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

Upcoming: Field Trip: Sunday, May 28th, ’23

Field trip to : Walker Creek
Date: Sunday, May 28th, ’23
Meeting place: Juan de Fuca Rec Centre / A&W in Sooke
Meeting time: 9:00 am / 9:30 am

There are a few who missed last month’s trip there and really want to go there, and others who want to go back, including us, so let’s make this a balmy end of May trip and we stand a better chance of seeing no snow and can hang out in the area for a longer time.  We won’t stop at the first creek first, we’ll go straight to the end. 

Additional stuff: Ridesharing is working!  Riders, thank you for contributing to gas costs for your ride!  And drivers, thank you so much for being so considerate.  We can venture out a little further if we can help each other by cutting costs.

Things to bring

  • water (for drinking)
  • rock hammer
  • safety glasses (eye protection)
  • gloves
  • hiking boots or good treaded running shoes (I recommend the boots)
  • backpack or bucket for collecting