The recreation programmers express beautifully their vision for your enrichment:

“The vast selection of opportunities for education, entertainment, physical health and well being, socialising, strategizing, and skill development await only your decision to participate.”

For those looking to relax and soothe the body, the Community Centre offers yoga classes almost every day of the week. Most classes have a drop-in rate.

If you’re craving some nourishment for the mind, there are plenty of educational, self-development and sustainability-centred workshops. Every second Friday, you can catch an entertaining and thought-provoking film at the Centre. From drawing to low impact fitness to folk dance to knitting, there are countless opportunities to enjoy your hobbies or discover a passion for new hobbies. There’s really something for everyone.

If you’re going to be enjoying a longer stay on the island, maybe a few weeks, there are many different ongoing sports, arts and learning programs to sign up for. Many are free. Others cost just a few dollars per week.

If you’re a regular visitor to Quadra Island, or even plan to make it here a few times in the year, you may want to purchase the Centre’s family lifetime membership for $20. It’s hard to find a better deal than that, and you’ll feel free to join in on as many activities as you like.

While planning your trip to Quadra Island, it’s a great idea to check out what’s happening at the Centre on the days you plan to visit. For full details on activities and events at the Quadra Island Community Centre, the “Current Program” is available online at www.quadrarec.bc.ca.

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Quadra Island is the perfect spot for a family getaway filled with adventure and learning, and Taku Resort & Marina is the ideal place to call home while you’re away.

The greatest thing about a Quadra Island vacation is that the adventure and learning happen at the same time! Every parent is on a quest, especially on vacation, to help their children learn about the world in ways that don’t feel like learning. The best learning is the most fun, the kind where the kids have such a good time they never guess they’re also learning something! Quadra Island is utterly packed with adventurous learning opportunities.

Here are some of our top recommendations:

1] Exploring the plant and animal life, especially marine life. If you’ve ever watched a child observing a shallow pool of starfish for the first time, you’re sure to see the wonder of discovery in their eyes.

2] Snorkelling off Quadra Island’s beaches. Especially for older kids, this is a blissful treat. Strap on the snorkel and slip into a light wetsuit and you’ve bought yourself hours of guaranteed family fun. It’s also a great way to start a discussion about sustainability.

3] Hiking. We’ve got something for every skill (and motivation) level.

4] First Nations’ culture trek. See art created and inspired by Canada’s founding peoples.

We know it’s also parents’ top priority to keep their kids safe. Quadra Island is a very safe environment, so you can breathe freely. Just be careful around the water – certain currents can be challenging even for the strongest swimmers – and everyone can play to their hearts content in safety and security. Your only concern will be remembering the sunscreen.

This is just a small sampler of ideas. Take a read through some of our other blog posts to discover more opportunities for family adventure. Or better yet, come visit us to see for yourself!

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As in so many places, the fish stocks aren’t hitting quite the same peaks as in the most bountiful days, but careful management of the fisheries keeps much of the fishing glory alive today, and the coastal waters still teem with salmon. We’ll be happy to recommend a charter fishing expedition so you can be sure you’re heading straight out to the best catches.

You can also head out on your own with a big chance of success. Anglers have great luck at Quathiaski Cove, near the dock for the Quadra—Campbell River ferry. There’s also action off Cape Mudge, Copper Bluffs and April Point, and near Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park, which offers a public boat ramp. There’s also wonderful inland freshwater fishing on Quadra at Village Bay, Mine Lake and Main Lake.

Some people load up their fishing gear simply for the love of sport or the prospect of a delicious meal of salmon. Some fishermen also have a deep respect and admiration for the sleek salmon and their BC habitat. Those who are interested can make a free visit in July and August to the Quadra Salmon Eco-Centre to learn more about salmon and salmon watersheds. You can also find information on the best ways to protect salmon for future generations. Kids love the hands-on activities and daily fish feeding.

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Thank you to everyone who participated by coming by our booth (rain or shine) and leaving wonderful comments on our Blog and our Facebook page. Keep checking back for our last minute summer specials.

Cheers!

Elizabeth

Rio Tinto Dragon Boat Festival Draw

Win a night in a Studio Suite.

You can enter this draw THREE times by doing the following:

1. Come visit us at our booth at the 24th annual dragon boat festival and fill out a ballot to win.
2. Like us on Facebook and leave us a comment about why you think you would like a holiday to Taku.
3. Leave a comment below this Blog entry and again tell us why you would like a holiday to Taku.

The winner of this draw can redeem their night in a Studio suite during the months of September to June and it expires June 2014. This stay is based on availability and is based on double occupancy.

Best of luck to you!

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Our favourite is a trip along the old logging routes and forest trails to see the giant trees around Stamberg Lake in Main Lake Provincial Park. You can have your lunch at the base of a Douglas Fir or Western Red Cedar, some of which are up to 5.5 meters (16 feet) around!

Hikers always love the trip along the Cape Mudge shoreline to check out the 100-year-old Cape Mudge lighthouse. You need to be extra careful on this trip, though, because weather and tide conditions can make the journey tricky. If you’re in the mood for some serene and beautiful inland water, there are great hikes to Morte Lake, Nugedzi Lake and Newton Lake.

There are a lot more trails than we can mention here, and you’re never far away from one when you stay at Taku Resort. You’ll just have to come see them for yourself.
We’ve got a proposal for the most ambitious hikers. Wouldn’t it be a great challenge to hike all 200 km of trails? It might take a few trips, but you’ll get to know the island so well that you’ll feel like it’s part of you.

Pick up a Quadra Island hiking trails map published by the Quadra Island Trails Committee, and you’ll be good to go!

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We are welcoming the Spring time with arms outstretched and eagerly awaiting the summer fun. The winter time is a different type of busy than summer time but trust me, we were busy.

Now that it’s Spring, Taku has a stream of groups coming in. In the next month we have the SuperChefs putting on another amazing weekend camp. This time, the camp is taking a group of children from the northern coastal BC aboriginal communities and teaching them about healthy food and how to make it. The other returning groups are the Cowichan Outdoor Club, the Nanaimo Tuesday Hikers and the Ripple Rock Power Squadron.

We’ve also had our first wedding of the season last weekend. Congratulations to Mike and Kelly!

The summer bookings are starting to fill up so be sure to contact us soon to make sure you get the dates you want. We look forward to having everyone back and can’t wait to see what wonderful times come ahead.

Stormy Events

At the end of March, the resort was hit very hard from a south easterly wind storm. By far the strongest winds we have seen, clocked at 130km/hr. The Tree House Suite and the whole Terrace building were spared by the three 100ft firs that fell. Lynden was monitoring the scene over the two days and saw the root systems of these enormous trees lifting out of the ground. He evacuated all the buildings and all valuables from the office.
One of the trees narrowly skimmed the roof and fell right in front of the office. We lost power and phones for five days as the three fallen trees had taken down many power lines. In the light of the blue skies and sun the next day, you could see the carnage left behind from the storm. The dock was broken in four pieces and one finger drifted to Open Bay. Three more trees had to be taken down as their trunks were split and the ground was lifting underneath. After finally getting the resort cleaned up and back-up and running, Lynden had a very well deserved holiday in Mexico.

Gourmet Culinary Courses

The next set of courses has just been announced. Two courses are being offered on July 6th and 12th. Learn the basics of chopping an onion to gourmet desserts with sugar work. These three day courses offer hands on teaching methods where students create delicious gourmet meals. Chef Benedict and Chef Maynard have returned to Taku all the way from their Walnut Grove Cookery in France. Further details are listed on our website. Deadline to sign up is May 18th, 2012.
Find out more information here.

Farewell Milt

On December 31st 2011, the creator of our wonderful resort Milton Wong passed away. In 1983, he brought the family and a few friends to look at possibly buying the property and he fell in love. It’s hard to say if it was the natural beauty of the trees or the large kitchen that drew him most. He said that the resort and his new home were his most proud creative achievements.

He was always so welcoming to everyone that came to the resort and he made many wonderful friends during his evening walks greeting everyone with his big smile. We miss him dearly and are dedicated to keeping the resort to his vision of giving family and friends a place to go where they could have adventures, laughter and good food together.

There will be a celebration of life here in honour of Milt this summer. The date has been changed from June 2nd to the summer time. We would be honoured to have you join us. If you are interested in finding out the details once they are finalized, please email us.

Sincerely,

Fei, Lynden, Liz, Sue, Rhonda,
and the rest of the Taku Crew

The post Spring Newsletter 2012 appeared first on Taku Resort and Marina.

As always, it was great to meet so many new people and to catch-up with the long time friends.

Gourmet Culinary Courses

The post Fall/Winter Newsletter appeared first on Taku Resort and Marina.

Don’t get me wrong – we aren’t complaining. Who doesn’t enjoy regular BBQ’s under the late-day sun or long slow walks to the local ice-cream parlour. For that matter, who doesn’t enjoy riding their bike to the local farmers market or playing soccer in the field without getting soaked from winter rain ! Summer allows us to really enjoy ourselves and the local beauty of Canada’s West Coast.

But ever get that feeling you are running out of ideas ? Are the kids starting to ask “what are we doing today ?” or worse yet, “I’m bored!”. We’ll have no fear, we’ve highlighted 3 of our favourite summer activities at Taku to help you enjoy the most of your summer fun.

Kick the Can or Flashlight Tag:

Kick the Can is a game combining both elements of hide-and-seek and capture the flag, this game for the whole family is perfect at home or away. In short, someone is “it”, and tries to catch everyone else. When caught, those players sit to the side until a “free” player kicks the can and “frees” everyone. “It” wins when he/she catches everyone, or until you decide to switch (which is a bit easier!!). Though you “could” play inside, we recommend an outdoor location with lots of hiding spots! Read more here.

Flashlight tag is another game, similar to regular tag. This game however is played at night with whoever’s “it” tagging people with the light instead of actually touching them. Read more here.

Berry Picking and Jam making:

All those berries you buy are often found in nature for free – in fact we have some up here at Taku just starting to show! Not sure what needs explaining here, but in case you do, here we go: look, pick, eat (or pack)! With an abundance of blackberries, huckleberries, raspberries, and strawberries, if you don’t find them yourself, our staff will gladly help point you in the right direction!

But what to do with all those berries ? How about make something tasty that can be saved for later. With simply a little sugar, you can stew your berries down into lovely jams, spreads, or fruit preserves. Yum Yum.

Beach Combing or Fort Building:

One of my personal favourite things to do can be done right on our shores. Using abandoned drift wood, we’ve repeatedly built fun forts and hide-outs for our young ones to enjoy.Do you think your brood is up to the challenge ?

Whatever you do, just make sure you get out and have fun. The warm long days will be gone before you know it !!

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Consider the Agriculture Canada publication (Economic Impact Study, 2009 – http://goo.gl/BAjdE ) highlighting that farmers’ markets were responsible for roughly a $3.09 Billion impact in the Canadian Economy. No kidding: the reach and popularity of small farmers’ markets just like ours is big. And more importantly, it’s growing.

But growth and big dollars aside, why do we really care ? Ask any small child why they want to go to the market, and you’re sure to hear something along the lines of “I want to eat all the yummy food”! In fact, with many markets increasingly showcasing cooking classes, clowns, hands-on “farming”, and other children appropriate activities, farmers’ markets are a great way to spend an inexpensive day out with your children ! Oh, and to their point, there is generally “yummy food” abound!

Which brings me to why parents and adults care. Some will argue its all about quality and seasonality of the produce and meats. Others will swear that helping the small independent farmer is paramount. Others still will say that the price reflects the real value of the food (which as an aside, is generally cheaper than any big box or large chain vendor). Whatever the reason (and they are all valid), the market experience needs to be tried, and supported.

With the above in mind, we encourage you to visit your local farmer’s market. On Quadra Island, our farmers’ market runs every Saturday until the end of September from 10am until 2pm. With fresh fruits, berries, produce, fish, baked goods and more, it is an incredible opportunity to taste the very best of Quadra Island. Details can be found at http://goo.gl/PLmMG .

As a side, we will be sourcing much of the Taku Resort & Marina Cookery Class ingredients from some of these same farmers … it’s that good (though to be fully transparent, we have access to others that don’t or can’t serve the market on a weekly basis. Shhhh … its our secret!)

We hope to see you at the Quadra Island market over the summer, or at least hear your stories while visiting us !

Be good, eat right !

Yum …..

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