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Somewhere between being shot out of the waterslide like a cannon ball and jumping off the top deck into shimmering Shuswap Lake, we declare houseboating our new favourite way to vacation.

“This whole area is one fantastic, giant archeological site,” Candace Campo told me as we convened near the picnic area of Porpoise Bay Provincial Park on the Sunshine Coast.

Candace, who was wearing a beautifully woven cedar headband, explained the entire park area is a traditional Sechelt First Nation village site, filled with resources, history, and even her own childhood memories.

Roxanne Jerema’s journey from working as a taxidermist in land-locked Saskatchewan to running a fishing charter on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast are worlds apart.

The project’s premise was simple: one tree equals one sea-worthy canoe built by many hands, some more experienced than others.

The wind is strong from the east. Our jackets flap, our hair tangles and our invisible scent carries with the wind. If it was our day for driving the buffalo over the edge of the cliff, we’d go hungry. The massive mammals would have smelled us long ago and thundered away. At Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site near Fort McLeod, you find out just how much that buffalo meant for survival for the Blackfoot Nation.

On April 29, 1903 at 4:10 a.m., 82 million tons of rock broke off Turtle Mountain’s summit and came hurtling down on the sleeping town of Frank. While the slide avoided the main part of town, at least 90 people were killed. The Frank Slide Interpretive Centre describes what life was like before, during, and after the disaster, and shares amazing tales of heroism and survival through modern, hands-on exhibits.

“We like to say that Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the Royal Tyrrell Museum are the battleships, and we are the Royal Yacht,” says Howard Snyder, manager of the Remington Carriage Museum with a twinkle in his eye. There is indeed a regal feeling about this grand building – at 64,000 square feet – full of carriages that have transported dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II, Pierre Trudeau, and Ulysses S. Grant.

…with a little lore to help

Is it a fir? Or is it a spruce? Maybe it’s a pine. Maybe we’ll just keep walking and admire the shrubs instead. I don’t know about you, but calling all trees with spikey green needles a Christmas tree doesn’t cut it.

The West Coast of Vancouver Island – from Ucluelet to Tofino – is home to more than a dozen world-class surf breaks along its 40-odd kilometre stretch of epicness. You can ride these waves of joy any time of year, even in winter, maybe carving out a “surf and ski” day at nearby Mount Washington. 

Nestled in the southern Canadian Rockies, the Crowsnest Pass – or fondly referred to as “The Pass,” boasts spectacular scenery, a rich coal mining history, friendly communities, and great hiking. Whether you’re just passing through and want a short hike to break up the drive, or have a weekend to bag some peaks, there is a wide range of trails in The Pass that will take your breath away. With so many hikes to choose from, I called upon local residents, Pam Drover and Heather Davis, to help select the top 5 hikes in the Crowsnest Pass.