Other interesting size comparisons:
Monaco: 2 sq km
Bermuda: 50 sq km
PEI: 5,660 km
Jamaica: 10,830
Belgium: 30,688 sq km
Vancouver Island: 32 100
Netherlands: 33,760
Nova Scotia: 55,284 sq km
New Brunswick: 72,908 sq km
Russia: 16,380,000
So we’re bigger than Monaco but smaller than Russia if that helps folks.
Population grown is steady, but not explosive for the reasons others have mentioned - just too damn expensive and remote/expensive to get on and off of. I mean it’s not that far at all from the mainland of the USA and the rest of Canada but that always means leaving by boat or plane, neither of which is cheap. Even going over to Vancouver by car is not really a worthwhile day trip unless you want to catch the first and last ferry and be exhausted by the end of it all.
When Harbour Air (seaplane) has a sale for their ‘quick tickets’ I try to get my hand on those, otherwise a one way flight is around $250. They only put those on sale two times a year, limited quantity and basically you fly standby for about $75 one way. So worth it though, as I can show up at the downtown harbour in Victoria at 8:35 a.m - the flight takes off at 9 and I’m downtown Vancouver at 9:40. Easy peasy, like a bus trip really, plus spectacular views.
To answer Franks question - the way most people get to Seattle for a football/baseball game, concert or getaway weekend is by the Victoria Clipper. It’s a Seattle based company that has a fleet of high speed catamarans that runs between downtown Victoria and downtown Seattle. It’s about $120 one way and takes 2 hours and 45 minutes. There is also the Coho ferry that travels from the inner harbour in downtown Victoria to Port Angeles in Washington State (literally right across the straight). Cool mid-century style ferry is immaculate condition and that goes 2 to 4 round trips per day depending on the season. Trip is 90 minutes. This is also a car ferry, so you can do the long drive down to Seattle from there if you want. The other option is to take a seaplane from downtown Victoria to downtown Seattle, that’s a 45 minute trip.
Other reasons why Vancouver Island population isn’t bigger than it is - the west coast is rugged, remote and very wet, it’s called a rainforest for a reason, lol. Check out the Netflix nature series Island of the Sea Wolves and you’ll see the west coast in all it’s beauty. Stupid Hollywood name though.. they’re just friggin wolves you have adapted to living on the coast, lol. The centre spine of the island is mountainous, so uninhabitable.
Picture of the Coho ferry on it’s way to Port Angeles in the background:
2021-1231-09 Victoria Dallas Road by
Peter, on Flickr
Couple more looking across from Victoria. A popular summertime activity for the spandex cyclist crowd is take their bikes across and ride to the top and back of Hurricane Ridge (the mountains in the background) and then back to Victoria the same day.
Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mtns. by
Lindsay Mac, on Flickr
Alone by
Per@vicbcca, on Flickr
Victoria Clipper arriving in Victoria from Seattle:
DHE_1124.jpg by
Cameron Knowlton, on Flickr
Ah, and one of my own pics, showing the ferry to Seattle, the one to Port Angeles and a plane likely headed to Vancouver:
Victoria Inner Harbour - always buzzing.. by
JohnnyJayEh, on Flickr
The interior of Vancouver Island:
On the Comox Glacier: The view westward by
M.E. Sanseverino, on Flickr
Golden Hinde - tallest peak on Vancouver Island.
Golden Hinde by
Walter Moar, on Flickr
Mount Tom Taylor:
Summit by
Walter Moar, on Flickr
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