From encounters with moose and sightings of bears in the Rockies to the shining, friendly cities of Vancouver and Victoria, MARY MOYNIHANfound much to love on her first trip to Canada
AN ARTICLE in Go in July, “Of Moose and Men” by Quentin Fottrell, explored his love affair with wildlife in the natural environment of rural Canada. On a recent trip we too were thrilled to encounter moose in a forest in Banff. Initially we were intimidated, as they are really hefty animals, especially the bull, who stood majestically protecting his herd. However, as we braved creeping closer, cameras at the ready, we realised that these are gentle, shy creatures.
We were a bunch of older girls supporting an Irish ladies team on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Sport is a great unifier – the youngsters do all the work and the elders sit on the sidelines as know-alls. We “hurlers on the ditch” had a ball. We experienced the adrenaline rush of the games but didn’t have to eat bananas until they came out our ears or suffer the post-match ice baths.
Our trip included the Rocky Mountaineer train from Banff through the snowy terrain of the vast country’s interior, emerging into spring on the Pacific west coast. As ours was the first train after the winter stoppage, black bears waved their snowy paws in amazement – they seemed to have forgotten this locomotive, not seen since the previous autumn. Bald- headed eagles glided curiously overhead, as they collected material for their huge nests. Even the geese wading in the thawing rivers looked up expectantly to see the cause of the disturbance. We were enthralled with the changing scenery over two days, as we relaxed in luxury. In between camera shots, we did pick up some information about the weather: El Niño is a meteorological condition that results from a rise in temperature of the seawater, leading to convection and precipitation. Due to the Coriolis force of the Earth, a ridge of high pressure establishes over western Canada, and El Niño gets blamed or credited with all manner of changes.
Alighting from the train, we overnighted in shining Vancouver, a much-sought-after city in which to reside. The suburbs exude a healthy lifestyle, from mountain biking in summer to skiing in winter. The North Pacific harbour is home to sailing and water sports. We saw many huge logs on the sea shore – it must be a challenge to avoid these missiles if you are sailing a little dinghy.
The city occupies a narrow peninsula, with the streets organised on a grid system. A SkyTrain, which runs on elevated tracks, makes the neighbourhoods accessible and gave us a great view.
We also took in the wonderful cityscape views from the Lookout observation deck.
We admired from afar the vast Stanley Park, relaxed over dinner in False Creek, and enjoyed the buzz of bars and restaurants. Vancouver is enjoying a facelift in advance of the Winter Olympics next year. Before we left the city, a trip around Granville Island (island in name only), to visit the artisan dwellings and craft shops, was a must.
Then we headed to Victoria, capital of Vancouver Island, by coach and ferry.
Vancouver Island is half the area of Ireland and lies in the temperate rainforest – in late spring we had moist “Irish” weather. It was beautiful, with the cherry blossom trees lining the avenues of Victoria and flower beds vying with Union Jacks for position. The tourist office advises that the island is where nature is cherished and history comes alive. We saw evidence of the First Nations peoples (Aboriginal Canadians) everywhere, especially in the impressive National Geographic Museum. In the middle harbour we were amused by the little sea planes as they lifted and dropped like dragonflies. I did fly back to Vancouver in one of these noisy little machines, and enjoyed beautiful scenery as we hovered low over the city.
Also in the middle harbour, the stone and copper Parliament Buildings of British Columbia dominates the small city by day and is lit up by thousands of individual bulbs by night. The nearby Empress Hotel is a must for afternoon tea in an old- fashioned ambience. When we had eaten our fill, the discreet staff put the leftovers in a pretty box tied with ribbons. Hardier souls had taken a small ferry to the Fisherman’s Wharf, and sat in the pouring rain eating their fish and chips.
As part of a gaggle, different ladies broke away to fulfil their own interests. Some visited the famous Butchart Gardens, others went whale-watching, while the rest squabbled on the golf course (after a tour of the vineyards). Then we all came together at the university grounds to wave our green flags and shout advice, retiring to the various bars to celebrate or drown our sorrows.
It was my first trip to Canada and it was as clean, bright and friendly as I had dared to hope for. And so I began my love affair with this vast, beautiful country.
Go there
Flyglobespan.ie flies Wednesdays from Dublin to Vancouver and Calgary. Aer Lingus (aerlingus.ie) flies Dublin and Shannon to Boston and Chicago. Check Air Canada (aircanada.com) for internal flights. Rockymountaineer.com. Canadatourism.ca