Island Parent Family Fun Guide 2022

Family

FUN GUIDE

See airplanes, seaplanes, helicopters and more at the BC Aviation Museum Learn about BC’s aviation history from early bush planes to bombers and beyond!

Winter Hours, Oct 1 to Apr 30: 11 am to 3 pm, seven days a week Summer Hours, May 1 to Sept 30: 10 am to 4 pm, seven days a week Covid Restart Hours: Thursday to Monday 10am to 3pm Please check our website bcam.net for updates and current hours

1910 Norseman Road, Sidney | 250-655-3300 | bcam.net

TOGETHER

to Vancouver Island

A visit to the Gallery is an engaging, one-of-a-kind experience for families and friends. The diversity of exhibits and programs is welcoming for all and there’s always something new to discover.

Come see us soon!

1040 Moss St | aggv.ca

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VICTORIA • NANAIMO • MAPLE RIDGE

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OPEN FEB-DEC

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ADVENTURE COURSES • ZIPLINES • 40FT JUMP

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Inquiries: info@islandparent.ca

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BOOK NOW! +1 - 855- 595 -2251

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Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Cultus Lake Waterpark

Maritime Museum of BC

Butterfly Gardens

Esquimalt Farmer’s Market

IMAX Victoria in the Royal BC Museum

A visit to the Gallery is a one-of-a-kind experience.

The diversity of exhibits and programs is welcoming for all and there’s always something new to discover. aggv.ca | MAP 2: F5

Visit the Maritime Museum of BC to take in exhibits, join a walking tour, and/or participate in a craft workshop or Museum Tots program. mmbc.bc.ca | MAP 2: D2

Join us and a variety of local make, bake or grow vendors for fresh produce and food trucks every Monday and Thursday, 4:30–7:30pm! communications@esquimaltmarket.com esquimaltmarket.com | MAP 2: F4

Beacon Hill Children’s Farm

Located within beautiful Beacon Hill Park of Victoria, BC, welcomes you to enjoy the farm animal experience! From alpacas to miniature goats, tropical birds and miniature pigs, we have all kinds of fuzzy, furry, feathered creatures, including a goat petting area and the famous goat stampedes. The farm is open seasonally—call for dates and hours. Funded by your donations. Interac available.

250-381-2532 | beaconhillchildrensfarm.ca | MAP 2: F5

BC’s biggest and best waterpark! Offering Western Canada’s largest selection of slides, including everyone’s favourite The Colossal Canyon!

We’ve got something for everyone! Online tickets available.

Check us out online: cultus.com

With surprises at every turn, you’ll encounter poison dart frogs, tortoises, large iguanas, flamingos, tropical ducks, free flying tropical birds and more. Stroll through and marvel at our lush gardens including tropical flowers, carnivorous plants and fruits of the world. Your jungle adventure awaits. butterflygardens.com | MAP 2: C4

WOW! That’s the first word expressed by most kids when they walk into the IMAX Theatre and the most often repeated throughout their visit.

The theatre is located within the Museum complex. Shows play hourly throughout the day with full-length feature films in the evening. Find the full listing of films and schedules online: imaxvictoria.com | MAP 2: E2

Butchart Gardens

Butchart Gardens is open daily 9am–4pm (with viewing until 5pm), welcoming guests to take solace from this beautiful garden. Health protocols are in place, allowing for physical distancing, capacity monitoring and sanitary precautions. butchartgardens.com | MAP 2: C4

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Malahat SkyWalk

Malahat SkyWalk is Vancouver Island’s newest attraction. It is an incredible, fully accessible experience that conveys to guests the authentic beauty of Vancouver Island. A 600m elevated walk leads to a 40m sightseeing tower offering breathtaking views and a special connection to nature. May 2 to Oct 9 admission is 9:30am– 5pm. Open year round! malahatskywalk.com | MAP 2: B3

Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea

Dive into the biodiversity of the Salish Sea! Explore more than 30 aquarium habitats showcasing jellies, sea stars, fish, a giant Pacific octopus and more.

9811 Seaport Place, Sidney BC @salishseacentre | salishseacentre.org | MAP 2: B5

Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse NHS and Gulf Islands NPR Parks Canada adventures near Victoria Don’t miss two amazing Parks Canada attractions located just 20 minutes from downtown Victoria to enjoy daily or year-round.

At Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Sites, explore both a centuryold coast artillery fort and Canada’s oldest west coast lighthouse. Pretend to be a soldier or a lighthouse keeper: spy, march, signal your position or sound the foghorn, wave at passing ships, play on the shoreline. Stay a bit longer, camp inside a real fort in an oTENTik—a furnished part-tent, part-cabin accommodation.

Victoria Bug Zoo

Plan a paddling trip or hop on a ferry to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, a multi-island paradise that’s meant to explore.

Take a relaxing hike, taste heritage apples or make beach art while spotting tiny crabs, huge whales and listening to the sound of the waves.

Reserve an overnight experience in a tent by the water or an RV in a temperate rainforest.

WildPlay Victoria

Both locations are perfect family outings where you can learn about Indigenous culture and the region’s past through fun programs and activities, and with an Xplorer activity booklet. Admission to the national historic sites is FREE for youth 17 and younger; $8.50 for adults; and $7.00 for seniors. No parks passes are required for daytime visits to the national park reserve. For camping and oTENTik fees, see the websites below.

The Victoria Bug Zoo is an incredible mini-zoo dedicated to educating people about the wonders of some of this world’s most misunderstood inhabitants.

Come see giant walking sticks, fuzzy tarantulas, glowing scorpions, enormous beetles and so much more! victoriabugzoo.ca | MAP 2: D2

Experience 15 ziplines, over 60 aerial adventure games, a 40ft freefall jump, axe throwing and more! The ultimate outdoor adventure for families, friends, birthday parties or teams! Open February to December. Locations in Victoria, Nanaimo and Maple Ridge.

Book your adventure online or call +1-855-595-2251. wildplay.com | MAP 2: F4

Facebook: @FortRoddFisgardNHS and @GulfIslandsNPR fortrodd@pc.gc.ca | gulfinfo@pc.gc.ca | MAP 2: F4

Victoria Royals

The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team currently members of the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League.

Regular season runs October through April! victoriaroyals.com | MAP 2: F5

Pacific FC

Pacific Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Greater Victoria, British Columbia.

The club competes in the Canadian Premier League, playing home matches at Starlight Stadium located in Langford. pacificfc.canpl.ca | MAP 2: F3

Nanaimo NightOwls

The Nanaimo NightOwls, an expansion entry in the West Coast League for collegiate summer baseball, have their 2022 schedule ready for activity in planning for visiting teams, special promotional events and welcoming mid-Island fans to historic Serauxmen Stadium. nanaimonightowls.com | MAP 3: D2

Victoria HarbourCats

The Victoria HarbourCats are a collegiate-level, summer baseball team, playing in the 16-team West Coast League (WCL). Home games are at Wilson's Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park. harbourcats.com | MAP 2: F5

BC’S BEST!

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WildPlay Nanaimo

The ultimate Vancouver Island adventure: 19 ziplines, over 60 aerial adventure games (including a dedicated Kids Adventure Course!), a 150ft Bungy Jump, 140km/hr Primal Swing and more! Ages 5+. Open February to December. Locations in Victoria, Nanaimo and Maple Ridge. Book your adventure online or call +1-855-595-2251. wildplay.com | MAP 3: C4

Tourism Nanaimo

The Visitor Centre team is ready to help plan your stay, help with reservations or answer questions about Nanaimo and Region. Check out our family friendly activities and itineraries.

2450 Northfield Road, 250-751-1556 info@tourismnanaimo.com, @TourismNanaimo tourismnanaimo.com | MAP 3: C1

Camp Qwanoes

Jump into the adventure and let friendship fill each day!

Experience a world of discovery all in a spectacular oceanfront setting with a staff team from around the world. qwanoes.ca | MAP 3: E6

Parksville Beach Festival

Known to locals as “Beachfest,” this 5½ week-long family-oriented festival runs July 15 to August 21, 2022, includes the Quality Foods Sand Sculpting Competition & Exhibition, Tim Hortons summer concert series, buskers, artisan market and sculpture Light Up! parksvillebeachfest.ca | MAP 3: A2

14 Best Beaches on Vancouver Island Chesterman Beach Tofino | MAP 5: A2 Cox Bay Tofino | MAP 5: A2 Long Beach Pacific Rim National Park | MAP 5: B3 Rathtrevor Beach Parksville | MAP 3: A2 Parksville Beach Parksville | MAP 3: A2 Saratoga Beach Comox | MAP 4: A2 Kye Bay Comox | MAP 4: B3 China Beach Juan De Fuca Provincial Park | MAP 1: F7 Qualicum Beach Qualicum Beach | MAP 3: A1 Pachena Bay Bamfield | MAP 1: E6 Mystic Beach Juan De Fuca Provincial Park | MAP 1: F7 Sandy Island Comox | MAP 4: C3 Hesquiat Provincial Park Estevan Point | MAP 1: D4 French Beach Juan De Fuca Provincial Park | MAP 1: F7

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The Raptors

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At the Raptors, we provide opportunities for visitors of all ages to get closer to wildlife, learn more about birds of prey and interact with raptors. the-raptors.com | MAP 3: F5

Cultus Lake Adventure Park

BC’s best theme park is open daily starting June 25th.

Offering 19 rides and attractions, we’ve got something for everyone! Online tickets available. Check us out online: cultus.com

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North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre (NIWRC) in Coombs is a rehabilitation facility, especially for raptors and black bears. The goal: to care for these animals and reintroduce them into their natural environment. See eagles, bears, owls, falcons, hawks, swans and ravens. Activities and educational programs for the whole family. Open daily 9am–4:30pm. niwra.org | MAP 3: A1

Old Country Market: Goats on the Roof

Just past Nanaimo, this market has great ice cream and baked foods, and carries international foods and gifts. It’s perfect for a lunch stop, and the kids will love the family of goats that graze on the grassy roof of the market. oldcountrymarket.com | MAP 3: A1

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Ucluelet, on the west coast of Canada, is a place of spectacular, rugged beauty. Dreams come to life along our wild, rocky coastline, where the spirit of adventure was born and imagination takes flight. Here on Yuułu?ił?ath First Nations traditional territories, awe meets wonder and forever memories are forged. Visit a place beyond your wildest dreams. discoverucluelet.com | MAP 5: C5

Naa’Waya’Sum Coastal Indigenous Gardens

The Naa’Waya’Sum Coastal Indigenous Gardens (formerly Tofino Botanical Gardens) provide a space to learn from nature in both natural and landscaped environments. An enchanting trail system helps visitors navigate coastal rainforest and waterfront. IISAAK—to observe, appreciate and act accordingly—the highest law of the Nuu’chah’nulth constitution, is the ethos of this place. clayoquotcampus.ca | MAP 5: A2

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Ucluelet Aquarium

The Ucluelet Aquarium is Canada’s first collect-and-release aquarium treating visitors to a personal view of fish and invertebrates from the waters of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds. uclueletaquarium.org | MAP 5: C5

Tofino

Tofino is a small coastal village at the western edge of Vancouver Island.

Our community is diverse, but united in our determination to protect the awe-inspiring natural and cultural environments that surround us. After all, everything in Tofino is connected: from the kelp in the Pacific Ocean, to the black bears of the rainforest, to the people who call this place home. This is how we thrive. There’s an energy to Tofino, something you can’t quite shake once you’ve experienced it. If you’re like us, we think you’ll love it. tourismtofino.com | MAP 5: A2

It all starts here

GET CLOSER Thinking about your next family getaway?

Nanaimo is the perfect place for your next Island adventure. With biking, kayaking, shopping, ziplining and incredible parks and playgrounds at every turn, the affordable family fun is endless in Nanaimo. From the moment you take the bikes off the roof rack, get onto the water, or stumble upon that first Nanaimo Bar, come #ExploreNanaimo with the kids and see why it all starts here.

the-raptors.com

tourismnanaimo.com/StartHere

@TourismNanaimo