By Balwant Sanghera
Usually, at vacation time, people have a tendency to go out of the province or out of the country. Often, we forget that there is so much to see and enjoy in our own backyard. It’s called Staycation – finding vacation spots in your own back yard.
With this in mind, during the short spring break my family and I decided to focus on visiting Vancouver Island. Historically, Vancouver Island has played a major role in the growth and development of the Indo-Canadian community. Our pioneers made their names as prominent businessmen on the Island. Be it mining; saw mills or trucking Indo-Canadian pioneers were in the forefront. Names like Mayo, Doman, Sangha and Johal have been associated with very successful businesses. Even the first Indo-Canadian (Moe Sihota) elected to a provincial legislature in Canada had his roots on Vancouver Island. Another prominent Indo-Canadian-Wally Oppal- also grew up on Vancouver Island. Thus, a visit to Vancouver Island is a very refreshing experience.
In addition to visiting our relatives in cities like Victoria, Nanaimo and Port Alberni, it provided us with an excellent opportunity to do some sight- seeing as well. It is no wonder that our capital city, Victoria, is called the garden city of Canada. The mild climate and so many tourist attractions, Victoria is full of out of town visitors as soon as the weather warms up. The view of Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Empress Hotel, the Parliament buildings and the BC Museum is always a treat. So is a visit to nearby Butchart Gardens. Driving along the scenic Island Highway, through Duncan to Nanaimo is a treat for the eyes.
Incorporated in 1874, Nanaimo is the gateway to many other destinations both on the Island and off coast. Strategically located in the centre of the Island, this city of 84,000 residents is well known as the Bathtub Racing Capital of the World. It is also known as the Hub, Tub and Pub City. Located 110 kilometers northwest of Victoria, Nanaimo is the regional centre for a number of Island communities for a variety of services. At one time, this city had the unique distinction of having the largest number of malls per capita. From Nanaimo it was on to Port Alberni.
Port Alberni was named after a Spanish explorer-Captain P. Alberni. This city of 18,000 residents was the home of first saw mill-Anderson Mill-in B.C. Port Alberni had more than its fair share of natural disasters. In 1946, it was hit by a major earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale. Then again, it was hit by two tsunamis that damaged 375 homes and washed away 75 homes. The old timers still remember the devastation caused by these disasters. Thus, it was natural that at the time of the tsunami in South East Asia a few years ago caused a lot of anxiety to the residents of Port Alberni. Fortunately, they were spared the pain and anguish.
Port Alberni has been well known as a major lumber centre. At one time, McMillan Bloedell was the dominant lumber player in the valley. It was once a major industrial resource dependent town with logging and mining being the main economic drivers. To-day, the town is a major service and supply centre for local, regional and provincial governments. Its hospital, in addition to meeting the local needs also serves the west coast communities of Ucluelet and Tofino. During the summer months large number of tourists pass through Port Alberni on their way to scenic west coast and Long Beach. Consequently, this community is now redeveloping itself as a tourist destination centre. Every time I visit this town I am impressed with its wide streets, friendliness of its people and wonderful recreation facilities.
Port Alberni’s snow-capped valley is home to a very well used track named after a prominent athlete, sportsman, coach and activist, Bob Dailey. An avid long distance runner, Dailey was an inspiring figure for youth. Next to the track are the Alberni Valley Multiplex, Roller Skating Centre,
Minor Softball and Soccer Fields. Close by is the Alberni Campus of the Vancouver Island College. Just south of the Track is a brand new and modern state of the arts Alberni District Secondary School.
These are just a few of the hundreds of tourist attractions that British Columbia has to offer. Whether you go east to the Okanagan or Kootenays or north to Prince George, Dawson Creek or Fort Nelson or the northwest coast to Prince Rupert or Kitimat, there is an amazing wide world waiting for you in this beautiful province of ours.
Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist.
