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Discover the Top 12 Amazing Fun Facts About British Columbia You Never Knew Before!

illustration of british-columbia
Get ready to be amazed by the fascinating and lesser-known tidbits of trivia surrounding the breathtakingly beautiful, culture-rich province of British Columbia!

1. Sunshine Central in Kamloops

In a city where people are walking on sunshine every chance they get, it appears even Mother Nature herself prefers SPF 50 over umbrellas: Kamloops in Central British Columbia boasts an impressive average of 316 sunny days per year, with a grand total of 2080 sun-soaked hours for its lucky inhabitants!
Source => currentresults.com

2. Birthplace of the California Roll

You may be California rollin' like Limp Bizkit in a sushi bar, but don't be so quick to credit the Golden State for those tasty maki morsels: British Columbia's very own chef Hidekazu Tojo created the iconic inside-out sushi roll with cooked crab, avocado, and cucumber more than 50 years ago in Vancouver, named Tojo Maki and still served at his restaurant, which was originally crafted with the intention of catering to diners' tastes in a sushi-crazed land boasting over 25,000 kilometers of coastline and over 20,000 picturesque lakes.
Source => ktla.com

3. Noah's Marine Parking Lot

If Noah had a marine parking lot, he'd likely have set it up somewhere in British Columbia's waters: this Canadian province boasts an extensive list of seasonal whale buddies, including harbour porpoises, Dall's porpoises, Pacific white-sided dolphins, minke whales, gray whales, humpback whales, and both resident and transient killer whales.
Source => whalesanddolphinsbc.com

4. Wild Party Province

When British Columbia isn't busy hosting animals' red-carpet events with its A-listers like grizzly bears and mountain goats, it's redefining "wild" parties with an impressive guest list: Home to over 200 species of mammals, British Columbia's diverse landscapes boast stunning habitats for wildlife, from rocky coastlines to rugged mountains.
Source => welcomebc.ca

BC Parks' Adventure Wonderland

5. BC Parks' Adventure Wonderland

In a land where the hills have dramatic ups and downs and the grizzlies request salmon with a side of berries, British Columbia has something for every wanderlust warrior: Home to an abundant array of provincial parks, BC Parks offers exhilarating outdoor activities including frontcountry camping, multiday backcountry hikes, mountain biking, boating, skiing, and educational school field trips, all while ensuring the safety of explorers and the environment they embrace.
Source => bcparks.ca

6. Mysterious Bat Cave

Bat to the bone and soaring out of a Tex-Mex thriller: British Columbia houses an astonishing 15 species of bats, including the unexpected presence of the Mexican free-tailed Bat and the Canyon Bat! Despite the abundance of winged nightlife, there's much left to uncover about their whereabouts and shenanigans, as continued research and improved methods strive to unravel the mysteries of these enigmatic nocturnal critters.
Source => bcbats.ca

7. Hollywood's Northern Cousin

Roll out the red carpet and grab your popcorn, folks: British Columbia is Hollywood's charming Northern cousin! That's right: with its versatile landscapes, skilled workforce, and enticing government incentives, this Canadian province has become the third largest film production hub in North America, coming in hot behind Los Angeles and New York City. From century-old reel romances in Vancouver to the addition of over 1 million sq ft of shooting grounds in 2020, British Columbia has truly cemented itself as a blockbuster destination for Tinseltown's finest.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Historical PNE Thrills

Roll up, roll up, for a fair ol' time with lumbering amusements and horsing around galore: British Columbia's Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) has been thrilling folks for over a century, featuring the spiffing Playland amusement park, a wood coaster masterpiece, cuddly livestock displays, and the spirited Pacific Spirit Horse Show.
Source => 123dentist.com

9. Victoria's Ghostbusters Hotline

Who you gonna call in British Columbia? Ghostbusters, of course: Victoria is home to a spook-tacular number of haunted sites like Bastion Square, Market Square, Ross Bay Cemetery, Parliament Buildings, Hatley Castle & Gardens, Fairmont Empress, Craigdarroch Castle, Rogers Chocolates, Chateau Victoria, and St. Ann's Academy, making it a prime paranormal hotspot for those seeking a bone-chilling adventure.
Source => tourismvictoria.com

Royal Canadian Hideout

10. Royal Canadian Hideout

In case of uninvited tiara-wielding Nazis knocking on Buckingham Palace's door, the British Royals had packed their bags and earmarked a cozy Canadian crash pad: Hatley Castle in British Columbia was considered as a potential refuge for the royal family during World War II, with its purchase by the Canadian government ensuring a safe haven across the pond in case of a forced regal relocation.
Source => capitaldaily.ca

11. Flower Drama at Butchart Gardens

When flowers put on a better show than your favorite Netflix drama: British Columbia is home to the spectacular Butchart Gardens, featuring 55 acres of jaw-dropping floral displays and themed gardens, located in Central Saanich near the capital city of Victoria.
Source => aaa.com

12. Care Bear Cousins: The Kermode Bear

If you've ever wondered where to find the real-life Care Bears or elusive polar imposters, look no further: British Columbia is home to the rare Kermode bear, a subspecies of the American black bear with a white variant known as the spirit bear, which owes its unique coloration to a mutant gene preventing melanin production.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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