Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island is a large island off southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Its rugged Pacific coast, mountain ranges, and temperate rainforests contrast with its more settled eastern shore.

Strait of Georgia: A strait separating Vancouver Island from mainland British Columbia. It forms the island’s eastern boundary and connects to the Salish Sea.
Victoria, British Columbia: The capital city of British Columbia, located at the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It is the island’s largest city and the province’s political centre.
Coast Salish: A group of Indigenous peoples whose territories span southwestern British Columbia and northwestern Washington. Coast Salish peoples have longstanding connections to the island’s southeastern communities and waters.
Vancouver Island gold rush: A gold rush on Vancouver Island that began in 1858, drawing prospectors to the Fraser River region and island settlements. The rush accelerated migration and colonial development across the region.
Lower Mainland: The densely populated region of southwestern British Columbia surrounding Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. It is the mainland urban region most directly connected to Vancouver Island by ferry.
Juan de Fuca Strait: A strait between Vancouver Island and Washington State. It separates the island’s southern end from the Olympic Peninsula.
Tofino: A coastal town on the west coast of Vancouver Island, known for surfing and nearby beaches. Its location exposes the island’s Pacific-facing coast and stormy marine climate.
Nuu-chah-nulth: Indigenous peoples whose territories and communities are concentrated on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Their nations have deep-rooted ties to the island’s Pacific coast.
Logging in British Columbia: The harvesting and processing of timber, a major industry in British Columbia. Logging transformed Vancouver Island’s forests, towns, and labour history.
Gulf Islands: An archipelago in the Strait of Georgia between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia. They are smaller neighbouring islands, distinct from Vancouver Island’s scale and mountain spine.

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