Vancouver Island Canada: What to Do (Feature Length Documentary) The Ultimate Insider's Guide

[Music] Vancouver Island is an oasis of nature shaped by its geography Vancouver Island is a Natural Balance of ocean ecosystems Coastal rainforests mountains and human habitation there is a mystical quality found here that evokes a sense of balance that is drenched in life our Island visit starts in the city of Victoria British Columbia the harbor of Victoria is one of the most beautiful Harbors in the world in my opinion uh we have the parliament buildings the legislative buildings right in the background one of the things that's really interesting is the the capital city of British Columbia is right here on Vancouver Island the city of [Music] Victoria and it's got an incredible amount of history and hence the the reason that there's some great AR architecture and really interesting buildings to to see in and around the [Music] city as well as the grand old Empress [Music] Hotel uh but also a great walkway along the harbor where visitors can walk a good amount of the distance seeing what's happening out in the harbor which is always very active between little pickle boats running around and Float planes taking off yeah explore the Royal BC Museum home to captivating totem poles that tell Rich stories of indigenous [Music] cultures immerse yourself in history and in the art of Victoria's cultural [Music] gem [Music] experience the Timeless charm of Victoria's historic Chinatown Canada's oldest where ancient traditions and modern Allure seamlessly [Music] blammed as you wander through the vibrant streets explore hidden gems and Savor the authentic [Music] Cuisine don't forget to stroll down the enchanting Fantan alley a living slice of [Music] history from the rich tapestry of cultural experiences to the Contemporary flare Victorious Chinatown invites you on a journey through Time Each corner tells a story revealing a captivating blend of the past and present discover the heart and soul of this unique destination where every step is a celebration of History diversity and enduring [Music] Elegance built between 1887 and 1890 GRE Derek Castle was constructed for a Scottish immigrant named Robert dunsmir who made his fortune in the coal industry it's a marvelous accomplishment built from Stone and fine wood finished Interiors Craig Derek stands proud with its Exquisite grounds overlooking the city of Victoria a visit to Craig Derek Castle was like going back in time aptly named after the two beacons on Mount Beacon Beacon Hill Park is a nature Retreat right in the heart of Victoria with a colorful history starting in the 1860s the 200 acre Park was turned over to the city in 1882 and has been in trust ever since the abundance of life and peaceful flowing waters are a retreat for the soul a visit to Victoria would not be complete without seeing a hor drawn carriage winding its way through the [Music] park [Music] the park has become home and habitat to many animals such as Turtles many different kinds of water fountain [Music] the manicured Gardens are home to hundreds of plant species many considered threatened or [Music] endangered [Music] Beacon Hill Park is also home to the graceful Blue Heron who nest in the Park's Safe Haven [Music] Fisherman's Warf is one of Victoria Harbor's most interesting [Music] destinations visitors will enjoy the unique floating homes that each have their own distinctive [Music] Style there are great restaurants on the docks with fresh seafood and some of the local residents are extremely [Music] [Applause] [Music] entertaining there are great views of downtown Victoria and the Empress Hotel from this vage [Music] [Music] [Music] point [Music] a trip to Vancouver Island and Victoria would not be complete without a visit to the world famous Boart Gardens Butchart Gardens uh has existed for over 100 years it began in 1904 and uh by Jenny Butchart Butchart guards is still owned by The Butchart family so it's now the great great granddaughter of Jenny Butchart who began it who is now the current current owner of the gardens we are a Floral Garden we're a show Garden we build it on the whole idea that people are going to say wow when they come here and probably say it a number of times the area of butcher Gardens it's best known for is the sunken garden uh where that was the Quarry the Limestone was removed from that and Jenny Butchart was one of the very early Pioneers in kind of Greening things [Music] up [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Duncan is a pedestrian friendly walkable Community with a mix of Art and Architectural history that brings you back in time downtown feels like something out of an old movie with that small town inviting feel the Old Railway Station was still in use up until 2011 but like many Railways today is now a part of the Island's past what Duncan may be best known for is its tour of the totem poles of which it has many just follow the yellow Footprints and you're headed in the right [Music] direction shanus is world renowned for it's Larger than Life murals faced with a failing natural resource industry chimus reinvented itself through ART and lots of [Music] it [Music] take a stroll through the historical downtown and take in the many wall murals that Sheamus is known [Music] for and if you're lucky you'll even get to experience a bit of the local flavor getting up in morning believe that [Music] [Applause] [Music] my lady Smith like so many Vancouver Island communities has a history that you can still feel to this day the railway and coal industry were Central to Lady Smith's Beginnings the town is known for its historical stretch of buildings that look like something out of a postcard we've got some Coastline to cover so it's time to start moving up Island located 111 km north of Victoria is to Nao the Harbor [Music] City the Waterfront is busy with Naval civilian and sea plane [Music] activity the seaw wall and the nearby islands make for splendid ocean views right in the heart of the action is MAFO Sutton park with miles of seaw wall Pathways this is a pedestrian friendly way to explore Nimo ocean front and harbor Acres of greenery reward your eyes and the smell of the Fresh Ocean Air pequs your senses Nimo has a delightful Marina with ample shopping and [Music] restaurants visitors can take a leisurely fery ride out to nearby Prospect Island to the world famous dingy do pub and restaurant this completely floating restaurant is a unique and tasty midpoint on a short and enjoyable tour of the [Music] area heading north we come to the picturesque community of qualum beach this area is known for its long stretches of Beach and Brilliant [Music] sunsets [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] it's time to visit the western side of the island on our way to Tofino and ulet we come across the village of kums kums has some unique shops you won't find anywhere else all you want to do [Music] is and you have to look up to see what kums is really known [Music] for where else would you see a family of Billy Goats living on a roof these characters certainly know how to put on a show there are the I want know secret sty in your heart to slow but if you don't want to tell me now I guess I never [Applause] [Music] know losing almost all my [Music] energy it's getting hard to talk to you and I'm the only one who speaks it's all the me [Music] [Applause] [Music] some of the oldest growth forests in Canada can be found here in the Cathedral Grove of McMillan Provincial [Music] Park [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] towering Giants over 800 years old soar overhead with an ancient and commanding presence it's impossible to witness these impressive Giants and not be struck with a sense of humility [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Loop Trails take you through Douglas fur Western Hemlock and red cedar rainforests seething with the presence of [Music] [Applause] [Music] life [Music] this is a magical and spiritual place that will immerse you in well-being and give you a sense of place in a natural world steeped in the wisdom of the [Music] [Music] ancients on the unprotected west coast of Vancouver Island the true power of the Pacific Ocean comes into play powerful waves and strong ocean winds have shaped the landscape that is rugged and twisted from The Surge the village of ulet sits on the edge of Pacific GM National [Music] [Music] Park [Music] oh [Music] oh rugged ocean hikes take you along the edge of rainforests leaning into the [Music] surf tide pools abound with sea life and let you get up close without getting wet starfish cemone and many other SE creatures Within Reach and bring out the Curious in all of [Music] us continuing along Pacific Rim National Park we head towards Tofino here the land meets the surging ocean head on forests are shaped by the elements where Only the Strong Survive powerful winds and big waves make this a surface Paradise Long Beach is an ideal place to walk along the beach or try your luck in the waves here power meets beauty and a dance that has been happening for a millennia [Music] the town of Tofino sits on the protected Inside Edge of the peninsula surrounded by islands and calmer [Music] inlets with up to 1 million visitors a year Tofino is one of Vancouver Island's most visited places [Music] the views here are incredible and like many places on the island there's lots of water plane activity taking people to and from [Music] Adventures [Music] [Music] [Music] Tofino definitely has a Sur for Town feel you'll see many vehicles sporting surfboards even the ubiquitous Volkswagen van it may it busy here but it still feels like a small town whale watching is a popular activity here ja's whaling station is a great launching pad for whale watching adventures with professional guides and state-of-the-art boats it's a safe and enjoyable way to look for whales and with with over 22,000 gray whales visiting the area every year chances are pretty good you'll spot [Music] one as the day winds to an end make sure you head to the beach the sunsets here are simply unreal for [Music] let's continue up to the northern tip of Vancouver [Music] Island the drive up island is one of the most interesting parts of visiting Vancouver Island first stop Campbell River the gateway to the North Campbell River is a beautiful Oceanside City that still has a small town feel located midpoint on the Eastern side of Vancouver Island this is a community connected to the ocean with quaint marinas Scenic beaches and an abundant Marine ecosystem [Music] [Music] the salmon fishing capital of the world as they call themselves has become a major ecotourism destination with activities like whale and bear [Music] watching started the The Bear watching trips 4 years ago when we started a company up uh with the idea of of taking people up to BU Inlet uh because the the reputation up there uh has a pretty long history of being a real popular bear spot we've been fortunate enough to uh to have some real good success over the last four years and uh lots of people going in there and experiencing the Bears and everything that goes along with them so it's been fabulous our trip starts on a state-of-the-art boat built specifically for Discovery Marine safaris the tenacious [Music] 3 the trip to but Inlet takes about 2 hours the tunnel is about7 of met our certified experienced guide tells us about the wildlife we'll encounter along the way the voyage is Scenic and [Music] enjoyable on this trip the water provides many Wildlife sightings such as sea lions [Music] and a group of dolls porpus that took some time to playfully ride the bow of our boat they really looked like they were having fun as we pull into the bu Inlet we enter the territory of our hosts the hamal nation band these experienced native guides take us by minibus to raised bear watching platforms where we can safely watch the Grizzlies hunting for [Music] salmon this male is walking in the water to get a better View you these two salmon don't want to be launched just yet this is an annual Feast that bears have been making for thousands of years salmon are high in protein and fat which is a great chance to fatten up for the coming winter hibernation and here a mom with two Cubs passes through cautiously she senses the male's presence and decides to go somewhere else to fish the Cubs are vulnerable to attacks by males at this age so it's best just to move [Music] on we move up River and there's yet another male he sees something moving in the [Music] water [Music] [Applause] [Music] success another female bear with a single cup passes through the same [Music] area this little Cub is tired and decides to take a short [Music] break it's not long before Mom says it's time to move [Music] on these picturesque valleys are another example of the abundance of life on the Canadian West Coast if you drive up Island to where the pavement ends you're in Port Hardy this small town sits on the edge of Cape Scott Provincial Park and is a gateway to many other Adventures Rotary Park is a great place for an evening stroll and a view of one of Vancouver's most interesting Town [Music] signs this is a place where people are connected to the elements logging and fishing are the major industries here and there's a feeling here that is uniquely Vancouver Island and because it's more remote there's a very good chance of seeing black bears and bald eagles up [Music] here you just haven't seen Vancouver Island unless you've made it up Island here for a visit and sunrise here is particularly [Music] beautiful heading back down Island not far from Port Hardy a winding road takes you to the town of Port Alice we arrived on a particularly foggy day but this was a blessing there is a spirit here you can only experience on the island in just this type of weather looking out into the Dreamscape of water and fading Islands a seal pops its head up for a visit in the Stillness of this morning with just the two of us there our mutual curiosity was quite [Music] enlightening our last visit on the island is the picturesque Village of telegraph Cove visiting here is literally like going back in time the old lovingly restored buildings sit up high perched on the docks with a history going back to the 1920s what was historically a fish canery in lumber mill has turned into one of Vancouver Island's most beloved destinations the boardwalks here bring you back in time and take you away from the worries of the outside world was the to leave you but now I'm seeing all the signs the whale Museum and Telegraph Cove is one of the most interesting places you will ever get to visit you can see full whale skeletons up close and get a sense of the mammal that Evolution has taken to the Seas there is an abundance of information here so spend some time and take it in there are skeletons from many marine mammals here such as Orca dolphin and even a giant fin [Music] whale Vancouver Island's oldest and environmentally ethical whale watching companies calls Telegraph Cove home seek what you teach I believe I always should have stay Jim has worked for 30 years to protect the whales through responsible practices and education both her grandsons and her granddaughters sometimes a killer whell family may even have four generations with great grandchildren traveling with the group as well it's a magical world for them everything they do is with sound they navigate they find their food they stay in touch with their family and they find their mates all using sounds underwater our whale watching Adventure begins on on the geeki a lovingly restored boat originally built in 1954 for the owner of the telegraph Cove Sawmill this wooden vessel with its natural warmth is just another piece of history that brings you back in time she has a way with the water that feels so natural we're very fortunate to have Jim as our captain today stubs Island's other vessel the Lua is heading out with us today she's newer and more technologically advanced but she still has a spirit about her that is uniquely telegraphed Cove this is a very steady platform to view whales from and a pleasure to be on eag ey eag ey whales have been spotted and the radio comes to life with reports from other boats we respect the creature space and never get too close with our engines turned off these Giants come in closer for a visit these resident orcas are beautiful and travel is a family unit led by female matriarchs these pods have been together for a very long time and even have their own unique dialects these powerful males have long or shaped Dorsal fins that are as unique as fingerprints and help researchers identify them with great accuracy these top Marine predators are hunting for salmon and are very successful group [Music] Hunters even true I'm just as surprises you is this the I can't be too sure but what may I be [Music] yours a little further up the coast and we're fortunate enough to see a humpback whale the signature tail flute comes up just before the whale goes down for a longer [Music] dive Canada's Pacific West Coast is a magical ecosystem where Mankind and nature found a balance that you won't find anywhere else here power meets Grace in a dance that has been going on between the mountains and the ocean for a millennia to visit the west coast is a life-changing experience that will give you a sense of balance in an everchanging world as the sun lowers into the ocean one can't help but think this is where Beauty goes to rest

Channel: Insiders Travel Guide Canada

Views: 27,184

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Id: YA3Uonm6kts

Length: 40min 20sec (2420 seconds)

Published: Thu Dec 07 2023