Beachfront stroll - Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa

Arbutus Suite - Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa

Spring time signals renewal and rejuvenation at the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa in the gorgeous Comox Valley region on Vancouver Island.  Within minutes of exiting off a BC Ferry in Nanaimo, you’re on the Island Highway driving straight to the peaceful setting of endless water views draped against the purple-grey backdrop of the Sunshine Coast and, most importantly, bathrobe heaven!  Yes, the Kingfisher Spa is synonymous with luxurious pampering in an easy, relaxed environment. So much so that guests comfortably wander the property in one of the resort’s most popular dress codes…spa robes and flip flops.

Stay in an ocean view guest room or a beachfront suite, as everything you need is easily accessible from either style of accommodation. And the Dining Room and Spa sit towards the front of the Resort’s property, taking full advantage of the views and scenery too.  Then there is the lounge chair(s) placed in the perfect position on the beach.  Stroll down with your morning coffee, close your eyes and listen to the waves (not more than fifteen feet away in some spots), gently roll onto the shore. The warmth of the early spring sun fills you with an inner peace not felt in some time.  It’s a very good thing this taking time for oneself.

How to Spell Bliss

Spa Refreshments on patio

This trip is all about reviving one’s energy so here’s my suggestion.  First day take a few laps in the heated, outdoor pool, with a pause in the Jacuzzi, immerse yourself in the innovative hydrotherapy experience of the Pacific Mist Hydropath®.    Located in the lower section of the Kingfisher Spa,    the one hour session has guests following a recreated west coast shoreline – complete with sandstone sculpted caves and mineral pools.  A professional attendant guides you through 8 different water therapies including a waterfall massage, steam cave, river walk and tidal bath complete with seaweed scrub. Most popular guest response received by your gracious spa host is “I’m blissfully contented,” finished off with a barely audible “Thank You!”

The second day, continue your revival with a massage treatment or go for the full package and indulge in a facial,

Kingfisher's Spectacular Brunch

manicure and pedicure too. Once you’re tuned up from head to toe, rest amid the soothing ambiance of the relaxation lounge.  And yes, at some point you should get out of your bathrobe, dressing appropriately to explore some of the nearby community’s culture.  See a video Kingfisher Oceanfront Resort & Spa.

Local Charm

A mere twenty minute drive down the road from Kingfisher Oceanside Resort,  tour downtown Courtenay where you’ll find one-of-a-kind boutiques, cafes and museums lining 4^th and 5^th Street and adjacent cross streets.  Stop by Brambles Market where the purely British Columbia theme means all products – both fresh (meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables) and preserved (jams, pickles, sauces) are sourced from within the Comox Valley and Vancouver Island, to points around the

Welcome to I-Hos Gallery, Comox, BC

province.  Great outlet for a take away lunch to be enjoyed on the nearby beach, or pick out locally made cheeses and bread to nibble on with a glass of wine back at your room at Kingfisher.

This time of year the weather is still on the cool side, so drop by Hot Chocolates for a smooth cup of cocoa and yummy cookie.  Smothered in the bright colours of spring, chocolate-covered sunflower seeds are a fun gift to bring home…if they make it there.

And speaking of home, drop by the stylish Home & Garden Gate boutiques (a second store is in nearby Cumberland), where proprietor Jody Williams invites visitors to linger over inspiring displays of specialty items ranging from candle holders to imported linens.

Be sure to take the drive over the 17^th Street Bridge and turn right towards Comox.  Located on the site of the original Comox Village is the I-Hos Gallery.  Stepping inside, the gallery walls feature a collection of traditional and contemporary northwest coast First Nations artwork, books and home décor – hand-etched wine glasses, silver napkin rings and exquisite serving dishes.  It’s easy to spend an hour here exploring the treasures within…and leaving with a special purchase to be enjoyed back home.

Ferry Me

BC Ferry's Coastal Inspiration

Heading over to Vancouver Island aboard BC Ferries, I love watching the kids, even as harried parents nervously admonish rambunctious play and high-pitched squeals of laughter.  It’s a funny thing how the very essence of childhood – unabashed gaiety, spontaneous bursts of energy, and readily making new friends, simply flourishes aboard these magnificent vessels of travel.  Adults seem to react in similar fashion. Relaxing during their trip across the water, weary students share their excitement in anticipation of returning home to loved ones, commuters unwind while exchanging casual conversation with fellow passengers, and those travelling on a mini vacation? They bury themselves in brochures and maps or a good book, near a window and enjoy the trip!

Getaway Details

Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa – www.kingfisherspa.com. Telephone 1.800.663.7929

BC Ferries – www.bcferries.com . Telephone 1.888.223.3779 or from your cell phone *223

Locals Restaurant – www.localscomoxvalley.com. Telephone (250)338.6493.  Open Tuesday to Saturday, lunch and dinner.

I-Hos Gallery –www.ihosgallery.com. Telephone (250)339-7702. Open 7 days a week 10am to 5pm.

Aboriginal Tourism in British Columbia – www.aboriginalbc.com. Telephone toll free – 1-877-266-2822

Tourism Vancouver Island – www.vancouverisland.travel Telephone 1.888.655.3483

Comox Valley Tourism – www.discovercomoxvalley.com. Telephone 1.877.848.2427

The Comox Valley is a gorgeous year-round playground of snowy mountains and sandy shores, pristine lakes and lush forests. Stunning scenery, top-notch amenities and a huge variety of activities come together in one of the Island’s most popular vacation destinations.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is a hot spot for skiers and snowboarders in the winter and hikers and mountain bikers in warmer weather. Ride the chairlifts for panoramic summer views of the Comox Glacier and the Strait of Georgia or hike into the 250,445-hectare spectacular wilderness of Strathcona Provincial Park.

Down the mountain, golfers tee off on six year-round courses (plus one seasonal), while paddlers venture out in canoes and kayaks. Diving, boating and fishing round out the list of marine activities, while a network of biking trails thrills cyclists. Agri-tourism is growing strong with several farms, nurseries, dairies, and orchards offering tours. From Natural Pastures artisan cheese to Fanny Bay oysters, the Valley produces incredible food – and a fantastic farmer’s market! Gardeners shouldn’t miss Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park in Comox, home to more than 100 varieties of trees and a multitude of flowers and shrubs, or the vast collection of rhododendrons at the Kitty Coleman Woodland Gardens just north of Courtenay.

In summer, the Comox Valley becomes the Valley of Festivals, with jazz and classical music, professional theatre and one of the best music festivals in Western Canada.

Between activities, catch your breath with a peek into the area’s vibrant communities. Courtenay is the commercial centre and a hub for arts and culture. Downtown Courtenay features excellent art galleries and artisan studios that welcome visitors, as well as charming boutiques, theatres and restaurants.

Cumberland celebrates its history as a former coal-mining town – learn about its incredible past at the Cumberland Museum and Archives. Nearby is Comox Lake, a crystal clear, glacier-fed paradise perfect for swimming, boating and fishing. Here you’ll also find a full-service campground, picnic area, boat ramp and hiking trails.

Excellent marina facilities and a quaint downtown make Comox a popular base for visitors. Attractions include the Comox Air Force Museum and Heritage Airpark and the historic Filberg Lodge and Park, where annual events include August’s Filberg Festival, one of the finest arts and crafts festivals in the province.

Explore the Comox Valley with a Heritage Experience Driving Tour, enjoying significant heritage sites, stories and images that define this “Land of Plenty.” From the coal mines of Cumberland and the shipwrecks of Royston to the Comox Marina and the alpine heights of Mt. Washington, the tour explores, through 16 stunning story boards, the region’s rich industrial, social and cultural heritage. Pick up a tour brochure at the Visitor Centres.

The BC Ferries terminal that connects the Comox Valley with Powell River on British Columbia’s mainland is located minutes outside of Comox. Also centrally located, the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) is an easy gateway to the Valley and Vancouver Island with daily flights from locations across Canada.

Just offshore and accessible from Buckley Bay south of Courtenay, Denman and Hornby Islands offer more outdoor adventure, including hiking, cycling, diving and kayaking and a wealth of local arts and crafts studios and galleries.

For details, call the Comox Valley Visitor Centre at 1-888-357-4471 or 334-3234, or visit the Visitor Centre at 2040 Cliffe Ave in Courtenay.

This year’s roster features Montreal rocker Sam Roberts, fresh from winning Juno awards for Artist of the Year and Rock Album of the Year.

This year’s roster features Montreal rocker Sam Roberts, fresh from winning Juno awards for Artist of the Year and Rock Album of the Year.

Also performing are indie darlings Mother Mother, Portland’s one-of-a-kind March Fourth Marching Band, and the Celtic-Punjabi fusion of Delhi2Dublin, among others.

Though each artist has his or her own fan base, this year’s festival is about creating an atmosphere that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

“When you put together an event like this,” says Vig Schulman, one of the festival’s founders, “it’s all about the vibe. The right mix of music brings the right mix of people, and the results are pretty magical.”

In past years, attendees have been a cross-generational mix, all drawn to the upbeat, inclusive feel of the festival. The result is a microcosm of Vancouver Island, brought together by a love of good music.

The Big Time Out takes place Saturday, Aug. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and includes dancers, acrobatics, vendors and non-stop music.

Advance tickets are available for $55.

Tickets and complete festival details can be found at www.thebigtimeout.com/festival.;

The air base was opened in 1942 to fulfill wartime duties, but the mission has transitioned to focus on search and rescue, coastal surveillance, transport, combat support and contingency operations.

There are three squadrons at 19 Wing – the only Canadian air base west of the Rocky Mountains.

The 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron flies five CP-140 Auroras, 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron flies six CC-115 Buffalo aircraft and five CH-149 Cormorant helicopters (all a distinctively bold yellow), and 19 Air Maintenance Squadron provides maintenance for the base’s aircraft and support to the squadrons.

Comox’s base boasts the province’s second-longest runway – a 10,000-foot-stretch that can accommodate a space shuttle. A portion of the base’s property is leased to the Comox Valley Airport.

The Maritime Patrol unit monitors maritime approaches far into the Pacific and Arctic – originally designed for submarine surveillance, it now plays an important role in watching for illegal activity like fishing contraventions.

The Search and Rescue squadron covers the country’s busiest region – helping people in trouble, often in rugged and inaccessible terrain and severe weather.

The base is also home to the country’s school of search and rescue and also supports sea cadets at HMCS Quadra and the Regional Gliding School (Pacific).

While a fully secure site, the operations and people of 19 Wing are an important part of the Comox Valley. With 1,000 Canadian Forces members and 200 civilian members, the base is the local area’s largest employer – filled with people who contribute both in and outside of work toward the health of the community.;

The Cumberland Taiwanese Lantern Festival is held in the historic village each March – an event that fuses performances, art, multiculturalism and history to bring out thousands of people. It’s next scheduled to begin March 28, 2009.

In 2009, the lantern festival will be celebrating its fifth anniversary in the village. Put on by a local committee of volunteers, its dazzling stage is set by a Taiwanese committee based in Vancouver. The lanterns are extravagant and handmade – glowing softly behind their colour and detail.

The week-long festival always ties in more than just the lantern display. While details are still being worked out for the 2009 event, 2008’s festival included a master glass blower and a display of Barbies. Other festivals have included live music and entertainment performances, and a lively foot parade down Dunsmuir Avenue, Cumberland’s main street, that draws a community eager to rattle off the winter blahs.

The culmination of the foot parade – a show in Village Park that includes the release of glowing lanterns into the night sky – is always a treat for guests and residents alike.

Admission to the lantern display is by donation, thanks to the support of businesses in the community.;

As the name implies, this is much more than just a golf course. It is an 831-acre golf course and resort community right in the heart of the Comox Valley.

Integrated throughout the 18-hole championship golf course are residential home sites, custom homes, vacation villas and patio homes. The 48,000-square-foot resort centre is the nucleus of the destination retreat. It features several meeting and banquet rooms, each offering a spectacular view of the golf course and surrounding mountains.

The lobby of the three-level building features a fireplace and spiral staircase. Alongside the corporate offices are the pro shop with cart and club storage, fitness centre, cigar-and-cognac room and classic car museum.

Once you’ve taken all that in, it’s time to grab the clubs and head outdoors for a warmup on the driving range, chipping and putting greens, and even practice bunkers. Then it’s tee time as you head for the award-winning, platinum-rated course designed by Graham Cooke & Associates in 1992.

The par-72, 18-hole course is the centerpiece of the community. It is superbly manicured and maintained and playable for golfers of all levels. With 11 lakes, lush fairways and a view of the Beaufort Mountain range, the course is a pleasure to play.

Crown Isle offers a golf academy and hosts various charity-raising events throughout the year. The course is home to top junior golfer Riley Wheeldon of Courtenay, a member of the RCGA Canadian Boys National team.

For more, visit www.crownisle.com.

Crown Isle is located at 399 Clubhouse Dr. in Courtenay, just off Ryan Road.;

Each year, led by the B.C. Shellfish Growers’ Association in Comox, the Valley celebrates its locally produced and internationally renowned fare at the Comox Valley Shellfish Festival.

The event is designed to teach local residents more about the products grown in Baynes Sound – so they can develop pride in their business community, and the environment that encourages it.

According to the BCSGA, Baynes Sound is one of the highest producers of shellfish in the province – and the labour-intensive industry benefits the economy by providing many jobs and supplying an ever-present demand. Local production is worth between $20 million and $25 million, employing 600 people.

The industry also protects the quality of water in the Sound because clean water is required for shellfish aquaculture.

The Comox Valley Shellfish Festival – developed to celebrate those accomplishments – was started initially as part of the Cultural Capitals of Canada initiative in the Comox Valley last year. The event also highlights partnerships with the K’

In the meantime, if you’re fortunate enough to be spending some time in the Land of Plenty you can book living quarters that range from oceanfront to high on a mountain.

There’s the homey touch offered by a multitude of bed-and-breakfast operations, many in quaint and even scenic locations.

For those on limited budgets, the area has many motels from which to choose that give you bang for your buck, sometimes with an on-site restaurant.

If your budget is really restricted, several hostels have sprung up to cater to the hiking and backpack crowd.

Toward the other end of the scale, several hotels are another option, offering the comforts of home – plus room service and restaurant fare.

If you’re really in the mood to spoil yourself, or to maintain the lifestyle to which you’ve become accustomed, investigate the luxurious resorts in the area, all of which seem to offer spectacular ocean and mountain views.

Although most accommodations are in Courtenay and Comox, do not overlook the surrounding areas.;

They are looking at other products for the shorter term such as a cream liquor, and a fruit-infused alcohol made with berries also grown on their property, the former UBC Research Farm.

Beaufort Estate Vineyard and Winery just north of Courtenay opened to the public last spring. A total of 7,500 vines are growing on eight acres. For more information, visit www.beaufortwines.ca or phone 250-338-1357.

Hornby Island’s warm summer climate is a haven for winemakers:

Middle Mountain Mead is an artisan honey winery combining the best of ancient and modern techniques to create small lots of premium handcrafted mead. Phone 250-335-1397 for current hours. Visit them online at www.middlemountainmead.com.

Carbrea Vineyard & Winery is a micro-winery that produces small lots of hand-crafted wines. Call the winery at 250-335-1240 or visit www.carbreavineyard.com.

After beginning production last year, Hornby Island Winery in the southeast part of Hornby makes wines so far with fruits other than grapes. For details, visit www.hornbywine.com.;

Visit the 17-year-old Comox Valley Farmers’ Market on a Saturday morning, and this is just a sampling of the fresh, local products you will find – and just a small example of why the Comox Valley is often called the Land of Plenty.

From mid-April to Thanksgiving, more than 80 local farmers, fishermen, gardeners and bakers bring their products to the outdoor market on Headquarters Road beside the Exhibition Grounds Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

The Comox Valley Farmers’ Market also runs Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Simms Millennium Park in Courtenay from June until the end of September and holds an indoor market Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at the Native Sons Hall in downtown Courtenay, extending the market season from October to the last Saturday before Christmas.

In Black Creek, the Miracle Beach Farmers’ Market begins in late June and and runs Thursdays until the end of August from 4 to 7 p.m. at Miracle Beach Landing, the property that includes Horsefeathers Marketplace and the mini-golf course, on the North Island Highway.

Take the ferry from Buckley Bay to explore Denman and Hornby islands, and you’ll discover two more fantastic farmers’ markets.

Denman’s market runs Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. from the May long weekend to mid-September at the Old School Centre.

The Hornby Island market is held Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in June and Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in July and August on Sollans Road between the RCMP detachment and the health care building.

The farmers who fill the market stalls stretch across the Comox Valley, producing everything from meat, poultry and potatoes to berries, vegetables and apples in the shadow of the Beaufort Mountains.

Bringing their food from their fields to your plates, many of these producers also hold their own farm markets and offer seasonal farm gate sales.;