WONDROUS WILDLIFE
OUR BEST OF B.C. TOUR EXPLORES MORE MARVELS
WHISTLER — AN ALL-SEASON RESORT
Whistler is the No. 1 Ski Destination in North America, but there's more fun to be had in Whistler than just on the slopes.
Whatever your speed, from bobsledding on the world's fastest track to lounging in an outdoor spa, everyone can enjoy Whistler, including youngsters and the family dog.
Hop on the three-kilometre Peak2Peak gondola, which is the longest unsupported gondola line in the world. One of the trams, the silver special, has a glass floor that increases your chances of wildlife spotting.
Grab a bevy by the Olympic Rings and do a little people watching. One non-skier advantage is nabbing the best spot on one of Whistler's mountainside patios near a heat lamp with a great view— before everyone comes down from the mountain.
And indoors, the Audain Art Museum's 55,000-squarefoot building is a work of art unto itself.
Although numerous lodgings in Whistler come with full kitchens, nightlife could include visiting (but not for long) an ice-cold and bluehued vodka room before splurging on haute cuisine.
Jane Mundy
HAIDA GWAII — ISLANDS AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
This sea-swept archipelago off B.C.'s northern coast is renowned for its natural beauty, abundant marine life, and unique First Nations culture and artistry. Called Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai, the “Islands at the Edge of the World” in the language of its early inhabitants, the westernmost point in Canada should be high on any adventurous traveller's bucket list.
Often compared to the Galapagos Islands for its evolutionary unique flora and fauna, remote Haida Gwaii is home to millions of sea birds, a distinct species of black bear and lush rainforests thick with giant Sitka spruce and red cedar, from which master Haida carvers fashioned their world-famous totem poles.
Orcas and Pacific whitesided dolphins patrol the waters off its coastlines, and enormous colonies of sea mammals and migrating populations of salmon and halibut thrive just offshore, making these islands a world-class sport-fishing destination.
For thousands of years, Haida fishers launched their enormous dugout canoes into Haida Gwaii's storm-pummelled waters, providing food for their clans who occupied coastal bays and inlets. Their descendants have made determined efforts to preserve, respect and renew their homeland and millennia-old culture and traditions. Today they invite visitors to respectfully experience the still hidden world of the Eagle and Raven clans.
Mark Sissons
GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST — HOME OF THE SPIRIT BEAR
Named for the grizzlies, American black bears and Kermode or Spirit bears (a black bear born with a recessive gene that produces cream-coloured fur) that inhabit its thickly forested islands and inlets, the world's largest coastal temperate rainforest stretches from the northern tip of Vancouver Island to the Alaska border.
Twice the size of Africa's Serengeti, the Great Bear Rainforest is also home to countless species of birds, marine life and other mammals, including sea wolves that hunt salmon from streams and swim like sea otters.
Environmentalists first coined the name “Great Bear Rainforest” in the 1990s, partly to draw attention to their efforts to preserve its old-growth forests from industrial logging. In 2006, an agreement between the B.C. government and a coalition of conservationists, loggers, hunters and First Nations established a 400-kilometre-long protected coastal area.
Today, you can explore this magnificent coastline from an eco-lodge or by boat, cruising up thickly forested fiords lined with snow-capped peaks and visiting isolated First Nations communities.
While whales, sea wolves, dolphins and grizzlies are plentiful, the elusive Spirit bear — estimated to now only number around 400 individuals — only emerges from the forests of Princess Royal and Gribble Islands during fall salmon spawning season.
Mark Sissons
VICTORIA — THE GARDEN CITY WITH A SPECTACULAR INNER HARBOUR
Savvy travellers prefer the autumn when summer crowds have gone and the temperature is ideal for strolling its many gardens and Beacon Hill Park — Victoria is the garden city after all. Sure it's touristy, but Butchart Gardens never disappoints.
Take a crisp morning stroll along the loop: Start at the Inner Harbour, wind around James Bay to Dallas Road and the breakwater, take a left on Cook Street and stop for a coffee in Cook Street Village. Shortcut back through Beacon Hill Park or keep going along Cook to Fort Street and culinary stores.
Later, browse the historic warehouse district, pop into the iconic Capital Iron that has been selling everything forever, and sidle up to the bar at one of several craft breweries.
And the shopping — many local designers showcase their wares, from clothing to crafts to fine art. Thrift shops abound on Lower Johnson, affectionately called LoJo, and there is a huge Value Village on Store Street.
The food scene is nothing short of amazing. In the notso-distant past, a posh meal in Victoria usually meant French or Italian — and imported wine — from only a few decent restaurants. Now eateries are competing with each other to serve the best farm- and forest-to-table cuisine focusing on everything local.
Victoria is steeped in history, and for a crash course, sign up for one of several guided walking tours to delve into the past or visit heritage neighbourhoods such as James Bay with an architecture focus.
Jane Mundy
HARRISON HOT SPRINGS — A BEACHSIDE WEEKEND
Yes, you can have a beach vacation on the shores of Lake Harrison, two hours outside Vancouver. It was the nicest, quietest stay our family has ever had.
The Sts'Ailes were called to these traditional “healing waters” long before “St. Alice's Well” enticed settlers in the 1880s. The hot springs still draw families to the village's shallow sandy beaches and mountain scenery, gelato shops and playground sets.
Try easy hikes to nearby Bridal Falls, beach picnics, and soaking in open-air mineral pools at charming Harrison Hot Springs Resort. Or go for the water sports: kayaking, swimming, boat tours and fishing.
Heading home, stop roadside for corn, field-fresh berries, fruits, eggs and flowers.
Finish up at The Farm House Natural Cheeses in Agassiz, with ice cream for kids and artisan goat cheese for you (the Provencal chèvre's a soft cloud) — before hitting the highway for home, sand still in your toes.
Elaine O'Connor
NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND —
WHALE WATCHING AND WILDLIFE TOURS
Few destinations can boast having more wildlife than people, but northern Vancouver Island is one of them. Bears, cougars, whales and wolves are some of the creatures you'll find in this largely undeveloped region with fewer than 150,000 residents.
But the people who do live here are often just as fascinating as the animals, from hardy loggers living off the evergreen forests, to self-reliant types who don't miss urban amenities, to Indigenous people eager to share their rich culture.
Whether it's going on a wildlife tour with an Indigenous guide from Sea Wolf Cultural Adventures, admiring masks and other artifacts at the U'mista Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, or searching for sea otters with the newest business in the area — Coastal Rainforest Safaris — experiencing First Nations culture is an unforgettable highlight.
Nature lovers will want to hike into Cape Scott Provincial Park to camp on a sandy beach at the edge of the rainforest. Those seeking more First Nations culture will enjoy The Kwa'lilas Hotel in Port Hardy. And for hedonists, nothing beats Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort.
Suzanne Morphet