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Dragon Boats and Beer Gardens
What (you may be asking) do Dragon Boats and beer gardens have in common? Last weekend I had the pleasure of enjoying both at Vancouver’s Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. Close to 180 teams and...
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MEC Paddlefest Vancouver
Beaches and sea are essential aspects of Vancouver’s character. In my not so humble opinion, if you live here and don’t get out on the water somehow, you’re missing a vital part of the Vancouver...
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Dare To Be Deep at the Scott Islands
This post is part of our Dare to be Deep series, a partnership with MEC and CPAWS aimed at creating 12 new federally-protected marine areas by the end of 2012. Today, we highlight the Scott Islands....
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Exploring the Galápagos Islands
As much as I love exploring this beautiful country we call home, I’ve also spent quite a bit of time overseas checking out all sorts of places. One of the things I’ve learned is that I love...
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Home to Algonquin
I would bet that most people have a place that they picture when they are having a rough day. A happy place, if you will. Without a doubt my family’s happy place is Algonquin Provincial Park. It is our...
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The BC Marine Trails Network
Imagine if every hiking trail had unscalable walls along either side. You could stop and stand on the path, but you could only get off it to sit down, have lunch or camp at certain spots. And imagine...
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Summer Kayak Cruise (With Whales)
Even if I won a gazillion dollars, I like to believe I’d never take a conventional cruise ship trip. I know the pleasures of the buffet would prove too enticing (I can resist anything except...
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Algonquin Park: A Bigger Adventure
The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry. Robert Burns hit it on the head with that one. I’d add that often the longer you’ve been making those plans the further astray they seem to go. My...
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Fall Camping: The Paddling Edition
While my colleague Ariane was shivering through her recent alpine adventure, I was spending a lovely week paddling round Murtle Lake, and staying warm the whole while. Partially that was because I was...
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7 Minutes to a Warm Weather Escape: An Exercise in Imagination
On an unremarkable fog-turned-to-sprinkle-turned-to-downpour winter morning, I opt to put off my inevitable bike to work, and check my email. Groupon deal, delete. Costco flyer, delete. Photos of a...
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Growing Up With MEC
Leanne Allison is an accomplished adventurer and filmmaker. She’s also a former MEC employee (I was lucky enough to go on a group sea kayak trip with her back in those days). She, her partner Karsten,...
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On Winter Water: Sea Kayaking in the Off Season
With a gap in Vancouver’s winter rains, and light breezes in the forecast, it was an ideal day to get the kayak out. And to test my new sail system.I’ve written before about my interest in – some would...
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7 Minutes to a Warm Weather Escape: An Exercise in Imagination
On an unremarkable fog-turned-to-sprinkle-turned-to-downpour winter morning, I opt to put off my inevitable bike to work, and check my email. Groupon deal, delete. Costco flyer, delete. Photos of a...
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Have Kids, Will Paddle
It’s never too early to get out in the wilderness with kids, and Dan and Alice Clark are proof of that. In 2012, they set out in a canoe with their two young children (aged 3 and 5 years old), and...
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Waddington/Homathko Ski and Kayak Expedition
MEC supported Maxi Kniewasser through the MEC Expedition Support Program on his adventure to Mt Waddington last spring. We recently caught up with him to ask him a few questions about his inspiring...
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Commuter Challenge: Annual MEC Calgary “Canute”
It’s 6am, and I already have a soaker. I forgot my paddling booties again, and now my foot is going to be cold and wet all the way to work. Two hours in a canoe with a wet foot, and no cup of coffee...
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Vancouver Festival of Ocean Films
The ocean’s not only a place for recreation – it’s also as a place of sustainable and responsible commerce, and a wilderness to be respected. To inspire and stimulate people to explore their...
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MEC Paddlefest: Dive into The World of Paddling
What I love about paddling is its endless variety. By switching up your time, place and boat, you can make it as easy or as challenging as you want. I’ve taken people who’ve never been in a kayak...
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Keeping Canada’s Water Safe for Play
If there’s one thing that has the power to draw Canadians into the wild, it’s our water. From coast to coast and every lake, stream and river in between, Canada is home to some of the most remarkable...
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The Big Chop: MEC’s paddle fun races
A few weeks back, I dropped by to share the excitement of Vancouver’s first Big Chop paddle race of the season. A full crowd of paddlers turned out, from serious Type-A competitors to first-timers who...
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