Island Profiles

  Vancouver Island is a dream destination for food and wine lovers. In 2006, Saveur Magazine bestowed the island with the title of ‘new epicurean mecca of the west coast’. There is no short supply of farms and farmer’s markets, fresh seafood, restaurants and culinary schools.  The wines produced at the many island wineries have received rave reviews and the slow food movement has gained a strong footing with farm to table meals offered by rural farmhouses to upscale city…

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  Known as “The Garden City”, as well as the “City of Newly Weds and Nearly Deads” due to it’s parks, gardens, large number of young couples and seniors, Victoria, named after Queen Victoria, has been described as a ‘piece of England’.  It is equidistant (60 miles) from the city of Vancouver on the British Columbia mainland and from Seattle in the state of Washington, with regular ferry and air service to and from each city.  Victoria is one of…

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Whether you arrive by ferry or by plane, Vancouver Island promises an amazing escape for anyone who appreciates the peace and wonder of nature, the leisurely pace of quaint fishing ports or the adventure of hiking, kayaking, skiing, exploring and camping in the mountainous provincial parks.  Vancouver Island, known by locals as ‘The Island’ is the very definition of escape for many of us. The Provincial Parks The largest provincial park on the island is Strathcona Provincial Park, established in…

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Vancouver Island has been inhabited by indigenous peoples for at least 8,000 years. There are many totem poles and longhouses on the island erected and built by members of three basic First Nation groups, the Kwakiutl, or Kwakwaka’wakw, who inhabit the northern and northwestern parts of the island, the Nootka, or Nuu-cha-nulth, found on the west coast, and the Coast Salish, a grouping of several smaller tribes, who reside on the south and southeastern part of Vancouver Island, as well…

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This month we return to the Northern Hemisphere and visit Vancouver Island.  Located off the Pacific Coast of Canada, it is separated from British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia, and separated from the US state of Washington by the Juan de Fuca Strait.  Located partially south of the 49th parallel, Vancouver Island and it’s smaller neighboring islands have one of the warmest climates in Canada. Although the island shares a name in common with the city of Vancouver, the…

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