British Columbia Destinations

Vancouver Island is a place of contrasts

By Malcolm McColl

Photo's By Malcolm McColl

Vancouver Island provides a host of contrasts.

One of the primary contrasts is cultural, between the area First Nations and those who came after.

The First Nations are people of the potlatch who express their national heritage through artistic endeavours that are hard to miss. Iconic art identifies First Nations communities.

This presence is found in dozens of separate locations on Vancouver Island, some of the thousands of smaller nearby islands and along the coast of mainland British Columbia.

You would be amazed at how many people once lived in places no longer considered fit for habitation. Many now-unpopulated islands once were the site of communities, while others were used for cultivation or for hunting and gathering.

In some of these remote locations, such as Hopetown and Gilford Island, a few band members living there are holding community extinction at bay.

At Kingcome Inlet, across Queen Charlotte Strait from the northeast end of Vancouver Island, 125 souls keep a solid First Nation footprint on the ground (even though the houses are on stilts).

Whale and bear-watching tours take visitors into places like Kingcome Inlet, Knight’s Inlet, Bute Inlet, Toba Inlet and Desolation Sound. Other ocean tours go around the top of Vancouver Island.

Duncan is a great place to see the cultural contrast in full bloom. This small city (population about 5,000) is the halfway point on the highway north from British Columbia’s capital, Victoria, to Nanaimo, the second largest community on Vancouver Island.

There are totem poles set around Duncan and they call it the City of Totems, but the real attraction is the Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre. It’s a re-created village beside the Cowichan River that is a beautiful representation of the past and present Cowichan Tribes community.

Weather provides other contrasts, creating a different lifestyle than anywhere else in Canada. In February, they are golfing at Sunnydale at the foot of Mount Washington, one of Vancouver Island’s main recreational areas, while at the top of same mountain they are downhill skiing.

One of the finest climates in Canada is boasted by Parksville, a Vancouver Island community bordered by the waters of the Strait of Georgia and sheltered by mountains.

Established in 1910 as a stop on the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railroad, the town was initially known as McBride Junction. It was named in honour of Nelson Parks, the first settler and first postmaster.

Parksville’s mild winters allow the leisurely exploration of tidal sand flats, coastal wildlife viewing, and year-round golf.

While Parksville and the island’s other sea-level communities rarely see snowfalls that stick around, in the mountains it is a different story. Mount Washington ski-hill has a thick snow-pack each year.

The temperate weather enhances the beauty of Vancouver Island, and it is always possible to visit its rainforest. Hiking, touring, fishing, and outdoor life continue on a year-round basis.