Community Activities and Events

We've been compiling a variety of activities to help local residents stay mentally and physically active during this pandemic. We will continue to add ideas to this page - be sure to check back often! If you have an idea for a safe activity for our community that could be added to the list, please send it to admin@sidney.ca.

• Activities
• Puzzling by the Sea - Online Puzzles
  
• Events
• Online Performances
  
  
  

Activities

• Send cheerful drawings or messages of kindness and support to residents in local senior care homes. Letters and art can be sent to:
  • Sidney Care Home
    9888 Fifth Street
    Sidney, BC V8L 2X3
  • Amica Beechwood Village
    2315 Mills Road
    Sidney, BC V8L 5W6
• Meet your Street! Start a neighbourhood group to help build community and get to know one another. While in-person social gatherings are currently limited to the people we live with, it's still a good time to get started building connections and planning future activities and events with your neighbours for when the time is right. For tips, ideas, and to register as your neighbourhood leader, visit the Town's Meet Your Street page.
  
  
• Decorate your windows, yards, or balconies to spread cheer to those passing by.
  
  
• Do a puzzle on a rainy day. We've created a series of online puzzles featuring some special sights of Sidney - check them out on the Town's Puzzling by the Sea page.
  
  
• Do you have an idea of a Sidney location, sight, or scene that would make a good puzzle? Go for a walk, take a photo, and email it to admin@sidney.ca. We can add it to the Puzzling by the Sea collection!
  
  
• Check out the latest exhibit at the ArtSea Gallery in Tulista Park! The gallery calendar can be viewed at: artsea.ca/artsea-gallery/whats-happening
  
  
• Volunteer in your community. Beacon Community Services volunteers have been shopping, driving, making check-in phone calls, and delivering meals to seniors in our community. Call BCS at 250-656-5537 if you are interested in helping out with these programs or if you would like to access these services. For additional volunteering opportunities, visit the Town's Volunteering in Your Community page.
  
  
• Make a donation to the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank. They are in urgent need of donations. Donate online at: www.splfoodbank.com/donate or by phone 250-655-0679.
  
  
• Take a walk along the Sidney Seaside Sculpture Walk and enjoy this special outdoor art gallery between Beacon Park and the ArtSea Gallery in Tulista Park. Visit ArtSea's Sidney Seaside Sculpture Walk page for more information.
  
  
• Grow something! From nurturing indoor plants to planting an outdoor garden , growing things can be very uplifting. We've compiled some regional gardening resources for both new and experienced gardeners.
  
  
• Prepare yourself - and your family (including pets!) - for a disaster. Put together an emergency kit for your home, car, and workspace. For ideas, visit the Town's Prepare Yourself page.
  
  
• Learn SENĆOŦEN. The language of the W̱SÁNEĆ People is SENĆOŦEN. Through the W̱SÁNEĆ community portal on the FirstVoices site, you can learn SENĆOŦEN, the first language of this land. Explore words, phrases, stories, games, and more.
  
  
• Visit the Sidney Museum! Visit sidneymuseum.ca or call 250-655-6355 to learn about their current exhibits.
  
  
• Take a virtual studio tour of a local artist's studio. ArtSea VIRTUAL Artist Tours is a collection of more than 30 virtual artist videos. You can see recent artwork, watch artist demonstrations, and learn about the artistic process.
  
  
• Learn new arts and crafts skills with Creativebug, an online creative education resource available through the Vancouver Island Regional Library.
  
  
• Get active with YMCA at Home. YMCA at Home's free virtual platform connects you with fitness, health, wellness programs and activities.
  
  
• Work out at Panorama Recreation Centre's weight room.
  
  
• Go for a swim at Panorama Recreation Centre's pool.
  
  
• Get creative with ceramics! Reserve a spot at Panorama's pottery studio at Greenglade Community Centre.
  
  
• Visit the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea. Visit www.salishseacentre.org for more information.
  
  
• Stop by the BC Aviation Museum. Visit www.bcam.net for more information.
  
  
• Explore the CRD's regional parks and trails. No matter your age, CRD Regional parks has a nature outing for you! Check out their Regional Parks Maps page for more information.
  
  
• Go on a nature scavenger hunt! You can use Science World's list, the Bateman Foundation's list and sketching worksheet, or create your own!
  
  
• Go on a photo scavenger hunt for moss! You can use the CRD's local moss guide and see how many different varieties you can find and photograph in parks and trails in our region.
  
  
• Take a self-guided Arts and Culture Walking Tour around Sidney. You can use the online interactive map or the printable map to guide your tour.
  
  
• Take a selfie with all of the Sidney Bench People.
  
  
• Share your ideas for the future of Sidney. The Town of Sidney is updating its Official Community Plan and would like to hear your ideas for the future of our community.
  
  
• Check out the artwork on Sidney’s Utility Boxes, and learn more about Sidney’s Utility Box Beautification Project.
  
  
• Read a good book. Search our local library's catalog, or pick up a book from one of Sidney's many local bookstores.
  
  
• Make your own recycled paper. Check out the CRD's instructions for making recycled paper at home.
  
  
• Make your own beeswax food wraps. Check out the CRD's methods for making beeswax wraps at home.
  
  
• Go birdwatching within the Shoal Harbour Migratory Bird Sanctuary. See how many different species you can spot!
  
  
• Play Bird Bingo around your local neighbourhood, parks, and beaches! You can use the Bateman Foundation's Bird Bingo guide for reference.
  
  
• Play around in Sidney's parks. Check out the Town's Parks Map or the Parks at a Glance page to find a park to visit.
  
  
• Try out the new mini zip line and playground equipment in Rathdown Park.
  
  
• Head out to a local beach to explore, reflect, and breathe in the fresh ocean air. Find a beach access using the Town's Parks Map. Check out the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea's Rocky Shore Find & Count worksheet, perfect for younger tidal explorers!
  
  
• Take a bicycle trip around the Peninsula. Find local bike routes and regional trail information on the Town's Cycling in Sidney page.
  
  
• Order a meal from one of your long-time favourite local restaurants or from a new restaurant that you've been meaning to try! Find meal inspiration by looking through the Sidney BIA's list of local restaurants, cafes, and bakeries.
  
  
• Find local produce and products and support our region's food producers. Find a guide to Saanich Peninsula farms and their products on Island Farm Fresh's website. Additional regional food security information can be found on our Resources for Individuals and Families page.
  
  
• Engage with the Royal BC Museum at home. There are plenty of ways to explore BC’s natural history and human history on the Royal BC Museum's website.
  
  
• Get creative with colouring pages. Pick up a colouring book and markers/crayons from a local store, or print your own colouring sheets at home. Check out the Gulf Island National Park Reserve's colouring sheets which can be accessed from the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea's website. Crayola also has lots of free options, and take a look at these free colouring pages from Art By Di featuring west-coast scenes.
  
  
• Collect some leaves and use a hole-punch to make some ecologically-friendly confetti to celebrate a birthday, occasion, or even a special accomplishment with your household! Check out this tutorial for more inspiration.
  
  
• Go for a ride with Cycling Without Age! Cycling Without Age volunteers offer rides in a custom “trishaw” bike to less-able residents of all ages along with a companion of their choice. Learn more and book a ride at: www.cyclingwithoutagesociety.com.
  

Events

In response to current provincial health orders prohibiting large gatherings, some Sidney events have been significantly modified or have moved to online platforms this year.

• Visit the Town's Featured Events page to learn more about these events.

Online Performances

• Radio Sidney

  Listen live or check out past programs on Radio Sidney's website. Radio Sidney's combination of live and recorded programming tells stories of local importance.
  

• Showcase BC

  Stream live made-in-B.C. events! Stay connected and #ShowcaseBC through great entertainment from our local creators.

• Victoria Symphony Virtual Season

  Victoria Symphony is sharing virtual concerts: some larger-scale concerts featuring the whole symphony, socially distanced on stage, and some featuring quartets and quintets playing live together from local venues. This is a unique opportunity for you to enjoy the Victoria Symphony from your living rooms, on the bus, or anywhere else as long as you have an internet connection and a device.

• Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus - Online Concerts

  Check out Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus' online concerts!

• The Social Distancing Festival

  The Social Distancing Festival is an online artist’s community made to celebrate and showcase the work of the many artists around the world who have been affected by the need for social distancing. They’ve been combing the web to find live-streams from around the world. Categories include Visual Art, Dance, Theatre/Opera/Musical Theatre, and Music.