Pining in North Vancouver Island Canada

Pine for Cedars on North Vancouver Island
Jane Finn slows down to the pace of life on North Vancouver Island and follows her wild heart in pursuit of grizzlies and orcas
As published in the April 2025 Issue 30 of Planet Golf Review Magazine
Within minutes of leaving the Victoria airport, I find myself on Malahat Drive. Tall standing cedars line the road. Wise, old sentinels that part now and then to offer glimpses of Saanich Inlet and the surrounding mountains. Cedar has been considered a sacred tree associated with protection and purification for centuries. Stepping out of the car to breathe in their heady perfume, I feel the healing power of nature and know I’m blessed to be back on Vancouver Island.

Saanich Inlet viewed from the Malahat Skywalk
Now it’s time to head north to explore new territory; the Comox Valley.
Northward Bound
As I reach Nanaimo, I’m on ‘island time’ and pull off the TransCanada Highway in favour of the scenic Ocean Route. I have no idea what I would discover along the way, so I ignore the clock and find myself stopping more frequently than I had planned.