Skip to content

Coming up in Cowichan: Spend Father’s Day fishing, or head to the BC Forest Discovery Centre

Deadline coming to register for class reunion
17156058_web1_coming-up-Tractor-show-BCFDC
The Tractor Show at the BC Forest Discovery Centre is a tradition for Father’s Day. (Citizen file)

Deadline coming to register for class reunion

The Cowichan Secondary Class of 1974 is getting ready to hold their 45th class reunion on Saturday, July 27.

Class of 1973 and 1975 are also welcome, along with teachers, staff and those who did not quite graduate.

There will be a dinner and dance on Saturday, camping on Friday night and a pancake breakfast on Sunday, all in Crofton.

The deadline to register is June 15. Email classof74reunion@shaw.ca for the registration package to be sent.

“We promise you’ll have fun,” say organizers.

Forest Discovery Centre has tractors on Father’s Day

In a Father’s Day tradition, the Vintage Machinery Society will be presenting the Father’s Day Tractor Show at the BC Forest Discovery Centre.

The event is scheduled for Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16, with a special admission rate for fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers of $3 when accompanied by their children.

Some important things to note for the special activities throughout the two days: the museum opens from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days; Samson the 108-year-old steam train will be in operation both days running every half hour from the train station; tractor parades are on both Saturday and Sunday; the popular slow tractor race is Sunday at 1:30 p.m.; and awards presentations will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday. In addition Bar-B-Que Burgers will be available at the lower concession, plus mini donuts and cotton candy.

Each year the show attracts vintage tractors from not only the Cowichan region but also from other Vancouver Island Vintage Machinery Clubs.

“Everyone with old tractors is invited to the museum. This year we’re expecting tractors from Nanaimo, Courtenay and Campbell River, and the event continues to grow every year,” says Geoff Hopps, event organizer.

Visitors from all over Vancouver Island will enjoy the activities planned for this year’s event.

“We always like to add to the visitor experience and this year Home Depot has once again made our Father’s Day even more special with their generous participation in the Father’s Day Gift Building Event,” said Chris Gale, manager of the BC Forest Discovery Centre. “Kids will be able to build a Home Depot sponsored ‘Build Dad a Gift’ project. There a few different kids projects to choose from, but there is only one project per family to be built while supplies last. It’s a fun team-building project for the whole family.”

The BC Forest Discovery Centre is located just north of Duncan on the Trans Canada Highway. For more information on this event and others at the Centre call 250-715-1113 or visit the website at www.bcforestdiscoverycentre.com

Family Fishing Weekend coincides with Father’s Day

An initiative launched two decades ago to offer families a fun, affordable Father’s Day activity has become a staple Father’s Day tradition in communities throughout the province.

Growing from a handful of events in Vancouver, Victoria and the Okanagan, there are now nearly 50 events across B.C., including several in the Cowichan Valley, joining a larger Father’s Day trend of creating experiences and making memories with Dad to celebrate Father’s Day while kicking off the fishing season.

Family Fishing Weekend events take place June 14–16, with 14 organized events on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. The events combine fishing, learning and socializing for an estimated 40,000 participants who range from avid anglers to those trying the sport for the first time.

The events in the Cowichan Valley are planned for June 15 at Mayo Lake and Shawnigan Lake, and at Chemainus’s Fuller Lake on June 16.

Family Fishing Weekend events are free, with hands-on instruction available to interested participants. Loaner rods, reels and tackle are provided for those who do not have their own gear.

The events also offer opportunities to learn about fishing gear, share freshwater and saltwater fishing tips and learn about environmental stewardship and the tradition of recreational fishing.

Fishing licence requirements are waived for the weekend, meaning Canadian residents can fish licence-free over the three days, although some requirements remain in effect. Details are posted on the BC Family Fishing website ( www.bcfamilyfishing.com) and the Fisheries and Oceans website (www.fishing.gov.bc.ca), along with more information about specific events.

“We are excited to see the growth of these events and how they have evolved into a fundamental family tradition in many communities,” says Cam Aronetz, Family Fishing Society president.

Shawnigan fishing derby weighs in on Father’s Day

The Mill Bay Lions Club and the Malahat Legion are hosting the Annual Walter Hall Community Fishing Derby on Saturday, June 15.

The cost to enter is $8 for youth and $25 for adults. This includes your entry fee and a barbecue of steak on a bun with salad for adults and a hot dog, bag of chips and pop or juice for youth.

Top prizes are $150 in three categories for adults and $50 in three categories for youth. The weigh in closes at 2 p.m. sharp.

Tickets are available at the Malahat Legion (1625 Shawnigan Lake-Mill Bay Rd., 250-743-4621) until they are sold out, or until Thursday, June 13, whichever comes first.