WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 Welcome to the Deep Dive, the place where we 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:04.660 take a stack of source material, feed it through 00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:07.000 our analytical engine, and hand you back the 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:09.220 most potent nuggets of knowledge or insight. 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:12.099 Today, we are pointing our compass due west, 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:14.800 all the way to the rugged Pacific edge of Canada, 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:17.899 for a comprehensive analysis of British Columbia. 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:20.079 And we really need that analytical engine today, 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.600 because BC is not just a geographical location, 00:00:22.699 --> 00:00:27.000 it's... A study in dramatic and sometimes baffling 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:29.399 contrast. Right. Our source material frames it 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:32.299 perfectly. A land that is simultaneously defined 00:00:32.299 --> 00:00:35.299 by the mild, perpetually rainy coast and the 00:00:35.299 --> 00:00:38.170 semi -arid, sun -baked interior. It's two different 00:00:38.170 --> 00:00:40.310 worlds in one province. Exactly. It's a place 00:00:40.310 --> 00:00:42.750 of vast, protected wilderness, something like 00:00:42.750 --> 00:00:45.810 12 .5 % of its area, sitting right alongside 00:00:45.810 --> 00:00:47.869 some of the densest and most globalized urban 00:00:47.869 --> 00:00:49.990 centers in North America. That tension, that's 00:00:49.990 --> 00:00:51.969 the key, isn't it? Between the wild, resource 00:00:51.969 --> 00:00:55.149 -rich land and the highly complex, urbanized 00:00:55.149 --> 00:00:57.689 society. That's it. That's exactly what we need 00:00:57.689 --> 00:00:59.670 to unpack. Our mission today is to cut through 00:00:59.670 --> 00:01:01.950 the postcard imagery and understand the underlying 00:01:01.950 --> 00:01:05.170 systems that make BC tick. From its deep indigenous 00:01:05.170 --> 00:01:08.250 foundations and colonial resource booms. Right 00:01:08.250 --> 00:01:10.609 up to the modern dilemmas of political turbulence 00:01:10.609 --> 00:01:13.930 and runaway housing costs. We want you, the listener, 00:01:14.049 --> 00:01:16.189 to walk away feeling immediately well informed 00:01:16.189 --> 00:01:19.329 about this pivotal, influential Canadian province. 00:01:19.590 --> 00:01:21.609 Yeah, let's do it. Okay, so let's start with 00:01:21.609 --> 00:01:23.849 the snapshot. The essential numbers that give 00:01:23.849 --> 00:01:26.819 us a sense of scale. British Columbia is, of 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:30.299 course, Canada's westernmost province, nestled 00:01:30.299 --> 00:01:33.340 tightly between the Pacific Ocean and that imposing 00:01:33.340 --> 00:01:36.060 continental barrier, the Rocky Mountains. And 00:01:36.060 --> 00:01:38.060 the scale is what first jumps out at you. It 00:01:38.060 --> 00:01:43.939 covers 944 ,735 square kilometers. Wow. Which 00:01:43.939 --> 00:01:45.939 makes it the fifth largest jurisdiction in Canada. 00:01:45.980 --> 00:01:48.819 It's comparable in size to, like, France, Germany, 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:50.959 and the Netherlands all combined. So it's massive. 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:53.920 But despite that monumental landmass, it is the 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:56.200 third most popular. province with an estimated 00:01:56.200 --> 00:02:00.280 5 .7 million people as of late 2025. Yeah, and 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:01.959 that immediately begs the question of where all 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:03.920 those millions of people are concentrated. Exactly. 00:02:03.939 --> 00:02:06.359 You have this gigantic province, yet the population 00:02:06.359 --> 00:02:08.979 is heavily, heavily clustered. While Victoria, 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:11.900 located beautifully on the tip of Vancouver Island, 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:15.860 serves as the capital, Vancouver just, it dominates 00:02:15.860 --> 00:02:17.919 the region. Completely. It's the largest city 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:20.620 and the third largest metropolitan area in the 00:02:20.620 --> 00:02:22.879 entire country. Metro Vancouver alone accounts 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:25.599 for, what, 2 .6? million people. That's almost 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:28.180 half the province in one corner. Exactly. The 00:02:28.180 --> 00:02:31.740 rest of the province is vast, beautiful and sparsely 00:02:31.740 --> 00:02:35.099 populated, which creates a huge political and 00:02:35.099 --> 00:02:37.599 economic chasm between the urban lower mainland 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.780 and the resource based interior. A recurring 00:02:40.780 --> 00:02:43.560 theme, I'm sure. Oh, absolutely. Before we dive 00:02:43.560 --> 00:02:45.020 into the landscape itself, we should probably 00:02:45.020 --> 00:02:48.060 mention the official symbolism. BC's motto is 00:02:48.060 --> 00:02:51.039 that beautiful Latin phrase, splendor sino acazu. 00:02:51.240 --> 00:02:54.620 Which means, splendor without diminishment. It's 00:02:54.620 --> 00:02:56.680 a bold, almost defiant statement that speaks 00:02:56.680 --> 00:02:59.340 directly to the province's immense, self -evident 00:02:59.340 --> 00:03:02.319 natural wealth. It really is. But the name British 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:05.120 Columbia is arguably a microcosm of the entire 00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.139 history of external influence here. Oh, that's 00:03:07.139 --> 00:03:09.199 interesting. Let's really impact that etymology 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:11.620 because it links British colonial ambition directly 00:03:11.620 --> 00:03:14.360 to American exploration and even older European 00:03:14.360 --> 00:03:18.030 history. OK, so Queen Victoria officially chose 00:03:18.030 --> 00:03:20.949 the name in 1858. Right. That was when the mainland 00:03:20.949 --> 00:03:23.750 area was formally designated a British colony, 00:03:24.009 --> 00:03:26.849 primarily to ensure the land stayed out of American 00:03:26.849 --> 00:03:29.530 hands during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. So 00:03:29.530 --> 00:03:32.050 she chose it to distinguish the British sector 00:03:32.050 --> 00:03:35.110 from the already established American territory 00:03:35.110 --> 00:03:37.669 to the south, which had been jointly known as 00:03:37.669 --> 00:03:40.270 the Columbia District. And that's the key. The 00:03:40.270 --> 00:03:42.750 Columbia District was defined by the Columbia 00:03:42.750 --> 00:03:45.909 River system. So where does the river get its 00:03:45.909 --> 00:03:48.830 name? It's a fascinating trail. The river was 00:03:48.830 --> 00:03:51.009 named after the American trading vessel, the 00:03:51.009 --> 00:03:53.430 Columbia Red Viva. The Columbia Red Viva, which, 00:03:53.569 --> 00:03:56.810 if my memory serves, means Columbia Reborn. Exactly. 00:03:56.810 --> 00:03:59.610 And that ship got its name from the traditional 00:03:59.610 --> 00:04:01.770 poetic name given to the New World or certain 00:04:01.770 --> 00:04:04.050 parts of it, Columbia. Correct. And Columbia 00:04:04.050 --> 00:04:06.250 is, of course, a reference to Christopher Columbus. 00:04:06.490 --> 00:04:09.210 So you have a British colony formally named by 00:04:09.210 --> 00:04:11.990 a British monarch. that ultimately traces its 00:04:11.990 --> 00:04:15.150 etymological lineage through American ship back 00:04:15.150 --> 00:04:17.769 to an Italian explorer working for Spain. It 00:04:17.769 --> 00:04:20.569 perfectly captures the messy, multinational, 00:04:20.569 --> 00:04:23.269 and somewhat accidental nature of how the Pacific 00:04:23.269 --> 00:04:25.750 Northwest was carved up. Absolutely, a perfect 00:04:25.750 --> 00:04:27.889 summary of the whole situation. Okay, let's turn 00:04:27.889 --> 00:04:29.990 to the land itself, because the geography here 00:04:29.990 --> 00:04:32.750 is far more than just scenery. It is destiny. 00:04:33.149 --> 00:04:36.470 Section 1 is all about BC's extreme geography 00:04:36.470 --> 00:04:40.290 and the climate paradox it creates. The physical 00:04:40.290 --> 00:04:42.970 relief of British Columbia is truly the primary 00:04:42.970 --> 00:04:45.509 force that determined where people settled, what 00:04:45.509 --> 00:04:47.589 kind of industries developed, and even how its 00:04:47.589 --> 00:04:49.829 modern transportation systems function. Just 00:04:49.829 --> 00:04:52.560 look at its boundaries. It's flanked by Alberta 00:04:52.560 --> 00:04:55.680 to the east, Yukon and the Northwest Territories 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:58.480 to the north. And then four U .S. states, Washington, 00:04:58.699 --> 00:05:01.259 Idaho, Montana, plus Alaska to the northwest. 00:05:01.620 --> 00:05:04.000 It's the meeting point of North America's entire 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.899 western rim. And what dominates that space is 00:05:06.899 --> 00:05:09.699 just this, this wall of mountains. The source 00:05:09.699 --> 00:05:12.620 notes that a staggering 75 % of the province 00:05:12.620 --> 00:05:15.199 sits over 1 ,000 meters above sea level. Yeah, 00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:18.000 75%. This is why when you look at a map of B 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:20.819 .C., you don't see broad plains. You see mountains. 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:22.879 range after mountain range. And that topography 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.319 is a huge economic constraint. It is. While 60 00:05:26.319 --> 00:05:29.060 % of the land is forested, an immense natural 00:05:29.060 --> 00:05:32.300 resource, only about 5 % is actually arable, 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.360 suitable for large -scale agriculture. And that 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:38.720 tiny 5 % explains why the low -lying Fraser Valley 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:41.639 and the interior Okanagan region are under such 00:05:41.639 --> 00:05:44.240 intense pressure for development, both for housing 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:47.100 and for food production. Exactly. Beyond the 00:05:47.100 --> 00:05:49.660 mountains, we have the coast. the defining feature 00:05:49.660 --> 00:05:54.100 of BC's global identity. BC is the only Canadian 00:05:54.100 --> 00:05:56.360 province bordering the Pacific Ocean. And its 00:05:56.360 --> 00:05:58.939 coastline is monstrously rugged. It stretches 00:05:58.939 --> 00:06:02.620 for over 27 ,000 kilometers when you factor in 00:06:02.620 --> 00:06:05.399 every indentation. 27 ,000. It's just a mind 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:07.459 -boggling number. And it's not just a flat beach, 00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:09.579 either. The source highlights that it's characterized 00:06:09.579 --> 00:06:12.379 by deep mountainous fjords created by ancient 00:06:12.379 --> 00:06:14.879 glacial action -carving valleys right into the 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:17.819 sea. and you also have approximately 6 ,000 islands, 00:06:18.019 --> 00:06:20.800 most of which are uninhabited, you could spend 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:23.399 a lifetime exploring that coastline alone. To 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:25.459 help us visualize the scale, we've mentioned 00:06:25.459 --> 00:06:28.160 Victoria, the capital on Vancouver Island, and 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:30.540 Vancouver, the population hub in lower mainland. 00:06:30.779 --> 00:06:32.839 But if you wanted to find the center of the province, 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:35.439 you'd be near the small town of Vanderhoof. And 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.879 a fun fact, the largest city by land area is 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:41.350 actually Abbotsford. which just demonstrates 00:06:41.350 --> 00:06:44.189 the different metrics we use to define a municipality's 00:06:44.189 --> 00:06:46.350 importance. Okay, now let's address the climate 00:06:46.350 --> 00:06:50.389 paradox. This is a direct, fascinating consequence 00:06:50.389 --> 00:06:52.750 of all those high mountain ranges. It really 00:06:52.750 --> 00:06:55.410 is. This is where B .C. goes from mildest to 00:06:55.410 --> 00:06:58.149 driest and hottest in Canada, sometimes within 00:06:58.149 --> 00:07:01.230 just a few hundred kilometers. Absolutely. The 00:07:01.230 --> 00:07:03.290 coast is entirely defined by the North Pacific 00:07:03.290 --> 00:07:06.389 Current, a warm, moist flow coming off the ocean. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:10.100 This gives the coastal areas an oceanic, mild, 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:12.839 and incredibly wet climate. Right. In populated 00:07:12.839 --> 00:07:15.319 areas, the annual mean temperature can be up 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:17.879 to 12 degrees Celsius, which is the mildest average 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:20.480 in the entire country. You rarely see sustained 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:23.139 snow at sea level. But the precipitation figures 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:26.230 are almost unbelievable. To give you an extreme 00:07:26.230 --> 00:07:28.709 example, our sources point to Hokutless Lake 00:07:28.709 --> 00:07:30.689 on Vancouver Island. Oh, this number is wild. 00:07:30.990 --> 00:07:33.970 It receives an average of 6 ,903 millimeters 00:07:33.970 --> 00:07:37.250 of rain annually. That's nearly 23 feet of rain. 00:07:37.389 --> 00:07:40.370 It's just staggering. That amount results from 00:07:40.370 --> 00:07:42.870 the moisture -laden Pacific air hitting the steep 00:07:42.870 --> 00:07:45.550 coastal mountains and being forced straight up 00:07:45.550 --> 00:07:48.230 to condense. A textbook example of orographic 00:07:48.230 --> 00:07:50.889 precipitation. Exactly. But once that air mass 00:07:50.889 --> 00:07:54.139 crosses the first two major ranges... the Coast 00:07:54.139 --> 00:07:57.360 Mountains and the Cascades. It loses almost all 00:07:57.360 --> 00:07:59.720 its moisture. Resulting in a dramatic rain shadow 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:02.420 effect. A huge one. You descend into the deep 00:08:02.420 --> 00:08:05.560 interior valleys, the Thompson, the Fraser Canyon, 00:08:05.819 --> 00:08:08.379 the Okanagan, and the entire environment just 00:08:08.379 --> 00:08:11.560 flips. You enter semi -arid zones. And these 00:08:11.560 --> 00:08:14.379 are genuinely dry zones. Certain interior locations 00:08:14.379 --> 00:08:17.220 receive less than 250 millimeters of precipitation 00:08:17.220 --> 00:08:20.379 annually. The summers there are intensely hot. 00:08:20.579 --> 00:08:23.379 Oh, yeah. La Soyuz, a town located near the U 00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:25.870 .S. border in the Okanagan, averages... a maximum 00:08:25.870 --> 00:08:28.689 temperature of 31 .7 degrees Celsius in July. 00:08:28.870 --> 00:08:31.170 And that makes it the hottest month of any location 00:08:31.170 --> 00:08:33.070 in the country, on average. But the extremes 00:08:33.070 --> 00:08:35.350 recorded in BC are even more telling. Think about 00:08:35.350 --> 00:08:38.850 the summer of 2021. The heat dome. Exactly. The 00:08:38.850 --> 00:08:41.809 record high of 49 .6 degrees Celsius was set 00:08:41.809 --> 00:08:44.710 in Lytton in June, and tragically, the town burned 00:08:44.710 --> 00:08:47.970 down shortly thereafter. 49 .6. That's less than 00:08:47.970 --> 00:08:50.850 6 degrees Celsius away from Canada, hitting 50 00:08:50.850 --> 00:08:53.210 degrees. It's terrifying. And yet you have to 00:08:53.210 --> 00:08:55.250 contrast that blistering heat with the record 00:08:55.250 --> 00:08:58.889 cold. Minus 58 .9 degrees Celsius recorded in 00:08:58.889 --> 00:09:01.629 Smith River back in 1947. One of the coldest 00:09:01.629 --> 00:09:04.129 readings ever documented in North America. These 00:09:04.129 --> 00:09:07.009 figures just underscore the sheer... volatile 00:09:07.009 --> 00:09:10.190 climatic range B .C. manages. And, of course, 00:09:10.289 --> 00:09:12.970 the extended summer dryness in the interior creates 00:09:12.970 --> 00:09:15.710 the perfect kindling for natural hazards, particularly 00:09:15.710 --> 00:09:19.289 forest fires. An almost annual fixture now, whether 00:09:19.289 --> 00:09:22.850 sparked by dry lightning or human activity. And 00:09:22.850 --> 00:09:25.029 these hazards are also strongly influenced by 00:09:25.029 --> 00:09:27.870 the Pacific's macro cycles. El Nino tends to 00:09:27.870 --> 00:09:30.549 bring milder and drier conditions. While La Nina 00:09:30.549 --> 00:09:33.629 brings wetter, cooler patterns. Right. It's incredible 00:09:33.629 --> 00:09:35.610 that humans have managed to live and build an 00:09:35.610 --> 00:09:38.590 economy in such volatile conditions. But this 00:09:38.590 --> 00:09:41.809 rugged, varied landscape is exactly why the province 00:09:41.809 --> 00:09:43.950 has had such an immense commitment to conservation, 00:09:44.210 --> 00:09:46.669 isn't it? Precisely. To protect this biodiversity. 00:09:47.399 --> 00:09:50.120 12 .5 % of the province is legally protected. 00:09:50.320 --> 00:09:54.519 Wow, 12 .5%. That's over 800 distinct areas under 00:09:54.519 --> 00:09:57.559 14 different designations. It's a massive commitment 00:09:57.559 --> 00:09:59.799 to land stewardship. And that includes seven 00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:02.019 of Canada's national parks and reserves places 00:10:02.019 --> 00:10:04.460 like Glacier, Pacific Rim, and Yoho National 00:10:04.460 --> 00:10:06.559 Parks. Right. And when you look at the fauna, 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:10.259 you realize why this protection is so non -negotiable. 00:10:10.379 --> 00:10:13.379 It's a stronghold for large North American species. 00:10:13.779 --> 00:10:16.360 Absolutely. You have flourishing populations 00:10:16.360 --> 00:10:19.480 of grizzly bears, black bears, and that uniquely 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:23.240 magnificent creamy white Kermode bear. the spirit 00:10:23.240 --> 00:10:25.700 bear, which is a subspecies of the black bear 00:10:25.700 --> 00:10:27.960 found only in this region. And the marine environment 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:30.720 is just as rich. Totally. It hosts migratory 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.480 routes for orcas, humpback whales, gray whales, 00:10:33.639 --> 00:10:36.220 and large colonies of harbor seals. It paints 00:10:36.220 --> 00:10:38.379 a picture of immense natural health, but it's 00:10:38.379 --> 00:10:40.320 important to note not everything is thriving. 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:43.600 No, it's not. The sources highlight several highly 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:46.240 endangered species, including the Vancouver Island 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:49.320 marmot, the spotted owl, and certain badger populations. 00:10:49.799 --> 00:10:52.159 The pressure on the land, particularly from... 00:10:52.169 --> 00:10:54.190 development and resource extraction is relentless. 00:10:54.570 --> 00:10:57.909 And we can't forget the plant life. The sheer 00:10:57.909 --> 00:11:01.129 diversity includes over 2 ,300 plant species, 00:11:01.409 --> 00:11:05.269 an immense forest, western red cedar, white spruce, 00:11:05.429 --> 00:11:08.590 Douglas fir, and hemlock that formed the early 00:11:08.590 --> 00:11:11.070 backbone of BC's economy. Which is the perfect 00:11:11.070 --> 00:11:13.870 transition. That move from environmental richness 00:11:13.870 --> 00:11:16.669 to economic power is what leads us directly into 00:11:16.669 --> 00:11:18.509 the history. Before we move on to the colonial 00:11:18.509 --> 00:11:20.629 era, let's pivot back to how the First Nations 00:11:20.629 --> 00:11:22.649 managed this incredible environment because it 00:11:22.649 --> 00:11:25.070 was far from just untouched wilderness. That's 00:11:25.070 --> 00:11:27.539 such a critical point to establish. The sources 00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:29.539 mention the traditional plant foods like berries 00:11:29.539 --> 00:11:32.259 and kama's roots, but more importantly, they 00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:34.659 highlight the complex, sophisticated land management 00:11:34.659 --> 00:11:37.879 practices, particularly among the Coast Salish. 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:39.279 Right. They weren't just harvesting. They were 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:42.279 actively shaping the ecosystem. They were. They 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:44.320 practiced what is now called forest gardening. 00:11:44.730 --> 00:11:47.590 They managed and encouraged specific species 00:11:47.590 --> 00:11:51.169 like crabapple, hazelnut, and wild cherry using 00:11:51.169 --> 00:11:53.629 intentional burning and tending practices. It 00:11:53.629 --> 00:11:56.710 was a sophisticated, managed ecosystem honed 00:11:56.710 --> 00:11:59.330 over millennia. Which directly contradicts the 00:11:59.330 --> 00:12:02.090 colonial narrative that the land was merely vacant, 00:12:02.250 --> 00:12:04.769 raw wilderness waiting for European exploitation. 00:12:05.129 --> 00:12:07.669 A vital distinction. And that brings us directly 00:12:07.669 --> 00:12:10.190 to section two, history, indigenous foundations, 00:12:10.470 --> 00:12:13.820 and colonial conflicts. To understand modern 00:12:13.820 --> 00:12:16.960 land disputes and cultural identity in BC, you 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:18.460 have to start with the people who were here for 00:12:18.460 --> 00:12:21.039 millennia and the devastation that followed contact. 00:12:21.379 --> 00:12:23.899 The human presence stretches back at least 10 00:12:23.899 --> 00:12:26.860 ,000 years, with Paleo -Indians migrating south 00:12:26.860 --> 00:12:29.799 from Beringia between 20 ,000 and 12 ,000 years 00:12:29.799 --> 00:12:32.700 ago. Initially, they were nomadic hunter -gatherers, 00:12:32.700 --> 00:12:35.440 but around 5 ,000 years ago, groups began settling 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:38.480 into more sedentary... resource -focused lifestyles, 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:40.600 particularly along the coast where marine resources 00:12:40.600 --> 00:12:42.899 were so abundant and reliable. And this stability 00:12:42.899 --> 00:12:45.019 allowed for the flowering of incredibly rich 00:12:45.019 --> 00:12:47.279 and complex societies among the Pacific Northwest 00:12:47.279 --> 00:12:50.240 Coast peoples, the Haida, the Kwakwaka 'wakw, 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:52.860 the Nuu -chah -nulth. Their culture was defined 00:12:52.860 --> 00:12:55.120 by their relationship with the Western Red Cedar. 00:12:55.419 --> 00:12:58.440 They used it not just for massive communal blank 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:01.879 houses, but also for enormous seagoing canoes 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:04.919 capable of carrying dozens of people. And, of 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:07.159 course, the elaborately carved totem poles. And 00:13:07.159 --> 00:13:09.320 the ceremonial culture of the potlatch, that 00:13:09.320 --> 00:13:12.080 system of ceremonial feasts where immense wealth 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:14.860 was distributed and status was established, was 00:13:14.860 --> 00:13:17.299 fundamental to their political and social structure. 00:13:17.539 --> 00:13:19.840 Yeah, cornerstone. And let's not overlook the 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:23.279 linguistic wealth. B .C. is or was a powerhouse 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:26.389 of indigenous language diversity. home to 34 00:13:26.389 --> 00:13:28.830 distinct indigenous languages. But the source 00:13:28.830 --> 00:13:31.230 notes the catastrophic decline. It's tragic. 00:13:31.409 --> 00:13:33.690 Today, only about 6 ,000 people speak those languages 00:13:33.690 --> 00:13:36.649 in total, with around 4 ,000 being fluent. It's 00:13:36.649 --> 00:13:38.929 a sad testament to the impact of colonization 00:13:38.929 --> 00:13:41.049 in residential schools. And that brings us to 00:13:41.049 --> 00:13:43.809 the shadow of contact. This sophisticated, interconnected 00:13:43.809 --> 00:13:47.070 culture met an abrupt and devastating end with 00:13:47.070 --> 00:13:50.070 the arrival of European ships. Which inadvertently 00:13:50.070 --> 00:13:53.039 carried waves of infectious diseases. The sources 00:13:53.039 --> 00:13:55.460 are chillingly specific about the scale of the 00:13:55.460 --> 00:13:59.259 disaster. Smallpox killed at least 30 % of Pacific 00:13:59.259 --> 00:14:03.059 Northwest First Nations in the 1770s after initial 00:14:03.059 --> 00:14:06.340 contact. But the true catastrophe was the 1862 00:14:06.340 --> 00:14:10.279 smallpox epidemic. That 1862 epidemic originated 00:14:10.279 --> 00:14:12.700 in Victoria and spread rapidly throughout the 00:14:12.700 --> 00:14:15.019 coastal communities, ultimately killing half 00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:17.139 to two -thirds of the native population. Half 00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:19.100 to two -thirds. It wasn't just a humanitarian 00:14:19.100 --> 00:14:22.860 tragedy. It created a demographic vacuum that 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:24.899 dramatically weakened indigenous resistance. 00:14:26.220 --> 00:14:28.159 colonial officials were planning massive land 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:30.419 grabs. And the land policy that followed was 00:14:30.419 --> 00:14:33.419 justified by this tragedy. And by colonial officials 00:14:33.419 --> 00:14:35.580 operating under the belief that indigenous people 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:38.750 were in the way. and that colonists could make 00:14:38.750 --> 00:14:40.950 better use of the land, this resulted in the 00:14:40.950 --> 00:14:43.629 forced relocation onto reserves. And these weren't 00:14:43.629 --> 00:14:46.809 generous parcels of land. By the 1930s, over 00:14:46.809 --> 00:14:49.049 1 ,500 reserves had been established, but they 00:14:49.049 --> 00:14:51.750 were often intentionally too small, fragmented, 00:14:51.789 --> 00:14:53.769 and resource poor to support the traditional 00:14:53.769 --> 00:14:56.690 way of life. It was a systemic effort to force 00:14:56.690 --> 00:14:59.509 assimilation and clear the way for resource extraction 00:14:59.509 --> 00:15:01.830 and settlement. While this devastation was occurring, 00:15:02.070 --> 00:15:04.009 the European powers were fighting for claim. 00:15:04.230 --> 00:15:07.250 They were. Though the Spanish, notably Juan Perez 00:15:07.250 --> 00:15:11.549 in 1774, reasserted their claims, it was the 00:15:11.549 --> 00:15:14.049 British who really solidified their jurisdiction. 00:15:14.370 --> 00:15:17.049 You had James Cook's charting in 1778, followed 00:15:17.049 --> 00:15:19.450 by George Vancouver's incredibly detailed mapping 00:15:19.450 --> 00:15:23.470 expeditions in 1792 and 1793. Which established 00:15:23.470 --> 00:15:25.789 the British presence along the coast. But the 00:15:25.789 --> 00:15:28.649 claim to the interior was sealed by land. In 00:15:28.649 --> 00:15:31.950 1793, Alexander Mackenzie completed his journey, 00:15:32.070 --> 00:15:34.750 becoming the first European to cross North America 00:15:34.750 --> 00:15:37.370 overland to the Pacific. But crucially, the actual 00:15:37.370 --> 00:15:39.490 day -to -day control was cemented not by the 00:15:39.490 --> 00:15:42.029 Navy, but by the fur trade. Right. The establishment 00:15:42.029 --> 00:15:44.049 of posts by the Northwest Company and later the 00:15:44.049 --> 00:15:46.210 monolithic Hudson's Bay Company provided the 00:15:46.210 --> 00:15:48.490 first permanent British footholds. Fort St. John 00:15:48.490 --> 00:15:52.129 in 1794, Fort St. James in 1806, and Fort Victoria 00:15:52.129 --> 00:15:55.340 in 1843. And this set up the conflict that led 00:15:55.340 --> 00:15:58.000 to the modern border. The area, the Columbia 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:00.360 District, was jointly occupied with the U .S. 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:03.860 until the 1846 Oregon Treaty finally divided 00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:06.379 the territory along the 49th parallel. Britain 00:16:06.379 --> 00:16:08.740 secured Vancouver Island and the mainland to 00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:11.840 the north, then known as New Caledonia. But the 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:14.240 defining moment, the catalyst that forced the 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.600 slow -moving colonial office in London to act, 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:19.340 was the discovery of gold. The Fraser Canyon 00:16:19.340 --> 00:16:23.690 Gold Rush in 1858. It saw a sudden uncontrolled 00:16:23.690 --> 00:16:27.710 influx of 25 ,000 to 30 ,000 American miners. 00:16:27.850 --> 00:16:30.330 A huge number. Yeah. This flood of foreigners 00:16:30.330 --> 00:16:32.809 on British soil prompted London to officially 00:16:32.809 --> 00:16:35.450 designate the mainland as the colony of British 00:16:35.450 --> 00:16:38.070 Columbia solely to maintain sovereignty. And 00:16:38.070 --> 00:16:40.850 to establish law and order in this chaotic, newly 00:16:40.850 --> 00:16:43.509 declared colony, they needed a visionary strongman. 00:16:43.669 --> 00:16:46.350 They sent Richard Clement Moody, handpicked by 00:16:46.350 --> 00:16:48.690 the colonial office, to command the royal engineers. 00:16:49.070 --> 00:16:51.919 Moody's brief was dramatic. He was to transform 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:53.940 the new colony into the British Empire's strategic 00:16:53.940 --> 00:16:56.559 bulwark in the farthest west. His ambition was 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:58.980 literally to found a second England on the shores 00:16:58.980 --> 00:17:01.100 of the Pacific. So he was a military engineer 00:17:01.100 --> 00:17:04.160 tasked with nation building. Pretty much. He 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:06.339 immediately set about establishing the new capital 00:17:06.339 --> 00:17:08.539 in New Westminster, choosing the site for its 00:17:08.539 --> 00:17:10.599 defensibility and the quality of its deep sea 00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:13.759 port. He saw the majestic beauty of the Fraser 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:16.970 River, but his focus was always strategic. And 00:17:16.970 --> 00:17:18.750 he and the royal engineers were instrumental 00:17:18.750 --> 00:17:21.670 in building the crucial early road network necessary 00:17:21.670 --> 00:17:24.690 to administer the interior roads like Kingsway, 00:17:24.849 --> 00:17:27.490 the North Road, and the massive Caribou Road. 00:17:27.730 --> 00:17:30.089 He even designated Stanley Park in Vancouver 00:17:30.089 --> 00:17:32.670 as a military reserve to guard the harbor against 00:17:32.670 --> 00:17:35.329 potential American invasion. That shows you the 00:17:35.329 --> 00:17:37.589 paranoia of the era. Interesting. However, his 00:17:37.589 --> 00:17:40.269 tenure wasn't without controversy. He was heavily 00:17:40.269 --> 00:17:42.869 criticized for large land acquisitions he made 00:17:42.869 --> 00:17:45.569 through the Preemption Act of 1860, highlighting 00:17:45.569 --> 00:17:47.869 the blurry line between colonial administration 00:17:47.869 --> 00:17:51.569 and personal enrichment. So that initial 1858 00:17:51.569 --> 00:17:53.789 rush was followed by the Caribou Gold Rush in 00:17:53.789 --> 00:17:57.109 1862. Attracting thousands more miners. And this 00:17:57.109 --> 00:17:58.990 is the financial turning point. The colonial 00:17:58.990 --> 00:18:01.369 administration was forced to finance massive 00:18:01.369 --> 00:18:04.289 infrastructure projects, most notably the Caribou 00:18:04.289 --> 00:18:06.849 Wagon Road, to service remote boom communities 00:18:06.849 --> 00:18:10.440 like Barkerville. But that road plunged the colonies 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:13.359 into staggering debt. It did. And that enormous 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:16.640 debt was the main non -negotiable factor that 00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:20.460 pushed for unification. In 1866, Vancouver Island 00:18:20.460 --> 00:18:23.180 and the mainland merged, hoping to consolidate 00:18:23.180 --> 00:18:26.470 finances. Four years later, desperately seeking 00:18:26.470 --> 00:18:28.549 an economic lifeline and desiring connection 00:18:28.549 --> 00:18:30.950 to the rest of the continent, the newly united 00:18:30.950 --> 00:18:33.269 colony negotiated its entry into the Canadian 00:18:33.269 --> 00:18:36.829 Confederation in 1871. As the sixth province. 00:18:37.089 --> 00:18:39.009 And the election that sealed the deal was the 00:18:39.009 --> 00:18:40.789 one that would define the province for the next 00:18:40.789 --> 00:18:43.470 century. The Canadian government had to agree 00:18:43.470 --> 00:18:46.269 to extend the Canadian Pacific Railway, the CPR, 00:18:46.650 --> 00:18:49.559 all the way to the Pacific coast. The completion 00:18:49.559 --> 00:18:52.779 of the CPR in 1885 was arguably the single most 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:55.599 important event in BC's economic history. It 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.839 cemented Vancouver, which was the chosen terminus, 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.599 as the regional hub. The resulting rapid growth 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:03.299 was so intense that Vancouver surpassed Winnipeg 00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:05.500 as the largest city in western Canada in under 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:08.660 50 years. And resource sectors, mining, forestry, 00:19:08.660 --> 00:19:11.140 fishing, and ranching, expanded rapidly, all 00:19:11.140 --> 00:19:13.039 driven by the new rail connection to the east. 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:15.859 However, this expansion required immense labor, 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:18.200 leading to the immigration of people from China, 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:22.039 Japan, and India. And this influx, sadly, led 00:19:22.039 --> 00:19:24.299 to severe resentment and racism from the dominant 00:19:24.299 --> 00:19:27.960 white population. It did. This resentment manifested 00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:30.920 in systemic, restrictive measures such as the 00:19:30.920 --> 00:19:33.740 discriminatory Chinese head tax, which was designed 00:19:33.740 --> 00:19:36.440 to limit Asian immigration. It also culminated 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:38.700 in terrifying mob attacks against Chinese and 00:19:38.700 --> 00:19:41.619 Japanese immigrants in Vancouver in 1887 and 00:19:41.619 --> 00:19:44.539 1907. And the dark legacy continued into the 00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:47.079 early 20th century, notably with the Komagata 00:19:47.079 --> 00:19:50.240 Maru incident in 1914, where hundreds of would 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:52.400 -be Sikh immigrants aboard the ship were refused 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:55.609 entry. It reflected the deep -seated anti -Asian 00:19:55.609 --> 00:19:57.869 sentiment that pervaded the political and social 00:19:57.869 --> 00:20:00.170 climate of the time. Looking back, the source 00:20:00.170 --> 00:20:02.329 mentions that due to the prevalence of mining 00:20:02.329 --> 00:20:05.150 activity throughout the mainland, a common epithet 00:20:05.150 --> 00:20:07.410 for the region, even after Provincet, was the 00:20:07.410 --> 00:20:10.130 gold colony. That simple phrase just distills 00:20:10.130 --> 00:20:12.269 the entire history of its economic engine up 00:20:12.269 --> 00:20:15.099 to the early 20th century. B .C. was born from 00:20:15.099 --> 00:20:17.440 resources and the debt incurred to extract and 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:20.000 transport them. And that historical reliance 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.839 on raw extraction versus the needs of a diverse 00:20:22.839 --> 00:20:26.420 population and a fragile ecosystem is a tension 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:29.779 that, as we will see, never truly leaves B .C. 00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:32.359 politics. Never. That resource pass leads us 00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:35.470 perfectly into Section 3. Demographics, politics, 00:20:35.670 --> 00:20:38.109 and modern challenges. Let's look at the modern 00:20:38.109 --> 00:20:41.210 human landscape, which is arguably just as varied 00:20:41.210 --> 00:20:44.009 and turbulent as the physical geography. BC is 00:20:44.009 --> 00:20:46.450 defined by its contemporary diversity and its 00:20:46.450 --> 00:20:49.190 famously dramatic political history, starting 00:20:49.190 --> 00:20:52.390 with the people. BC is the most diverse province 00:20:52.390 --> 00:20:55.890 in Canada. It is. The 2021 census recorded the 00:20:55.890 --> 00:20:57.789 highest proportion of visible minorities in the 00:20:57.789 --> 00:21:01.470 country at 34 .4%. That's a staggering amount 00:21:01.470 --> 00:21:03.390 of diversity compared to the national average. 00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:05.869 The ethnic makeup breaks down roughly to people 00:21:05.869 --> 00:21:09.170 of European origins at 60%. East Asians at 14 00:21:09.170 --> 00:21:12.029 % and South Asians at 10%. And Indigenous Canadians 00:21:12.029 --> 00:21:14.599 constitute about 6 % of the population. This 00:21:14.599 --> 00:21:16.980 diversity fundamentally reshapes the language 00:21:16.980 --> 00:21:20.119 landscape, particularly in Metro Vancouver, while 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:24.220 English is universally dominant at 96 .69%. The 00:21:24.220 --> 00:21:27.019 sheer volume of other languages creates distinct 00:21:27.019 --> 00:21:30.859 linguistic hubs. Punjabi is the second most spoken 00:21:30.859 --> 00:21:34.640 language at 6 .41%, followed closely by Mandarin 00:21:34.640 --> 00:21:39.970 at 6 .36 % and Cantonese at 5 .01%. It means 00:21:39.970 --> 00:21:42.250 that in many suburbs like Richmond or Surrey, 00:21:42.289 --> 00:21:45.130 Mandarin, Cantonese or Punjabi is just as visible 00:21:45.130 --> 00:21:47.450 on storefronts and heard on the streets as English. 00:21:47.690 --> 00:21:51.349 It's a truly multilingual daily reality. And 00:21:51.349 --> 00:21:53.250 we shouldn't forget the officially recognized 00:21:53.250 --> 00:21:55.829 Franco -Colombian linguistic minority as well, 00:21:55.930 --> 00:21:58.710 a nod to Canada's national history. Another striking 00:21:58.710 --> 00:22:01.779 cultural data point relates to religion. BC stands 00:22:01.779 --> 00:22:04.119 out on the North American map because irreligion, 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:06.500 meaning no religious affiliation, is the single 00:22:06.500 --> 00:22:09.599 largest group. Right, accounting for 52 .1 % 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:11.740 of the population. Over half the population identifies 00:22:11.740 --> 00:22:14.240 as non -religious. That contrasts sharply with 00:22:14.240 --> 00:22:17.240 Christianity, which sits at 34 .3%, followed 00:22:17.240 --> 00:22:20.920 by Sikhism at 5 .9%. This overwhelming secular 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:23.599 leaning is significant, and it undoubtedly informs 00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:25.779 the political atmosphere and social values in 00:22:25.779 --> 00:22:27.779 the province. And now let's transition to politics, 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:30.039 which is often described as a bloodsport in BC. 00:22:30.569 --> 00:22:33.150 That's putting it mildly. Political history is 00:22:33.150 --> 00:22:35.710 dominated by massive ideological swings between 00:22:35.710 --> 00:22:39.390 two primary camps. The left, represented by the 00:22:39.390 --> 00:22:42.069 NDP. And its predecessor, the CCF, and the right 00:22:42.069 --> 00:22:43.990 of center coalition, historically social credit, 00:22:44.069 --> 00:22:47.049 and currently the B .C. liberals, who recently 00:22:47.049 --> 00:22:49.670 rebranded to B .C. United. Let's just pause right 00:22:49.670 --> 00:22:51.529 here because this point is crucial for anyone 00:22:51.529 --> 00:22:55.049 outside B .C. The source explicitly clarifies 00:22:55.049 --> 00:22:58.119 that the B .C. liberal party. now B .C. United, 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:00.720 is not politically tied to the Federal Liberal 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.839 Party of Canada. It causes endless confusion. 00:23:03.180 --> 00:23:05.519 It's a critical distinction. The B .C. Liberal 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:08.380 United Party has historically been a free enterprise 00:23:08.380 --> 00:23:11.240 coalition. It was formed specifically to unite 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:13.859 disparate, conservative, federal, liberal, and 00:23:13.859 --> 00:23:16.619 social credit voters under one tent, often to 00:23:16.619 --> 00:23:19.400 defeat the NDP. So their ideological common ground 00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:22.240 is physical conservatism, low taxes and resource 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:24.279 development. A policy set that is fundamentally 00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:27.039 opposed to the federal liberal platform. So if 00:23:27.039 --> 00:23:29.220 you hear about a B .C. liberal premier, you are 00:23:29.220 --> 00:23:31.000 talking about someone who is economically right 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:32.680 of center, regardless of what the word liberal 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:35.960 means federally. Exactly. This structure explains 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:39.079 the dramatic swings. You have the NDP, which 00:23:39.079 --> 00:23:41.440 tends to be highly organized and labor -focused, 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:44.079 versus this free enterprise coalition, which, 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:47.460 when it unifies, can win massive landslides. 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:50.000 Like the 2001 election. Yeah, where the B .C. 00:23:50.039 --> 00:23:53.960 liberals won 77 out of 79 seats, a devastating 00:23:53.960 --> 00:23:57.000 victory for the opposition. Currently, the province 00:23:57.000 --> 00:23:59.500 is governed by the NDP, which has held a majority 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:02.309 since 2020. This back -and -forth volatility 00:24:02.309 --> 00:24:04.829 is a defining characteristic. And unlike many 00:24:04.829 --> 00:24:07.089 jurisdictions, the Green Party plays a highly 00:24:07.089 --> 00:24:10.130 significant role. They do. They held three seats 00:24:10.130 --> 00:24:12.650 and, crucially, were the kingmakers who supported 00:24:12.650 --> 00:24:15.369 the NDP minority government from 2017 to 2020, 00:24:15.650 --> 00:24:17.769 demonstrating their meaningful political leverage, 00:24:17.970 --> 00:24:19.910 especially on environmental issues. Unfortunately, 00:24:20.250 --> 00:24:23.170 BC politics is also typified by a long -storied 00:24:23.170 --> 00:24:25.950 history of scandal. Oh, yes. The lure of vast 00:24:25.950 --> 00:24:28.490 resources and real estate wealth seems to perpetually 00:24:28.490 --> 00:24:30.859 attract drama. This legacy runs from the colonial 00:24:30.859 --> 00:24:33.579 era land speculation right through to the late 00:24:33.579 --> 00:24:35.779 20th century. We see the Social Credit Party 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:38.259 brought down by the Fantasy Garden scandal, which 00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:41.240 forced Premier Bill van der Zulm to resign. Then 00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:44.440 there was the NDP's bingo gate in the 1990s. 00:24:44.440 --> 00:24:47.740 And most recently, the immense public backlash 00:24:47.740 --> 00:24:50.000 and political fallout over the implementation 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.299 of the harmonized sales tax, which led directly 00:24:53.299 --> 00:24:55.900 to the resignation of Liberal Premier Gordon 00:24:55.900 --> 00:24:58.480 Campbell. It's almost a political tradition to 00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:01.079 govern until a scandal overtakes you. All of 00:25:01.079 --> 00:25:03.839 this political complexity feeds into a deep -seated 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:06.720 grievance regarding federal representation, specifically 00:25:06.720 --> 00:25:10.759 in the Canadian Senate. B .C. feels constitutionally 00:25:10.759 --> 00:25:13.200 marginalized. And this is where the numbers become 00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:16.460 stark. British Columbia is severely underrepresented, 00:25:16.660 --> 00:25:19.279 with only six senators allocated for a population 00:25:19.279 --> 00:25:21.880 of over 5 million people. Almost six. If you 00:25:21.880 --> 00:25:24.319 do the math... That equates to one senator for 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:27.660 every 775 ,000 people. Now compare that to a 00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:29.640 province like Prince Edward Island. Which has 00:25:29.640 --> 00:25:32.640 one senator for every 75 ,000 people. This constitutional 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:34.819 imbalance means B .C. has less influence than 00:25:34.819 --> 00:25:36.819 the appointed upper house of parliament, a major 00:25:36.819 --> 00:25:38.799 point of provincial friction. Moving into the 00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:41.299 21st century, the greatest challenge is the consequence 00:25:41.299 --> 00:25:44.759 of the province's desirability. B .C. has reached 00:25:44.759 --> 00:25:47.440 a critical tipping point defined by a spectacular 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:50.859 and often painful housing crisis. The statistics 00:25:50.859 --> 00:25:54.519 are horrifying. By 2018, Vancouver housing was 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:57.019 ranked the second least affordable in the entire 00:25:57.019 --> 00:26:00.200 world, second only to Hong Kong. Second in the 00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:03.380 world. The sources explicitly link this runaway 00:26:03.380 --> 00:26:06.240 inflation to evidence of global capital flows, 00:26:06.440 --> 00:26:09.420 including massive foreign investment and critically 00:26:09.420 --> 00:26:12.259 money laundering, primarily linked to capital 00:26:12.259 --> 00:26:14.660 flight from China. That required extraordinary 00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:17.420 countermeasures. The province implemented multiple 00:26:17.420 --> 00:26:20.099 taxes designed to cool demand and punish speculation. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:22.680 We're talking about the empty homes tax, the 00:26:22.680 --> 00:26:25.519 housing speculation at vacancy tax, and the foreign 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:27.799 buyers tax. But the effectiveness of these measures 00:26:27.799 --> 00:26:31.240 is hotly debated. While they raised revenue and 00:26:31.240 --> 00:26:33.539 arguably slowed price appreciation in certain 00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:35.660 segments, they have failed to solve the supply 00:26:35.660 --> 00:26:37.599 shortage at the low end of the market. It's an 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:39.799 attempt to manage a global commodity real estate 00:26:39.799 --> 00:26:43.339 with provincial policy tools. And the affordability 00:26:43.339 --> 00:26:46.559 crisis is so severe that it is actually reversing 00:26:46.559 --> 00:26:50.099 migration patterns. BC was the largest net recipient 00:26:50.099 --> 00:26:52.640 of interprovincial migrants for years. Calling 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:55.579 people from across Canada. But that trend abruptly 00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:58.779 reversed in 2023. The province recorded a net 00:26:58.779 --> 00:27:02.339 population loss of 8 ,624 people moving elsewhere 00:27:02.339 --> 00:27:04.559 in Canada. And where did they go? A substantial 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:06.480 percentage of those people moved east to Alberta, 00:27:06.740 --> 00:27:09.420 drawn by much lower housing costs and a robust 00:27:09.420 --> 00:27:12.519 energy economy. This is a significant demographic 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:15.220 shift that directly reflects B .C.'s cost of 00:27:15.220 --> 00:27:17.819 living crisis. Finally, we must acknowledge the 00:27:17.819 --> 00:27:19.680 critical and painful reckoning with the past 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:23.140 that intensified in 2021. The discovery of unmarked 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:25.380 gravesites of hundreds of indigenous children 00:27:25.380 --> 00:27:28.039 at former Indian residential schools, specifically 00:27:28.039 --> 00:27:30.359 at Kamloops, St. Eugene's Mission, and Cooper 00:27:30.359 --> 00:27:32.819 Island, forced the entire nation to confront 00:27:32.819 --> 00:27:35.099 the devastating and recent legacy of colonial 00:27:35.099 --> 00:27:37.440 policy. It was a moment that underscored the 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:39.920 fact that BC's colonial history is not a distant 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:42.420 artifact, but a wound that profoundly affects 00:27:42.420 --> 00:27:45.299 contemporary policy, land claims, and reconciliation 00:27:45.299 --> 00:27:48.500 efforts. In terms of immediate history, the COVID 00:27:48.500 --> 00:27:51.799 -19 pandemic also had a major impact, resulting 00:27:51.799 --> 00:27:55.640 in over 2 ,000 deaths and 250 ,000 confirmed 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:59.619 cases by 2021. However, BC also stands out for 00:27:59.619 --> 00:28:01.980 its effective public health response, achieving 00:28:01.980 --> 00:28:05.259 a very high vaccination rate of 78 % of the population. 00:28:05.450 --> 00:28:07.890 over age five being fully vaccinated relatively 00:28:07.890 --> 00:28:10.470 quickly. Okay, let's shift gears now to section 00:28:10.470 --> 00:28:14.569 four, economy, industry, and connectivity. Given 00:28:14.569 --> 00:28:16.630 the constant tension between the wild interior 00:28:16.630 --> 00:28:19.509 and the urban coast, how does BC actually make 00:28:19.509 --> 00:28:21.869 its money? And how has the province managed to 00:28:21.869 --> 00:28:24.130 stitch together these vast, rugged geographic 00:28:24.130 --> 00:28:27.650 extremes? The shift has been profound. Historically, 00:28:27.670 --> 00:28:29.990 it was purely a resource -dominated economy. 00:28:30.309 --> 00:28:33.099 Forestry, mining, fishing, the gold colony. While 00:28:33.099 --> 00:28:34.819 these sectors remain significant, the economic 00:28:34.819 --> 00:28:37.119 evolution has overwhelmingly favored services. 00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:39.500 Employment in the resource sector has fallen 00:28:39.500 --> 00:28:41.700 steadily as a percentage of the workforce. The 00:28:41.700 --> 00:28:44.000 source material clearly confirms this modern 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:46.779 identity. The economy is now diverse but firmly 00:28:46.779 --> 00:28:50.339 dominated by services. New job creation is overwhelmingly 00:28:50.339 --> 00:28:53.140 in construction, retail, and service sectors. 00:28:53.839 --> 00:28:56.160 BC now boasts the highest percentage of service 00:28:56.160 --> 00:28:58.700 industry jobs in Western Canada, constituting 00:28:58.700 --> 00:29:02.359 72 % of its overall industry. 72%. That's significantly 00:29:02.359 --> 00:29:04.779 higher than the regional average. Within that 00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:07.059 service sector, the most valuable engines are 00:29:07.059 --> 00:29:10.079 finance, insurance, real estate, and corporate 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:12.839 management, all heavily concentrated in Metro 00:29:12.839 --> 00:29:15.869 Vancouver. This concentration means the global 00:29:15.869 --> 00:29:18.029 economy is running right alongside the traditional 00:29:18.029 --> 00:29:20.490 economy. But we can't forget those historical 00:29:20.490 --> 00:29:23.170 resource mainstays because they still feed the 00:29:23.170 --> 00:29:26.349 global export market. They do. B .C. still exports 00:29:26.349 --> 00:29:29.750 substantial volumes of lumber and timber, pulp 00:29:29.750 --> 00:29:32.609 and paper, copper, metallurgical coal and natural 00:29:32.609 --> 00:29:35.650 gas. So the province walks this strange line. 00:29:35.910 --> 00:29:38.410 The wealth is generated by services, but the 00:29:38.410 --> 00:29:41.289 exports are still largely raw or minimally processed 00:29:41.289 --> 00:29:44.220 materials. It's a key tension. Let's shine a 00:29:44.220 --> 00:29:46.900 spotlight on two major non -traditional industries 00:29:46.900 --> 00:29:50.059 that define BC's modern global image. First, 00:29:50.259 --> 00:29:52.599 the film industry. Hollywood North. Exactly. 00:29:53.059 --> 00:29:55.420 Vancouver is globally known as Hollywood North. 00:29:55.619 --> 00:29:58.099 The source notes it's the third largest feature 00:29:58.099 --> 00:30:00.859 film production location in North America, trailing 00:30:00.859 --> 00:30:04.240 only Los Angeles and New York City. So why Vancouver? 00:30:04.519 --> 00:30:07.240 It's not just one thing, is it? No, it's a combination 00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:09.900 of favorable tax credits, excellent infrastructure, 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:12.819 and most importantly, that extreme geography 00:30:12.819 --> 00:30:15.460 we discussed. Right. Within a short drive, a 00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:18.059 film crew can shoot temperate rainforest, rocky 00:30:18.059 --> 00:30:20.960 mountain peaks, semi -arid desert, and a modern 00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:23.740 glass -towered city skyline. That versatility 00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:26.839 is gold for location managers. Second, maritime 00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:30.279 trade. BC's economic health is intrinsically 00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:32.740 linked to its position on the Pacific Rim. The 00:30:32.740 --> 00:30:34.700 Port of Vancouver is Canada's largest. And is 00:30:34.700 --> 00:30:36.799 recognized as the most diversified port in North 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:39.559 America, serving as the country's primary gateway 00:30:39.559 --> 00:30:42.099 to Asia. This massive trade capacity generates 00:30:42.099 --> 00:30:44.099 enormous secondary wealth through logistics, 00:30:44.339 --> 00:30:46.400 warehousing and financial services. And when 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:48.700 we look at the big picture, B .C. is an economic 00:30:48.700 --> 00:30:51.220 powerhouse. Achieving the third largest GDP in 00:30:51.220 --> 00:30:55.460 Canada in 2020 at $309 billion. This underscores 00:30:55.460 --> 00:30:57.859 its critical role in the national economy, even 00:30:57.859 --> 00:31:00.259 if its politics are regionally focused. All right, 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:02.859 now let's discuss transportation, the absolute 00:31:02.859 --> 00:31:06.099 backbone. The Rocky Mountains posed a fundamental 00:31:06.099 --> 00:31:08.819 existential obstacle to settlement and trade. 00:31:08.980 --> 00:31:12.640 They really did. Before the 1885 railway completion, 00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:15.819 the only reliable way to move goods and people 00:31:15.819 --> 00:31:18.759 was via the Pacific Ocean to ports like Victoria 00:31:18.759 --> 00:31:22.339 and New Westminster. The CPR wasn't just infrastructure. 00:31:22.660 --> 00:31:25.339 It was the mechanism that enabled BC to be a 00:31:25.339 --> 00:31:28.299 truly integrated, profitable province. The rugged 00:31:28.299 --> 00:31:31.180 and vast topography means BC requires thousands 00:31:31.180 --> 00:31:33.680 of kilometers of highways, often hugging cliff 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:36.240 sides or passing through deep valleys. The sources 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:38.359 highlight that the road systems were historically 00:31:39.360 --> 00:31:42.380 notoriously poorly maintained and dangerous until 00:31:42.380 --> 00:31:44.440 a concentrated improvement program kicked off 00:31:44.440 --> 00:31:46.920 in the 1950s and 60s. And even today, there are 00:31:46.920 --> 00:31:49.279 only five major road routes connecting B .C. 00:31:49.339 --> 00:31:51.839 to the rest of Canada, all navigating those massive 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:53.680 mountain ranges. Right. These include critical 00:31:53.680 --> 00:31:56.539 passes like the Crow's Nest Pass, the Trans -Canada 00:31:56.539 --> 00:31:58.579 Highway through the Kicking Horse Pass, and the 00:31:58.579 --> 00:32:00.539 Yellowhead Highway. But despite that history 00:32:00.539 --> 00:32:02.839 of reliance on fossil fuel transportation, B 00:32:02.839 --> 00:32:05.319 .C. is now a North American leader in future 00:32:05.319 --> 00:32:07.859 transportation. This is a great statistic. As 00:32:07.859 --> 00:32:10.559 of 2021, the province had the highest percentage 00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:12.960 of electric vehicles sold as a percentage of 00:32:12.960 --> 00:32:15.740 total vehicle size of any Canadian province or 00:32:15.740 --> 00:32:18.079 U .S. state. That's incredible. That statistic 00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:21.220 speaks volumes about B .C.'s priorities. It's 00:32:21.220 --> 00:32:23.259 partly driven by policy and high gas prices. 00:32:23.880 --> 00:32:26.240 but also by the fact that BC generates immense 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:29.500 amounts of clean, cheap hydroelectric power. 00:32:29.700 --> 00:32:32.099 So the EVs run clean because the electricity 00:32:32.099 --> 00:32:34.900 itself is clean. It's an ideal synergy. And the 00:32:34.900 --> 00:32:37.079 urban centers rely on highly developed public 00:32:37.079 --> 00:32:39.500 transit, particularly Vancouver's TransLink system, 00:32:39.680 --> 00:32:42.319 featuring the SkyTrain. One of the world's longest 00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:44.900 fully automated metro systems. Serving multiple 00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:47.420 cities like Burnaby, Richmond, and Coquitlam, 00:32:47.539 --> 00:32:49.200 and connecting directly to the International 00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:51.940 Airport. It's a crucial component for managing 00:32:51.940 --> 00:32:54.400 that high population density in the lower mainland. 00:32:54.579 --> 00:32:57.339 And rail. Rail remains historically crucial for 00:32:57.339 --> 00:32:59.960 resource movement, even if modern passenger service 00:32:59.960 --> 00:33:02.460 is limited. We still have Via Rail operating 00:33:02.460 --> 00:33:05.380 long distance routes, and the Amtrak Cascades 00:33:05.380 --> 00:33:07.700 connects Vancouver down to Seattle and Portland. 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:10.160 Solidifying that Pacific Northwest corridor. 00:33:10.539 --> 00:33:12.980 Exactly. And lines like the Pacific Great Eastern, 00:33:13.140 --> 00:33:16.680 now BC Rail, were vital for hauling coal and 00:33:16.680 --> 00:33:18.799 timber from remote interior resource communities 00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:22.279 down to North Vancouver. For our final deep dive 00:33:22.279 --> 00:33:26.319 segment, let's explore Section 5, Culture, Cuisine, 00:33:26.319 --> 00:33:29.359 and the Great Outdoors. This is where the geography, 00:33:29.720 --> 00:33:32.359 the history, and the high level of urbanization 00:33:32.359 --> 00:33:35.859 truly translate into lifestyle and global identity. 00:33:36.589 --> 00:33:39.190 The culture of BC has a fascinating dual identity, 00:33:39.470 --> 00:33:41.589 beginning with the incredible depth of indigenous 00:33:41.589 --> 00:33:44.630 formline style. This is the art found in Northwest 00:33:44.630 --> 00:33:47.390 Coast indigenous traditions, the elaborate totem 00:33:47.390 --> 00:33:50.150 poles, the transformation masks, and the detailed 00:33:50.150 --> 00:33:52.809 chilkat weaving. Characterized by those continuous 00:33:52.809 --> 00:33:55.710 flowing curvilinear lines and ovoid shapes. Yes. 00:33:55.809 --> 00:33:58.509 The Western art scene came later and often incorporated 00:33:58.509 --> 00:34:00.859 this landscape and cultural legacy. Think of 00:34:00.859 --> 00:34:03.299 the celebrated painter Emily Carr, whose work 00:34:03.299 --> 00:34:05.680 often fused European painting techniques with 00:34:05.680 --> 00:34:07.799 indigenous subject matter and the rugged West 00:34:07.799 --> 00:34:09.920 Coast environment. And we also remember architect 00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:12.519 Francis Rattenbury, who designed iconic structures 00:34:12.519 --> 00:34:14.960 like the Empress Hotel and the Parliament Buildings 00:34:14.960 --> 00:34:17.360 in Victoria. Then in the latter half of the 20th 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:19.780 century, Vancouver developed its own distinct 00:34:19.780 --> 00:34:22.960 intellectual movement. The Vancouver School of 00:34:22.960 --> 00:34:25.780 Conceptual Photography in the 1980s. This school 00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:28.159 includes internationally renowned figures like 00:34:28.159 --> 00:34:31.340 Jeff Wall and Stan Douglas. Who use large -scale, 00:34:31.480 --> 00:34:34.460 often cinematic photography to explore narratives 00:34:34.460 --> 00:34:37.039 and conceptual themes related to the city's history, 00:34:37.260 --> 00:34:40.559 labor, and social structures. It's a sophisticated 00:34:40.559 --> 00:34:43.630 intellectual contribution to global art. And 00:34:43.630 --> 00:34:46.730 today, Vancouver maintains roughly 350 works 00:34:46.730 --> 00:34:49.409 of outdoor public art, reflecting the city's 00:34:49.409 --> 00:34:51.849 commitment to visual identity. The performing 00:34:51.849 --> 00:34:54.929 arts sector is equally vibrant. BC is the third 00:34:54.929 --> 00:34:57.010 largest music -producing province in Canada, 00:34:57.150 --> 00:35:00.409 generating an estimated yearly revenue of $265 00:35:00.409 --> 00:35:03.610 million. Wow. It is home to the Vancouver Symphony 00:35:03.610 --> 00:35:06.429 Orchestra. a pillar of classical music, but also 00:35:06.429 --> 00:35:08.449 launched internationally popular acts across 00:35:08.449 --> 00:35:10.969 multiple genres, from rockers like Bryan Adams 00:35:10.969 --> 00:35:13.710 to jazz legends like Diana Kroll and crooners 00:35:13.710 --> 00:35:16.909 like Michael Bublé. Moving to cuisine, BC's food 00:35:16.909 --> 00:35:19.190 culture perfectly reflects this demographic and 00:35:19.190 --> 00:35:22.070 geographic location. Hyper -fresh, fusion -focused, 00:35:22.250 --> 00:35:24.670 and centered on healthy, often local ingredients. 00:35:25.070 --> 00:35:28.019 There are two main culinary traditions. You have 00:35:28.019 --> 00:35:30.179 the West Coast tradition, which is heavily seafood 00:35:30.179 --> 00:35:33.179 -focused, leveraging the incredibly rich marine 00:35:33.179 --> 00:35:35.960 environment. Right. Think Dungeness crab, spot 00:35:35.960 --> 00:35:39.000 prawns, and wild Pacific salmon. Prepared, smoked, 00:35:39.199 --> 00:35:41.400 candied, and chowdered. Then you have the interior 00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:43.360 tradition, which relies more on the resources 00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:46.500 found inland. Gain meat, curing, and smoking, 00:35:46.659 --> 00:35:49.199 often alongside the fresh produce coming out 00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:51.570 of the Okanagan and Fraser Valley. But the truly 00:35:51.570 --> 00:35:54.329 unique staples showcase that fusion and regional 00:35:54.329 --> 00:35:57.030 specialty aspect. We have the famous Nanaimo 00:35:57.030 --> 00:36:00.050 bar, that specific layered dessert that has become 00:36:00.050 --> 00:36:02.449 the unofficial provincial confection. With its 00:36:02.449 --> 00:36:05.710 crumb nut base, custard middle, and chocolate 00:36:05.710 --> 00:36:08.590 ganache top. A classic. And in the sushi world, 00:36:08.730 --> 00:36:10.949 the BC roll, which contains barbecued salmon 00:36:10.949 --> 00:36:13.699 and cucumber, is a beloved local invention. And 00:36:13.699 --> 00:36:16.219 for beverage enthusiasts, that staple of coffee 00:36:16.219 --> 00:36:18.719 shops across North America, the London Fog Tea 00:36:18.719 --> 00:36:21.960 Latte. Earl Grey, vanilla, steamed milk. Was 00:36:21.960 --> 00:36:24.559 actually invented right in Vancouver. In Scotland, 00:36:24.599 --> 00:36:27.039 they even refer to it as a Vancouver fog to credit 00:36:27.039 --> 00:36:29.679 its birthplace. I love that. And speaking of 00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:32.480 drinks, the interior is crucial to agricultural 00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:35.800 wealth. The Okanagan region, thanks to that specific 00:36:35.800 --> 00:36:39.159 semi -arid hot climate, is a major wine hub, 00:36:39.300 --> 00:36:43.239 home to 280 licensed grape wineries. The specific 00:36:43.239 --> 00:36:45.739 terroir hot, dry days and cool nights produces 00:36:45.739 --> 00:36:48.940 distinct, high -quality wines, especially Riesling 00:36:48.940 --> 00:36:51.469 and Pinot Noir. They also have a knack for developing 00:36:51.469 --> 00:36:54.429 unique fruit varieties. The ambrosia and spartan 00:36:54.429 --> 00:36:56.869 apples, two widely consumed varieties, originated 00:36:56.869 --> 00:36:58.929 right in the Okanagan. So the success of their 00:36:58.929 --> 00:37:01.269 specialized agriculture, be it apples, cherries, 00:37:01.269 --> 00:37:03.630 or wine, is a direct result of those specific, 00:37:03.769 --> 00:37:06.050 almost desert -like microclimates we highlighted 00:37:06.050 --> 00:37:08.789 earlier. Exactly. Finally, the outdoor life and 00:37:08.789 --> 00:37:11.610 athletics. This is arguably the province's biggest 00:37:11.610 --> 00:37:14.179 global selling point today. The rugged geography 00:37:14.179 --> 00:37:17.340 that once caused massive transport debt is now 00:37:17.340 --> 00:37:19.619 the source of enormous recreational revenue. 00:37:19.860 --> 00:37:22.440 The opportunities are endless. World -class hiking 00:37:22.440 --> 00:37:24.960 and mountaineering in the Rockies, sea kayaking 00:37:24.960 --> 00:37:27.599 in the deep fjords, whitewater rafting down glacial 00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:30.119 rivers. The sheer scale of the playground is 00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:33.099 just unmatched. And, of course, the snow culture. 00:37:33.599 --> 00:37:36.559 BC is famous for its high -quality downhill skiing 00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:39.480 and snowboarding. Whistler -Blackcomb, located 00:37:39.480 --> 00:37:41.940 north of Vancouver, was the centerpiece for the 00:37:41.940 --> 00:37:44.300 2010 Winter Olympics events and consistently 00:37:44.300 --> 00:37:47.599 ranks as a top global resort. The biking culture 00:37:47.599 --> 00:37:51.280 is equally powerful. A 2016 global poll rated 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:54.260 BC as the top mountain biking destination in 00:37:54.260 --> 00:37:56.659 the world. Which isn't surprising. The steep 00:37:56.659 --> 00:37:59.119 slopes, the network of logging roads, and the 00:37:59.119 --> 00:38:01.639 dedicated trail builders have created an industry 00:38:01.639 --> 00:38:04.320 and a lifestyle that is internationally celebrated. 00:38:04.619 --> 00:38:07.659 A final note on education. BC's K -12 system 00:38:07.659 --> 00:38:10.119 is notable for its relatively high rate of independent 00:38:10.119 --> 00:38:12.980 school enrollment, about 14 percent, which is 00:38:12.980 --> 00:38:15.460 partly due to generous provincial funding for 00:38:15.460 --> 00:38:17.440 those institutions. Right. And while academic 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:19.719 achievement, often measured by PISA scores, has 00:38:19.719 --> 00:38:22.260 been generally high, the sources do note a slight 00:38:22.260 --> 00:38:24.000 decline in performance in recent assessments 00:38:24.000 --> 00:38:26.739 since the early 2000s, reflecting pressures facing 00:38:26.739 --> 00:38:29.769 modern education systems. This complexity feeds 00:38:29.769 --> 00:38:32.789 into a diverse array of world -class public universities, 00:38:33.050 --> 00:38:34.989 including the University of British Columbia, 00:38:35.210 --> 00:38:38.250 UBC, Simon Fraser University, and the University 00:38:38.250 --> 00:38:41.090 of Victoria, which continue to draw global talent. 00:38:41.289 --> 00:38:43.329 It's the full picture. So what does this all 00:38:43.329 --> 00:38:45.869 mean when we synthesize these elements? We've 00:38:45.869 --> 00:38:48.190 seen that British Columbia is a study in relentless, 00:38:48.469 --> 00:38:51.369 beautiful contradiction. The mild, the wild, 00:38:51.530 --> 00:38:55.010 the dense, and the open. Absolutely. The province 00:38:55.010 --> 00:38:57.130 is fundamentally defined by massive geographic 00:38:57.130 --> 00:39:00.280 barriers. The Rockies, the coastal mountains, 00:39:00.460 --> 00:39:03.199 the fjords, and immense resource wealth. These 00:39:03.199 --> 00:39:06.420 two factors catalyzed its complex and often turbulent 00:39:06.420 --> 00:39:08.820 history. The devastating Indigenous population 00:39:08.820 --> 00:39:11.960 collapse, the frenzy of the gold rushes, the 00:39:11.960 --> 00:39:14.440 infrastructure -defining Canadian Pacific Railway, 00:39:14.519 --> 00:39:17.079 and the political scandals that seemed to perpetually 00:39:17.079 --> 00:39:19.360 accompany the pursuit of immense wealth. The 00:39:19.360 --> 00:39:21.739 result is Canada's most diverse society, highly 00:39:21.739 --> 00:39:24.280 urbanized around two major metropolitan centers, 00:39:24.500 --> 00:39:27.039 yet still heavily reliant on the vast, remote, 00:39:27.179 --> 00:39:38.309 and st - And this brings us to the final provocative 00:39:38.309 --> 00:39:41.730 thought. Historically, BC was literally known 00:39:41.730 --> 00:39:44.829 as the gold colony, its identity rooted entirely 00:39:44.829 --> 00:39:47.909 in resource exploitation. Yet, its contemporary 00:39:47.909 --> 00:39:51.449 global image is inextricably tied to conservation 00:39:51.449 --> 00:39:54.349 and high -quality outdoor life witness, the 12 00:39:54.349 --> 00:39:57.550 .5 % protected land, the high EV adoption rate, 00:39:57.670 --> 00:40:00.550 and the world -class tourism at Whistler. So 00:40:00.550 --> 00:40:02.570 the critical question for the future is how B 00:40:02.570 --> 00:40:05.210 .C. manages this inherent tension in the face 00:40:05.210 --> 00:40:07.750 of modern pressures. Pressures like climate change, 00:40:07.869 --> 00:40:10.349 exacerbating forest fires, the economic volatility 00:40:10.349 --> 00:40:12.969 tied to global trade, and the raging housing 00:40:12.969 --> 00:40:15.869 crisis pricing out its own citizens. How will 00:40:15.869 --> 00:40:18.769 this highly urbanized, secular and diverse population 00:40:18.769 --> 00:40:21.030 demand that its government balance the enduring 00:40:21.030 --> 00:40:23.530 need for resource income, the coal, the copper, 00:40:23.650 --> 00:40:25.710 the lumber, with the fierce protection of the 00:40:25.710 --> 00:40:27.849 natural splendor that now defines its global 00:40:27.849 --> 00:40:29.809 image? And perhaps more importantly, defines 00:40:29.809 --> 00:40:32.690 its long -term future prosperity. That balance 00:40:32.690 --> 00:40:34.730 between the resource past that built the province 00:40:34.730 --> 00:40:36.650 and the conservation future that attracts the 00:40:36.650 --> 00:40:39.210 world is the definitive political and economic 00:40:39.210 --> 00:40:41.289 challenge facing British Columbia right now. 00:40:41.449 --> 00:40:44.179 And how they navigate it. will influence the 00:40:44.179 --> 00:40:46.239 entire Pacific Northwest region for generations. 00:40:46.599 --> 00:40:49.719 Something profound to mull over as you contemplate 00:40:49.719 --> 00:40:53.000 that 27 ,000 kilometers of rugged coastline and 00:40:53.000 --> 00:40:55.380 the density of a Vancouver high -rise. That's 00:40:55.380 --> 00:40:56.739 been the Deep Dive. Thanks for listening.