Vancouver Island

This idyllic piece of Canada was formed under a tropical sea millions of years ago. Over millennia it hesitantly drifted northward and eventually collided with North America. Maybe that’s why it remains a paradise. It is the largest Island on the east coast of the Pacific.

The Island is a place of contrast. It is home of the driest summer weather in Canada and some of the wettest and snowiest winters. There are steep sided mountains that reach 7,200 feet (2,200 metres) and pristine beaches that feel almost tropical. The mountains hold vast forests of Douglas fir, yellow and red cedar and Sitka spruce.

Vancouver Island has a long First Nation history and artefacts of their traditional way of life can still be found. Europeans arrived first to trade for furs and later for timber, minerals and fish, dominant industries for most of Vancouver Island’s modern history. The resource industries have faded in recent years. Today Vancouver Island is a major tourist destination. They still come for the salmon fishing, but more and more visitors are looking for wilderness and outdoor adventure. Sea kayaking and wildlife viewing are big draws.