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BRITISH COLUMBIA

Beautiful B.C,

First Impressions

My first impression of BC couldn't have been better. The year was 1978 and the temperature in Cold Lake, Alta. where I was living at the time, was minus 40°. The air was crisp and the visibility about twenty feet through the ice fog. I had to hitch-hike to Edmonton to catch my flight to Vancouver. Shortly after getting on board at Edmonton's frozen Civic Airport, I was on the West Coast.

Vancouver was wonderful. Everything was green; the grass, the hedges and bushes and many of the trees. The temperature was about plus 40°F. with a light warm mist in the air. As I walked to my brother's home wearing my Canadian Forces uniform, complete with heavy winter boots and great coat, I knew that British Columbia was for me.

Later Impressions

We moved to Merville between Campbell River and Courtenay in June, 1981, when I got a posting to 407 Sqn. at CFB Comox. Our home was an older house on 3/4 of an acre, more grass than we could keep cut and it never quit growing, summer or winter. We had to put in a big garden just to make less grass to cut. We could cycle to the beaches in the area, easy access to a number of good golf courses, and a great view of Mount Washington. In winter, or as I prefer to call it, "wet season", we could ski up on Mount Washington, or golf, or hike in the rain forest all during the same day. If there was any time left over, we could catch some salmon out on the salt chuck, (Georgia Straight) Try that any place else.

Final Impression

Vancouver Island is beautiful. The lifestyle is laid back and mostly rural. City living is available in centres such as Victoria, Nanaimo and Courtenay/Comox but most Islanders live there for a less stressful way of life. I found it a little too relaxed and it is not easy to get off the Island. So now, we live in Surrey, in the Lower Mainland. Now, to go along with the beautiful scenery, we can enjoy a much more active lifestyle. Surrey is "The City of Parks" and some of the parks are wonderful. There is not much of a "downtown" or at least not yet, but there is an abundance of dining, entertainment and shopping. Big city lifestyle is a short Skytrain ride away in Vancouver, an exciting world class city.

I still enjoy the mild winters here on the "wet coast". I don't think we have four seasons as do most other places. We have wet season and dry season. Some people are put off by the long damp wet season. I feel, if it is raining, it is warm. After all, we do live in a rain forest. However, when it is still cool and raining around Easter, I fondly remember the wonderful Good Friday hikes I used to take around Red Hill Creek in Hamilton as a kid. It was usually quite warm and sunny and the bees were buzzing in the wild golden rod in the fields. But, here in the lower mainland, the early spring flowers are out while Hamilton is still under a blanket of snow.

Politics:

Ah, politics. That is one of the real charms about this province and it makes things very interesting. I am always amazed when people tell me they have no interest in politics. Here in BC, politics is always happening and it is sometimes a blood sport. We have left and right, multi-cultural and melting-pot, pro and con aborigional treaty rights. Even within the various divisions, we have radically divirgent politics, such as the split between the moderates and the fundamentalists in the Sikh community. There are federalists and those who oppose Ottawa at every turn. BC is home to many powerful environmental movements and social and peace activists, from Greenpeace to the Raging Grannies. On the other hand, BC is home to the Fraser Insitute and powerful mining and forestry interests. There is Big Labour, Big Government ...and Big Business. Free Choice and Pro-Life, GALE and the Surrey School Board. There is also a Cascadia movement promoting a north-south alignment from Alaska to California with the Rocky Mountains as the eastern boundary, rather than the current east-west alignment with the rest of Canada. After almost twenty years in British Columbia, politics will seem very dull anywhere else.

That's enough from me. Here a few links to enjoy.

Government of British Columbia. Links to all gov't departments and agencies.

British Columbia Archives History and photos of BC from the Archives in Victoria

City of Vancouver. This is the official page for BC's biggest city.

Surrey-City of Parks. Once the butt of many bad jokes, Surrey is coming of age.

Virtual Vancouver. This is an extremely well researched and designed sight. Required viewing for anyone planning a visit to Vancouver for any reason whether from China, Australia -- or Burnaby. Also information here for other lower mainland centres too.

Vancouver Scenes: This is a must see. Sit back, relax and enjoy this beautiful photo essay with musical back ground.