| British Columbia Colombie-Britannique | |||||
| |||||
| Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: "Splendour without diminishment") | |||||
 | |||||
| Capital | Victoria | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largest city | Vancouver | ||||
| Largest metro | Metro Vancouver | ||||
| Official languages | English (de facto) | ||||
| Government | |||||
| Lieutenant-Governor | Steven Point | ||||
| Premier | Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) | ||||
| Federal representation | in Canadian Parliament | ||||
| House seats | 36 | ||||
| Senate seats | 6 | ||||
| Confederation | July 20, 1871 (6th province) | ||||
| Area | Ranked 5th | ||||
| Total | 944,735 km² (364,764 sq mi) | ||||
| Land | 925,186 km² (357,216 sq mi) | ||||
| Water (%) | 19,549 km² (7,548 sq mi) (2. The Flag of British Columbia, Canada is based upon the shield of the provincial arms of British Columbia. The original Coat of Arms of British Columbia (formally known as The Arms of Her Majesty in Right of British Columbia) was granted to British Columbia by A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. The table below lists the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population, using data from the Canada 2006 census for Census subdivisions This list Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The table below lists the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada by population using data from the Canada 2001 Census[http //www12 Metro Vancouver, legally the Greater Vancouver Regional District, is the inter-municipal body or regional district, charged with certain aspects An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the vice-regal representative of the Queen of Canada in the province of British Columbia. Steven Lewis Point OBC ( Xwĕ lī qwĕl tĕl) is the 28th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. The Premier of British Columbia is the First minister, Head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province Gordon Muir Campbell MLA (born January 12, 1948) is the 34th Premier of British Columbia. The British Columbia Liberal Party (also referred to as the BC Liberals) is the governing Political party in British Columbia, Canada. The Parliament of Canada (Parlement du Canada is Canada 's legislative branch, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The House of Commons (Chambre des communes is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Canadian provinces 1%) | ||||
| Population | Ranked 3rd | ||||
| Total (2008) | 4,413,973 (est. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of Canadian provinces )[1] | ||||
| Density | 4. 7 /km² (12 /sq mi) | ||||
| GDP | Ranked 4th | ||||
| Total (2006) | C$179. This article lists Canadian provinces and territories by gross domestic product. 701 billion[2] | ||||
| Per capita | C$41,689 (7th) | ||||
| Abbreviations | |||||
| Postal | BC | ||||
| ISO 3166-2 | CA-BC | ||||
| Time zone | UTC−8 & −7 | ||||
| Postal code prefix | V | ||||
| Flower | Pacific dogwood | ||||
| Tree | Western Redcedar | ||||
| Bird | Steller's Jay | ||||
| Web site | www.gov.bc.ca | ||||
| Rankings include all provinces and territories | |||||
British Columbia (IPA: /ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə/) (BC) ((listen) (French: la Colombie-Britannique, C. This article lists Canadian provinces and territories by gross domestic product. This is a list of Canadian provincial and territorial postal abbreviations. ISO 3166-2CA is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to Canada. Postal codes by province and territoryA Canadian postal code British Columbia - 190 FSAs The Pacific Dogwood, Cornus nuttallii (syn Benthamidia nuttallii) is a species of Dogwood native to western North America from lowlands Western redcedar ( Thuja plicata) is a species of Thuja, an Evergreen coniferous Tree in the cypress family The Steller's Jay ( Cyanocitta stelleri) is a Jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people -B. ) is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ("Splendour without Sunset (Diminishment)"). Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. It was the sixth province to join the Canadian Confederation. Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the Its residents are referred to as British Columbians or "BCers".
The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. The largest city is Vancouver, Canada's third-largest metropolitan area and the second-largest in the Pacific Northwest. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean
Contents |
Name
The province's name is that which was chosen by Queen Victoria when the Mainland became a British colony in 1858. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The Colony of British Columbia was a Crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1871. Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common It indirectly references the Columbia River flowing through southeastern British Columbia, which was the namesake of the pre-Oregon Treaty Columbia Department of the Hudson's Bay Company. The Columbia River (known as The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century Queen Victoria chose British Columbia to distinguish what was the remaining British sector of the Columbia District from that lost to the United States ("American Columbia" or "Southern Columbia"), which became the Oregon Territory in 1848 as a result of the treaty. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Oregon Territory is the name applied both to the unorganized Oregon Country claimed by both the United States and Britain (but normally referred to Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap
Geography
- See also: Demographics of British Columbia
British Columbia is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, by the U. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions S. state of Alaska on the northwest, and to the north by the Yukon and the Northwest Territories, on the east by the province of Alberta, and on the south by the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Yukon (ˈjuːkɒn is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three territories. The Northwest Territories (ˌnɔrθˌwɛstˈtɛrɨtɔriz ( NWT or NT; French, les Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is a territory Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The current southern border of British Columbia was established by the 1846 Oregon Treaty, although its history is tied with lands as far south as the California border. The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. British Columbia's land area is 944,735 square kilometres (364,764 square miles) which is about the size of France, Germany and the Netherlands combined. It is larger than the total area of Washington, Oregon and California. British Columbia's rugged coastline stretches for more than 27,000 kilometres (17,000 mi), and includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, most of which are uninhabited. The British Columbia Coast is Canada 's western continental coastlines
British Columbia's capital is Victoria, located at the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British BC's most populous city is Vancouver, located in southwest corner of the BC mainland called the Lower Mainland. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Other major cities include Surrey, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Richmond, Delta, and New Westminster in the Lower Mainland; Abbotsford, Pitt Meadows and Langley in the Fraser Valley; Nanaimo on Vancouver Island; and Kelowna and Kamloops in the Interior. Surrey is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia that lies within the Metro Vancouver Coquitlam (koʊˈkwɪtləm is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Richmond (ˈrɪtʃmənd}} is an incorporated city on the Pacific coast of the Canadian province of British Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Abbotsford ( is a Canadian city in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, adjacent to Metro Vancouver. The Township of Langley is a District municipality east of Surrey, located south of the Fraser River in Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Kelowna (2007 population 106707 metropolitan population of 165596 is a City on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson Interior Plateau comprises a large region of central British Columbia, and lies between the Cariboo and Monashee Mountains on the east and the Hazelton Prince George is the largest city in the northern part of the province, while a town northwest of it, Vanderhoof, is near the geographic centre of the province. Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia Vanderhoof ( lies near the Geographical centre of British Columbia, Canada. [3]
The Coast Mountains and the Inside Passage's many inlets provide some of British Columbia's renowned and spectacular scenery, which forms the backdrop and context for a growing outdoor adventure and ecotourism industry. The Coast Mountains are a Mountain range of the Pacific Cordillera, running along the north western shore of the North American continent extending south Inside Passage of the Alaska Panhandle and coastal British Columbia is a coastal route for oceangoing vessels along a series of passages between the mainland and the A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals Seventy-five percent of the province is mountainous (more than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) above sea level); 60% is forested; and only about 5% is arable. The Okanagan area is one of three wine-growing regions in Canada and also produces excellent ciders. The Okanagan (oʊkəˈnɑːɡən also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province For the non-alcoholic beverage commonly known in the US as "cider" see Apple cider. The city of Penticton, and rural towns of Oliver, and Osoyoos have some of the warmest and longest summer climates in Canada, although their temperature ranges are exceeded by the even-warmer Fraser Canyon towns of Lillooet and Lytton, where shade temperatures on summer afternoons often surpass 40 °C (104 °F) but with very low humidity. Penticton is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake Oliver, British Columbia, is a small town located in the South Okanagan. Osoyoos ˈsɔɪjuːs officially pronounced soy -use” though also pronounced (ɒˈsɔɪjuːs ("O- soo -yoos" and (əˈsɔɪjuːs (O- soy -yoos Lillooet (formerly Cayoosh Flat) is a small but historic and highly scenic community on the Fraser River in western Lytton in British Columbia sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser at coordinates
Much of the western part of Vancouver Island and the rest of the coast , is covered by temperate rain forest. Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British The British Columbia Coast is Canada 's western continental coastlines Temperate rainforests are Coniferous or broadleaf Forests that occur in the Temperate zone and receive high rainfall This region, which includes parts of the west coast of the United States, is one of a mere handful of such temperate rain forest ecosystems in the world (notable others being in Chile, New Zealand, Tasmania, and the Russian Far East). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass Russian Far East (Да́льний Восто́к Росси́и ˈdalʲnʲɪj vʌˈstok rʌˈsʲiɪ is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i The province's mainland away from the coastal regions is not as moderated by the Pacific Ocean and ranges from desert and semi-arid plateau to the range and canyon districts of the interior plateau. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions A Semi-arid climate or steppe climate generally describes climatic regions that receive low annual Rainfall (250-500 mm or 10-20 in A few southern interior valleys have short cold winters with infrequent heavy snow, while those in the Cariboo, the northern part of the Central Interior, are colder because of their altitude and latitude, but without the intensity or duration experienced at similar latitudes elsewhere in Canada. British Columbia Southern Interior (formerly known as Southern Interior) is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, The northern two-thirds of the province is largely unpopulated and undeveloped, and is mostly mountainous except east of the Rockies, where the Peace River District in the northeast of the province contains BC's portion of the Canadian Prairies.
|
|  A view overlooking Skaha Lake in the Okanagan Valley, one of the driest regions of the province's Interior. |
History
Fur trade and colonial eras
The discovery of stone tools on the Beatton River near Fort St. John date human habitation in British Columbia to at least 11,500 years ago. Metro Vancouver, legally the Greater Vancouver Regional District, is the inter-municipal body or regional district, charged with certain aspects Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Abbotsford ( is a Canadian city in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, adjacent to Metro Vancouver. Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. Vernon is a city in the south-central region of British Columbia, Canada. Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Surrey is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia that lies within the Metro Vancouver Richmond (ˈrɪtʃmənd}} is an incorporated city on the Pacific coast of the Canadian province of British Abbotsford ( is a Canadian city in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, adjacent to Metro Vancouver. Coquitlam (koʊˈkwɪtləm is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. The District of Saanich is a Municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Kelowna (2007 population 106707 metropolitan population of 165596 is a City on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. The Township of Langley is a District municipality east of Surrey, located south of the Fraser River in Skaha Lake ( is a Freshwater Lake located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. The Okanagan (oʊkəˈnɑːɡən also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as The Interior, is one of the three main regions British Columbia is the westernmost province in Canada. Indigenous peoples have inhabited the territory that is now called "British Columbia" as described The Beatton River is a tributary of the Peace River, flowing generally east then south through north-eastern British Columbia, Canada. The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast spread throughout the region, achieving a high population density; at the time of European contact, nearly half the aboriginal people in present-day Canada lived in B. The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants and many Ethnic groups Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume C.
The explorations of James Cook in the 1770s and George Vancouver in the 1790s, and the concessions of Spain in the 1790s established British jurisdiction over the coastal area north and west of the Columbia River. The Kwakwaka'wakw (also Kwakiutl) are an Indigenous nation numbering about 5500 who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and Captain George Vancouver The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries The Columbia River (known as In 1793, Sir Alexander Mackenzie was the first European to journey across North America overland to the Pacific Ocean, inscribing a stone marking his accomplishment on the shoreline of South Bentinck Arm near Bella Coola. Sir Alexander Mackenzie (Alasdair MacCoinnich 1764 - March 12, 1820) was a Scottish-Canadian explorer. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Dean Channel is the upper end of one of the longest inlets of the British Columbia Coast, from its head at the mouth of the Kimsquit River. Bella Coola is a community of approximately 600 at the western extremity of the Bella Coola valley His expedition theoretically established British sovereignty inland, and a succession of other fur company explorers charted the maze of rivers and mountain ranges between the Prairies and the Pacific. Mackenzie and these other explorers—notably John Finlay, Simon Fraser, Samuel Black, and David Thompson—were primarily concerned with extending the fur trade, rather than political considerations. John Finlay ( 1774 - December 19, 1833) was a Fur trader and Explorer with the North West Company. Simon Fraser ( 20 May 1776 – 18 August 1862) was a Fur trader and an explorer who charted much of what is now the Canadian For the governor of the Nebraska Territory, see Samuel W Black. David Thompson ( April 30, 1770 &ndash February 10, 1857) was an English-Canadian fur trader surveyor and map-maker known The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal Fur.
Their establishment of trading posts under the auspices of the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), however, effectively established a permanent British presence in the region, which (south of 54°40′ north latitude, the southern limit of Russian America) was, as of the Anglo-American Convention of 1818, under the "joint occupancy and use" of citizens of the United States and subjects of Britain (which is to say, the fur companies). For the grocery chain see The North West Company. The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal Russian colonization of the Americas proceeded in several places The Convention respecting fisheries boundary and the restoration of slaves between the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, also known as the This co-occupancy was ended with the Oregon Treaty of 1846. The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham
Some of these early posts would grow into settlements, communities, and cities. Among the places in British Columbia that began as fur trading posts are Fort St John (established 1794); Hudson's Hope (1805); Fort Nelson (1805); Fort St. James (1806); Prince George (1807); Kamloops (1812); Fort Langley (1827); Victoria (1843); Yale (1848); and Nanaimo (1853). Hudson's Hope is a small Town in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, in the Peace River Regional Fort Nelson is a town of approximately 5000 residents in British Columbia 's northeastern corner Fort St James is a town and former fur Trading post in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson Fort Langley is a village with a population of 2700 and forms part of the Township of Langley. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. For other places named Yale, as well as other uses of the word see Yale (disambiguation. Fur company posts that became cities in what is now the United States include Vancouver, Washington (Fort Vancouver), formerly the "capital" of Hudson's Bay operations in the Columbia District (aka the Oregon Territory), Colville, Washington and Walla Walla, Washington. Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Colville is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States. Walla Walla is both the County seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, and the county's largest city
With the amalgamation of the two fur trading companies in 1821, the region now comprising British Columbia existed in three fur trading departments. The bulk of the Central and Northern Interior was organized into the New Caledonia district, administered from Fort St James. Main article History of British Columbia New Caledonia was the name given to a district of the Hudson's Bay Company that comprised the territory largely The Interior south of the Thompson River watershed and north of the Columbia was organized into the Columbia District, administered from Fort Vancouver (present-day Vancouver, Washington). The Thompson River is the largest Tributary of the Fraser River A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, The Columbia District was a fur trading district in the Pacific Northwest region of British North America in the 19th century Fort Vancouver was a 19th century fur trading outpost along the Columbia River that served as the headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company in the company's Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U The northeast corner of the province east of the Rockies, known as the Peace River Block, was attached to the much larger Athabasca District, headquartered in Fort Chipewyan (in present day Alberta). The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. The Peace River Block is an 3500000 Acre (14000 km² area of land located in northeastern British Columbia, in the Peace River Country. Fort Chipewyan is one of the oldest European settlement in the province of Alberta, Canada.
Until 1849, these districts were a wholly unorganized area of British North America under the defacto jurisdiction of HBC administrators. British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary Unlike Rupert's Land to the north and east, however, the territory was not a concession to the Company. Rupert's Land, also sometimes called "Prince Rupert's Land" was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin, that Rather, it was simply granted a monopoly to trade with the First Nations inhabitants. All that was changed with the westward extension of American exploration, and the concomitant overlapping claims of territorial sovereignty, especially in the southern Columbia basin (within present day Washington state and Oregon). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Columbia Basin, the Drainage basin of the Columbia River, occupies a large area–about 673396 square kilometres (260000 square miles—of the Pacific Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. In 1846, the Oregon Treaty divided the territory along the 49th parallel to Georgia Strait, with the area south of this boundary, excluding Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands) transferred to sole American sovereignty. The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham The 49th parallel north is a Circle of latitude that is 49 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait (also known as the Gulf of Georgia) is a Strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby The Gulf Islands are the Islands in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and the mainland Pacific coast of British Columbia The Colony of Vancouver Island was created in 1849, with Victoria designated as the capital. See main article Vancouver Island Vancouver Island (officially known as the Island of Vancouver and its Dependencies was a Crown colony of British Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. New Caledonia, as the whole of the Mainland rather than just its north-central Interior came to be called, continued to be an unorganized territory of British North America, "administered" by individual HBC trading post managers. The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal Fur.
With the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858, an influx of Americans into New Caledonia prompted the colonial office to formally designate the mainland as the Colony of British Columbia, with New Westminster as its capital. The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush) occurred in 1858 after Gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British Colonies. The Colony of British Columbia was a Crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1871. A second gold rush—the Cariboo Gold Rush—followed in 1862, forcing the colonial administration into deeper debt as it struggled to meet the extensive infrastructure needs of far-flung boom communities like Barkerville and Lillooet, which sprang up overnight. The Cariboo Gold Rush was a Gold rush in the Canadian province British Columbia. Barkerville was the main town of the Cariboo Gold Rush in British Columbia, Canada and is preserved as an historic town The Vancouver Island colony was facing financial crises of its own, and pressure to merge the two eventually succeeded in 1866. Queen Victoria chose the name British Columbia as the name of the new pacific dominion. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia was the name informally given to the defacto amalgamation of the two crown colonies from 1866 until their incorporation
Rapid growth and development
The Confederation League led by such figures as Amor De Cosmos, John Robson, and Robert Beaven had long led the chorus pressing for the colony to join Canada, which had been created out of three British North American colonies in 1867. Amor De Cosmos ( Windsor Nova Scotia August 20, 1825 – July 4, 1897 Victoria British Columbia) was a Canadian John Robson ( Perth Ontario 14 March, 1824 &ndash June 29, 1892 London) was a Canadian journalist Robert Beaven ( January 20, 1836 &ndash September 18, 1920) was a British Columbia politician and businessman Several factors motivated this agitation, including the fear of annexation to the United States, the overwhelming debt created by rapid population growth, the need for government-funded services to support this population, and the economic depression caused by the end of the gold rush. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the With the agreement by the Canadian government to extend the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) to British Columbia and to assume the colony's debt, BC became the sixth province to join Confederation on July 20, 1871. The Canadian Pacific Railway ( Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The borders of the province were not completely settled until 1903, however, when the province's territory shrank somewhat after the Alaska Boundary Dispute settled the vague boundary of the Alaska Panhandle. The Alaska Boundary Dispute was a Territorial dispute between the United States and Canada (then a British Dominion with its foreign affairs The Alaska Panhandle, sometimes referred to as Southeast Alaska, is the southeastern portion of the U
Population in British Columbia continued to expand as the province's mining, forestry, agriculture, and fishing sectors were developed. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing. Mining activity was particularly notable in the Boundary Country, in the Slocan, in the West Kootenay around Trail, the East Kootenay (the southeast corner of the province), the Fraser Canyon, the Cariboo and elsewhere. The Boundary Country is a historical designation for a district in southern British Columbia lying as its name suggests along the boundary between Canada and the United Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. The Kootenay Region (in common parlance " The Kootenays " comprises the southeastern portion of British Columbia. fountaincanyon10jpg|thumb|400px|right|View of Fraser Canyon looking upstream from Fountain British Columbia This page is for a defunct historical Canadian federal electoral district (1871-1872 Agriculture attracted settlers to the fertile Fraser Valley, and cattle ranchers and later fruit growers to the drier grasslands of the Thompson River area, the Cariboo, the Chilcotin, and the Okanagan. Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The Cariboo is an Intermontane region of British Columbia along a plateau stretching from the Fraser Canyon to the Cariboo Mountains. The Chilcotin District (tʃɪlˈkoʊtɪn of British Columbia is usually known simply as "the Chilcotin", and also in speech commonly as "the Chilcotin The Okanagan (oʊkəˈnɑːɡən also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province Forestry drew workers to the lush temperate rain forests of the coast, which was also the locus of a growing fishery. Temperate rainforests are Coniferous or broadleaf Forests that occur in the Temperate zone and receive high rainfall For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing.
The completion of the CPR in 1885 was a huge boost to the province's economy, facilitating the transportation of the region's considerable resources to the east. The booming logging town of Granville, near the mouth of the Burrard Inlet was selected as the terminus of the railway, prompting the incorporation of the community as Vancouver in 1886. Granville was a town located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. One portion was incorporated as the Village of Brown Deer in 1955 For other places with the same name see Burrard. Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal Fjord in southwestern British The completion of the Port of Vancouver spurred rapid growth, and in less than fifty years the city would surpass Winnipeg as the largest in western Canada. Terminals The Port has 25 major marine terminals three container, seventeen Bulk cargo and five Break bulk cargo. Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population The early decades of the province were ones in which issues of land use—specifically, its settlement and development—were paramount. This included expropriation from First Nations people of their land, control over its resources, as well as the ability to trade in some resources (such as the fishery). Establishing a labour force to develop the province was problematic from the start, and British Columbia was the locus of immigration not only from Europe, but also from China and Japan. In Economics the people in the labor force are the suppliers of labor China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The influx of a non-Caucasian population stimulated resentment from the dominant ethnic groups, resulting in agitation (much of it successful) to restrict the ability of Asian people to immigrate to British Columbia through the imposition of a head tax. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a Tax of a uniform fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income This resentment culminated in mob attacks against Chinese and Japanese immigrants in Vancouver in 1887 and 1907. By 1923, almost all Chinese immigration had been blocked except for merchants and investors (see Chinese Immigration Act, 1923). See also Head tax (Canada The Chinese Immigration Act 1923, known in the Chinese Canadian community as the Chinese Exclusion Act, was
Meanwhile, the province continued to grow. In 1914, the last spike of a second transcontinental rail line, the Grand Trunk Pacific, linking north-central British Columbia from the Yellowhead Pass through Prince George to Prince Rupert was driven at Fort Fraser. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR was a historical Canadian railway Yellowhead Pass (el 1110 m is a Mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies. Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Fort Fraser is a community of about 1000 people situated near the base of Mount Fraser, close to both Fraser Lake and the Nechako River. This opened up the north coast and the Bulkley Valley region to new economic opportunities. The Bulkley Valley is located in west central British Columbia, Canada. What had previously been an almost exclusively fur trade and subsistence economy soon became a locus for forestry, farming, and mining.
The 1920s through the 1940s
When the men returned from World War I, they discovered the recently-enfranchised women of the province had helped vote in the prohibition of liquor in an effort to end the social problems associated with the hard-core drinking that Vancouver and the rest of the province was famous for until the war. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Because of pressure from veterans, prohibition was quickly relaxed so that the "soldier and the working man" could enjoy a drink, but widespread unemployment among veterans was hardened by many of the available jobs being taken by European immigrants - Italians and others - and disgruntled veterans organized a range of "soldier parties" to represent their interests, variously named Soldier-Farmer, Soldier-Labour, and Farmer-Labour Parties. There have been various groups in Canada that have nominated candidates under the label Labour Party or Independent Labour Party or other variations from the 1870s These formed the basis of the fractured labour-political spectrum that would generate a host of fringe leftist and rightist parties, including those who would eventually form the Co-operative Commonwealth and the early Social Credit splinter groups. The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (NDP is a Political party in British Columbia, Canada that has Democratic socialist roots The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing Political party of British Columbia, Canada
The advent of prohibition in the United States created new opportunities, and many found employment or at least profit in cross-border liquor smuggling. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Much of Vancouver's prosperity and opulence in the 1920s results from this "pirate economy", although growth in forestry, fishing and mining continued. The end of US-side Prohibition, combined with the onset of the Great Depression, plunged the province into economic destitution. Compounding the already dire local economic situation, tens of thousands of men from colder parts of Canada swarmed into Vancouver, creating huge hobo jungles around False Creek and the Burrard Inlet rail yards, including the old CPR mainline right-of-way through the heart of the city's downtown (at Hastings and Carrall). Hobo is a term that refers to a Subculture of wandering Homeless people particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains. False Creek is a short inlet in the heart of Vancouver. It separates downtown from the rest of the city A ( US and Canada) classification yard or ( UK and Canada) marshalling yard (including hump yards) is a Railroad Increasingly desperate times led to intense political organizing efforts, an occupation of the main Post Office at Granville & Hastings which was violently put down by the police, and an effective imposition of martial law on the docks for almost three years. A Vancouver contingent for the On-to-Ottawa Trek was organized and seized a train, which was loaded with thousands of men bound for the capital but was met by a Gatling gun straddling the tracks at Mission; the men were arrested and sent to work camps for the duration of the Depression. The On-to-Ottawa Trek was a 1935 social movement of Unemployed men protesting the dismal conditions in federal relief camps scattered in remote areas across Western Canada The Gatling gun is considered by some to have been the first Machine gun: although it did not automatically reload under its own power it was capable of firing continuously
There were some signs of economic life beginning to return to normal towards the end of the '30s, but it was the onset of World War II which transformed the national economy and ended the hard times of the Depression. Because of the war effort, women entered the workforce as never before.
BC has long taken advantage of its location on the Pacific Ocean to have close relations with East Asia. However, this has often caused friction between cultures which have caused occasional displays of animosity toward Asian immigrants. This was most manifest during the Second World War when many people of Japanese descent were relocated or interned in the Interior of the province. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Conversely, there have also been historically high rates of intermarriage and other examples of inter-racial harmony, cooperation and integration.
The Coalition and the post-War boom
During World War II the mainstream Liberal and Conservative Parties of British Columbia united in a formal coalition government under new Liberal leader John Hart, who replaced Duff Pattullo when the latter failed to win a majority in the 1941 election. A coalition government, or coalition cabinet, is a Cabinet of a parliamentary Government in which several parties cooperate John Hart ( Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland March 31, 1879 &ndash April 7, 1957, Victoria British Columbia Thomas Dufferin ("Duff" Pattullo ( January 19, 1873 &ndash March 30, 1956) was premier of British Columbia, Canada The British Columbia general election 1941 was the twentieth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. While the Liberals won the most number of seats, actually received fewer votes than the socialist CCF. The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (NDP is a Political party in British Columbia, Canada that has Democratic socialist roots Pattullo was unwilling to form a coalition with the rival Conservatives led by Royal Lethington Maitland and was replaced by Hart who formed a coalition cabinet made up of five Liberal and three Conservative ministers. Royal Lethington (Pat Maitland (1898-1946 was a British Columbia politician [5] The CCF was invited to join the coalition but refused. [5] The pretext for continuing the coalition after the end of World War II was to prevent the CCF, which had won a surprise victory in Saskatchewan in 1944, from ever coming to power in British Columbia. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276 The CCF's popular vote was high enough in the 1945 election that they were likely to have won three-way contests and could have formed government. The British Columbia general election of 1945 was the twenty-first general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. However, the coalition prevented that by uniting the anti-socialist vote. [5] In the post-war environment the government initiated a series of infrastructure projects, notably the completion of Highway 97 north of Prince George to the Peace River Block, a section called the John Hart Highway and also brought in public hospital insurance. Highway 97 is the longest continuously-numbered route in the Canadian province of British Columbia, running 2081 km (1283 mi from the Canada/
In 1947 the reins of the Coalition were taken over by Byron Ingemar Johnson. Byron Ingemar Johnson ( December 10, 1890 - January 12, 1964) served as the 24th Premier of the province of British The Conservatives had wanted their new leader Herbert Anscomb to be premier but the Liberals in the Coalition refused. Herbert Anscomb (1892-1972 was a Conservative politician and British Columbia cabinet minister Johnson led the coalition to the highest percentage of the popular vote in BC history to date (61%) in the 1949 election. The British Columbia general election of 1949 was the 22nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. This victory was due largely to the popularity of his government's spending programmes, despite rising criticism of corruption and abuse of power. During his tenure major infrastructure continued to expand and the agreement with Alcan to build the Kemano-Kitimat hydro and aluminum complex was put in place. Kemano is a settlement situated 75 km (47 mi southeast of Kitimat in the province of British Columbia in Canada. Kitimat is a coastal city and district in northwestern British Columbia, located on tidewater in one of only two wide-flat valleys on the coast of British Columbia &mdash Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water Johnson achieved popularity for flood relief efforts during the 1948 flooding of the Fraser Valley, which was a major blow to that region and to the province's economy.
Increasing tension between the Liberal and Conservative coalition partners led the Liberal Party executive to vote to instruct Johnson to terminate the arrangement. Johnson ended the coalition and dropped his Conservative cabinet ministers, including Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Herbert Anscomb, precipitating the general election of 1952. A Deputy Prime Minister or Vice Prime Minister is in some countries a government minister who can take the position of acting Prime Minister when the The finance minister is a Cabinet position in a Government. A minister of Finance (also called financial affairs the treasury the economy or economic The British Columbia general election 1952 was the 23rd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. [5] A referendum on electoral reform prior to this election had instigated an elimination ballot (similar to a preferential ballot), where voters could select second and third choices. This article is about voting systems that use ranked ballots For alternative meanings see Preferential voting (disambiguation. The intent of the ballot, as campaigned for by Liberals and Conservatives, was that their supporters would list the rival party in lieu of the CCF, but this plan backfired when a large group of voters from all major parties, including the CCF, voted for the fringe British Columbia Social Credit Party, who wound up with the largest number of seats in the House (19), only one seat ahead of the CCF, despite the CCF having 34. The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing Political party of British Columbia, Canada 3% of the vote to Social Credit's 30. 18%. The Social Credit, known as the Socreds and led by rebel former Conservative MLA W.A.C. Bennett, formed a minority government backed by the Liberals and Conservatives (with 6 and 4 seats respectively). William Andrew Cecil Bennett, PC, OC ( September 6, 1900 &ndash February 23, 1979) was Premier of the A minority government or a minority cabinet is a Cabinet of a Parliamentary system formed when the governing Political party or Bennett began a series of fiscal reforms, preaching a new variety of populism as well as waxing eloquent on progress and development, laying the ground for a second election in 1953 in which the new Bennett regime secured a majority of seats, with 38% of the vote. Populism is a discourse which supports "the people" versus "the Elites " Populism may involve either a political philosophy urging social and political The British Columbia general election of 1953 was the 24th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.
Growth of government in the economy
With the election of the Social Credit Party, BC embarked a phase of rapid economic development. Economic development is the development of economic wealth of countries or regions for the well-being of their inhabitants Bennett and his party would go on to govern the province for the next twenty years, during which time the government initiated an ambitious programme of infrastructure development, fuelled by a sustained economic boom in the forestry, mining, and energy sectors. Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water
During these two decades, the BC government nationalized British Columbia Electric and the British Columbia Power Company, as well as smaller electric companies, renaming the entity BC Hydro. Nationalization, also spelled nationalisation, is the act of taking an industry or assets into the Public ownership of a national government By the end of the 1960s, several major dams had been begun or completed in — among others — the Peace, Columbia, and Nechako River watersheds. This article is about the river For the town in Alberta see Peace River Alberta. The Columbia River (known as The Nechako River (nəˈtʃækoʊ arises on the Nechako plateau east of the Coast Range of British Columbia and flows north toward Fort Fraser Major transmission deals were concluded, most notably the Columbia River Treaty between Canada and the United States. The Columbia River Treaty is an international agreement between Canada and the United States of America (U The province's economy was also boosted by unprecedented growth in the forest sector, as well as oil and gas development in the province's northeast.
The 1950s and 60s were also marked by development in BC's transportation infrastructure. In 1960, the government established BC Ferries as a crown corporation, in order to provide a marine extension of the provincial highway system. In the Commonwealth realms a Crown corporation is a State-controlled company or enterprise That system was improved and expanded through the construction of new highways and bridges, and paving of existing highways and provincial roads.
The post–World War II years saw Vancouver and Victoria also become cultural centres as poets, authors, artists, musicians, as well as dancers, actors, and haute cuisine chefs flocked to the beautiful scenery and warmer temperatures. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Similarly, these cities have either attracted or given rise to their own noteworthy academics, commentators, and creative thinkers. Tourism also began to play an important role in the economy. The rise of Japan and other Pacific economies was a great boost to the BC economy.
Politically and socially, the 1960s brought a period of significant social ferment. The divide between the political left and right, which had prevailed in the province since the Depression and the rise of the labour movement, sharpened as so-called free enterprise parties coalesced into the defacto coalition represented by Social Credit — in opposition to the social democratic New Democratic Party, the successor to the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. The labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Principles policies and electoral achievement The NDP grew from populist, agrarian and democratic socialist roots The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF (French Fédération du commonwealth coopératif, then Parti social démocratique du Canada) was a Canadian As the province's economy blossomed, so did labour-management tensions. Tensions emerged, also, from the counterculture movement of the late 1960s, of which Vancouver and Nanaimo were centres. The conflict between hippies and Vancouver mayor Tom Campbell was particularly legendary, culminating in the so-called Gastown Riots of 1971. The Hippie Subculture was originally a Youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world Thomas J Campbell, QC (born October 5, 1927) is a retired Canadian politician who served as Mayor of Vancouver, The Gastown Riot, also known as "The Battle of Maple Tree Square" occurred in Vancouver, Canada, on August 7 1971 By the end of the decade, with social tensions and dissatisfaction with the status quo rising, the Bennett government's achievements could not stave off its growing unpopularity. Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which"
BC in the 1970s and 1980s
On August 27, 1969 the Social Credit Party was re-elected in a general election for what would be W. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A. C Bennett's final term in power. At the start of the 1970s, BC's economy was quite strong because of rising coal prices and an increase in annual allowable cuts in the forestry sector. However, BC Hydro reported its first loss - which was the beginning of the end for Bennett and the Social Credit Party. Beginning of the End is a 1957 Science fiction film starring Peter Graves and Peggie Castle. [6]
The Socreds were forced from power in the August 1972 election, paving the way for a NDP government under Dave Barrett. Principles policies and electoral achievement The NDP grew from populist, agrarian and democratic socialist roots David Barrett, OC (born 2 October, 1930 in Vancouver, British Columbia) commonly known as Dave Barrett, was Under Barrett, the large provincial surplus soon became a deficit, although changes to the accounting system makes it likely that some of the deficit was carried over from the previous Social Credit regime. The brief three year ("Thousand Days") period of NDP governance brought several lasting changes to the province, most notably the creation of the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), intended to protect farmland from redevelopment, and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), a crown corporation charged with a monopoly on providing single-payer basic automobile insurance. The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR is a collection of land in the Canadian province of British Columbia in which Agriculture is recognized as the priority The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC is a provincial Crown corporation in British Columbia created in 1973 by the NDP
Perceptions that the government had instituted reforms either too swiftly or that were too far-reaching, coupled with growing labour disruptions led to the ouster of the NDP in the 1975 general election. The British Columbia general election of 1975 was the 31st general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. Social Credit, under W. A. C. Bennett's son, Bill Bennett, was returned to office. William Richards Bennett PC, OBC, (born August 18 1932 in Kelowna British Columbia) was Premier of the Canadian province of British Under the younger Bennett's government, the province completed several projects, most notably the Coquihalla Highway and Expo 86 in Vancouver. Highway 5, also known as Coquihalla Highway Route 5 and the Southern Yellowhead Highway, is a north-south route in southern British Columbia, The 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication or simply Expo '86 was a World's Fair held in Vancouver, British Columbia, The Coquihalla Highway project became the subject of a scandal after revelations that the Premier's brother bought large tracts of land needed for the project before it was announced to the public. Nonetheless, the Socreds were re-elected in 1979 under Bennett, who led the party until 1986.
As the province entered a sustained recession, the Socreds instituted a programme of fiscal restraint. A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards A recession is a contraction phase of the Business cycle. The U This sparked a backlash, the so-called 1983 Solidarity Crisis, when a huge grassroots opposition movement mobilized, comprised of organized labour and community groups. The Solidarity Crisis refers to a protest movement in Vancouver British Columbia in 1983 that emerged in response to the Social Credit (Socred government's economic policy Tens of thousands participated in protests and many felt that a general strike would be the inevitable result unless the government backed down from its policies of restraint. A general strike is a Strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city region or country The movement collapsed after an apparent deal was struck by union leader and IWA president, Jack Munro and Premier Bennett. International Woodworkers of America (IWA was an Industrial union of lumbermen sawmill workers timber transportation workers and others formed in 1937 [7]
Bill Vander Zalm became the new Socred leader and Premier in 1986 and led the party to victory in the election of that year. Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm (born May 29, 1934 in Noordwijkerhout, South Holland) is a politician and Vander Zalm was later involved in a conflict of interest scandal following the sale of Fantasy Gardens, a Christian and Dutch culture theme park built by the Premier, to Tan Yu, a Taiwanese gambling kingpin. A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust such as a Lawyer, Insurance adjuster, a Politician, executive or director Fantasy Gardens is a former amusement park in Richmond British Columbia that is located at the corner of Steveston Highway and No A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Dutch culture or culture of the Netherlands is diverse reflecting regional differences as well as the foreign influences thanks to the merchant and exploring spirit Theme park is the generic term for a collection of rides and other Entertainment attractions assembled for the purpose of entertaining a large group There were also concerns over Yu's application to the government for a bank licence. These scandals forced Vander Zalm's resignation, and Rita Johnston became premier of the province. Rita Margaret Johnston (born Melville Saskatchewan April 22, 1935 née Leichert) was a Politician in British Columbia
BC since the 1990s
Johnston lost the 1991 general election to the NDP, under the leadership of Mike Harcourt, a former mayor of Vancouver. The British Columbia general election of 1991 was the 35th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. Michael Franklin Harcourt (born Edmonton, January 6, 1943) served as the 30th Premier of the province of British Columbia in The following is a list of mayors of Vancouver British Columbia. Although the unprecedented creation of new parkland and protected areas was popular, and helped boost the province's growing tourism sector, the economy continued to struggle against the backdrop of a weak resource economy. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel Harcourt ended up resigning over "Bingogate", yet another British Columbia political scandal - this time involving the funnelling of charity bingo receipts into the Premier's party's coffers. Bingogate was a scandal that occurred during the administration of former Premier of British Columbia Michael Harcourt, involving the skimming of charity funds for Harcourt was not directly implicated, but resigned nonetheless. Glen Clark, a former president of the BC Federation of Labour, was chosen the new leader of the party, which won a second term in 1996, even though it secured fewer total votes than the opposition BC Liberals. For the lacrosse coach & former player see Glenn Clark Glen David Clark (born November 22, 1957 in Nanaimo British Columbia Federation of Labour is the voice of the Labour movement in British Columbia, Canada. Clark's tenure marked a change in British Columbia. Unemployment and taxes rose, and key industries struggled, which amounted to low economic growth levels. [8] More scandals dogged the party, most notably the Fast Ferry Scandal, involving the province trying to rebuild a shipbuilding industry in British Columbia. The Fast Ferry Scandal, also referred to less-formally as the "FastCat Fiasco", was the name given to a political scandal in the Canadian province of An allegation (never explicitly substantiated) that the Premier had received a favour in return for granting a gaming licence led to Clark's resignation as Premier. He was succeeded on an interim basis by Dan Miller who was in turn followed by Ujjal Dosanjh. Dan Miller may refer to Dan Miller (Canadian politician, former Premier of British Columbia Dan Miller (U Ujjal Singh Dosanjh, PC, MP (born September 9, 1947, Jalandhar, India) is a Canadian Lawyer For Dosanjh and the NDP, however, it was too late to save the party from near-oblivion in the next election.
In the 2001 general election Gordon Campbell's BC Liberal Party soundly defeated the NDP party, gaining 77 out of 79 seats. Gordon Muir Campbell MLA (born January 12, 1948) is the 34th Premier of British Columbia. Campbell instituted various reforms including scrapping the "fast ferries" project, lowering income taxes and selling BC Rail to CN Rail (sparking yet another scandal). Campbell was also the subject of scandal after he was caught driving while drunk during a vacation in Hawaii and arrested. However, Campbell still managed to lead his party to victory in the 2005 general election against a substantially strengthened NDP opposition, making him the first elected premier in over a decade to finish a term as premier without resigning, and the first premier to win back to back elections since Bill Bennett. Campbell's government successfully led the coalition to bring the 2010 Winter Olympics to Vancouver. Under the Campbell regime the economy of British Columbia has revived substantially, aided significantly by improvements in global resource markets. [9]
British Columbia has also been significantly affected by demographic changes within Canada and around the world. Vancouver (and to a lesser extent some other parts of British Columbia) was a major destination for many of the emigrants from Hong Kong who left the former UK colony (either temporarily or permanently) in the years immediately prior to its handover to the People's Republic of China. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES British Columbia has also been a significant destination for internal Canadian migrants. This has been the case throughout recent decades, because of its image of natural beauty, mild climate and relaxed lifestyle, but is particularly true during periods of economic growth. As a result, BC has moved from approximately 10% of Canada's population (1971) to approximately 13% (2006). The final fundamental demographic shift is that away from rural British Columbia to urban centres, particularly the Lower Mainland. This trend has reversed itself to a limited degree in recent years with improved resource-economy prospects, but the Vancouver metro area now includes 52% of the Province's population.
Demographics
Population since 1851
Religion
Ethnic groupsNote: The following statistics represent both single (e. Statistics Canada (Statistique Canada is the Canadian federal government department commissioned with producing Statistics to help g. , "German") and multiple (e. g. , "part Chinese, part English") responses to the 2001 Census, and thus do not add up to 100%. Likewise "Canadian" is not necessarily associated with any ethnic or racial group, but simply with self-identification as a Canadian, of whatever ethnic backgrounds.
Also present in large numbers relative to other cities in Canada (except Toronto), and ever since the province was first settled (unlike Toronto), are many European ethnicities of the first and second generation, notably Germans, Scandinavians, Yugoslavs and Italians; third-generation Europeans are generally of mixed lineage, and traditionally intermarried with other ethnic groups more than in any other Canadian province. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario The 2006 Canadian census put the number of Canadians of German ethnicity at 3179425 Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well An Italian Canadian' is a Canadian of Italian descent or heritage First-generation Britons remain a strong component of local society despite limitations on immigration from Britain since the ending of special status for British subjects in the 1960s. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term It is the only province where "English" ethnicity gets more response than "Canadian". American ancestry is under-reported; many Americans crossed into British Columbia during 19th century gold rushes and political turmoil like the Vietnam War. The ancestry of the people of the United States is widely varied and includes descendants of Populations from around the World, some presumably extinct The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The percentages add to more than 100% because of dual responses (e. g. "French-Canadian" generates an entry in both the category "French" and the category "Canadian". ) Figures shown are the total number of responses and the percentage of the 3,868,875 responses to this question in the 2001 Census. Groups with more than 12,000 responses are included.
LanguageOf the 4,113,847 population counted by the 2006 census, 4,074,385 people completed the section about language. Of these 4,022,045 gave singular responses to the question regarding mother tongue. A first language (also mother tongue, native language, arterial language, or L1) is the language a human being learns from birth The languages most commonly reported were the following:
Politics The Parliament buildings in Victoria  The chamber of the provincial legislature The Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, Steven Point, is the Queen of Canada's representative in the Province of British Columbia. The Politics of British Columbia involves not only the governance of British Columbia, Canada, and the various political factions that have held or vied for legislative The Monarchy in British Columbia is the Constitutional system of government in which a hereditary Monarch is the sovereign and Head of state of Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia is the vice-regal representative of the Queen of Canada in the province of British Columbia. Steven Lewis Point OBC ( Xwĕ lī qwĕl tĕl) is the 28th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of During the absence of the Lieutenant-Governor, the Governor General in Council may appoint an Administrator to execute the duties of the office. A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction The Cabinet of Canada (Cabinet du Canada plays an important role in the Government of Canada, in accordance with the Westminster System. In practice, this is usually the Chief Justice of British Columbia. BCCA redirects here It can also refer to the British Cyclo-Cross Association or the BC Cancer Agency. [17] BC has a 79-member elected Legislative Assembly, elected by the plurality voting system, though in recent years there has been significant debate about switching to a single transferable vote system. The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor The plurality voting system is a Single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member Currently, the province is governed by the British Columbia Liberal Party under Premier Gordon Campbell. The British Columbia Liberal Party (also referred to as the BC Liberals) is the governing Political party in British Columbia, Canada. Gordon Muir Campbell MLA (born January 12, 1948) is the 34th Premier of British Columbia. Campbell won the largest landslide election in BC history in 2001 (77 of 79 seats), but the legislature is more evenly divided between Liberals and members of the social democratic New Democratic Party (NDP) following the 2005 provincial election. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left The New Democratic Party of British Columbia (NDP is a Political party in British Columbia, Canada that has Democratic socialist roots Recent years have seen the Green Party of British Columbia becoming a serious contender with double digit support, though they have not yet won a seat in the legislature. The Green Party of British Columbia is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. The British Columbia Liberal Party is unrelated to the federal Liberal Party and does not share its ideology. Instead, the BC Liberal party is a rather diverse coalition, made up of the remnants of the Social Credit Party, many federal Liberals, federal Conservatives, and those who would otherwise support right-of-centre or free enterprise parties. The Liberal Party of Canada ( Parti libéral du Canada) colloquially known as the Grits (originally " Clear Grits " is a major Canadian political Historically, there have commonly been third parties members present in the legislature, but there are presently none. Prior to the rise of the Liberal Party, British Columbia's main right-of-centre political party was the British Columbia Social Credit Party which ruled BC for almost 40 continuous years. The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing Political party of British Columbia, Canada Aside from intervals of NDP rule from 1972-1975 (1976-1990 British Columbia Social Credit Party) and 1991-2001, the "Socreds" or their de-facto successor, 2002-2007 the BC Liberals, have controlled the legislature for the past 55 years. In an April poll by polling firm Ipsos-Reid, the BC Liberals were shown as having the support of 49% of voters, compared to 32% for the NDP. Ipsos-Reid, formerly known as the Angus Reid Group is a Research company bought by Ipsos in 2000 The next election is scheduled for May, 2009. BC is known for having politically active labour unions, who have traditionally supported the NDP. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Economy Vancouver is the business capital of British Columbia British Columbia has a resource dominated economy, centred on the forestry industry, but also with increasing importance in mining. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body While employment in the resource sector has fallen steadily, unemployment is currently at a 30-year low of 4. 5%. [18] New jobs are mostly in the construction and retail/service sectors. Known as Hollywood North, the Vancouver region is the third-largest feature film production location in North America, after Los Angeles and New York. " Hollywood North " an Allusion to Hollywood, California, a notable Film centre [19] Marijuana cultivation also plays an important role in British Columbia's economy, and according to some it plays a bigger role than forestry[20] The economic history of BC is replete with tales of dramatic upswings and downswings and this boom and bust pattern has influenced the politics, culture and business climate of the province. Legal issues of cannabis article The matter has been discussed to death and does not belong in this article The term business cycle or economic cycle refers to the fluctuations of economic activity during its long term growth trend In Economics, the term boom and bust refers to the movement of an economy through Economic cycles. Economic activity related to mining in particular has widely fluctuated with changes in commodity prices over time, with documented costs to community health. [21] TransportationHistoryTransportation played a major role in British Columbia history. British Columbia is the westernmost province in Canada. Indigenous peoples have inhabited the territory that is now called "British Columbia" as described The Rocky Mountains and the ranges west of them constituted a significant obstacle to overland travel until the completion of the transcontinental railway in 1885. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The Canadian Pacific Railway ( The Peace River Canyon through the Rocky Mountains was the route that the earliest explorers and fur traders used. This article is about the river For the town in Alberta see Peace River Alberta. Fur trade routes were only marginally used for access to BC through the mountains. Travel from the rest of Canada before 1885 meant the difficulty of overland travel via the United States, around Cape Horn or overseas from Asia. Cabo de Hornos redirects here for the Chilean commune see Cabo de Hornos Chile. Nearly all travel and freight to and from the region occurred via the Pacific Ocean, primarily through the ports of Victoria and New Westminster. Until the 1930s, rail was the only means of overland travel to and from the rest of Canada, travellers using motor vehicles needed to journey through the United States. With the construction of the Inter-Provincial Highway in 1932 (now known as the Crowsnest Pass Highway), and later the Trans-Canada Highway, road transportation evolved into the preferred mode of overland travel to and from the rest of the country. The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or in British Columbia the Southern Trans-Provincial, is a 1163 km (722 mile long principal The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial Highway system that joins all ten provinces of Canada. Roads and highways Alex Fraser Bridge on Highway 91 in Richmond/Delta Because of its size and rugged, varying topography, British Columbia requires thousands of kilometres of provincial highways to connect its communities. This article lists all existing numbered highways in British Columbia, Canada. The Alex Fraser Bridge is a cable-stayed Bridge over the Fraser River and connects Richmond and New Westminster with North Delta Highway 91 is an alternative freeway route to Highway 99 through Delta, New Westminster and Richmond. British Columbia's roads systems were notoriously poorly maintained and dangerous until a concentrated programme of improvement was initiated in the 1950s and 60s. There are now freeways in the Lower Mainland and Central Interior of the province, and much of the rest of the province is accessible by well-maintained two lane arterial highways with additional passing lanes in mountainous areas. The building and maintenance of provincial highways is the responsibility of the provincial government. There are four major routes through the Rocky Mountains to the rest of Canada. From south to north they are: The Crowsnest Pass Highway through Sparwood, the Trans-Canada Highway through Banff National Park, the Yellowhead Highway through Jasper National Park, and Highway 2 through Dawson Creek. Sparwood is a District municipality in British Columbia, Canada. Banff National Park (ˈbæmf is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Canadian Rockies. The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10878 km² (4200 mi² Highway 2, known locally as the Tupper Highway, is one of the two short connections from Dawson Creek to the border between B The City of Dawson Creek is a small city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. There are also several highway crossings to the adjoining American states of Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The longest highway is Highway 97, running 2,081 kilometres (1,293 mi) from the BC-Washington border at Osoyoos north to Watson Lake, Yukon. Highway 97 is the longest continuously-numbered route in the Canadian province of British Columbia, running 2081 km (1283 mi from the Canada/ Osoyoos ˈsɔɪjuːs officially pronounced soy -use” though also pronounced (ɒˈsɔɪjuːs ("O- soo -yoos" and (əˈsɔɪjuːs (O- soy -yoos Watson Lake is a Town at historical mile 635 on the Alaska Highway in the southeastern Yukon close to the British Columbia border Surface public transitPrior to 1978, surface public transit was administered by BC Hydro, the provincially-owned electricity utility. Subsequently, the province established BC Transit to oversee and operate all municipal transportation systems. In 1998, Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink) (now South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority), a separate authority for the Greater Vancouver Regional District (now Metro Vancouver), was established. TransLink (legally the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority) is the organization responsible for the regional transportation network of Metro Vancouver Metro Vancouver, legally the Greater Vancouver Regional District, is the inter-municipal body or regional district, charged with certain aspects Public Transit in British Columbia consists mainly of diesel buses, although the City of Vancouver is also serviced by a fleet of electric buses. TransLink operates SkyTrain, a light rapid transit system serving Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, and North Surrey. The SkyTrain is a two-line urban mass transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Advanced Rapid Transit or ART is the current name given to a Rapid transit system manufactured by Bombardier Transportation; it was originally named Presently, extensions of the line south to Richmond (the Canada Line) and east to Coquitlam and Port Moody (the Evergreen Line) are being developed. Timeline In 1995 BC Transit (a crown corporation responsible for public transit expressed desire to create a special service of either Bus rapid transit Port Moody British Columbia is a small crescent-shaped city in Metro Vancouver, located at the east end of Burrard Inlet in British Columbia, Canada The Evergreen Line is a planned 109 Kilometre (68 mi) long Rapid transit line of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority ( TransLink Rail CPR train traversing the Stoney Creek Bridge The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1885 was a condition of British Columbia's entry into the Canadian Confederation. The Canadian Pacific Railway ( Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed beginning 1 July 1867 from the Rail development expanded greatly in the subsequent decades, and was the chief mode of long-distance surface transportation until the expansion and improvement of the provincial highways system began in the 1950s. Apart from the CPR, numerous other lines were developed. Two major routes through the Yellowhead Pass competed with the CPR—the Grand Trunk Pacific, terminating at Prince Rupert, and the Canadian National Railway (CNR), terminating at Vancouver. Yellowhead Pass (el 1110 m is a Mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR was a historical Canadian railway Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Pacific Great Eastern (PGE) line supplemented this service, providing a north-south route between Interior resource communities and the coast. The PGE (later known as British Columbia Railway and now owned by CNR) connects Fort St James, Fort Nelson, and Tumbler Ridge with North Vancouver. Fort St James is a town and former fur Trading post in north-central British Columbia, Canada. Fort Nelson is a town of approximately 5000 residents in British Columbia 's northeastern corner The District Municipality of Tumbler Ridge is a small town in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British The City of North Vancouver is a waterfront municipality on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, directly across from WaterBC Ferries was established as a provincial crown corporation in 1960 to provide passenger and vehicle ferry service between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland as a cheaper and more reliable alternative to the service operated by the CPR. It now operates 25 routes among the islands of British Columbia, as well as between the islands and the mainland. Ferry service to Washington is offered by the Washington State Ferries (between Sidney and Anacortes) and Black Ball Transport (between Victoria and Port Angeles). This page is about the ferry system operated by the state of Washington Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian Province of Anacortes (ˌænəˈkɔrtəs is a city in Skagit County, Washington, USA The M/V Coho is an auto Ferry operated by Black Ball Line. Black Ball owns and operates this single ferry between Victoria British Columbia Port Angeles is a city in and the County seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. Ferry service over inland lakes and rivers is provided by the provincial government. Commercial ocean transport is of vital importance. Major ports are located at Vancouver, Roberts Bank (near Tsawwassen), Prince Rupert, and Victoria. Tsawwassen is a suburban mostly residential community in the southwestern part of the Corporation of Delta, British Columbia, Canada. Of these, the Port of Vancouver is the most important, being the largest in Canada and the most diversified in North America. Terminals The Port has 25 major marine terminals three container, seventeen Bulk cargo and five Break bulk cargo. Vancouver, Victoria, and Prince Rupert are also major ports of call for cruise ships. A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience In 2007, a large maritime container port will be opened in Prince Rupert with an inland sorting port located in Prince George. Containerization (or containerisation) is a system of Intermodal freight transport Cargo Transport using standard ISO containers Rupert Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria (German Ruprecht Pfalzgraf bei Rhein Herzog von Bayern) commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, (17 Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia This container port is also scheduled for expansion in 2009. AirThere are over 200 airports located throughout B. C, the major ones being the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the Victoria International Airport (YYJ), the Kelowna International Airport (YLW), and the Prince George International Airport (YXS), the first three of which each served over 1,000,000 passengers in 2005. Victoria International Airport serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Kelowna International Airport is a Canadian Airport located approximately 10 minutes or northeast of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada Prince George Airport is an Airport that serves Prince George, British Columbia, Canada and the surrounding area Vancouver International Airport is the second busiest airport in the country with an estimated 16 million travellers passing through in 2005. Parks and protected areas Yoho National Park There are 14 designations of parks and protected areas in the province that reflects the different administration and creation of these areas in a modern context. There are 141 ecological Reserves, 35 provincial marine parks, 7 Provincial Heritage Sites, 6 National Historic Sites, 4 National Parks and 3 National Park Reserves. 12. 5% (114,000 km²) of BC is currently considered 'protected' under one of the 14 different designations that includes over 800 distinct areas. British Columbia contains seven of Canada's national parks:
BC also contains a large network of provincial parks, run by BC Parks of the Ministry of Environment. History 1885 - Banff National Park established Canada's first National Park Glacier National Park is one of seven national parks in British Columbia, Canada. Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is Canada 's 40th National Park. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, often referred to simply as Gwaii Haanas, is located in the Kootenay National Park is located in southeastern British Columbia Canada covering 1406 km² (543 mi² in the Canadian Rockies and forms part of Mount Revelstoke National Park is located adjacent to the city of Revelstoke British Columbia, Canada. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is a Canadian National park in British Columbia made up of three separate regions Long Beach the Broken Group Islands Yoho National Park is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains along the western slope of the Continental Divide in southeastern British Columbia. A provincial park (or territorial park) is a Park under the management of a provincial or territrorial government in Canada. Provincial parks A-B Adams Lake Provincial Park Akamina-Kishinena BC's provincial parks system is the second largest parks system in Canada (the largest is Canada's National Parks system). In addition to these areas, over 4. 7 million hectares of arable land are protected by the Agricultural Land Reserve. The Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR is a collection of land in the Canadian province of British Columbia in which Agriculture is recognized as the priority RecreationGiven its varied mountainous terrain and its coasts, lakes, rivers, and forests, British Columbia has long been enjoyed for pursuits like hiking and camping, rock climbing and mountaineering, hunting and fishing. Hunting is the practice of pursuing Animals for Food, Recreation, or Trade. For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Water sports, both motorized and non-motorized, are enjoyed in many places. Sea kayaking opportunities abound on the B. A kayak is a small human-powered Boat. It typically has a covered deck and a cockpit covered by a Spraydeck. C. coast with its fjords. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Whitewater rafting and kayaking are popular on many inland rivers. Rafting or whitewater rafting is a challenging recreational activity utilizing a Raft to navigate a River or other bodies of water Sailing and sailboarding are widely enjoyed. Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail  Ice sailing in Whistler In winter, cross-country and telemark skiing are much enjoyed, and in recent decades high-quality downhill skiing has been developed in the Coast Mountain range and the Rockies, as well as in the southern areas of the Shuswap Highlands and the Columbia Mountains. Whistler is a Resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in British Columbia Columbia Mountains is a group of Mountain ranges located in British Columbia, and partially in Montana, Idaho, Washington. Snowboarding has mushroomed in popularity since the early 1990s. The 2010 Winter Olympics downhill events will be held in Whistler-Blackcomb area of the province, while the indoor events will be in the Vancouver area. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal In Vancouver and Victoria (as well as some other cities), opportunities for joggers and bicyclists have been developed. Cross-country bike touring has been popular since the ten-speed bike became available many years ago. Since the advent of more robust mountain bikes, trails in more rugged and wild places have been developed for them. Some of the province's retired rail beds have been converted and maintained for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. Horseback riding is enjoyed by many British Columbians. For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description Opportunities for trail riding, often into especially scenic areas, have been established for tourists in numerous areas of the province. Trail riding is riding outdoors on natural Trails and roads as opposed to riding in an enclosed area such as a riding arena British Columbia also has strong participation levels in many other sports, including golf, tennis, soccer, hockey, Canadian football, rugby union, softball, basketball, curling and figure skating. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. In accordance with the Manual of Style (see) Canadian English is used throughout this article (see Canadian_English#Spelling) Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Softball is a team Sport popular especially in the United States. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Curling is a team Sport with similarities to Bowls and Shuffle board, played by two teams of four players each on a rectangular sheet of carefully prepared Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging B. C. has produced many outstanding athletes, especially in aquatic and winter sports. Also, today programmes of training and toning systems like aerobics and hatha yoga are widespread. Aerobics is a form of Physical exercise that combines rhythmic Aerobic exercise with Stretching and Strength training routines with the Hatha Yoga ( Sanskrit हठयोग hʌʈʰʌjogʌ also called Hatha Vidya (हठविद्या is a particular system of Yoga introduced by Yogi Swatmarama Most communities of several thousand people or more have developed facilities for these. Consistent with both increased tourism and increased participation in diverse recreations by British Columbians themselves has been the proliferation of lodges, chalets, bed and breakfasts, motels, hotels, fishing camps, and park-camping facilities in recent decades. A luxury resort, sometimes referred to as an exclusive Resort, is a very expensive Vacation facility which is fully staffed and has been rated with five stars CHALET is a mnemonic indicating a protocol used by Emergency services to report situations which they may be faced with especially as it relates to major incidents Bed and breakfast, also known as B&B, is a term originating in the United Kingdom, but now also used all over the world for an establishment that offers accommodation In certain areas, there are businesses, non-profit societies, or municipal governments dedicated to promoting ecotourism in their region. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of Tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals A number of BC farmers offer visitors to combine tourism with farm work, e. g. through the WWOOF Canada program. World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (also known as Willing Workers on Organic Farms) ( WWOOF) is an organization which facilitates the placement of volunteer [22] Recreational cannabis A crop of Cannabis Sativa, or "BC Bud" A 2004 study (published 2006) by the University of Victoria Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Simon Fraser University Applied Research on Mental Health and Addictions indicated cannabis use is more widespread among British Columbians than with the rest of Canadians. The University of Victoria (UVic is located in Greater Victoria British Columbia, Canada (northeast of Victoria) Simon Fraser University ( SFU) is a public university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby and satellite campuses in Cannabis, also known as marijuana or marihuana, or ganja (from Hindi / Sanskrit: गांजा gānjā hemp) is a [23] However, a UN report published in July 2007 actually placed Quebec as the highest consumption province, citing 15. 8% of Quebecers having used marijuana in a single year, versus 14. 1% of Canadians nationally,[24] and resulted in Canada being placed first in the industrialized world in marijuana use. The term developed country, or advanced country, is used to categorize countries with developed Economies in which the tertiary and quaternary sectors With the actual growing of marijuana, BC is responsible for 40% of all cannabis produced in Canada. [25] Maps
Regional districtsThe primary local administrative units of British Columbia are its 28 Regional Districts. The Canadian Province of British Columbia is divided into regional districts. Cities The flag of British Columbia flying aboard the BC Ferries vessel MV Queen of Oak Bay Half of all British Columbians live in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, which includes Vancouver, Surrey, New Westminster, West Vancouver, North Vancouver (city), North Vancouver (district municipality), Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Langley (city), Langley (district municipality), Delta, Pitt Meadows, White Rock, Richmond, Port Moody, Anmore, Belcarra, Lions Bay and Bowen Island, as well as 17 Native reserves and the unincorporated regional district electoral area known as Greater Vancouver Electoral Area A. The Flag of British Columbia, Canada is based upon the shield of the provincial arms of British Columbia. Metro Vancouver, legally the Greater Vancouver Regional District, is the inter-municipal body or regional district, charged with certain aspects Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Surrey is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia that lies within the Metro Vancouver The City of North Vancouver is a waterfront municipality on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, directly across from The District of North Vancouver is a district municipality in British Columbia and is part of the GVRD. Coquitlam (koʊˈkwɪtləm is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located east of Vancouver on the Fraser River The City of Langley is a municipality in Greater Vancouver. It lies directly east of the municipality of Surrey. The Township of Langley is a District municipality east of Surrey, located south of the Fraser River in Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. The City of White Rock borders Semiahmoo Richmond (ˈrɪtʃmənd}} is an incorporated city on the Pacific coast of the Canadian province of British Port Moody British Columbia is a small crescent-shaped city in Metro Vancouver, located at the east end of Burrard Inlet in British Columbia, Canada Belcarra British Columbia, is a small community on the shore of Indian Arm, a side inlet of Burrard Inlet, and is part of the Greater Vancouver Lions Bay is a village located north of Vancouver British Columbia, on Highway 99. Bowen Island, British Columbia, is an Island municipality in Howe Sound, and within Metro Vancouver. For the vast tract created by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 in Canada and the United States see Indian Reserve (1763 In Canada This is a list of Regional District Electoral Areas in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Greater Vancouver Electoral Area A is a part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia. The second largest concentration of British Columbia population is located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, which is made up of the 13 municipalities of Greater Victoria, (Victoria, Saanich, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, View Royal, Highlands, Colwood, Langford, Central Saanich/Saanichton, North Saanich, Sidney, Metchosin, Sooke and several Native reserves), or the Capital Regional District. Vancouver Island is a large Island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. The District of Saanich is a Municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The City of Esquimalt (ɨsˈkwaɪmɔlt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Oak Bay is a Municipality in the Capital Regional District on Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, Canada View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a part of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. The District of Highlands (locally known as "The Highlands" is a municipal district on the Saanich Peninsula, near Victoria British Columbia Colwood is a city located on Vancouver Island to the southwest of Victoria, capital of British Columbia. Langford is a City of 22459 residents on southern Vancouver Island, within the province of British Columbia, Canada. Central Saanich is a district municipality in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District. Saanichton, British Columbia is a village in the municipality of Central Saanich, located between Victoria North Saanich is located on the Saanich Peninsula, approximately 25 km (16 mi north of Victoria British Columbia on southern Vancouver Island Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian Province of The District of Metchosin is a small coastal community (fewer than 5000 people in Greater Victoria, British Columbia 's Western Communities Sooke is an incorporated district municipality situated on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada. For the vast tract created by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 in Canada and the United States see Indian Reserve (1763 In Canada Almost half of the Vancouver Island population is located in Victoria. Other municipalities:
WildlifeMuch of the province is wild or semi-wild, so that populations of very many mammalian species that have become rare in much of the United States still flourish in B. Abbotsford ( is a Canadian city in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, adjacent to Metro Vancouver. Campbell River is a city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of Chilliwack is a Canadian city in the Province of British Columbia. Colwood is a city located on Vancouver Island to the southwest of Victoria, capital of British Columbia. Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Cranbrook British Columbia ( is a City in southeast British Columbia, seat of the Regional District of East Kootenay. The City of Dawson Creek is a small city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Fernie is a city in the Elk Valley area of the East Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located on BC Highway Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia, Canada, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson Kelowna (2007 population 106707 metropolitan population of 165596 is a City on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia Kimberley is a small city in southeast British Columbia, Canada along Highway 95A between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. Langford is a City of 22459 residents on southern Vancouver Island, within the province of British Columbia, Canada. Mission is a Canadian district municipality, in the province of British Columbia and is situated on the north bank of the Fraser River overlooking the North Cowichan is a District municipality on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada in the Cowichan Valley Regional Penticton is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake Prince George, with a population of 70981 ( census agglomeration of 83225 is the largest city in northern British Columbia Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Quesnel (kwəˈnɛl is a small city that is part of the Cariboo District of British Columbia, Canada. The District of Saanich is a Municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Vernon is a city in the south-central region of British Columbia, Canada. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. Williams Lake also known as BC's Stampede Capital and colloquially as "Billy's Puddle", is a city in British Columbia, This is a list of communities in British Columbia, a province in Canada. C. Watching animals of various sorts, including a very wide range of birds, has also long been popular. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Bears (grizzly, black, and the Kermode bear or spirit bear—only found in British Columbia) live here, as do deer, elk, moose, caribou, big-horn sheep, mountain goats, marmots, beavers, muskrat, coyotes, wolves, mustelids (such as wolverines, badgers and fishers), mountain lions, eagles, ospreys, herons, Canada geese, swans, loons, hawks, owls, ravens, harlequin ducks, and many other sorts of ducks. The Kermode bear, also known as the "spirit bear" or "ghost bear" is subspecies of the American Black Bear living in the central coast of British Columbia A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. The elk, or wapiti ( Cervus canadensis) is one of the largest Species of Deer in the world and one of the largest Mammals in The moose (North America or elk (Europe Alces alces, is the largest extant Species in the Deer family. Bighorn Sheep ( Ovis canadensis) is a species of sheep in North America and Siberia with large horns which can weigh up to. The Mountain Goat ( Oreamnos americanus) also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Marmots are members of the Genus Marmota, in the Rodent family Sciuridae (squirrels Beavers are two primarily nocturnal semi-aquatic species of Rodent, one native to North America and one to Europe The muskrat ( Ondatra zibethicus) the only Species in Genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic Rodent native to North America The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora Mustelidae or Mustelids (from Latin mustela, Weasel) commonly referred to as the weasel family, is a family of carnivorous Mammals Badger is the Common name for any animal of three subfamilies which belong to the family Mustelidae: the same Mammal family as the The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons The Canada Goose ( Branta canadensis) is a Goose belonging to the Genus Branta native to North America. Swans are Birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and Ducks Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in The loons (eg North America or divers (eg UK/Ireland are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia Howard Winchester Hawks ( May 30, 1896 &ndash December 26, 1977) was an American Film director, producer and The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e Raven is the common name given to the largest species of Passerine Birds in the Genus Corvus. The Harlequin Duck, Histrionicus histrionicus, is a small sea duck. Smaller birds (robins, jays, grosbeaks, chickadees, etc. The American Robin, Turdus migratorius, is a migratory Songbird of the thrush family The jays are several Species of medium-sized usually colorful and noisy Passerine Birds in the Crow family Corvidae Grosbeak is the name given to a Form taxon containing several Species of seed-eating Passerine birds with large Beaks Although they all The tits, chickadees, and titmice comprise Paridae, a large family of small Passerine Birds which occur in the Northern hemisphere ) also abound. Healthy populations of many sorts of fish are found in the waters (including salmonids such as several species of salmon, trout, char, etc. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. Trout is the common name given to a number of Species of Freshwater Fish belonging to the Salmonidae family Salvelinus is a Genus of salmonid Fish, often called char or charr; many of the fish called " Trouts quot also ). Besides salmon and trout, sport-fishers in B. C. also catch halibut, steelhead, bass, and sturgeon. A halibut is a type of Flatfish The rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a species of Salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America Bass (ˈbæs is a name shared by many different species of popular Gamefish. Sturgeon is the Common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, On the coastlines, harbour seals and river otters are common. The River Otter rises in the Blackdown Hills just inside the county of Somerset, near Otterford, then flows south for some 32 km through Cetacean species native to the coast include the Orca, Gray Whale, Harbour Porpoise, Dall's Porpoise, Pacific White-Sided Dolphin and Minke Whale. The Order Cetacea (sɪˈteɪʃiə L cetus, whale includes Whales Dolphins and Porpoises Cetus is The Orca or Killer Whale ( Orcinus orca) less commonly Blackfish or Seawolf, is the largest species of the Oceanic dolphin family The Gray Whale or Grey Whale ( Eschrichtius robustus) is a Whale that travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly The Harbor Porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena) is one of six Species of Porpoise. Dall's Porpoise ( Phocoenoides dalli) is a Species of Porpoise that came to worldwide attention in the 1970s The Pacific White-sided Dolphin ( Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) is a very active dolphin found in the cool to temperate waters of the North Pacific Ocean. Minke Whale ( or Lesser Rorqual is a name given to two species of Marine mammal belonging to a Clade within the suborder of Baleen whales The Endangered speciesSome endangered species in British Columbia are: Vancouver Island Marmot, spotted owl, white pelican, and badgers. The Vancouver Island marmot ( Marmota vancouverensis) is found only in the high mountainous regions of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e A pelican is a large water Bird with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the Bird family Pelecanidae. Badger is the Common name for any animal of three subfamilies which belong to the family Mustelidae: the same Mammal family as the
As of 2001 (Source: BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Conservation Data Centre) Introduced speciesBritish Columbian introduced species include: common dandelion, ring-necked pheasant, Pacific oyster, brown trout, black slug, European starling, cowbird, knapweed, bullfrog, purple loosestrife, Scotch broom, European earwig, tent caterpillar, sowbug, gray squirrel, Asian long-horn beetle, English ivy, fallow deer, thistle, gorse, Norway rat, crested mynah, and Asian or European gypsy moth. The Common Pheasant ( Phasianus colchicus) is a bird in the Pheasant family (Phasianidae The Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, is a native oyster of the Pacific coast of Asia. The brown trout ( Salmo trutta morpha fario and S trutta morpha lacustris) and the sea trout ( S Slug is a common non-scientific word which is often applied to any Gastropod mollusk whatsoever that has a very reduced shell a small internal shell Starlings are small to medium-sized Passerine Birds in the family Sturnidae. Cowbirds are Birds belonging to the genus Molothrus in the family Icteridae. Centaurea ( Cen-tau-ré-a) is a genus of about 350-500 Species Species in this genus include Centaurea adpressa The American Bullfrog ( Rana catesbeiana) is an aquatic Frog, a member of the family Ranidae, or "true frogs" native to much of North Lythrum salicaria ( Purple-loosestrife) is a Flowering plant belonging to the family Lythraceae, native to Europe, Asia Cytisus scoparius ( Common Broom; syn Sarothamnus scoparius) is a perennial leguminous Shrub native to western and central Earwigs is the common name given to the Insect order Dermaptera characterized by membranous wings folded underneath short leathery forewings Tent caterpillars are moderately sized species in the genus Malacosoma in the Moth family Lasiocampidae. Woodlice (known by many Common names see below) are Crustaceans with a rigid segmented long Exoskeleton and fourteen jointed limbs A squirrel is one of the many small or medium-sized Rodents in the family Sciuridae. Beetles are the group of Insects with the largest number of known Species. Hedera (English name ivy, plural ivies) is a genus of 15 species of climbing or ground-creeping Evergreen woody plants in the family The Fallow Deer ( Dama dama) is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This article is about the plant for other uses see Thistle (disambiguation. Gorse ( Ulex) comprises a Genus of about 20 species of Evergreen Shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Rats are various medium sized long-tailed Rodents of the superfamily Muroidea Distinguish from Miner and Minor. The mynas (also spelt mynahs) are birds of the Starling family The gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, is a moth in the family Lymantriidae of Eurasian origin See also
References
External links
|
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic