More ID needed for border crossing

Beginning today, January 31, travelers between Canada and the US are going to need even more proof of who they are.

Kristin Jackson of The Seattle Times has done a good job in getting the word out. Read her story here.

The U.S. isn't all that happy with the new, stiffer requirements. Read another Seattle Times story here about how lawmakers are hoping to delay them.

The Blaine-Douglas border crossing between the US and Canada
Sue Frause photo

The Hoscars : Toronto hostel is tops

A hostel in Toronto has received the coveted Hoscar.

What's a Hoscar?

It's Hostelworld's annual award selected by customers around the world.

The Top Ten Worldwide Hostels were recently announced at Temple Bar's Button Factory in Dublin:

1. Flamingo Hostel – Krakow, Poland
2. Mama’s Hostel – Krakow, Poland
3. Clarence Castle – Toronto, Canada
4. Jetpak City Hostel – Berlin (last years winner)
5. Hostel Estoril – Buenos Aires, Argentina
6. Hilux Valencia Feetup Hostels – Valencia, Barcelona
7. Hostel of the Sun – Naples, Italy
8. Travellers House – Lisbon, Portugal
9. Backpacker Hostel K’s house – Tokyo, Japan
10. East Seven Berlin Hostel – Berlin, Germany

More than 600,000 Hostelworld users rated the 15,000 hostels.

Voting customers, who booked their hostel stays online, were surveyed after their stay and asked to grade their accommodation based on six different criteria: character, security, location, staff, fun and cleanliness.

The average individual ratings determined the winners.

In addition to the top ten, awards were also presented to the most secure hostel, the cleanest hostel, the most fun hostel and those hostels that don't have as many beds as others, aka the best small hostel.

More than 300 hostel owners and managers attended the awards ceremony, which were part of Hostelworld's fourth annual Hostel Conference held at Dublin's Hilton Hotel.

This year's theme was Engaging the online customer -- the social web and you.

The conference featured keynote speakers and a backpacker panel on the subject of user generated content, social networking and online reviews.

Toronto's St. Lawrence Market
Photo by Sue Frause

A room at The Empress for $100?

The Fairmont Empress turned 100 years old on January 20, but the grande dame of Vancouver Island is showing no signs of slowing down.

To celebrate this milestone, if you book a room for the coming year, you can get the Deal of a Century : a Fairmont room for two for only $100.

You just need to reserve it by January 31, 2008.

Another fun package is the Breakfast in Bed with Royal Tea, available through 2008. It includes overnight accommodation, breaky for two, Royal Tea for two (including bubbly) and a copy of the newly updated Fairmont Empress coffee table book. The rate is $269 for double occupancy.

The Fairmont Empress sign in Victoria is iconic
Photo by Sue Frause

English-Canadian films top Genies

The nominees for the 28th annual Genie Awards were announced January 28 by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT).

The top nominated films include Eastern Promises and Shake Hands With the Devil, both with 12 nominations.

They are followed by Away From Her with seven; The Tracey Fragments with six; Continental, a Film Without Guns and Silk, both with five and Denys Arcand’s Days of Darkness with four nominations.

According to ACCT CEO Sara Morton, “2007 was an outstanding year for Canadian film and film making talent, especially in English Canada.”

Crossing a wide array of genres, many of the films have been honoured with international awards and nominations, including the upcoming Academy Awards on February 24.

This year’s presentation is Monday, March 3 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. For the first time, they will be broadcast on the E! Television Network and IFC.

Window on Canada : Vieux Montreal

Bonsecours Market and Chez l'Epicier
Photo by Sue Frause

Quebec : The Carnival Sets the Tone!

The province of Quebec is home to my favorite winter carnival.

Now in its 54th year, Mr. Christie's Quebec Winter Carnival runs February 1-17 in Quebec City.

Riding high on this year's 400th anniversary celebration of Quebec City, there are some new features.

The redesigned Night Parade will be presented on two Saturdays, February 9 and 16.

New allegorical elements include two 24-ft. tall marionettes with moving joints, creative lighting and a unique sound track, multimedia projections and 1,200 new costumes for the extras.

Place Loto-Quebec is the venue for the outdoor dance parties and other entertainment and home of the International Snow Sculpture Competition.

It's also the site of Bonhomme's Ice Palace, fashioned this year after Le Chateau de Pau in France, where Henry IV met Champlain to disuss his future excursions to Quebec City.

Other highlights include the Grand Viree (Dog Sled Race) on February 2, the Canoe Race on February 10 and the HBC Snow Bath on February 16.

Quartier du Petit Champlain, Quebec City
Photo by Sue Frause

Channeling your inner Julie Andrews

The search to find Canada's Maria von Trapp begins January 25 with a seven-city cross-country audition tour.

It culminates in the CBC Television series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? 

Canadians will select who plays the most famous role in musical theatre in a new production of The Sound of Music, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and David Mirvish. It opens October 2008 at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre.

Open casting calls will be held in these cities:

Toronto
CBC Toronto - Glen Gould Studio
January 25

Montreal

Delta Hotel Montreal
January 28

Vancouver
Pacific Palisades Hotel
February 1

Calgary
University of Calgary
February 3

Winnipeg
Victoria Inn and Conference Centre
February 4

Halifax
CBC TV Halifax
February 8

St. John's
CBC St. John's
February 9

The Canadian version of the smash hit will audition thousands of women across the country. The group will be narrowed down to 200 who will be invited for callbacks in Toronto. Fifty women will be selected from this group to attend Maria School for further training.

The show will follow the "Marias" as they endure rigorous auditions, training sessions and honest evaluations. The role requires acting ability, singing ability and stage presence. Prospective Marias will need to show the nation their "favorite things," and how they can be a nun-in-training, a governess, a will-o-the-wisp and a singing sensation.

For more information on the show or to register for an audition, go to www.areyoumaria.com.

Heath Ledger : Vancouver was next

Due to the untimely and tragic death of Australian actor Heath Ledger, filming on his current production in Vancouver has been put on hold and the movie's future is in doubt.

The 28-year-old Ledger was to have arrived in Vancouver today, with filming to begin on Monday.

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, directed by Terry Gilliam, also stars Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits.

According to The Vancouver Sun, 100 crew members have been laid off the $30 million production in Vancouver.

Interior and blue screen shots were to take place at The Bridge Studios in Burnaby.

Vancouver skyline from Spanish Banks Beach
Photo by Sue Frause

Vancouver: Barbara-Jo's Cookbook Awards

One of my favorite independent bookstores, Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks in Vancouver, is hosting Barbara-Jo's Second Annual Cookbook Awards.

The staff selected ten titles as front runners in a "very heated contest."

In alphabetical order, they are:

The 100-Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Cioppino's Mediterranean Grill by Pino Posterraro

The Flexiterian Table by Peter Berley

Fresh by John Bishop/Dennis Green/Dawne Gourley

Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver

Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich

River Cottage Fish Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall and Nick Fisher

Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells

Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me by Dennis Cotter

Of course I'm disappointed that the book I edited, Fabulous Fairholme : Breakfasts & Brunches, didn't make the cut.

Next year!

Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks in Vancouver
Photo by Sue Frause

Prince George-Seattle flights debut

Horizon Air will provide nonstop service between Prince George, BC and Seattle beginning May 1, 2008.

The once-a-day service will depart from Seattle at 1:20 PM and from Prince George at 3:45 PM. The flight takes one hour and 45 minutes.

This is the first scheduled international flight for Prince George, which is the economic and commercial hub for Central and Northern British Columbia.

In addition to the Pacific Northwest, the region will have connections to such US destinations as California, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. They are served by Horizon and sister company Alaska Airlines.

"Our region will enjoy access to the U.S. market for business and leisure travel," said Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley. "Now, we look forward to familiarizing more of our U.S. neighbors with the wilderness, adventure and cultural experiences in Northern B.C., as well as the investment opportunities. There will be strong economic benefits from this new service."

Prince George is 750 kilometers (471 miles) north of Vancouver and is the largest city in Northern B.C. Located at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako rivers, it's just minutes from pristine wilderness and outdoor adventure.

Horizon's 76-seat Q400 turboprop, manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace, will operate daily service between Prince George and Seattle.

Vancouver Island : Lots of love

Two Vancouver Island inns are offering up lots of love during the upcoming Valentine's Day celebrations.

Victoria's Villa Marco Polo Inn has put together a new Romanza package that includes:

*Overnight in one of four suites at the 1923 villa
*Candlelit dinner for two at Zambri's ($100 credit)
*Two tickets for Puccini's Madama Butterfly at Pacific Opera Victoria
*Four-course gourmet breakfast the next morning

Rates for the Romanza package are $250 CAD per person. It's available Feb. 14-15, 16-17, 19-20, 21-22 and 23-24.

A full-service spa is scheduled to open at Villa Marco Polo in February.

At the nearby Bear Mountain Resort, it's February Romance Month with the launch of its Endless Love package. It includes:

*One night accommodation
*Sparkling wine, strawberries and a bath "bomb"
*$100 dining credit at the resort's Panache, Copper Rock Grill, Kuma Sushi, Jack's Place or Masters Lounge
*Special romantic memento

Rates begin at at $349 CAD per couple and the package is available February 1-29.

A room at The Villa Marco Polo Inn
Photo by Sue Frause

Anthony Bourdain's travel show features Vancouver people, food and more

I'm a fan of Anthony Bourdain's travel show No Reservations.

If you're not familiar with the Discovery Channel TV show, tune in this week and see the outspoken chef and author's take on Vancouver.

It's interesting that his picks include Sooke Harbour House, which is not in Vancouver, but on Vancouver Island.

On the show's website, it's described as a Victoria landmark, although it's actually in Sooke.

It's a lovely spot, nonetheless.

Here are some of the other food places he visited:

*Save-on-Meats for fast-food burgers on West Hastings
*Cioppino's in Yaletown
*Tojo's Restaurant
*JapaDog in front of the Sutton Place Hotel
*Vij's Rangoli on the South Granville Rise

Bourdain and his crew stayed at the Opus Hotel.

He also traveled to Whistler for some snowboarding and Ziptrekking.

The show airs January 21 at 10 PM, January 22 at 2 AM, January 24 at 8 PM, January 25 at midnight and January 26 at 1 PM.

(I recorded it and it was a good piece -- plus fun to see Barbara-Jo McIntosh of Barbara-Jo's Cooks to Books at the final dinner!)

The Opus Hotel in Yaletown
Photo by Sue Frause

Simple Treasures : Rocky Mountain Recipes

The Canadian Rockies have long been a popular destination for year-round outdoor enthusiasts.

Now the indoors is being celebrated, too.

Simple Treasures is a cookbook created by Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts and its Executive Chef Alistair Barnes.

The book showcases the best of Western Canadian cuisine and includes recipes using the region's fruits, vegetables, game meats and fish.

Chef Barnes collaborated with the head chefs at CRMR's restaurants, and the end result is a biography of the each of the three lodges and four restaurants.

Beautifully photographed, Simple Treasures also explores the history, concept and atmosphere of each lodge and restaurant.

Recipes include such tempting titles as Bow River Trout Fillet with Citrus Herb Sauce and Roast Elk Tenderloin, Squash Hash and Wild Rose Game Reduction.

Simple Pleasures is published by Altitude Publishing and available for $29.95 CAD at Chapters, Indigo, Coles, Amazon and independent booksellers. The book is also available at CRMR's lodges and restaurants.

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts includes Emerald Lake Lodge in Field, British Columbia; Deer Lodge in Lake Louise, Alberta; and Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Alberta. CRMR owns four Calgary restaurants: Cilantro, Velvet, The Ranche and Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro. They also own The Canadian Rocky Mountain Ranch; Bin 905, a wine boutique and Panino, a bakery -- both in Canmore, Alberta.

Window on Canada : Calgary, Alberta

The Calgary Tower turns 40 this year
Photo by Sue Frause

New Brunswick mourns its loss

I cried when I watched the CBC News last night.

It was a news story about the seven teenage basketball players and their coach's wife who died in a horrific highway accident not far from their hometown of Bathurst, New Brunswick.

My heart aches for you.

Whidbey Island Rose
Photo by Sue Frause

10th Annual Icewine Festival

The 10th Annual Icewine Festival kicked off Monday in Sun Peaks, BC.

What started as a small festival back in 1998 has grown in size and prestige. It's sponsored by the Okanagan Wine Festivals and American Express.

Tourism British Columbia has identified the festival as the first signature event of 2008 that commemorates BC's 150th Anniversary.

Let the party begin!

I attended the festival several years ago near Kamloops, enjoying the seminars and dinners. But the main tasting events seemed to be overcrowded, with long lines.

Hopefully that's been resolved.

New features this year include an Icewine and Oyster Bar, constructed of snow and ice and featuring Icewine martinis.

Fire dancers are scheduled to perform at Sun Peaks' Village Square on Friday, January 18 from 7-9 PM.

Sun Peaks Icewine Festival seminar and tasting
Photo by Sue Frause

UBC bags big book collection

Fellow blogger Michael Lieberman had an interesting post today in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer about the University of British Columbia acquiring a 4,700+ collection of books on golf:

Fore! Amazing Golf Collection Lands at the University of British Columbia

It's the greatest collection ever assembled on the sport.

Only problem is, there are no loonies/toonies to process it.

I left a comment on his blog that Vancouver is also home to the nearby British Columbia Golf Museum. It was established in 1987 and is located just behind the 17th tee at the University Golf Club.

The museum is housed in the oldest surviving clubhouse in Vancouver and is on the edge of the UBC Endowment Lands.

Free parking, but call before you go. Their hours are sporadic, and the one time I stopped by, it was closed.

View from Spanish Banks, not far from UBC
Photo by Sue Frause

Ellen Page : Halifax Golden Globe Nominee

What a boring broadcast.

They may as well have been reading the names of members of a high school's honor role at last night's scaled-down version of the Golden Globes.

Due to the two-month long Writers Guild of America strike, the Hollywood Foreign Press opted for a news conference instead of the big boozy show.

But it didn't stop fans of Ellen Page from watching the broadcast. Fifty of Page's friends showed up at the her former school in Halifax to watch the abridged awards show.

And Access Hollywood was there to tape the proceedings.

In the end, Page lost the Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical for her role in Juno to Marion Cotillard, who played Edith Piaf in La Vie En Rose.

La Vie En Rose certainly wasn't a comedy and I don't consider it a musical, but a movie with music.

C'est la vie.

Let's hope the strike gets settled before the Academy Awards show on February 24.

The New York Times : Vancouver's big boom

In this Sunday's New York Times (already online January 12), Christopher Solomon penned a travel feature titled A Building Boom to Welcome the Winter Games.

The story includes a travel guide of preferred places to stay (Wedgewood Hotel, Sutton Place Hotel), dine (Lift, The Locus Cafe, Aurora Bistro, Nu) and a round-up of things to do.

Signage for the Fairmont Pacific Rim Vancouver under construction in Coal Harbour. Photo by Sue Frause.

Writers' strike affects Vancouver

I'm going to miss watching the Golden Globe awards Sunday night on TV.

Due to the Writers Guild of America strike, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association will reveal the recipients of the awards during an hour-long press conference at The Beverly Hilton on Sunday, January 13 at 9 PM PST on NBC.

The usual telecast and booze infused dinner from the hotel's International Ballroom has been cancelled.

But the writers' strike is affecting more than my TV viewing.

Vancouver has felt the impact, as this story in The Globe and Mail shows: Quiet on the set.

Let's hope things get ironed out before the Academy Awards on February 24.

Vancouver skyline from Stanley Park
Photo by Sue Frause

Bumpy flight from Victoria-Toronto

There were some scary moments for passengers on a flight from Victoria to Toronto yesterday.

According to the Times Colonist, control problems forced Air Canada Flight 190 to make an emergency landing in Calgary Thursday morning.

Ten passengers were taken to the hospital in Calgary.

Air Canada at Toronto Pearson Airport
Photo by Sue Frause 2006

New Brunswick Romance : No oxymoron

Love is in the air at the Delta Fredericton Hotel in New Brunswick.

To celebrate Valentine's Day, the hotel's Valentine's Romance package is available February 14-17, 2008.

The package includes:

One night’s accommodation
Bottle of bubbly upon arrival
Candles in your room
Fondue for two in DJ Purdy’s lounge

Rates begin at $179.99 based on double occupancy.

The Delta Fredericton Hotel is a member of Romantic Inns & Hotels.

New Brunswick car spotted in Quebec
Photo by Sue Frause

Window on Canada : Cap-Chat

Winter in Cap-Chat on Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula 

Photo by Sue Frause

Order up a little PEI this winter

Prince Edward Island is high on my list of Canadian Provinces and Territories to See Before I'm Through Traveling.

The others I've missed and need to visit are Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

But a travel writer friend directed me to a cool website where I can at least enjoy PEI through its products.

The bestofpeistore.com features the work of more than 100 artists from the island. They include craftspeople, jewelers, blacksmiths, musicians and specialty chefs.

If you're in Charlottetown, the bestofpei store is located in Victoria Row.

Lobster dinners are popular on PEI
Photo courtesy Canada Tourism Commission

Canada tops for Fijian relocation

According to an article in the The Fiji Times Online, Fiji is losing 41 of its nationals every month to Canada.

Statistics Canada reports that between 2001-2006, 2,455 people relocated from Fiji to Canada.

Most of them end set up residing in British Columbia.

Coronach, Saskatchewan is 10 KM north of the border.
Photo by Sue Frause.

6.5 earthquake off the coast of BC

Here's an alert sent out by the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Center:

At 3:45 AM Pacific Standard Time on January 5, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 6.5 occurred 150 miles/241 Km southeast of Sandspit, British Columbia.

The Times Colonist in Victoria has more details about the temblor.

Aboard Bluewater Adventures in the Queen Charlotte Islands. Photo by Sue Frause.

Dine Out Vacouver - Bon Appetit!

Vancouver's hot winter restaurant promotion is now open for reservations.

Dine Out Vancouver 2008 runs for 19 days, from January 16 to February 3, 2008.

A list of the 182 restaurants is now available at tourismvancouver.com.

I tried to log on the first day, and traffic was so high, I couldn't get in.

It seems to be OK now.

Meals are priced at $15, $25 or $35 CAD for a three-course prix fixe menu. Taxes, tips and alcohol are extra.

New this year are the Best Bite Awards, selected by diners who want to say Encore! in the categories of best course, best service, best food and wine parings and best overall menu.

Diners who vote will be entered into a contest that includes a grand prize of two tickets to anywhere in North America courtesy of Air Canada.

Votes may be cast online or by text messaging "DOV" to 247365.

A number of hotels are offering special packages that include one night's accommodation for two, a Dine Out Vancouver dinner for two in the hotel's dining room and other amenities.

Rates begin at $129/night.

Among the participating hotels are the Wedgewood Hotel & Spa, The Listel Hotel, Comfort Inn Downtown, The Sutton Place Hotel and the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and Fairmont Waterfront.

Hotel packages may be booked online.

Salt Tasting Room in Gastown
Photo by Sue Frause

Montreal's best new restos of 2007

Montreal is definitely a foodie town.

And now, Travel+Leisure magazine has included two of its eateries in Best new restaurants of 2007.

Eight cities, including Montreal, made the list.

The others are Barcelona, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, Las Vegas, Melbourne and Hong Kong.

The two restos in Montreal are Joe Beef and L'Atelier.

I haven't dined at either one, so the next time I'm in Montreal, a table for two si vous ples!

Bonaparte Auberge & Restaurant is one of my favorite Montreal spots. Photo by Sue Frause.

Galey Farms new home of giant map

If you're wondering what happened to that giant BC map that was housed in the now defunct BC Experience at Crystal Garden in Victoria, it just moved up the road.

Rob Galey, president of Galey Farms Corn Maze, Market and Railway, is the new owner of the map.

The tennis-court sized map measures 12.2 metres by 22.5 metres and is made out of high density foam panels.

In an article in the Times Colonist, Galey said he has big plans for the outsize relief map.

Galey Farms was given the map and will have to incur the cost of the move and the installation in an old onion shed.

The moving began on January 2 and will take several days.

Galey Farms built a half-scale replica of the Great Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Giza to tie in with Royal BC Museum's Eternal Egypt exhibition in 2004. The cost? $500,000.
Photo by Sue Frause.

The flying loonie and other Canadian news

One of the best wrap-ups of the year about Canada and the rest of the world was written by Mark Leiren-Young.

The Vancouver screenwriter, playwright and journalist writes Fast Rewind for The Tyee, an online publication.

It appears monthly in The Tyee.

Vancouver International Airport
Photo by Sue Frause

Canadians nominated for 20 Grammys

I just watched the movie Paris, Je'taime for the second time and was captivated by the final, haunting song in this lovely film.

We're All in the Dance is sung beautifully by Feist, a Canadian singer-songwriter nominated for four Grammy Awards.

The Nova Scotia born musician, who grew up in Calgary and now lives in Toronto, was nominated in four categories:

Best Female Pop Vocal for 1234
Best New Artist
Best Pop Vocal Album for The Reminder
Best Short Form Music video for 1234

Feist is in good company, with Canadians garnering 20 nominations at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards to be held in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2008.

Other artists include:

Michael Buble, Nelly Furtado, Arcade Fire, Bramwell Tovey and James Ehnes (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra), Delerium, Emerson Drive, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Joni Mitchell, Loreena McKennitt, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Nickelback, Royal Conservatory Ensemble, Rush and Walter Ostanek.

In the past, megastars such as Alanis Morissette, Celine Dion, Diana Krall, Sarah McLachlan and Shania Twain have been awarded Grammys.

Feist's most recent album, The Reminder, made Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2007 along with SPIN magazine's Top 40 Albums of 2007. Arcade Fire's Neon Bible also made both lists.

Pictured above: Feist's The Reminder album