Het beste van West-Canada

About the destination: Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver is the eighth largest Canadian municipality and one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada. Explore the cobbled streets, shopping, dining and unique architecture of Gastown, a national historic site. Vancouver houses the second largest Chinatown in North America after San Francisco. It has many unique, as well as traditional shops. Granville Island is a popular peninsula connected to Vancouver. With its colourful market, it's a draw amongst locals and visitors alike. Vancouver wouldn't be the same without Stanley Park, one of the great urban parks. It's a perfect city escape. Overlooking Vancouver city, Grouse Mountain has winter skiing and even an excellent wildlife refuge. Vancouver has grown into a cosmopolitan city nestled in the great outdoors. Enjoy the snow-capped mountains, waterfront forests, cityside beaches, Olympic history and the world’s highest suspension bridge.

About the destination: Tsawwassen is a suburban, mostly residential community on a peninsula in the southwestern corner of the City of Delta in British Columbia, Canada. It provides the only road access to the American territory on the southern tip of the peninsula, the community of Point Roberts, Washington, via 56th Street. It is also the location of Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, part of the BC Ferries, built in 1959 to provide foot-passenger and motor vehicle access from the Lower Mainland to the southern part of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands. Because Tsawwassen touches a shallow bank (Roberts Bank), the ferry terminal is built at the southwestern end of a 3 km (1.9 mi) causeway (part of Highway 17) that juts into the Strait of Georgia. Boundary Bay Airport, a major training hub for local and international pilots which also provides local airplane and helicopter service, is ten minutes away. The Roberts Bank Superport is also nearby.

About the destination: Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries' main terminals, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. It is located 32 km (20 mi) north of Victoria on Vancouver Island.

About the destination: Victoria is blessed with a pretty waterfront location at the southern tip of nature-endowed Vancouver Island. It has retained its Commonwealth roots perhaps more strongly than any place in Canada. Many consider it the most British city in North America. Founded in 1843 as a Hudson Bay Trading Post, its colonial past has been well-preserved and is in a state of constant loving restoration. But aside its glorious colonial past, Victoria is also proud of its ancient roots. Victoria is still today the home of the Lekwungen People who are also known as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. Their culture and history are still very much a part of the city. Victoria’s historic downtown is a model for maintaining architectural integrity while keeping everything squeaky clean. Add to this, numerous dining, nightlife, cultural, and shopping opportunities not to mention that it is the warmest place in all Canada, full of flowers almost all year round. That is the reason it is considered the jewel of Canada's west coast and dubbed the city of gardens. Victoria is a charming little city with a joyful and laid-back atmosphere surrounded by amazingly beautiful scenery. It is no wonder tourists flock to Victoria and generally rave about it.

About the destination: Tofino is a district of approximately 1,876 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. A popular tourist destination in the summer. It attracts surfers, hikers, nature lovers, bird watchers, campers, whale watchers, fishers, or anyone just looking to be close to nature. In the winter it is not as bustling, although many people visit Tofino and the west coast to watch storms on the water. With its natural hot springs, Maquinna Marine Provincial Park is a popular day-trip destination for tourists.

About the destination: Dubbed the "Salmon Capital of the World," sport fishing is king in Campbell River. This civic gateway to northern Vancouver Island has long enjoyed a sterling reputation among anglers from all corners of the globe. They continue to trek here in pursuit of peace, serenity, breathtaking scenery, and the promise of reeling in all five species of Pacific salmon. The lion's share of visitors arrive in the warm, fairly dry spring, summer and fall. These are peak seasons for wildlife viewing and flightseeing thanks to the half-dozen whale watching and bear watching tour operators who depart from the waterfront. Their destination: the prime Orca and (in the fall) grizzly bear habitats found in the Johnston Strait and among the jigsaw-puzzle collection of Discovery Islands east and north of Campbell River.

About the destination: Comox is a town of about 15,000 people on the southern coast of the Comox Peninsula in the Georgia Strait on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The warm dry summers, mild winters, fertile soil and abundant sea life attracted First Nations thousands of years ago, who called the area kw'umuxws (Kwak'wala, the adopted language of the K'omoks, for plentiful). When the area was opened for settlement in the mid-19th century, it quickly attracted farmers, a lumber industry and a fishing industry. For over fifty years, the village remained isolated from the outside world other than by ship until roads and a railway were built into the area during the First World War. The installation of an air force base near the village during the Second World War brought new prosperity to the area, and in recent years, Comox has become a popular tourist attraction due to its good fishing, local wildlife, year-round golf and proximity to the Mount Washington ski area, the Forbidden Plateau, and Strathcona Provincial Park. The town is also home to a Royal Canadian Air Force base CFB Comox, an airport for military and commercial airline use and the Sea Cadet training facility HMCS Quadra. The mild climate has attracted many retirees to the area in the 21st century, resulting in a high rate of growth and a sharp increase in the median age of residents.

About the destination: Powell River is a city on the northern Sunshine Coast of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Most of its population lives near the eastern shores of Malaspina Strait, which is part of the larger Georgia Strait between Vancouver Island and the Mainland. With two intervening long, steep-sided fjords inhibiting the construction of a contiguous road connection with Vancouver to the south, geographical surroundings explain Powell River's remoteness as a community, despite relative proximity to Vancouver and other populous areas of the BC Coast. Nearby Texada Island with quiet beaches and lakes provides tourism opportunities and is a common weekend destination for the cities' residents. Both Texada Island and Powell River are popular for fishing, hunting, sailing, power boating camping and remote hiking. Powell River hosts a number of festivals that highlight local interest and culture, including the Blackberry Festival, Pacific Region International Summer Music Academy (PRISMA) Festival, Townsite Jazz Festival, International Choral Kathaumixw, and the Sunshine Music Festival.

About the destination: On the north shore of Jervis Inlet on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Saltery Bay derives its name from the early 1900s when it was the base for a Japanese salmon saltery and fish packing plant. Salmon were purchased for the Coqueneet people of the Sechelt Band who have fished these traditional waters for many generations. Today, Saltery Bay is the terminal for ferries sailing to the northern Sunshine Coast from the Earl’s Cove ferry terminal on the southern Sunshine Coast. Saltery Bay offers a government marina and anchorage with limited space for small craft, fishing boats and sailboats. West of Saltery Bay is Lang Bay, a small community surrounded by small farms overlooking the Malaspina Strait, where miles of hiking trails lead to beautiful lookouts, waterfalls, peaceful lakes, and spectacular alpine hiking.

About the destination: At the north end of the Sechelt Peninsula, Earls Cove marks the end of the southern section of Highway 101, the location of the ferry terminal for sailings to Saltery Bay, linking the Lower Sunshine Coast with the Upper Sunshine Coast of B.C. The ferry trip across Jervis Inlet is a scenic 16-kilometre, 50-minute ride up Agamemnon Channel, around the northeast tip of sparsely populated Nelson Island into Jervis Inlet. The ferry provides a spectacular view of the steep and rugged mountain slopes of the Coast Mountain range and the magnificent Sunshine Coast fjord country. The scenery is little changed from that which greeted Captain George Vancouver when he sailed Jervis Inlet and Agamemnon Channel in June 1792. Earls Cove is named after a Mr. Earl, one of the early pioneers in the area.

About the destination: A tiny village on the north side of Howe Sound, Langdale was named after Robinson Henry Langdale, a Yorkshireman who came here to homestead in 1892. Today, Langdale is the BC Ferry terminal linking Highway 99 at Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) to Highway 101, the main route connecting communities on the Sechelt and Malaspina Peninsulas of the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.

About the destination: Horseshoe Bay is a community of about 1,000 permanent residents, located in West Vancouver, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Situated on the western tip of West Vancouver at the entrance to Howe Sound, the village marks the western end of Highway 1 on mainland British Columbia (and furthermore the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway on the Canadian mainland). It also serves as the southern end of the Sea-to-Sky Highway, with Lions Bay just 15 minutes north.

About the destination: The absence of cars and abundance of cozy cafes, boutiques and gourmet restaurants give Whistler the look and feel of an idyllic European mountain village But the town's charms go far beyond its aesthetic appeal and walkability. Whistler is one of the leading areas in the world for winter leisure activities and is one of the top ski-resort towns in North America. Whistler has two great vertical-rise mountains: Blackcomb Mountain (5,280 ft/1,609 m), and Whistler Mountain (5,020 ft/1,530 m). The town was founded on these natural skiing attributes, but visitors can choose from an ever-growing selection of additional snow-related activities, including snowboarding.

About the destination: Sun Peaks used to be called Tod Mountain. The ski area's owners, who purchased it in 1992, have invested over $375 million and they are set to invest another $70 million. Their goal is to position Sun Peaks as a four-season destination resort. You will find 122 runs on an average snowfall of around 220 inches. They have 12 lifts (chair and surface). The area has plenty of open bowl skiing. Off the slopes at Sun Peaks, seven on-mountain hotels with many condominiums and chalets providing 3,000 beds. Additional lodging is in Kamloops, 45 minutes from the area. The addition of 522 acres of new terrain, in time for the 2014/15 season, will take the ski area to 4,200 acres, second only in size, in Canada, to Whistler. The current domain of 3,678 acres will be augmented by 110 acres of trails on West Morrisey (between the Back in Time and Static Cling trails) and 412 acres of runs on the current back-country area of Gil’s, atop Mt. Tod. At this point Gil’s will remain hike in (from 5 Mile trail accessed via the Burfield chairlift) /ski out, with an outrun at the bottom increasing the current vertical.

About the destination: Wells Gray Provincial Park is a large wilderness park located in east-central British Columbia, Canada. The park protects most of the southern, and highest, regions of the Cariboo Mountains and covers 5,250 square kilometres (524,990 hectares or 1.3 million acres). It is British Columbia's fourth largest park, after Tatshenshini, Spatsizi and Tweedsmuir.

About the destination: Jasper is a town in Jasper National Park in the Alberta Rockies region of Alberta, Canada. Jasper National Park is part of a Canada wide system of National Parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas. Jasper along with Banff, Kootenay, and Yoho national parks and Mount Robson, Hamber and Assiniboine provincial parks in B.C form the world-renowned Canadian Rockies World Heritage Site Jasper is known for its magnificent glaciers, including North America's most accessible glacier, the Athabasca. You will also come across smaller glaciers while hiking in the mountains. Jasper has over 1000kms of hiking trails and some are quite easily accessible from the town centre.

About the destination: Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, located 262 kilometres (163 mi) west of Calgary, Alberta and 713 kilometres (443 mi) east of Vancouver. Much of the town's history is tied into the Canadian Pacific Railway and the logging industry. Today, the town's economy still relies heavily on those two influences, but the development of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, along with other outdoor adventure companies, has allowed the town to diversify into tourism. Mount 7, which is just southeast of town, is popular with paragliding, hang gliding, and mountain biking enthusiasts. Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge is the longest freestanding timber frame bridge in Canada.[3] Planned as a community project by the Timber Framers Guild,[4] volunteers from Golden were joined by carpenters and timber framers from the United States and from Europe. The bridge structure is 150 feet (46 m) long, with a 210,000-pound Burr arch structure. The bridge was completed in September 2001. On March 26, 2009, then-Mayor Aman Virk died suddenly of complications after suffering a heart attack while vacationing in India.[5]

About the destination: Banff is the gateway to the National Park of the same name, holding some of Canada's most beautiful natural jewels. The town itself is fairly small and touristy. There are a ton of places to eat and shop, similar to any resort town. The town is located in the Bow River valley and is the perfect base to explore the great outdoors. With spectacular mountains, glaciers and moraine lakes, you will have scenery like few other places. Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 km west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 km2 of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north. Provincial forests and Yoho National Park are neighbours to the west, while Kootenay National Park is located to the south and Kananaskis Country to the southeast. Come to Banff in winter to enjoy the skiing and at other times of the year to revel in the grandeur of its magnificent surroundings. The hiking around Banff is wonderful, but if you don't want to go hiking, you could also just sit in the hot springs and relax.

About the destination:

Een van de grootste steden van West-Canada is Calgary. De meest opvallende landmark in het centrum van Calgary is zonder twijfel de 190 meter hoge Calgary Tower. Vanaf het Obervation Deck heeft u een spectaculair uitzicht van 360° over Calgary, de omliggende prairies en de Rockies in de verte. Door een glazen vloer kunt u bovendien loodrecht naar beneden kijken. In 1988 vonden in Calgary de Olympische Winterspelen plaats. Het Olympic Plaza, waar destijds de medailles werden uitgereikt, doet tegenwoordig dienst als locatie voor concerten en festivals. In het Olympic Park vindt u onder andere de skischans, de bobseebaan en de Sport Hall of Fame. Een goede indruk van het dagelijkse leven rond 1900 krijgt u in het Heritage Park Historical Village waar men een heel dorp heeft nagebouwd, compleet met een rechtbank, winkeltjes, cafés, een warenhuis en een museum. Elk jaar in juli vindt de Calgary Stampede plaats, een tiendaags wildwestfestival met rodeo’s, optredens en grote shows.