British Columbia

This handbook provides travelers with the best of the area's sophisticated modern cities and colonial charms as well as its pristine forests and waterways. The authors explore the national parks and lead readers to such delights as the Southern Gulf Islands and the Okanagan wine country. Click on book cover to buy

The Western-most province in Canada, it sits on the Pacific Rim, a world unto itself. They call it 'Beautiful British Columbia' and it is arguably the most scenic and diverse province. It has over 600 Provincial Parks, 27,200km of coastline, rivers, lakes, mountains and prairies. We start with the Western-most part of BC:-

Mainland BC.

Vancouver
One of the best cities in Canada for beauty, Vancouver is built on hills and the numerous bridges make the views of the ocean and bays very photogenic. The port handles practically all of Canada's trade with Japan and the East. There are many parks in Vancouver, none of them small, but the largest Stanley Park, is the city favorite, sandy beaches edge the park at the shoreline and are used for sport and recreation. Robson Square, the center of downtown comprises of offices, theatres, restaurants and shops. Granville Street is a lively place to be in the evenings for the street scene, during the day it is a shopping and commercial area. The 3rd largest 'Chinatown' outside of China, is found around Pender Gore and Carrall Streets. West Vancouver is very popular with young people, especially students, shops, restaurants and cafes here are not too expensive. From Kitsilano to the University of British Columbia (UBC), there are beaches all the way along English Bay.Richmond in the south and Burnaby in the east, are mainly residential, the latter containing Simon Fraser University. North Vancouver has the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Provincial Park and Horseshoe Bay(from here you can get the ferry to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast). Further north of the city are Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, both famous skiing resorts.

Fraser River Canyon
White-water rafting down the Fraser and its fast flowing rapids, is a popular sport here. The Hell's Gate Airtram is a cable-car system that goes down to the river.

Kamloops
Strategically placed, Kamloops is a transport and service crossroads, cutting through town to the east, the Yellowhead Hwy heads north, and Hwy 5A heads south, there are the usual things to do here, as in most of BC. fishing, hiking, cycling etc.

Okanagan Valley
Carved out by glaciers and linked by a series of lakes the largest being the Okanagan Lake, the Cascade and Monashee Mountains surrounding the valley, make it a very scenic and interesting place. Close to the US border in Osoyoos, there is desert slopes where only 250mm of rain falls each year and cactus plants grow. This is where the fruit is grown in abundance, and in late summer and fall, fruit stands at the roadside sell the best and the cheapest produce in Canada. You can find work here picking fruit you don't always need a work permit, it is hard work, but you get to meet a lot of young people. Harvest times are from late June- mid October. Places to visit are Kelowna, Vernon and Penticton.

Prince George
Prices are high here, it is "The Gateway to the North" the two railways, BC Rail and VIA Rail, two main highways, Yellowhead and Hwy 97, and the two rivers, Fraser and Nechako all meet here. The main industries are pulp and paper. There are some nice lakes and rivers around the area, good skiing also.

Dawson Creek
The starting point for the Alaska Highway, it goes via Watson Lake and Whitehorse in the Yukon, to Fairbanks in Alaska.

Wells Gray Provincial Park
Nestling between Kamloops and Jasper, this undeveloped park has lots of trails, some of which you need a canoe to get to. There is a spectacular waterfall, Helmcken Falls, among others that is worth seeing, white-water rafting, mountain biking, skiing, horse riding and mountain climbing for the experienced climber. Wildlife is plentiful.

Mt Robson Provincial Park
Adjoining Jasper National Park, it contains the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. There is plenty of wildlife here and a good place for bird watchers, with over 150 species of birds.

Glacier National Park
Between Revelstoke and Golden, with over 400 glaciers, in winter it snows every day. This is a very high, active avalanche area, and to ski, you must check in with the warden. The road leading to Rogers Pass, known as Death Strip, is particularly dangerous, snowsheds protect the road and the cars from the falling snow.

Yoho National Park
Home to the spiral tunnels that take visitors through the Kicking Horse Pass. In the middle of the park is Field, a good place to get supplies, this town was once known as Big Hill, due to the steep gradient and before the tunnels were built it was the steepest railway grade in North America.

Prince Rupert
The fishing center for the Pacific North-West. Known as the 'City of rainbows' it obviously rains a lot. It is surrounded by mountains and is very beautiful. A starting point for Alaska and the Queen Charlotte Islands, you can also get a ferry to Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

The Queen Charlotte Islands
Comprising of over 200 islands in a triangular archipelago, the islands, once known as Haida Gwaii, are mostly small and uninhabited. Apart from the beauty of the landscape, people visit the islands for the art and culture of the Haida. there is lots to do and see here, kayaking, boating, camping, clamming and crabbing and of course rainbow watching. There are some unique sub-species here, the largest black bears, the tiniest saw-whet owls and a type of daisy that only blooms in the Charlottes. Also living here is the famous white Spirit Bear or Kermode bear, the white bear that is really a black bear..

For information on Vancouver Island see this section