In a province with as much varied geography as British Columbia, political boundaries aren’t always what they seem.
Metro Vancouver oversees 21 municipalities, many of which aren’t really part of “Vancouver”. The Okanagan includes parts of the Shuswap, Boundary Country, and the Similkameen, depending on who you ask.
And it seems no two people agree on the boundaries of the Kootenays – or if you should even call them “The Kootenays” at all.
Last week we asked you in a survey where Vancouver ends, where northern B.C. begins, and everything else in between. Thousands responded.
Here’s what we found.
1. The eastern boundary of Surrey is generally the dividing line between Vancouver and the Fraser Valley
Generally speaking, people thought any municipality directly next to Vancouver by land or bridge was part of the area. Those within two or three municipalities were also fairly safe.
But any city farther than that? People generally said it wasn’t part of Vancouver.
2. People can’t agree what White Rock is part of
Langley, the Township of Langley, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge are technically part of “Metro Vancouver” – but more people think of them as part of the Fraser Valley, which has its own regional district.
Then there’s White Rock. While a small majority of people don’t consider it part of the Vancouver area, 67 per cent do consider it part of Metro Vancouver. That being said, a quarter of people consider it part of the Fraser Valley, while 17 per cent don’t consider it a part of any larger region.
3. Prince George is part of Northern B.C, but probably not the interior
Nearly 70 per cent of people believed Prince George was part of northern British Columbia, along with any town to its north and any town to its west connected by Highway 16.
At the same time, just 45 per cent of people considered the Prince George area to be part of “The Interior”. The Thompson-Okangan, Cariboo, Columbia-Shuswap and Similkameen-Boundary were the only regions a majority of people thought were part of this nebulous zone.
4. The Okanagan goes from Osoyoos to Armstrong.
Nearly everyone seems to agree that Penticton to Vernon is part of the Okanagan. But those surveyed overwhelmingly believe that Oliver and Osoyoos are more part of the region than the Similkameen or Boundary Country, and slightly more people consider Armstrong and Lumby to be part of the Okanagan than they do the Shuswap.
Meanwhile, Keremeos is usually considered part of the Similkameen, Rock Creek to Grand Forks is considered Boundary Country, and Sicamous and Salmon Arm are definitely in the Shuswap – at least according to our voters.
5. There’s no unanimity over what constitutes “The Kootenays”
It’s generally known as the southeast corner of the province, but where it exactly begins and ends is up for the debate. Twenty-four percent of people believe it begins at Grand Forks, but a decent number think they begin at Christina Lake (22%), Nancy Greene Provincial Park (17%), Castlegar (13%) or even Nelson (16%).
What about its northern boundaries? Are parts of the Columbia part of the Kootenays? Seventy-eight per cent of people think the Radium Hot Springs/Invermere/Fairmont Hot Springs area is, while 46 per cent think they extend all the way to Revelstoke and Golden.
And should they even be called the Kootenays? Forty-five per cent of people think the difference between West and East Kootenay mattered – while 55 per cent said “The Kootenays” was fine by them.
Some other interesting responses from our survey:
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