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The Survival Guide to British Columbia
A completely satirical yet oddly practical guide to surviving and thriving in Canada’s westernmost province.
So you’ve arrived in British Columbia. Perhaps you’re just passing through; perhaps you want to stay a while. You may even be contemplating making British Columbia your home. What you need is a well-researched, comprehensive guide to living and even prospering in Canada’s westernmost province. This isn’t it. However, the information contained in this book will allow you to experience British Columbia with minimal damage to your well being.
Having lived in nearly every province in the country before settling in BC, Ian Ferguson can say with authority that things work differently here. So differently, in fact, that visitors and newcomers from other parts of Canada may put themselves in physical peril if they try to dress, act, drive, work, vote, or socialize in the same ways as they would elsewhere. With practical advice, little-known facts, and personal anecdotes, Ferguson tackles everything from how to recognize a local (and differentiate the various types of facial hair that delineate the male British Columbian) to how to survive both natural and unnatural disasters (whether it’s a light dusting of snow on the southern tip of Vancouver Island or a full-blown hockey riot) to how BC has been governed through the ages (like the time a bootlegger was put in charge of prohibition). Illuminating, hilarious, and only mildly offensive, The Survival Guide to British Columbia will make you question why you ever came here in the first place.
So you’ve arrived in British Columbia. Perhaps you’re just passing through; perhaps you want to stay a while. You may even be contemplating making British Columbia your home. What you need is a well-researched, comprehensive guide to living and even prospering in Canada’s westernmost province. This isn’t it. However, the information contained in this book will allow you to experience British Columbia with minimal damage to your well being.
Having lived in nearly every province in the country before settling in BC, Ian Ferguson can say with authority that things work differently here. So differently, in fact, that visitors and newcomers from other parts of Canada may put themselves in physical peril if they try to dress, act, drive, work, vote, or socialize in the same ways as they would elsewhere. With practical advice, little-known facts, and personal anecdotes, Ferguson tackles everything from how to recognize a local (and differentiate the various types of facial hair that delineate the male British Columbian) to how to survive both natural and unnatural disasters (whether it’s a light dusting of snow on the southern tip of Vancouver Island or a full-blown hockey riot) to how BC has been governed through the ages (like the time a bootlegger was put in charge of prohibition). Illuminating, hilarious, and only mildly offensive, The Survival Guide to British Columbia will make you question why you ever came here in the first place.
224 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2019
7 people are currently reading
75 people want to read
About the author
Ian Ferguson
22 books94 followersIAN FERGUSON won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for Village of the Small Houses and is the co-author, with his brother, Will, of How to Be a Canadian. A writer and creative director in the film and television industry, he lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
source: Amazon
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 4, 2020
Note that technically I should have chosen the "funny" tag for this book but it seemed dishonest. This book felt the same to me as The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain, another mean-spirited book by an old white man that is meant to be humorous. The "humor" is repetitive and aimed at the lowest of low-hanging fruit. Having just finished a book on AI (You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place ) it makes me wonder if a bot actually wrote this.
Look, I love the Canadian show Letterkenny, which is lowbrow and full of stereotypes and insults - but it is also has heart and is extremely clever. That show has sent some chirps towards BC and "cityots" but it felt like an honor.
Look, I love the Canadian show Letterkenny, which is lowbrow and full of stereotypes and insults - but it is also has heart and is extremely clever. That show has sent some chirps towards BC and "cityots" but it felt like an honor.
July 15, 2020
This would have gotten four stars but for the Kamloops hate which I didn't understand. I found it unseemly and mean-spirited. I mean "Fresh is Best" salsa and chips come from Kamloops for Pete's sake!
I did learn a lot from this book and certainly had a few laughs. I live in Victoria and there is a lot of truth spoken in jest here! I found myself nodding in agreement with many of his statements/theories.
A good read, all in all.
I did learn a lot from this book and certainly had a few laughs. I live in Victoria and there is a lot of truth spoken in jest here! I found myself nodding in agreement with many of his statements/theories.
A good read, all in all.
March 16, 2021
A fun bit of satire about living in BC. It mostly delighted me to understand the jokes as I assume that unofficially means I belong here.
July 27, 2023
3 stars
I really enjoyed this book in small doses. The writing style did start to feel repetitive if I read too much in one go, but otherwise the content was spot on.
Would recommend.
I really enjoyed this book in small doses. The writing style did start to feel repetitive if I read too much in one go, but otherwise the content was spot on.
Would recommend.
January 3, 2020
Apologizes in the very end ruined everything. Who does that? Stick to guns, man.
December 31, 2019
I laughed out loud throughout this book!! I thought this was completely spot on—-and I thought it was well written, honest and hilarious. Anyone offended by this book are the people Ian is perfectly describing. I live in Victoria, and I was entertained and amused. Worth your time!
January 13, 2020
The Survival Guide to British Columbia - Ian Ferguson
In brief: An Albertan pokes fun at a wacky province.
Full Disclosure: I’m a BC-er and I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now.
Thoughts: This is about on par with a lot of satirical non-fiction I’ve come across, which means that it’s solidly entertaining with some good jabs at current issues and culture, but also isn’t particularly deep or nuanced. (Then again, I imagine that’s pretty hard to do.) I think the best thing, the most important thing, about this book is that Ferguson is not wrong. Not even close to it. And he really does tell you everything you need to know to fit in.
I really wish I’d planned ahead and had a copy of the book to reference while I was writing this. Or (gasp) taken notes while I was reading. There are so many little jabs and asides and full-on Truths in this book, and I can’t mention every one of them because I’ve forgotten. However, I can say that Ferguson sticks to his title, writing this for every outsider trying to pretend they belong here, and that his good advice and hard truths includes:
it is appropriate to wear a loud floral dress with a jean jacket to a wedding
highways are not actually highways and also they are bendy
move to Victoria because weather
don’t bring up environmental or diversity issues because everyone has an opinion and yours is going to be wrong
if you’re going to name an educational or government institution or a similar body, be sure to include the name of the city or province it’s located in
how to identify a tree-planter
travel destinations
carry pepper spray in the woods so that when a bear attacks, you can spray your companion and escape
the great outdoors is dangerous, why would you go there?
lists make it look like you’ve done research and not like you’re cheating for page count
Guys, I felt seen and I’m not even one of the British Columbians he’s describing. Much. And I know that’s exactly what those British Columbians would say. (Also, I feel like a lot of what he’s commenting on culturally is a Western Canada thing, not a BC thing, but what do I know? It’s not like I’ve ever lived elsewhere.)
So yeah, if you want to laugh at this province and its people, this is a great book to pick up. If you want advice on how to navigate intersections, order coffee, and shoplift works of Canadian satire, this is also a great book to pick up. If you want actual, genuine survival tips such as how to properly layer for cold weather or build a lean-to when lost in the woods, hoo boy, is this not what you’re looking for.
I am, however, docking this half a point because, as confident as Ferguson is about how timeless and undated this book is, I think he’s wrong.
To bear in mind: May offend some British Columbians, but in a nice way. Mentions of Kamloops.
7.5/10
In brief: An Albertan pokes fun at a wacky province.
Full Disclosure: I’m a BC-er and I’m honestly feeling so attacked right now.
Thoughts: This is about on par with a lot of satirical non-fiction I’ve come across, which means that it’s solidly entertaining with some good jabs at current issues and culture, but also isn’t particularly deep or nuanced. (Then again, I imagine that’s pretty hard to do.) I think the best thing, the most important thing, about this book is that Ferguson is not wrong. Not even close to it. And he really does tell you everything you need to know to fit in.
I really wish I’d planned ahead and had a copy of the book to reference while I was writing this. Or (gasp) taken notes while I was reading. There are so many little jabs and asides and full-on Truths in this book, and I can’t mention every one of them because I’ve forgotten. However, I can say that Ferguson sticks to his title, writing this for every outsider trying to pretend they belong here, and that his good advice and hard truths includes:
it is appropriate to wear a loud floral dress with a jean jacket to a wedding
highways are not actually highways and also they are bendy
move to Victoria because weather
don’t bring up environmental or diversity issues because everyone has an opinion and yours is going to be wrong
if you’re going to name an educational or government institution or a similar body, be sure to include the name of the city or province it’s located in
how to identify a tree-planter
travel destinations
carry pepper spray in the woods so that when a bear attacks, you can spray your companion and escape
the great outdoors is dangerous, why would you go there?
lists make it look like you’ve done research and not like you’re cheating for page count
Guys, I felt seen and I’m not even one of the British Columbians he’s describing. Much. And I know that’s exactly what those British Columbians would say. (Also, I feel like a lot of what he’s commenting on culturally is a Western Canada thing, not a BC thing, but what do I know? It’s not like I’ve ever lived elsewhere.)
So yeah, if you want to laugh at this province and its people, this is a great book to pick up. If you want advice on how to navigate intersections, order coffee, and shoplift works of Canadian satire, this is also a great book to pick up. If you want actual, genuine survival tips such as how to properly layer for cold weather or build a lean-to when lost in the woods, hoo boy, is this not what you’re looking for.
I am, however, docking this half a point because, as confident as Ferguson is about how timeless and undated this book is, I think he’s wrong.
To bear in mind: May offend some British Columbians, but in a nice way. Mentions of Kamloops.
7.5/10
July 18, 2022
Having just gotten back from a first-time trip to Vancouver and Vancouver Island, I was rolling reading this book! We bought it in Qualicum Beach at a little bookstore where it was highly recommended by the staff, who were both locals--it's that funny that even residents recommend it! Glad I read it after traveling, otherwise I wouldn't have understood it enough to laugh so hard--and after a few experiences of our own where BC tried to kill us between amazingly awesome adventures (Vancouver and Victoria airports deserve their own chapters; Vancouver's Chinatown area which he aptly calls the "7th Circle of Hell" was where we stayed our first 4 nights in the province, not knowing till we got there that people would be doing hardcore drugs all over the place outside our hotel morning noon and night!; Tofino hikes full of homemade posted COUGAR/BEAR IN AREA signs; "youths" bearspraying shopowners in the face in Victoria while we were there, staying in that exact part of town!) this was a welcome way to finish our trip lol. But don't let these harrowing tales keep you from visiting--if anything, I hope it draws you in to go see for yourself why it's worth the emotional roller-coaster! Even with all the bizarre experiences we had, they quickly became fun stories because the people are super friendly overall--like VERY friendly and laid-back (with the exception of pedestrian/bike/car road rage and passionate expressions of a full gamut of emotion during a hockey game!), the landscapes are gorgeous, the gardens on the island are incredible and constantly and meticulously maintained, and the food was some of the best we have ever eaten anywhere as most is grown/caught/made right there on the island & province!
January 29, 2022
Apparently everyone living in Canadia knows Ian Ferguson, as a humourous author, a TV producer-director, and/or as a theatrical producer. He is the author (with his brother Will Ferguson) of "How to Be a Canadian (Even If You Already Are One)" in 2001. On his own, he won the Stephen Leacock Award in 2004 for "Village of the Small Houses" about growing up in Fort Vermilion, Alberta. Simon and Schuster published his book "Trudeau on Trudeau: The Deep Thoughts of Canada's 23rd Prime Minister" in 2019. I never read any of it. Maybe everybody in Canadia knows Ian Ferguson but his bio in Wikipedia is only three sentences long. My sweet bride and I are pretty high on British Columbia. In addition to Vancouver and Victoria, we have stayed in Sooke, Ucluelet, Tofino, Kamloops and Harrison Hot Springs. And we want to stay in Whistler in the summertime and to soak in Radium Hot Springs until we glow in the dark. Ferguson makes fun of it all: the weather, the people, the food, the clothing, the politics, the economy, educational institutions and anything else that comes to mind. Some of the things he says about parts of or people in British Columbia border on the cruel. If he really didn't like it there, why would he live in Victoria? There's nothing life-changing about reading this book. The more one knows about British Columbian history, geography and culture, the funnier the text will seem. I enjoyed it.
November 13, 2021
I love this book. Ian Ferguson has a wonderful way with words. Funny, insightful, laugh-out-loud lines. Really love that he gave a shout out to Jack Knox, who is SUCH a great columnist and writer. Ferguson's witty, insightful, sly take on this most beautiful province is a must read for anyone who spends time/lives/is thinking of visiting or living in British Columbia.
September 3, 2022
On the plus side, there are some fun jokes and I did learn a lot of general BC facts. On the minus side, it's pretty mediocre observational comedy with grumpy-middle-aged-man snark. Occasionally affectionate, occasionally weirdly mean. A lot of running jokes that don't have legs. It was fine? Just fine. A mostly-friendly way to be welcomed to the province.
December 27, 2019
The whole book has a Jack Knox-wannabe vibe but the author was irreverent, sarcastic and even snarky throughout.
It's really not a survival guide... just humorous points about various locations in British Columbia. Luckily, I only borrowed the library's copy.
It's really not a survival guide... just humorous points about various locations in British Columbia. Luckily, I only borrowed the library's copy.
January 18, 2020
Some very amusing parts that I enjoyed but altogether for local consumption as outsiders wouldn't get or appreciate the subtlety behind a lot of it.
January 27, 2020
There were some pretty funny sections in this book. Having moved here from Ontario only 50 years ago, I recognized a lot of his references, but c'mon, man, what did Kamloops ever do to you?
September 2, 2020
Funny and cheeky, we all need satire to show the faults of our paradise
September 11, 2020
I love Ian's sense of humour and how he is able to gently poke fun at Canadians.
July 22, 2022
Cynical humor
September 13, 2022
This was fun. Some well-tred ground and some very funny bits. Lost points because in the chapter on fashion he didn't mention Blundstones. I mean. :D
January 31, 2023
A hilarious read, both informative and not entirely flattering, about British Columbia. This BC aficionado thoroughly enjoyed it, even if I didn't know who most of the BC "celebrities" were.
June 13, 2024
British Columbia is different than other places and Ian Ferguson humorously gives practical advice
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews