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editor���snote The inspiration for this issue���s made-inB.C. moments came from Westworld writer Robin Esrock, the creator and very funny co-host of the TV series Word Travels. Esrock has explored more than 100 countries on six continents, so naturally we were intrigued to hear of his upcoming book The Great Canadian Bucket List ��� and eager to lay hands on his best-of-B.C. picks. In fact, four of these caught our eye: gallivanting with salmon in Campbell River; ���ghost hunting��� in the Great Bear Rainforest (habitat for the world���s only spirit bears); a LOL tale of tackling the West Coast Trail; and how UNESCO World Heritage Site SGang Gwaay, in Haida Gwaii, sets even the most jaded explorers back on their heels. Our curiosity piqued, we then enthusiastically lobbied other Westworld writers for their most memorable B.C. moments, and ���The List��� was born (see page 18). Next, we turned to two multi-awardwinning B.C. biologists who have done more to celebrate and document the natural history of this province (except perhaps their older brother) than anyone: twins Richard and Sydney Cannings. We all know Lotus Land has something special, particularly anyone who has travelled even a little. But what, specifically, accounts for this allure? Many would argue it���s our province���s stunning natural beauty and untrammelled wilderness, starting with its unparalleled ���myriad of complex and varied ecosystems,��� as the Canningses so eloquently reveal (page 16). Finally, we considered the First Nations, early explorers and settlers who trekked the wilds of B.C., opening up trails, establishing outposts and enabling others to follow. In turn, this led us to backcountry eco-resort pioneers Deborah and Craig Murray, who followed their dream to Nimmo Bay almost four decades ago, shared it with presidents and Hollywood luminaries and are now passing it on to the next generation (page 10). Anne Rose, editor 8 Westworld p08-09_EdsNt_Mlbg.indd 8 >> mailbag Perfect Grove Thanks for setting the record straight on B.C.���s ���Antique Rain Forests��� in Mailbag Winter 2012. I���ve visited many old-growth forests on the coast, on Vancouver Island, inland in Revelstoke and Glacier National parks and in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and nothing I���ve seen in North America compares in scale, accessibility and biological and experiential richness to the globally rare interior cedar-hemlock (ICH) forests along the Yellowhead Highway (95 to 115 km east of Prince George). Given their location at the northern end of the present ICH range, these forests are also best placed to survive climate warming in the decades ahead. Just one update: Summer 2013 will see the opening of a $103,000 accessible boardwalk into this unique forest ecosystem, constructed by volunteers over the last several years. As for an online glimpse, see YouTube���s Ancient Snow Forests of Canada and Primordial Landscape of Slim Creek Park. ���Mike Nash, Prince George Stars, Stripes, No Spot I enjoyed Liz Bryan���s ���A Beach to Long For��� Roadtrip in the Winter issue, about Washington���s Long Beach. One comment for fellow dog lovers, though: Last summer my husband and I spent a week on a driving tour of Washington and the Olympic Peninsula, and took our dog with us. So we were very disappointed to find that Washington is not dog-friendly at all. In fact, its National Forest does not allow dogs and the beaches are all on-leash (with a healthy fine if caught off-leash). Though we complied with these rules, we won���t be going back. Next summer we���ll keep our dog, and our money, in Canada. ���Bev Gosling, via email Compass Quibbles While reading the excellent Winter issue of Westworld, Drew Bodaly���s Mailbag letter and your editor���s reply prompted me to write about what you describe as geographic boundaries, which might be better seen as ���political boundaries.��� Because the coasts you mention (B.C., Alaska, etc.) are all in the Pacific Northeast ��� i.e., the northeastern portion of the Pacific Ocean. Of course, I���m a mariner and probably see things differently. But if I was asked to journey to the Pacific Northwest, I���d be brushing up on my Japanese. As for Drew���s plea to not Americanize Canada, let���s remember that no country called ���America��� is to be found in any a tlas. Calling U.S. citizens ���Americans��� is about as logical as calling the French (or British) ���Europeans��� while designating other nations in Europe by their nationality only. I prefer the non-pejorative term ���US-ite��� (for ���U.S.A. citizen���), which is certainly easier to say than Ralph Waldo Emerson���s proposed ���Usonians.��� ���Sean Lewis, via email Missing Link In ���Plug in to Hybrid Upkeep��� (Fall 2012), you mention a provincial government initiative called the Clean Energy Vehicle program, which I haven���t been able to find. Can you help? ���Reid Wallberg, via email Editor���s reply: Find more information about the CEV program online at cevforbc.ca/cleanenergy-vehicle-program Urban Myth Correction: In Winter���s ���Kick, Glide, Inhale��� article on the Bowron Lakes, we noted that Barkerville was briefly ���the largest North American city north of San Francisco.��� What we should have said: ���Barkerville was the largest North American city north of San Francisco and west of Chicago.��� To comment: Email us at westworld@bcaa.com or arose@canadawide.com. Or write us at Westworld Letters, BCAA, 4567 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C. V5G 4T1 (fax: 604-268-5565). Letters may be edited for length and clarity. spring 2013 13-01-28 10:12 AM

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