Into The Wilderness

Back in the 1860s, gold was discovered up in the Cariboo region, and the Rush was on. Today, people are more likely to visit the wide open spaces of B.C.’s interior for unparalleled wilderness experiences. That could mean bear watching, fly fishing in a rushing river, paddling through the still waters of the Bowron Lakes, camping out under the northern lights or panning for gold in Barkerville Historic Town and Park. 

What’s New? 

Vancouver, for the first time, has Michelin-starred restaurants with nine restaurants making the cut. In the contemporary category, AnnaLena, Barbara, Burdock & Co and Published on Main were included. Kissa Tanto, Okeya Kyujiro and Masayoshi all serve Japanese cuisine while iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House are known for Chinese dishes. St. Lawrence, a marriage of classic French cuisine and the gastronomic culture of Les Québécois, completes the list.

The new Malahat SkyWalk is located about half an hour north of Victoria and features a spiral tower 250 metres above sea level with a sweeping panorama of Mt. Baker, Finlayson Arm and the Saanich Peninsula. Choose your descent with a return walk down the ramp or take the fast route on the Spiral Slide (www.malahatskywalk.com).

The Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver has moved to its permanent home in the Wing Sang Building. It features a national exhibition called The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, marking the centennial of the start of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923.

In Whistler, the Fitzsimmons Express chairlift is now upgraded from a 4-person high speed chair to an 8-person high speed chair.

On famous Powder Highway, Panorama Mountain Resort has added more attractions: a new mountain coaster and aerial adventure park (panoramaresort.com).

City Lights 

Beauty and personality—Vancouver has it all. Think craft beer and food truck festivals, yoga on the beach and glitzy shopping destinations such as North America’s only McArthurGlen Designer Outlet (www.mcarthurglen.com). Embraced by the ocean and mountains, the city features a livable mix of high-rises and heritage homes, graceful gardens and funky neighbourhoods. At its heart is the lushly forested 400-ha (1,000-acre) Stanley Park, one of the world’s great urban parks. But Vancouver is also the glittering glass towers of downtown; the multicultural neighbourhoods of Chinatown, Little Italy and Little India; the hipster cool of Gastown and the trendy restaurants of Kitsilano; as well as attractions including Science World, the North Shore ski hills and Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (www.destinationvancouver.com).

Across the Strait of Georgia, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a city of historic charm, passionate foodies and endless outdoor activities. It is considered by many to be Canada’s most cycling-friendly city, and is home to several spectacular gardens, including the world-renowned Butchart Gardens, which celebrates its 120th anniversary this year. Many of the city’s attractions cluster around the bustling Inner Harbour, including the floating homes of Fisherman’s Wharf, the Royal BC Museum and the neo-baroque BC Parliament Buildings (www.tourismvictoria.com).

Head inland to the Okanagan Valley and you’ll come to Kelowna, a bustling centre of commerce, technological innovation and wine culture (www.tourismkelowna.com). 

The Great Outdoors 

In British Columbia, the great outdoors truly is just that—great: from ocean playground to mountain peaks, windswept plains and fertile farmland. 

Head for the hills. This mountainous province boasts 13 major ski resorts (and many smaller ones) with epic powder, heart-stopping descents and pristine backcountry bowls, as well as miles of trails for those who prefer skinny skis and snowshoes. In summer, the resorts turn their lifts and trails over to daredevil mountain bikers and hikers eager to explore the alpine meadows.

But you don’t have to climb a mountain to find adventure here. Awash as it is with rivers, lakes and the Pacific Ocean, B.C. is popular for water sport enthusiasts. You can sail alongside orcas in Desolation Sound, paddle the Bowron Lakes, raft down the Fraser Canyon, surf the waves near Tofino or cast for trout in Lake Country. 

Those who prefer to stay on dry land can also hike through dozens of national and provincial parks or ride a horse under the endless skies in the grasslands. Even city slickers can find mountains to climb and waters to sail right in their own backyard.

Heritage And Culture 

First there were the Indigenous Peoples who fished, hunted and traded for some 10,000 years in what is now British Columbia. Then the Europeans arrived, followed by newcomers from Asia. Today, the three cultural strands are woven together here, vibrantly and indelibly.

First Nations culture is preserved in many galleries and museums, including the renowned UBC Museum of Anthropology (www.moa.ubc.ca), and thrives in authentic experiences such as the Kamloopa Powwow (www.tkemlups.ca/kamloopa-powwow). Stories of the Europeans who arrived to extract B.C.’s vast natural resources in the 18th and 19th centuries come to life in Barkerville, a former Gold Rush town turned living museum (www.barkerville.ca), or the Fort Langley National Historic Site (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/langley). The Asian experience is captured in the historic Chinatowns of Victoria and Vancouver, as well as in the City of Richmond, with its modern Asian shopping malls (www.visitrichmondbc.com). And all three traditions come together at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site (www.parkscanada.gc.ca/gulfofgeorgiacannery).

Must See, Must Do 

Climb the Via Ferrata—an “iron road” of cables, ladders and handholds up Whistler Mountain (www.whistler.com). Then swing over to Whistler’s Audain Art Museum to take in a remarkable collection of works by B.C. artists (www.audainartmuseum.com). 

In Vancouver, take the foot passenger ferry across False Creek to Granville Island and its galleries, shops, restaurants, theatres and popular Public Market (www.granvilleisland.com).

At the Great Bear Rainforest on British Columbia’s northern coast, First Nations guides will take you on a search for the elusive white kermode spirit bear (www.spiritbear.com).

Go faster, higher, stronger at the Richmond Olympic Experience, North America’s first official member of the Olympic Museums Network (www.olympicexperience.ca).

Join a whale watching tour from Tofino. You’ll spot dolphins, orcas, sea lions and, if you’re lucky, majestic humpbacks frolicking in the waters off Vancouver Island (www.tourismtofino.com).

Taking tea at the Fairmont Empress Hotel is a longstanding Victoria tradition. Even better? Cocktails. Stop by for the royal purple Q 1908 cocktail at the hotel’s chic Q Bar (www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria).