DESCRIPTION
The westernmost province in Canada, British Columbia, has something for everyone and is about four times the size of Great Britain. Even though BC is so much bigger, it houses less than 10% of the population in which Great Britain does. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria and the total population of the province was just over 4.3 million as of 2006. A few of the most popular things to do while in British Columbia are backpacking in the majestic forests and coast mountains; rock climbing the world famous Stawamous Chief in Squamish; skiing Whistler Blackcomb, Kimberley, Fernie; visiting Lake Lousie; and kayaking your way in between the many groups of islands. A few of the most popular cities in British Columbia are Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler; Fort St. John, which is the center of the BC oil and gas industry; Nanaimo, which is a hub city of Vancouver Island; Nelson, the queen city known for tourism, culture and outdoor activities; and Pentiction, a fantastic summer destination on Okanagan Lake. British Columbia is home to many beer breweries and the Okanagan is a perfect place to visit the array of small wineries. The largest of the breweries, which both offer tours are the Granville Island Brewery and the Columbia Brewery in Creston, which makes the famous Kokanee Glacier Beer. The use and possession of marijuana is illegal in all of Canada; however, a discrete amount of use is tolerated in the larger cities and particularly Vancouver. Weed cafes in Vancouver often provide a smoking room where one can safely and discretely indulge; however, it is not sold at these cafes. Again, be careful and don’t flaunt it, because although it’s slightly tolerated, it is still illegal.