VICTORIA GIN A
FIRST FOR VANCOUVER
ISLAND
 Ken
Winchester of Winchester Cellars in Victoria, BC has
launched British Columbia's only handcrafted gin.
Winchester's Victoria Gin has already won gold at the
Northwest Wine Summit amongst more than 1,000 wines and
spirits. Victoria Gin blends 10 locally grown organic
botanicals from juniper berries to rose petals and is
distilled in small batches in a gleaming handmade
wood-fired copper pot still. A secret 11th ingredient is
known only to the distiller. Barking Dog Vineyard, the
first and only certified organic vineyard on Vancouver
Island, produces the organically grown fruit and
botanicals for Winchester Cellars. A renowned Victoria
winemaker in Canada's fastest growing wine region, Ken
Winchester travelled to Scotland to learn the art of
distilling from the masters at Bruichladdich Distillery.
The first licensed distillery on Vancouver Island,
Winchester Cellars will now turn its attention to single
malt whisky. For more information visit www.winchestercellars.com. |
GET FRESH AT FAIRBURN FARM
CULINARY RETREAT Fairburn Farm
Culinary Retreat and Guesthouse, located 45 minutes
north of Victoria, BC in the Cowichan Valley, has
refreshed its 1930's caretaker's cottage. This charming,
two and a half bedroom cottage is self-contained and
perfect for Fairburn's week-long culinary boot camps,
summer family vacations, wine enthusiasts, weekend
cyclists or a girls' getaway. The bathroom and kitchen
have been renovated and a new front porch added for
guests to watch the world (and water buffalo!) go by.
Fairburn Farm is home to North America's only herd of
genuine European River Water Buffalo. Fairburn Farm
Culinary Retreat and Guesthouse, recently listed as one
of the 45 most memorable cooking vacations in the world
by Gourmet Magazine (May 2008), offers field to table
cooking classes featuring fresh garden ingredients,
buffalo mozzarella, locally raised meats and seafood.
For more information visit www.fairburnfarm.bc.ca. |
TOUR THE CYCLING
CAPITAL OF CANADA
 Victoria, BC
is rated the cycling capital of Canada (Statistics
Canada 2006) and visitors can experience the city on two
wheels with a new tour from Cycle Treks called the
Seaside Touring Route. This guided, full-day tour
(approximately 6 hours), follows some of Victoria's best
cycling routes along Victoria's stunningly beautiful
waterfront. Cyclists will ride through the historic
neighbourhoods of James Bay and Oak Bay, and Beacon Hill
and Mount Douglas Parks. The tour stops for lunch in the
Village of Cadboro Bay before connecting with the
Galloping Goose Trail to take cyclists back to downtown
Victoria through local farms, past bird sanctuaries and
over trestle bridges. The seaside tour is offered
daily through October and costs $99.00 CDN
including lunch. Cycle Treks also offers Victoria City,
Cowichan Valley Winery, The Butchart Gardens, Port of
Sidney and West Coast Adventure (Sooke Hills) cycle
tours as well as multi-day tours of Southern Vancouver
Island and the Gulf Islands. For more information visit
www.cycletreks.com. |
A WHALE OF
A GARDEN TOUR
 Prince
of Whales Whale Watching in Victoria, BC has
launched a new Victoria Whales and Gardens Tour
combining two of the most popular visitor
activities into one convenient experience. Offered
until September 1, 2008, the tour departs
Victoria's Inner Harbour daily at 12:30 pm on
Prince of Whales' 62-ft. express cruiser. Visitors
will enjoy a four-hour whale watching adventure
enroute to the world-famous Butchart Gardens.
After docking at The Butchart Gardens' private
entrance, visitors can stroll the gardens at their
leisure before returning to downtown Victoria via
Gray Line West's 35-minute shuttle bus. The
Victoria Whales and Gardens Tour is $179.00 CDN.
Prince of Whales also offers transportation
between Victoria and Vancouver with a visit to The
Butchart Gardens. For more information visit www.princeofwhales.com. | |
AHOY! TALL SHIPS SAIL
INTO VICTORIA From June
26-29, 2008, the 2008 Victoria Tall Ships® Festival will
be held in Victoria, BC. Tickets and accommodation
packages are available online at www.tourismvictoria.com/tallships.
More than two dozen tall ships will participate
including the Bounty, star of Mutiny on the
Bounty; the Niña, a replica of the vessel commanded
by Christopher Columbus on his discovery of the New
World in 1492; and Lady Washington, featured in
Pirates of the Caribbean. The festival will
offer tours of the ships, afternoon adventure sails and
mock cannon battles as well as a variety of dockside
activities including a pirate school for kids, sail
training for youth, live music, artists, maritime
cultural displays, model boat building and more.
Victoria is the first port of call and the only Canadian
stop for the 2008 Tall Ships Challenge®; a series of
races along the west coast of Canada and the United
States. For more information visit www.tallshipsvictoria.ca. |
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PRIDE AND THE
CITY  From June
29-July 6, 2008, Victoria Pride 2008 will be celebrated
in Victoria, BC. Voted a favourite Canadian destination
by U.S. gay and lesbian visitors after Canada's top
three cities for LGBT travel: Vancouver, Montreal and
Toronto (Community Marketing Inc., 2007), Victoria
welcomes all visitors to turn up the pride this summer.
Popular as a destination for romantic getaways and
same-sex weddings, Victoria also boasts a
family-friendly and almost entirely free week of Pride
celebrations. Victoria Pride 2008 includes a Pride Day
Parade, Pride Festival at Fisherman's Wharf, Big Gay Dog
Walk, Drag Ball Game, Sunset Boat Cruise and a number of
art shows and nightclub festivities. Pinklink, a
Victoria Pride Society membership program, is also a
great way to support Pride 2008 and receive discounts at
selected merchants around the city. For more information
visit www.victoriapridesociety.org. For TAG
Approved accommodations in Victoria visit www.tourismvictoria.com/lgbt.
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CANADA DAY,
EH?
 On July
1, 2008, visitors to Victoria, BC can celebrate
Canada Day with Celebration Victoria. Held on the
grounds of the Parliament Buildings and around the
Inner Harbour, the event will feature free family
entertainment from dawn to dusk. Beginning with
the HBC 10km Run for Canada at 8:00 am, visitors
can experience why Victoria is rated the fittest
city in Canada (Statistics Canada 2001). Free
historic walking tours, trolley tours and street
entertainment will continue throughout the
morning. The Magic of Canada and Chalk One Up For
Canada kick off at noon with magic tricks and art
for the kids. A "living" Canadian flag will be
created on the grounds of the Parliament Buildings
at 2:00 pm. The bustle of the Bastion Square
Artisans Market will round out the afternoon. At
6:00 pm, visitors will want to head to the
Parliament Buildings for the Canada Day musical
main stage show and at 10:00 pm the "Eh-rated"
fireworks display over the Inner Harbour will cap
off the celebrations. For more information visit
www.downtownvictoria.ca.
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ORGANIC ISLANDS
FESTIVAL From
July 5-6, 2008, the 4th Annual Organic Islands
Festival & Sustainability Expo will be held at
Glendale Gardens and Woodland in Victoria, BC. As
Canada's largest outdoor organic lifestyle fair,
the Organic Islands Festival will show visitors
how to join the movement to a sustainable future
with solutions for home, garden, body and soul.
Award-winning green businesses, local farmers,
chefs and gardeners will be showcased. There will
be over 100 exhibitors as well as demonstrations,
entertainment, children's activities and food.
Admission will be $10.00 CDN for Adults, $7.50 CDN
for Seniors/Youth 13-18, $25.00 CDN for a Family
Pass (two adults and two children) and children 12
and under are free. For more information visit www.organicislands.ca. | |
LOOKING FOR A LITTLE
TLC On July 6,
2008, The Land Conservatory (TLC) will offer visitors to
Victoria, BC an opportunity to give back with a
conservation holiday to Madrona Farm. This one-day
excursion will give visitors a "taste" of what TLC
conservation holidays entail. David and Nathalie
Chambers of Madrona Farm will introduce visitors to
agriculture and food production that is happening right
within the Greater Victoria city limits. A day of
healthy work activities on the farm will end with a
tasty dinner prepared by David who also just happens to
be a chef. Nestled on the edge of Mount Douglas Park,
the 27-acre farm maintains a mix of cultivated and open
fields, wooded areas including Douglas fir and Garry oak
ecosystems, and four natural ponds. The food crops
produced include a variety of vegetables, fruits, mixed
grains and flowers as well as raising chickens (eggs).
Known as TLC, The Land Conservancy is a charitable Land
Trust working throughout Victoria and BC to protect
important habitat for plants and animals as well as
properties with historical and scientific value. For
more information visit www.conservancy.bc.ca. |
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BOUND FOR
BEIJING
 On July
6, 2008, a celebration and send-off for over 40
Vancouver Island athletes and coaches who will be
representing Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympic and
Paralympic Games in Beijing will take place in
Victoria, BC. With five Canadian National Training
Centres based in the capital region, Victoria is
home to more Olympic athletes per capita than any
other city in Canada and rated the fittest city in
the country (Statistics Canada 2001). Bound for
Beijing will be held in historic Bastion Square
from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm. Olympic athletes will be
on-hand to sign autographs, take photographs and
discuss their sports. An all-you-can-eat pancake
breakfast for only $2.00 CDN will also be offered
with proceeds going to local sport development.
The Honourable Stan Hagan, Minister of Tourism,
Sport and the Arts in British Columbia will lead
the ceremony. For more information contact victoria@pacificsport.com.
Victoria's mainland British Columbia neighbours,
Vancouver and Whistler, will host the 2010 Winter
Olympic and Paralympic Games. For more information
visit www.vancouver2010.com.
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For more
information,
please contact:
Tourism Victoria
4th Floor, 31 Bastion
Square
Victoria, BC Canada V8W
1J1
Heather
McGillivray
Senior
Manager, Travel Media Relations
Phone:
250-414-6979
Kristine
George
Manager,
Travel Media Relations
(Canada/Overseas/2010)
Holly
Lenk
Travel Media
Specialist
Phone:
250-414-6974
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