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Heather Adams
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Heather Adams
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Justin Samson
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Justin Samson
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Justin Samson
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Bob Young
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Adrian Dorst
An arbutus tree hangs over the dock in Browning Harbour on Pender Island.
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Danielle Hayes
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Destination BC Albert Normandin
Story by Glenn Kohaly
The 18th Annual Pender Harbour Jazz Festival kicks into gear on September 19, and with over 100 musicians and 27 different performances everyone gets really excited. Festival committee member Carole Rubin explains “We have both free and ticketed events all around the harbour over the weekend, so everyone gets to hear jazz no matter where they live, moor, or how fat their wallet is”. Jazz comes in many styles at this Festival ranging from Gypsy to Afro-Cuban to swing to New Orleans and all along the scale. Obviously with an ever-increasing audience this Festival has found the right mix.
There are two afternoon extravaganzas called Jazzapaloozas where the audience can hear four hours of world-class jazz for $20. If they have great weather as is usual in September, the Jazzapaloozas are held outdoors at the Seafarer’s Millennium Park at the government wharf. If it is wet at 9am, the event moves into the Community Hall. There are also jazz suppers at the restaurants and pubs, and minstrels in town. I asked Carole what her secret is to creating a great line-up. She laughed and explained, “I pay the musicians really well (way above scale) and their music has to give me goose bumps. Life is too short for anything less!”
We had the chance to take in the Pender Harbour Blues Festival last June and what a great time that was. Best of all, many of the events are free and family-friendly. More info will be available and tickets may be purchased on their website www.penderharbourbluesfestival.com.
Egmont, a small waterfront village on Secret Bay in the Sunshine Coast’s Sechelt Inlet, is surrounded by some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. Sunshine Coast Tours will help you discover the cultural and historical highlights of this area. Enjoy marine sightseeing tours to the fjords of Princess Louisa Inlet, Skookumchuck Narrows, Malibu Club, Sechelt Inlet and Jervis Inlet, and SCUBA dive tours as well. Judged one of the ten most scenic spots in North America, the majestic beauty of Princess Louisa Inlet is only a short distance away and the trip through 40 miles of unspoiled wilderness is an exceptional experience. Voted “most scenic natural anchorage” in the world, Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park lies between sheer cliffs rising over 1.5 km high culminating in Chatterbox Falls at the end of the inlet.
For a listing of RV Parks visit www.sunshinecoastcanada.com/stay/campgrounds
Key Events
11th Annual Blues Festival - June 6, 7 & 8
International Choral Kathaumixw - July 5
Blackberry Festival - August 10-18
Festival of the Written Arts - August 15-18
Pender Harbour Jazz Festival - September 19-21
Sunshine Coast Art Crawl - October 18-20