Here we are, just four days in to the Olympics and we’ve already been through so much. The media blitz has been intense, starting with horrible tragedy, then quickly moving on to fanfare and fashion. There’s been protests, some truly amazing video art involving whales , and even a tight pant controversy. I think there’s even been a bit of athletic competition in there somewhere. Of course, there’s also been loads of press about visiting beautiful Vancouver, Whistler, British Columbia, even Canada as a whole. Where to stay, what to do. I was especially struck by the report Tom Brokaw did Friday night. It was informative, yes, but still kind of reminded me of those reports we used to basically copy out of the World Book Encyclopedia when we were kids. But I guess that’s about the level of knowledge most people have about our neighbor to the north. After all, did you know that we import more petroleum from Canada than from any other country?
Naturally, I can’t resist adding my two cents. British Columbia is indeed a lovely part of the world and after another 13 days of coverage, I’d be surprised if you didn’t have a desire to check it out for yourself. And by then you’re sure to know all about Vancouver’s Gastown and Chinatown. You’ll be able to map out a great public transit tour , compile a list of hidden gems, and figure out which whale watching trip is right for you. You’ll be reading local blogs (there are some great ones) and publications. But will you remember to take a second look at all your photos before you delete them just in case there’s a surprise lurking in the background? In fact, why not plan a little sidetrip or two in search of two of British Columbia’s mythical beasts—Sasquatch and Ogopogo?
It was the cutesy Olympic mascots that reminded me of the rich animal mythology in this part of Canada. I won’t get into it here, you can check out the site for their, uh, inventive bios. But basically, they are based in part on some of the beliefs and myths of the West Coast First Nations. While there are countless creatures you could investigate, why not start with two of the best documented? It just so happens that Sasquatch and Ogopogo have great taste location-wise, so really, it’s a win-win.
If you’re hoping for a glimpse of the legendary Sasquatch, British Columbia is a great place to start. Over half of Sasquatch sightings occur in BC. Many of the native people of the area have stories of these giant, elusive forest-dwelling creatures. In some traditions they are actual living beings, in others they are considered spirit creatures, sometimes bad omens. In the 1920s, J. W. Burns combined many of these stories in a series of Canadian newspaper articles and coined the term Sasquatch from the Halkomelem word sásq’ets. The articles popularized both the legend and the name, making Sasquatch well known in western Canada long before the United States. Throughout the years there have been countless (ok, not really, there are plenty of people out there who have cataloged every report) sightings in plenty of beautiful spots worth visiting whether or not you see the creature.
Great Bear Rainforest is a great place to start. The largest intact, coastal temperate rainforest left in the world, it’s also home to the Kermode, or Spirit, bear, a unique subspecies of the black bear, in which one in ten cubs display a recessive white colored coat. A sighting of one of these is a bit more likely and still incredibly exciting. Sasquatch has also been sighted taking a dip near the picturesque abandoned cannery town of Butedale. You can also try Klemtu, home to the Kitasoo people, and a popular diving and kayaking location, or Tofino, a charming little town on Vancouver Island near Pacific Rim National Park. If you’re looking for a more relaxed version of beast hunting, you’re in luck. Sasquatch has also been spotted around Harrison Lake, known for its hot springs resorts.
Of course if you’re really interested in water creatures, you’ll want to seek out Ogopogo, the lake creature purportedly living in Lake Okanagan. Whether or not Ogopogo is a pleisiosaur-like creature like her younger cousin Nessie in Scotland (yup, Ogopogo sightings have been going on for at least 80 years longer than Nessie’s), or something more like a snake, or even a goat or horse-like creature, is up for debate. Several of the early sightings reported the creature as having a moose-like head. Which of course, has led doubters to claim the creature may have been simply just that—a swimming moose. Regardless, Lake Okanagan is a wonderful destination. It’s huge, contains three islands–one of which has the irresistible name Rattlesnake Island–and is surrounded by natural beauty and charming little towns complete with fancy resorts or secluded little vacation rentals.
Both images from Wikimedia Commons.
