British Columbia

This article is for quotes about the province of British Columbia, Canada.

British Columbia (BC), is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ("Splendour without Sunset (Diminishment)"). It was the sixth province to join the Canadian Confederation. Its residents are referred to as British Columbians. The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada. The largest city is Vancouver, Canada's third-largest metropolitan area.

By Canadians

 * And the only really good thing about the province of British Columbia is thatit's right next to us,Cuz Alberta, doesn't suck
 * Source: The Toronto Song Lyrics by 3 Dead Trolls in a Baggie


 * As I was a-walking on down Broughton Street,To me, way, heigh, blow the man down,I went into Speedie's me shipmates to meet,Gi' me some time to blow the man down.
 * Source: Blow the Man Down (Halyard Shanty) song lyrics by Anonymous
 * Notes:Broughton Street is in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. This song is a Pacific Ocean sea faring tune starting in Victoria.
 * Notes:Broughton Street is in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia. This song is a Pacific Ocean sea faring tune starting in Victoria.


 * A story I will tell you of the salty fisherman,Of all the little rivers and inlets of the coast,He seems to like Pender Harbour to bum around the most.
 * Source: The Pender Harbour Fisherman's Come All Ye song lyrics by PJ Thomas
 * Notes: Pender Harbour is a part of the Sechelt Peninsula on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
 * Notes: Pender Harbour is a part of the Sechelt Peninsula on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.


 * Bitter days, on the fishing grounds.And we tacked off Hippa, in a dirty lump,And the pigs were bouncing, man, and you could see them jump
 * Source: Fishing Grounds song lyrics by Ken Hamm
 * Notes:The Queen Charlotte Islands on the west coast of British Columbia features Hippa Island near Graham Island. The Salmon fishing grounds are now called Haida Gwaii.
 * Notes:The Queen Charlotte Islands on the west coast of British Columbia features Hippa Island near Graham Island. The Salmon fishing grounds are now called Haida Gwaii.


 * Downstream ever further from our nativenowheres (paradise, wilderness)we ooh and aah harder overthese sockeye come three hundred miles upstream
 * Source: Adam's River [John Pass] Governor General's Award poet
 * Notes: The Adams River, British Columbia features a famous Salmon run.
 * Notes: The Adams River, British Columbia features a famous Salmon run.


 * Here comes Henry Currie, he's always in a hurryTeaming up the Cariboo roadHe makes his horses go through the dust and through the snowTeaming up the Cariboo road
 * Source: Teaming up the Cariboo road song lyrics by Phil Thomas
 * Notes:The Cariboo Road (also called the Cariboo Wagon Road, the Great North Road or the Queen's Highway) connects Fort Yale to Barkerville, British Columbia.
 * Notes:The Cariboo Road (also called the Cariboo Wagon Road, the Great North Road or the Queen's Highway) connects Fort Yale to Barkerville, British Columbia.


 * Huge orange flying boat rises off a lake<BR>Thousand-year-old petroglyphs doing a double take
 * Source: Wondering Where The Lions Are song lyrics by Bruce Cockburn
 * Notes: The lake referred to is Sproat Lake which is on Vancouver Island. The huge orange flying boats are fire fighting boats or Mars Water Bombers. Vancouver Island is the home of the petroglyphs referred to in the song as well.


 * in a place called Canada West<Br>On Williams Creek they called me green<Br>and Johnny come lately<Br>But, ah, I came from Canada,<Br>I ain't from the old country <Br>
 * Notes: Williams Creek, British Columbia had a logging industry in the watershed area.
 * Source: Young Man from Canada<BR>Barry Taylor


 * In Port Hardy one morning I cast off my lines<BR>The sea was all smooth and the weather just fine<BR>And for Castle Rock I was headed away<BR>Where the coho flash silver all over the bay<BR>
 * Notes: Port Hardy, British Columbia is located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island.
 * Source: Where the Coho Flash Silver <BR>Lloyd Arntzen


 * Leaving B.C.<BR>A thousand faces without names<BR>Unknown souls all look the same<BR>A thousand people pass me by<BR>In this city of dreams my soul<BR>Dies<BR>
 * Source: Leaving B.C. Lyrics by The Unknownn



on through you I feel welcome<BR>in your land, so lush and so fresh<BR>
 * oh yeah these BC people<BR>oh yeah they make me feel fine<BR>oooo extreme are your seasons<BR>carving beauty as they rest<BR>
 * Source: B.C. People Lyrics by Xavier Rudd


 * Plus, British Columbia's real nice<BR>This time of year<BR>And when she gets there<BR>She says she'll phone<BR>


 * Stand with Baillie-Grohman in 1882<Br>on the shoulder of the Purcells gazing<Br>east and north up the Rocky Mountain trench<Br>but bear with his southwest intentions<Br>for the arable flood plain near Creston<Br>he'll sell once reclaimed from the Kootenay's high water<Br>re-routing its headwaters here with a trench of his own<Br>into the Columbia.
 * Source: Canal Flats [John Pass] Governor General's Award poet
 * Notes: Canal Flats is situated at the southern end of Columbia Lake, which is the source of the Columbia River. Creston is located in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia's Purcell Mountain creates the Columbia River Valley or Rocky Mountain Trench. The Kootenay Rockies, are in southeastern British Columbia west of the Purcells
 * Notes: Canal Flats is situated at the southern end of Columbia Lake, which is the source of the Columbia River. Creston is located in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia's Purcell Mountain creates the Columbia River Valley or Rocky Mountain Trench. The Kootenay Rockies, are in southeastern British Columbia west of the Purcells


 * The flavour is its own reward, like kissing the whole world<Br>at once, rivers, willows, bugs and all, until your swollen<Br>lips tingle.
 * Source: Many Have Written Poems About Blackberries Stephanie Bolster Governor General's Award poet
 * Notes:The Himalayan blackberry is one of the most popular species which can be found growing wild in British Columbia's forests.
 * Notes:The Himalayan blackberry is one of the most popular species which can be found growing wild in British Columbia's forests.

That the trollers know well when they're Prince Rupert bound When the easterly gale scuds the clouds 'cross the sun When the whitecaps come crashin', to God's Pocket they run. title = God's Pocket (song) accessdate = 2011-25-12 author = last = Wright first = Hillel date = 1990-08 work = Westcoast Fisherman Magazine pages = 1 language = english
 * There's an island up north out in Queen Charlotte Sound


 * "Notes": God's Pocket is a protected harbor on Hirst Island in Queen Charlotte Strait (but "Sound" rhymes with "bound"). Prince Rupert is a city in norther British Columbia and a major fishing harbour. Queen Charlotte Sound lies north of Queen Charlotte Strait and south of Hecate Strait. Submitted by Hillel Wright.


 * the ... impact on the provincial deficit added up to $550 million
 * Brtish columbia auditor general report "$550M in errors, and $6B 'under-reporting': Here's what an audit of the B.C. government's financial statements turned up" (October 26, 2021)


 * The testing of cruise missiles in Canada proved very contentious. The government explained its decision in both political and technical terms. Politically, testing demonstrated alliance solidarity over the modernization of NATO's nuclear deterrent. Technically, testing the missile over terrain similar to that of the northern Soviet Union would improve its effectiveness, and allow the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) to develop an anti-cruise capability. The tests would take place in a 2,200-kilometre test corridor that included parts of the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Tests could involve either releasing the missile in a "free flight" to its target, or allowing its guidance system to direct both the missile and the launch aircraft to the target in a "captive carry" test. The tests take several hours, and involve a number of aircraft in both Canada and the United States, from tankers to fighters to Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) planes. After the first few years of tests, attention shifted from monitoring the missile itself to attempting to track and intercept it. In order to simulate the climate of the northern Soviet Union, most cruise missile tests in Canada have taken place in the winter months.
 * James Lee, "Cruise Missile Testing in Canada: The Post-Cold War Debate", Political and Social Affairs Division, Parliamentary Research Branch, Depository Services Program Government of Canada, (January 21, 1994).

2021 British Columbia and Washington floods



 * Flooding is affecting many areas of BC
 * If you receive an evacuation alert: be ready to leave on short notice
 * If you receive an evacuation order: you are at risk and need to leave the area immediately
 * For latest updates follow
 * @EmergencyInfoBC
 * @DriveBC
 * #BCFlood #BCStorm
 * BC Government News (November 15, 2021)


 * We know it's difficult but help is on the way
 * Work is underway to rescue those vehicles and those people now. While we continue to face challenging weather conditions, we can see an improved forecast ahead, which will assist with the recovery and reopening of roads.
 * Many people have been rescued by helicopters from mudslides near Agassiz and Hope, with crews working to rescue the remaining people in the next few hours
 * Mike Farnworth, Public Safety Minister, Helicopter rescues continuing as slides trap more vehicles along B.C. highways (November 15, 2021)


 * #BCHwy1 - CLOSED in both directions in #Abbotsford between Sumas Way and No. 3 Rd due to flooding. Estimated time of opening unavailable, please avoid the area.
 * DriveBC@DriveBC Province shuts down Highway 1 at Abbotsford due to rising flood waters (November 15, 2021)


 * We were going westbound and there were huge lines of traffic ... and all of a sudden, I noticed there's no vehicles behind us, which was odd
 * We must have just missed the first [landslide] and now somehow we're between both of them
 * I definitely heard people screaming for help
 * It's kind of helpless to feel like you're between a very vulnerable mountainside side and the Fraser River on the other side. And there's really nothing you can do about it, but hope nothing comes down on top of you
 * Adam Wuisman '''Rescuers lift hundreds of motorists trapped on B.C. highway to safety (November 16, 2021)


 * (Fatalities are) never an easy thing for our team to deal with but we prepare ourselves as best we can
 * David MacKenzie of Pemberton search and rescue B.C. storm: Woman found dead at site of mudslide — RCMP believe multiple vehicles swept away (November 16, 2021)


 * We did that with the western part of Sumas Prairie yesterday and now we’ve got boots on the ground on the eastern half of Sumas Prairie. And once we have secured the safety of our residents, we will turn our minds to other things
 * It breaks my heart to see what’s going on in our city.”
 * Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun Abbotsford, B.C., mayor worries for community as rescuers overwhelmed by flooding (November 16,2021)


 * So sorry to hear this (Police confirm the body of a woman has been recovered from a landslide on a highway near Lillooet BC. Two more people are believed to be missing and authorities believe there may have been other occupied vehicles that were lost in the landslide. @cbcnewsbc)
 * Jackie Tegart ,representing the electoral district of Fraser-Nicola,  tweet (November 16, 2021)


 * A provincewide state of emergency is very much on the table
 * Mike Farnworth British Columbia 'Once in a century' storm has province considering state of emergency (November 16, 2021)


 * Live at the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford: 150 local volunteers working to sandbag the electrical transformers against the rising Sumas River #abbotsfordflood #barrowtown


 * Wes Macaulay@wesmacaulay tweet (November 17, 2021)


 * If you actually have enough smoke, the power can go to ground through the smoke particulate
 * Abbotsford fire Chief, Darren Lee, Danger of catastrophic flooding in Abbotsford averted for now (November 17, 2021)


 * What you're going to be doing is in fact broadcasting to a larger area and (causing) the potential for panic and putting strain on emergency resources, which are working overtime and round-the-clock to deal with the situation
 * Mike Farnworth VANCOUVER	News 	Misinformation rampant as B.C. public safety minister downplays alert system used everywhere else in Canada (november 17, 2021)


 * The order [state of emergency] will preserve basic access to services and supplies for communities across the province. We will bring in travel restrictions and ensure that transportation of essential goods and medical and emergency services are able to reach the communities that need them.
 * Please do not hoard items. What you need, your neighbours need as well.
 * John Horgan Death toll in B.C. expected to rise after record flooding devastates province (published November 17 updated November 18)


 * Even the experts were just completely surprised by it. I think all British Columbians fully understand that now we have to better prepare for events like this. But we couldn’t have even imagined it six months ago.
 * John Horgan 'Couldn't have imagined it six months ago,' says Horgan, but scientists have been issuing climate warnings for decades (November 19, 2021)


 * If you are in the Sumas Prairie and have not already evacuated, you must do so immediately. Do not stay for livestock or property. Flood conditions have escalated quickly and pose a significant risk to life . This event is anticipated to be catastrophic. Residents who cannot evacuate safely are asked to call 911 and report your location immediately.
 * I have also been in contact with Bill Blair, federal Minister of Emergency Preparedness, to request federal assistance on this incident and the flooding situation in general. This includes Canadian Armed Forces ground and air support
 * Mike Farnworth B.C. flood update: B.C. limits gas access in southwestern B.C. | Restrictions on non-essential travel | Abbotsford no longer constructing levee | Up to 100 mm of rain forecast (November 20, 2021)


 * [ Chilliwack ] lifted the alert for Yarrow and Majuba hill "after carefully monitoring the flood situation in Abbotsford"
 * Chilliwack news release City of Chilliwack says Abbotsford dike breach has been repaired, lifts evacuation alert (Nov. 21, 2021)

2021 bc floods
 * We know that tens of thousands of animals, including entire herds and flocks, have been lost
 * Bill Blair Western Canada braces for more torrential rain after deadly mudslides (21 Nov 2021)


 * Some of the lines (for the waste-water treatment plant) are badly damaged in the flood areas. This is one of the reasons why there may be a house that isn’t damaged by flooding, but because the sewer and water lines are integrated in those area (Like phase 3), we need to make sure its safe for people to be using those systems and make sure it’s isolated from the damaged sections
 * We’re working to bring the water system back online in sections of the city. Lines need to be flushed, debris needs to be cleared
 * EOC Communications Manager Greg Lowis Infrastructure issues are cause for phased return to Merritt (November 23, 2021)


 * We had one atmospheric river yesterday. It brought between 40 and 60 millimetres, even more in the Howe Sound region and it has saturated the soils … what is forecast for this weekend, will be storm No. 2, and again for next week, Tuesday and Wednesday, will be storm No. 3-in-a-row. These are coming back-to-back-to-back with very little time in between.
 * Armel Castellan, Environment Canada meteorologist '''Environment Canada issues 'red alert' with 3 atmospheric rivers in the forecast] (Nov. 26, 2021)


 * HIGHWAY 1 IS CLOSED TO ALL TRAFFIC. This includes emergency, essential and construction vehicles. A dam is currently being built and no access will be possible.
 * Abbotsford police department via a tweet 'Tiger Dam' being built on Highway 1 in Abbotsford to hold back floodwaters (November 28, 2021)


 * One of the issues previous governments had done is devolved responsibility for diking to municipalities. The intent was to give local control and autonomy, and I support that in principle, but the consequence of that is that local rate payers have been asked to take on an extraordinary burden that historically had been handled by the two other orders of government
 * John Horgan B.C. local governments need help with flood control, Horgan says (Nov. 29, 2021)


 * The fuel conservation measures are working but with another storm on its way, we are extending the order to ensure that we prioritize emergency services for another two weeks. This recovery will take time
 * Farnworth Canadian province extends fuel restrictions on motorists following flooding (November 29, 2021)

COVID

 * There’s a complete disconnect here in B.C. Why is B.C. not using this technology?”
 * Dr Lyne Filiatrault, who was formally involved in British Columbia’s SARS response in 2003, ‘Show the work’: Doctors skeptical of B.C.’s rapid test strategy, question Henry’s rationale (December 16, 2021 UPDATED)

By non-Canadians

 * I wanted to be... a lumberjack!<BR>Leaping from tree to tree, as they float down the mighty rivers of British Columbia.<BR>The Giant Redwood. The Larch. The Fir! The mighty Scots Pine!
 * Source: Lumberjack Song lyrics by Monty Python


 * The coast of British Columbia was one of the three chief centers of aboriginal America.
 * Source: Ellsworth Huntington


 * This land is your land, this land is my land<BR>From Bonavista to Vancouver Island
 * Source: This Land is Your Land song lyrics by Woody Guthrie