BC is a giant collage

 

Judging by the very limited view I get from my little corner of it, British Columbia is a land of incredible diversity. Geographically it has desert, grasslands, estuaries and islands. It has high arctic meadows and low-lying wetlands. It has ocean beaches pounded by the Pacific, and sheltered beaches lapped by pacific fjords.

Demographically it is home to many aboriginal groups with a range of distinct histories. It is home to families whose forebears arrived four or more generations ago as pioneers seeking the wealth and success denied them in their countries of origin. It is home to the many other families who have arrived since from almost every other nation around the world.

So when we visited Fort Langley, a preserved pioneer fort on the Fraser River, base for many of the early incoming settlers for whom the river was the route to a new life, it seemed quite fitting that they should celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the province with this giant collage map. Not a collage in the true sense, of course, but I can't think of a better word for it.