BC Gem Show Field Trip

To participate in this trip you and all members in your party must be currently paid up members of the Victoria Lapidary and Mineral Society.  This trip is open to minors accompanied by an adult.

Every year the British Columbia Lapidary Society hosts the biggest rock and gem show in BC, called The BC Gem Show.  This year the show will be on May 10, 11 & 12th, Friday to Sunday.  On Saturday there’s a the Rocklovers Roundup Tailgate sale.  The show is being held at the Chilliwack Heritage Park.

The Victoria lapidary club is planning to organize a trip to the show.  Participants would get themselves to the Swartz Bay terminal and buy their walk-on ferry tickets ($40 return) for the 7am ferry on Saturday May 11th.  Usually we all meet up in the terminal and hang out as a group on the ferry, but that’s totally optional.

A coach will meet us getting off the ferry at the Tsawassen terminal at 8:45 and take us to Chilliwack.  We would expect to arrive at Chilliwack around 10:30 am.  The day would be free to spend at the show (entry ticket $6) and tailgate then the procedure would be reversed, and we would catch the 7pm ferry back to Swartz Bay.

We have reserved a 50 seater coach that is wheelchair accessible.  We are asking club members to pay $25 per person attending for the coach which will defray about 50% of the cost of the coach – the rest of the cost for the coach will be paid from club funds.

I’ve attended the show with the group in the past and it has been a blast, as much for the tall tales told on the ferry and coach as for the show and tailgate itself.  Bringing a carry-on suitcase on wheels is recommended if you have poor impulse control where slabs are concerned.

Numbers are limited, so we would like to get an early handle on how much interest there is in this trip.  If you plan to attend (not maybe, but for sure) please fill out this form.

BC Gem Show Booking form 2024

If you have questions please address them to David Jackson at treasurer@vlms.ca

BCLS Gem show – club trip

Good day.  I just wanted to say a few words about the clubs’ trip to Chilliwack.  First, thanks to Vanessa for organizing the bus trip.  The ride was really smooth and the driver was really attentive to our needs (there was A/C on the bus).  The show was really good and many purchases were made.  There was something for everyone.  Sean found some really nice opals.  Mike Hill, one of our past presidents, now 1st vice president of the BCLS was selling his wares.  Other vendors that come to our show were also there.  On the trip back on the ferry, our members availed themselves of Seans’ knowledge of rocks and minerals to identify some of their purchases.  There were rocks all over the tables and some people were curious and looking, wondering what was going on.  Carson took the prize for heaviest suitcase.  There must have been something in the vicinity of 100 lbs of rocks in there.  Leni bought a fossil and I found a few minerals she didn’t have.  It was a beautiful day and maybe a bit warm inside the building, but all in all it was a good day for everyone who participated.  See you at the strawberry social!

Yvan Gagnon, VLMS president