Vancouver Island and the Southern Gulf Islands - Fabulous Western Canada: Capture the Excitement of the Great West! - page 61

Vancouver

Island and

the Southern

Gulf Islands

Vast Vancouver Island stretches over 500km
along the West Coast, with its southern tip
facing the Olympic Mountains in Washington
State (U.S.A.). The island is split into two
distinct regions by a chain of mountains that
divides the north from the south. The sea
has sculpted the island's west side, creating
big, deep fjords; the shoreline on the east
side is much smoother. Most of the towns
and villages on the island lie along the Strait
of Georgia, where the Southern Gulf Islands
are located. The Northern Gulf Islands are
clustered in the Johnstone Strait, northeast of
Vancouver Island.

The forest and fi shing industries have provid-
ed several generations with a good source of
income in this magnifi cent region. Thanks to
the warm currents of the Pacifi c, the climate
is mild all year round, enhancing the quality
of life here. Once isolated from the main-
land, islanders now have access to effi cient,