GEOGRAPHY

  • Vancouver Island, with an area of 32,000sq km/19,884sq mi, is the largest island off the west coast of North America.

  • At approximately 460km/286mi in length and 100km/62mi in breadth, Vancouver Island is comparable in size to the Netherlands and Taiwan.

  • Strathcona Provincial Park's Della Falls is Canada's highest waterfalls and one of the ten highest waterfalls in the world, at 440m/1,452ft.

  • Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park is home to some of the world’s largest spruce trees, reaching heights in excess of 95m/310ft. Additionally, the park is home to ancient, knotted cedars estimated to be more than 1,000 years old.

WILDLIFE

  • Some 7,000 known species inhabit the coastal waters of the Vancouver Island region, including more than 200 species of migratory birds and 33 species of land mammals.

  • Wildlife is the focus of many annual events in the region, such as the Pacific Rim Whale Festival in March, Oceanside’s Brant Festival in April, the Tofino Shorebird Festival in May, and the Eagle Extravaganza in Goldstream Provincial Park near Victoria.

  • Hornby Island and Nootka Sound are two of the few places in the world where scuba divers can view primitive six-gill sharks, a common species of deep water shark.

HISTORY

  • Vancouver Island has been home to its indigenous people for thousands of years. Some of the oldest settlements date back 15,000 years.

  • Settlers from Europe started making their way to Vancouver Island in the late 1700s following its "discovery" by European explorers.

  • Vancouver Island became a colony of Great Britain in 1849

  • After a period of colonization, Vancouver Island joined the colony of British Columbia in 1866. British Columbia then joined Canada in 1871.

  • Mining, Logging, and Fishing have driven Vancouver Island's economy over the years. However, sustainable tourism is beginning to become an important economic driver.

MOVIES

Movies and TV Shows filmed on the island include; X-Men: The Last Stand & X2, X Files, Seven Years in Tibet, Superman: Man of Steel, Twilight, The Fog, Final Destination, War for the Planet of the Apes and the latest Godzilla movie, The Last of Us Season 2, Netflix’s MAID, SEE, Sonic the Hedgehog, Deadpool, Wrecked, Chesapeake Shores, Scary Movie, White Chicks.