Welcome to British Columbia
Set between the Pacific Ocean in the west and the magnificent Rocky Mountains in the east, British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province. Blessed with breathtaking landscapes, BC is home to a geographical diversity that lends itself to a vast array of activities and adventures. There are mountains to climb, rivers to run, beaches to comb, forests to hike, parks to stroll and warm summer lakes to laze about on.
The province generally enjoys a temperate climate but where there are mountains, there is snow. Renowned for the steep and the deep of its world-class ski terrain, BC is bustling with energy and opportunity as it prepares for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Always a gold medal destination for savvy travellers, BC offers not just outdoor adventure but cosmopolitan culture, world class exhibitions, uptown shopping and fabulous dining. From sophisticated cities to breathtaking scenery, there is something for everyone in BC. |
| Resources and Publications for New Comers - courtesy from welcomebc.ca |
 |
This guide has information you may need if you have recently arrived in British Columbia, Canada. It is written in clear and simple language. The guide is available as a PDF download in English, and will be made available in ten other languages in the fall/winter of 2009. These languages include: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Farsi (Persian), French, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. To order print copies, click here.
Please note: The information in this guide has been revised and is current at the time of publication. Names, addresses and telephone numbers may change, and publications go out of date. The Province of British Columbia is not responsible for information that changes between publications. |
| Newcomers' Guide: English (PDF - 4.36MB) |
| Start planning your perfect vacation by exploring the regions:
Northern British Columbia
Cariboo Chilcotin Coast
Vancouver Island (Victoria & the Gulf Islands)
Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
Thompson Okanagan
Kootenay Rockies
|
BC Fast Facts
- Capital city: Victoria on Vancouver Island
- Population: 4.1 million (Concentrated in Vancouver, population 2.1 million, and Victoria, population 345,000)
- Canada's third most populated province (after Ontario and Quebec)
- Only province in Canada to experience a "West Coast special": ski and golf in the same day
- Westernmost of Canada's 10 provinces
- History: Entered Canadian confederation in 1871
- Total Area: 944,735 sq km (364,764 sq mi)
- Highest Point: Fairweather Mountain, 4,663 m (15,299 ft)
- Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean, sea level
- Longest River: Fraser River, 1,368 km (850 mi)
- Largest Lake: Williston Lake (reservoir), 1,761 sq km (680 sq mi)
- Largest Island: Vancouver Island, 32,137 sq km (12,408 sq mi)
- Provincial Flower: Pacific dogwood
- Provincial Tree: Western redcedar
- Provincial Bird: Steller's Jay
- Provincial Gemstone: Jade
- Provincial Motto: "Splendour without diminishment"
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome Home
|
|
