillful scheduling, I hope to take them all in! JUNE The Walworth Farce by Enda Walsh Theatre Inconnu June 1 – 16 It’s 11 o’clock in the morning in a council flat on the Walworth Road. In two hours’ time, as is normal, three Irish men will have consumed six … [Read more...]
BC Économusée® launch at Merridale Estate Cidery
June 2, 2012 By 1 Comment
In 1992 Cyril Simard, an architect and ethnologist from Québec, had an idea to promote and protect traditional artisanal methods and crafts. Thus was born the Economusée / Econumuseum® concept, a network of 65 enterprises in Québec, Atlantic Canada,Northern Europe, and now,British Columbia, with the opening of the Économusée / Économusuem® at Merridale Estate Cidery. An ECONOMUSÉE® is a craft or agri-foods business whose products are the … [Read more...]
