Vancouver Island
Cape Flattery
Geography
Location	Pacific Ocean
Coordinates
Area	32,134 km²
Highest point	Golden Hinde 2,198 m (7,211 ft)
Administration
Canada
Province	British Columbia
Largest city	Saanich (108,265)
Demographics
Population	734,860 (as of 2004)
Density	22/km²

Vancouver Island is separated from mainland British Columbia by the Strait of Georgia and the Queen Charlotte Strait, and from Washington by the Juan De Fuca Strait. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Golden Hinde is a mountain located in the Vancouver Island Ranges on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second largest country in total area. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C The District of Saanich is a Municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Queen Charlotte Strait is a Strait between Vancouver Island and the Mainland of British Columbia, Canada.

A NASA image of Vancouver Island

Cities of Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada, one of several North American regions named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific coast of North America between 1791 and 1794. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Captain George Vancouver The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)

It is 460 km (285 miles) long and up to 80 km (50 miles) wide. The largest island on the western side of North America at 32,134 km² (12,407 sq mi), it is the world's 43rd largest island, Canada's 11th largest island and Canada's second most populous island after the Island of Montreal, which has 1. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. This is a list of Islands in the world ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than 2500 km² (970 square miles This is a list of Canadian Islands as ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than 2500 km²; (965 Square miles. This is a list of Canadian Islands listed by population. Only natural islands are listed 3 million more people. The 2001 census population was 656,312. The Canada 2001 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population British Columbia statistics in 2004 estimated the population at 734,860. ^[1] Slightly fewer than half of these (331,491) live in Greater Victoria. Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Other major cities on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Parksville, Comox, Courtenay, and Campbell River. Port Alberni is a city located in the province of British Columbia in Canada. Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Comox is a town located on the eastern side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Comox Valley. Courtenay is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Campbell River is a city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of

Geography and climate

Vancouver Island is located in the southwestern corner of the province of British Columbia. British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C It is separated from mainland Canada by the Strait of Georgia, Johnstone Strait, and Queen Charlotte Strait, and from the U. The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait (also known as the Gulf of Georgia) is a Strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby Johnstone Strait is a 110 km (68 mi channel along the north east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Queen Charlotte Strait is a Strait between Vancouver Island and the Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. S. by the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Strait of Juan de Fuca (also called Juan de Fuca Strait) is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Georgia Strait and Puget To the west of the island is the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions

The Vancouver Island Ranges run most of the length of the island, dividing it into a wet and rugged west coast and a drier, more rolling east coast. The Vancouver Island Ranges extend the length of Vancouver Island which has an area of 31788 km² The highest point in these ranges and on the island is the Golden Hinde, at 2195 m or 7200'. The Golden Hinde is a mountain located in the Vancouver Island Ranges on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Located near the centre of Vancouver Island in the 2,500 km² (620,000 acre) Strathcona Provincial Park, it is part of a group of peaks that include the only glaciers on the island, the largest of which is the Comox Glacier. Strathcona Provincial Park is the oldest Provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, and the largest on Vancouver Island. The Golden Hinde is also part of the Karmutsen Formation, which is a sequence of tholeiitic pillow basalts and breccias. The Karmutsen Formation is a Late Triassic volcanic sequence of tholeiitic pillow basalts and breccias on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada Tholeiitic basalt is an Igneous rock, a type of Basalt. Like all basalt the rock type is dominated by Clinopyroxene plus Plagioclase, with minor Basalt (bəˈsɔːlt ˈbeisɔːlt ˈbæsɔːlt is a common Extrusive Volcanic rock. Breccia (ˈbrɛtʃiə ˈbrɛʃiə breach is a rock composed of angular fragments of several Minerals or rocks in a matrix, that is a cementing material The west coast shoreline is rugged, and in many places mountainous, characterised by its many fjords, bays, and inlets. A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. The interior of the island has many lakes (Kennedy Lake, northeast of Ucluelet, is the largest) and rivers. Kennedy Lake is the largest Lake on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver Island formed when volcanic and sedimentary rock scraped off the ancient Kula Plate and plastered against the continental margin when it was subducting under North America 55 million years ago. Volcanic rock is an Igneous rock of volcanic origin Texture Volcanic rocks are usually fine-grained or Aphanitic to glassy in Sedimentary rock is one of the three main rock types (the others being igneous and Metamorphic rock) The Kula Plate was an oceanic Tectonic plate under the northern Pacific Ocean south of the Near Islands segment of the Aleutian Islands. The continental margin is the zone of the Ocean floor that separates the thin Oceanic crust from thick Continental crust.

The climate is the mildest in Canada, with temperatures on the coast even in January being usually above 0 °C (32 °F). In summer, maximum temperatures average 21-24 °C (70-75 °F). However, the rain shadow effect of the island's mountains, as well as the mountains of Washington's Olympic Peninsula, creates wide variation in precipitation. For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow (TV series. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Geography The Olympic Peninsula is home to some of the only Temperate rain forests in the world including the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault The west coast is considerably wetter than the east coast. Average annual precipitation ranges from 6,650 millimetres (260 in) at Henderson Lake on the west coast (making it the wettest place in North America) to only 635 millimetres (25 in) at the driest recording station in the provincial capital of Victoria on the southeast coast's Saanich Peninsula. The Saanich Peninsula is located north of Victoria British Columbia, Canada. Precipitation is heaviest in the autumn and winter. Snow is rare at low altitudes but is common on the island's mountaintops in winter.

A notable feature of Vancouver Island is the extension of Mediterranean-type summer dryness to latitudes as high as 50°N. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide Only in the extreme north of the island near Port Hardy is the rainfall of the driest summer month as much as one fifth that of the wettest months from November to March. Port Hardy is a small community in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island. West coasts of other continents at similar latitudes have a practically even distribution of rainfall through the year.

Vancouver Island lies in the temperate rainforest biome. Temperate rainforests are Coniferous or broadleaf Forests that occur in the Temperate zone and receive high rainfall A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and On the southern and eastern portions of the island, this is characterized by Douglas-fir, western red cedar, arbutus, Garry oak, salal, Oregon-grape, and manzanita. Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Western redcedar ( Thuja plicata) is a species of Thuja, an Evergreen coniferous Tree in the cypress family Arbutus is a Genus of at least 14 species of Flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, native to warm temperate regions of the Mediterranean The Garry Oak ( Quercus garryana) also known as Oregon White Oak or Oregon Oak, has a range from southern California to extreme southwestern Salal or shallon ( Gaultheria shallon, Ericaceae) is a leathery-leaved shrub native to western North America. Oregon-grape ( Mahonia aquifolium, Berberidaceae) is an evergreen Shrub related to the Barberry. The Manzanitas are a subgenus of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen Shrubs or small Trees present in the Chaparral This is the heavily populated region of Vancouver Island, and a major area for recreation. The northern, western, and most of the central portions of the island are home to the coniferous "big trees" associated with British Columbia's coast — hemlock, western red cedar, amabilis fir, yellow cedar, Douglas-fir, grand fir, Sitka spruce, and western white pine. Tsuga (from ツガ ja 栂 the name for Tsuga sieboldii) is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. Western redcedar ( Thuja plicata) is a species of Thuja, an Evergreen coniferous Tree in the cypress family Pacific Silver Fir ( Abies amabilis) is a Fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring in the Pacific Coast Ranges Nootka Cypress ( Callitropsis nootkatensis) formerly Cupressus nootkatensis Xanthocyparis nootkatensis or Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, is Douglas-fir is the common name applied to coniferous Trees of the Genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Grand Fir or Giant Fir ( Abies grandis) is a Fir native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, occurring at altitudes of sea The Sitka Spruce ( Picea sitchensis) is a large Coniferous Evergreen Tree growing to 50-70 m tall exceptionally to 100 m tall and Western White Pine ( Pinus monticola; family Pinaceae) is a species of Pine that occurs in the mountains of the western United States and It is also characterised by broadleaf maple, red alder, sword fern, and red huckleberry. Acer macrophyllum ( Bigleaf Maple or Oregon Maple) is a large Deciduous Tree in the genus Acer. Alnus rubra ( red alder) is a Deciduous Tree native to western North America. Polystichum munitum ( Western Sword Fern) is an Evergreen Fern native to western North America, where it is one of the most abundant

The fauna of Vancouver Island is similar to that found on the mainland coast, with some notable exceptions and additions. For example, grizzly bears, mountain goats, porcupines, moose, skunks, coyotes, and numerous species of small mammals, while plentiful on the mainland, are absent from Vancouver Island. The Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis, also known as the Silvertip Bear, is a Subspecies of Brown bear (Ursus arctos that lives The Mountain Goat ( Oreamnos americanus) also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Porcupines are Rodents with a coat of sharp spines or quills that defend them from predators The moose (North America or elk (Europe Alces alces, is the largest extant Species in the Deer family. Skunks (sometimes referred to as polecats) are Mammals best known for their ability to excrete a strong foul-smelling odor. The coyote (kaɪˈoʊti ˈkaɪoʊt ( Canis latrans) also known as the prairie wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The island does support most of Canada's Roosevelt elk, however, and one species — the Vancouver Island Marmot — is unique to the island. The Roosevelt elk ( Cervus canadensis roosevelti) also known as Olympic elk, is the largest of the four surviving subspecies of Elk in North The Vancouver Island marmot ( Marmota vancouverensis) is found only in the high mountainous regions of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada The island's rivers, lakes, and coastal regions are renowned for their fisheries of trout, salmon, and steelhead. For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing. Trout is the common name given to a number of Species of Freshwater Fish belonging to the Salmonidae family Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. The rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a species of Salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America It has the most concentrated population of cougars in North America. The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family

Vancouver Island was the location of the observation of the episodic tremor and slip seismic phenomenon. Episodic tremor and slip (ETS is a phenonemon recently observed in Seismology describing a particular type of tremor pattern observed in regions of convergent

History

Indigenous people

Main article: Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast

Vancouver Island has been the homeland to many main indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants and many Ethnic groups The Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast are the Pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, their descendants and many Ethnic groups ^[2] These are the Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, and Coast Salish. The Kwakwaka'wakw (also Kwakiutl) are an Indigenous nation numbering about 5500 who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island The Nuu-chah-nulth (pronounced) (also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth) are one of the Indigenous peoples Coast Salish refers to a cultural or ethnographic designation of a subgroup of the First Nations or Native American cultures in British Columbia, Kwakwaka'wakw territory includes northern Vancouver Island, with parts of the mainland, then Nuu-chah-nulth spanning from the northern western part of the island, to the south, covering the west coast, and Coast Salish covering the lower eastern part. Their cultures are connected to the natural resources abundant in the area, with oral history spanning thousands of years.

European exploration

Europeans began to encroach on the island in 1774, when rumours of Russian fur traders caused the Spanish to send a ship, the Santiago north under the command of Juan José Pérez Hernández. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal Fur. Juan José Pérez Hernández (ca 1725 - November 3, 1775) often simply Juan Pérez, was an 18th century Spanish explorer In 1775 a second Spanish expedition, under Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, was sent. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra (baptized 3 June, 1743 &ndash 26 March, 1794) was a Peruvian naval officer born in

Vancouver Island came to the attention of the wider world after the third voyage of Captain James Cook, who landed at Nootka Sound of the Island's western shore on March 31, 1778 and claimed it for the United Kingdom. Captain James Cook FRS RN ( – 14 February 1779) was an English Explorer, Navigator and For other uses of the word Nootka see Nootka (disambiguation. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 1778 ( MDCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The island's rich fur trading potential led the British East India Company to set up a single-building trading post in the native village of Yuquot (Friendly Cove) on Nootka Island, a small island in the Sound. The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or Yuquot (meaning "Wind comes from all directions" or Friendly Cove is a small settlement of less than 25 on in Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island Nootka Island is an island near Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

The island was further explored by Spain in 1789 by Esteban José Martínez, who built Fort San Miguel on one of Vancouver Island's small offshore islets in the sound near Yuquot. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Esteban José Martínez Fernández y Martínez de la Sierra, or simply Esteban José Martínez (1742-1798 was a Spanish Navigator and Explorer For Angola fort see Fortaleza de São Miguel Fort San Miguel was a Spanish Fortification built at Friendly Cove in Nootka This was to be the only Spanish settlement in what would later be Canada. The Spanish began seizing British ships and the two nations came close to war in the ensuing Nootka Crisis, but the issues were resolved peacefully with the Nootka Convention in 1792, in which both countries recognized the other's rights to the area. The Nootka Crisis was a political dispute between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Spain, triggered by a series of events that took place during For other uses of the word Nootka see Nootka (disambiguation. Supervising the British activities was Captain George Vancouver from King's Lynn in England, who had sailed as a midshipman with Cook, and from whom the island gained its name. Captain George Vancouver King's Lynn is a town and Port in Norfolk, England. Over the years the town has been known variously as Bishop's Lynn and Lynn Regis England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland While we know this Island today as Vancouver Island--after George Vancouver--the English explorer had not intentionally meant to name such a large body of land solely after himself. ^[3] In his September 1792 dispatch log report for the British Admiralty, Captain Vancouver reveals that his decision here was rather meant to honour a request by the Spanish seafarer Juan Francisco Quadra that Vancouver

"would name some port or island after us both in commemoration of our meeting and friendly intercourse that on that occasion had taken place (Vancouver had previously feted Quadra on his ship);. Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra (baptized 3 June, 1743 &ndash 26 March, 1794) was a Peruvian naval officer born in . . . and conceiving no place more eligible than the place of our meeting, I have therefore named this land. . . The Island of Quadra and Vancouver. "^[4]

If Vancouver had been vain as some writers had charged, he could have chosen to name the entire Island exclusively after himself instead of sharing its name with Quadra and placing the latter's name before his. The newly-discovered "Quadra's and Vancouver's Island" was the most prominent name on maps of the coast, and appeared on most [contemporary] British, French and Spanish maps of the period. But as Spanish interests in the region dwindled, so did Quadra's name. The Hudson's Bay Company played a major part in the transition; by 1824 'Vancouver's Island' had become the usual designation in its correspondence" for the island. ^[5] A quarter of a century later, Vancouver Island had become such a well known geographical feature, that the founding of the Colony of Vancouver Island in 1849 gave this name full official status. ^[6] Period references to "Vancouver" referred to Vancouver Island until the naming of the city of Vancouver in 1885. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal

British settlement

The British colonial flag of Vancouver Island. It is used today as a local representative flag.

Shortly thereafter, in 1846, the Oregon Treaty was signed by the British and the US to settle the question of the US Oregon Territory borders. The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham It awarded all of Vancouver Island to what would be Canada, despite a portion of the island lying south of the 49th parallel. In 1849, the Colony of Vancouver Island was established. See main article Vancouver Island Vancouver Island (officially known as the Island of Vancouver and its Dependencies was a Crown colony of British Following the brief governorship of Richard Blanshard, James Douglas, Chief Factor of the Hudson's Bay post, assumed the role in 1851 — a position he would maintain for the next thirteen years. Richard Blanshard, MA, ( 19 October 1817 &ndash 5 June 1894) was an English Barrister and first governor of James Douglas may refer to any of the following individuals Scottish noblemen Lords of Angus James Douglas 3rd Earl of Angus (1428-1446 FACTOR may also refer to the Object Oriented programming requirements caputre acronym "Functionality Application domain Conditions Technology Objects and Responsibility"

The first British settlement on the island was a Hudson's Bay Company post, Fort Camosack, founded in 1843, and later renamed Fort Victoria. Fort Victoria was a fur trading post of the Hudson’s Bay Company, the headquarters of HBC operations in British Columbia. ^[7] Fort Victoria became an important base during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858, and the burgeoning town was incorporated as Victoria in 1862. The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush) occurred in 1858 after Gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. Victoria became the capital of the colony of Vancouver Island, then retained that status when the island was amalgamated with the mainland in 1866. A British naval base, including a large shipyard and a naval hospital, was established at Esquimalt, British Columbia in 1865, and eventually taken over by the Canadian military. The City of Esquimalt (ɨsˈkwaɪmɔlt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada.

The economic situation of the colony declined following the Cariboo Gold Rush of 1861-62, and pressure grew for amalgamation of the colony with the mainland colony of British Columbia (which had been established in 1858). The Cariboo Gold Rush was a Gold rush in the Canadian province British Columbia. The colony's third and last governor, Sir Arthur Kennedy oversaw the union of the two colonies in 1866. Sir Arthur Edward Kennedy GCMG CB (5 April 1809 &ndash 3 June 1883 was a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of a number The United Colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia was the name informally given to the defacto amalgamation of the two crown colonies from 1866 until their incorporation

Economy

Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island's economy outside Victoria is largely dominated by the forestry industry, with tourism and fishing also playing a large role. Forestry is the Art and Science of managing forests tree Plantations and related Natural resources. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Many of the logging operations are for paper pulp, in "2nd growth" tree farms that are harvested approximately every 30 years. Logging is the process in which Trees are cut down for Forest management and Timber. Paper pulp is a Material for making Paper. It is usually Cellulose fibre, and could be Wood pulp or Non-wood pulp See A tree farm is privately owned forest managed for timber crop production In recent years the government of British Columbia has engaged in an advertising program to draw more tourists to beach resorts such as Tofino. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand Tofino is a Village of about 1650 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia

Logging operations involving old-growth forests such as those found on Clayoquot Sound are controversial, and have gained international attention through the efforts of activists and environmental organizations. Ancient Woodland Old growth forest, (also termed primary forest, ancient forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, frontier A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria Clayoquot Sound (usually or /ˈklækwɒt/ is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change This is a list of environmental organizations. See also Environmental organization Intergovernmental organizations International organizations

There are rapidly expanding vineyards and the island produces wines that outscored some French wines at the St. Catharines Wine Tasting of 2005 in blind evaluations. A vineyard is a Plantation of Grape -bearing Vines grown mainly for Winemaking, but also Raisins Table grapes and non-alcoholic French wine is produced in several regions throughout France, on over 800000 Hectares (over 2 million Acres of Vineyards and in a typical

Between Vancouver Island and the Canadian mainland there are several high voltage power cables (HVDC Vancouver-Island). The HVDC Vancouver Island is the name for HVDC interconnection between the Vancouver Island Terminal (VIT near North Cowichan British Columbia on Vancouver

There is also a fast building IT field on Vancouver Island. High Speed Internet is delivered to the island from Shaw, Telus, CRTV and CRCable.Net. Shaw Communications is a Canadian Telecommunications company that provides telephone internet and television services Telus ( TSX: T TA NYSE: TU is a national Telecommunications company in Canada that provides a wide range of communications products and Wireless Internet connections can be found all over the island, many free for public use. Many coffee shops provide free wireless Internet access and charge an average of five cents a minute for using their computers.

Higher education plays an economic role in the Greater Victoria area as students and staff of the many post secondary institutions number well over 50,000. The University of Victoria is a large research university with 19,475 students in 2006/2007 and 4,124 staff. The University of Victoria (UVic is located in Greater Victoria British Columbia, Canada (northeast of Victoria) Royal Roads University is much smaller with 2,268 students and 680 staff. Royal Roads University (RRU is a public University established in 1995. Camosun College is also located on a few campuses across the Greater Victoria region and has 17,000 students and almost 1,000 staff (though close to half of the students are under the distance education umbrella). Camosun College is located in Victoria British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver Island University is Vancouver Island's other main university with its main campus in Nanaimo, as well as other campuses in Duncan, Parksville and Powell River. Vancouver Island University (formerly known as Malaspina University-College) is a publicly funded University with its main campus located in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island University represents a unique combination of a degree-granting university and a practical college. University Canada West, located in central Victoria, is a private institution. University Canada West (Officially LearningWise Inc. is a private for profit University in Victoria British Columbia, Canada. There are also numerous community colleges and international education centres. Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific is an international school dedicated to the promotion of world peace, cooperation, and coexistence. Lester B Pearson College United World College of the Pacific is one of thirteen United World Colleges (UWC around the world It is named after former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation.

Transport

Sea

Marine transport is very important to Vancouver Island for access to the mainland of British Columbia and Washington. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. There are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland, although the idea of building one has been brought up many times. The only vehicle access to Vancouver Island is via ferries operated by BC Ferries, Washington State Ferry and Black Ball Transport Inc. There are six vehicle ferry routes:

A BC Ferries vessel.

Ferrying to Vancouver Island^?

BC Ferries

• Tsawwassen BC (38 km south of Vancouver) - Swartz Bay BC (32 km or 20 mi (32 km) north of Victoria)

Crossing time: 1 hour 35 minutes; 8 sailings per day in the fall, winter, and spring and more in summer

• Tsawwassen BC - Duke Point BC (13 km or 8 mi (13 km) south of Nanaimo)

Crossing time: 2 hours; 8 round trips daily

• Horseshoe Bay BC (20 km or 12 mi (19 km) northwest of Vancouver) - Departure Bay BC (3 km or 2 mi (3 km) north of Nanaimo)

Crossing time: 1 hour 35 minutes; Sailings every 2 hours with extra sailings during the summer and holidays

• Powell River BC - Comox BC

Crossing time: 1 hour 20 minutes; 4 round trips daily

Washington State Ferries

• Anacortes WA - Sidney BC

Crossing time: 3 hours (not counting stops in the San Juan Islands)

Black Ball Transport

• Port Angeles WA - Victoria BC

Crossing time: 1 hour 30 minutes; 1 or 2 round trips daily

Passenger-only service

In addition, there are three passenger-only ferry services from the mainland to Vancouver Island:

• Victoria Clipper (Seattle WA - Victoria BC)

Crossing time: 2 hour 45 minutes; 1 to 3 round trips daily

• Victoria Express (Port Angeles WA - Victoria BC)

Crossing time: 1 hour (operates May through September)

• Victoria San Juan Cruises (Bellingham WA - Victoria BC)

Crossing time: 3 hours (operates one trip per day May through October)

Rail

There are two remaining major railways on Vancouver Island. Tsawwassen is a suburban mostly residential community in the southwestern part of the Corporation of Delta, British Columbia, Canada. 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 Duke Point is a geographical location in the extreme southeastern part of the city of Nanaimo in British Columbia. Horseshoe Bay is a West Vancouver community of about 1000 permanent residents Departure Bay is a neighbourhood in the north central region of Nanaimo British Columbia. Powell River is a city on the south mainland coast of British Columbia, Canada. Comox is a town located on the eastern side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the Comox Valley. This page is about the ferry system operated by the state of Washington Anacortes (ˌænəˈkɔrtəs is a city in Skagit County, Washington, USA Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian Province of The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States. The Puget Sound Navigation Company (PSNC was founded by Joshua Green in 1913 Port Angeles is a city in and the County seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. Bellingham, Washington is the County seat of Whatcom County in the U

The Southern Railway of Vancouver Island, which assumed control of the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway from RailAmerica in July of 2006 offers general freight service on the Victoria-Courtenay main line (called the Victoria Subdivision by the railroad). The Port Alberni branch line (called the Port Alberni Subdivision by the railroad) has been out of service since late 2001. SVI also runs passenger service under contract with VIA Rail Canada. Western Forest Products operates Canada's last logging railway out of Woss, BC to Beaver Cove on the northern end of the island. The Former Canadian National railway out of Victoria to the Cowichan Valley was abandoned in the late 1980s/early 1990s and the former grade between Victoria and Sooke, and Shawnigan lake and Lake Cowichan is now a multi-use trail. Shawnigan Lake (pop approximately 4040 is a village on British Columbia 's Vancouver Island. The BC Forest Museum has a narrow gauge railway winding around the park, and the Alberni Pacific Railway operates during the summer from the restored E&N Railway station in Port Alberni to the McLean's Mill on former E&N Railway trackage. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways

Road

There is one major north-south highway system on the island, which runs along the eastern side. It begins as Highway 1 in Victoria, merging with Highway 19 in Nanaimo, which terminates at Port Hardy. Highway 1 is the British Columbia section of the Trans-Canada Highway. Highway 19, known locally as the Island Highway, is the main north-south thoroughfare on Vancouver Island north of Nanaimo. Port Hardy is a small community in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island. East-west routes are comprised of the following:

• Highway 4 between Parksville and Tofino;
• Highway 14 between Greater Victoria and Port Renfrew;
• Highway 18 between Duncan and Youbou; and
• Highway 28 between Campbell River and Gold River. Highway 4, known locally as the Alberni Highway and the Pacific Rim Highway, is the longest east-west main vehicle route on Vancouver Island, with Parksville is a city on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. Tofino is a Village of about 1650 residents on the west coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia Highway 14 is the southernmost numbered route in the province of British Columbia. Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Port Renfrew is a town on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, located approximately 2 hours drive west of Victoria British Highway 18 is a short 42 km (26 mi long main vehicle route on Vancouver Island, connecting the city of Duncan on the Trans-Canada Highway with Duncan (pop 4986 is a city on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Youbou is a community located on the north shore of Cowichan Lake, west of Duncan and a 25-minute drive west of the community of Lake Cowichan, Canada. Highway 28 is an east-west highway on the northern part of Vancouver Island. Campbell River is a city in British Columbia on the east coast of Vancouver Island at the south end of Gold River is a Village located close to the geographic centre of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.

In addition, Highway 17 connects Victoria with the Saanich Peninsula, terminating the Vancouver Island portion of its route at the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Highway 17 is actually two separate highways one on Vancouver Island, the other on the Lower Mainland. Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal is a major transportation facility at Swartz Bay in North Saanich, British Columbia.

Vancouver Island is well served by secondary routes, and a number of active and decommissioned logging and forest service roads provide access into the back country.

Many communities are served by public transit. Greater Victoria is one of the few places in North America where double-deck buses are used in the regular public transit system.

Proposals have been made for a "fixed link" to the mainland for over a century. Due to the extreme depth of the Georgia Strait and potential seismic activity, a bridge or tunnel would face monumental engineering, safety, and environmental challenges at a colossal cost.

Air

Victoria International Airport is the major airport on Vancouver Island. Victoria International Airport serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In 2005, it was the 9th busiest airport in Canada in terms of passenger movements (1,280,420). ^[8] Five major carriers (Air Canada, Air Canada Jazz, Horizon Air, Pacific Coastal, and WestJet) offer a variety of flights of short and medium distance including to and from Seattle, Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. The only other international airport on the island is situated in Comox, with direct flights to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico on a weekly basis. Floatplane and helicopter traffic to and from Victoria's inner harbour accounts for approximately 300,000 additional passengers per year,^[9] making it the second busiest airport on Vancouver Island. Other smaller airports on Vancouver Island include Nanaimo harbour, and Campbell River.

See also

• Colony of Vancouver Island
• First Nations on Vancouver Island
• Canadian wine
• Cascadia subduction zone
• Cougar Annie
• Kinsol Trestle
• Vancouver Island Health Authority

References

• Air Carrier Traffic at Canadian Airports (Statistics Canada, 2005)

Notes

External links

• Great Seal of the crown colony of Vancouver Island
• CBC News: Vancouver Island moves west
• Measuring crustal motions in coastal British Columbia with continuous GPS
• BC Ministry of Transportation - Report on Fixed Link
• Tourism Vancouver Island - Official travel website for the region
• CFDCS
• "The Greens Forest", The Walrus, April 2008. The Walrus is a Canadian general interest Magazine which publishes long form journalism on Canadian and international affairs along with fiction and April holidays and events National Poetry Month - in United States National Sexual Assault Awareness Month - in United 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common