Fur trading brought British explorers to the west
coast of Canada. In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook arrived at
Vancouver Island, now part of British Columbia (BC). In exchange for knives and
other metal goods, the native tribes gave Cook and his men sea otter pelts and
other animal skins.
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Facts About British Columbia
|
|
|
Capital
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Victoria
|
|
Population
|
4,380,000
people
|
|
Rank
among provinces and territories in population
|
3rd
|
|
Major
cities
|
Vancouver,
Victoria, Abbotsford
|
|
Area
|
365,000
square miles
945,000 square kilometers |
|
Rank
among provinces and territories in area
|
5th
|
|
Entry
into federation
|
July
20, 1871
|
|
Provincial
bird
|
Steller's
Jay
|
|
Provincial
flower
|
Pacific
Dogwood
|
|
Abbreviation
|
BC
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MOUNTAINS, FORESTS, AND SEA
British Columbia is Canada’s westernmost province
and the only part of Canada to border the Pacific Ocean. Rugged mountains cover
most of British Columbia. Thick forests grow on the mountains. Narrow inlets
called fjords cut into the coast. Steep cliffs line the fjords.
The province of British Columbia includes islands
in the Pacific. Vancouver Island lies to the south. The Queen Charlotte Islands
lie to the north.
It’s not surprising that timber and fishing are
important industries in British Columbia. The province’s vast forests provide
lots of timber. The ocean waters and inland rivers provide fish, especially
salmon. Mining is also important. British Columbia’s mines produce coal, gold,
copper, zinc, and other valuable products.
VANCOUVER AND VICTORIA
Very few people live in the mountainous parts
of British Columbia. Most of the people live in the flatter southwestern part
of the province. The two largest cities in British Columbia—Vancouver and
Victoria—are there. Victoria is the capital, but Vancouver is much bigger.
Vancouver is Canada’s busiest port. Vancouver is growing
rapidly, mainly as a result of immigration from Hong Kong and other places in
East Asia. The city has a bustling Chinatown and Japantown. The trans-Canada
railway, which crosses all of Canada, ends in Vancouver.
Victoria is on Vancouver Island. The city is proud
of its British charm. Visitors enjoy having British-style tea at the grand
Empress Hotel in Victoria. Victoria has many beautiful gardens, which give it
the nickname the Garden City. Hanging baskets of flowers decorate the town. The
Butchart Gardens just north of Victoria are famous. The city was named after
Britain’s Queen Victoria.
WHO WAS VANCOUVER?
George Vancouver is the explorer who claimed for
Britain the territory that is now British Columbia. In 1792, he explored the
area, and he claimed it the next year. Vancouver Island and the city of
Vancouver are named after him.
WHAT BRINGS TOURISTS TO BC?
Many tourists visit British Columbia each year.
Some come to enjoy the spectacular mountain scenery and mountain resorts.
Skiing is popular in the mountains in winter. Others come for the museums,
theaters, and other features of city life in Vancouver and Victoria. Both
cities have magnificent settings along waterfronts near mountains. They also
have mild climates, warmed by currents in the Pacific Ocean.
Tourists can also enjoy nature in British
Columbia’s national parks. Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is located on the
western side of Vancouver Island. It has beaches and hiking trails, and it’s a
good place to see sea lions and whales.
Kootenay National Park in eastern British Columbia
includes part of the Rocky Mountains. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve
includes 138 islands of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The park’s name means
“Islands of Wonder” in the Haida Indian language. The park preserves ancient
settlements of the Haida people. It also has rain forests, and bears and other
wildlife.
GOLD RUSH
In 1858, gold was discovered in the valley of
the Fraser River and in the Cariboo Mountains. Thousands of gold-hungry miners
rushed to British Columbia. Many came from California. Barkerville became a
rowdy boom town near the Cariboo mines.
In 1858, the year of the gold rush,
Britain established the colony of British Columbia. Vancouver Island was added
to British Columbia in 1866. On July 20, 1871, British Columbia became the
sixth province in Canada.
It was important to Canada to have ports on
the Pacific Coast. But first, a railroad had to connect the coast with the rest
of Canada. In 1886, the first trains reached the west coast of Canada. The city
of Vancouver grew up at the westernmost point of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
FIRST NATIONS IN BC
The native peoples of Canada prefer to be called
First Nations. They were the largest group in British Columbia when the
province joined Canada. But as European settlement grew, the First Nations lost
many rights.
Native people could not vote in British Columbia’s
elections until 1949. They also could not carry on traditional practices such
as a gift-giving ceremony called potlatch. Potlatches had marked important
occasions in the lives of Pacific Coast natives for hundreds of years. Rituals
like potlatches were outlawed until 1951.
Pacific Coast natives are known for their totem poles.
These carved wooden poles were created as memorials to dead family members.
They are carved with figures and animals that represent family guardians.
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