The COVID19 Staycation Guide - Chapter 2 - Centennial Beach in Delta, BC
With BC starting to go into Phase 3 of COVID19 response, a lot more people are taking this time to get out of their houses/apartment-units and looking for places to go. With Summer having arrived, a lot of people are heading to the beach. Having been inside since March, that was definitely where we wanted to go. We wanted a beach that was far enough away to (possibly) get away from the busy beaches… so we found ourselves at Centennial Beach.
With BC starting to go into Phase 3 of COVID19 response, a lot more people are taking this time to get out of their houses/apartment-units and looking for places to go. With Summer having arrived, a lot of people are heading to the beach. Having been inside since March, that was definitely where we wanted to go. We wanted a beach that was far enough away to (possibly) get away from the busy beaches… so we found ourselves at Centennial Beach.
Born out of the COVID19 Pandemic, this guide is here to serve as information of some places to consider going if you’ve binged all your Netflix, played all your games, baked all that sourdough bread and maybe just want to get out (or find things to do to stay in). As a family man myself and also a photographer who likes to explore, I found it difficult to find things to do to keep myself and my little one busy at home (there’s only so many times you can listen to "Baby Shark") so I thought that as I discover some of these experiences and places and shared them through my photography, it would help you generate some ideas to get out of the house and (following the proper social distancing and health protocols) get some fresh air.
You, of course, are responsible for taking the proper precautions and doing your part in social distancing and self-isolating if you aren’t feeling well. Always follow the BC Health Guidelines and do your part in keeping yourself and others safe. You can find the info here.
With all that being said, if you’ve baked way too much sourdough bread and have stored up enough toilet paper to last a life time (grrr…) and want to take you and your child to someplace that will allow them to get outside with enough space to avoid getting close to others… the beach might be your best bet.
I guess we’re here.
The last time we drove to Delta was just prior to the Pandemic lockdown and we were on a “treasure hunt” to find some interesting and elusive goods at the Thrift Stores in Delta and Tsawwassen. It was a lot of fun and we were planning to go back again later on when things changed and we had to amend our plans. This was back in early March.
Come July, Summer had arrived and this brought the sun (most days…although in BC it still rains every now and then even in the Summer) and this prompted us to look at ways to get out of the house since we had been in lockdown since July. With restrictions lifting, we still wanted to play it safe but also allow our little one the experience of the beach. Kinetic Sand just wasn’t cutting it.
As we drove through Centennial Beach, I saw some of the Thrift Stores that we had shopped at a few months earlier. They were closed. It may have been partly due to it being a Sunday, or it may have possibly been due to COVID.
We made a point to get to the beach early so as to avoid the larger crowds. We arrived at approximately 10am or so and while it was busy, it wasn’t super crowded and we were able to find some well-socially-distanced space off to the left side of the beach.
Centennial Beach has a variety of amenities, including a bathroom (this is super important to me) and a concession stand which is open later on. There is a playground available as well and a blue walkway leading from the amenities pavilion to the beach.
From Centennial Beach, you’ll get a distant view of both White Rock, BC and possibly Blaine, WA (in the USA) on a clear day. The day for us was overcast but the sun peaked out occasionally.
It was nice to get out to the beach. We made sure to socially distance and wear masks if appropriate (if we could not maintain a 6ft distance or if we had to go indoors in enclosed spaces). For the most part, since we stayed away from people, we found ourselves to be OK.
Random fellow walking by.
I can’t recall why this area was roped off but we made sure not to step into it. May have been to protect a certain plant species growing in this area.
Ah, outdoors. It’s good to see you again.
Why, hello there little guy. How’s your day going?
The sun started to peak out just as we left. It started to get really busy just prior to noon so we were glad to have made our exit at that time.
Hazelmere Golf Course - Keith and Jeanine Get Married
That morning, as I woke up, I noticed that the sun was out. This was amazing. It was November. In Canada... on the Pacific West Coast. Just days prior, when I went to check the wedding site, it was pouring rain. That weather was expected. The sun was not. But there it was, gleaming and shining in all it's glory!
However, it was really cold. Frost was still in the air and as I made my way down to Hazelmere Golf Course, where the wedding was taking place, I could see steam clouds rising from the ground as the sun melted the cold morning dew despite the chill temperatures. Regardless, the sun was great to have that day and made for a great day to an already beautiful wedding for Keith and Jeanine.
That morning, as I woke up, I noticed that the sun was out. This was amazing. It was November. In Canada... on the Pacific West Coast. Just days prior, when I went to check the wedding site, it was pouring rain. That weather was expected. The sun was not. But there it was, gleaming and shining in all it's glory!
However, it was really cold. Frost was still in the air and as I made my way down to Hazelmere Golf Course, where the wedding was taking place, I could see steam clouds rising from the ground as the sun melted the cold morning dew despite the chill temperatures. Regardless, the sun was great to have that day and made for a great day to an already beautiful wedding for Keith and Jeanine.
Through a set of interesting circumstances, I got in touch with Keith and we discussed about the wedding day and expectations. Soon enough, there I was in the midst of it all, documenting the moments of Keith and friends and family decorating the room while I kept an eye on the door, looking for the limo where Jeanine would arrive.
I think it's important to photograph an entire story. In all the images that I took during this wedding, I had in the back of my mind the idea of a story. Some photographs were taken to give a time and a place, such as the first image giving an idea of the crisp morning light when I first arrived. For the most part, I was focusing on emotions, different characters in the story and the documentary moments happening. I focus on a flow of the imagery as well so you get a sense of a "timeline". All these elements, all while balancing shooting film (if I am), composition, lighting and making great photography and the considerations of everyone in the room make the documentary approach quite a challenge but one I find fun and, many times, thrilling.
The day went well and it was really great to spend a day with Keith and Jeanine. Friends and family came and hugged them, many had their photos taken on an Instax (Yup, I think Keith invested in an Instax camera and film to have pictures of guests in their guest book - what a great idea!!) and much laughter and socializing occurred.
This time, I'm including some "listening" music to play as you look through the photographs :) Hope you enjoy the experience! Being a musician also, I'm quite picky when it comes to music and deciding on a sound track to match the feeling of the day is a very difficult process for me as I always feel like it has to match PERFECTLY. It adds another dimension to which I'm hoping you'll enjoy :) Courtesy of bensound.com via Creative Commons Licensing.
