British Columbia

Travel Guide North America Canada British Columbia

Introduction

British Columbia

British Columbia's motto, Splendor sine occasu ("Splendour without diminishment") says it all. The natural beauty of the Rockie Mountains, the rugged coast along the Pacific Ocean, the history of Victoria or the big city vibe of Vancouver make British Columbia a big draw for travellers.

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Geography

British Columbia is the western most province in Canada, bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, Alberta on the east, by the American state of Alaska on its northwest, and to the north by the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, on and on the south by the US states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

British Columbia's coastline stretches for more than 27,000 kilometres, including deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. The Coast Mountains and Canadian Rockies run the length of the province.
More than three quarters of the province is considered mountainous; the Rocky Mountains run its length, flanked by a series of companion ranges. These are the Columbia, Monashee, Cariboo, Selkirk, Purcell, Cassiar, Omineca and Skeena ranges

Vancouver Island, the largest island off the west coast of British Columbia encompasses 31,284 square kilometres (12,076 square miles of land, approximately 29 times the size of Hong Kong.

As well as being the home of British Columbia's capital city, Victoria, the island boasts has one of the world's most diverse ecosystems, consisting of rainforests, marshes, meadows, beaches, mountains, oceans, rivers and lakes all of which provide homes for multitudes of wildlife species. Nestled between Georgia Strait and the mainland are the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. Each island has its own distinctive geography, ranging from pastorial, farmland and orchards, sandy beaches to rocky beaches and rugged cliffs.

British Columbia's large size and diverse geography means the climate can vary greatly from area to area. This creates wide variations in average hours of sunshine, rainfall, snowfall and temperatures, sometimes over very short distances. There is no "one size fits all" when discussing the geography and climate of British Columbia. British Columbia's geography ranges from temperate rain forest to the rugged and vast wilderness in northern areas of the province. From rain forest to lush agricultural areas, orchards, vineyards, grain fields, desert like areas of sand and rock formations with cacti and sagebrush, deep river valleys and tumbling waterfalls, towering mountains, glaciers, vast forests, rolling grasslands, and alpine tundra.

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Cities and Towns

Vancouver - largest city in British Columbia.
Victoria - capital of the province located at the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island.
Kamloops - tournament Capital of British Columbia located 4 hours from Vancouver, in the Thompson Valley of the Southern Interior.
Whistler - co-host of the 2010 Olympics, the ski resort of Whistler-Blackcomb is consistently ranked in the top 10 of ski-resorts world-wide, and the village of Whistler provides excellent apres-ski opportunities.
Kaslo - a small town located along the western shore of Kootenay Lake. The population is mostly comprised of tight knit locals and, in the summer, grudgingly necessary tourists. It is also near a few "off the grid" communities. They are definitely worth a visit, if you can convice someone to let you know where they are.
Prince George
Prince Rupert
Bella Coola
Fernie
Revelstoke
Village of Queen Charlotte - a small town loacated on Haida Gwaii (Canada's most remote archipelago).

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Sights

Rocky Mountaineer

The http://www.rockymountaineer.com|Rocky Mountaineer]] is two-day tour through the Canadian part of the Rocky Mountains. The train travels during the day, so you can enjoy the magnificent landscapes in the western part of this country, including canyons, rivers, valleys and glacial lakes. There are several trips possible, including the First Passage to the West route from Vancouver, British Columbia via Kamloops to Banff or Calgary in Alberta. Another one is the Journey through the Clouds route from Vancouver via Kamloops to Jasper, also in Alberta. The Rocky Mountaineer company also offers less popular but also spectacular trips to Whistler and Prince George, north of Vancouver, on the Rainforest to Gold Rush route (travelling via Prince George to Jasper) and Whistler Sea to Sky Climb, the latter being a daytrip from Vancouver.

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Activities

Fishing

Looking for a Summer Run Steelhead

British Columbia offers some of the best fishing opportunities in the World for all ages and styles.
From the renowned salmon runs of the Fraser River to the superb still water lake fisheries of the BC interior, Spectacular Alpine Lakes, and the Saltwater fishery of the Pacific Coast, the diversity and breathtaking scenery will satisfy the most seasoned angler as well as the first time fisherman/woman.
BC Fishing Resorces:

BC Parks and Recreation Fishing and Hunting Information
The GoFishBC - Everything related to Freshwater Fishing and enjoying BC's outdoors
The AnglingBC Site has good information but has a lot of ads.

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Events and Festivals

2010 Winter Olympics

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Weather

Parts of British Columbia have a climate which is more comparable to the UK than to Canada. This is especially true for the southwestern parts where Vancouver is located. Summers here are pleasantly warm, between 20 °C and 23 °C while even winters on average are above zero with occasionally colder nights of around -10 °C. More to the north and especially inland though, winters can be much colder (down to -50 °C has been recorded) and there is often heavy snow in the mountains. The coastline is one of the wetter areas in Canada, with heavy showers year round. Though on the opposite side, some valleys can have very little precipitation througout the year, less than 400 mm in some cases.

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Getting There

By Plane

Vancouver International Airport (international airport code: YVR) is in Richmond, British Columbia, approximately 15 kilometres from downtown Vancouver. The airport has service from a number of international airlines, and an extensive network of flights to Asia and the Pacific.

By Train

Domestic
The Canadian operates by ViaRail travels between Vancouver and Toronto. The Skeena travels from Jasper, Alberta to Prince Rupert along the Pacific Coast of British Columbia.
International
The Amtrak Cascades travels between Vancouver and Seattle, Portland and Eugene in the United States.

By Car

By Bus

Check Greyhound for details about services throughout Canada.

By Boat

There are several options of getting to British Columbia from both Alaska and Washington State in the United States:

Coho Ferry: Port Angeles, Washington - Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria Express: Port Angeles - Victoria and San Juan Islands - Victoria
Victoria Clipper: Seattle - Victoria
Alaska Marine Highway System: Alaska - British Columbia

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Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

The Skeena operates between a number of places in British Columbia before ending in Prince Rupert. The Canadian stops in a few places as well. The Malahat travels across Vancouver Island.