Sonja Nagel is the Executive Director of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce
COWICHAN VALLEY – In past summers, The Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce ran a summer touring program called Chamber on Tour which was an opportunity for Members to get a behind-the-scenes look at other Member businesses. In 2018, we visited 23 Cowichan businesses from a cross-section of industries. Some of the highlights included ProMac Manufacturing, Arbutus Farms, Harlequin Nature Graphics and Heartwood Studios along with several wineries and craft distilleries and breweries.
This summer, we redesigned the program calling it Chamber on Tour #Staycation Edition to support Cowichan’s tourism and hospitality sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tourism sector has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. With international travel restrictions still in place and cross-country travel not recommended, Chamber on Tour #Staycation Edition encourages residents to rediscover all the fantastic offerings in the Cowichan and keep our vacation dollars right here in our own communities.
For the months of July and August, we planned a series of half day excursions which included local attractions, restaurants, cafes and many other highlights from all over the Valley. Excursions in July included whale watching with Ocean Eco-Ventures, a guided hawk walk at The Raptors, cider tasting at Valley Cider, hike at Eves Provincial Park, tour of Westholme Tea Company, tubing the Cowichan River with The Tube Shack, and an educational outing at the Hand of Man Museum in Maple Bay.
August excursions included a visit to Shawnigan Lake Museum, a morning kayak tour in Cowichan Bay, and evening cycle tour on the Cowichan Valley Trail and picnic dinner at Kinsol Trestle, a hike to Stoney Hill, and a Chemainus Lake walk followed by lunch at Ma Maison.
These outings typically accommodate 6 – 12 people (depending on the safety parameters of the venues and activities) and both Chamber members and general public are welcome.
August was also a great time to explore Cowichan’s award-winning wineries. The popular Cowichan Valley Wine Festival was back for the whole month. For only $20, guests received a branded tasting glass and passport to explore 13 wineries on a self-guided tour. This allowed guests to enjoy the region at their own pace, while ensuring the wineries were able to adhere to proper sanitization and capacity protocols. For more information go to www.tourismcowichan.com.
We are grateful to our members who have renewed their annual membership investment during these past months. Welcome new members to the Chamber network: Kona Ice, Cogent Green Electrical Solutions, Breathe Engineering, Green Coast Electric, Outer Shore Expeditions, Descendants First Nations Gallery, Outlooks Menswear Duncan and The Little Corner Sandwich Shop.
Sonja Nagel is the Executive Director of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce.