Experience world-class cycling at Ryder Hesjedal's Tour de Victoria
Riders of all ages and abilities can experience world-class cycling, with a choice of eight different distances, at Ryder Hesjedal's Tour de Victoria, Saturday.
This is the 12th year of the event, which is expected to attract up to 2,300 participants — up almost 20 per cent over last year — potentially making it the largest in its history.
“The continued growth of cycling and thus the increase in registrations again this year is outstanding,” said Seamus McGrath, the tour director. “With the majority of riders coming from outside Victoria, the event continues to provide an economic impact for the region and shows off the beautiful bike-friendly city.”
Riders will cycle on some car-free roads, traffic-controlled intersections, with a choice of eight different distances: 160 kilometres, 140 km, 100 km, 60 km, 45 km, 30 km, 15 km and the Capital Bikes Kids Ride, for children two to 12 years old.
Participants will be supported with food, hydration, medical and mechanical help throughout the ride.
After missing last year, Ryder Hesjedal, the namesake for the event, plans to be riding this weekend.
“I’m excited to be back in Victoria for Tour de Victoria weekend,” said Hesjedal. “Watching the event continue to grow after 12 years, with the hundreds of volunteers who come out to put on this amazing event, makes me proud to call Victoria home.”
Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria is presented by Scotiabank and produced by Ryders Cycling Society of Canada, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting cycling.
The rides run from $70 to $290. Time to complete the rides range from 30 minutes to six and a half hours with up to 2,200 metres of elevation gain. Start times range from 7 to 11:30 a.m. from the legislature building, 501 Belleville St. Participants can use a variety of bicycles, including e-bikes.
For more information, or to register, go to .
Flavour Trails Festival a taste of the rural life in North Saanich
Take part in a rural ramble celebrating all North Saanich has to offer: home-cooked Thai food, produce from the land and sea, the opportunity to tickle a pig’s belly or walk through a field of lavender, at the North Saanich Flavour Trails Festival, Friday to Sunday.
The annual festival, sponsored by the Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiatives Roundtable, the District of North Saanich and Destination Greater Victoria, celebrates local farmers, fishers, food producers, chefs, vintners, brewers, cider makers and distillers in the municipality.
The festival is comprised of a self-guided tour and a two-day community celebration that features a farm market with local producers, live music, games and food.
The self-guided Flavour Trail consists of 15 local producers, food makers, creators and a church that has served the community for 130 years. Some of the participants are hosting open houses and others tours. The Holy Trinity Church is offering visitors a cemetery and church tour. A brewery is offering free samples of a beer made especially to celebrate the event.
Visitors can stop by at the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture for the Flavour Trails Community Celebration. The event includes a night market on Saturday and day market on Sunday, with zucchini races, a farm market, vendors farm demos and lawn games on both days.
The Country Wools sheep shearing demo takes place on Saturday. Sandown Farm tours, led by the farm manager, take place on Sunday.
The night market runs 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday. The day market is open between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday.
Capital Bike has also compiled two routes for people to cycle the Flavour Trail, with both a northern and southern loop, 13.8 kilometres and 11.4 kilometres respectively. The routes are available at .
A limited number of the sites are open Friday and Sunday. Almost all will be open on Saturday, with tours taking place every half hour or every hour, depending on the participant.
The Flavour Trails Community Celebration takes place at the Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture, 1810 Glanmorgan Rd., North Saanich.
For more information, including a downloadable map and hours open, go to .
CatVideoFest film at The Vic raises money for cats in need
The Vic Theatre is asking its audience to embrace the unexpected with a limited screening of CatVideoFest 2023, Aug. 18 to 20.
The film, which features a compilation of cat videos and animations, is a “70-minute joyride of laughter and heart-melting moments,” according to publicists. They go on to describe it as the furriest and funniest event of the year.
CatVideoFest 2023, which opens in theatres across North America this month, also raises money for a paws-itively important cause: cats in need. A part of ticket sales will be donated to local cat rescue societies. In Victoria, Cat’s Cradle Animal Rescue will be the beneficiary of the money raised from local ticket sales.
The non-rated movie is one hour and 14 minutes in length.
Tickets are $13.33, plus a service fee. There will be both all-ages and 19-plus screenings at the Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas St. The all-ages screening takes place at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 19. The 19-plus screenings take place Aug. 18 to 20
For more information, or for tickets, go to the .
