Howe Sound

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Hit the Road

Sometimes you need to get away from it all. These nearby destinations are the perfect escape from the city

By Kristina Urquhart

It's anchors aweigh on the Sunshine Coast, where a boat tours Sechelt Inlet. Photo by Tom Ryan courtesy Tourism British Columbia

Whistler

Car 2 hours
Train 3.5 hours via Rocky Mountaineer

The scenic Sea to Sky Highway winds from Vancouver to Whistler, a top-rated ski resort with plenty to do in the summer. Settle onto a sun-soaked patio to people-watch in the pedestrian-only village, relax with a massage at a world-class spa, tee up for golf on emerald fairways or navigate the vertiginous cliffs on a mountain bike. Don’t miss a ride on the 4.4-km- (2.7-mi-) long Peak 2 Peak Gondola; you’ll need to pick your jaw up off the glass-bottomed floor as the seemingly endless valley between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains stretches beyond. Halfway between Vancouver and Whistler lies Squamish—the recreation capital of Canada—so suit up for whitewater rafting, wind surfing, diving and rock climbing. A hike up the Stawamus Chief, the world’s second-largest granite monolith, yields panoramic views of Howe Sound. (more…)

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: June

Dragon boat photo by Paul Cordick

1 The annual Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival (Jun. 11 to 12).
2 Sitting on the deck of the Galley Patio & Grill at Jericho Beach, enjoying a bison burger and R&B ale, watching the sun set over Howe Sound.
3 The rotating selection of pies, baked fresh daily, at Acme Cafe, Gastown’s old-style diner.
4 Flying a kite, strolling the seawall or admiring the public art in Vanier Park.
5 BC spot prawns, in season from early May through most of June. Enjoy their sweet and gently salty taste at better Vancouver restaurants.
6 Sipping a morning coffee on the beach at English Bay, before the serious tanning crowd commandeers every log in sight.
7 Cambie Street.
8 Visiting the Museum of Anthropology.
9 Enjoying one of the final concerts of the season with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
10 Exploring Stanley Park.
11 Sweet treats at Candy Aisle.
12 Heading to the The Whip Restaurant Gallery for Real Ale Sundays, where they tap a different keg of local brew every week.
13 The prix fixe, which is alive and well here, especially at Jules Casual French Bistro: lunch $24, dinner $26; Salade de Fruits: $24.99; and Le Bistro de Paris: table d’hote $36, main courses half-price on Wednesdays.
14 Taking in the first of the summer celebrations, such as the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival (Jun. 24 to Jul. 3).
15 Riding our bikes around Vancouver’s system of dedicated bikeways, which provides safe access between False Creek, Coal Harbour and the original seawall around Stanley Park.

TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival photo by Chris Cameron

Hot Entertainment: Stunning Scenery

A luxury train ride with Rocky Mountaineer is the most relaxing and scenic way to get to Whistler

Howe Sound, the Cheakamus Canyon, the Tantalus Mountains—scenery just doesn’t get any more spectacular than this. See these sights and more on a luxurious 3.5-hour train ride from Vancouver to Whistler, on the Sea to Sky Climb with Rocky Mountaineer.—Sheri Radford

BC Ferries: By the Numbers

In honour of BC Ferries’ 50th birthday, we present some other important numbers in the history of this passenger ferry line that connects the province’s coastal communities

By Sheri Radford

1 We’re number one! BC Ferries is North America’s largest passenger ferry line.

2 On June 15, 1960 (its first official day of sailing), BC Ferries was named the British Columbia Toll Authority Ferry System and it consisted of just two ships—the MV Tsawwassen and the MV Sidney—and two terminals—Swartz Bay on the Victoria side and Tsawwassen on the Vancouver side. The company has grown to 36 vessels and 47 ports of call.

Photo of BC Ferries vessel in Howe Sound near Vancouver by Tom Ryan, courtesy Tourism BC

16 Back in 1960, it cost $5 for a car and $2 for a passenger to ride the ferry. Those rates remained the same for the next 16 years.

24 In the past half a century, 24 babies have bounced into the world on BC Ferries vessels.

95 It takes approximately 95 minutes to travel from the Lower Mainland to Vancouver Island, via either the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route or the Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay route. The slightly longer Tsawwassen to Duke Point route clocks in at 120 minutes.

2, 100 Bigger is better: the largest ships in the fleet, the Spirit of British Columbia and the Spirit of Vancouver Island, measure 167 m (548 ft) long and carry 2,100 passengers and crew on the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay route. In comparison, the 34-m- (112-ft-) long Nimpkish carries 125 people.

185,000 BC Ferries conducts 185,000 sailings annually.

702,000,000 Each year, the company transports more than 20 million people. To date, more than 702 million passengers have travelled on BC Ferries. Just think of all the hamburgers and Captain Kids Meals.

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