You are here Home | Canadian Info | British Columbia

BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada's westernmost province, harbors Pacific beaches, forested islands, year-round skiing, world-class fishing-a wealth of outdoor action and beauty. The people of the province are a similarly heterogeneous mix: descendants of the original Native American peoples and 19th-century British and European settlers and more recent immigrants from Asia and Eastern Europe. From Anglophile Victoria to the recreated Native American village of 'Ksan, B.C.'s towns reflect the vigor of its inhabitants.

Canada's third-largest province (only Quebec and Ontario are bigger), British Columbia occupies almost 10 % of Canada's total surface area, stretching from the Pacific Ocean eastward to the province of Alberta, and from the U.S. border north to the Yukon and Northwest Territories. It spans more than 360,000 square miles, making it larger than every American state except Alaska.

But size alone doesn't account for British Columbia's popularity. Even easterners, content in the fact that Ontario and Quebec form the industrial heartland of Canada, admit that British Columbia is the most spectacular part of the nation, with salmon-rich waters, abundant coastal scenery, and stretches of snow-capped peaks.

The region's natural splendor has ironically become the source of conflict. For more than a century, logging companies have depended on the abundant supply of British Columbia timber, and whole towns are still centered on the industry. But environmentalists and many residents see the logging industry as a threat to the natural surroundings. Compromises have been achieved in recent years, but the issue is far from resolved.

The province used to be very British and predictable, reflecting its colonial heritage; but no longer. Vancouver, for example, has become an international city whose relaxed lifestyle is spiced by a rich and varied cultural scene embracing large Chinese, Japanese, Italian, and Greek communities. Even Vancouver Island's Victoria, which clings with restrained passion to British traditions and lifestyles, has undergone an international metamorphosis in recent years.

No matter how modern the province may appear, evidence remains of the earliest settlers: Pacific Coast natives (Haida, Kwakiutl, Nootka, Salish, and others) who occupied the land for more than 12,000 years before the first Europeans arrived en masse in the late 19th century.

Today's native residents often face social barriers that have kept them from the mainstream of the province's rich economy. Although some have gained university educations and have fashioned careers, many are just now beginning to make demands on the normative population.

In dispute are thousands of square miles of land claimed as aboriginal territory, some of which is within such major cities as Vancouver, Prince George, and Prince Rupert. Although the issue of ownership re- mains undecided, British Columbia's roots show throughout the province, from such native arts as wood-carved objects and etched-sil- ver jewelry in small-town boutiques to authentic culinary delights from traditional recipes in big-city dining establishments.

British Columbia Alberta Ontario New Brunswick
Saskatchewan Manitoba Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island Newfoundland Canada