A roundup of the latest events: voting for the best roadside attraction, the lifting of Vancouver’s air-quality warning, and a key CFL game between the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Which Vancouver landmark will be named British Columbia’s best roadside attraction?
Summer is in full swing, which means it is time for the traditional vote CBC British Columbia holds among its readers. After choosing the province’s best small town, lake and landmark, it is now time to select the best roadside attraction. We are currently watching the Vancouver Island final, where two completely different contenders have gone head to head: a majestic old-growth forest and a store with goats on its roof. It is a clash between nature and commerce, the spiritual and the humorous, the monumental and the cozy.
Matthew Bowes, a geography professor at Vancouver Island University who studies tourism and natural ecosystems, remembers first arriving on the island from Ontario in the early 1990s. He set out on the famous West Coast Trail and was overwhelmed by the scale of the local wilderness. “All that flora, slugs and ferns. I felt incredibly small and humbled,” he says. But the real revelation came on the way back, when he was hitchhiking along Alberni Highway and found himself in a grove of ancient Douglas firs. For Bowes, who now studies the relationship between people and nature, Cathedral Grove is not simply a forest but a symbol of British Columbia, where the timeless conflict between economic interests and conservation is unfolding in real time.
Cathedral Grove is part of MacMillan Provincial Park, and its unique feature is its accessibility. Half a million visitors a year can park right by the roadside and, without putting on a backpack, find themselves beneath the canopy of centuries-old giants after just a few minutes’ walk. “You feel the grandeur of this forest, and it is incredibly accessible. I don’t think you can find anything else like it anywhere in British Columbia,” Bowes says. It is a place where visitors can have an almost religious experience without making any effort.
But if nature’s grandeur does not impress you, you can drive just 20 minutes farther and have a completely different—but no less memorable—experience. This is Old Country Market, better known as Goats on the Roof. For half a century, goats named Pip and Penny have decorated its green roof. General manager Arthur Uri explains that the owners were originally inspired by Norwegian turf roofs dating back to the Viking era. Then, according to legend, during one lively dinner—one that, he hints, “may have involved wine”—someone decided to add a couple of goats from a nearby fair in Coombs to the grass. The result was a blend of Scandinavian architectural tradition and farmyard charm.
These two finalists are a study in contrasts. Cathedral Grove is a public asset, a government-managed park, while Goats on the Roof is a private business. According to Bonnie Zabolotny, a design professor at Emily Carr University, private attractions survive precisely because they know how to adapt. “They are able to adapt through commerce and interaction, and as a result, the public becomes a co-creator of these places’ meaning and a maker of memories,” she says. And indeed, as Uri puts it, such places are “just a great way to bring people together.” Voting will continue until Wednesday evening, and readers will decide what matters more to the island’s identity: extraordinary natural grandeur or the novelty of private enterprise. In practice, however, these two stops have long been essential parts of the same trip for many residents and visitors to the province.
Vancouver can breathe again: air-quality warning lifted
Residents of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley can finally breathe easier—in both the literal and figurative senses. Metro Vancouver has officially lifted the air-quality warning that had been in effect since August 12 because of heavy wildfire smoke. As reported by CityNews Vancouver, credit goes to coastal winds that pushed the smoke eastward, away from densely populated areas.
The reason the warning lasted so long was fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. These are tiny airborne particles less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter and one of the main components of wildfire smoke. Their danger lies in their extremely small size: they can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, causing respiratory irritation, asthma flare-ups and cardiovascular problems. Children, older adults and people with chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable.
The decision to lift the warning was not made spontaneously. Meteorologists and environmental specialists tracked the movement of air masses for several days. Winds from the Pacific Ocean, which usually bring coolness and moisture, acted as a natural cleanser this time. They effectively blew the smoke out of the region, dispersing it toward East Chilliwack, Agassiz and Hope, where it will eventually dissipate.
Regional officials say air quality will continue to improve as the remaining smoke gradually leaves the atmosphere. Residents are still advised to remain vigilant by monitoring local air-quality readings and weather reports. Wildfires in British Columbia have become an almost annual reality in recent years, and short-term relief does not guarantee that similar warnings will not return. For now, however, the return of clean air is a small but important victory.
BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders: A battle for the West that could shape the playoffs
On August 23, BC Place in Vancouver will host one of the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) most significant rivalries. The BC Lions will welcome the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a game that goes far beyond an ordinary regular-season matchup. For both teams, this is not merely a game—it is a chance to strengthen their position in the Western Division standings and build crucial momentum ahead of the championship’s decisive stage. With two divisional points at stake, every touchdown, interception and minute of possession could have consequences later in the fall, when the playoffs begin.
Saskatchewan, rightly considered to have one of the league’s most devoted fan bases, is known not only for its support in the stands but also for its hard-nosed, physical style of play. Their fans, famous for being willing to cross the country to support their team, will turn the visitors’ section at BC Place into a sea of green, creating an atmosphere usually associated with Roughriders home games. That will add another layer of intensity to an already heated matchup. The Lions, meanwhile, will count on home-field support and try to impose a fast pace on their opponents, using their familiarity with the field and the crowd noise as their main weapons.
The author of the piece in Vancouver Is Awesome rightly notes that for fans, this is a rare opportunity to see two bitter rivals face off in a game that could reshape the second half of the season. In the CFL, where the balance of power in the Western Division can change almost every week, such a game becomes a turning point: the winner gains not only points but also a psychological advantage that can often prove decisive in the playoffs. A loss, meanwhile, could force coaching staffs to rethink their tactics and make lineup adjustments, which always carries the risk of instability.
For those unfamiliar with the finer points of the CFL, the Western Division is a group of teams from Canada’s western provinces, and games within the division carry extra importance: they directly affect the standings, which determine who receives home-field advantage in the playoffs. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a team from the province of Saskatchewan, historically regarded as one of the league’s most decorated and popular clubs despite the relatively small size of its market. Their supporters, known as “Rider Nation,” are a phenomenon in the sports world: they buy tickets to all of the team’s away games, turning them into home contests for Saskatchewan. The Lions represent Vancouver and Greater Vancouver, and for them, a game against the Roughriders is not only a sporting challenge but also an opportunity to prove their superiority to a demanding local audience accustomed to winning.
The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. local time, with tickets starting at a modest $25, making it accessible to a broad audience. Organizers are clearly expecting a sellout, and it is easy to see why: when two teams with such a rich history of rivalry meet, there is simply no room for indifference in the stands. Notably, the article prepared by the Vancouver Is Awesome content studio contains affiliate links to Ticketmaster, a common way of supporting local journalism—a small detail, but one that underscores how even sports coverage in regional media requires financial support. Either way, for fans of both teams, the day will be a true celebration, while for the players it will be a serious test of character. In the CFL, where any game can become the last of the season, matchups like this are remembered for years.
