My Native BC .com is dedicated to helping its
visitors find information about the province of British Columbia, Canada. We
are constantly looking for new locations and points of interest to give you
directions to, within this great and beautiful province. Whether you are a
first time visitor to our province, or a native of BC like ourselves, you will
find useful information regarding hundreds of potential destinations.
The province of BC is broken down into various geographical areas that
typify the regions topography as well as vegetation. The most common regions
are the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island ( north and south, east and west
coasts ), the Okanagan, the East and West Kootenays, the Caribou and
Thompson River Basin, the Peace River area, the Northern Coast, the Queen
Charlotte Islands and the Rocky Mountains. The Coastal Mountain Range would
include the pathway of the Fraser River which finishes its winding journey
through the heart of the province by depositing its fresh water supply into
the Strait of Georgia. It is at this location of the Lower Mainland where the
city of Vancouver can be found as well as the one time capital city of New
Westminster.
- 1 - Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District (Port Laverne)
- 2 - Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako (Burns Lake)
- 3 - Capital Regional District (Victoria)
- 4 - Cariboo Regional District (Williams Lake)
- 5 - Central Coast Regional District (Bella Coola)
- 6 - Regional District of Central Kootenay (Nelson)
- 7 - Regional District of Central Okanagan (Kelowna)
- 8 - Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (Salmon Arm)
- 9 - Comox Valley Regional District (Courtenay)
- 10 - Cowichan Valley Regional District (Duncan)
- 11 - Regional District of East Kootenay (Cranbrook)
- 12 - Fraser Valley Regional District (Chilliwack)
- 13 - Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (Prince George)
- 14 - Metro Vancouver (Greater Vancouver Regional District)
(Burnaby)
- 15 - Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine (Terrace)
- 16 - Regional District of Kootenay Boundary (Trail)
- 17 - Regional District of Mount Waddington (Port McNeill)
- 18 - Regional District of Nanaimo (Nanaimo)
- 19 - Regional District of North Okanagan (Coldstream)
- 20 - Northern Rockies Regional District (Fort Nelson)
- 21 - Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (Penticton)
- 22 - Peace River Regional District (Dawson Creek)
- 23 - Powell River Regional District (Powell River)
- 24 - Skeena-Queen Charlotte Regional District (Prince Rupert)
- 25 - Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (Pemberton)
- 26 - Stikine Region (n/a)*
- 27 - Strathcona Regional District (Campbell River)
- 28 - Sunshine Coast Regional District (Sechelt)
- 29 - Thompson-Nicola Regional District (Kamloops)
Today the capital of British Columbia is located in Victoria at the
southern tip of Vancouver Island and is the home to our beautiful and
elegant Parliament Buildings. As the name implies Victoria is deeply rooted
in its British heritage and is named of course after Queen Victoria.
Vancouver Island receives its name from Captain George Vancouver who was the
first captain to circumvent the island and map its vast coastline.
Interestingly enough it is important to note the early influence of the
Spanish explorers that had, prior to the British, joint responsibility for
the discovery of BC's waterways and coastline, resulting in the locations of Port Alberni and
the Alberni Channel being placed on the map. The lower coastal area of BC is
a curious mixture of Spanish and British naming such as the Juan de Fuca
Strait, the San Juan Islands, Cortez Island, and the Rosarias Islands. These
island dotted waterways are openly shared with our American neighbors to the
south and are inhabited by both Canadian and United States citizens alike.
Adding even more intrigue into its heritage and pre-dating the arrival of
European explorers the entire province was inhabited by a patch quilt like
populace of native peoples that were denoted by an assortment of native
based names for the various tribes they represented as well as a wide range of dialects to
match. One of the most commonly known of the tribes, are the Haida people
which were coastal dwellers and have come to symbolize the early native
influence for the province to the visiting world. Their unique artwork and
in particular the erection of their Totem Poles, up and down the coastal
mainland and on the nearby islands, have come to be a historical
representation and reminder of their original claim to the lands, which they
so openly share with all who call British Columbia their home.
Taking the time to tour our great province will leave you with a better
understanding of why we call it "God's Country". However, be prepared to
spend at least a month uninterrupted, travelling the highways of the
province just to get a feel for its natural wonder. Many of us that have
lived here all our lives and despite regular excursions can honestly tell
you that we will most likely never live long enough to see all that British
Columbia has to offer within its borders. The vastness of this province
cannot easily be described in words and probably the best appreciation for
its total size can best be seen in the Royal BC Museum in Victoria city.
Located next door to the Parliament Buildings and across the street from the
world famous Empress Hotel, the museum houses an enormous backlit map that allows for the
to scale outlines of the various countries of Continental Europe and the
United Kingdom combined to be viewed as they are individually and easily placed within BC's borders!
The Royal BC Museum is just one of the outstanding attractions provided
by the province to both foreign and local tourists alike and is without a
doubt probably the most educational place one can visit to truly experience
the early history and cultural heritage of British Columbia and its people.
Its location is:
