British Columbia

The world's best kept secret

In my frequent travels abroad I become an unofficial ambassador for Travel British Columbia.  When asked where I was from, it is most likely that they can not place my accent. I am fluent in accents, speaking in a unique blend of Dutch, Afrikaans and English. Then I tell them the secret - I live in Vancouver British Columbia, one of the most incredible places on Earth.

Here, when one speaks of Beavers and Otters, they are most likely referring to the floatplanes.The unspoilt ruggedness of the coastline with its soaring mountains, deep inlets, glaciers and remote lakes, is best seen from the air. The Strait of Georgia, which separates Vancouver Island from the mainland, is dotted with small sparsely inhabited islands. For many of these, the floatplane is the only mode of transportation.

In the early days along this coast, bush pilots with their Otters dominated exploration and transportation; very few roads existed, and airports were rare. The aircraft's pontoon made it possible to land at sea or on remote lakes, and this opened up the vast and isolated region. Most of the floatplanes that we see today were made by de Havilland Canada and the most commonly used are the Otter, the Twin Otter and the Beaver.

Grant McConachie was a pioneer bush pilot and sold his Yukon Southern Transport to Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1941, and the newly created airline appointed him as their General Manager. The primary access to Vancouver International Airport named Grant McConachie Way in his honour.