Has James Bay Gone To The Dogs?

Illustration Credit: Bill Meyer at flickr.com

1. Canine Casanovas and Pooch Paramours gather from from far and wide for merry mutt meet-ups at the capital region’s largest and most popular off-leash dog park and scenic seaside pathway (which extends from the Mile Zero Marker at Douglas Street and Dallas Road eastward to the tip of Clover Point), thanks to “Citizen Canine” and the fur-friendly folks at City Hall.
2. Fisherman’s Wharf Park is being transformed from a sports field into a nature environment complete with babbling brooks, posh picnic tables and PVC playthings, not to mention oodles of nooks and crannies for man’s best friends to relieve themselves.
3. Some of the best “shaggy dog stories” can be heard in java joints like James Bay Coffee & Books (143 Menzies Street), Ogden Point Café (at the Breakwater), and Shoal Point Moka House (at Fisherman’s Wharf).
4. Shops are opening up in the neighborhood catering to canines such as the new Diamond Dogs (a dogday care and grooming place at 106 Ontario Street) and the refurbished Prime Time Video (#3-230 Menzies Street) which will soon be supplying all manner of pet-food to pooch owners.
5. Everyone knows that the Public Gallery in the Provincial Legislature offers a superb spot to catch a glimpse of British Columbia’s best barking, back-biting and bone-picking exhibition by those who adore "putting on the dog” .
6. If want to avoid "being done up a like a dog’s dinner" on your next night out, you’re bound to find some downright delightful duds at the Community Closet (#11-435 Simcoe Street in James Bay Square).
7. The best place to find the “hair of the dog that bit you” is probably at any of one of the neighborhood’s twelve tippling places and four liquor sales outlets (at the Day’s Inn Cold Beer & Wine Store, the James Bay Inn Cold Beer Store, Spinnaker’s Wine & Beer Shop in James Bay Square, or the BC Liquor Store at Unit 101-225 Menzies Street).
8. Some of the best “dog and pony shows” in town can be found four evenings a week plus Saturdays and Sundays at The Superior Café (106 Superior Street).
9. If you’re “sick as a dog”, you’ve got places to find a remedy, either the Walk-In Medical Clinic (on the upper level of Parliament Mews at Five Corners), or register as a patient with the James Bay Community Project Clinic (547 Michigan Street).
10. And, last but not least, should you think that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” or that “there’s no life in the old dog yet”, just drop in to the James Bay New Horizons Activity Centre (234 Menzies Street), where you’ll see some “Hot Dog” folks who can probably run rings around you! 

Java Joints in James Bay

There’s quite a coffee house culture in James Bay, and plenty of java joints from which to choose.

If you like books with your beans, try James Bay Coffee & Books (owned by Kim Willoughby). Conveniently located at "Five Corners", it offers a comfy cozy place to plop down, chat with friends over cup of coffee, sweet bun or a sandwich and soup, (and it’s open 7 days a week). You can also peruse the shelves for hand-made greeting cards, previously-enjoyed books, use their Internet cafe, or admire local works of art that adorn the walls. And, if you’re in the mood, you can drop in on Tuesday evening for a hot game of "Scrabble" or listen to some great live performances on Friday nights.

Serious Coffee, (a franchise owned by Tony Lee and Cathy Wolsey-Lee), is one of the new kids on the block located at 103-225 Menzies Street . Open weekdays from 6am-9pm, and Saturdays from 7am-6pm, and Sundays from 8am-6pm. A popular place for those who work James Bay, it offers free wireless internet service to patrons, together with several blends and choices of coffee, cookies, and light fare. And, on special occasions, at the invitation of the owners, local musicians entertain audiences in the early evening. For the green thumb crowd, the owners offer free pails of coffee grounds for the garden!  

Cup a Joe, might be known by some as the proverbial "hole in the wall" place (as it’s tucked away on the basement level of Parliament Mews at "Five Corners". A funky sort of place, it offers frugal folks plenty of options for good hot coffee, hearty breakfast and lunch meals (some with some laugh-out-loud names),  and all the writing you care to read on the walls of this entertaining establishment.

Starbucks (located in James Bay Square), is a familiar place to many out-of-town visitors, summer cruiseship passengers, local government employees, and those who love their coffee with more than whipped cream and sprinkles on top. If you want a regular cup of coffee, just ask for a "short" one (although you’re not likely to find it on their menu). If you want the ‘bling of beans’, then this is definitely the spot to let your tongue be tantilized.

Travelling Bean Coffee House located at 100-239 Menzies Street, is the latest java joint to open in James Bay. Owned by a couple from the Interior, who now make Victoria their home, this shop caters to standing-room only types and those on a ten-minute break seeking a fine cup of Espresso…all the way from Italy! The friendly service and tidbits to go make this a great place to pick up the boss’s bag of beans for the week!
 

Moka House Shoal Point, (owned by Lillian Graham), located at 110-19 Dallas Road, adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf, is a superb spot to meet if you’re looking for a quiet place to meet whether with friends or perhaps an informal business get-together over many choices of beverages and baked goods. Free internet wireless services, a wonderfully warm and inviting fireplace, together with a gallery of great art and photography make it the place to hang out any time of year.

Ogden Point Cafe, (owned by Gail Patterson and Bob Lumley), located at the "Breakwater" across from the cruiseship terminal, offers one of the most picturesque spots to enjoy a sip of sizzling hot coffee, hot chocolate, hot apple cider, or a selection of organic teas. Reminiscent of the "cafeteria-style" eatery, it offers a selection of home-cooked food not to mention huge, freshly baked cinammon buns and cheese scones to die for in the morning. Open seven days a week from dawn to dusk, it also offers free internet wireless services and free musical performances on Friday evenings. Don’t forget to sign their guest book…and read a few of the entries from those who come from far away (to meet the manager of the place…a man of many talents named "Dick Danger".)

The Superior Cafe (owned by Lisa Boehme) located at 106 Superior Street (near Fisherman’s Wharf), offers not only fresh food and great live music six nights a week, but also some great hot beverages which you can enjoy indoors or outside in the patio garden (where you can also commune with nature). What’s not to like about a chair hanging from the ceiling, a funky stuffed animal’s head on the wall, and a friendly smile at the door?

Mile Zero Coffee (located at Niagara Grocery, 579 Niagara Street), is just two blocks away from the Mile Zero marker at the junction of Dallas Road and Douglas Street: the start of the 4,680-mile Trans-Canada Highway that connects Victoria with St. John’s, Newfoundland). It’s a newly refurbished grocery in the neighborhood recently opened by Jennifer McKimmie, (a chef and former food & beverage manager at the venerable Empress Hotel) and Ken Winchester (a winemaker and distiller whose passion for coffee led to the launch of Mile O Roasters). This is the only spot where you’ll find a selection of freshly roasted beans from around the world including Ethiopia, Sumatra, Costa Rica, and Hawaii. And, while you’re there, you can stock your gourmet pantry with all manner of local goodies to whet your appetite!