Island Treasures 2: An Insider's Guide to Victoria, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands

Hans B. Neumann is a history lecturer at Scarborough College, University
of Toronto.

This hefty paperback is entirely about Vancouver Island, British
Columbia’s jewel in the Pacific. It is a sight-seeing, hiking,
shopping, restaurant, and accommodation guide for visitors to the Island
(though residents would profit from perusing it as well).

The 200-plus pages of text are clearly divided into geographic areas:
Victoria, Central Island, North Island, and the Gulf Islands northeast
of Victoria. Each section is further divided by subheadings: what to see
and do, where to shop, where to eat, and where to stay. Most of the
entries include exact addresses and phone numbers. A map of the Island
is also included.

Guide books are not always entirely reliable for two reasons. First,
the assessments and evaluations are subjective. Second, much of the
material may already be dated (as shops close, ownership changes, and so
on) by the time the book is published. However, in the case of this
book, the number of inclusions in all categories is so great that the
book would be useful in any situation short of a total collapse of the
B.C. economy.

This book could save sight-seers, shoppers, and restaurant
aficionado’s much time and money. Oh, and do take the B.C. ferry from
Port Hardy to Prince Rupert on the mainland and back. No one would argue
with the authors’ description of that experience!