THE SAANICH PENINSULA 2024 EXPERIENCE GUIDE
Therearesomanythingstoseeanddoin CentralSaanich-younameit,it’shere!
Publisher
PUBLISHER
Sue Hodgson sue.hodgson@blackpress.ca
ADVERTISING
Josie Hadley
Dive into pages of our vibrant magazine as we unveil 51 Things waiting to be explored. From seaside strolls to mountain hikes, farm to table delights to cultural gems, each page bursts with excitement. Let your wanderlust soar as you uncover hidden gems, tantalizing tastes and unforgettable moments around every corner. Whether you’re a local seeking new thrills or a visitor eager to discover the essence of the Peninsula this magazine is your passport to fun and discovery.
Multimedia Marketing Consultant
Josie Hadley
EDITORIAL
Samantha Duerksen
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Tammy Robinson
1
APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS
Did you know the best time to see spring flowers is between the start of April and the first week of May? It’s when Butchart Gardens blooming season is at its peak, picturesque with about 300,000 brilliantly coloured bulbs. For info on special events at the garden, such as the Easter Bunny Hunt, visit butchartgardens.com/spring.
2 SPECTACULAR SUMMER
VISIT THE ICONIC SIDNEY STREET MARKET
Saturday evenings at the Butchart Gardens in July and August, bring a blanket or lawn chair to enjoy a world-class firework show included with admission. Along with the fireworks, there will be original aerial and ground displays choreographed to music and designed by Jennie Butchart’s great-grandson Christopher Ross. Please note: the fireworks are dependent on environmental conditions based on consultations with Central Saanich Fire Department 3
This street market is a one-stopshop for a variety of local and regional growers, producers, artists, musicians and creators. The market’s evening hours, running 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evenings, June to September, make it a great after-work or hangout destination with shopping, live entertainment, and plenty of food options.
4 ONE CHARCUTERIE TO GO, PLEASE ONE CHARCUTERIE
Pick up a charcuterie box or meat and cheese platter from The Farmer’s Daughter or grab some deli sandwiches from one of these stand-out, locally owned Sidney shops:
O Lugar Artisan Butchery & European Deli (2031 Malaview Ave.) Starke’s Deli & Sausage Factory (10055 McDonald Park Rd.) Then head out for a picnic.
PICNIC WITH A VIEW
Walk the 0.6 km loop through old-growth woods in John Dean Provincial Park (North Saanich) to get to the spectacular viewpoint at Pickles’ Bluff. Or, try Island View Beach which has picnic shelters and an expansive beach. If you don’t mind grabbing the Sidney Spit Ferry, you can hit the famous sandbar at Sidney Spit Marine Park.
6 MAKE A WHALE OF A TALE MAKE A WHALE A TALE
Don’t take the Salish Sea for granted. With Sidney Whale Watching, you have the chance to see incredible sights like orcas, humpack whales, grey whales, minke whales, porpoises and more. Choose from either a 3-hour whale watching tour from March to October, or a Taste of Saltspring tour, for a day of wine and cheese tasting mixed with a wildlife cruise. Sidneywhalewatching.com
7 SEA SCHOOL FOR KIDS
Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea offers two summer camps for kids who love learning about marine animals. The Barnacle Buddies Camp lets ages 4-6 explore local beaches and the aquarium. Salish Sea School Camps, for grades 1-5, include a week of activities on Sidney area beaches and within Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. Camps run July and August. salishseacentre.org/summer-camps
VICTORIA BUTTERFLY GARDENS
8
In Brentwood Bay, stroll through lush gardens with butterflies, poison dart frogs, tortoises, flamingos, tropical birds and more! butterflygardens.com
9 MOM, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU THIS ONE’S FOR YOU
Treat the mother figure in your life with a day to remember. Victoria Butterfly Gardens hosts their Mother’s Day Flowers event on May 12, where people can plant a sunflower with mom, and moms get in free. butterflygardens.com
10 TAKE DAD TO A FAIR
Summer Fair at Heritage Acres is a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to check out train rides, tractor tours, entertainment, demos, refreshments and loads of other fun. The fair takes place June 15 & 16 - Father’s Day. heritageacresbc.com
11 CAMP ON ON THE BEACH
Island View Beach Regional Park is prime for campers, offering a self-contained RV and tent campground with beachfront views and 51 hectares of conservation area. It operates seasonally from Victoria Day long weekend in May to Labour Day long weekend in September. Reserve a spot at crd.bc.ca/parks-recreation-culture/parks-trails/ find-park-trail/island-view-beach
12
HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES?
Drop by Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse (seacider.ca), which has a beautiful view of the Haro Straight, Mount Baker and over 1,300 apple trees. Further north, Victoria Cider Co. (victoriaciderco.com) offers an award-winning keeved cider and a farm-rustic tasting room.
15 ATTEND A LIVE PERFORMANCE ATTEND A LIVE
Mary Winspear Centre features regular performances, movies, plays and more. Marywinspear.ca. If you like choral music, check out Via Choralis’ “It Might As Well Be Spring” on April 28 at St. Elizabeth’s Church. Tickets $25. Viachoralis.ca
16 CELEBRATE THE WRITTEN WORD
Check out the literary-themed Small Gods Brewery with beer titles like Neverending and Dark Side of the Sun. Then enjoy the spring reading series in March and May at Sidney Literary Festival or hit one of the town’s many book shops. It is Canada’s bookstore capital, after all.
TAKE A SCENIC FLIGHT OVER THE GULF ISLANDS
All year-round Ocean Air Floatplanes offers private scenic seaplane charter flights to all of B.C.’s coastal towns and islands. If there is water, they can take you there! Find out more at oceanair.ca. Note: the Patricia Bay Seaplane Base is right next to YYJ.
18 SWEET AS HONEY
Country Bee Honey Farm is a 3-acre destination with farm animals, sunflowers, a cafe, and a place to learn all about pollinators! Meet the farm animals on a self-guided tour, open May-October each year. There are goats, sheep, pigs, birds, hair sheep, emus, alpacas, baby chicks, miniature donkeys and a miniature pony. A great outdoor day trip that’s fun for families and animal lovers. Countrybeehoney.ca
OCEANFRONT DINING
There are many places to dine with a view. Seahorses, Blues Bayou Cafe, Brentwood Lodge are just a couple of options in Brentwood, and in Sidney, try the Surly Mermaid, The Pier Bistro, Fish on 5th and 10 Acres.
20 GO PADDLEBOARDING OR KAYAKING
Blue Dog Kayaking (bluedogkayaking.com) has a paddling centre located in Port Sidney Marina. It offers guided tours and training for kayakers and paddle boarders (SUP) plus guided kayak trips. Blue Jellyfish SUP (bluejellyfishsup.ca), located on Fifth Street in Sidney, offers training, tours and multi-day adventures (including a Gulf Islands camping retreat).
ATTEND A SUP MEETUP
What’s SUP Meetup? Every Friday night in Brentwood, except for the first Friday of every month, Blue Jellyfish SUP organizes a stand up paddleboarding meet in Swartz Bay.
bluejellyfishsup.ca
22 WALK 500 MILES, BIKE 500 MORE
Take a guided nature walk through the forests of Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. Check out biking/ walking paths at
Lochside Regional Trail
Sidney Waterfront walkway
Victoria International Airport Loop (follows perimeter of the airport).
Summit trail at Horth Hill Regional Park, Sidney.
23 ISLAND VIEW MINI GOLF
Enjoy 18 holes on a beautifully landscaped mini-golf course right in the heart of farm country in Central Saanich. Islandviewgolf.ca
24 FLAVOUR TRAILS ROUND ONE
Saanich Flavour Trails July 5-7: Pack your taste buds for a weekend full of local flavours — feature events include the Savour Saanich 3 Course Farm to Table Dinner at Fireside Grill and the inaugural Savour Saanich Farm Market at the Saanich Strawberry Festival. Flavourtrails.com
25 THE SECOND COURSE
Keep your fork — there’s MORE to explore on The North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival Aug 17-18. This rich and historical agriculture cornucopia of farm and flavour experiences will deliver everything from pig belly rubs to lavender lemonade.
Flavourtrails.com
26 MUSIC IN THE PARK THE PARK
Enjoy original live music Wednesday nights for 7 weeks in July and August from 6:30-8:30 in HEL,HILEȻ Park. brentwoodbay.info/ music-in-the-park
27 BRENTWOOD BAY FESTIVAL
Featuring a parade, kid’s games, music and a market, this annual festival falls on June 1, 2024. brentwoodbay.info
A WORLD MADE OF LITTLE BRICKS
See the miniature wonders of the 18th annual LEGO Brick Exhibit at the Sidney Museum running Jan 1 – April 1.
29 MOVIES IN THE PARK OR MOVIES IN THE DARK THE THE DARK
Star Cinema is Sidney’s local, independent movie theatre. See what’s on show at starcinema.ca. In the park (Saanich Fairgrounds), Saanichton Village Association is hosting two outdoor movies in August! Enjoy a live band, food trucks and performers until the movie starts. For dates and movies, visit saanichtonvillage.com
FOR THE ART LOVERS
Discover a new local artist at ArtSea Gallery, 9565 Fifth Street in Sidney, which exhibits new artists weekly. Artsea.ca
The Tivoli Gallery, 2475 Beacon Ave, has been in business almost 40 years and offers First Nations jewelry, pottery and more. Odette Laroche Gallery, 2527 Beacon Ave., has collections of paintings and art classes.
The Village Gallery, 2459 Beacon Ave., sells art in a variety of mediums. Villagegallerysidney.ca
Peninsula Gallery, 2506 Beacon Ave., exhibits and sells original paintings and sculptures from top tier Canadian artists such as Robert Bateman and Carol Evans.
31 GO ON THE SIDNEY ART WALK
Taking place March 15- April 15, it’s a chance to see local artists’ work and public art installations at over 40 businesses. Artsea.ca
32 SIDNEY MUSEUM: OUR LIVING LANGUAGES
Recently featured at Royal BC Museum, this exhibit highlights Indigenous languages of Canada and runs April 10 - July 25.
33 WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT
There are always many boats to see in Port Sidney Marina, but the best time is the BC Boat Show, May 2-5. Enjoy this floating extravaganza of boats of all sizes.
MANY THINGS TO TRY AT MANY AT PANORAMA RECREATION CENTRE
There are court bookings (tennis, squash, racquetball, wallyball and ping pong), special events (Garden Door Challenge, free swims, Active Kids Club), kids camps (Lego robotics, sculpting, tennis and more), adult classes (visual arts, technology, fitness and more) and that’s just scratching the surface. Find out more in the seasonal brochure or crd.bc.ca/panorama
36 TRY AN ON-THIS-SPOT WALKING TOUR TRY AN
Using the On This Spot app, be guided on a walking tour called “Sidney By The Sea” which starts at the waterfront and goes down Beacon Avenue. Dive into photos and history of Sidney’s early economy, the tragic history of the S.S. Iroquois ferry, the old railway, the rise and fall of Sidney’s Chinatown and more. onthisspot.ca/cities/sidney/bythesea
KNOCK OVER SOME PINS
Miracle Lanes Bowling Alley is a family-owned, five-pin bowling centre located in Sidney. Call 250-656-2431 to reserve a lane (closed Mondays).
SIDNEY SPECIAL EVENTS
Sidneybia.ca/events has everything you need to mark up your calendar. For starters, there’s the Easter Egg Hunt (March 31), Pride Day (June 15), Canada Day Celebrations (parade & fireworks July 1), Torque Masters Auto Extravaganza (Aug. 4), Sidney Sidewalk Sale (Aug. 17) and the Salish Sea Lantern Festival (Aug. 24)
38 A PUB IS A MEETING PLACE
Local pubs have so much more than just food and drink. In Sidney: Beacon Brewing has trivia nights, music bingo, a Vinyl night, comedy nights and live music. Small Gods Brewing has a storyteller series, writers’ group, book club and more. Dickens Public House offers live music, pool and darts. Are you in Saanichton? Prairie Inn Pub, around since 1859, is known for good beers, good food and a good crowd. In Brentwood Bay, music bingo is popular at Brewskys Taphouse. Visit a pub’s website to see their latest offerings.
SUMMER SOUNDS CONCERT SERIES
On Sundays July 7 - August 25 from 2-4 p.m., Sidney’s waterfront will be filled with songs, performed by a new band each week. This free community show takes place at the band shell stage in Beacon Park. Full line-up announced in June.
40 JOURNEY TO SIDNEY SPIT ISLAND
Sidney Spit, at the north end of Sidney Island, is five kilometres by sea from Sidney. Part of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, it offers a sandy, narrow strip made up of thousands of metres of beach, tidal flats and salt marshes, often overflowing with shore birds during the spring and fall migrations. Book your trip at Sidneyspitferry.com.
41 MUSIC AT RIVA
The Sidney waterfront restaurant offers a Jazz night on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6:00PM – 8:30PM! Featuring the finest local talent including Joey Smith, Edie Daponte, Attila Fias, Jan Stirling, Ashley Wey, Morry Stearns, Tom Vickery and Karel Roessingh. Rivasidney.ca
42 VISIT IROQUOIS AND TULISTA PARK VISIT PARK
At Iroquois Park in Sidney, jump in the Water Spray Park (May long to end of summer), make use of the multi-use courts, soccer field and playground. Then just across Fifth Street to find Tulista Park with a playground, volleyball court, Sidney skatepark and the ArtSea Gallery.
boutiques and shops of the area, including handmade and vintage items, designer goods and local retailers. Find a great list of stores in Sidney at sidneybia.ca/ retail-shopping
In Brentwood Bay, a fantastic place to start is the Brentwood Bay Village Empourium, a friendly neighbourhood general store with food, drink, merchandise (hobbies, decor, art and more), a meeting space and live music (most Fridays until June). Empourium.ca
E-bikes offer another way to cruise on oceanfront trails and country back roads. Port Sidney Marina (mbmg.ca/portsidney-adventures) offers rentals, as does Cycle Sidney (cyclesidney.ca), which operates by appointment only from a private art studio in Sidney’s west side.
First,
46 GO WHERE HISTORY TAKES FLIGHT
The highly rated BC Aviation Museum is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and has more than 10,000 artifacts (40% on display), including aircraft and engines. Located at 1910 Norseman Rd., North Saanich. Bcam.net
COLLECT SEA GLASS FROM GLASS BEACH
Seaglass can be used in jewelry, candles and artwork. If you find a piece of red sea glass, just know that you are lucky as it is one of the rarest colours to find. The beach is in Sidney between Beacon Park and the Bevan Fishing Pier. 47
ARTS AND CRAFTS AT SPAC SPRING SHOW SPAC
Saanich Peninsula’s Arts & Crafts Society are having their 71st annual Arts & Crafts exhibition show on April 27 and 28. spacsociety.com/spring-show
ENJOY HERITAGE ACRES
Explore a 29-acre heritage site with a lake, walking forest trail, museum, heritage buildings and even a train you can ride on! Open June 1 to Sept. 18 at 7321 Lochside Drive, Saanichton. Learn more and see their latest public events at Heritageacresbc.com
