Victoria gardens are probably what we’re most famous for, even on the Saanich Peninsula. Our status as the Canada’s southernmost point (actually, that would be Point Pelee, in Ontario, 41°54′23″N, but we’re pretty sure we’re a lot warmer in winter!) means that, more than anywhere else in Canada, even Vancouver, Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula are home to Canada’s greatest floral displays.

While Butchart Gardens on the tip the Saanich Peninsula are world famous, there’s another “garden destination” closer to Victoria that attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year: Mattick’s Farm.

The towering Douglas Fir and cedar trees shelter moss beds and collections of ferns, while the arcades of the complex feature vibrant hanging baskets. Fountains are home to dragonflies and even the occasional frog. It’s a tranquil corner of Victoria that is a destination in and of itself.

Not only a shopping destination (its 15 shops are all locally-owned and all feature unique gifts and collectibles available nowhere else in Victoria), Mattick’s Farm is also home to a farmer’s market selling local produce, often grown on farms just up the road on the Saanich Peninsula. Besides pottery, crafts, BC wines and other “hyperlocal” products, Mattick’s farm celebrates the equestrian heritage of the Saanich Peninsula with high quality accessories for your horse and for horseback riding.

Mattick’s Farm, set in a wooded grove, also is home to the biggest and best mini-golf course in Victoria, and is also co-located with Cordova Bay Golf Course, which offers an 18-hole course and a shorter 9-hole course on top of a hill with majestic views of Mount Baker and Haro Strait. The golf course’s Bill Mattick’s Restaurant is named after the original owner of the property, “a one handed farmer and a notorious gambler.”

According to the excellent Sayward Hill blog:

By trade, Bill was a one-handed farmer, but the tales of his life are far more exciting than that title implies… He was a consummate showman, and stories still abound about the notorious poker games that were held on the property. Talk to anyone who has been in Victoria for long enough and they will tell you all about Bill’s fresh made donuts, the talking myna bird and the miniature train that were the hallmarks of Mattick’s Farm.

Read more about Bill here.

Getting back to the modern-day incarnation of the farm, here’s a list of the shops you can visit there today:

• Adrienne’s Tea Garden
• A Stable Way of Life
• Art Knapp Garden Centre
• Continental Kitchen
• Elephant Flowers
• Homebody Interiors & Designs
• Lady Bug Boutique
• Mattick’s Farm Mini Golf
• Paper Chain
• Pure Day Spa
• Sunday’s Snowflakes
• The Gallery
• The Red Barn Market
• The Country Gift Shoppe
• Toying Around
• VQA Wine Shop

Mattick’s Farm is located at 5325 Cordova Bay Road, about 3 minutes east of Sayward Junction on Highway 17. It’s great place to view Victoria gardens.

It’s no surprise to those of us here at our “Victoria airport hotel” – the Cedarwood – that YYJ has been rated as one of the top ten most loved airports in the worl by CNN.

While airports as a rule get little love, arriving at YYJ here is really something special. In fact, the awesomeness begins before you even touch down. For one thing, the flight path to YYJ lies either over the ocean and Haro Strait to the east of Sidney, or the rugged Malahat mountains to the west of the Saanich Peninsula, across Saanich Inlet.

As a result, you’re either looking out your window at magnificent ocean visits or misty mountains peaks. Below there is rolling farmland, and then Sidney itself.

Step off the plane and the first thing you’ll encounter is the smell of trees (the native Douglas Fir is a variety of spruce). The airport itself is big and spacious, in true West Coast style, and everything is close at hand, be it where you retrieve your luggage to the taxis or rental cars that will get you into Sidney (and the Cedarwood Hotel).

On departure, there’s never much of a wait to get checked in, and, if you’re connecting to a long-haul flight in Vancouver, YYJ will actually help save you time, as you’ll be able to check in to your connecting flight ahead of the crowd in Vancouver, and you may even nab a good seat on the plane.

The exterior layout of YYJ is also great. It’s quite close to Sidney, there isn’t a lot of traffic, and parking is dirt cheap, and located quite close to the terminal. This is in sharp contrast to the old days when travelers would have to park their car along the side of the road, and run in to catch their flight.

The airport itself is set amongst rolling farmland. A dairy neighbours the farm, and grazing Jersey cows often line the approach the airport. For most of us, it’s wonderful welcome home to Sidney.

The Cedarwood Inn and Suites is a Victoria airport hotel.

It’s no surprise: our Sidney hotel is close to nature. Many of our guest rooms have views of the San Juan Islands, and we’re just across the street from a beach that is frequently host to bald eagles, seals, river otters, and the occasional pod of killer whales.

We’re right on the Pacific Flyway, which is essentially the major transportation route up the Pacific coast of North America for migratory birds. The Brandt geese have just passed by on their way to Alaska, and a number of wigeons, cooters, and other ducks are wandering around Sidney. It’s a paradise here for anyone who loves nature.

Even as the human population in the region has grown, over the past 40 or 50 years the number of animals here have increased. It might actually be more accurate to say that animal populations are “recovering”, because, until the late 1960s, many animals, such as whales, seals and sea lions, were actively hunted on the Pacific coast of Canada.

This Times Colonist (a local paper) article reports that the Salish Sea stirs with new life as mammals make a comeback, thanks largely to enlightened laws since about 1970 that have restricted hunting of large aquatic mammals.

The harbour seal population has rebounded, as have sea lion populations, and notably the population of large whales including grey whales and even humpback and fin whales – fin whales are the largest whales after blue whales (which are also reported to be returning to British Columbia’s waters).

What does this all mean for our guests?

It’s really easy to get up close and personal with wildlife, right from our hotel. There are guided tours available, but what many of our guests prefer to do, especially in the summer months when the local waters are calmer, is to take out a kayak to explore the myriad islands just off the coast. Nearly all of the islands off of Sidney are home to a colony of some kind of marine mammal, and by kayaking (people usually launch their kayaks right in front of our hotel, just off Lochside), you can get a great view of wonderful wildlife.

The Cedarwood Inn and Suites is a Sidney hotel

Not Your Grandmother’s Quilts – The Sidney Sew ‘n Sews

(An Exhibit at The Sidney Museum and Archives)

Sidney By-The-Sea has a very interesting Historical Museumoperated by the Society of Saanich Peninsula Museums and is devoted to the history of the early lives of Sidney and North Saanich pioneers, portrayed through photographs and artifacts.

2423 Beacon Avenue
Open Daily 10:00 – 4:00
Runs April 1st – 30th

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre

“Bite Me”
New Exhibit
runs until June 17

The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is an aquarium and marine education centre focused on the amazing ecosystem of the Salish Sea.

Peninsula Newcomers Luncheon

Haro’s Restaurant

For those who have just moved to the Peninsula.

April 12, 11:30 – 2:00

Salish Sea Senior Sessions

Come down and learn about the fantastic ecosystem that surrounds and sustains us.

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
Every Thursday, 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Pacific Brant Carving and Art Show

Each spring the Pacific Brants return to Sidney, on their way north. Come celebrate the majesty of these graceful birds by enjoying the beautiful carving and art.

Mary Winspear Centre
April 14 & 15, 10:00 – 5:00

‘Children Count’ – An Early Childhood Resource Fair

A great opportunity for parents to gather information on local services offered around the Peninsula for children 0-6 years to have fun. Enjoy face painting, story time, arts and crafts, bouncy castle and lots more. Sponsored by Peninsula Connections for Early Childhood.

Brentwood Elementary School
April 14, 10:00 – 1:00

Emily Carr & Victoria – Growing Up Together

Peek into Emily Carr’s younger years in a Fringe play headed for the Charlie White Theatre.

Charlie White Theatre
April 14, 7:30 pm; April 15, 2:00 pm
Peninsula Business Women – Monthly Meeting

Please contact Pauline at simplysolutions@shaw.ca for more information

Mary Winspear Centre
April 17, 11:30 – 1:00

Saanich Peninsula Toastmasters Public Speaking Group

Learn how to make friends and influence people with rhetorical skill.

Sidney/North Saanich Library
Every Tuesday, 7:30 – 9:30 pm

Sidney Concert Band Fundraiser

Help the band tour the world by attending this entertaining fundraiser.

Peace Lutheran Church
April 15, 2:00 pm

Check out the MyPeninsula.ca online calendar for even more events.

We’ve said it before: stay at the Cedar and explore Victoria’s 13,000 hectares of natural areas, 33 regional parks, and 20+ local provincial parks. But if you count all the golf courses near Victoria (there are 18), well, you have the ability to set up a  vacation devoted entirely to strolling around the links.

There are 3 golf courses on the Saanich Peninsula: Ardmore Golf Course, Glen Meadows Golf & Country Club and Cordova Bay Golf Course. Ardmore is a 9-hole, semi-private golf course located just off Saanich Inlet, close to Victoria Airport, and about 5 minutes by car from the Cedarwood. It’s a great place to start your golf vacation.

Glen Meadows is an 18-hole semi-private course, once again located about 5 minutes by car from the Cedarwood, along McTavish Road, which bisects the Saanich Peninsula. It has hosted the BC Open, the World Left Handers Tournament, and the North American Indigenous games. The Canadian Tour has also qualified at Glen Meadows several times.

Cordova Bay Golf Course is a real beauty, and features 27 holes across 2 different courses. It’s located about 15 minutes by car from the Cedarwood, towards Victoria, and is nestled between the forested seaside community of Cordova Bay, and gentle, rolling countryside of the Saanich Peninsula known for horse training. The tall hedges of the country roads surrounding the golf course bring to mind rural England or even France.

Other notable (that is to say, incredible) golf courses near the Cedarwood include Bear Mountain, Uplands, and the Royal Victoria golf clubs. Uplands and Royal Victoria are truly world class golf courses, with a long waiting list for memberships, so it may take some work to set up a tee time on these courses.

On the other hand, Bear Mountain offers a true golfing experience. Canada’s only 36 holes of Nicklaus Design golf, Bear Mountain sits atop a mountain overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the magnificent Olympic Mountain range to the south in Washington State. The golf course offers a number of specials, and the golf course itself is part of a resort, so it’s a great place to enjoy spa treatments or fine dining.

It’s nowhere near the water, however, so you’ll definitely want to head back to the Cedarwood for an evening walk along the beach – right in front of our hotel.

Leave a comment if you want more information about golf courses near Victoria.

Photo courtesy Craigdarroch Castle

Looking for things to do near Victoria over spring break? Here is a brief selection of activities focusing on the outdoors, gardens, children, culture and history. For a more detailed list, check out Tourism Victoria’s Events Calendar for March 2012.

March Break at Craigdarroch Castle
Craigdarroch Castle is offering a great selection March break programs for elementary school children, teens and young adults. Designed to bring history to life, sessions are divided into age ranges in order to target appropriate themes and topics. For elementary students, weekday classes will feature a guided I-spy tour of the Castle, a Victorian-style craft activity, snack and indoor/outdoor games. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are for ages 8-11. Tuesdays and Thursdays are for ages 5-7. $25 for 2.5 hours. (9:30 AM to noon.) Pre-registration and payment is required. Drop off starts at 9:20 and pickup is at noon. Parents are encouraged to register quickly, as each class will be limited to just 12 lucky children.

For teens and young adults, a series of vintage craft workshops will tie into our ongoing Vintage Craft series for adults. Featuring a range of crafts that would have been popular during the Dunsmuir’s time, these workshops have been updated to modern styles and sensibilities.The full schedule of events can be found at www.thecastle.ca under the ‘events and programs’ section.

When: Mar 12, 2012 – Mar 23, 2012
Where: Craigdarroch Castle (downtown Victoria)

Saanich Trails and Treks: Sunday Hikes
Sunday Hikes are a great way to meet people and get exercise. For the ‘Glendale Lands’ Sunday Hike, meet in the parking lot by the mail entrance to Vancouver Island Technology Park, at the end of Markham. Although these hikes follow mainly chip trails and pavement there may be some rough or steep sections. Please wear sturdy and supportive footwear. For program details call 250-475-5408.

Ballet Victoria presents: The Four Seasons ‘Vivaldi West Coast Style’
Musical guest – Ensemble Diemecke. Live music, poetry and painting – west coast style. Vivaldi’s score drives new and exciting choreography. A majestic medley for the senses is guaranteed to recharge your soul.

When: Mar 16, 2012 – Mar 17, 2012 7:30 PM Mar 18, 2012 2:00 PM
Where: McPherson Playhouse, 3 Centennial Square, Victoria BC

Rock and Gem Show
Gem, Mineral and Rock Dealers from across Canada gather for the Victoria Lapidary and Mineral Society’s annual Rock and Gem Show. Enjoy activities for the whole family including prizes, lapidary demonstrations and gold panning.
Adults $5.00;
Seniors/Students $4.00;
Family of 4 (2 Adults Maximum) $12.00;
Show Pass $10.00;
Children under the age of 5 free admission with an Adult.
Price: $4.00 to $5.00

When: Mar 16 to Mar 18, 2012
Where: Leonardo da Vinci Center, 195 Bay St, Victoria, BC

UWC Pearson College presents: One World 2012
Each year the international students of UWC Pearson College in Victoria share the music and dance of their homelands through their performance of the One World Concert. Come and enjoy the exciting songs and dances of our global cultures.

When: Mar 17, 2012 (2 PM and 8 PM)
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street, Victoria BC

The Butchart Gardens Spring Prelude Indoor Garden
Come enjoy temperate early spring weather, the perfect time of year to see the background shrubs and trees of summer standing out more prominently in the various gardens. Take a look at the ‘What to See’ plant guide – you’ll be surprised what grows in a temperate winter climate.

When: Jan 15, 2012 – Mar 31, 2012
Where: Butchart Gardens

Stephanie, from Saltspring's wonderful Full Cycle Tours

Full Cycle Tours offers a variety of Vancouver Island bicycle tours starting with short day trip to 4-day tours. Most of the tours will be guided though we have some self guided tours available on Salt Spring Island and one tour on Vancouver Island. All tours with the exception of one is great for newcomer to cycling. Many of these tours include a support minivan to give you and your bikes rides to a good starting point and to transport your luggage. Rental bikes are included but of course people can use their own bike.

Vancouver Island Bicycle Tours

1 day  tours starting in Victoria
Guided or self guided Trans Canada Trail ( TCT) with the Kinsol Trestle, which is one of the tallest free- standing and most spectacular timber rail trestle structures in the world. Have a delicious  home made picnic lunch along the way. Get transported to the Sooke Potholes and cycle with your guide back to Victoria.

2 day tours starting in Victoria
Shawnigan Lake is the starting point for cycling, Kinsol Trestle on the Trans Canada Trail / night in Cowichan Lake/ back via the Maple Bay, Malahat and the Galloping Goose trail. This trip is a perfect introduction to cycle touring: we will carry our own luggage, which won’t be much since we stay in an Inn in Sidney. We start at the Galloping Goose Trail, head to Prospect Lake and Butchard Gardens, cycle to Sidney for the night, back on the Lochside Trail, visit a Cidery for lunch and a tasting and make our way back to Victoria.

4 day tours starting in Victoria
This tour starts in Shawnigan Lake with the TCT, Kinsol Trestle, Cowichan Lake for the night, a transfer toward Port Renfrew where we stay for 2 nights., cycle the best parts of this trip, visit Canada’s largest Spruce tree, huge maples and fir trees. We cycle to a world famous ancient forest and to the Juan de Fuca Marine Park to the Botanical Beach, where you see uniquely rich tide pools and shoreline trails with fantastic geological feature.  Get a ride out of Port Renfrew and cycle the best parts along the west coast with breaks at Sombrio and China Beach and. Swim at the Sooke Potholes, cycle on the Galloping Goose Trail.

1 day tours on Salt Spring Island, these are guided tours with :

• cycle to and hike around and up to Mt. maxwell, Salt Spring Islands most prominent mountain
• cycle to Mt. Erskin for a sunset hike with great views ( this is the only one that doesn’t have food included)
• cycle to Ruckle Provincial Park and walk along a beautiful coastline, see a most amazing Campsite

Bicycle Workshops

Workshop style 4 days on Salt Spring Island -Learn to prepare and build your own cycle tour.

Every day you get valuable information, you learn about how to route out your tour, get help with decision making about bike and equipment and how to take care of it. You learn what and how to pack, how to prepare your bike and yourself for a small or big journey. We cycle every day, you learn what to pay attention to when riding with weight.

The goal of this workshop is for you to confidently plan out a bike trip, 2 days or 2 years. And of course to exercise, eat well and have a great time on Salt Spring Island with like minded people.

There might be 2 dates for this workshop:

July 29 – August 1 and September 23 – 26 ( Sunday to Wednesday)

Prices

Prices will be available on the website, but generally the prices go from 60$ for self-guided tours on Salt Spring Island, $70,- to $120,- for 1 day tours on Salt Spring Island to $1280,- for a 4-day guided tour on Vancouver Island. These prices include taxes, bike rentals, all accommodations and meals.

If you want to get more information please send me an email:

fullcycletours@gmail.com or phone at 250-537-1721

Please fee free to check out my blog from my last bike tour in the US:

stephsbiketour.blogspot.com

My website is being set up right now, so it is not yet online, but coming soon!

About Stephanie:

My name is Stephanie Artz, I am originally from Germany and have lived in Canada for the last 10 years.

One of Sidney and the Saanich Peninsula’s charms is that it truly is a close-knit community that cares, and this was on display this past weekend at the Hearts of the Comunity Volunteer Awards. Hosted each year by Beacon Community Services, the awards provide recognition to the dozens and dozens of volunteers who help make Sidney such a wonderful place to live.

While the Peninsula News Review has devoted almost an entire issue to telling the stories of the folks who won awards this year (and Beacon Community Services also provides the names of runners-up, plus recipients from past years), we thought we would do a little blog post to let other around the world know more about the great people that make up our community. So, here is a little more about the winners of this year’s awards:

Roberta Hower accepted the community service by a group award on behalf of 63 volunteer drivers of Beacon Community Services. The drivers offer door-to-door service for people not easily able to get to doctor appointments, do banking or go shopping, or just enjoy Sidney’s great natural surroundings.

The team of volunteers who organize the Sendial service through Thrifty Foods received the service to seniors award. The Sendial team receives more than 100 orders a week for groceries. Often family members set clients up – whether they are in assisted living or their own homes – with the program that costs $5 added to the grocery bill. Thrifty’s drivers who make the deliveries will often put away the heavy stuff like kitty litter. That’s just one way the Thrifty’s staff help aid the Sendial program.

Lori Orr received the award for service to children and families. Lori has done everything from organizing support for parents of the first quadruplets born on Vancouver Island (the family resides in Sidney), to organizing a fundraiser for a sick toddler. “I believe in holding the door … look somebody in the eye and say hi. You could totally change somebody’s day,” she says.

Kaley Ram, a student at Parkland secondary school, received a trophy and the $1,000 Ardena Simpson scholarship as part of winning the outstanding youth volunteer award. Through her work with student council, as co-chair, she’s helped run spirit assemblies, benefits and fundraisers. It’s a trait she started just down McDonald Park Road at North Saanich middle school.

The overall service to the community award winner is Judy Beinder.

Judy Beinder holds her eight-year volunteer position with Sidney Sendial program at Thrifty Foods, she’s done voluntary peer counselling for five years, and three year stints with Best Babies and Woodwynn Farm. She offered her home for a garage sale to raise funds for scholarships through the Canadian Federation of University Women Saanich Peninsula and served as president for the group for two years.

Finally, Jeannette Hughes was honoured with the lifetime service award for decades of volunteering on the Saanich Peninsula despite living with multiple sclerosis. Hughes has volunteered tirelessly to help make Sidney more accessible to people living with disabilities, and one of her proudest accomplishments has been to make Sidney sidewalks and curbs easier to navigate for people living with disability issues.

So you’ve decided to spend the winter in Sidney BC, and you’re looking forward to a visit from you grandkids during Spring Break. Luckily, there are plenty of spring break activities near Sidney and the Cedarwood Inn. Exploring Glass Beach and fishing off Sidney Pier at the foot of Beacon Avenue are popular things to do with kids, and even on rainy days Sidney does not disappoint, thanks to a charming and very popular bowling alley and one of the best independent theatres on Vancouver Island.

But one destination for kids (of all ages!) on the Saanich Peninsula deserves a special mention: Victoria Butterfly Gardens!

Located on the way to world-famous Butchart Gardens, Victoria Butterfly Gardens is an amazing place, and is home to 75 species of butterflies. It’s also humid and warm, and the tropical plants can provide a brief respite to the (relatively) cold days that can suddenly make an appearance even in late March.

Butterfly Gardens is interesting as it provides an in-depth look at the biology of the butterfly lifecycle – the tour begins with a look at the “emerging” room, where butterfly pupae transform into mature adults, and moves on to an indoor garden of beautiful tropical plants that support these wonderful creatures.

There are 3000 butterflies that reside at the Gardens, and they’re kept company by variety of birds and fish, including flamingos, Japanese koi, and even an ibis. It’s a wonderful place to spend a few hours with children on one of the rainy days that characterize spring in Victoria (but it’s a light rain that is often followed by beautiful cherry blossoms!)

The gardens themselves are yet another attraction on the Saanich Peninsula, an area that is already famous for its botanical heritage. There are 200 species of orchids, thousands of tropical plants are featured, including foods of the world and carnivorous plant displays. This carefully planned combination of trees, bushes, vines and creepers is a balanced eco-system that flourishes without the use of herbicides and pesticides.

In case your kids decide to pepper you with questions about the anatomy of the butterfly (and they *will* ask you about the feeding habits of the Apefly (Spalgis epius) an actual carnivorous butterfly found across Southeast Asia, but, thankfully, not at the butterfly gardens), there are guided tours that run at 11am, 1pm and 3pm daily. These tours are a great way to learn about many of the wonderful but less obvious features of the gardens.

So, if you’re looking for Spring Break activities near Sidney, Butterfly Gardens is the place to be.

If you’re already starting plan your next big summer adventure, you might consider kayaking the San Juan Islands, and using the Cedarwood Inn and Suites as your home base – we’re more than just a Victoria airport hotel.

Why kayak the San Juan Islands? The islands are a beautiful, tranquil part of America that really represents a different way of life. It’s a nautical culture that is centered around boats and other marine craft. The summers are warm, and, thanks to a “rain shadow” provided by the Olympic Mountains, the summertime is warm and dry, perfect for camping (although there are many bed and breakfasts located throughout the islands) and paddling.

There are 172 islands in San Juan County, however the four ferry served Islands; San Juan Island (with the county seat Friday Harbor), Orcas Island, Lopez Island and Shaw Island are the most populous and feature the largest number of hotels and other places to stay.

So, it’s possible to kayak from town to town in the San Juans. You can rent a kayak when you arrive, or bring your own. And the things to see! There is one “resident pod” of killer whales that reside in the region, plus harbor seals, sea lions, elephant seals, porpoises, as well as a large number of resident bald eagles.

Summer is salmon fishing time as well (these salmon are the prime attraction for many of the larger species of wildlife), so you can look forward to excellent seafood, and, if you’re lucky, excellent fishing.

And if you’re looking for something to do, the official tourism website Visit San Juan Islands says:

In the San Juan Islands, you’ll find it’s less a question of where’s a park than of where isn’t a park. From the 5,252 acres of Moran State Park on Orcas to the national historical parks of American and English Camps on San Juan to Shaw’s secluded campsites by the beach to the variety of shoreside parks on Lopez, the islands’ parks offer you unspoiled natural beauty and diversity. Camp . . . watch whales . . . walk the beaches . . . step back into history . . . hike . . . enjoy.

It’s a fantastic place. But what’s the Sidney connection?

What’s the Sidney connection?

First of all, Sidney and the Cedarwood are located just across Haro Strait from San Juan Island, and we’re about 20 kilometers from Friday Harbour. It’s not necessary to cross Haro Strait to reach the San Juans. Instead, you can hop from island to island on the Canadian side of the line, heading for James Island or Sidney Spit, and then across to San Juan Island, avoiding more relatively open stretches of water.

Sidney is also close to YYJ, an international airport (we like to bill ourselves as a “Sidney airport hotel”), so you can fly in, stay overnight at the Cedarwood to get set up, and rent kayaks right in town.

As well, the Cedarwood is located just across the street from the Anacortes ferry terminal. So, it’s possible to drive up to Anacortes, near Bellingham, hop on the ferry, and get off in Sidney. Retrace your ferry route by kayak (since Friday Harbor is so close it may be a little more convenient than starting your kayaking trip in Anacortes.

But whatever you do when kayaking the San Juan Islands, be sure to make Sidney part of your travel itinerary, and try out the Cedarwood – we’re much more than a Victoria airport hotel.