THE BRITISH COLUMBIA EFFECT
REJUVENATE ALONG CANADA’S WILD, WONDERFUL WEST COAST
They call it “The British Columbia Effect” — the sense of rejuvenation and renewal that takes place for anyone who explores Canada’s big west coast province.
Way beyond snapping a selfie with a thousandyear-old Douglas fir, sampling some of the world’s best food and wine, or photographing grizzly bears in the wild, a visit to British Columbia awakens your connection with nature, resets perspectives and refreshes your life balance.
“British Columbia is world renowned for epic nature, for its deeply rooted Indigenous culture, and for the unique west coast cultural blend of adventure and spirituality embodied by many who live here,” says Fiona Beaty of the Átl’k_a7tsem/ Howe Sound Marine Stewardship Initiative, which helps preserve a coastal area near Vancouver.
“It has huge appeal to travelers keen to explore and push their boundaries with adrenaline sports and novel recreation, but also draws those who seek tranquility and a grounded retreat from the chaos that life brings from time to time.”
Locals agree. “It can feel like you’re a world away without being a world away,” says Crystal Solberg, who lives and works along the scenic Sunshine Coast. “When you just need to escape for a few days and breathe, this is the place to do it.”
Vancouver consistently ranks among the top 10 global cities with the best quality of life – this vibe flows through the entire province, where sustainability is woven into everyday life rather than some vague future goal, where doctors are able to prescribe national park passes so that people with mental and physical ailments can spend time in the great outdoors, and where the age-old wisdom of Canada’s Indigenous people complements modern, 21st-century life.
“Variety, vast and generally vacant,” is how Chris Skinner of Playwest Mountain Experience describes his province. “BC is massive and offers everything from the temperate rainforests of Vancouver Island to the majestic Columbia Mountains to the east. Wide swaths of land with little to no people just waiting to be explored. I’m always amazed at the variety when I drive across the province.”
How do you tap into The BC Effect? Take your pick — cities, ocean, mountains, rainforest, wildlife. Sometimes all those things during a single trip.
“You can go snowboarding, bike riding, wine tasting, and paddle boarding all in one day — what’s better than that?” says Georgia
McConnell, general manager of E-Kruise, a bike rental company.
BC’s Gateway — Vibrant, Variety-Packed Vancouver
Just a three-hour non-stop flight from Los Angeles, Vancouver is BC’s main gateway. The province’s largest city is already a foodie hotspot – in fact, in the latest survey from Open Table, the Vancouver metro area scored more of Canada’s top 100 restaurants than any other city.
Vancouver’s restaurant scene ranges from traditional steakhouses, oyster bars, and gastropubs to cutting-edge concepts like Botanist on the downtown waterfront, where the menus revolve around sustainably sourced seafood and organically farmed produce from small local supplies.
Metro Vancouver's international flavors are the focus of the Dumpling Trail through the Chinese eateries of Richmond and a Surrey Spice Trail that doubles as a globetrotting journey through the wide world of food.
Vancouver’s outdoor lifestyle – everything from urban hiking and biking to sailing, paddleboarding and scuba diving – is aided and abetted by a mild oceanic climate that generates more than 280 days of sunshine each year. Meanwhile, Vancouver is well on its way to becoming the world’s greenest city by reducing waste and pollution, promoting sustainable buildings, and decreasing traffic.
The city is also a great base for exploring nearby communities and landscapes. For instance, Vancouver-based BeWild! Adventures offers a variety of day trips in the Sea-to-Sky corridor including a popular Waterfalls & Whistler tour and guided hikes at scenic Garibaldi Lake and Elfin Lakes. “Heck, go for a hike then feel guilt free on the next foodie tour,” says Amber Rittinger of BeWIld! Adventures.
It’s also easy to hop aboard BC Ferries to Vancouver Island for a hike or bike along a coastal trail or a visit to Victoria, celebrated for its majestic architecture and world-famous The Butchart Gardens.
Wildlife and Rainforest Along the BC Coast
The effects of BC nature can be felt all the way up the coast. Stretching all the way from Washington State to Alaska, British Columbia’s shoreline stretches an incredible five times more than California! The coast features legendary rainforest as well as grizzly bears, bald eagles, orcas and humpback whales. There’s also the Zen-like mood that comes with catching a whiff
of the sea breeze while hiking a secluded beach, paddling along a wilderness shore, or waking up beside the ocean.
As British Columbians can attest, nowhere are you more present and in the moment than when you’re immersed in nature. Expectantly holding your breath as you wait for the natural world to stir: A majestic grizzly emerging from the foliage along a rushing river, a bald eagle swooping across the surface of a lake, that telltale waterjet from an orca’s blowhole, and the sublime calm that sinks in as you become aware of your surroundings.
From its bases in Vancouver and Victoria, Prince of Whales dispatches marine mammal cruises that might include sightings of everything from orcas and humpback whales to Dall’s porpoise, Pacific white-sided dolphins, Steller sea lions and bald eagles.
Into the Wild — BC’s Endless Mountains
Rolling inland from the coast is BC’s rugged interior: ancient landscapes that offer an opportunity to reflect on flora, fauna, weather, and the time it took to push the granite peaks to such tremendous heights. From the Pacific Coast Range to the mighty Canadian Rockies, the province boasts 10 major ranges and some of Canada’s highest peaks.
Four national parks — Yoho and Kootenay in the Canadian Rockies, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke in the Columbia Mountains — highlight the rugged BC interior. Majestic summits, alpine meadows and pristine forests are also protected, ranging from Wells Gray with its 41 waterfalls to Garibaldi on the awesome Sea-to-Sky route north of Vancouver.
Many of the parks are best explored with a rental car on road trips lasting a week or more. The province offers several classic routes including a mountain-and-valley cruise along the Trans-Canada Highway to historic Kamloops and onwards to Nakusp and Nelson, or an epic drive along Route 97 from the Okanagan Valley to Prince George, Dawson Creek and the Liard River Valley at the top end of BC.
Whether you linger for a couple of days or longer, there’s always plenty to keep you busy. True to its name, Playwest Mountain Experience provides a range of high-country adventures in the Invermere and Columbia Valley area. Hike a Stanley Glacier trek and Bear Discovery in
“Of the many hikes in the southern interior region of BC, the Bugaboo Provincial Park area is an incredible place to hike,” says Chris Skinner of Playwest. “The granite spires are similar to that of El Cap [in Yosemite Valley] and are incredibly breathtaking — but without the people.”
Indigenous Experiences in BC
Quaaout Lodge & Spa offers an entirely different take on backcountry BC. Owned and operated by the Little Shuswap Lake Band, the waterfront resort near Kamloops features a familiar luxury with unique experiences: Guests can also take part in a Shuswap smudge ceremony to vanquish negative energy and invite peace and harmony into one’s life, explore the outdoors with an Indigenous guide, or attend a storytelling session in a traditional kekuli pit house.
Another place to immerse yourself in Indigenous culture is the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre near Osoyoos, the centerpiece of a 1,600acre conservation area created by the Osoyoos Indian Band that safeguards one of Canada’s most endangered ecosystems.
Over on the coast, Klahoose Wilderness Resort offers an Indigenous nature experience that blends traditional songs and storytelling with sea kayaking, rainforest walks, stargazing, and guided nature viewing at Toba Inlet with sustainable practices like the resort’s new hydro-electric power system.
“BC stands out due to the Indigenous experiences that are available, authentic and ready to welcome visitors,” says Klahoose tourism manager Chris Tait. “It’s something unique . . . tourism that is regenerative where both guests and host benefit from the experience.”
Supporting Indigenous-owned businesses and outfitters is one way to gain a deeper understanding of their heritage, sustain cultural legacies, and support Reconciliation. It’s also a way to learn about how sustainability has become more than just a buzzword in BC: Environmental protection and land stewardship have always been central to the philosophy and way of life for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.
That’s exactly what many of today’s travelers seek. Increasingly aware and concerned about their own impact on the planet, more and more people are trying to travel in ways that leave less footprint. With an ever-growing menu of sustainable tourism activities, BC offers various ways for the conscientious traveler to combine adventure, legitimate conservation, and learning more about the natural world.
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