2013 Canadian Tourism Awards: A Dozen Organizations and Individuals Honored at Gala in Ottawa

The Fogo Island Inn won the National Cultural Tourism Award. The Newfoundland inn is at the top of my Canadian bucket list.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) honored 12 organizations and individuals as recipients of the 2013 Canadian Tourism Awards. Sponsored by the Toronto Star and Visa Canada, the awards were presented on December 3, 2013 in a gala ceremony at The Fairmont Cheateau Laurier in Ottawa. 

The Canadian Tourism Awards are presented annually by TIAC to recognize success, leadership and innovation in Canada's tourism industry. They also acknowledge the people, places organizations and events that have gone "above and beyond" to offer travelers superior tourism experiences in Canada. 

2013 CANADIAN TOURISM AWARD WINNERS

Business of the Year Award (tie)

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, Calgary, AB

Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa, Courtenay, BC

Community Service Award

Delta Hotels in Halifax, Halifax, NS

Group Employee of the Year Award

The Fairmont Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB

Employer of the Year Award

Rocky Mountaineer, Vancouver, BC

Convention Centre Event of the Year Award

Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, Montreal, QC

Innovator of the Year Award

Le Massif de Charlevoix, Baie-Saint-Paul, QC

Marketing Campaign of the Year Award

"Calgary, Our Doors Are Open," Tourism Calgary, Calgary, AB

National Cultural Tourism Award

The Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island, NL

Small or Medium-Sized Business of the Year Award

Anderson Vacations, Calgary, AB

Social Media Initiative of the Year Award

"365 Days of Dining," Tourism Richmond, Richmond, BC

Sustainable Tourism Award

Bluewater Adventures, North Vancouver, BC

Experience of the Year Award

Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls, ON

Canadian Skin Care Spa skoah Opens Locations in Seattle and Bellevue

skoah on Seattle's Pike Street. Photo courtesy skoah. 

I first met skoah face to face (pun intended) when it opened in Vancouver's Yaletown neighborhood in 2001. It was somewhat revolutionary in the spa world back then, specializing in smooth skin, melted muscles and "no whale music." I experienced the Facialiscious, a deluxe facial that includes cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, massage and moisturizing. And my skin felt as soft as a baby's bum! 

Chris and Andrea Scott's Canadian-based company has grown and expanded in the past dozen years, and now includes seven Canadian locations and two in Boston. Recently, they ventured south of the 49th Parallel again, opening three locations in the Puget Sound area: one in Bellevue and two in Seattle.

I had my first American Facialiscious a few weeks ago at skoah's Pike Street location (downtown Seattle, on Pike between Fourth and Fifth). They also have a location on Capitol Hill's Broadway, and one in Bellevue. Katie was my aesthetician, and she didn't disappoint. Not only did my face feel delightfully rehabbed, the masks and massages included in the treatment were most welcome. 

Since my debut at the Vancouver spa, skoah has developed its own line of skin care products, all made in BC's largest city. Through customer and crew feedback, its original product line of five has expanded to 70 products, plus a proprietary make-up line. The skoah spa menu has 10 customized treatments, from a $45 Quickie to a Mancial facial for men -- which includes exfoliation of the feet.

With its tag line personal training for your skin, skoah employs skin care trainers who provide customized facials that they dub "skin care workouts" (sweat-free). And just like a gym, skoah offers memberships, which include product discounts and other member-only benefits. Use the coupon below to experience skoah yourself -- just book and use before Christmas Eve. A perfect pre-holiday gift for you or a friend!

Forage's Chris Whittaker Snags Top Chowder Prize, Chef Ned Bell Wins People's Choice Award

Creamy BC Spot Prawn Chowder by Chef Chris Whittaker

What a wonderful celebration for Executive Chef Chris Whittaker. On the one-year anniversary of opening Forage in Vancouver's West End, Whittaker once again earned the title of Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champion.

Whittaker was among 13 Ocean Wise chefs from British Columbia who competed in the ocean-friendly seafood chowder contest at the Vancouver Aquarium on November 20, 2013. His Wild BC Spot Prawn Chowder took first place among the other competitors, including executive chefs from Vancouver's Fairmont and Four Season Hotels, Edible Canada, Coast and C Restaurant. 

His dish, Creamy BC Spot Prawn Chowder, featured the classic flavors of smoked pork hock, white wine and thyme, and was finished with a soft boiled quail egg and pork crackling. It's been on the menu at Forage since Whittaker's initial win last year. "This chowder is so popular that I wanted to keep it on the menu," said Whittaker. "I took a chance and used the same recipe for this year's competition, so it will stay on the menu -- at least for this year!"

Executive Chef Chris Whittaker of Forage

The celebrity judges sampled each chowder, as did the 600 people who attended the event. Ned Bell of YEW Restaurant + Bar was selected as the winner of the People's Choice award. His chowder, The Big Red, was composed of humpback shrimp, pink peppercorn cream and BC Cranberry & Okanagan Apple Relish. Bell's award-winning chowder is currently on the menu at YEW (at the Four Seasons Vancouver).

Beer was also an important element of the evening, and Chef Paul Cecconi of Brodo Kitchen and Catering with CodFathers Seafood Market won the award for best pairing: Outlandish Mussel-Saffron Chowder paired with Red Racer ESB beer by Central City Brewers and Distillers. 

Judges for the sixth annual event were:

• Guy Dean - Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer, Albion Fisheries Ltd.
• Rob  Clark - Co-owner of The Fish Counter and Ocean Wise chef partner
• Chester Carey - Serious Beer program instructor and certified cicerone
• Sid Cross - Food and wine aficionado
• Andrew Morrison - Founder of Scout Magazine
• Tim Pawsey - Food and wine journalist
• Jamie Maw - Food and wine journalist

November is Ocean Wise month, and consumers are invited to join the sustainable seafood movement by eating ocean-friendly seafood to keep the oceans healthy. 

Seattle Art Museum presents first major US exhibition by Haida artist Robert Davidson

Last week, the Seattle Art Museum opened the first major US exhibition of work by Haida artist Robert Davidson. The 67-year-old Canadian artist's work has been pivotal in the revitalization of Northwest Coast Native art. Robert Davidson: Abstract Impulse is on view at SAM through February 16, 2014. The exhibition features Davidson's recent works, along with key works from his early career. 

In 1969, Davidson erected the first totem pole in nearly a century in his ancestral British Columbia village of Masset, located in Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands). He has since worked for more than 40 years absorbing the bedrock art traditions of Haida art and craft. He first learned from his great-grandfather, Haida artist Charles Edenshaw, and gradually explored new directions within the highly disciplined structure of the old Northwest Coast models -- in wood sculpture, ceremonial arts, jewelry and prints. 

Abstract Impulse showcases Davidson's recent forays into abstraction in his easel paintings, graphic work and sculpture. Using non-traditional media, he pushes the colors and forms of the Haida art form, making him one of the most important Northwest Coast Native artists working today. The exhibition features 45 paintings, sculptures and prints that Davidson has created since 2005, along with works from his earlier years. 

The Seattle Art Museum has an impressive collection of historic Haida art, including key pieces by Davidson's ancestors. "We are especially pleased to present Davidson's contemporary work and connect it to the culture that he has worked so hard to revitalize," said SAM's Kimberly Rorschach. Davidson most recently had a retrospective exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1993. Another Haida artist's works, Charles Edenshaw (1839-1920), are at the VAG in an exhibition that runs through February 2, 2014.

Following its three months at SAM, Robert Davidson: Abstract Impulse will travel to New York's Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian from April 12 to September 28, 2014.

"Robert Davidson is one of Canada's most respected and important contemporary visual artists. A Northwest Coast Native of Haida and Tlingit descent, he is a master carver of totem poles and masks and works in a variety of other media as a printmaker, painter and jeweler. He is best known as an impeccable craftsman whose creative and personal interpretation of traditional Haida form is unparalleled. His distinctive style is appreciated by the Haida community and contemporary arts scholars alike, with many of his works considered post-modern masterpieces. His work is sought by collectors internationally." Robert Davidson | Eagle of the Dawn Artist LTD.

CBC's 'Battle of the Blades' Season 4 Finale, Vancouver's Robson Square Ice Rink opens

After hours at the Robson Square Ice Rink during the 2010 Winter Olympics
Photo by Sue Frause

The finale of the fourth season of CBC's Battle of the Blades is Sunday night, November 17, 2013. The popular show premiered two months ago after a two-year hiaturs, and features eight couples competing at the MasterCard Centre in Etobicoke, Ontario. 

The couples are comprised of former NHL hockey players paired with female figure skating professionals. Ron MacLean is the show's host, and the judges include Kurt Browning, Jamie Sale and P.J. Stock.

In addition to voting by the judges, viewer voting is done online (telephone and texting were eliminated this season). Each unregistered visitor gets one vote, while registered visitors may earn additional votes by filling out a profile and participating in other activities on the website.

If you're headed to Vancouver, BC this holiday season -- pack your ice skates. The Robson Square Ice Rink opened on November 15, 2013 and will run through February 28, 2014.

It's free to skate, and if you don't have your own blades, they'll rent you a pair. Cost is $4. Keep in mind that helmets are mandatory for children 12 and under (helmets are also available to rent). Cash only for both rentals and the concession stand. Here are the regular hours; during the holidays they will vary, check the website for special hours: 

• Sunday-Thursday | 9 AM to 9 PM
• Friday-Saturday |  9 AM to 11 PM