News
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Visitor from Coldstream wins Gold Country Draw!
Gold Country Communities Society is pleased to announce Dana Scully as the winner of their most recent GeoTourism Prize draw. While attending Logan Lake Days on August 1st Dana visited the Gold Country exhibit, discovering the GeoTourism Program and the abundance of great vacation ideas available within our Interior communities.
Sully is the excited recipient of a GeoTourism packsack containing everything she needs to get started geocaching in Gold Country, including an exclusive GeoTourism T-Shirt, a copy of the coveted Field Guide featuring 72 GeoTourism sites & stories, and Gold Country GeoTourism SWAG. “This is an unexpected surprise!” says Dana, an avid letterboxer who recently moved to B.C. from Oregon and is looking forward to exploring the province. Letterboxing is similar to geocaching except it is based on written clues instead of coordinates. Gold Country has incorporated letterboxing clues into their GeoTourism Program to allow people who don’t have a GPS a chance to participate.
The GeoTourism exhibit was featured at Logan Lake Days, held at Maggs Park in Logan Lake. The event was well attended by locals and vistors alike who enjoyed a fun day of live music, hot air balloon rides, hay wagon rides and much more. Dana was attending the event with her husband, who was competing in the disc golf tournament. “It was a really great day, I enjoyed it all!”
The Gold Country board of directors welcome Dana Scully and her friends to the Gold Country communities and are certain she will find a warm welcome.
Friday, May 21, 2010
GeoTourism Video Contest
While you are exploring the Gold Country region on your GeoTourism adventure this year, make sure you take your camera with you and you could win a GeoTourism Prize Pack. We are having a contest for the best video shot in the region. It could be anything - a hike with friends, your geocaching adventure, a wildlife sighting, your camping trip - let your imagination be your guide!
Full contest details are available on our contest page.
Make sure you check out our YouTube channel to see the entries and vote for your favourite.
Monday, March 9, 2010
GeoTourism booth at B.C. Boat & Sportsman's Show
Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at the B.C. Boat & Sportsmen's Show in Abbotsford March 5, 6 & 7.
It was great to chat with all the cachers about their adventures in our region. We were also able to inform others who were not aware of geocaching about the sport and how our program works. By their excited reactions, I think we can expect a wave of new cachers through our region this summer!
...and they can't say we didn't warn them that it is addictive!
Friday, February 12, 2010
GeoTourism booth on BC Street in the Richmond O-Zone
If you will be in Vancouver for the Olympics and are planning on visiting the Richmond O-Zone, stop by and see our booth! A sample of the new colour GeoTourism Field Guide will be on display. Also, we have brought a bit of Gold Country down to Richmond, and you can have your picture taken geocaching in the deserts of BC. Look for us in the Vancouver Coast and Mountains tent on BC Street!
The O-Zone is located next to City Hall in Richmond and Minoru Park. B.C. Street is open daily February 12-28, from 2:00-9:00pm. For more information visit their website.
Monday, February 08, 2010
GeoTourism Field Guide Vol. I Arrive
At last, the much awaited full colour Gold Country GeoTourism Field Guides have arrived! The books will be available in both English and French versions available for purchase from our website shortly. We will also have a booth at the Abbotsford Outdoor Boat & Sportsman Show March 5,6 & 7 at the Abbotsford Tradex where books will be available for purchase.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Gold Country Wins Award at TOTA Summit
The Gold Country Communities Society won the Thompson Okanagan Tourist Association's New Product Award for its "Gold Country GeoTourism Program", one of three awards presented at the 1st Annual Tourism Summit held in Kelowna on November 12 and 13.The GCCS GeoTourism Program is described as an innovative initiative that gives tourists a fun experience that combines the growing activity of geocaching with an educational and historical approach to local sights.
The dedicated Society’s staff members, Heidi Roy, Amy Thacker and Tanya Wong have coordinated the Program’s research of our area's pioneers and early settlers, historic churches, gravesites and mystical places, views and vistas, and geological wonders - then installed geocaches at a number of sites, published the locations in print and online, and invited the public to hike the area and find the geocaches.
The program - the first of its kind in BC - was launched this summer and has proven to be a great success, attracting many additional visitors to the area.
In presenting the award to Amy and Heidi, TOTA Chair Michael J. Ballingall noted "The Gold Country GeoTourism Program is a catalyst for growth in the TOTA region and has already shown to have increased tourism traffic, visitor counts and overnight stays."
"Most importantly, the program attracts visitors to rural areas and small communities that previously struggled to provide a reason for travellers to stop."
Ida Makaro, chair of Gold Country Communities Society, noted, on behalf of the GCCS Board of Directors, this is a major step up in recognition for Gold Country. “The new GeoTourism Program has more than met our expectations, and our staff is presently making every effort to seek out funding for the second phase of the program, hopefully to be undertaken in 2010.”
Makaro was at the Summit on behalf of the Village of Cache Creek and proudly watched as the staff went to the stage to accept the well deserved award, GCCS board and staff members met recently with Hon. Kevin Krueger, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts in Kamloops where the Minister also complimented the staff and Gold Country on the work that is being done in developing tourism as a sustainable industry throughout the region.
September 25, 2009
GEOTOURISM SITES ARE SWAG’D!
The Gold Country GeoTourism Program remains in full swing, creating an international ‘buzz’. GeoTourism Coordinator, Tanya Wong tells guests, “While visiting the Gold Country GeoTourism sites, be prepared with a trade item or two of your own to swap SWAG with those who have come before you!”
‘SWAG’ or ‘Stuff We All Get’ refers to the trade items located in geocaches world wide. From trinkets to treasures the range of items to be traded depends entirely on the imagination of those before you. Pens, key chains, batteries, toys and CDs or even collectable coins and traceable items, each cache site reveals a variety of ‘trade’ items.
Collect stickers at each Gold Country GeoTourism cache site and turn in your sticker redemption page for your very own limited edition geocoin. Collect it, trade it or ‘drop’ your coin in a cache and watch it travel around the world!
Visit the Gold Trail website or the forum on the BC Geocaching Association and share your thoughts, adventures and discovered treasures on the Gold Country GeoTourism trails!September 9, 2009
GARLIC CONNOISSEUR WINS GOLD COUNTRY DRAW!
Gold Country Communities Society is pleased to announce Jenn Golden as the winner of our most recent GeoTourism draw. While exciting the senses at the recent Garlic Festival in 100 Mile House Jenn visited the Gold Country exhibit, discovering a treasure chest full of great vacation ideas within our Interior communities.
Golden is the excited recipient of an exclusive GeoTourism launch T-Shirt, a coveted launch event sites book, featuring GeoTourism sites and stories, & a ‘bag full’ of Gold Country GeoTourism SWAG to get her rolling with geocaching. “I enjoy caching but was too busy working this summer to get out to any spots.” Jenn adds, “I have a few friends who cache and am looking forward to getting out again.”
The Gold Country board of directors welcome Jenn Golden and her friends to the Gold Country communities and are certain she will find a warm welcome.
The GeoTourism exhibit was featured at the 10th annual Garlic Festival, held in 100 Mile House’s Centennial Park. Garlic fans of all ages and from across the province gathers to celebrate food and festival events. Jenn sums her festival visit up in four words, “It was so great!”
July 8, 2009
Gold Country Gold Rush 2009 A Success!
Sunny skies graced a very successful 2009 Gold Rush Event Launch, Saturday, July 4, 2009 as the Gold Country GeoTourism Program kicked off throughout the region.
Event attendance exceeded the expectations of all, with over two hundred participants visiting Gold Country communities from the Netherlands, Chicago, Calgary, Victoria, Penticton, Kelowna, Nelson, Vernon, 100 Mile House, Prince George, Williams Lake, Kamloops, Sechelt, Princeton and throughout the Lower Mainland to name a few! Visitors and locals, joined for a morning of festivities and learning prior to the shotgun start. The researched sites and cache coordinates were released to participants for a ‘head start’ glimpse as sites went live on the websites Sunday.
The event included a meet and greet for participants, some practice caches with experts on hand to provide G.P.S. tips and aid those new to the sport, a ceremonial cake cutting and of course, the coveted site pages. Upon release of the coordinates the race was on for a fabulous First-To-Find prize in each cache; a collectable GeoCoin.
British Columbia Geocaching Association past-president Stu Garret shares, “Although not everyone could make it for the first weekend, Gold Country will definitely see an increase in geocaching related tourism this summer. I know no less than four groups who will be visiting the area next weekend. More caravans of geocachers are scheduled for later dates. From what I hear, most people will be spending the weekend, staying at local hotels and campgrounds.”
The over two hundred participants gathered in the region visiting multiple communities and learning about Gold Country treasures!
“The response was overwhelming and exciting all at once!” states Gold Country Marketing Coordinator Amy Thacker, “The passion of those interested in truly experiencing a region is refreshing and revitalizing.” Thacker looks forward to much feedback and growing the Gold Country GeoTourism Program in the future.
A launch event cacher identified as ‘Mrs. Zee’ comments, “This is an awesome way for tourists to see our country. There’s really no need to travel the world when we have so much to see here!” Mrs. Zee earned her first “24 caches found” prize during the launch weekend.
Look for more sites, news and fun from the Gold Country GeoTourism Program.
Thanks to everyone who participated! Our site pages are now available our website or at geocaching.com and geotourismcanada.com.
March 4, 2009
BURNABY OUTDOOR ENTHUSIAST WINS GOLD COUNTRY ADVENTURE!
Gold Country is pleased to announce Jennifer Sterne as the winner of our first Geotourism draw. While exploring at the recent Vancouver Outdoor Adventure & Travel show Jennifer visited the Gold Country exhibit. Discovering a treasure chest full of great vacation ideas within our Interior communities, Jennifer and her husband also learned about the upcoming Geotourism Program.
Jennifer is the excited recipient of an exclusive Geotourism vest, a rafting adventure on the beautiful Thompson River & a gold ticket invitation to a Gold Country Geotourism launch event. “Thank you SO much for the vest and rafting experience and I look forward to reading more about your launch in the invitation. River rafting especially is something I've always wanted to do, but haven't yet tried.” Jennifer adds, “I'm so excited!”
The Gold Country board of directors welcome Jennifer Sterne and her husband to the Gold Country communities and are certain she will find a warm welcome. The Geotourism event launches will occur in various communities throughout Gold Country on July 4th. Look for more updates on these exciting events coming soon!
To enter the next Geotourism draw, visit the Gold Country Geotourism display booth at the Calgary Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show, March 28-29th.