Dip your hand (or your toes) into the Gorge waterway, the narrow inlet between Craigflower and Selkirk bridges, and you will probably agree that it may be the cleanest and warmest natural swimming spot in the region. Judge for yourself by taking the plunge at the Gorge Swim Fest 2016 on Sunday.
The family-friendly event, at Banfield Park in Vic West, is hosted by the Gorge Swim Fest Society, whose mission is to promote swimming in the waterway.
Swimming in the Gorge is nothing new. From the 1890s to the 1930s, the waterway was the place for competitive swimming. Swimming galas were held annually, with up to six clubs active at its peak.
There was also competitive diving, featuring divers who went on to compete and win gold medals at four Olympic Games.
After garbage-dumping and pollution ravaged the waterway, several organizations mounted clean-up efforts that began in 2000 and have returned the Gorge to a pristine condition.
Credit goes to the Veins of Life Watershed Society, the Gorge Waterway Action Society, the Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club, and legions of volunteers.
Today, popular swimming locations include Banfield Park, Vic West, Kinsmen Gorge Park, Esquimalt and Curtis Point at Gorge Park, Saanich.
Lifeguards will be in attendance at Sunday's event. Volunteers will run booths to help children make crafts and play games, such as the water-balloon toss and bubble creation. And there will be a mini waterslide.
The event is aimed at achieving zero waste in the waterway, with educators on hand to ensure materials brought on site are reusable, recyclable or compostable.
Admission to the Swim Fest is free. Bring your own bathing suit and towel. It runs from noon to 4 p.m.
For more information, go to gorgeswimfest.ca/swim-fest-2016.
Cadboro Bay Festival offers fun for all ages
Take the family for an afternoon of fun at the Cadboro Bay Festival on Sunday.
The event features inflatable amusements, face painting, live music, information displays, interactive games, a kids’ treasure map, and arts and crafts.
World-class sand sculptors will be creating giant sculptures with sand, water and a lot of imagination.
Six food outlets are confirmed, with perhaps more to come. Live-music performers include Russell in the Bushes, Cookeilidh and BackBeat.
Admission is free. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Gyro Park. For information, go to saanich.ca/EN/main/news-events/events-list/saanich-events/cadboro-bay-festival.html.
Who will be top dog at Summer Classic?
See your favourite dog breeds at the Victoria City Kennel Club’s annual Summer Classic dog show, Friday through Sunday.
This is the show’s 128th year. The show, at Saanich Fairgrounds, is part of a series of all-breed events, known as the Island Circuit, with others in Campbell River and Comox. It is held under the rules and regulations of the Canadian Kennel Club.
The Vizsla Canada 2016 Nationals, for smooth and wirehaired Vizslas, will be held in conjunction with the all-breed show, from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday.
There is also a Meet the Breeds event, at which club members will educate visitors about their breeds. The event runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, depending on participation.
The family-friendly show is free to attend.
There will be three rings, with judging of dogs daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday at the fairgrounds, 1528 Stelly’s Cross Rd., Central Saanich. For details, go to victoriacitykennelclub.ca.
Collector cars bring colour to Oak Bay
Don’t expect to find perfection at the Oak Bay Collector Car Festival on Sunday.
This is not a Concours d’Elégance affair (although they won't be turned away). It is a grassroots car show, with less-than-perfect vehicles.
At the show, on Oak Bay Avenue, recently restored vehicles will sit side by side with cars in their original condition and others in various stages of restoration. Some will even be looking for new owners.
“The Oak Bay Collector Car Festival is different because it gives people an opportunity to see cars that are seldom driven — with some hidden away in local garages,” said Ken Agate, the festival’s organizer.
This is the 16th year of the annual event, with up to 300 vehicles of all makes and models expected. The assembled will no doubt include hot rods, and plenty of classic British cars and vehicles made in Detroit.
But it won’t be just a bunch of old vehicles. The future will also be represented, with a strong showing of the latest electric vehicles and solar charging stations by the Victoria EV Club.
Rick Burgess will be there, parked at the corner of Oak Bay Avenue and Hampshire Road, the location of his family’s now-closed clothing store. He will be displaying a 1959 Triumph TR3-A he owned in the 1960s.
After selling it when he started a family, he decided to get another one after pining for 40 years. Burgess, who now lives in Alberta, located and purchased a suitable car in Prince George. After he got it home, he discovered, to his amazement, that it was his original car — he still had the key to the bonnet in his tool box.
“It’s a very heartwarming story and we’re thrilled to feature Rick’s car,” said Agate, the former owner of the Blethering Place.
Admission to the festival is free. The event starts at 7: 30 a.m., entertainment begins at 11 a.m. and most cars start to leave at 3: 30 p.m.
Oak Bay Avenue between Monterey Avenue and Mitchell Street will be closed to traffic. For information, go to kenagate@hotmail.com or call 250-896-9000.
Symphony by the Sea is music to Nanaimo’s ears
Explore the diversity of art and entertainment on Vancouver Island, as up-Island communities showcase local and international musicians, theatre and even sand- castle builders this week:
In Nanaimo, the Vancouver Island Symphony will once again perform at Symphony by the Sea, a free, family-friendly event on Saturday. As many as 5,000 music lovers are expected to attend the outdoor show at Maffeo Sutton Park, conducted and produced by concertmaster Calvin Dyck, who has performed in 11 shows and conducted three.
Dyck, known for his fondness for interesting hats as much as his violin virtuosity, will be the featured soloist in Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The musical piece imitates the song of a lark as it circles higher and higher into the sky.
“I love the outdoor environment, the enthusiasm of the crowd, the casual picnic atmosphere, the participation, and even the challenge of dealing with the weather — the wind, the possibility of rain, the possibility of trying things that aren’t possible indoors,” Dyck said.
The program includes March of the Gladiators, music from James Bond, Voices of Spring by Johann Strauss, Lord of the Rings, the Mars movement from The Planets by Gustav Holst, the overture to Phantom of the Opera and Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance.
While the full orchestra will play the popular 1812 Overture, the audience is asked to provide the cannon-firing sounds at the end of the piece by popping paper bags.
Music lovers who have attended previous concerts will know to arrive prepared with blankets, lawn chairs, picnics — and umbrellas, if necessary — to enjoy the event.
The event is free to attend but donations will be gratefully accepted. The concert starts at 6 p.m. at Maffeo Sutton Park,
50 Arena St. For information, go to vancouverislandsymphony.com.
Fringe festival puts on free preview
See what is playing at the Nanaimo Fringe Festival at a free preview night next Wednesday.
The festival, geared toward developing, emerging and experimenting artists, showcases the talent of eight international and local theatre companies.
Participants were selected by lottery, ensuring performers a fair chance to be selected for the stage. Each company will have six performances in front of a live audience who may love, hate or become transfixed with them.
Admission to the one-hour preview show is free.
The show starts at 7 p.m. at Harbour City Theatre, 25 Victoria Rd.
Tickets are $12 for the regular performances. They are held at either the Harbour City Theatre, the Vancouver Island Conference Centre at 80 Commercial St. or the Nanaimo Bar at 75 Front St.
For information, go to nanaimofringe.com.
Sand sculptors show off in Parksville
There is still time to head up to Parksville to see world-class sand castles at the 2016 Quality Foods Canadian Open Sand Sculpting competition and exhibition, which runs until Aug. 21.
The event, organized by the Parksville Beach Festival Society, attracted more than 104,000 visitors last year.
They come to see master sand sculptors from around the world spend 30 hours over four days creating their masterpieces. The competition acts as a qualifying event for the World Championship of Sand Sculpting.
While the completion portion is over, all the sculptures are open for public viewing during the event’s exhibition phase.
Entry is a suggested donation of $3, with proceeds going to support local non-profit organizations. The gated exhibition is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in the Community Park, next to the Lion's Venture Land Playground and Water Spray Park.
For information, go to parksvillebeachfest.ca.
