British Columbia is Canada’s most western province and is the country’s gateway to the Pacific. It borders Washington State, Idaho, and Montana to the south, Alberta to the east, the Northwest and Yukon territories to the north, and Alaska to the northwest.
The province is home to roughly 4.3 million people comprised of a multitude of cultural traditions, languages and ethnicities. Its cities are cosmopolitan centres with thriving art, music, and entertainment scenes. You are even bound to run into a few movie stars in BC, since it is the third largest film and television production centre in North America after Los Angeles and New York.
People in BC love the outdoors, and there are plenty of wide-open spaces including 850 provincial parks and environmentally protected areas. In fact, BC’s total land and freshwater area is 95 million hectares, which is larger than the countries of France and Germany combined.
This vast area is also the traditional territory of the First Nations people, and it is believed that they entered the province via the Bering land bridge some 25,000 years ago. The rich traditions of the First Nations people are throughout British Columbia, and their heritage, culture, and artwork defines the province.
What makes BC particularly unique from the rest of Canada is its climate. While the province’s interior and northern regions experience the full array of Canadian seasons, including long hot summers and snowy winters, much of the province’s coastline enjoys a more temperate climate. In fact, BC is the only province where you can golf all year round.
Thinking about making the move to BC? Check out these useful resources.
