Vancouver Island is located on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. The Island stretches for 460 kilometres, from the ornate colonial capital of Victoria in the south to Cape Scott’s windswept beaches and rocky headlands at its northern tip. Along with the Gulf Islands, this rugged paradise combines old-growth forests, snowcapped mountains, and untamed shorelines to create one of the planet’s most diverse ecosystems. Tourists come from all over the globe to experience world-class whale watching, birding, and fishing. I grew up in Sidney, which is a small town on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.