Field Research

Have you ever come into our Visitor Information Centre and asked yourself how our Travel Counsellors have such an extensive knowledge of the Tourist Destinations throughout the province?  There is a simple answer: field research. Kat recently went on an excursion to the lovely city of Kingston in order to scope out what the so-called “limestone city” has to offer. The name did not disappoint, as there certainly was a lot of limestone.

Kat was welcomed the first night with perhaps the largest potluck she has ever attended.  As her family equates love with food, she instantly felt at home.  The next day, Kat became even more familiarized with the city after doing a walking tour of Queen’s University and an excellent trolley tour of historical sites. She would definitely recommend taking the Wolfe Island Ferry if you have a chance. It is a very nice ferry (and the song will be stuck in your head for weeks).

For those of you who worry that the awesomeness of Kingston may have caused her to change her alliances, fear not. She is one hundred percent a Burlingtonian and in fact took the opportunity to promote a few of Burlington’s sites and events while she was there. Kat can confidently say that Queen’s University students are now aware of the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Sound of Music Festival and Ribfest, just to name a few things. If you are looking to travel up to Kingston though (or anywhere else for that matter), be sure to stop by our Visitor Information Centre in downtown Burlington, we’ll be happy to help you out!

The Sound of Music Festival

The Sound of AWESOME Festival, More Like.

A violinist in a cowboy hat. Onion Blooms. Tiger-faced babies. A breathtaking view complete with sailboats, waterfowl and buskers that would take away the breath of even the most cynically cynical cynisist. One might ask, “What do these seemingly unconnected phrases have in common, other than being sentence fragments that sound like the ramblings of an incoherent drunkard?” The answer, my esteemed colleagues in Burlingtonian-ness, can be summed up in 3 words. Nay, 3 letters. S.O.M.

Nowhere else is there an event that allows you such visual, auditory and taste-related stimulation. That’s just science.  My own personal 2011 experience started with Bedouin Soundclash on Thursday night and LET ME TELL YOU, they were amazing. To be fair, I am a tad biased as I attend Queen’s University (their Alma Matter), and so consider it to be my duty to pledge my allegiance to the band. Of course, their outspoken support for the recently annihilated (yes, I know that’s harsh but it’s also completely accurate) Vancouver Canucks voiced on stage in the middle of the set was NOT appreciated by the hockey fans in the crowd (myself included!), but their performance was so impressive that it more than made up for their Vancouverness. 

Friday night was similarly joy-evoking: I had a couple of buds in from out of town to see Emerson Drive, who were so wonderful that a regular word is merely does not suffice, and so I am forced to make one up: fabulisciosome. Yes. The band was fabulisciosome. Also, not too hard on the eyes. In fact, my Oakville buddy who was visiting said that the show was the best concert she’d ever seen. Pretty high praise, fellas! Following the set we met the band and, after facing the harsh realization that they all had wedding rings on, recovered our zeal and headed through the park for a walk around the rides, mourning the fact that as students we’re far too poor to avoid even a spinny strawberry ride. Good times.

Saturday night was the capper, as I attended a balcony party downtown and got to see the action from a bird’s eye view. While I was very disappointed that a fight did not break out in front of the beer store when it closed at 10 (and believe me,the other spectators and I expected it!), I suppose it does attest to the inspirationally peaceful downtown atmosphere (wink wink plug plug). However, my disappointment was subdued when—suddenly—the sweet lusciousness of Otis Redding’s ‘Sittin on the Dock of the Bay’ wafted (as much as sound can ‘waft’) into my ears. Of course, it wasn’t the real Otis, but the cover band truly did the man proud.  The night was full of mooching about the vendors, getting together with old friends and new, and seriously appreciating the street festivities. All in all an amazing weekend. Great music, vendors and atmosphere: a complete success!

We walked along the waterfront, thinking “what could possibly make this weekend of music, rides, sunglass shopping and Lugano’s pizza any better?”.  And then we stumbled upon the answer.  Cupcakes.  In a truck.  Now I know what you’re thinking.  Cupcakes can’t drive.  But that’s not important.  What you need to know is that the cookies and cream cupcake I had was absolutely fantastic and a perfect end to the night.  Be sure to check out the Cupcake Diner while you’re at the festival!

Here at Tourism Burlington, the majority of us Summer Travel Counselors go to McMaster University. I, however, representing the minority, attend Queen’s University. So on Thursday night I decided it would be excellent to support the talented band Bedouin Soundclash who forged their friendship at Queen’s University around a decade ago. They made Queen’s proud as lead singer, Jay Malinowski, belted out hit songs such as “Walls Fall Down” and “When the Night Feels my Song”. The pressing question many of you may be asking is “is Jay as good looking in person as he is on TV?” The answer: even better looking in person (yes, it is possible).

Now, although the tourism staff enjoyed the festival, we also actually did some work there.  You know - that stuff we get paid to do. Not that we don’t enjoy working at tourism, it’s a pretty sweet gig actually. And I didn’t get paid to say that! Unless you count the fact that I’m blogging during my work day. So technically, I did get paid to say that, but I would also have been paid had I said something else.

Anyhoo, we travel counsellors donned our official Sound of Music shirts and settled into our lakeside information tent. It was a gorgeous weekend, and we were lucky enough to be helping very happy people, while being treated to free music all day.  Most common occurrence: people asking for a schedule/map. Least common occurrence: dog walking on its two hind legs. No joke. Two thumbs up for working at Sound of Music.

Also, in response to Ellen’s University of Queens thing, I would just like to point out that our SOM shirts were not only maroon (McMaster colours WHAT), but were also adorned with the Mohawk college logo, an institution which has several joint programs with Mac.  WHAT YOU GONNA DO?

I’m sure you are wondering what sort of shenanigans some of the Tourism girls got up to this Saturday during the Sound of Music Festival!

… no? Well now that you know shenanigans were had maybe I have piqued your interest.

During the day, we spent most of our time down at the Waterfront in front of Discovery Landing and boy was it hot out! That didn’t stop those determined music lovers and shoppers though because Spencer Smith Park was packed! Everyone seemed to be having a great time, especially the children at the splash pad.

You might be surprised that while the Sound of Music is an event most Burlingtonians wait all year for, there are people from everywhere coming to experience this amazing event! We even met a couple from Germany!

After we finished work we decided to FINALLY go and visit the festival we have been talking about! But we just finished work so obviously dinner was the first priority.

Since we were downtown already we decided to go to arguably the BEST pizza place in Burlington, Lugano’s (Kat seems to think that Mount Royal Pizza at the north end of Burlington is the best). We ordered two medium pizzas and only had to pay 18 dollars! Delicious and price savvy. The best combo.

After the pizza and a little wandering around the shops (we will get back to those later), we took our place in the crowd to see Hollerado. Admittedly, Natalie and I were quite tired so we took our place among the “Sitters” in the park while the more energetic Kat took her place with the “Standers” by the stage. The band was amazing and so much fun to watch! They played one of my favorite songs, Juliette, and even started crowd-surfing! After the show we were even able to go behind the stage and meet them. One of our friends, Dave, was able to get his CD signed by them. He was very excited about that.

Now that we had no place in a crowd to save we were able to walk through all of the vendors and see what they had to offer. First off we bought some coffee (for the slowly fading Amy who survives only because of coffee) from the Tim Horton’s booth and some cotton candy, clearly a staple for an event such as this. There were so many shops for us to look through ranging all the way from electronics to didgeridoos.

Sadly the weekend had to end. We all had to leave but there is always next year!

Also, in response to my Queensian colleague Ellen,

Oilthigh na Banrighinn a' Bhanrighinn gu bràth!

I feel ya, sister.

Canadian Road Cycling Championships

By JOHN KERNAGHAN

There is a point in every cycling race where a rider faces a choice. You bite into the lead -- or get bitten by others. In the 2011 Canadian Road Championships, it’s appropriate this could happen on Rattlesnake Point Hill. The women will climb the steep incline of Appleby Line eight times, the men 14. It is a 600-metre haul covering 150 metres in elevation. For a map of the course and other details, go to http://www.midweekclub.ca/  and click Road Nationals.

“This is where riders will try to demoralize opponents by showing their strength,” says Burlington’s Charlie Bryer, who will compete for the first time in the elite men’s event Saturday.  “Or they can end up demoralizing themselves if it doesn’t work.”

Burlington is action central for the national championships over eight days. The road race course over Burlington and Milton country roads is the premier venue with around 5,000 spectators expected. The women’s elite race is Friday June 24.

The Nationals serve as part of the qualifying process for October’s Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico and give elite riders a measure of where they stand competitively leading up to qualifying next year for the London Olympics.

Bryer, 23, went over the course with me recently to provide a sense of how the race could play out.  He said the Immunity-FX road race will be different from professional races he has competed in as there will not be as many pro teams working together to spring a winner. Bryer said the SpiderTech team will likely dictate the pace and strategy as the 180-kilometre race evolves.  He says spectators can expect a calm first two laps before the first attempt at a break will be staged.  “A big team like SpiderTech will want to make sure they have the right composition for a break,” noted Bryer, who will ride for Team Ontario. “They’ll want to have two riders in every break.”  Other big teams like H&R Block or the Quebec entries will assign a rider to go with the SpiderTech men.  “The break group will probably be made up of that and one rider from each provincial team and maybe a few individual riders.”

The strategy here is to protect the rider or riders designated to be in position for a final attack to win.  The pros in the breakaway group will set the pace through the first seven laps and let the potential winners cruise back in the main body, or peloton, to be sprung later with fresher legs.

Bryer expects the lead group will begin to falter as riders have expended too much energy. They will fall back into the pack and the stronger riders will begin to emerge from the peloton for a split that could determine the winner.  Thereafter, he noted, it will come down to a series of attacks, individual riders trying to break the will of others in the lead group. He feels it could be decided on Bell School Line, a straight shot south from 14th Side Road to Britannia Road West.  “I think you will probably see two Spider-Tech guys in that split group of about six. They could attack here on Bell School Line and help each other while the others are in the wind. The idea would be to build up a cushion before that final climb.” It could come down to one final leg-draining push up that twisting 600-metre climb to declare a winner.

WHERE TO WATCH

Rattlesnake Point Friday, June 24 and Saturday, June 25. The best place to watch the road races is on the Appleby Line hill.  For the elite men’s and women’s criteriums Sunday, June 26, a tight downtown course in Georgetown, spectators will get a great view of the race by watching from the platform on the back stretch along Mill Street and Park Avenue. The hill going down toward Main Street also provides a good vantage point.  For Under-19 and Masters events on the Aldershot course Sunday, July 3, the best place to catch the action is along Howard Street and Hidden Valley Road near the finish line. There are many turns, dips and dives in that area.

John Kernaghan has written about cycling at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, world championships and Canadian championships.

Burlington & Halton Weather

One. Two. Three strikes you’re out! Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to take in a Blue Jays baseball game at the Rogers Centre in Toronto compliments of Michelle from The Weather Network.

Through a cooperative partnership with The Weather Network, from June 13 to October 16, you can see Tourism Burlington’s promotion of Burlington through a new medium ... online, when you check the weather! We’ve done 2 different types of ads: when looking on the city pages of Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville and Milton, a box to the right of the current weather will display rotating ads with ours being one of them. The other ad we’ve done is to their Weather Eye Wrap which is a downloadable weather application for your desktop. Here’s some screen shots of what you could see when checking local weather.

We’ve had many local residents and visitors notice them! We hope we make you proud Burlington! Thank you very much to Michelle with The Weather Network for providing Stephanie, our Administrative Assistant and Blue Jays fan, with 2 tickets above the Jays dugout. Although the Jays lost, a lot of fun, laughs and heckling ensued and made for a fabulous evening in downtown Toronto.

Festival Season kicks off!

Burlington is home to many festivals and events throughout the year but during the summer months, we have an exciting festival/event happening almost every weekend! Throughout the summer, you can find our friendly Summer Travel Counsellors present, ready and eager at these events to help you enjoy the most out of your experience while you discover all that beautiful Burlington has to offer! This past weekend, 3 events called Burlington home; the Fine Arts and Craft Festival, Doors Open and the Relay for Life. We had some of our counsellors at each one of these events.

Saturday and Sunday welcomed hundreds of artisans from throughout Halton Region, Ontario and Canada to the Burlington Art Centre for the Fine Art and Craft Festival. With over 100 artisans in attendance, visitors were able to explore the BAC’s expansive art gallery while shopping for wearable art, hand-crafted pottery, hand-carved sculptures and enjoy some food with free admission. Stephanie, our Administrative Assistant, was a fan of all the vendors selling wearable art and jewellery. She customized her own charm necklace at Maris Fine Jewellery’s booth with 2 sterling silver charms and 2 dyed fresh water pearls strung onto a sterling silver chain. She also picked up a pair of their sterling silver corkscrew earrings. She also purchased a glass blown hibiscus flower from La Glasserie with gold plated trimming for decoration. Sally, our Visitor Services Co-ordinator, purchased a one-of-a-kind, unique gift for a friend. Kul Werks Candle Art was selling wax and glass votive holders with wax that that doesn’t burn! Amy and Natalie, 2 of our Summer Travel Counsellors were delighted by the scents surrounded by our table provided by Victorian Essence Tea. They tasted many different variations of tea available for purchase and bought such flavours as Mint-Gunpowder, Gingered Lime which was reminiscent of old English Wine Gums and Turkish-Apple-Lemon. Our office at 414 Locust St., has smelt delightful ever since!

During the same weekend, Burlington celebrated the 2nd annual Doors Open, where landmarks buildings, heritage and cultural gems opened their doors for FREE! It was a chance to give residents and visitors alike the chance to explore the city’s rich history with over 18 sites opening their doors to the public and through guided walking tours provided by Heritage Burlington. Our offices in downtown Burlington was Doors Open Headquarters and the meeting point for these guided tours which were extremely popular. Some of the other popular spots this year included a Brant Inn/Historical Society Q & A, the Gingerbread House Gardens, St. Luke’s Church, the Halton Mosque, Union Burying Grounds, the Joseph Brant Museum and the Royal Canadian Legion Wartime Museum.

Another event was Burlington’s 10th Relay for Life! For those of you who are unaware of this fantastic event, here’s how it works. In the months leading up to the event, teams collect money to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. Relay for Life itself is a 12-hour event in which participants walk throughout the night to celebrate cancer survivors, remember those who have passed away and help work towards finding a cure for cancer. It is an emotional, powerful and fun experience that brings together family, friends and complete strangers in the struggle against cancer.

This year’s Relay was the fifth one I have personally attended and it was definitely one of my favourites. Although my friends and I certainly are not campers, we managed to put up our tent (and in only forty-five minutes too!). We were well-prepared, having stocked up on snacks and caffeine products in order to ensure we’d be able to stay awake for the night. It was great to see so many people participating, including a number of old friends. As always, I was particularly moved by the Survivor’s Lap, during which cancer survivors start the event by walking the first lap of the track.  It was truly an inspirational and moving sight. Participants walk the track during Burlington’s 10th Relay for Life.  The track was lined by luminaries, lit in memory of those who have passed away following their battle with cancer.

This upcoming weekend is the popular Sound of Music Festival. Visitors and residents are able to enjoy 4 free fabulous days of music with acts this year including Bedouin Soundclash, Emerson Drive, Stereos, Tokyo Police Club, Jimmy Rankin, Devo, Men without Hats and The Nylons. New this year to the festival is a Saturday Beach Party on John St., and outdoor musical performances on the front steps of the new Burlington Performing Arts Centre. As always, visitors and residents are able to enjoy Downtown Streetfest and the Grande Festival Parade with Burlington’s own Teen Tour Band. With over 200,000 attendees, festival organizers offer free shuttle services to and from the festival, call our Visitor Information Centre, 1.877.499.9989 for times and locations.