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This article was written for Western Living, |
Sidney-by-the-Sea Rick Hudson
This charming waterfront town on the inside coast of Vancouver Island, close to Victoria, has quietly transformed itself in recent years, with much to offer the day shopper or weekend visitor.
The town (population 11,000) and its rural surroundings are located at the transport hub of the provincial capital, with two major ferry services and an international airport feeding it, yet Sidney is often overlooked by visitors hurrying by to reach other destinations. Stop! Let's take some time to wander the waterfront sea walk, or the charming flower-filled main street, and you'll quickly realize you've been missing a special little town, full of history, charm and character.
Most visitors heading for Victoria arrive by BC Ferries at Swartz Bay. From there, a 5km drive brings you to the first traffic lights on the highway. This is the Sidney turnoff, but to the inattentive, the treed street disappearing off to the left offers few clues to what lies beyond. Come on, let's make a detour. Leave the ferry traffic to race down the highway. We'll swing into Beacon Avenue, and savour the aura of this century-old community.
First, a little history. The town is located on the Saanich Peninsula (saanich is a Salish Indian word meaning 'fertile soil'). The community grew from a donation of 500 acres by the Brethour family (early pioneers) in 1891, although the family itself had farmed there since the Hudson's Bay Company had sold off parcels of land (for a dollar an acre!) back in 1858 (the same year the BC Gold Rush started in full).
Over the years, the village of Sydney (later Sidney) flourished and declined, depending on the price of lumber, fish and hops (for the beer industry). In 1952 it was formally incorporated as the Town of Sidney, and today is home to a thriving retail sector serving the greater peninsula area, a modern boat building community serving the West Coast, and a dynamic hi-tech industry that serves the world.
Park anywhere along the main street or in the side streets. Parking is free everywhere. To appreciate the town best, we need to get out and stroll, enjoying the broad, brick-locked sidewalks with their tubs of flowers and trees, and the comfortable benches, placed at intervals along Beacon Avenue, encouraging you to pause and watch the passing scene.
Don't sit down yet. We have places to visit, and people to meet. Where Fifth Avenue crosses Beacon, drop into Alexander's Coffee Bar where you can get a great cuppa java and a muffin. Close by, let's wander into Muffet & Louisa's, its stable door open and its bay windows filled with quality kitchen, dining and decorating goods. There really is a Muffet (born in Kenya, she's the owner), her curious name derived from her initials. Don't ask for Louisa .. she lives in Monte Carlo! Since the 1980's, the store has drawn people from a widening area, for its tasteful and stylish furnishings.
Outside, a bald eagle glares down at the passing strollers, daring them to take his fish, clasped between wooden claws. Time for a detour. Let's take a turn along Fifth Street, stopping at Sidney Sporting Goods, where the talk is about lacrosse and hockey and fishing .. lots of tackle for the sports fisherman here. Across Fifth, Dig This is a gardener's paradise. Hailing from Newfoundland, they know what real gardening is all about, and love the mild, temperate climate of this opposite coast.
All right, back to Beacon Avenue, and let's head towards the sea along the broad, brick-locked sidewalks with their colourful displays of summer flowers and trees (flowering peach and silver birch) passing Odyssia Steak House and A Touch of Class (ladies fashions) before arriving at Fourth Street, where the old Sidney Post Office building stands. A sturdy brick building of the 1930's, it is one of the few remaining examples of a by-gone architectural style. Today, the façade has been saved, while the interior has been expanded and renovated.
Crossing Fourth Street we pass Cottons & Blues (casual clothes) and Lunn's Deli & Coffee Shop (a long-time tradition of great cakes), to reach the wonderful window displays of the Village Gallery. For over 30 years this store has provided art supplies and framing to the surrounding arts community, and featured pictures, prints and posters to visitors. Owners Judith Bowen and Frank Malerby are sure to tell you that browsers are very welcome, so take time to wander around.
Finished? Right, let's wander on seawards again but, before crossing Third Street, let's take a right along Third and a few paces will bring into view another of Chris Johnson's murals. This one depicts the Sidney waterfront at the turn of the century. Considerable research went into creating the image, and it is both artistically pleasing and historically correct. The Saanich Canning Co., Ltd. and Copeland & Wright buildings really existed, just as shown. And the young boy in dungerees who hangs half in and half out of the picture? He's universal, and might have been your grandfather.
Just beyond is the charming Flader & Greene (accountants) Building, which also houses the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. Drop in for local information, or pick up some brochures, before crossing the street and heading back towards Beacon Avenue again, passing Kid's Connection (brand name childrens' clothing).
At the main corner is Starbucks, home of the great West Coast coffee bean, where locals and visitors alike linger in a fine aroma. For those more concerned with their health, step into next door Sidney Natural Foods where the aroma is quite different, but the pleasures as great. Organic foods, ancient grains, modern staples and vitamins are some of the products that crowd the shelves.
Next on our right is the Tivoli Gallery, identified by its bird banner outside the door. Owner Inga Michel really does have Tivoli lamps, but is best known for her framed bird miniatures in water colour (hence the banner outside), locally crafted amber jewelry, and rough cast silver bowls. On a sunny afternoon, the store dances with reflected light, and tradition has it that Kathryn Hepburn shopped here, when visiting.
Out on the avenue again, we have glimpses of the sea ahead at the foot of the town, now just two blocks away. But first we might want to dawdle in Baden-Baden' s elegant European style ladies' clothing collections, or the adjacent Foot Steps, where we might find the perfect footware to match that outfit. In the same block, look in at Sparling Real Estate, one of the oldest offices in town. On the walls hang two black and white aerial photos of the town, taken in the 1940s. They certainly show how the area has changed in the ensuing 60 years. And ask about the huge safe door in the back wall .. that goes nowhere!
Over Second Street we pass Temptations coffee shop on the corner, the post office and the small but always-busy Corner Deli, where owner Annie Gillespie has changed her native Isle of Arran in Scotland for the Isle of Vancouver instead. Great food, great customers, great repartee to locals and visitors alike, and even a threat to make haggis on Robbie Burns Day!
At First Street the view out to sea has expanded with the recent demolition of part of the old Sidney Hotel. But before we head for the beach, let's take a quick swing along First (to the right) to another bold mural, this one on the side of Sidney Super Foods. Also created in 3-D by artist Chris Johnson, this colossal painting celebrates the science of the sea, from Captain Vancouver's tiny 3-masted vessel, HMS Discovery (bottom right, which charted most of the channels and inlets as far north as Alaska in the 1790's), to the marine scientists of the federal Institute of Ocean Sciences nearby. Many of the local hi-tech companies are recognized too, in the form of deep sea instruments, submersibles and satellite mapping.
At the foot of the Avenue stands the beacon itself, mounted in a stone pyramid. A navigational aid in times gone by, today it recognizes Sidney's ties to the sea. Off to our right, the brick-locked sea walk curves past a statue of an underwater diver. The offshore is a popular destination for aqua sports. Clear water, diverse marine life and an artificial reef formed by the 366 feet sunken destroyer HMCS Mackenzie all add to the attraction. Beyond the statue, the Fishing Pier extends out to sea. This recent addition allows visitors to enjoy the views across Georgia Strait to James Island (south), Sidney Spit (east, with Mt Baker towering above it on clear days), and the archipelago of the Gulf Islands (north).
On the bench at the pier, Victoria sculptor Nathan Scott's bronze of a fisherman considering his tackle box, promises another day's good sport. Why not pose next to him for a photo? They say touching him brings you good luck ... and not just at fishing!
Back at the beacon, we should wander out along the old federal wharf to the Satellite Fish Shop, home of daily fresh sea food. In summer, the wharf hosts visiting cruise ships, SeaQuest Adventures' whale watching tours and kayak rentals, and the Sidney Spit Ferry out to the best white sand beaches in the straits. An observant visitor might notice that the wharf, curiously, doesn't point straight out to sea, but is angled. That's because it was built initially as the termination of a railway line that followed the coast before curving out onto the wharf, where goods were offloaded. In 1894 the Victoria & Sidney "Cordwood Express" began running lumber from the Sidney Sawmill to the rapidly expanding town of Victoria. Not long afterwards, it became obvious that a steamship link servicing the Gulf Islands (and the upstart City of Vancouver) would be an asset, so the wharf was added, and track laid out along it.
If it's a summer Sunday afternoon, we should stop at the Centennial Bandstand to listen to the concert .. always popular, always crowded, and every week a different genre, from jazz to dixie to classical. Or let's head north along the sea walk to the Scratch Patch, a unique gemstone garden where you can buy an empty collector's bag and spend as long as you like filling it with semi-precious gems of every variety … amethysts, tigereyes, jaspers and more. Or pan for gold, collect tropical shells, or learn to excavate fossils with a real hammer and chisel. Inside, gift shop Mineral World was described on CBC Radio as one of Canada's ten must-see stores.
Feeling hungry? Well, just look at the time! This has taken longer than we expected. Still, there're plenty of places to eat at the waterfront, including the Breakwater Deli or the Portside Café, with views of the boats in the harbour, RumRunner Pub, and the Newport Waterfront Restaurant. Later, we should walk out along the clean docks of Port Sidney Marina, home to 325 vessels. Manager Wayne Pullen will tell you there are fishing charters, island camping trips, yacht sales, chandlery, a sailing school, cable and phone services, power hook-ups, and full laundry and washing facilities. Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, and David Suzuki have all been seen at one time or another.
Back up the sloping ramp, turn right along the water's edge (past the doggie doo garden for boaters' pets!). The path curves past a large smooth rock, polished by glaciers just 12,000 years ago, when this area was still under crushing ice. Beyond the scoured basalt, you get a wonderful evening view of the marina, with the sun reflecting off a forest of masts.
Now let's walk up Seaport Place to the red building on Beacon Avenue. The Sidney Museum houses two distinct collections, and Curator Sherry Eastholm and the volunteer staff will be pleased tell you all about them. There're exhibits of historical artifacts from pioneer days a century ago, and then there's that perennial family favourite -- the whale collection. Orca, gray whale and other marine mammals are featured. The exhibits are a hit with every generation. Entry is by donation.
Back on Beacon Avenue, let's head uptown past Sidney's tallest building, the Landmark, shaped like a huge ferry, with its sloping sides. At street level, the House Dressing Co. is where owner Julie Szegedi Cove can show us round a stylish collection of decorating ideas from fabric to furniture, both modern and antique. Bright colours and elegant combinations provide great new themes for your home. Next door, the spacious Peninsula Gallery features original works and reprints of some of Western Canada's best known artists, such as Bateman and Benson. Owner Larry Hanlan, originally from Australia, enjoys nothing more than discussing the styles and biographies of the painters and sculptors he exhibits.
Crossing Second Street, we pass Pier One Restaurant, home of Greek cuisine, and then it's time to let the kid in all of us run loose (a little bit) in Buddies' Toys, the best source of presents for the 2-12 year old set. Just up from there, pause outside True Value Hardware, and look at the building. Yes, it's a World War II Quonset hut, built in 1942 and later used as the Sidney cinema for many years. Ex-servicemen still come in occasionally to reminisce about the time they watched Jimmy Stewart or John Wayne. Incidentally, the store rents bicycles and Sidney is the start of a newly completed cycle route along the old "Cordwood Express" right-of-way into Victoria (30km/20m of level country riding). Once there, it links with the Galloping Goose Trail out to Sooke and beyond (another 60km/40m of ex-track).
Further up the block, Mary & Lyn Jones' Sidney Gift Shop has been a feature for 14 years, although the building dates back to the 1940's. Cards, linens, frames and Austrian crystal are popular items. And talking of Austria, The Café Mozart next up features grand dining, specializing in Viennese cuisine.
Time for a short diversion off Beacon Avenue again .. this time along Third Street. First up is Diana Courtnier's Starting Point, a 4 year old on-line computer café where visitors to town can read their email or surf the net. In delicious contrast, The Haunted Bookshop next door smells of fine leather volumes and old maps. It's obvious from the moment you enter this quiet corner that owners Adrian Batterbury and Odean Long love print, and have accumulated an exceptional collection of rare volumes and serious books, quite unexpected in a town as small as Sidney.
Back on Beacon again, we pass the Royal Bank and the Beacon Barber (yes, there are still men's barber shops on the main street in this town) before we have to turn in at The Candy Man, where the smell of chocolates and the sight of people carrying ice cream in freshly-made Belgian waffle cones simply demands a stop! A fixture for almost three decades, the store gets very busy on hot summer days, and for good reason.
With all the bookstores in town (and some you' ve not yet seen), you won't be surprised to learn that Sidney-by-the-Sea is Canada's only BookTown … a community celebrating the diversity and numbers of its bookstores. The energy behind this concept is Christine & Clive Tanner and sons, whose flagship store is Tanners - a bookstore and more and the adjoining Childrens' Bookstore. Inside is the largest magazine and newspaper selection on the Island, a well-stocked travel and map room, cards, calendars, a book ordering service, and books .. lots and lots of books. The store is always busy, people coming and going, yet for 15 years Clarence, the store cat, slept undisturbed in some of the busiest spots, as people stepped over or around him. Actually a stray, he adopted the Tanners in 1984, and became more famous than his owners (one of whom had been a Yukon cabinet minister and a Victoria MLA). Clarence even had a comic strip named after him, that ran for years in the local newspaper.
Outside again, on the corner of Beacon, you might look up Fourth Street and notice a Saber jet, an army tank and a field gun in a car park, home of the Canadian Legion. There are also public washrooms close to the field gun.
On Beacon Avenue again, pause to admire the fine jewelry displayed in Christine Laurent Jewellers on the corner. Two-term Mayor of Sidney, Marie Rosko also owns Sweet Talk & Lace, a lady's lingerie store in the same block. Just as she has been committed to public service for many years, so you'll find her friendly staff are dedicated to giving the best customer service, together with a great selection of merchandise.
At the traffic lights at Fifth, take a side trip into Nicole Guldner's Art Gallery. It's filled with oil paintings in the European tradition. Knowledgeable at buying and selling, Nicole is also a qualified art restorer, and much of her time is spent cleaning and repairing works of art.
On Beacon Avenue again for the final block of our walkabout, we pass Ray's Barber Shop. Please note what it says in the window, before entering! (No spitting. No swearing. No guns allowed.) Finally, Beacon Books & Collectables is another member of BookTown. Inside, shelf after shelf of books stretch away, enticing the browser to search for that elusive mystery or paperback novel.
Almost any time of the year is a good time to visit this small town with a warm heart. Stroll its quiet streets, browse its old and modern shops, visit its many harbours, pubs and restaurants. Visit some of the many artists' studios in the area, go birding in the coves, plane watching under the runways, or just sit in the main street like people used to do, watching the world go by. There's something for everyone. Close be., the Institute of Ocean Sciences, Heritage Acres and the BC Aviation Museum are open to the public too.
There are also special days that should not be missed. On an April weekend, Port Sidney hosts the largest floating boat show on the West Coast. An extended Canada Day celebration around July 1st sees Sidney Days, with street markets, a parade of floats and fire engines and bands, fireworks, boat building competitions, stage shows, a pancake breakfast and a 5km run. Internationally, every second year in August Sidney hosts the World Town Crier Competition, a curious anachronism that combines ribald repartee at maximum volume with bell ringing and splendid olde worlde clothes. And in early December, who can forget Santa's Parade and the Sidney Christmas Sail Past, when over a hundred boats glide by the federal wharf, lights blazing in a kaleidoscope of colours, topped off with fireworks?
And to think, you almost missed it all by driving on past on the highway …
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