White Rock
Laid-back lovely...

GETTING THERE...By car: From the south, take the first exit after the
Peace Arch U.S. border crossing. Turn left and follow the road to Marine
Drive and the beach area. Coming from the north, take the King George
Hwy exit off Hwy 99. Keep right. After approximately 2 miles, turn right on
16th Avenue for the main shopping area. By boat: Visiting moorage is available at the White Rock pier. Boats coming from the U.S. can clear Canada Customs.

Photo by Karl King

The seaside town of White Rock is celebrating its 50th birthday in 2007 and has scheduled year-long events in commemoration. In other words, you’re in luck.

The town is situated on the northeast side of Semiahmoo Bay and it’s the first stop coming north after crossing the international border. It is named after the nearly 500-ton boulder that sits on the shore just south of the town’s famed 1,500 foot pier. Legend has it that it was tossed across the Strait of Georgia by a young Indian chief who chose the spot where it landed as the location for a home with his new wife. The more prosaic explanation is that glaciers deposited the boulder here, supposedly pushed here all the way from Hudson’s Bay by glaciers.

Originally the white wash came from birds favoring the rock with their guano but now it’s city workers armed with pots of paint and brushes. The rock is a favorite target of graffiti artists.

Visitors are drawn first to the famous 1,500-foot long pier and the Marine Drive area. You’ll find families fishing for crab and couples taking romantic sunset walks as they look over the bay and Point Roberts, Blaine and the San Juan Islands in the distance. Back on shore there are kilometers of broad sandy beaches for sunbathing, swimming, kayaking or windsurfing. Running along the beach is a raised railroad that remains in use. In particular, one needs to watch out for the twice daily Amtrak run – it gets up to real speed. A paved walkway runs alongside and is a great place if you’re looking for a scenic run. Marine Drive itself is jammed with shops and great restaurants. Sidewalk dining and people watching is serious sport here. Even on inclement days, people sit outside under awnings, heated by patio heaters while enjoying the view and the food.
For serious shoppers, the uptown area is where you’ll find shopping centers, more restaurants and services of all kinds. If you like golf, you’ll love White Rock. There are 15 golf courses and five golf ranges within 20 minutes of downtown. Just to the north of town is the pleasant seaside community of Crescent Beach. Take some time to explore this quiet backwater situated next to the Nicomekl River.

The weekend of July 13-15 promises to be an exciting one. In its 58th year, the “Spirit of the Sea” is a family oriented celebration of the water, land and life of the Semiahmoo Peninsula. The festival typically attracts 70,000 spectators and participants to this fun and entertaining festival.

The same weekend also features the Tour de White Rock, a three-day cycling competition that attracts riders from all over North America. It’s held in conjunction with Tour de Gastown, the new Giro di Burnaby and the Tour de Delta creating what organizers call BC Superweek from July 13-22. The combination of eight races in 10 days offers an amazing week of competition on cyclists' calendars. The four events offer over $60,000 in combined prize money.

Don’t miss:
• Watching a fastpitch game at Softball City.
• Eating on the sidewalk on Marine Drive after walking the pier.

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