Gulf Islands in Canada

2 November 2023 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, Environment Reading Time:  10 minutes

View from Baynes Peak on Saltspring Island © Michal Klajban/cc-by-sa-4.0

View from Baynes Peak on Saltspring Island © Michal Klajban/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Gulf Islands is a group of islands in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia. The name “Gulf Islands” comes from “Gulf of Georgia“, the original term used by George Vancouver in his mapping of the southern part of the archipelago and which before the San Juan Island dispute also was taken to include what have since been called the San Juan Islands. While geopolitically divided, the San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands geologically form part of the larger Gulf Archipelago.   read more…

Victoria in British Columbia

15 June 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  13 minutes

The Empress © Miladlaferrari/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Empress © Miladlaferrari/cc-by-sa-3.0

Victoria, the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, is on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada’s Pacific coast. The city has a population of 86,000, while the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria has a population of 383,000, making it the 15th most populous Canadian metropolitan area. The city of Victoria is the 7th most densely populated city in Canada with 4,405.8 people per square kilometre, which is a greater population density than Toronto, Ontario. Victoria is the southernmost major city in Western Canada, and is about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from British Columbia’s largest city of Vancouver on the mainland. The city is about 100 km (60 mi) from Seattle by airplane, ferry, or the Victoria Clipper passenger-only ferry which operates daily, year round between Seattle and Victoria, and 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Port Angeles, Washington, by ferry Coho across the Strait of Juan de Fuca.   read more…

Vancouver in British Columbia

7 March 2016 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  < 1 minute

© flickr.com - High Diver/cc-by-sa-2.0

© flickr.com – High Diver/cc-by-sa-2.0

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia in Canada. he population is at 604,000 in the city, making it the eighth largest Canadian municipality. The Greater Vancouver area of around 2.4 million inhabitants is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country, the second largest city on the , and the most populous in Western Canada. Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada; 52% of its residents have a first language other than English. Vancouver is classed as a Beta global city. The City of Vancouver encompasses a land area of about 114 square kilometres, giving it a population density of about 5,249 people per square kilometre (13,590 per square mile). Vancouver is the most densely populated Canadian municipality, and the fourth most densely populated city with over 250,000 residents in North America, behind New York City, San Francisco, and Mexico City. Vancouver is consistently named as one of the top five worldwide cities for livability and quality of life, and the Economist Intelligence Unit acknowledged it as the first city to rank among the top-ten of the world’s most liveable cities for five consecutive years.   read more…

Vancouver Island in British Columbia

10 April 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Oak Bay © flickr.com - rpaterso/cc-by-sa-2.0

Oak Bay © flickr.com – rpaterso/cc-by-sa-2.0

Vancouver Island, located in British Columbia, Canada, is the largest Pacific island east of New Zealand. Originally called Quadra and Vancouver Island after Spanish navigator Juan de la Bodega y Quadra and British navy officer George Vancouver, the island was first explored by British and Spanish expeditions in the late 18th century. The former’s name was eventually dropped and it has since been known solely as Vancouver Island. It is one of several North American locations named after this British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794. While the city of Vancouver is located on the North American mainland, Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is located on the island.   read more…

Tofino auf Vancouver Island

21 March 2014 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Sunset © Nicolas Lamarche Lauzon/cc-by-2.5

Sunset © Nicolas Lamarche Lauzon/cc-by-2.5

Tofino is a district of about 1,876 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, located at the western terminus of Highway 4, on the tip of the Esowista Peninsula, at the southern edge of Clayoquot Sound (UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). The settlement of Tofino first acquired the name in 1909 with the opening of the Tofino Post Office, named in association with Tofino Inlet nearby. Tofino Inlet was named in 1792 by the Spanish commanders Galiano and Valdés, in honour of Admiral Vicente Tofiño, under whom Galiano had learned cartography. A popular tourist destination in the summer, Tofino’s population swells to many times its winter size. It attracts surfers, nature lovers, campers, whale watchers, fishermen, or anyone just looking to be close to nature. In the winter it is not as bustling, although many people visit Tofino and the west coast to watch storms on the water. Close to Tofino is Long Beach, a scenic and popular year-round destination, at the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Nearby Maquinna Marine Provincial Park, with its natural hot springs, is located about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Tofino and is also a popular day-trip destination for tourists although it is only reachable by boat or float plane.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top