Here are 39 Interesting Facts About British Columbia.
1-5 Interesting Facts About British Columbia
1. British Columbia has the most ghost towns of any jurisdiction in North America, estimated at more than 1500. – Source
2. In 1947, after the price of a chocolate bar, increased from 5 cents to 8 cents, 200 kids marched and protested on the capitol building in British Columbia, shutting down the government for a day. It is known as ” The Candy Bar Strike”. – Source
3. In 1979, British Columbia election, MLA Frank Calder was defeated by one vote. He later admitted that he and his wife had neglected to vote. – Source
4. Simply sniffing your partner’s clothing can reduce stress and feeling of loneliness, according to research from the University of British Columbia. – Source
5. There is a movement known as Cascadia, whose purpose is to create a nation from British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon becoming the 20th largest country in the world. – Source
6-10 Interesting Facts About British Columbia
6. A 1992 graduate thesis in Mathematics at the University of British Columbia proved that it was mathematically impossible to play an infinite game of Tetris. – Source
7. There are white black bears, Kermode bears, also known as the “spirit bears” living in British Columbia, Canada. – Source
8. In 1980, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that God is not a person. – Source
9. There is a group of wolves in British Columbia known as “sea wolves” and 90% of their food comes from the sea. They have distinct DNA that sets them apart from interior wolves and they’re entirely dedicated to the sea, swimming several miles every day in search of seafood. – Source
10. There is a stretch of highway in British Columbia that is nicknamed the “Highway of Tears” for its long history of murders and disappearance of predominantly aboriginal women. – Source
11-15 Interesting Facts About British Columbia
11. There was a “golden tree” in British Columbia, that was illegally cut down. The man who did it disappeared before he made it to trial. – Source
12. In British Columbia, Canada, there is an Act that gives people the freedom to say “sorry” without being deemed at fault/liable for anything. – Source
13. The largest paramilitary operation in the history of British Columbia was a 31-day standoff, in which 400 police officers had support from the Canadian military, 77,000 rounds were fired, and $5.5 million were spent. – Source
14. There is a Canadian town named Wonowon because it is located on Mile 101 in British Columbia. – Source
15. The flag of British Columbia originally had the setting sun above the union jack, but was changed because it conflicted with the expression “The sun never sets on the British Empire”. – Source
16-20 Interesting Facts About British Columbia
16. There is an indigenous group of people in British Columbia called Kwakwaka’wakw. Their language, called Kwak’wala, is now spoken by less than 250 people. – Source
17. Yale, British Columbia with a population of around 186, was once the largest city west of Chicago and north of San Francisco. During the gold rush, it was known as “the wickedest little settlement in British Columbia” and “a veritable Sodom and Gomorrah” of vice, violence, and lawlessness. – Source
18. The Squamish language, the language spoken in British Columbia by the Squamish people uses the number 7 as a letter in its alphabet. It represents the glottal stop, the sound in the middle of the word “uh-oh”. – Source
19. Due to steel shortages, concrete ships were built during WWI and WWII. Only ten of them are still afloat all in a small coastal town in British Columbia. – Source
20. In British Columbia, couples that have lived together for two years have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples. Under the act, a spousal relationship begins either the day a couple is married or on the day they move in together, whichever comes first. – Source
21-25 Interesting Facts About British Columbia
21. People from the British Columbia town of Smithers are known as Smithereens. – Source
22. The Ogopogo monster is reported to live in Okanagan Lake, British Columbia. Ogopogo has been allegedly seen by First Nations people since the 19th century. The most common description of Ogopogo is a 40 to 50-foot-long sea serpent and commemorated by a statue in the City of Kelowna. – Source
23. Since 2007 several shoes with detached human feet have been discovered on the coasts of British Columbia and Washington. – Source
24. There is an island in British Columbia that is the home to dozens of Saint Bernards. – Source
25. The largest relief map in the world is of the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia. Its creator made it in his basement, and he donated it to the City of Vancouver. It’s been hidden in storage since 1997. – Source
