CANADA’S GLORIOUS GATEWAY
Canada’s Glorious Gateway
“Beautiful British Columbia,” the licence plates read. And who can argue with that? Towering mountains, lush valleys, crystalline waters, vibrant cities—every corner of the province, it seems, is an Instagramable one.
All that natural beauty offers plenty of opportunity for adventure, skiing, sailing, surfing and simply soaking in the scenery. But there is also a dynamic cultural life here, from the ancient traditions of the First Nations Peoples to the joyfully European and Asian international influences in the cuisine.
Canada’s westernmost province is a gateway between Asia to the west and the rest of the country to the east. It is an important centre for trade and commerce with vibrant cosmopolitan cities and flourishing creative industries. It is, above all, a place where work and play, nature and culture, coexist beautifully.
GETTING VANGROOVY
Vancouver is the province’s biggest city, a modern, multicultural metropolis that is regularly rated one of the world’s most livable cities. Bordered by mountains and ocean, it has an easygoing lifestyle that combines outdoor adventure with urban sophistication. Vancouver is home to
Canada’s largest and busiest port, as well as thriving film, tech, tourism and green businesses. It is also a centre for culinary excellence, celebrated for its obsession with fresh, seasonal farm-to-table ingredients. From Vancouver, it is just a short drive to the farming communities of Fraser Valley, the exceptional Asian cuisine of Richmond and the seaside communities of the Sunshine Coast.
ISLAND HOPPING
Escape to the idyllic isles along the Pacific coast. The largest is Vancouver Island, a ninety-minute ferry ride from the mainland; it is home to B.C.’s historic capital city, Victoria, as well as vineyards, mountain parks and the surfing mecca of Tofino. Between Vancouver Island and the mainland are the Gulf Islands, populated by a quirky mix of artisans and fisherfolk. Further north is Haida Gwaii, a remote archipelago of unspoiled natural beauty and traditional Indigenous culture.
PEAKS OF PERFECTION
Think of B.C. as wave upon wave of towering mountain ranges: the Coastal Mountains, Cascades, Selkirks, Kootenays and Rockies, just to name a few. Those mountains are not only scenic, they are also popular destinations for outdoor enthusiasts of all sorts. Many are located in the province’s more than 1,000 parks and protected areas. Others, like Whistler Blackcomb, Sun Peaks and Big White, are world-class ski resorts with full-service villages and year-round activities, including dozens of top-notch golf courses.
COWBOYS AND CHARDONNAY
The sunny Thompson and Okanagan valleys stretch through the middle of the province. To the west is the cowboy country of the Thompson region, with its dude ranches and vast grasslands. To the east, the Okanagan is B.C.’s wine country, with its vineyards, orchards and sophisticated culinary culture. Both offer plenty for outdoor enthusiasts to do, whether it’s houseboating on Shuswap Lake, scaling the Skaha Bluffs or cycling along the trestles of the abandoned railway line that hurtles across Myra Canyon.
INTO THE WILDERNESS
Back in the 1860s, gold was discovered up in the Cariboo region, and the Rush was on. Today, people are more likely to visit the wide open spaces of B.C.’s north for unparalleled wilderness experiences. That could mean bear watching along the northern coast, fly fishing in a rushing river, paddling through the still waters of the Bowron Lakes, camping out under the northern lights, or panning for gold in historic Barkerville.
WHAT’S NEW?
Tiny Rossland in the West Kootenays is going big time with the new boutique, ski-in, ski-out Josie Hotel, whose luxurious accommodation and fine cuisine from chef MarcAndre Choquette are expected to transform RED Mountain into an international winter destination (www.thejosie.com).
Skip the traffic and enjoy unbeatable views of Vancouver from the comfort of the new Pacific Ferries Hop-On/Off City Boat Tour. Sail from Coal Harbour across Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver, then, at your leisure, hop back on-board for a trip under the Lions Gate Bridge and around Stanley Park to Granville Island (www.pacificferries.ca/ hop-on-boat-tour). Just a short, scenic trip via SeaBus from downtown, North Vancouver’s newly cool Shipyards District bustles with shops, restaurants, markets, a major art gallery and the SeaSide Hotel—a new chic boutique property (www.lowerlonsdalebia.ca).
The Okanagan Valley has welcomed its first urban winery, the legendary Harry McWatters’ TIME Winery—with tasting room, bistro and auditorium—in downtown Penticton (www.timewinery.com).
From the highest peaks . . . The new Cloudraker Skybridge and Raven’s Eye Cliff Walk soars over Whistler Bowl at a giddy elevation of 2,182 m (7,160 ft.), offering a bird’s-eye view of Whistler Village and Garibaldi Provincial Park (www.whistler blackcomb.com).
. . . To the deepest depths. A helicopter whisks guests from Whistler over B.C.’s southernmost icefield to a frozen cave called The Blue Room, to descend and enjoy a decadent five-course dinner—
starting with Champagne and caviar— for a mere $20,000 a couple (www. headlinemountainholidays.com).
CITY LIGHTS
Beauty and personality—Vancouver has it all. Think craft beer and food truck festivals, yoga on the beach and glitzy shopping destinations such as North America’s only McArthurGlen Designer Outlet (www. mcarthurglen.com). Embraced by the ocean and mountains, the city features a livable mix of high-rises and heritage homes, graceful gardens and funky neighbourhoods. At its heart is the lushly forested 400-ha (1,000-acre) Stanley Park, one of the world’s great urban parks. But Vancouver is also the glittering glass towers of downtown; the multicultural neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little Italy and Little India; the hipster cool of Gastown and the trendy restaurants of Kitsilano; as well as attractions including Science World, the North Shore ski hills and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (www.tourismvancouver.com).
Across the Strait of Georgia, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a city of historic charm, passionate foodies and endless outdoor activities. It is considered by many to be Canada’s most cycling-friendly city, and is home to several spectacular gardens, including the worldrenowned Butchart Gardens. Many of the city’s attractions cluster around the bustling Inner Harbour, including the floating homes of Fisherman’s Wharf, the Royal BC Museum and the neo-baroque BC Parliament Buildings (www.tourism victoria.com).
Head inland to the Okanagan Valley and you’ll come to Kelowna, a bustling centre of commerce, technological innovation and wine culture (www.tourismkelowna.com).
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
In British Columbia, the great outdoors truly is just that—great: from ocean playground to mountain peaks, windswept plains and fertile farmland.
Head for the hills. This mountainous province boasts 13 major ski resorts (and many smaller ones) with epic powder, heart-stopping descents and pristine backcountry bowls, as well as miles of trails for those who prefer skinny skis and snowshoes. In summer, the resorts turn their lifts and trails over to daredevil mountain bikers and hikers eager to explore the alpine meadows.
But you don’t have to climb a mountain to find adventure here. Awash as it is with rivers, lakes and the Pacific Ocean, B.C. is popular for water sport enthusiasts. You can sail alongside orcas in Desolation Sound, paddle the Bowron Lakes, raft down the Fraser Canyon, surf the waves near Tofino or cast for trout in Lake Country.
Those who prefer to stay on dry land can also hike through dozens of national and provincial parks or ride a horse under the endless skies in the grasslands. Even city slickers can find mountains to climb and waters to sail right in their own backyard.
HERITAGE AND CULTURE
First there were the Indigenous Peoples who fished, hunted and traded for some 10,000 years in what is now British Columbia. Then the Europeans arrived, followed by newcomers from Asia. Today, the three cultural strands are woven together here, vibrantly and indelibly.
First Nations culture is preserved in many galleries and museums, including the renowned UBC Museum of Anthropology (www.moa.ubc.ca), and thrives in authentic experiences such as the Kamloopa Powwow (www.indigenous bc.com). Stories of the Europeans who arrived to extract B.C.’s vast natural resources in the 18th and 19th centuries come to life in Barkerville, a former Gold Rush town turned living museum (www. barkerville.ca), or the Fort Langley National Historic Site (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/ langley). The Asian experience is captured in the historic Chinatowns of Victoria and Vancouver, as well as in the City of Richmond, with its modern Asian shopping malls (www.visitrichmondbc.com). And all three traditions come together at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/ gulfofgeorgiacannery).
MUST SEE, MUST DO
Climb the Via Ferrata—an “iron road” of cables, ladders and handholds up Whistler Mountain (www.whistler.com). Then swing over to Whistler’s Audain Art Museum to take in a remarkable collection of works by B.C. artists (www.audainartmuseum.com).
In Vancouver, take the foot passenger ferry across False Creek to Granville Island and its galleries, shops, restaurants, theatres and popular Public Market (www.granville island.com).
At the Great Bear Rainforest on B.C.’s northern coast, First Nations guides will take you on a search for the elusive white kermode spirit bear (www.spiritbear.com).
Go faster, higher, stronger at the Richmond Olympic Experience, North America’s first official member of the Olympic Museums Network (www.richmondoval.ca/therox).
Join a whale watching tour from Tofino. You’ll spot dolphins, orcas, sea lions and, if you’re lucky, majestic humpbacks frolicking in the waters off Vancouver Island (www. tourismtofino.com).
Taking tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel is a longstanding Victoria tradition. Even better? Cocktails. Stop by for the royal purple Q 1908 cocktail at the hotel’s chic Q Bar (www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria).
SCENIC DRIVES
From the rushing waters of Hell’s Gate to the First Nations heritage village of Tuckkwiowhum, the winding Fraser Canyon scenic drive along Highway 1 offers a thrill a minute, with delicious stops en route.
The open road of Route 97 takes you from the windswept grasslands of the Thompson River Valley cowboy country through the bountiful Okanagan Valley vineyards (www.route97.net).
The Pacific Marine Circle Route meanders from Cowichan Valley’s wineries to the towering rainforests of remote southwest Vancouver Island, with panoramic ocean views along the way (www.circleroute.ca).
Take the week-long Hot Springs Circle Route through the Kootenay Rockies and soak in the region’s spectacular mountain views as well as its mineral-rich hot springs.
For info on these and other driving trips visit: www.hellobc.com/travel-ideas/road-trips
FAMILY FUN
Little ones (and big ones, too!) will love meeting British Columba’s wilder residents. Whale watching off Vancouver Island is an epic adrenaline rush, but you can also hang with sea lions and other marine creatures at the Vancouver Aquarium (www.vanaqua.org). Learn about cougars and coyotes at the BC Wildlife Park in Kamloops (www.bcwildlife. org), go bug-eyed at the Victoria Bug Zoo (www.victoriabugzoo.ca) and The Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre in Prince George (www.theexplorationplace.com), or visit the resident grizzlies at Grouse Mountain (www.grousemountain.com).