When I was a kid I was a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan and my hero was Quarterback Ronnie Lancaster. Twenty years later I was working as a stringer and covering the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League for United Press Canada. As a result I got an invitation to the CFL playoff dinner and there [...]
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, [...]
I hadn’t heard of the Vancouver Island Feast of the Fields until my favourite ‘Winey Wednesday) bartender Heather told me she would be having a stall there this year. When not working the bar at Doubles’ in the Executive House Heather is busy making chocolates, cakes and other sweet treats for her company Vin Coco. [...]