Best of BC

PEMBERTON, B.C. — “Oh my God, it smells like cows.” And with that comment, as she stepped off the shuttle bus yesterday from one of the dusty festival parking lots, an urban hipster began her three-day Pemberton Festival experience. Indeed, there are many cows in this lush valley, but their “essence” was quickly replaced with the scent of young humanity: beer, barbecue and B.C. Bud.

The giant, inaugural music festival, featuring international acts such as Coldplay (one of the festival’s producers), Jay-Z and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, has invaded the quiet village of Pemberton, about 150 kilometres north of Vancouver. The population of slightly more than 2,000 has swelled to about 40,000 this weekend, wreaking havoc on the roads - and at the festival site.
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Stylish and ornately decorated, First Tracks Lodge is a collection of exclusive suites that combines unmatched luxury with a magnificent location. Located at the base of Whistler Mountain, in the Creekside Village, First Tracks Lodge is just steps from the Creekside Express Gondola, shopping, fine dining and superb ski. Whistler Travel

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The Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre is the first-ever repeat winner of the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) award for “World’s Best Convention Centre.”

“I congratulate the convention centre on its success in this global marketplace. With an expanded facility opening in spring 2009, even more delegates will be able to attend larger conventions in a showcase facility,” said Bill Bennett, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. “Since many business visitors extend their stay to visit other B.C. communities, the VCEC will play an important role in fulfilling the Province’s goal of doubling tourism revenues by 2015.”
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A senior Canadian border official says traffic at the Canada-U.S. border will be no busier during the 2010 Winter Olympics than a summer Saturday, raising concerns that the Canadian government isn’t taking border issues around the Games seriously.

New technologies similar to what the U.S. is already implementing will be in place on the Canadian side by Games time, said Blake Delgaty, the Pacific Regional Director for the Canadian Border Services Agency.
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As another year arrives, we take this opportunity to “touch base” and (re) introduce ourselves. Camille’s restaurant is located in the heart of ‘old town’ in the revitalized Bastion Square. We have been hard at work for twenty successful years, thanks in part to the generous recommendations from many hotels and bed and breakfast establishments. This year we hope to work even more closely together and ensure that visitors to Victoria enjoy the best food, service and hospitality available.
Our restaurant is a unique combination of fine dining with a comfortable, casual atmosphere. The menu is diverse, with many specials including vegetarian food, fresh seafood, and wild game. We are proud to utilize as many fresh local ingredients as possible and we prepare our dishes in a health-conscious full flavored style. Candlelight, soft blues and jazz and a talented staff supply the atmosphere. For those who love wine, our list is extensive with truly great and affordable wines.
Victoria Travel Guide

The streets of Canadian cities are crowded with bicycles, scooters, mopeds and even bicycle-powered taxis, as well as the streams of traditionally powered cars. What we seldom see are small, low-speed, electrically powered vehicles.

That should change, as more provinces encourage these environmentally friendly vehicles to operate on city streets. Just yesterday, Quebec began a three-year pilot project that will permit two models of slow-speed electric vehicles to travel on roads that have speed limits under 50 kilometres per hour. British Columbia recently changed its laws to let electric cars operate on any road in the province with speed limits of 40 kilometres an hour or less. Manitoba will soon introduce legislation to encourage low-speed electric cars, and other provinces are expected to follow suit.

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Whistler Golf Club, Arnold Palmer’s first Canadian designed course, is home to a real Whistler type of golf. You will feel it as soon as you approach the clubhouse with classic rock and roll pumping out the entrance, a guest host with a wide grin and friendly manner greets you, taking you golf clubs and introducing you to the course. Right from the start you’ll notice that a round of golf at the Whistler Golf Club is something different.

The stunning vistas, signature design and uncompromising course quality are par for the course, as they say. This distinct experience is know as “Palmer’s design, Whistler’s attitude”. Whistler Travel

The Okanagan International Film Festival is an annual festival bringing both International and Canadian films to Kelowna as well as the Okanagan Valley. The film festival has numerous categories with one of the favorite being the short films. Workshops, video contests, loads of free events and a list of Canadian films make the Okanagan International Film Festival a must-see.
Also see Kelowna Travel

The Cascades Casino, the most thrilling entertainment resource in the Fraser Valley, is the latest addition to the Gateway Casinos group of properties. Come and play your favorite slot machines, try your luck at blackjack (twenty-one), roulette, craps, or any of the other table games, or try your hand at the craze that’s sweeping the gambling world in our poker room. If you’re looking for excitement of another kind, you’ll be able to take in a show in our state-of-the-art Summit Theatre, enjoy a meal or just relax at the Glacier Bar with a drink in hand and the action playing out before you. The Coast Hotel & Convention Centre, Langley — adjoining the Cascades Casino— will offer 77 hotel rooms and a 25,000 square foot convention centre, able to host everything from intimate gatherings to a large convention or gala ball. Vancouver Travel Guide

In 2006 Arbutus Ridge Golf Club was named the Best Destination Golf Course in BC by subscribers of Golf Nerve magazine. The golf course is owned and managed by the GolfBC Group. Arbutus Ridge, situated in the Victoria, Cowichan area on Vancouver Island, is your first choice for a golfing in British Columbia Vacation.

Etched in your memory will be three of the most demanding finishing golf holes on Vancouver Island, punctuated by the knee-rattling 214-yard par 3 island green on the 17th hole.