British Columbia Newcomers'
Guide to Resources and Services

Sports and Recreation

In this chapter:

• Sports activities
• Community centres
• Parks
• Cultural activities
• Libraries

Sports activities

Many British Columbians enjoy sports. Some of these include running, rollerblading, swimming, golf, tennis, skiing, boating, cycling, hiking, fishing, and mountain climbing.

Team sports are also popular. Some of these include hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, and curling.

Students play many of these sports at school. People can also go to public parks and community centres or join private sports clubs. For more information on private sports clubs, look in the Yellow Pages of the telephone book under "Clubs."

Community centres

Most cities and towns have community centres. They usually have swimming pools, ice rinks, tennis courts, and playgrounds. Community centres may have classes in arts and crafts, dancing, physical fitness, computers, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Each season, community centres usually publish a newspaper with a list of programs, their times, and how much they cost. Community centre programs are usually low in cost.

To find a community centre in your area, contact your local Parks and Recreation Board, or Recreation Commission. Look in the Blue Pages of the telephone book, in the "Municipalities" section. Look for the municipality you live in, and look for "Parks and Recreation," or "Recreation Facilities," or "Leisure Services."

Municipal parks

City or municipal parks usually have a sports field for baseball and soccer, a playground for children, and sometimes places for picnics.

Provincial parks and national parks

British Columbia has nearly 400 provincial parks and five national parks. Many of these are very large and have beautiful forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes.

People may visit provincial parks for hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and skiing.

Visitors should keep parks clean and safe. It is important to put all garbage in garbage cans. If there are no cans nearby, take your garbage home with you.

In British Columbia, it is against the law to drink alcohol in parks and other public places.

For more information on provincial parks, look in the Blue Pages of the telephone book. Find the Government of British Columbia section. Look under "Water, Land and Air Protection – Ministry of." Website: http://www.gov.bc.ca/wlap/  For more information on national parks, look in the Blue Pages of the telephone book. Find the Government of Canada section. Look under "Canadian Heritage – Parks Canada." Website: http://www.parkscanada.gc.ca/

Campgrounds and picnic sites

Most national and provincial parks have campgrounds and picnic sites. Campgrounds usually have campsites with a picnic table, a fire pit, and space for a tent or camper. People can camp overnight for a small fee. Picnic sites can be used only during the day. They are usually free.

Private campgrounds are common in all parts of the province. People can usually make reservations for a private campground. Most have services such as laundromats and grocery stores. Private campground fees are usually higher than fees at provincial or national campgrounds.

Cultural activities

British Columbia has many places for people to enjoy cultural activities. You can visit museums, art galleries, and historical sites. You can also go to plays, musicals, concerts, operas and ballets.

Some communities have their own special events such as festivals and fairs. You can get information about cultural activities in your area from newspapers, libraries and tourist information offices. For tourist information, contact Tourism B.C. at 604 435-5622 in Greater Vancouver, or 1-800-435-5622. Website: http://www.hellobc.com. Your municipality may also have a Tourist Information office.

Most large cities have community arts councils. They can give you information on local arts and cultural groups, and events. To contact your local community arts council, look in the White Pages of the telephone book under "Community Arts Council."

Libraries

Most communities have public libraries. You can borrow books, magazines, records, and tapes from these libraries. Libraries have books for adults and children, easy-reading books, and books in many languages.

Many libraries have special services for people with disabilities. For example, a library may have talking books for blind people. Some libraries have activities for children, such as storytelling and crafts.

Public libraries are free. You need a library card to borrow books or other items. You can apply for a card at any library. Bring some identification (ID) with your name and address on it.

To find a public library in your area, look in the White or Yellow Pages of the telephone book under "Libraries." You can also look in the Blue Pages in the "Municipalities" section under "Libraries." Listing of public libraries: http://www.bcpl.gov.bc.ca/VRD/libraries/

Go to next page: Chapter 14, Finding more help

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