Beautiful British Columbia.

The first destination on our journey to bring Canada closer to the people will be British Columbia.

We hope to visit a broad array of this great province in hopes of creating a perfect picture for our followers. Here is a look at some of the chosen destinations we will be stopping by on our tour.

HAIDA GWAII

One of the main, must see, destinations in B.C is the beautiful Haida Gwaii.

Previously known as Queen Charlotte islands, this hidden gem is mostly inhabited by the Haida people. The Haida people are thought to have inhabited the islands for more than 8000 years. This isolated group of over 150 islands is often overlooked by tourists but anyone can see why it has become a mandatory destination on our road to bring Canada to the people.

The native inhabitants, once proud warriors, are now more known for their artistry and carvings. Their totem poles decorate the land and can also be found displayed in every ethnographic museum on the pacific coast.

VANCOUVER.

How could we possibly leave out the largest metropolitan area in B.C, the great Vancouver.

Coming in as the third most populous metro in Canada, the mainland and island of Vancouver offer many attractions that begged to be visited on our journey. Vancouver boasts vibrant communities in theater, libraries, museums, night-life, and plays host to the film industry of Canada. This was one of a couple must see destinations to really get to know the people who make up B.C. Vancouver is home to several sports teams including the Vancouver Canucks (hockey) and the Vancouver Stealth (lacrosse).

Mount Assiniboine (Canadian Rockies).

The next of our scheduled destinations would be the magnificent Mt.Assiniboine.

This is our chosen destination to showcase the splendor of the Canadian Rockies. The elevation of 3,618 m (11,870 ft), makes it the highest peak of the southern continental ranges in the Canadian Rockies. It's no wonder that it has made our list of destinations in this beautiful province. 

GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST.

The Great Bear Rainforest is another one of the must-see destinations we have targeted to include on our adventure. This protected rain forest is home to the elusive spirit bear who can sometimes be seen wandering the woods. Sadly this forest is receiving media attention for a much different reason. This is the area targeted by the proposed "northern gateway pipeline," a project that is sought after by people who place profit before all else in the world and pay no second thought to destroying this natural gem. The spirit bear would pass in to legend were it to succeed. 

WHISTLER.

The next attraction that has caught our eyes is the resort town of Whistler. This resort town played host to the downhill skiing event in the 2010 winter olympics. Located just 2 hours away from Vancouver, this beautiful mountain locale is very accessible to anyone visiting B.C.

World class skiing isn't the only thing that attracts people here. Visitors can find great places to golf, bike, or hike in the vast outdoor playground that is all around Whistler.

PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK RESERVE.

The next attraction on our journey through B.C is the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. A phenomenon known as orographic precipitation causes an average rainfall of 118 inches in this beautiful location with three major attractions. Long beach is the most visited feature of this reserve; Broken group islands is a popular kayak destination made up of small islands and accessible only by boat; The West Coast Trail is a once abandoned trail that has been re purposed into a difficult tourist attraction. The West Coast Trail can take hikers from rocky beaches to rain forest and on to often muddy terrain. The various sites, and nature, of the reserve help make it one of our favourite destinations in B.C.

MUNCHO LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK (ALASKA HIGHWAY).

Muncho Lake is one of the attractive stops on the scenic Alaska highway. This park boasts everything from wildlife, the secluded nature of the lake makes for the abundance of creatures, to the various colourful wildflowers.

The Alaska highway is also centered around some of the best fishing in the area and is a favourite destination for fly fishers.

VICTORIA.

No trip to B.C would be complete without stopping by the province's capital city of Victoria. While not the largest city in B.C, Victoria is in the top 20 global cities for quality of life. It is among the oldest cities in the Pacific northwest. Victoria's Chinatown district is the second oldest after the one in San Francisco. The thriving technological sector makes the city a hot bed for private enterprise. British settlement began in 1843 and the provinces legislative building was complete in 1897.

OKANAGAN VALLEY.

The next, arguably most fundamental, destination in our adventure through B.C is the iconic Okanagan Valley. This beautiful valley features lakes, beaches, mountains, and orchards. The Okanagan lake is home to the terrifying creature known locally as the Ogopogo (bellow).

Much like the Loch Ness monster of Scotland, Ogopogo is a creature of legend that remains enigmatic and iconic. The rest of this valley is a lush and fertile land that produces some of the best vegetation in the entire nation. On the eastern shore of the lake is the town of Kelowna (next on the list). This valley is home to some great attractions that have made it a popular retirement destination. Though features like beaches, and winter time attractions like skiing, make it a year round destination for everyone. 

KELOWNA.

Kelowna is the one of several locales that we've decided to highlight on our trip through B.C. This one makes the list for various reasons, not just because our team is familiar with several of the locals.

Our stop by Kelowna will happen to include some special resident insight into the magnificent B.C city due to personal connections we have with a few of the locals. This isn't, however, the only reason we've decided to include Kelowna on our destinations. For one thing it happens to be situated on the eastern side of lake Okanagan. The history of this city dates all the way back to the first settler in 1859. Some attractions to this beautiful city include SOPA gallery of fine arts, Kelowna community theater, Center of gravity festival, over 100 wineries in a 90 minute drive, and safari ridge adventure park. We only hope to have enough time to see a good portion of what this city has to offer.

FERNIE (KOOTENAY TOWNS).

Fernie in the Kootenay ski towns list of destinations is a destination that, to many Canadians, speaks for itself. Fernie has a population of just 4811 people, though this swells drastically in the winter ski season. While the ski slopes and culture surrounding them makes up the modern hype in this area, the town is built on a rich history of mining that can be found throughout the crowsnest pass region. This is surely a destination that has to be seen to truly admire, so our team will be letting the documentary segment on Fernie do the talking. 

AINSWORTH HOTSPRINGS.

The underground heaven found at the Ainsworth Hotsprings is a popular attraction near the community of Ainsworth B.C, one of the oldest settlements on Kootenay lake, with a population of about 50 people. This underground marvel is just one reason to make Ainsworth a stop on our journey. 

Kokanee glacier provincial park nearby offers everything from fishing to hiking. Nearby Kaslo is home to two national historic sites. 

Northwest of Ainsworth is the historic ghost town of Sandon.

 11 miles south is Balfour where visitors can take the longest ferry ride in the world. Ainsworth makes a perfect central location to check out these other attractions, in between tiring exploration you can take a load off in the underground hotsprings.

SHAMBHALA MUSIC FESTIVAL.

Shambhala music festival, featuring the pictured fractal forest, is a large gathering including world renowned DJs and age 19+ revelers from around the globe. Winner of 2011/2012 International Breakspoll Awards "best large event," it is a cutting edge celebration of freedom that 10 000 guests and 2000 employee/volunteers in 2012 alone. 

The musical celebration doesn't accept corporate sponsorship and plans to keep exploding with amazing music for years to come. 

The festival boasts uniquely themed stages and a great community that comes from all over to enjoy the celebration. We will be featuring some great looks at the festival, and the culture surrounding it, it our trip through B.C.

Don't forget to pick tickets up by following the link in the name, they tend to sell out leaving many desirous folk excluded until next year.

Afterword

This article, and those following it, are intended as a first hand look at the upcoming 'Explore Canada' series that will highlight various destinations around this great nation. The Explore Canada team doesn't lay claim to any of the photos used in any of our blogs about the destinations. The only pictures we own are either featured in the documentary, or available on our facebook page Explore Canada. The blogs on destination were created by team member, and creative director, Aantyn Klein and are by no means the final list of what is to be covered. The posts can, and will, be edited to include new content as the project matures. Thank you for your interest in Explore Canada, we hope to bring you many more interesting projects as we finalize plans to begin filming.

Aantyn Klein