The Province of British Columbia

by E-NewsCast Team
April 5th, 2010

The Province of British Columbia is located in Western Canada,it borders with the Yukon and Northwest Territories to theNorth, Alberta to the East and the U.S. states of Montana, Idahoand Washington to the south. The Pacific Ocean coastline to thewest is the only part of Canada on the Pacific Ocean and is hometo Vancouver IslandWith an area of 944,735 square kilometers; it is Canada’s thirdlargest province in area and population (4,162,535). More thanhalf of the population lives in the south western corner of theProvince. Most of British Columbia is in Pacific Mountain timewhich is Greenwich meantime (GMT)-8 hours. Daylight saving is ineffect from April to October making it GMT -9 hours. Being hometo the fantastic scenery of the many Provincial and NationalParks, British Columbia is a magnet to outdoor enthusiasts andtourists alike. The hundreds of Provincial parks are fantasticthough completely out shadowed by the majestic National parksincluding Yoho, Kootenay and Glacier National Parks. The Province has many different landscapes including beautifulbeaches, immense lakes and rivers, mountains and even a desertarea. British Columbia is also home to some of Canada’s wettestand driest areas. The climate varies greatly from one area tothe next, but generally the coastal area of British Columbiatends to be the mildest with cool and wet winters, the summersare warmer but the area is still prone to precipitation. Theinterior has cold winters with a lot of snow and dry hotsummers. All these factors combine to create fantastic sportsand Recreational Opportunities that will keep all the familybusy! The City of Vancouver lies in the southwestern corner of BritishColumbia and as Canada’s third largest city dominates as thepopulation centre of the Province. The Provincial capital isVictoria, a much smaller city on the southern tip of VancouverIsland. Vancouver is one of the most amazing cities in the worldwith great beaches, skiing, hiking, sailing and most otheractivities catered for. The city has an outstanding and vibrantnight life with world class restaurants and clubs. Victoria is amore sedate affair, though it too offers an exciting nightlife.Being the Provincial capital means that there is some history inVictoria with the Parliament building overlooking the harbourarea.There are several other cities of a fair size – Kamloops,Kelowna, Revelstoke, Vernon and Prince George being the largest.The northern cities tend to be supported by logging and fishingindustries while the southern areas generate excellent incomeform the tourist industry. The Okanagan area is a vacationcentre for many Canadians with hot summers spent by warm lakes.The winters bring snow to the Fernie, Panarama and Kimberley skiresorts, whilst Whistler Blackcomb is one of the premier resortsin North America and due to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.Already projects are beginning to improve the infrastructure andthere are plans to build a two lane highway linking Vancouverand Whistler Mountain Resort. As with all the Provinces;Education, Healthcare, Social Assistance Benefits and DriverLicensing are all managed by the Provincial Government ofBritish Columbia. The Provincial regulators for qualificationtransfer can be found in our “Jobsearch” pages. One extremelyimportant responsibility of the Provincial Government is toadminister the Employment Standards which include your rights(maternity, minimum wage etc.) and responsibilities as anemployee in BC. It is imperative that you understand thesebefore you start work. The liquor laws, as with all of Canada, are very strict in theProvince. The legal drinking age is 19 years and licensedestablishments will ask for I.D. if someone looks under the ageof 25 years. Drinking is not permitted in a public place unlessit has been specially approved. Liquor in a moving vehicle mustbe sealed and not accessible to anyone in that vehicle. Apartfrom the Provincial Income Tax British Columbia has two maintaxes, firstly the GST (Goods & Services Taxes) this iscurrently at 7% and is applied to most goods and services soldin Canada. Secondly, PST (Social Services Tax – Provincial) thisis currently at 7.5% and is applied to merchandise that isbought or leased in B.C. There are some exemptions to PST; theseinclude all food items for human consumption, clothing andfootwear for children less than 15 years of age and medications. Also, there is an environmental tax which is charged to tiresand lead acid batteries bought in the province. Hotel rooms aresubject to taxation charged at between 8 – 10% depending on thelocation. Be aware that most prices are advertised without anytaxes; these are normally added on at the point of payment andcan cause confusion if you are not expecting it! The main industries of B.C are Forestry, Fishing, Agriculture,Mining, Tourism and Manufacturing. After several years inrecession, the British Columbia economy is now recovering. Theforestry industry has received a massive boost after a lengthydispute with the USA over lumber import duties imposed by the USon Canadian wood is drawing closer to settlement. The world freetrade organisation has ruled in Canada’s favour and it lookslikely that the US will have to repay the Billions of dollars inillegal duties already collected and allow the free trade toresume. This enables the Province to claim one of NorthAmerica’s most competitive Business Climates and has tremendouseconomic opportunities existing throughout the Province.For more, detailed information please visithttp://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/immigratebc.html

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