Social Profile
Food & Drink: The cuisine of the province is enhanced by English traditions. The Pacific Ocean yields a great variety of seafood, including King Crab, oysters, shrimp and other shellfish, as well as cod, haddock and salmon (coho, spring, chum, sockeye and pink) which are smoked, pan-fried, breaded, baked, canned or barbecued, and complemented by local vegetables. Fruits grown in the province include apples, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, strawberries, blackberries, the famous Bing cherries, cranberries and loganberries. Victoria creams, a famous chocolate delicacy derived from a recipe dating back to 1885, are exported worldwide from British Columbia. The original confectioners shop is situated in Victoria on Vancouver Island.
Sparkling wines are produced in Okanagan Valley and all the usual alcoholic beverages are widely available. Spirits, beer and wine can be served in licensed restaurants, dining rooms, pubs and bars. Taverns (pubs) are open until 0100, bars and cabarets until 0200. The minimum drinking age is 19.
Nightlife: Major cities and towns have top-class restaurants, nightclubs and bars, sometimes in pub style. Vancouver has an active theatre life. Better nightspots are often to be found in hotels.
Shopping: Vancouver is a shoppers’ paradise. Robson Street offers fashion boutiques, souvenir and speciality shops. Yaletown is the shopping ground of Vancouver’s young and aspirational, with designer fashions, art galleries and trendy home decor shops. Other popular areas include Gastown, Granville Island and Chinatown. Indoor shopping downtown includes the Pacific Centre, Royal Centre and the Sinclair Centre, while Metrotown is a large suburban mall (with 500 shops and food outlets). Popular handicrafts include Pacific Northwest and Inuit arts and crafts: soapstone sculptures, carved masks, totem poles, pottery, jewellery and prints. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1800 (Thurs-Fri until 2100), Sun 1200-1700.
Special Events: For a full list of special events in British Columbia, contact Tourism British Columbia (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events held in 2003:
Jan 106th Annual Winter Carnival, Rockies. Jan 1 Polar Bear Swim, Vancouver. Jan 23-26 Ice Wine Festival, Okangan. Feb 5-9 Vancouver International Boat Show, Vancouver. Feb 20-23 Victoria Festival of Wine, Music and Food, Vancouver Island. Apr 11-20 Seventh Annual Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Whistler. May 1-4 Okanagan Spring Wine Festival, Okanagan Valley. May 7-14 Wildlife Festival of Birds and Bears, Rockies. Jun 11-Sep 21 Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, Vancouver. Jun 20-Jul 1 International Jazz Festival, Vancouver. Jul Williams Lake Stampede, Cariboo Chilcotin. Jul 18-20 Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Jul-Aug Vancouver International Comedy Festival. Aug Summerfest, Cariboo Chilcotin; Eldorado Gold Panning Championships, Cariboo Chilcotin; Okanagan Summer Wine Festival, Silver Star Mountain, Okanagan. Aug 8-10 Abbotsford International Airshow, Vancouver. Aug-Sep 2003 Championship Golf Tournament, Vancouver. Sep 2-Oct 7 World Championship Sand Sculpture Competition, Vancouver. Sep Vancouver Fringe Festival. Sep 17-21 Whistler Comedy Festival. Sep 26-Oct 11 21st Vancouver International Film Festival. Oct Adams River Sockeye Salmon Run, Okanagan.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
Terms and Conditions apply.
|
|
