Expedition Canada

Checking out Gibsons Gibsons Marina Wed May 5 A pause in property searches today though we are off to see a few more in Sechelt  tomorrow  and also plan to check out Pender Harbour and Garden Bay, at the far end of the Sunshine Coast. This morning was a trip in to Gibsons to buy some fish from the Public Market and check out around the harbour and immediate area.  We had to be back for 13.00 hrs as the local broadband provider (Telus) was due to check out why the internet (and therefore TV) wasn't working.  A tree-fall .5k down the road was blamed and the cable team is on standby to provide a new cable.  By all accounts they are as quick as BT in the UK!  We don't anticipate a fix in the next month. Back for lunch and the broadband check (no immediate progress likely while we are renting) and a local walk after lunch.  Steep walk uphill that goes nowhere and back down for a stroll along the 'Esplanade'.   I've been trying to perfect...

  Phew! Rock Climbing Centre Tuesday 20th The pace has not slowed.  Our day was spent in and around Squamish, a town midway between Vancouver and Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway (Route 99).  The highway goes on to Pemberton and then  the northern interior of BC.  It has some amazing views as you drive the various dual and single carriage sections.  First stop was Britannia Beach, and specifically Watts Point. An area popular with rock climbers, and Nick, who can be found up there at least once a week scaling the granite outcrops. "The first bit is step then it's OK" says Nick.  We have been lulled into a false sense of security before!   We did not get to the top.  I'd prefer to be upside down in a plane at 3,000' that halfway up tracks hewn out of the rock, where I have to look down  where I have been.  Coupled with that a spaniel has no sense of danger and at one point fell down a 10' drop when curiosity got the better of ...

Nick is in charge of activities!!! Monday 19th Jan  So it has been full on!   He has a week off and is determined we squeeze in as many physical activities this week as possible!!!! We are starting to lose track of time, so that's got be a good thing, right? The early morning walk was up the Baden Powell trail from where it meets the Hyannis trail.  Very uphill with lots of board walks.  Stunning scenery, no bears, which is just as well as I forgot to buy my bear deterrent products at MEC yesterday! Back from the walk, I was behind a computer screen booking an appointment with ICBC, who issue BC driving licences.  The advantage is that we could  benefit from reduced monopoly insurance rates ($5,000)!   It seems that as we don't have any form of status in Canada beyond 'visitor' we aren't eligible until we apply for an extension to our six months visitor stay; our super-visa comes through, or our application for residency invita...

Freedom Sunday 18th April Busy day today after a late evening when Nick and Lizzie joined us for supper outside. Great to see them properly now that we were out of quarantine and have a decent catch up.  Jack was chasing a ball until about 9.00pm and slept until I got up this morning - and that was late! The day started with a walk up in to the Hyannis Trail with Jack to get my bearings.  Just 10 mins from the house.  The bikers and hikers were just getting started as I returned. It was then out and about.  The weather meant everybody in Vancouver was also out and about!   After a quick trip to MEC (originally the Mountain Equipment Centre I think - a mecca for those into outdoor pursuits), and some maps and backpack we set off to meet Nick for lunch at Lighthouse Park.   Too many people and queues for the car park so we abandoned that plan and headed over to Kitsilano, where Nick and Lizzie are based via Marine Drive.  This runs al...

We Hope Tracking tells us that our tests have been delivered, to ‘Glen @ Ship Dock’ in Vancouver, which we assumed was a local testing station, rather than being sent all the way back to Ontario.  It turns out that ATS, where Glen works, is not Advanced Testing Services, but Advanced Transport Services, who specialise in medical and associated transportation.  It looks as though they have been shipped back to the laboratory at Mississauga ON, where we started our Canadian quarantine in the mandatory hotel, two weeks ago tomorrow. How do we know all this you might ask.  Well there isn’t much else to do when you are in quarantine! On a more serious note, it does make you appreciate the freedom we have compared to many living in urban flats and apartments, who had to tolerate weeks of self isolation.  It is easy to understand how for some it was a real mental health challenge.  Behind the humour, we recognise we are very fortunate.   Reading the small print, i...

  Two days to go Afternoon Slumbers 'Your quarantine lark is getting a bit boring dad' It's not a lark Jack, but you are right, it is getting boring.  At least you are getting to go for a walk in the evening with you new friend "Josie", the lady boxer from upstairs, so stop complaining. We're confined to the house and garden. 'But I have to walk on the lead dad, they won't let me run free and chase squirrels ...... and cats'. It's only two more days Jack, and you do have a lovely garden to run around in.  And you must not chase the cats. "Yes but you don't come out and run around with me dad, or throw the ball, or chase me .... or let me chase cats". You are getting more than enough attention and it's no good sitting there waving your paw in the air, trying to get attention. 'Ok dad - oh look somebody new [bark, tail wag, bark, bark, tail wag]. Jack no, that's the owners daughter, say hello nicely.  'I am dad [bark...

Three to go A quiet news day today.  Covid texts have been picked up by the courier.  An international Zoom gym session took place with Marlborough based Dom Smart and Jack is getting to know Josie, the resident boxer. Relief when our Covid tests were picked up half an hour early, not least as we had put them out for collection ahead of time in case they pitched up before the appointed hour.  They now head back to Ontario and we await the results.   The only exercise in quarantine is limited and it’s been difficult to find the motivation to do something.  Oh to go on a run!  This morning I had another Zoom session with Dom Smart which guarantees I’ll be aching and stiff tomorrow.  But hey, no pain no gain!   After a couple of walks out with the lady boxer upstairs, she has been allowed down in the garden.  They seem to get on OK, though  she keeps stealing Jack’s balls.  Worse, he lets her! We have had a chance to try some local gin...

Four to go Covid - Self Test Kit Day 10 is Covid test day using the kit were were given on arrival in Toronto a week last Saturday. A quick scan of the pack's QR code and we were individually linked to the online system for carrying out the test.  Heart sank when we saw 338 people ahead of us in the queue though within 10-15 minutes we were both connected with a nurse who talked us through the procedure.   The finished result is picked up by a courier tomorrow afternoon.  Our address that we entered when setting up the App at Toronto airport, before our first test, was already in the system.  It is amazingly efficient and well designed, from the technology behind the App and tracking process, the design of the self test box and kit, through to the overall workflow.  It is pretty impressive.   More efficient than the vaccination programme in Canada, says our son.  Certainly the programme got off to a slow start and is well behind the...

Five to Go Chilled Jack Life in quarantine seems to have settled in to a bit of a routine.  Jack regards the place as home and let us sleep until just before six.  He's getting in to the zone! The local store delivers as does the wine merchant (liquor store), Amazon has found us and our hosts who own the main house have been welcoming and helpful. We are starting to think about longer term arrangements.  We remain in touch with the realtor who is sending properties through but will wait until we are freed from quarantine before getting too excited.  We're also starting to look for rentals for July onwards in case we haven't found a property to purchase. The more immediate requirements are for local phone Sims, harder to acquire than the UK even for pre-paid where proof of Canadian status is required.  More important is to get UK driving licences converted to BC ones so we can buy and insure a car at a sensible price.  Insurance with a UK driving licence is ...

Six to Go No Jack, it's not dinner time it's only 04.30 in the morning, you're in Canada now, on Pacific time.   'I don't understand Pacific time dad.  There's dinner time, walk time, play time, sleep time and now it's dinner time and walk time.   I'll let you have your dinner, how about that? I want to have my breakfast, I'm hungry and then  go walkies'.     A rh, we need to talk about that.  We're in quarantine and we are not allowed out of the house and garden for another six days.      'But Dad  I'm not in quarantine dad, I can go out' Yes but you can't go out on your own, you'll have to play in the garden.  Maybe get acquainted with the lady boxer upstairs! 'How come you are in quarantine and I am able to go out'.   It's the rules Jack.  You can have your breakfast, then perhaps go and have another sleep? 'So humans have to quarantine and dogs like me don't? That's right Jack, humans have to qu...

Seven to Go Black-Capped Chickadee The sun returned to North Vancouver today which brought out the birds this morning.  The Black-Capped Chickadee with its distinctive call managed to stay still just long enough for me to get a picture.   To me it looked like a Tit of some variety. The same could not be said of some local humming birds who would hover for a second or two before disappearing so quickly it was almost impossible to track them.  Certainly too quickly to get a photo of them.  Going to have top find a way of resolving that.   The highlight of the day was the pending arrival of Jack.  He left the UK at about 10.00 BST (02.00 Pacific time) and flew direct to Vancouver, unlike his owners.  At 06.30 local he'd just passed Greenland at 40,000ft.  What was he thinking, how was he coping, would he sleep;  the questions were endless. Jack's aircraft just West of Greenland The lovely people at PetAir said the owners were usually m...

Eight to go 1st Class dog style Unimpressed methinks An early start today when our dog Jack's shipping company driver rang at 0100 to ask where we were as he pitched up in Burbage to gather up said dog.  Err Canada, you should have the number of our dog sitter ......  'sorry did I wake you'?  Not easy to get to sleep again after that.  The problem quickly resolved (Jack had been taken out on a final Burbage walk) and he was on his way to his overnight in Windsor, kennels not the castle, before his 1st class priced flight with Air Canada on Saturday morning.  Emphasis on price, rather than service as there is no at-crate service in the hold.  Pressurized, temperature controlled, mood lighting, water and that's it. A few hours later my semi-conscious slumbers were interrupted by Radio 4 Extra's move to rolling news following the sad news about HRH Prince Phillip's death.  Time to give up on the idea of sleep  and we decided it was time for a cuppa....

 Nine days to go Garden Quarantine Having escaped our mandated 3 nights hotel quarantine in Toronto a day early after our Covid tests came back negative, we have been settling in to our Vancouver rental. Nine more days of quarantine, restricted to the house and garden, and we'll be allowed out if our 10th day Covid test comes back negative.  Daily emails checks from the Canadian health care system wanting confirmation that we are symptom free and a potential visit from an official to check we are in quarantine could take place at any time.  I remain impressed by the way Canada is managing the risk of people arriving in to the country and minimizing exposure.  The good news is that Jack should be with us in about 48 hours and is being picked up at Vancouver airport by Nick Saturday morning. Much like the UK the news agenda is dominated by Covid.  With the British media's focus on the domestic agenda, the USA and Europe, it is unsurprising to find the Ca...

 And a glass or two of wine! Happy hour! Proper food Tired of our hotel room and requiring a change of scenery and rations we made an early escape to the airport once the negative Covid tests arrived.   Imagine our delight, after 2 days without a drink to ease the frustration, to find the airport bar was doing Happy Hour.  Given the absence of passengers, it was probably doing it all day!  Several glasses of Sauvignon later and a few nibbles, spirits were restored.   Never has airport food tasted so good. As a domestic arrival in Vancouver we had bags collected and were in the back of a taxi in all of 15 minutes from touchdown.   The drive across to North Vancouver in the Blueridge area, just east of Lynn Regional Park took about 40 minutes.  It is a quiet, residential, tree-lined neighbourhood which we knew from past walks in Lynn.  Fred chose this accommodation because we have seven days of remaining quarantine after Jack arr...

Negative Test Results Breakfast Rations Which means no more quarantine rations as we head off to Vancouver later today and into our rented accommodation with garden in the Blueridge area of North Vancouver. Our room was OK, but it's strange not being able to leave it and go for a wander or walk, the gym or the pool.  The results came through in a little over 24 hours which is what it was in the UK.  Pretty impressive.  We won't miss the food!  There has been no choice, you just get what you're given, or more precisely left by your door.  Yesterday's breakfast was a vulcanised omelette with a processed cheese slice glueing both sides together.  Different.  Today's fare was no better.  Oh for a glass of wine or a beer. The only downside at the moment is that Canada appears to be having a further Covid peak, just as numbers in the UK start to fall.  A few more restrictions are being put in place, closer to the situation we had when leaving the U...