Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
continues tothis day: Flyinto the city onaclear dayandyou'll see amassive fanof
brown water extending far into the Strait of Georgia.
Downtown Vancouver is set on a volcanic chunk of land surrounded by water
except for a low-lying isthmus linking it to the rest of the city. The most obvious
volcanic outcrop is Siwash Rock, which stands in open water off the end of Stanley
Park.
Rising precipitously to the north of Burrard Inlet is the North Shore Range, the
southernarmoftheCoastMountains.ThehighestpeakoftheNorthShoreRangeis
1,725-meter (5,650-foot) Cathedral Mountain, but many of the Golden Ears Group
peaks are almost 1,700 meters (5,580 feet) and capped in snow almost year-round.
Therangeisbrokenbyfourvalleys,includingonethatholdsIndianArm,adeeptid-
al fjord that drains into Burrard Inlet. Over millions of years, excessive rainfall has
eroded many other watercourses through these mountains, including the Capilano
River, which has carved a 70-meter (230-foot) deep gorge into its forested flanks.
Humanshavebeenexploitingthewestcoast'sabundantnaturalresourcesfor10,000years.
Indigenous people hunting and fishing obviously had little effect on ecological integrity,
but over time the clearing of land for agriculture and development did. Today minimizing
the effects of logging operations, global warming, fish farming, and offshore oil and gas
exploration are hot-button environmental issues in the region.
As rising population numbers have put ever-increasing demands on the region's plen-
tiful natural resources, conservation measures have become necessary. The province has
imposedfishingandhuntingseasonsandlimits,afreezeonrezoningagriculturalland,and
mandatory reforestation regulations, and has restrained hydroelectric development to pro-
tect salmon runs. By preserving its superb physical environment, the province will con-
tinue to attract outdoor enthusiasts and visitors from around the world, ensuring a steady
stream of tourism revenues. But the ongoing battle between concerned conservationists
and profit-motivated developers continues.
Forestry
The issue of forestry management in British Columbia, especially on Vancouver Island, is
very complex and beyond the scope of a guidebook. In British Columbia, where a couple
