The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
The country with a royal seal of approval
When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – complete with Prince George and Princess Charlotte – touch down in British Columbia today, they are continuing a royal tradition. Sixty-five years ago, the then Princess Elizabeth first visited Canada. Since then, as Queen, she has returned no fewer than 22 times, seeing each of the 10 provinces and three territories. Photo albums marked “Canada” must take up a lot of space on the palace bookshelves.
No other country boasts so many visits by the Queen. And that is no surprise: there is always more to see and do in the world’s second-largest country. As well as outdoor adventures, there is wildlife worthy of a David Attenborough film, plus lively cities and terrific food and wine. And all set against a cultural backdrop of the First Nations peoples, early settlers from Europe and more recent newcomers from around the world.
The Duke and Duchess land in Victoria, “BC’s” capital and a real charmer. At the grandiose greendomed Legislature, they will be welcomed with an honour guard. Visitors generally don’t get that, but they are allowed to have breakfast in the official Parliamentary Dining Room. After a tour, it is just a short stroll to the harbour, busy with ferries, sea kayaks and whalewatching boats, heading out to see black-and-white orca, as well as their cetacean cousins.
On land, bears top many wish lists. One of the best places to spy on them is the Great Bear Rainforest. Getting there is part of the thrill, especially if you do as the Royals do and fly in by float plane. Larger than Scotland, this important ecosystem shelters black bears, grizzlies and the intriguing, naturally white “spirit” bears. Long before the Europeans arrived, First Nations tribes lived on this stretch of the Pacific Coast. One, the Haida, is particularly famous for its art. Their totem poles may be a souvenir too far; more affordable and portable are contemporary textiles, jewellery and masks. Motifs include the eagle, orca and raven (like the tattoo on the arm of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau). The Royals are popping over to mistily beautiful Haida Gwaii, the tribal home, 60 miles offshore. On what were formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, you can learn all about the culture at the first-rate Haida Heritage Centre in Skidegate. Then paddle off in a sea kayak or, like the Royals, fish for salmon. Salmon is