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Explore: Vic West lays out welcome mat at street fest

They’re shutting down Harbour Road and opening the doors of Point Hope Marine to celebrate Vic West Street Fest on Sunday.
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The MV Uchuck III, sister vessel of the late Jacques CousteauÕs research ship, will be available for onboard tours at Point Hope Shipyard on Sunday.

They’re shutting down Harbour Road and opening the doors of Point Hope Marine to celebrate Vic West Street Fest on Sunday.

This is the fourth year of the free community-centric event, which aims to highlight the vibrancy and diversity of the Victoria West community.

The neighbourhood family-friendly event includes live music, activities for children and families, food trucks, street hockey, live theatre, chalk art and a local business fair.

Point Hope Marine will hold an open house, with tours of the facilities.

Visitors this year have a unique opportunity — an onboard tour of the MV Uchuck III.

Built as an American minesweeper in 1942, the Uchuck III is the sister vessel of the Calypso, the late underwater researcher Jacques Cousteau’s ship.

Visitors wishing to tour the shipyard and Uchuck III (enter via the centre gate at 360 Harbour Rd.) should wear appropriate footwear — flat and closed-toe shoes. High heels and open-toed sandals are not permitted.

There will be limited parking on the south side of Harbour Road.

You can leave your bicycle with the Bike Valet or take a free Harbour Ferry trip from the Chinatown ferry dock to the Dockside Green stop every 15 minutes.

The event is free and runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday along Harbour Road.

For more information, go to docksidegreen.com/event/vic-west-street-fest or pointhopemaritime.com.

Weekend art tours offer closeup view of area’s talent

Discover the creative spirit of area artists at two self-guided tours this weekend:

• Take a self-guided tour of artists’ studios in Sidney, Central and North Saanich at the Artsea Spring Studio Tour, Saturday and Sunday at various locations on the peninsula.

Learn more about the creative process from visiting 21 painters, sculptors, jewellers, weavers, potters and carvers as they open their doors to visitors.

There is no charge to join the tour. Studios will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

A map showing the location of the various studios, profiles of the various artists and their media can be found at artsea.ca.

• Appreciate culture, creativity and community at the Fernwood Art Stroll, Saturday and Sunday in one of Victoria’s oldest neighbourhoods.

This is the 11th year of the event, which includes 19 artists in the community.

Enjoy a walk around Fernwood, drop in on artists’ studios to admire work in a variety of media: oils, acrylics, watercolours, printmaking, seaweed baskets, woodwork, collage, encaustic, giclee, photography, Ikebana, poetry, calligraphy, art prints and cards.

Afterward, you stop in one of Fernwood’s cafés and pubs to unwind.

The self-guided tour is free. For more information, or a map of the event, go online to fernwoodartstroll.ca.

World Oceans Day has lots to celebrate

Celebrate World Oceans Day at two events that help raise awareness of the oceans:

• Learn how to draw an orca with internationally renowned marine wildlife artist Robert Wyland to support World Oceans Day and a plastic-free sea on Friday.

The mural artist will host a free NatureSketch event, in partnership with the Robert Bateman Centre, demonstrating his technique on a giant canvas.

Wyland will share his passion of promoting, protecting and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways and marine life for future generations.

The original mural will be auctioned off to the highest bidder in an online auction, with proceeds supporting the Robert Bateman Foundation and its Nature Sketch program.

The event is free to attend.

It runs from 5 to 7 p.m. outside the Robert Bateman Centre at the Steamship Terminal in the Inner Harbour.

For more information, go to batemancentre.org.

• Fisherman’s Wharf celebrates World Oceans Day with a day filled with fun activities, including two live dives, Sunday on the docks at Dallas Road.

The celebrations are meant to raise awareness of the oceans and the event is a day of educating people on the diversity of local marine life, showing how making small changes in our everyday lives can add up to make a big difference to the planet.

There will be a First Nations blessing and dance performance and ocean-themed face painting.

At the two live dives, visitors can watch real-time conditions in and around the sea floor of Fisherman’s Wharf through a live broadcast to the docks above.

The event is free to attend, but donations to the Sea Bin project for Fisherman’s Wharf are welcome.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fisherman’s Wharf, 1 Dallas Rd.

Events herald summer in James Bay, Colwood

Choose between a picnic or tea for two as communities throughout the region welcome the advent of summer.

Join in an afternoon of fun and food at the James Bay Community Picnic, Wednesday at the James Bay Community School Centre.

The family-friendly event boasts music, games, an inflatable amusement, face painting, a 50/50 draw, silent auction and more. Proceeds raised from the picnic will directly support James Bay Community Centre programming.

The event is free to attend. Food and games cost up to $5. The event runs from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., June 13, at the centre, 140 Oswego St. For more information, call 250-389-1470.

Enjoy a cup of tea while you shop for gifts at the Strawberry Tea and Craft Fair, Saturday at the Church of the Advent in Colwood.

Stop for a traditional cup of strawberry tea after shopping for baked goods and crafts.

There is free admission to the craft fair and a $7 charge for each serving of tea. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Church of the Advent, 510 Mount View Ave., Colwood.

For more information, email bobandlizgarland@gmail.com.

Get a taste of B.C.’s seafood in Comox

Organizers of the B.C. Seafood Festival hope to establish it as the largest seafood festival in western Canada. It runs from June 8 to 17 at various venues in the Comox Valley.

Satellite events are being held this week in a lead up to the festival’s signature weekend next week.

The 10-day festival kicks off with a Deep Water Oyster Farm Tour, a 3 1/2-hour boat trip along Baynes Sound to Hollie Wood Oysters. Visitors will learn about oyster farming from the farm’s owners, as well as how to prepare and cook oysters by the chef on board.

The event costs $88 and runs from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday from the marina dock, 121 Port Augusta St., Comox.

Over the next seven days, you can also join a B.C. Salmon Farm Association tour, enjoy a four-course pairing dinner, visit the B.C. Seafood Expo and take part in a Manatee Holdings hatchery tour.

On Saturday people can take in Dock Days, a guided walk of the Fisherman’s Wharf or Comox Valley Rocks for Kids 2018, an all-day music festival in support of the Comox Valley Child Development Association.

For more information, schedules, venues, or to find tickets for all the events, go to bcseafoodfestival.com.