Front Row Seats at local B&B for Fleet Review Ships, Snowbirds, Fireworks in Victoria, BC (June 9th-14th, 2010)
Birds of a Feather, a bed and breakfast located in Victoria, BC, offers the perfect vantage point to watch the activities of the International Fleet Review, a celebration of the Canadian Navy’s Centennial. You don’t even have to leave the B&B site to get in on the action! The Fleet Review will include opportunities to view international naval ships, a fireworks display, a parade, and a Snowbird air show.
June 9th and 10th, 2010, visiting naval ships will arrive in the Royal Roads anchorage, located directly in front of Birds of a Feather, which is on the edge of the Esquimalt Lagoon. Thirteen ships will represent countries from the Indo-Pacific region, such as France, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, as well as the U.S. and, of course, Canada. For photos and descriptions of the participating vessels, see http://www.navy.forces.gc.ca/marpac/13/13-w_eng.asp?category=101. The B&B decks and the waterfront provide prime look-out spots to view the ships and snap some photos (while avoiding being elbow-to-elbow with the crowds at the public viewing locales).
June 11th, 2010, starting at 10:00 pm there will be an evening fireworks display, which will be fully visible from Birds of a Feather. Guests of the bed and breakfast can take a bottle of wine out on their own private oceanfront balcony and watch the free pyrotechnics! There is also a parade earlier in the day (10:30 am to 11:00 am), if you feel like visiting downtown Victoria, a short drive away.
June 12th, 2010 will feature a Snowbird air show from 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm, which again, is viewable from the premises. Find a lounge chair on Birds of a Feather’s waterfront, or dock, get comfy, and enjoy the show! The Snowbirds always put on an exciting air demonstration. Canadian Forces’ pilots and technicians thrill audience with their formations and tricks, getting up to speeds of 370 mph (590 km/h). In some formations, the jets get as close to each other as 1.2 m, demonstrating the supreme skill-level and precision of the pilots!
June 14th, 2010 marks the end of the International Fleet Review as the visiting ships begin to disperse.
