Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Welcome to Canada: What You Should Know. Ottawa: Government Services Canada, 2013. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/welcome/index.asp. A government publication that provides a useful overview of the Canadian immigration process and of life in Canada.
Ferguson, Will. Canadian History for Dummies. Toronto: John Wiley & Sons (Canada), 2005. The essentials of Canadian history distilled into an easy-to-read guide.
Adderson, Caroline. Vancouver Vanishes: Narratives of Demolition and Revival. Vancouver: Anvil Press: 2015. A collection of essays and photographs chronicling how Vancouver is changing, as an increasing number of homes built in the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s are torn down to make way for newer structures.
Coupland, Douglas. Souvenir of Canada. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2002. A Vancouver-based artist and author dissects Canadian culture in a series of quirky essays and photos.
Davis, Chuck. The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver. Vancouver: Harbour Publishing, 2011. Running nearly 600 pages, this timeline of the city’s history from the 1750s to modern times is packed with facts and local trivia.
Herzog, Fred. Fred Herzog: Photographs. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2011. Vivid color photos of life on Vancouver’s streets, primarily in the 1950s and ’60s, by a noted local photographer.
Johnson, Pauline. Legends of Vancouver. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1971. Born to a Mohawk father and English mother, Johnson published this title in 1911. She shares Coast Salish narratives about the Vancouver region that she learned from conversations with a Squamish First Nations chief, Joseph Capilano. Johnson’s ashes are buried in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.
Dhalwala, Meeru and Vikram Vij. Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2006. Recipes from Vancouver’s most famous Indian restaurant.
Mundy, Jane. The Ocean Wise Cookbook 2: More Seafood Recipes that are Good for the Planet. Vancouver: Whitecap Books Ltd., 2015. In partnership with the Vancouver Aquarium, a Vancouver-based food and travel writer has compiled more than 100 recipes for sustainable seafood from leading Canadian chefs.
Yuen, Stephanie. East Meets West: Traditional and Contemporary Asian Dishes from Acclaimed Vancouver Restaurants. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2012. A look at Vancouver’s Asian cuisine through recipes adapted from local chefs.
Adderson, Caroline. The Sky Is Falling. Toronto: Thomas Allen Publishers, 2010. Following a group of student idealists who share a Vancouver house, this novel is set in both 1984 and 2004, when the end of the world seemed close at hand.
Choy, Wayson. The Jade Peony. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1995. A portrait of life in Vancouver’s Chinatown in the early 20th century.
Kogawa, Joy. Obasan. Toronto: Penguin Canada, 2003 (first published 1981). The internment and forced relocation of Japanese-Canadians in Western Canada during World War II, depicted through the eyes of a young girl living in Vancouver.
Lee, Jen Sookfong. The Better Mother. Toronto: Alfred A. Knopf, 2001. A local author weaves a tale of a young Chinese boy and a burlesque dancer who cross paths in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Taylor, Timothy. Stanley Park. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2001. Locavore chefs, coffee magnates, and the homeless cross paths in this thriller set in and around Vancouver’s largest green space.
Destination Canada
The government of Canada’s official guide to travel across the country.
Parks Canada
The federal government agency that manages national parks and national historic sites across Canada. The Parks Canada website has details about things to do, camping, hiking, and other activities in the parks in the West and throughout the country.
Parks Canada Reservation Service
Reservations booking service for Canada’s national park campgrounds.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
The federal government agency responsible for overseeing visitors and immigrants to Canada, including information about visitor visas, work permits, study permits, and applications for permanent residence.
The federal government agency that manages Canada’s borders, including what items visitors can bring into Canada. Their website also shows wait times at highway border crossings.
Environment Canada
Provides weather forecasts and historical weather data for locations across Canada.
Destination British Columbia
British Columbia’s provincial tourism agency, which provides travel tips and information for the region and operates a network of visitors centers.
B.C. Parks
The agency responsible for managing British Columbia’s provincial parks. Their website includes listings for each park, with maps, fees, and other details.
British Columbia Wine Institute
Has a detailed website with information about wineries and wine-touring tips in the Okanagan, Vancouver Island, and elsewhere in British Columbia.
Tourism Vancouver
Vancouver’s tourism agency provides event schedules, tips for getting around, neighborhood profiles, and other information about the city’s sights, hotels, restaurants, shops, and experiences.
Tourism Vancouver Island
Their free guide to things to do across Vancouver Island is available online and in print from area visitors centers.
Tourism Victoria
Promoting tourism in the city of Victoria, this organization runs a year-round information center on Victoria’s Inner Harbour and provides information about attractions and activities, events, accommodations, and restaurants.
Tourism Whistler
Representing the Whistler region, this tourism agency has information to help you plan a mountain trip in any season.