For You Westcoast Islanders (like Me)

**MalahatTwo7** · 11-27-2008, 01:09 PM

A newcomer's guide to Vancouver Island But even long-time residents will discover surprising facts

Pedro Arrais, Times Colonist Published: Thursday, November 27, 2008

If you have ever seen a remittance man in his Fulford dancing slippers standing on an Alberni toothpick and tossing a CIL spinner into the chuck, you have probably spent a long time on Vancouver Island.

On the other hand, if you need a translation of that sentence, the Vancouver Island Book of Everything has your answers.

Local trivia, facts and figures on almost anything anybody would think to ask about Vancouver Island are found in the new book by Peter Grant, Suzanne Morphet and Diane Selkirk. Its 12 chapters cover fields such as Slang, Place Names, Economy, Politics, History, Weather and First People.

In the chapter on slang, you will learn: A remittance man is a British younger son sent to work on the frontier and supported by a small amount of money from home; Fulford dancing slippers are gumboots; an Alberni toothpick is a big log; a CIL spinner is a lighted stick of dynamite used instead of a fishing rod. And the chuck is the ocean.

The 208-page paperback includes explanations for local terms such as Lotus Land, Cadborosaurus, Tweed Curtain and Raging Grannies.

And while a local Victorian will know immediately what the Colwood Crawl refers to, a visitor might form quite a different image of the phenomenon.

However, even locals might not be aware of some of the facts found in the book.

Did you know that the high-tech industry has eclipsed tourism as the largest non-resource industry on Vancouver Island? The sector has grown to 1,200 companies employing 17,000 employees with total revenues of $2.4 billion.

Vancouver Island is the 42nd largest island in the world and is one-third the size of Great Britain.

While some Victorians don't even own a snow shovel, B.C. Hydro spends more than $4.3 million every year to restore power to customers after raging winter storms bring down power lines.

Pinot Noir is the most common grape vine grown on Vancouver the Gulf Islands. It is closely followed by Pinot Gris and the Ortega variety.

On a typical day 16 babies are born, 19 people die, 11 weddings take place and five couples divorce. The wedding parties are welcome to have their pictures taken on the lawns of the legislature, but they have to do it in an hour and a half.

GIVEAWAY

The Times Colonist has three copies of the Vancouver Island Book of Everything from MacIntyre Purcell Publishing to give away as prizes. All you have to do is try to answer the following question:

Where on Vancouver Island would you find Canada's largest tree, a western red cedar, with a circumference of 18.3 metres and a height of 55.5 metres?

1. Esquimalt

2. Carmanah

3. Cheewhat Lake

4. Memekay River

5. Red Creek

E-mail your answer to yoursay@tc.canwest.com. Put Book in the subject line. We will draw the winners from those readers who get the correct answer. The deadline is noon on Friday.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

HEEHEHEHEEH I love my Island!