British Columbia Newcomers' Guide
to  Resources and Services

Information about B.C.

In this chapter:

• Geography
• History
• B.C.'s first people
• Major cities
• Climate
• Preparing for winter

Geography

British Columbia (B.C.) is one of Canada's ten provinces. It is a very large province—larger than many countries in the world. For example, it is four times larger than Great Britain.

B.C. is on the Pacific coast of Canada. It is a land of mountains, rivers, and forests. The Rocky Mountains are in the eastern part of the province. The Coast Mountains are near the Pacific Ocean. Forests cover large areas of the province. Much of B.C. is rugged and wild, with few roads and towns. In many areas, people must drive long distances from town to town.

Most British Columbians live in the southern part of the province, close to the border with the United States. This area, from West Vancouver to Mission, from South Delta to Aldergrove and including all the municipalities inside this area, is called the "Lower Mainland."

Industry

Forestry, along with Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate, are the leading industrial sectors in B.C.  The next most important sectors of the economy are the Retail and Wholesale Trade; Business, Personal, and Other Services; and Transportation, Storage and Communications.

Tourism, mining, fishing, and farming are also important.

History

Native people have lived in the area that is now called British Columbia for thousands of years. They were here when the first European explorers arrived.

British and Spanish explorers began to visit the coast in the 1700s. The British explorer George Vancouver arrived in 1792. Vancouver Island and the city of Vancouver are named after him.

Other European explorers came to the Pacific coast by land. They travelled by canoe and on foot. One of these early explorers was Simon Fraser. The Fraser River is named after him.

People found gold along the Fraser River in 1857. Thousands of people came to B.C. to look for gold.

In 1867, the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia joined together to form Canada. British Columbia joined Canada in 1871. At that time, only 36,000 people lived in B.C. More than 25,000 were native people.

Between 1880 and 1885, workers built the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) across Canada. The CPR joined the country from east to west.

Since 1885, B.C. has grown quickly. In the last 100 years, people from all over the world have come here to live. In 2001, the total population of B.C. was about 4.1 million.

B.C.'s first people

About four per cent of the people in B.C. are native. Native people live in cities and towns. They also live on reserves. B.C.'s first people are sometimes called Indians. They usually prefer to be called native people, First Nations people or Aboriginal people.

Native people in British Columbia belong to many cultural groups. They speak different languages. They have different histories, traditions, and lifestyles.

Major cities

Vancouver is Canada's third-largest city. It is an important port and business centre. More than 2 million people live in and around Vancouver.

Victoria is the capital city of the province. It is on Vancouver Island. The B.C. government meets in Victoria.

Kelowna is in the interior of the province. This city, on Lake Okanagan, is the centre of a large fruit-growing and wine-producing area.

Prince George is in the north. It is an important centre for B.C.'s forest industry.

Some other B.C. cities are Kamloops, Nanaimo, Fort St. John, and Fort Nelson.

Climate

British Columbia has four seasons:

• Winter (December to February);
• Spring (March to May);
• Summer (June to August);
• Fall (September to November).

The climate is different from place to place in B.C.

The coast has a mild climate all year around. Summers are warm, and winters are rainy and mild.

The interior, or central area of the province, is usually cold and snowy in the winter. Summers are hot and sunny.

In the north, winters are long and cold with lots of snow. Summers are short.

Preparing for winter

Winters along the coast are usually very rainy. You will need an umbrella, raincoat, and rain boots.

In the interior and northern regions, winters can be very cold. It is important to wear warm winter clothing when you are outside. Most people wear thick coats or jackets, scarves, hats, and gloves or mitts.

If it is snowing, boots will keep your feet warm and dry. Many people wear boots outside and take shoes to wear indoors at work or school.

On very cold days, some people wear special underwear under their clothes. This underwear is made from warm materials.

Children usually feel cold more than adults. It is important to dress children warmly in winter.

Where to go for help

To get more information about British Columbia:

• Ask at your local library for books and maps of B.C.
• Contact your nearest Government Agents office. Look in the Blue Pages of the phone book. Find the Government of B.C. section. Look under "Government Agents."
• Visit B.C. Stats: http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca

Go to next page: Chapter 3, Government and Citizenship

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