Julie H. Ferguson

5,000 Eagles Gather In Southern BC

by Julie H. Ferguson

Every November, between two and six thousand eagles congregate to gorge on spawned-out salmon within an easy day trip from Vancouver. I have yearned to experience this, the biggest convocation in North America, but was determined to see it on an unspoiled river.

The Harrison River, deep in the Fraser Valley, filled the bill and is less than two hours from home.

From time immemorial, huge numbers of eagles have followed Pacific salmon flooding up wild BC rivers to spawn, then die. Dwindling food supplies and freeze-up further north drive the hungry eagles to southern BC for the later salmon runs. They are lazy birds – scavengers first, hunters only when they must.

The eagles are everywhere: on the gravel bars, along the river’s bank, and atop pilings. They fill the bare trees, soar in the sky, and bicker over a single salmon even when there are thousands. I hear them mew, whistle, cluck, and shriek. I struggle with my camera bundled up in a shower cap and the dim light so close to the winter solstice.

At the confluence of the Harrison and Chehalis Rivers, named the first Salmon Stronghold in Canada, the annual Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival kicks off the spectacle in mid-November. Opening day at Pretty Estate resort, home of Rowena’s Inn and Sandpiper Golf Course, sees experts, eagle handlers, and photographers on hand to assist visitors in understanding the birds’ life cycle that is directly tied to salmon migrations. BC’s well-known eagle guru David Hancock of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation is a regular and approachable presence.

There are two ways to experience this natural phenomenon. Drive out to Harrison Mills along Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser River:

1. On land: Turn left at the Sasquatch Inn and follow the signs to Sandpiper Golf Course (1km). Turn right through the gates of the Pretty Estate Resort. You will be directed to parking behind Rowena’s Inn and take a short walk to the “Flats.” You can’t miss the eagles! (Free)

2. On water: Drive a bit further on Hwy 7 and cross the Harrison River bridge, then turn right to Kilby and follow the signs. From here you can take a guided river cruise operated by Fraser River Safari. The birds are not spooked by the boat, so you get closer and keep drier than on foot. It’s wise to book the river safari online before leaving Vancouver. ($65-70/person)

The boat navigates through Harrison Bay and up-river. From the pilings, the adult eagles stare me down with the unwavering eyes of all raptors. Their yellow beaks, hooked and sharp, are perfect for eating flesh. I watch an adult haul a salmon carcass from between the logs and fend off thieving juveniles and gulls.

In late December, the eagles disperse—even partners go their separate ways.

“But I thought they mated for life,” I comment.

“Last year one tagged male flew to Haida Gwaii and his partner went to Montana,” my guide says. “They returned to their nest here on exactly the same March day to raise another eaglet.”

I will return too.

The author wishes to thank Pretty Estate Resort and Fraser River Safari for making this adventure possible.

If you go:

The bald eagles visit Harrison River from mid-November to late-December; the festival is held annually on the third weekend in November at the Pretty Estate Resort. (Nov 16-17 in 2013)

Pack hiking boots, rain-gear and warm clothing, a hat and gloves. Take binoculars and, if you want good photos of the eagles, a camera with a 200mm lens or longer (smartphone cameras will disappoint).

The Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival is accessible to visitors who can walk on uneven ground. Rowena’s Inn is wheelchair accessible, but the river safari is not. Both are kid-friendly. Visitors can find good meals at both Pretty Estate and at Kilby Historic Site.

Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival: http://fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca/
Fraser River Safari: http://fraserriversafari.com/
Harrison River, Canada’s first Salmon Stronghold: www.wildsalmoncenter.org/programs/north_america/canada.php
Hancock Wildlife Foundation: www.hancockwildlife.org/

– Bald Eagle biology at www.hancockwildlife.org/index.php?topic=BaldEagleBiology

– Hancock’s eaglecam at Rowena’s broadcasts two live views at
http://www.hancockwildlife.org/index.php?topic=HarrMills#camera-north.

Pretty Estate Resort:

Rowena’s Inn on the River – www.sandpipergolfclub.com/rowenas_home/

River’s Edge Restaurant – http://www.sandpipergolfclub.com/riversedge_home/

Sandpiper Golf– www.sandpipergolfclub.com/

Tourism Harrison for accommodation, etc. – www.tourismharrison.com

About the author:

Julie H. Ferguson is an addicted travel writer and photographer who is intensely interested in the history and culture of foreign lands, as well as Canada, and her stories and images reflect this focus. She never leaves home without her cameras and voice recorder, always looking for the colour and sounds that captivate readers everywhere.

Julie is also the author of twenty-six books, including four about Canadian history and seventeen travel-photo portfolios. Her travel articles and images have appeared in global markets, both print and online.

She invites you to visit her travelog www.stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com, her website at www.beaconlit.com, and her portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/beaconlit.

Exploring a Vancouver ‘Hood

by Julie H. Ferguson

Denman Street, Vancouver

When I’m in a big city anywhere, I often avoid tourist traps by exploring a neighbourhood. The experience gets me in touch with the locals and shows me what it’s like to live there.

If you happen to be visiting multi-cultural Vancouver, many neighbourhoods offer tourists the chance for an exploratory day trip: Chinatown, Main Street, and Little India (aka Punjabi Market), to name a few. In the spring of 2013, I roamed around Denman Street in the residential West End, sandwiched by the sea at either end. It stretches from Coal Harbour in the north to English Bay in the south, with Stanley Park two blocks west. I could walk Denman one-way in about twenty minutes but I took six hours to browse the ‘hood’s funky cafés and unusual boutiques, its residential streets, and stunning beach.

The aroma of roasting coffee wafted around me as I set out on a sunny morning at Denman’s north end where motor cruisers and yachts rack up in Coal Harbour and harbour cruises depart. Between West Georgia and Robson, bike and skate rentals predominate so visitors can circle Stanley Park’s famous sea wall on a bike, choosing from the most popular electric version up to racing models. Trailers for little ones are available too.

South of Robson, the buildings are older and some, ramshackle. Here are the cafés, restaurants, and a pub or two. I lost count when I reached fifty and there must be every cuisine on the planet represented here—from the haute cuisine of Rain City Grill at the south end to a tiny spot creating homemade empanadas (Latin-style pasties), which I devoured. I ate at Kingyo’s, an unusual Japanese place just south of Haro Street, and snacked on Ukrainian perogies.

I saw few tourists here in spring. Instead Denman was full of locals walking their pint-sized Yorkies and poodles before work, and elderly residents chatting in coffee shops. Many said, “Good morning” to me, and one lady wheeling a Pug in her walker-basket stopped to chat for ten minutes. I felt like a local.

In high summer, Denman hosts Vancouver’s Pride Parade and it was no surprise to me to see some risqué stores amidst the ordinary ones. I did not explore all of these as I was solo and a bit apprehensive, but I did peek in and blush.

I reached English Bay Beach, one of many sandy beaches in the city and hugely popular. Today under cool skies, the dog walkers had displaced the sun bathers, but it is a spectacular spot to enjoy Pacific sunsets on summer evenings and sip a glass of BC chardonnay.

I’ve long loved the statues, all fourteen of them, at the corner of Denman and Davie that have graced the intersection since the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Today I enjoyed people interacting with Yue Minjun’s A-mazing Laughter, imitating them and acting the fool.

I meandered back to my hotel, Times Square Suites at Denman and Robson, through Stanley Park’s eastern edge starting at the heron rookery and ending at Lost Lagoon, where the Stanley Park Ecology Society runs children’s programs in the summer.

The Denman neighbourhood is funky, small, and friendly and very close to downtown Vancouver with all its attractions. But don’t forget Stanley Park’s Vancouver Aquarium, a ten minute bike-ride from Denman—it’s one of the best day trips for every age group.

The author wishes to thank Spectacular Ink and Times Square Suites for making this exploration of the Denman Street neighborhood possible.

If you go:

Best months to visit: anytime, but May to early October are the dry season
Also walk east on Robson to the high-end stores like Armani and Tiffany’s.
Thirty-fifth anniversary Pride Parade, August 4, 2013.

Tourism Vancouver: www.tourismvancouver.com.

Denman Street: www.insidevancouver.ca/2009/06/16/exploring-denman-st-from-english-bay-beach-to-coal-harbour/.

Harbour cruises: http://www.boatcruises.com/tour.php?pv=p5.

Stanley Park: http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/stanley-park.aspx.

Vancouver Aquarium: http://www.vanaqua.org/

Bike rentals: Ezee Riders (best value at Denman and Robson) www.ezeeriders.com

Pride parade 2013: http://www.vancouverpride.ca/

Times Square Suites, ranked Vancouver’s sixth best hotel out of 97, at Denman and Robson: http://www.timessquaresuites.com.

About the author

She invites you to visit her travelog www.stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com, her website at www.beaconlit.com, and her portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/beaconlit.

A Golf Getaway Deep In The Fraser Valley

by Julie H. Ferguson

Rowena’s Inn

The view gobsmacks me as I wheel into the Pretty Estate Resort in Harrison Mills, an easy day trip from Vancouver. Why hadn’t I stopped here before?

“You’re early,” the man at the pro shop tells me. “Is it your first time?”

“Yes.”

“Would you like a tour?” My eyes light up.

Alan whisks me away in his cart. He’s a player’s assistant at the Sandpiper Golf Course and sets the tone for my stay.

Alan shows me the forested course that sweeps down to the unspoiled Harrison River and gives me tips on how to play it. Sandpiper’s front nine winds amongst towering Douglas firs, but it is the back nine that has spectacular holes running along the banks of the river. I also get my first look at the restaurant and Rowena’s Inn.

As I play Sandpiper, all I can hear are birds singing and the plop of my ball dropping into the cup. The fairways are lush after a wet spring, though players using power carts must still keep to the path. I enjoy this uncrowded course, not too difficult but with enough challenges to keep me interested. The views through the firs distract me periodically, but when I reach Sandpiper’s signature hole, the fifteenth, my scoring comes undone. The fast-running river is cloudy turquoise with snow melt; the snow-capped Coast Mountains, smoky blue; the old fruit trees, white with blossom. I inhale spring.

I struggle to restore my wandering focus and tackle Sandpiper’s final hole. I manage a par before lunch at The River’s Edge restaurant.

This cozy restaurant nestled in the firs is filled with old world charm but in high summer, guests eat on the terrace and drink in the view along with VQA wines. River’s Edge focuses on west coast food with fresh ingredients mostly from Fraser Valley producers.

Rowena’s Inn on the River, which I’d heard about but never visited, is the former Pretty family home and looks out over the open fairways to the river and mountains beyond. Here the goal is seriously comfortable hospitality and impeccable personal service.

Inside Rowena’s, I’m transported to an era where the art of unhurried conversation was encouraged. The main rooms are elegant and refined, and filled with carefully acquired antiques; natural light pours through the south-facing windows. Upstairs the guestrooms are all different; in one, the carved bed of Dame Nellie Melba, the opera singer, takes centre stage. If guests desire more privacy, they stay in one of four luxury log cabins that nestle close beside the inn overlooking a small lake.

I enjoy the traditional Afternoon Tea in the drawing room with other guests who anticipate a gourmet breakfast in the inn’s solarium next morning.

Later with a glass of Okanagan Chardonnay by the pool, I breathe the pure air and unwind. Now that I’ve found the Pretty Estate Resort, I never want to leave.

If you go:

A car is essential to visit the Harrison-Agassiz region. The drive from Vancouver takes under two hours and the most scenic route is along Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser River.

Pretty Estate Resort: www.SandpiperResort.ca
Packages: http://www.sandpipergolfclub.com/rowenas_packages/
Fishing expeditions, wildlife and ecotours available

The inn and restaurant are wheelchair accessible.

Harrison Tourism: www.tourismharrison.com

About the author

She invites you to visit her travelog www.stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com, her website at www.beaconlit.com, and her portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/beaconlit.

St-Malo: In Search of Jacques Cartier

by Julie H. Ferguson

Jacques Cartier statue

I glimpse St-Malo from the sea just as Jacques Cartier did on his voyages home from the New World in the sixteenth century: the sun illuminates the old town behind its medieval ramparts and towers. I’m riding the early morning ferry from Dinard across the Rance Estuary for a day trip to explore how St-Malo remembers Cartier, a native son. This town has bred explorers and seafarers for over 500 years and Cartier discovered Canada on July 24, 1534.

As I walk just inside the walls, St-Malo’s granite mansions tower above me – from their upper floors, merchants of old kept watch for their heavy-laden ships returning from the Indies and Peru. I start my search at the Musée d’histoire de la ville in the Great Keep of St-Malo’s castle, which is now city hall, but I find little of Jacques Cartier here.

However, I know the history I seek will be in the cathedral. These millennia-spanning sacred places hold the stories of communities’ celebrations and calamities the world over. As I climb, its spire leads me onward through streets seething with tourists. Buskers entertain at every crossroad, delicious aromas waft from cafés and bakeries, and boutiques beckon…

St-Vincent’s does not disappoint. I gaze at a vast stained glass window back-lit by the morning light. It depicts the Bishop of St-Malo blessing Cartier before his first voyage to the New World. It is a replica of the original dedicated in 1958 after the destruction of the cathedral in World War II. A plaque donated by Quebec in the floor marks the exact spot where Cartier knelt to receive his blessing. Jacques Cartier’s simple tomb, discovered beneath the rubble of war, is adorned with fresh flowers today—someone cares. Cartier died aged 66 in his own bed in Limoëlou, northeast of St. Malo, which has a museum well worth visiting.

I hunt for a crêperie for lunch as I love the paper-thin Breton pancakes, both sweet and savoury. I visit the crêpe chef and try my hand at swirling the runny whole-wheat batter on the griddle with a wooden scraper. It’s not easy. My Crêpe Cartier arrives smothered in flaked almonds and maple syrup, and I want to lick the plate.

To walk off lunch, I circle the ramparts. On the western rampart I find a statue of Cartier—as no one knows what he looked like, his face is guesswork. Cartier leans into the wind and waves, his hand on a wooden tiller, his eyes on the horizon. A plaque here tells me that Pierre Trudeau unveiled it 1984 to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Cartier’s discovery of Canada, but it does not mention it was in the name of France.

I scan the horizon too and imagine Cartier’s top-heavy carrack, La Grande Hermine with all sails set, bobbing like a cork into the English Channel. Canadians may claim Jacques Cartier, but I’m delighted that we also share him with the citizens of St-Malo who honour their intrepid seafarers today as much as they did in 1534.

If you go:

Best months to visit: May, June, and September.
Weather – unpredictable, even in summer.
I prefer to stay in Dinard as St-Malo is overcrowded in summer and the hotels intra muros, within the walls, can be noisy.
Old St-Malo is not readily accessible for those with mobility issues.

St-Malo tourist office has all you need to know about accommodation, restaurants, tours, museums, activities, etc.

Jacques Cartier Museum, Limoëlou Manor, Rotheneuf

Dinard tourist office

Dinard-St-Malo ferry takes 10 minutes; €6.90 return. This company also offers good local cruise tours.

About the author:

She invites you to visit her travelog www.stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com, her website at www.beaconlit.com, and her portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/beaconlit.