I had to make an airport run with Maggie to Vancouver last weekend and was hoping to get a ride on one of the new “Coastal” ferries but no such luck. The Spirit of Vancouver Island (one of the old ‘new’ ferries) was quite crowded so we made our way to the Seawest Lounge where [...]

Merlot has been around since 1784 but I only discovered it a few years ago. My brother and I were having steak dinner at a hockey game in Vancouver’s GM Place. When the wine came Randy complained, “Reg, this is a merlot and I ordered a burgundy.” I said, “Randy, just drink it. We’re at [...]

Yet another beautiful day in Victoria so I walked down to Dallas Rd to enjoy the view and reminisce about the submarine races of my youth. Halfway there I was feeling a bit thirsty and stopped at the Beagle Pub on Cook Street for a cold beer. The Beagle is a bright, airy pub with [...]

TOFINO AND UCLUELET 40 YEARS LATER It was the late 1960s and the surf music of the Beachboys had given way to the Abbey Road sound of the Beatles on Canadian pop charts but surfing was big news at Long Beach. Most of us teenagers down in Victoria had only ever heard of Long Beach, [...]