If you were not one of the lucky few to secure a reservation at a Provincial Park Campsite, do not despair, summer is still here and there are still lots of ways to enjoy camping on Vancouver Island. Take advantage of provincial park campgrounds that have designated First Come First Serve sites If camping at a provincial park is THE thing you want to do this summer, then there are still options for you. The Discover Camping Reservation Service is operating on a two-month window, so if you are planning for early fall then the opportunity is there, but if like most of us you are aiming for Augu ..read more

The old fishing village of Telegraph Cove is tucked away on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island, one of the last boardwalk communities on the east coast of Vancouver Island. The economy of the quaint village is based primarily on tourism due to its prime location on Johnstone Strait and its role as the gateway to Robson Bight. Up to two hundred Orcas arrive at Robson Bight (Michael Biggs) Ecological Reserve each summer to rub on the barnacle-encrusted rocks at the mouth of the Tsitika River. As the top predator on the inland-water food chain, they are also attracted by the annual salmon r ..read more

Rich tidal pools, a shoreline full of life, and fantastic geological features attract visitors to Botanical Beach, offering one of the best opportunities to view intertidal marine creatures and plants on Vancouver Island. Located near Port Renfrew on southern Vancouver Island, Botanical Beach is one of the most amazing places on the entire West Coast of British Columbia, particularly at low tide, when visitors can walk a long way out across flat sandstone and granite outcroppings to view tide pools filled like jewelry boxes with brightly coloured marine animals. Purple, red and orange starfis ..read more

A Postcard from the West Coast features a paddler, Alex, who expresses the magic of her kayaking journey through the waters of British Columbia. Alex shares her exciting experience by writing about her adventure to her good friend Liza. The feeling and sense of her experience truly come through in this beautiful short film that includes the highlights of video shot in the coastal wonderland of British Columbia by Spirit of the West Adventures, operator of the multi-day kayaking expedition. Spirit of the West Kayaking P.O. Box 569 Heriot Bay Quadra Island, BC V0P 1H0 Phone: 250-285-2121 Fax ..read more

A Perfect Whale Watching Experience Cameron Ocean Adventures in Ucluelet offers a unique west coast whale watching experience. Although we focus on seeing whales, we also make every effort to encounter the many other predatory species that reside in the ocean or near the waters edge. Our tour offers exploring, learning and immersion in the untouched nature that our coast of British Columbia has to offer. During the spring and summer, the abundance of returning herring and salmon present a feast for the sealions, seals, porpoises, black bears, wolves and eagles that make the Ucluelet area the ..read more

Ancient Forest Alliance campaigners and Ken Wu of the Endangered Ecosystems Alliance have identified what may very well be one of Canada’s most spectacular old-growth forests near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island, in the unceded territory of the Pacheedaht First Nation band: the magnificent “Mossome Grove” (short for “Mossy and Awesome” Grove). This 13-hectare grove is a unique combination of towering Sitka spruce trees, as tall and straight as Roman pillars, and massive bigleaf maples, draped in mosses and ferns and resembling prehistoric monsters. Not even Hollywood could create a grove mor ..read more

The Vancouver Island University Library has received a grant of $17,015 from the National Heritage Digitization Strategy to digitize historical texts and maps dating from 1732 to 1944 that will unfold Canada’s narratives of exploration through the voices of settlers and Indigenous peoples. The narratives of Canada’s journey of exploration will be shared with the online world through the digitization of the Special Collections archives of Vancouver Island University (VIU). VIU is one of 21 successful candidates from 213 applications to receive funding from Libraries and Archives Canada (LAC) a ..read more

As you plan and pack for your upcoming adventure on Vancouver Island and the beautiful west coast of British Columbia, allow us to make a few suggestions on what BC books to read if you need a rest from too much excitement on your memorable trip. Wild Fierce Life Dangerous Moments on the Outer Coast Joanna Streetly Wild Fierce Life is a heart-stopping collection of true stories from the Pacific Coast that build a vivid portrait of life on the continental edge and one woman’s evolving place within it. Author Joanna Streetly arrived on the west coast of Vancouver Island when she was nineteen, a ..read more

Almost 80% of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forests have been logged, including 90% of the valley bottoms where the largest trees grow and the richest biodiversity resides. Stumps as wide as 16 feet (5 metres) in diameter have been found freshly cut. The oldest stump to be dated in British Columbia was from a tree 1,835 years old! Below are photographs of only some of the big stumps that have been found. How many others are there? How many more will there be before this destruction is stopped? Some viewers may find this content to be very disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised ..read more

Wildcoast provides memorable kayak vacations for adventure travellers that combine spectacular scenery, scrumptious food, and abundant wildlife encounters, including whales, dolphins, bears and eagles. Kayak with Killer Whales at their Orca base camp in Johnstone Strait, or take one of their kayak expeditions to Desolation Sound or the Discovery Islands of British Columbia. Their top-rated service caters to both local and international clientele. All kayak tours are fully inclusive and no kayaking experience is required. Only have a day? Visit our storefront for paddleboard and kayak Rentals ..read more