Our house is on the right. This picture shows the houses at the end of our street. Safe street for kids to play on.
Ferries are a big part of island life - a wonderful way to arrive or explore. The ferry fleet is very modern and convenient. There are large and small ferries for carrying both cars and passengers.
Victoria is the capital of British Columbia.
Many Chinese came to BC came to BC in the 1800\'s to build the railways. Vancouver is the preferred destination for Chinese immigrants today but Victoria still has a small Chinatown.
Victoria\'s downtown has many shops to explore, including in small alleyways!
Definitely worth visit. Consider seeing the fireworks on a Saturday evening - arrive early as it\'s very popular.
Famous yacht race ends here.
Both of Janice\'s parents grew up on lighthouses.
Wonderful day trip via passenger ferry.
Usually held in Parksville up-island.
U.S. Olympic mountains in the background.
Converted from an old railway; nice and level!
Typical for this area, especially for the west side of the island.
Visit Cathedral Grove or Carmanah.
This picture was taken from a whale watching boat.
Very common to see from a distance.
The waterfall is right on the beach!
Much of the trail is rough. The southern portion is steep but there are stairs (and ladders) to help.
This is the north of Vancouver.
Our home can accommodate
5
People in our exchange party
5
# of previous exchanges
0
Children in our party
yes
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
3
Nearest Large City
Victoria
Nearest Major Airport
Victoria
Home Exchange
We are looking to travel to:
We're open to any family-friendly area, but especially France or french-speaking areas.
France (Jun 2009-Dec 2010)
Saint Lucia (Jan 2010-May 2010)
Italy
Spain
The Home
We live in a modern west coast home, on the beautiful Saanich Peninsula, 20 minutes north of Victoria. We have 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, separate dining room and dinette, living room and cosy familyroom with an air-tight wood burning stove. We have a nice yard with flower and vegetable gardens, and lawns and swings for kids, all on a quiet cul-de-sac with a valley view.
Ours is a family home, and we'll be glad to lend you our bikes, bike trailer (for young children), jog stroller, etc. We also have sports equipment like ice skates, rollerblades, soccer balls, etc. Finally, we have two vehicles that we can share, a Nissan Xterra truck/SUV and a Honda Odyssey mini-van (sits 8).
There are friendly neighbors around for questions, and we have family nearby in case there are any major problems with the house or vehicles, etc. We also have french-speaking friends who can help us with communication issues.
I own this property.
HOME TYPE:
Single Family
The Neighborhood
We live on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. Vancouver Island is a large island (about 1/3 the area of Ireland) with small population (750,000). The south and east coast of the island is developed and well serviced, while the north and west coast is quite wild. This is not by accident, the east coast of the island is sheltered with a very mild climate while the west coast is windy, rainy, and colder.
We live in North Saanich, a rural and suburban area just north of Victoria. You'll enjoy the slower pace of island life and find excellent hiking, biking, golf, kayaking, sailing, beachcombing, etc. In Victoria you'll find a cosmopolitan city with many cultural activities including great dining, museums, art galleries, theatre/opera, spas. You may be surprised by the old British feel in the downtown area. There's also a small chinatown. Be sure to check out the inner harbour for the beautiful scenery, free street performers, etc.
We're just a five minute drive from Sidney-by-the-sea. Sidney is a wonderfully walkable small village filled with small shops (many book stores, clothing stores, bakery, etc.) and nice restaurants. You can buy fresh local fish at the fish market on the end of the pier and walk the beautiful waterfront. Every Thursday afternoon and evening in the summer, the main street is closed to traffic for a large market with artisans and local produce.
Here are just a sample of the local sights and activities (within an hour or so):
- Whale watching boat tours (Orca whales are resident year round)
- Butchart Gardens (beautiful lush gardens - fantastic fireworks with music every Saturday night in July and August)
- All of Vancouver Island offers world-class cold water scuba diving (fantastic visibility and stunning sea life)
- 15 minute passenger-only ferry to a Sidney island, with gorgeous sand beaches for the perfect picnic.
- 30 minute car ferry to Saltspring Island (or other gulf islands) - a popular biking destination.
- 20-30 minutes to everything Victoria has to offer.
- many outdoor activities: hiking, biking, golf, kayaking, sailing, diving, fishing (Salmon, Halibut), etc.
Elsewhere on Vancouver Island:
- Experience the wild west coast of the island at Tofino (Long Beach), and the Pacific National Park. Surfing!
- For the outgoing, hike the west coast trail (4-7 days hiking along a forested and beach-side trail without crossing a single road).
- Or for just a taste, do day hikes on the Juan de Fuca trail. Or half day hikes up many hills with views over the island, over the water, and to the snow-capped mountains of the mainland (Canada and USA depending on direction).
- Visit Cathedral Grove or Carmanah to see truly big trees, some of which started growing before Columbus discover the Americas.
- World-class fishing resorts.
Further afield:
- 1.5 hour ferry ride (amazing views!) and 45 minute drive to Vancouver (site of 2010 Winter Olympics together with Whistler).
- Slightly longer to Seattle in the United States.
ATTRACTIONS:
Country Club
Restaurants
Shopping
Galleries/Museums
Theaters
Health Club
Forests
Ocean
Mountain Trails
Mountains
Lakes
Biking
Surfing
Diving
Hiking
Boating
Other Information
Things to see and do, and links to learn more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria,_British_Columbia
http://www.princeofwhales.com - whale watching tours
http://www.butchartgardens.com
http://www.vancouverisland.com/ParksAndTrails/Parks/details/?ID=453 - Sidney Island Park
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/index_E.asp - Pacific Rim National Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle
http://www.whistler.com/
amenities:
Computer
Garden
Internet Access
Washer/Dryer
Fireplace
TV/Cable
Stereo/HiFi
CONDITIONS:
No Smoking
Auto OK
Child OK
Auto Possible
No Plant Care
Pets OK
The Dates
Quite open on dates (and locations - surprise us!) Able to travel on relatively short notice.
The Destination
We're open to any family-friendly area, but especially France or french-speaking areas.
The People
We are a family of 5; dad, mom, and three daughters ages 8, 6, and 4. My wife and I are anglo-phones but our oldest daughters attend French immersion schooling. We would like them to be able to directly experience French culture (among the other pleasures of travel!)
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