You can do to prove you're a real British Columbian

Follow these steps to a genuine B.C. Day

Martha Tropea
Daily News

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Monday will be a special day across British Columbia.

Why? Well for most B.C. residents, it will be celebrated primarily because it offers a day off from work, one of the cherished statutory holidays on the calendar. A chance to sleep in, spend some extra time with the kids, or do nothing at all.

But since Monday is not just any stat holiday -- it is B.C. Day -- why not get out there and celebrate in style with some real Left Coast activities. Following is a list of the top 10 things to do on B.C. Day to prove you're a true British Columbian.

10. Eat a pacific salmon: Salmon has become such an integral part of B.C. culture, an entire association has been devoted to it (www.bcsalmon.ca). The British Columbia Salmon Marketing Council formed in 1991 to represent the harvesters and processors of commercially caught B.C. wild salmon. Not only are wild salmon an important part of British Columbia's wild and natural environment, they also plays a significant historical and traditional role in the lives of all British Columbians and have defined Canadian cuisine. Salmon have also been the source of serious contention over the years and the catalyst of protests and court battles over separate salmon fisheries for B.C. First Nations.

9. Find a Sasquatch: Long-rumoured to live on Vancouver Island, the mythical Sasquatch was once again reported to have been sighted recently near Tofino. In March, a Texas man posted a video he claims to have taken near Tofino in July 2006. Vancouver Island biologist John Bindernagel also claims to have found footprints in Strathcona Park near Mount Washington and he has written North America's Great Ape: The Sasquatch. In 2005, Bindernagel told the Daily News that since 1850 there have been about 100 sightings on the Island. In the same time there have been about 400 sightings in B.C., a number he thinks is low due to fear of being mocked.

8. Hug a tree: Home to the David Suzuki Foundation and the first Sierra Club affiliate in Canada, B.C. residents are known around Canada as environmental stewards.

7. Cut down a tree: Like it or not, B.C. is Canada's leading supplier of wood construction and finishing wood products. And with major international ports located directly on the Pacific Ocean, B.C. is ideally located to supply the wood product needs of global markets. B.C.'s forests cover an area twice as big as all of the New England states and New York state combined. The forest industry is the heart of B.C.'s economy, employs thousands of people around the province and injects millions of dollars into our economy.

6. Smoke a joint: "B.C. bud" has become a brand name, especially in the northwestern United States where most of the province's cannabis is thought to be trafficked. According to the University of Victoria Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. and Simon Fraser University Applied Research on Mental Health and Addictions, cannabis use is more widespread among British Columbians than the rest of Canadians.

Unlike other parts of Canada, growing up in B.C. means students are routinely required to practise what to do in case of an earthquake. Seismic experts say we can expect a major destructive 'quake in British Columbia, but no one knows when. The last known great earthquake in the Pacific Northwest -- the Cascadia Earthquake -- struck in January, 1700. Based on geological evidence in the region, it's believed that such quakes strike every 300 to 500 years. B.C. is situated on a fault zone that separates the Juan de Fuca Plate and the North American Plate -- an area that can produce large earthquakes with a magnitude of 9.0 or greater if a rupture were to occur.

4. Save a marmot: Have you ever seen a Vancouver Island marmot? Not likely since they are considered the most endangered animal in Canada. Recovery teams on Vancouver Island are trying to restore and maintain a healthy population of 400 to 600 in the wild. There are just over 100 marmots living on Vancouver Island today.

3. Ride a ferry: British Columbians also have a love-hate relationship with B.C. Ferries. In recent years, rising ticket prices, concerns about security and the sinking of the Queen of the North are some of the issues that have dogged the ferry provider that began in 1960 as a two-vessel, two-terminal operation and has grown into one of the largest, most sophisticated ferry transportation systems in the world. B.C. Ferries' fleet of 36 vessels serves a diverse range of communities -- up to 47 ports of call -- along the coast of B.C.

2. Watch a movie being made: One minute you're walking along drinking a Starbucks coffee and the next you've accidentally stumbled into a movie scene. Known as Hollywood North, severalbBlockbusters have their roots in Vancouver such as Elf, I Robot,

X-Men and Jumanji.

1. Complain about Toronto: With its smog, industrial skyline, and "centre of the universe" attitude, many British Columbians (and Canadians for that matter) are united in their distaste for Toronto. It's Canada's biggest city, acknowledged financial centre and fancies itself the cultural capital of English Canada. In his recent trip to Nanaimo, Comedian Derek Edwards said he is guaranteed to get the crowd laughing when he mocks Toronto.