Timeless Canada

This sprawling province includes some of the last true wilderness in North America – and the chance to enjoy it from a kayak, sailboat, floatplane, or hiking path before bedding down at a high-style lodge or a back-to-nature campsite.

Almost half of British Columbia’s population lives in Vancouver. Canada’s third-largest city is a centre of Pacific Rim Trade – 10,000 vessels pass through the busy port each year, while more than 220 cruise ships dock at Canada Place. Yet even from the centre of this metropolis, it is only a half-hour journey to the hiking trails or ski hills of the North Shore.

The capital city of Victoria is similarly situated in a place here visitors can choose between an afternoon of shopping or whale-watching, a trip to the Royal British Columbia Museum or a trip to the temperate rainforest.

For decades, British Columbia’s economy has been based on the harvesting and export of natural resources. Now ecotourism is steadily gaining ground. White-water rafting sweeps visitors down the Fraser Canyon and new trails allow access to pristine forests such as Clayoquot Sound.