# What do you think when you think of B.C.? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 17, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938 "2004-03-17T23:44:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/1 "2004-03-17T23:44:29Z")
I’m in the process of doing a couple of art installations for a festival in the Okanagan Valley. The organizers want one of the installations to be themed on B.C., in a touristy sort of way. I’ve lived in B.C. for some years now, but somehow that seems to make it harder to figure out what is really iconic of the province. Anyone with more of a tourist viewpoint have suggestions? Anything B.C. is good, but stuff specific to the Okanagan would be better! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/2 "2004-03-17T23:57:15Z")
When I think of B.C., I think of a comic strip that spent the better part of 30 years as one of the sharpest, wittiest, and whimsical in U.S. papers, but that has spent the last 15 years retelling bad puns and worse Christian proselytization jokes. Oh? THAT B.C.? It was pretty to drive through, but I wasn’t there long enough to get a real sense of the place (and was there too long ago to have seen Vancouver actually become a real city). Mountains and river gorges in the East. Salt water bays and fir trees in the West. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gretchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Miss\_Gretchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gretchen)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/3 "2004-03-17T23:58:06Z")
Well, truthfully, first I have a quick impression of sunburned, drunken Calgarians getting arrested for brawling at Peachfest, but I’m assuming that’s not really what you’re looking for… Actually, the Okanagan makes me think of a place where it’s never winter. Cooler, sure, maybe a little snow, but not that bleak “why does God hate us?” -40C kind of winter. Summer is what really comes to mind. Hot, sunny summers with miles of fruit orchards and sparkly lakes. Yeah, the Okanagan is all about summer. Hmmm, maybe I should head out that way this summer (but no drunken brawling, I promise! 😉 ). It’s been a while since I’ve been in that part of the country, and I’m only a fews hours away. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/4 "2004-03-18T00:22:38Z")
B.C. = birth control Which made your OP rather amusing, actually. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/5 "2004-03-18T00:24:35Z")
First nation peoples, future Olympics, Great buds… (friends, that is). ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/6 "2004-03-18T00:34:36Z")
I grew up in the Okanagan/Shuswap and when I think of ‘home’, I think of the lakes and the green-ness of the hills. (and if ‘green-ness’ isn’t a word - it should be!) Now I think of wineries, both Okanagan and Kalamalka Lake, I think of sailboats … hmmmm - I only live 1 1/2 hours away, but I’m feeling homesick! Kamloops is NOTHING like the Okanagan. ☹ S. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/7 "2004-03-18T00:35:43Z")
[BC Headache Powder](http://www.bcpowder.com/). Ok, I know it’s not what you meant now, but it really was my first thought. I’ve never been there or considered going (not for any particular reason, it’s just not come up as a possibility), so I have no real input. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/8 "2004-03-18T00:47:05Z")
My first thought was the comic strip also. Now that I know you mean British Columbia (right?), I think of how proud I am that I can name all the Canadian provinces and ID them on a map. I’ve never been to Canada though, so I don’t really know anything about the specific public images the different regions have. Wow, this was a really lame post. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/9 "2004-03-18T00:52:05Z")
The mountains, the green, and the rain. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/10 "2004-03-18T00:53:44Z")
What \*\*tomndebb[/]b said, about the comic strip. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/11 "2004-03-18T01:02:22Z")
[Ogopogo](http://www.kelownabc.com/kelowna/ogopogo.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/12 "2004-03-18T01:12:29Z")
[Bill Miner](http://pacificcoast.net/~slim/biblio/v12n03a.htm) [Ranching](http://www.rootsweb.com/~bccaribo/gang.html) [The Gold Rush](http://www.heritage.gov.bc.ca/bark/bark.htm) Then there’s all the summer activities… swimming, waterskiing etc. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/13 "2004-03-18T01:44:46Z")
Sorry, it’s not even my school, but the first BC I think of is Boston College. Local thing, I guess. Re: the BC _you’re_ talking about, the first word that pops into my head is **green**. I grew up around the forests of New England, but I was absolutely amazed at how thick, dense and green the forests around Vancouver were. I was only there for a day, so I’m afraid I didn’t see much of the city, and even less of the rest of the province. ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/14 "2004-03-18T03:13:30Z")
[Stanley Park](http://www.seestanleypark.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/15 "2004-03-18T03:51:44Z")
First thought: Before Christ Second thought: The comic strip by Johnny Hart It was not until I read the OP that British Columbia came to mind. ---
**Author:** ![so\_da\_ne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@so\_da\_ne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/so_da_ne)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/16 "2004-03-18T03:59:02Z")
I’m in Kelowna and it’s not very rainy here and the hills have that cool desert look to them. It also gets very cold in winter- great skiing weather! I would definitely say the lake, the orchards and the wineries are the key touristy features here. I’d check out the Okanagan area First Nations too if you are looking for ideas. I’m not sure what will work for your installation but I hope this helps. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/17 "2004-03-18T05:40:31Z")
Wine! Woods! Good Beer! Salmon! Dragon boats! Naked beaches! Flowers in December! ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/18 "2004-03-18T06:28:47Z")
Gotta go with the hills/lakes/orchards/vineyards thing. Wow, it’s been awhile, now that I think about it! I was in Vernon a couple of years ago, just for the day, but it was mid-winter. I pretty much stick to the coast. As far as the rest of the province goes, don’t forget all the wonderfull First Nations artwork and artifacts. ---
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/19 "2004-03-18T07:25:38Z")
Okay - thanks for the suggestions all! I am a little clearer on what I’m going to do - and I’m also really thankful that I don’t have to do an installation on B.C. the comic, birth control pills, BC headache powder, time before Christ, or Boston College. Well, actually the birth control one might be kind of fun, but I digress. Oh, and **detop** , my director called me a couple of hours ago and said (and I quote) “Absolutely no Ogopogo! If I see that, I will freak out!” Which seems a bit extreme, but perhaps she had a bad experience or something. I think I’m going to go with the agriculture/products of B.C. angle. Wine, apples, cherries, etc. So I’m thinking for now. Still taking suggestions though. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938/20 "2004-03-18T08:32:28Z")
I think of 12 hours driving what should have been 4 thanks to road construction. I think of an overpriced hotel because the campground I was going to stay at was booked because it took me 12 hours to drive 4. I think of having my car searched by customs when I came back into the U.S. Besides that… Bigfoot. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-when-you-think-of-b-c/234938.md?page=2)