Category Archives: Your Island Guide

Your guide to the best our islands have to offer.

02.13.11
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Victoria Tea Festival Impressions


At the 5th Annual Victoria Tea Festival, one can sample nearly everything that comes from the coveted tea leaf. Whether it’s rooibos, green, black, or yerba maté, there’s certainly something to be found, even for a berry enthusiast like myself.

There’s a lot to partake at this show and I enjoyed the various scents coming from the sample cups of tea. The show can be experienced within a few hours for those who are simply shopping. But if anyone plans on skipping the presentations, they’re just going to miss out on one of tea culture’s many secrets. On Sunday, Jasmine Wong, a naturopathic doctor is giving a presentation on medicine and tea. She’ll be talking about the health benefits and risks associated with drinking certain types of tea.

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02.13.11
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Victoria Tea Festival this weekend

To those people haven’t had a chance to check out the Victoria Tea Festival, here’s my preview of what’s happening. Thanks have to go to the Nexus newspaper team for putting this article I wrote online.

For local readers, it’s not too late to check this event out. I will have a full review of my tea and food tasting experience later today.

The event runs at the Crystal Garden (713 Douglas Street), on Saturday (12-5pm); Sunday (11am-4pm). Tickets are $25 at the door and all proceeds go to supporting Camosun College’s Child Care Services.

01.25.11
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Great Chieftain o’ the Puddin-race!

The Blethering Place
2250 Oak Bay Ave.
Oak Bay, BC

Update: (02/01/11) – The Blethering Place is no longer at the 2250 Oak Bay Ave. location.

J: What started out as a celebration for a pre-Robbie Burns day turned into a wake for the Blethering Place. The little old tea room, woven into the fabric of Oak Bay’s society, is closing. Yes, that’s right. According to staff members, the owner, Ken Agate, sold the establishment to Floyd’s Diner, who allegedly plans to convert it into a bistro.

Closure is expected to take place at the end of January. With what little time there is left, I would suggest a visit (or revisit) to this grand old lady before she’s defrocked.

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10.10.10
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Behind the Scenes of Peninsula Ribfest

Despite a few shortcomings about what I saw in the 3rd Annual Peninsula Ribfest from last month, I found myself enjoying my time at the airport. This area isn’t a place I regularly frequent, but for my time out—to get up and close with the man made beasts that can send man flying in the sky with two wings and a jet engine is uniquely thrilling.

That’s all part of the fun in going to Ribfest.

“The airport is a draw in itself,” says Rick Peters, event organizer. “You come in and see the various planes that are out here. We get reservations all the time at the restaurant and everyone wants a window seat to watch the planes as they take off and land.”

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10.10.10
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Afterthoughts on the Ribfest

The skies over the Victoria Airport was high with a lot of friendly, competitive, fun at the Peninsula Ribfest. The third annual event came and went, and just like any other party, it was not without its hitches. I saw some of them when I went there, and had a few things to say.

But after having had a chance to talk to Rick Peters, one of the event organizers and owner of RC Grillhouse and Lounge, I learned that a lot of those hiccups aren’t really their fault.

“The same thing happened last year,” explains Rick. “We originally had 35 teams in, but lost a lot of them because unbeknownst to us, there was a chef’s conference up island this year. We lost a lot of the major hotels. They dropped out 3-4 days prior.”

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10.02.10
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Small Bites

Bunnies Gone Wild

Coombs, British Columbia – Ex-University of Victoria feral rabbits appear to be causing problems to farmers in the area of Coombs. According to Barbara Smith, she returned from a trip recently to find at least ninety feral rabbits in her hay field. It is believed they escaped from the nearby government-approved rabbit sanctuary sometime within the last weekend. About thirty rabbits were shot on Smith’s land on Tuesday, September 28th. Smith since that time has been under siege by rabbits and rabbit supporters.
Source: Times Colonist

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