Taxi Anyone!

One of the nicest ways to see Victoria is to take one of the small Harbour Ferries or Water Taxis for a ride around the harbour.

We recommend that you grab a ferry at the main downtown docks, then take a ride over for some fish 'n chips. You'll get a nice view of all the harbour traffic, including the seaplanes and Seattle Ferries, and boats filled with damp whale watchers.

For a special treat, take a ride up the Gorge - under the blue bridge. It's a lovely, hidden area of Victoria, with nice homes at the water's edge.

Also, consider taking the ferry across to the condos on the other side of the harbour, then take a 10 minute walk to Spinnakers for an excellent lunch or supper.

The taxis are accessible to anyone who can walk, and climb down a couple of stairs. Kids love it! The drivers are extremely friendly and helpful - ask for tips on restaurants!

The water taxis cost $5-$10 dollars a person - well worth it. You can also sign up for a 45 minute harbour tour - also recommended.

Phone Number:	(250) 708-0201
Fax:	(250) 708-0401
Address:	1234 N Wharf Street Victoria, BC Canada V8W 3H9
Web Site:	http://www.harbourferry.com
Email:	info@victoriaharbourferry.com

Swans Brewpub

Swans is a Victoria institution - a place the locals go, and a few lucky tourists discover. The downtown restaurant is part of Victoria's "Art Hotel" filled with west coast art. Make time to wander around and tour the First Nation's art and carvings.

The food is great - standard pub fare with a west coast vibe.

In the evenings, the pub features live music - it's a nice treat to have a great meal AND live music at the same place.

The pub features a nice selection of beers brewed in-house - order a beer flight to get a feel for the selection, then settle in for the evening with your beer of choice.

It's a treat to eat in the green-house like outer circle of the restaurant - with a view of the harbour and bridges.

Swans Suite Hotel (Victoria's Art Hotel)
506 Pandora Avenue
Victoria, British Columbia
Canada V8W 1N6
Telephone (250) 361-3310
www.swanshotel.com

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub

Spinnakers restaurant is a delightful restaurant, situated overlooking the harbour with great views and great food.

As you arrive, check out the mile-high pie and goodies at the bakery store. This reminds you to save some room for desert.

The restaurant is divided into a pub upstairs and a nice, casual restaurant downstairs. Both serve from the same excellent kitchen, and of course serve the same beers - brewed on site.

The menu is varied - you'll find something to love, from pub food (burgers, excellent fish and chips, curry, ribs ) to west coast favorites like salmon, and queen charlotte island halibut.

We arrived recently on a very busy night - the staff was very helpful, and squeezed us in without a problem - and advised us to order quickly since a few large tables were about to order. Our food was terrific - the queen charlotte island halibut was perfectly cooked - with a Mediterranean flair - featuring nice olives. We would have ordered the buffalo short ribs - but they weren't ready yet - we'd have had to wait a half hour for 'em. The fish and chips were great, as was the salmon. They have a nice selection of wines, and of course their beer (brewed in-house) is fantastic. They have a nice range of beers from India Pale Ales to a nice dark stout.

The washrooms are small, but clean and friendly.

The restaurant is across the harbour from downtown. You could take a water taxi, then walk for 5-10 minutes to get there along the path that follows the water's edge. This path carries on past the restaurant, and along the harbour - one of the nicest walks in Victoria.

Address: 308 Catherine Street, Victoria

Phone: (250) 384-6613

Website: http://www.spinnakers.com/

Hiring a contractor

Hiring a contractor to work on your home can be one of the most stressful experiences in your life.

We recently watched an excellent episode of CBC's MarketPlace where they absolutely trashed the Toronto contractor Max Pies, the Hummer driving rip-off artist who leaves behind dozens of unfinished jobs and unhappy clients.

Go check out the show online - CBC has posted the entire episode.

Also, check out Mike Holmes site - he's got tons of excellent tips for anyone thinking of having any work done at their home or office.

Some of the basics (from CBC):

• Get Bids - make sure the contractor comes to your house, and thoroughly understands the work.
• Check references. Actually talk to people who have had work done. Also check the BBB, and the contractor database.
• Get a contract. Get it in writing. Make sure that the contract specifies in great detail everything you want done, including things like permits, insurance, completion dates, who's going to pay for the dumpster, etc.
• Check the contractor's license. Make sure it's valid.
• Check the contractor's insurance. Often, your home insurance will NOT cover the costs if the house is damaged by a contractor while they are working on your house.
• Make sure the contractor gets building permits for all the work. Specify this in the contract.
• Split the payments up. Pay no more than 25% down payment, and then pay out bits along the way when you are satisfied. Have a 15% holdback that is not paid for a month or two after the work is complete.
• Check out the CBC's Red Flags section - watch out for these signs that the contractor is a fraud, or at least, worrisome.

Have you had good or bad experiences with contractors in Ottawa? Let us know here at ReviewOttawa.com either via email, or by a comment to this blog entry.