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backyardnomads-blog · 6 years ago

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“Families are like fudge – mostly sweet with a few nuts.”

~ Unknown

Port Moody, British Columbia is located about 20.4kms which is about a forty minutes drive from downtown Vancouver. Tucked between inter-cities Burnaby & Coquitlam, British Columbia, Port Moody is considered the smallest city within the Metro Vancouver area! It has become a welcome haven for visitors & locals alike from the hectic bustle of the surrounding metropolis with its scenic waterfront & mountain views. During the summers, it definitely comes alive with live music, festivals, outdoor patios, food trucks, boating, & so much more!

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1.History. Originally, the land was home to the Squamish and Musqueam bands of the Coast Salish people, however, during the early 1800’s the Pacific coast was slowly colonized by the British through The Hudson Bay Company fur trade. Both the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush (1857) & the Cariboo Gold Rush (1858) brought many men from American territories. This influenced Queen Victoria’s decision to dispatch British Major-General Richard Moody, BC’s first Lieutenant-Governor in 1859, with the mission of reinforcing British control & establishing New Westminster, the colony’s first capital city, located by the Fraser River.

Additionally, Queen Victoria also sent Royal Engineers of the British Army to clear a trail, later known as the North Road, from Burrard Inlet at Port Moody to New Westminster in order to provide easy military access against any possible American invasion.

But it wasn’t until 1886 that Port Moody quickly expanded into a city after The Canadian Pacific Railway Company completed the transcontinental railway line linking Montreal, Quebec to Port Moody, British Columbia. This brought settlers to the West & in 1913 Port Moody was officially named a city.

Today, visitors can visit The Port Moody Station Museum near Rocky Point Park to learn more about the Railway’s historical significance in the city’s development!

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2. Arts & Music. Find upcoming events at the City’s Arts & Culture Events website. The Arts Centre is a great spot especially for artists, families, musicians, and those who enjoy crafts! If you’re staying for several weeks, there are variety of programs you can register to join like children’s summer camps, music lessons, painting, ceramics, & photography. If you can only stay for a few days, be sure to come see one of their gallery exhibitions.

3. Activities for Rainy Days. For family movie buffs, The Inlet Theatre can be a terrific way to spend the afternoon with free family friendly shows Wednesdays at 2:00pm (it is first come, first served). For hot summer days, stop by the Community Public Library where there are weekly children’s activities, Adult book clubs, & cozy spots to simply read.

4. Parks & Mountains. If you’re a nature lover than you will definitely enjoy the great variety Port Moody offers with its scenic trails, picnic areas, & scenic surroundings!

Probably the most famous is The Rocky Point Park located downtown. It is a fantastic spot for families with a spray park (free), outdoor pool, skateboard area, playground, dock area, & walking paths. There are also trails stretching along the shoreline for running, biking, or walking. Additionally, with a boat launch many visitors set out for a day out on the water from this point, which makes for a great view from shore. Finally, stop by for Pajo’s Fish & Chips & Rocky Point Ice Cream for refreshing treats & delicious meals!

For great waterfront views & outdoor adventure, take a short fifteen minute drive north to The Belcarra Park for fishing, crab fishing, hiking along the Springboard Trail & Sasamat Lake Loop, boating, & swimming at Buntzen lake or Sasamat Lake. Next enjoy a leisurely lunch at one of the picnic facilities. You might also try out the Admiralty Point Trails that has spectacular views along the shoreline with several areas to stop and soak in those views of the clear greenish blue water & surrounding landscape. Belcarra is a well loved spot for locals, in fact Belcarra was fittingly called “a little piece of paradise” by the Vancouver Sun (Bramham, 2011).

5. Breweries. Whether you’re relaxing after a day hiking or out on the water, Port Moody’s Brewers Row located at Murray Street is the perfect place to visit! Situated on the same street you can easily sample a taste from each one of Port Moody’s finest craft breweries: Moody Ales, The Parkside Brewery, Yellow Dog Brewing Co., & Twin Sails Brewing. Each brewery celebrates unique craft beers which reflect their passion for quality & flavor.

Read More about “The BC Ale Micro-Trail”!

Visit Burnaby!

With SO MUCH TO DO your family will never get board!

Try out: Classic Steam Train, Burnaby Village Museum, Capilano Suspension Bridge, Chinese Garden, Casino, Grouse Mountain Tramway, Cruises, Hells Gate Air Tram, Lynn Canyon Park, & MORE!

6. Accommodations. Why not stay a few days at Port Moody? With its quick access to downtown Vancouver & neighboring Burnaby, this is a great option for travelers! Depending on your style, you may prefer Bed & Breakfasts, of which Port Moody has some lovely options available for you to choose from. Here are our top four suggestions: Mainstay Oasis Bed & Breakfast, The Beach House on Alderside, At the Beach Retreat, & Nature’s Door Bed & Breakfast. For those who would rather stay at a hotel, we would suggest you check out Coquitlam’s Executive Plaza Hotel Metro Vancouver.

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7. Campgrounds & RV Parks. We love camping during the summer months, not only because its budget friendly, but honestly we just can’t get enough of the outdoor experience! But finding campgrounds with open spaces can be one of the most frustrating & tricky parts of the experience, especially in high tourist areas like Vancouver during the summertime! (If you can call ahead & reserve your spot before arriving, better yet book it days or weeks ahead, it will save you a world of time & peace of mind). One place close to Port Moody is: Anmore Camp & RV Park. CHECK OUT: Travel British Columbia. This website offers a more comprehensive list of locations for camping, lodging, RV-ing, cabins, yurt tents, & more!

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8. Restaurants. If you’re a fan of Tacos, then be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the amazing The Truckeria Food Truck (Tuesdays @ The Parkside Brewery & Wednesdays @ Yellow Dog Brewing Co.; Or follow them on Instagram for their daily locations). For a more sit-down experience, try out Taps & Tacos Restaurant! Other yummy local eats include: Spacca Napoli , Mega Donaire, & Henry’s Kitchen Pasta & Grill (2410 St Johns street). We haven’t forgotten about dessert…stop by Gabi & Jules Handmade Pies!!

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9. Transportation. With so much to explore, driving around can take up a lot of time just getting through Vancouver’s traffic, construction, & finding parking. Although, this might be the most viable option for you, Port Moody makes it easy to skip the traffic with its SkyTrain! Simply jump on the Millennium Line’s Evergreen Extension at Port Moody & sit back as the automated transit system takes you downtown Vancouver within 30-40 minutes! You can buy the Compass Cards & Tickets at any SkyTrain, SeaBus, London Drug Stores, & West Coast Express Stations. You can also buy online or call 604-398-2042. The Translink website also provides useful information regarding biking, bus schedules, driving, & MUCH MORE!

We hope that this guide has been helpful for your planning!

If you know of other great ideas or places to visit throughout the Port Moody or Vancouver areas, please let us know! We are always eager to try out new adventures & discover new travel places!

Sources:

Bramham, Daphne. “Belcarra: A Little Piece of Paradise.” Www.vancouversun.com, Vancouver Sun, 18 Aug. 2011, http://www.vancouversun.com/Belcarra little piece paradise/5109910/story.html.

“Canadian Pacific Railway .” UBC Library Chung Collection, The University of British Columbia, chung.library.ubc.ca/collection-themes/canadian-pacific-railway/canadian-pacific-railway.

“New Westminster History .” Tourism New Westminster, 2016, http://www.tourismnewwestminster.com/about-new-westminster/history/.

“I. Vancouver Before It Was.” The Story of Vancouver, Vancouver Historical Society, 8 May 2017, http://www.vancouver-historical-society.ca/blog/introduction/i-vancouver-before-it-was/.

Yardley , Carollyne. “The Cariboo Gold Rush Overview and Historical Map.” The Cariboo Gold Rush Barkerville Section, 30 Nov. 1998, http://www.cariboogoldrush.com/intro.htm.

#British Columbia #travel

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businessfrontrunners · 5 years ago

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Real Estate Developer and Innovator Candy Ho Unveils Sparkling New Vision for Intergenerational Communities, Social Transformation, Mindfulness and Holistic Wellness

https://authoritypresswire.com/?p=28153 According to statistics from the Canadian government in 2016, 16.9% of Canadians were aged 65 years or older, and 2.2% were aged 85 years or older, representing a 20% increase in these age groups since 2011. The segment of the Canadian population aged 65 years and older is expected to increase to 20.0% by 2024, raising concerns about where these seniors will live and who will care for them. While some see these statistics as a warning sign, one heart-centered real estate developer with a passion for social transformation sees an opportunity. “We’re trying to create a better and a new way of living,” says Candy Ho, co-founder of Element Lifestyle Retirement in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ho is a leader in the “Intergenerational Aging in Place” movement and has been in the retirement industry for half her life. Her reputation as an innovator has sparked change and inspired the industry across Canada and all the way to Australia, winning her company an international award in stiff competition from over 950 retirement projects assessed worldwide. Those who know Candy Ho know that she has always had a passion for helping others and for giving back to her community. Originally on track to become a doctor, she decided instead to follow in her father’s footsteps as a real estate developer. “As a physician, I felt like I could only do so much good. But I learned from my father to see into the future, to have a vision for something that doesn’t exist,” Ho explains. “He taught me that it’s about doing the right thing.” That vision of a better future for seniors and their families enabled Ho to have an even greater impact as an agent of social transformation. But there is a personal motivation as well. Ho’s mother has Parkinson’s disease. That made Ho think about the kind of retirement community she would like her parents to live in. She realized that traditional retirement communities tended to separate, rather than unite, family members. “That’s when I realized that intergenerational communities help everyone stay connected to younger, vibrant energy, instead of being surrounded by suffering and feeling stigmatized in a home with a label that says they’re old and needy,” Ho says. Thanks to Ho’s tireless efforts, her vision is spreading across the globe. Other retirement communities now look at Ho’s model to come up with their own version of intergenerational living. Ho and other industry leaders are advocating for seniors and their families at the municipal, provincial, and federal level to overcome restrictive government regulations. Now that she has successfully ignited further innovation in the retirement industry, Ho has shifted her attention to leading a project she has dedicated herself to for 15 years: The Cape on Bowen, a 618-acre southwestern waterfront development on the only island within Metro Vancouver. As CEO of this development, her mission is to create a legacy community with a long-term vision that is to become a role model for the world in terms of balanced socio-economic-environmental sustainability. For this to happen, Ho is committing to deep community engagement and collaboration for a better future. Both her enthusiasm and her energy are apparent as she paints a mental picture of what she sees: “Diverse forms of housing, including ownership, long-term rentals and co-living; community gardens, farms and orchards; a charming pedestrian-oriented arts, culture and retail village; a network of contiguous trails and wildlife habitat; an adventure waterfront park; an International Baccalaureate secondary school, and an international retreat and resort for mindful leadership and holistic healing,” Ho explains with excitement. In addition to the legacy island development, her other big venture will be wellness communities, with a mission to shift society's collective consciousness towards mindfulness, compassion, peace and integrity. “I want to cultivate meaningful connection and encourage people to take a proactive approach to holistic wellness and purposeful living,” Ho says. While social transformation is her underlying motivation, Ho isn't shy to say that she recognizes the tremendous business potential for creating communities centered around mindfulness and meditation. "I believe that when your heart is in the right place and you do something that the world needs, abundance follows naturally. That abundance allows you to sustain and grow your impact." For Ho, her greatest positive energy comes from contributing to society through her daily work and visionary projects. “My biggest passion is to overcome the status quo and positively transform the world through open-minded and open-hearted collaboration within the community to harness the power of unity,” Ho explains. Candy Ho is CEO of The Cape on Bowen and co-founder and vice president of Element Lifestyle Retirement. She is a director on the boards of the B.C. Senior Living Association and the B.C. Heart & Stroke Foundation. To connect with Candy Ho, message her on LinkedIn.

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