Sidney by the Sea
By Marianne Scott
Sidney, hugging the east side of Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula, lies on Haro Strait about 16 nautical miles north of Victoria. It’s a popular place to visit, and a great jumping-off point to the Gulf- and San Juan Islands and voyages north. The town of roughly 12,000 residents has much to offer boaters: marinas, restaurants, shopping, thrift stores, public art walks, groceries, boat repairs, a distillery, two craft breweries and an aquarium. Most of the attractions and conveniences are located along Beacon Avenue, which runs the length of Sidney and is the town’s commercial heart. Its compact layout makes downtown Sidney by the Sea, as residents like to call it, easily walkable.
Two large marinas cater to visiting boaters: Port Sidney and Van Isle Marinas. Van Isle Marina lies a 30-minute walk north of Sidney’s downtown, and offers many services: pump-out, showers, laundry, Wi-Fi, power, water, even a do-it-yourself dog wash. For registered guests, Van Isle offers taxi vouchers and free bicycle hire for getting into town. For repairs, Philbrooks, Gartside Marine and other marine services are right next door. The marina’s Sea Glass Waterfront Grill is prized for its diverse and local fare.
Port Sidney Marina is located at the east end of Beacon Avenue, an easy walk into town. It offers permanent and transient moorage up to 125 ft and such services as power, water, CCTV, showers, laundry, Wi-Fi, pump-out, and garbage disposal/recycling.
Be sure to reserve a berth at your preferred marina before arrival.
Food and Drink.
Walking from either Port Sidney or riding in from Van Isle Marina, you’ll find Jacks on the Water with its eclectic menu. Next door, Victoria Distillers distills its Victoria Gin, Oaken Gin and prize-winning blue Empress 1908 Gin. The company made the first premium, artisan, small-batch gin in Canada. It’s an enticing place to quaff their first-class drinks while gazing at snowy Mount Baker standing proud behind San Juan Island.
Two family-owned craft breweries, Beacon Brewing and Small Gods Brewing, stand beside each other on Third Avenue, and such suds as Disconnect Dark Mild and Milk Chocolate Coconut Porter will satisfy the most demanding beerologist.
There’s a plethora of places to eat, so I asked local friends to recommend some restaurants all within walking distance. They suggested Royal Aroma featuring Indian cuisine; 900° Bistro with its thin-crust, gourmet wood-fired pizzas, pastas and classic escargots; The Farmer’s Daughter dispensing the best grilled-cheese sandwiches; Sabhai Thai, perhaps Sidney’s most popular restaurant; and Atelier, calling itself French-inspired “Elevated Dining” and using hyper-local ingredients. This is a sampling, and you’ll encounter many other eateries while strolling through town.
Thrifty Foods, Save-on-Foods and Fairway Market are all large, easily accessible grocery stores. Thrifty and Save-on will deliver to your boat if you buy in-store. And for some delectable fare you can take back to the boat, Smør Scandinavian Bakery makes Danish pastries, house-made soups and sandwiches, and imports herring and salt licorice. Refire Kitchen’s offerings range from homemade soups to tiramisu. Fickle Fig Bakery lives up to its name by changing its menu daily and seasonally—when I checked just before Halloween, Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cupcake with cream-cheese frosting was the standout.
Things to see and do.
Just outside Port Sidney Marina, you’ll spot the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea (housed in the Sidney Pier Hotel). This aquarium features marine life found in local waters, including more than 160 species from the Salish Sea Bioregion, a marine mammal artifact exhibit and a Coast Salish art collection. If you’re bringing along your kids, they can enjoy a scavenger hunt, scout out a touch pool and peer through a microscope. Look out for the mesmerizing views of delicate jellyfish pulsing their tentacles among groups of lacy anemones.
Sidney has made the most of its seaside location by building a broad 2.5km path that meanders along the shore and satisfies the need to stretch one’s boat legs while delighting the eye. Named the “Seaside Sculpture Walk,” the red-brick-lined path doubles as an outdoor art gallery, the first major piece found at the aquarium’s seaside. Artist Paul Harder’s pool-like sculpture celebrates marine life, combining bronze river otters and a heron with large, local rocks flanking a small pond.
Among the many whimsical and interpretive sculptures, you’ll spy Jake James’s “Pirate Captain”, a bronze figure that appears to portray both Capt. Hook and Capt. Ahab—missing a hand and a leg. Lifting a telescope to his left eye, the sculpture may even recall Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, who hoisted a glass to his blind eye (hence the term “turning a blind eye”) during the 1801 Battle of Copenhagen.
A nearby bandstand lounges in the grass and is used for al fresco concerts in the summer (visit sidneybia.ca/events/events/ for monthly updates). At the nearby pier’s end, the fish market sells the daily catch. Further on, a long, wooden walking pier stretches into the sea. At the entrance, a bench with a seated bronze-look workman, lunch pail on his lap, is one of six lifelike Nathan Scott sculptures that grace the town.
In town, shops of every kind abound, from chic clothing to housewares, toys, books, art and specialty items. For thrift shoppers, Sidney hosts a half-dozen second-hand stores. Perhaps the best known is the Beacon Community Services Thrift Shop, where I’ve found some treasures at great prices. The House of Lily Koi and Connections sell previously owned clothing and the SPCA store supports animal welfare.
If you’re in town on a Thursday between June and September, you’ll delight in the Sidney Street Market that starts at 17:30h. It’s a congenial fair, where locals socialize, and Island vendors hawk their fresh foods and local crafts.
If your interests include aviation, you can ride a bike or catch a taxi to the BC Aviation Museum located at the Victoria International Airport. The Museum occupies three hangars and exhibits restored aircraft dating back to 1900, engines, and pictures, photos and videos. The historic Martin JRM Mars, one of seven US World War II planes later converted to water bombers, joined the museum in September.
Sidney is an intimate town. It’s easy and convenient to moor your vessel. Everything in town is easy to peruse on foot. If your feet ache a bit after strolling the seaside sculpture walk and peering into endless shops, benches are strategically located for a rest. You can even sit down and have a chat with some of Nathan Scott’s sculptures already lounging on the benches. They’re always ready to welcome company.
A Bit of Sidney History
Salish tribes first inhabited this area, establishing a large winter village on Tsehum Harbor. Artifacts and middens dating back 3,000 years have been found. The town of Sidney takes its name from nearby Sidney Island, whose nomenclature was bestowed by the Plumper’s Captain Richards, the 19th-century surveyor who named numerous islands and waterways. Richards named the island after a fellow Royal Navy surveyor, Frederick W. Sidney, whose hydrographic work focused on the Australian coastline.
Sidney was founded by the Brethour family in 1891. A post office was established and by 1894 the first school district was formed. A year later, the Victoria & Sidney Railway opened providing transport for people and agricultural products. A fruit and clam canning factory and a sawmill brought industry to the town. The nearby airport was built during World War II and is now Canada’s 6th busiest aerodrome. The town was incorporated in 1967. You can find more historic details by visiting Beacon Avenue’s Sidney Museum with its more than 8,000 artifacts and displays on local First Nations, social history, industry and agriculture.
