Urban Activities

Thanks to the mildest climate in Canada life at The Gales offers things to do in all four seasons. From outdoor activities and adventures to wonderful and unique cultural and urban experiences, life here is full of the fruits of life.

While Ladysmith offers a wonderful range of urban experiences and is located just down the road from The Gales, the city of Victoria has a wide variety of cultural activities along with world class shopping and dining delights only a one hour drive from your home at The Gales.

Victoria

Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria provides its own unique experience when it comes to shopping, dining, outdoor activities and tourist-type attractions. You can stroll its downtown streets browsing through quant boutiques and small shops selling wares of all nature from designer fashions to hand-pulled toffee and everything in between. If you prefer the convenience of shopping in a mall Victoria has several well appointed malls, both downtown and in the surrounding areas.

When those hunger pangs strike Victoria has a wide variety of options to help satiate your appetite. Being a city with international culinary influences you can find a dining experience to suite any taste. Whether you crave a quick meal in a small sidewalk cafe or a sophisticated and elegant dining affair Victoria is sure to serve up a memorable culinary encounter every time. From Great pub fare to high tea at the historic Empress Hotel to fresh seafood prepared in a west coast style to whatever you fancy Victoria can serve it up to you!

Outdoor activities in Victoria are numerous and wide ranging. The simple pleasure of a stroll around Victoria's world famous inner harbour, watching street performers on the harbour's causeway, the coming and goings of its traffic both water bourn and aircraft can be an entire afternoon's entertainment in itself. Follow that up with a wander through Beacon Hill Park with its myriad of beautifully manicured flower beds and duck ponds and you will have no doubt as to why Victoria is called 'The Garden City'.

Views of the Olympic Mountains across the Strait of Juan de Fuca can be taken in along the entire waterfront off Dallas road where kite flyers and joggers enjoy the expansive view year round. Other local attractions like the world famous Butchart Gardens and Butterfly World are within easy reach of downtown Victoria.

The Royal BC Museum, located by the inner harbour, is a 'must see' attraction that showcases the province’s natural and cultural heritage with displays the bring history to life for both young and old alike.

Some of the other events to be taken in are:

  • JazzFest International
  • The Fringe Theatre Festival
  • Luminara Festival
  • Uno Live Theatre Festival

However, Victoria is not the only urban centre on Vancouver Island to find adventure in.

Explore...

  • Duncan with its Cowichan Cultural Centre.
  • Nanaimo with its Bathtub Races, Empire Days celebration, Jazz in the Park and much more.
  • Parksville/Qualicum Beach with beautiful beaches and quant shopping districts.
  • Coombs with its market full of artisans along with goats on the roof... really!

Year-round you can find something to do nearby or on a memorable day trip from your home. From simply relaxing on your spacious deck at home to something as adventurous as bungee jumping, you can have it all!

Annual wildlife viewing events include:

  • The Trumpeter Swan Festival in the Comox Valley each February.
  • The Pacific Rim Whale Festival every March.
  • The Brant Festival in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach area each April.
  • Tofino’s annual Shorebird Festival every May.

Some of the land based activities include:

  • Aerial tours: Sightseeing over a beautiful island from the heavens. Several sea-plane airlines offer private and small-group aerial tours.
  • Berry picking: Wild berries abound, often near highways and hiking paths.
  • Bicycling: The mild climate allows for a year-round riding season.
  • Bungee jumping: Imagine jumping off a bridge over a clean river in a verdant valley, fun assured by bungee.
  • Camping: one of the best places in the world for camping.
  • Golf: Golfers have more than 40 great golf facilities to choose from – most scenic, some world-class.
  • Hiking: From shoreline paths to mountain-climb routes, the island is a hiker’s paradise all year.
  • Guided walking or bus tours: From the haunted places of Victoria to historical logging equipment near Duncan, there are many guided tours by land.
  • Horseback riding: On inland trails, on beaches, and at equestrian centres. Guided tours, too.
  • Mountain climbing: The island is mountainous and people come from all over the world to explore them.
  • Mushroom picking: Those damp forests support a seasonal small industry of wild mushrooms.
  • Sightseeing: From a tour-bus window to a motorcycle helmet face shield to a scenic bluff, the island is a panorama of beautiful scenery from almost anywhere.
  • Spelunking (caving): Vancouver Island’s thousands of caves place it among the most significant and spectacular spelunking areas in the world.
  • Storm watching: A long-standing practice recently popularized on the island’s west coast. See why.
  • Visiting museums and galleries: From the small and private to the large and government-run, the island has many.
  • Wildlife watching: Hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians live here year-round or stop here on seasonal migration. They draw wildlife watchers from all over the world.
  • Winery tours: There are 25 vineyards in the Cowichan Valley – some producing wines that win regional and international awards.