With many of the normal Canada Day activities not happening this year and many people choosing not to celebrate but to spend some quiet time in reflection or with some close friends and family instead, Prince George residents may be looking for things to do on July 1.
Here are the Citizen staff's top picks for things to do in and around this week and on Canada Day:
PLAY A ROUND OF DISC GOLF AT RAINBOW PARK
Disc golf is a game just like regular golf, except instead of trying to hit a ball into a hole, players aim to get their disc into a metal basket in as few throws as possible.
It's easy to learn the basics, free to play, requires no expensive equipment, there are no dress codes, and it is a fun, casual game for all ages and fitness levels. So, scratch that, it's nothing at all like regular golf.
While serious players use purpose-made discs – long-range 'drivers,' mid-rangers and putters – a dollar store Frisbee works just fine if you want to give it a try.
When putting in to the basket, aim for the chains and don't throw too hard. If you do it right, the disc will hit the chains and fall neatly into the basket.
The par for each "hole" at the Rotary Disc Golf Course at Rainbow Park is three. Sharing the course with other park users is part of the game, so be courteous if you have to play around an outdoor yoga class or skip a hole to avoid hitting a family picnic.
Grab some discs and some friends, download the course map off the city's website and head out for some Canada Day fun.
- Arthur Williams
DOMINION DAY AT HUBLE HOMESTEAD
Home of the wide open spaces, a visit to Huble Homestead historic site always inspires the intake of the clean crisp air, a sigh of contentment, and a giddy impulse to go exploring in all the nooks and crannies where we hope to find our own special piece of history.
Usually I make my annual trip out to the land of peace and quiet during the fall harvest when the lovely staff have done all the hard work of growing a variety of hardy root vegetables and even harvested them for me so that I might partake in my favourite of their events the Potato Festival.
I must ask that you say "Potato Festival' with a song in your heart and a lilt to your voice and if you can manage a brogue as well that makes it ideal because as you know the luck of the Irish is with you when it comes to picking heirloom potatoes.
But residents shouldn't wait until the fall to visit Huble Homestead.
There's good news for those who wish to celebrate Canada Day this year with a great throw back Thursday feel to it.
While all the other Canada Day celebrations have been canceled Huble Homestead is hosting its Dominion Day celebrations not only on July 1 but from June 28 to July 4 to make sure everyone who wishes can celebrate the old-fashioned way.
So don't wait for my beloved Potato Festival to visit. Find your way out there to enjoy a trip across the country like the explorers we all wish to be and once your passport is filled head to the General Store for a prize.
To get a hands-on history lesson pre-book a spot for heritage skills demonstrations like ice cream making and butter churning.
Demonstrations will be limited to ten people per session and cost $3 per person; these spots must be booked in advance.
Huble Homestead Historic Site is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh, 40 km north of Prince George, just off Highway 97 on Mitchell Road and is open daily until September 6. Admission is by donation, and dogs are welcome.
To book demonstration time slots, view activity schedules, and learn more about safety measures, visit www.hublehomestead.ca, or call 250-564-7033.
- Christine Dalgleish
GO FOR A HIKE
If you haven't done so already, the Canada Day long weekend could be the perfect time to take a drive out to Ancient Forest - Chun T'oh Whudujut Provincial Park and walk along the boardwalk between the towering red cedars that make up the inland temperate rainforest. Guaranteed to make you dizzy. To find it, head east on Highway 16 for 120 kilometres.
For more information, go to bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/ancient-forest/
If you don't have the time there are a couple good options closer to the city:
- You can thank the glaciers - and some inspired thinking by the powers that be - for the creation Eskers Provincial Park, which has been dubbed by some as the "best little provincial park in British Columbia."
It's 40 kilometres northwest of the city (just follow the signs along Chief Lake Road), and it's home to as much as 16 kilometres of fine walking along a series of gently rolling gravel ridges that curve around several small lakes that are also popular with canoeists. Signs along the way describe how these features came to be as the glaciers receded.
For more information go to bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/eskers/.
- Even closer to the city at a mere 15-20 minute drive to the east along Highway 16 is the Tabor Mountain Recreation Area. While one side is dedicated to motorized recreation, the side along Highway 16 is for moving about by foot and pedal only. There are several small and longer loops you can follow and a handy map can be downloaded.
- Mark Nielsen
MAKE A GREAT CANADIAN KETCHUP CAKE
If you are looking for something a little different to do this July 1 why not try and bake a strange ‘Canadian’ food.
The ketchup company Kraft Heinz has a recipe for what they call a ‘Great Canadian Ketchup Cake' although any ketchup brand would do. The red-and-white cake recipe can be found on the back of some bottles of ketchup and online, but it’s essentially a white cake recipe, with a water-ketchup-and-food-colouring mixture added after you beat in the eggs and before you add the flour. To get the red-and-white look use two round cake pans and add cream cheese frosting in the middle. Eat at your own risk!
The recipe can be found online here.
- Hanna Petersen
FREE CAMPING
The provincial parks and private campgrounds in the area are great but if you're looking for something more adventurous (and off the grid), give a B.C. recreation site a try.
There are numerous spots in the Prince George area. Davie Lake, for example, is just a few minutes north of the Crooked River Provincial Park at Bear Lake. It's a great, open spot with 11 campsites, tables, toilets and a boat launch.
The plus side to camping at a B.C. recreation site is the camping is free on a first-come, first-served basis but there are a few catches.
First, these sites are popular. Tacheeda Lakes is a long way to go to find out there are no spots left or the spots left are less than ideal, which happens on the major summer holiday long weekends. Early birds get the best spots.
Second, these spots are accessed on forest service roads. If the prospect of possibly having to share a narrow gravel road with loaded and unloaded logging trucks while driving your motorhome or large fifth-wheel stresses you out, this isn't for you.
Third, each forest service road is different in terms of size, maintenance and logging truck traffic. The Willow Cale out to Buckhorn Lake and St. Marie Lake is wide and well-kept. The Chuchinka Red Rocky/Colbourne out to Tacheeda is far more challenging. Whether as a group or going in alone, a radio is highly recommended so the truckers know you're coming and vice versa, especially through the canyon.
Visit sitesandtrailsbc.ca for a full rundown of the recreation sites available. It's also worth visiting the website for updates on road conditions and site closures.
- Neil Godbout
