Author's note: Original map by RAND McNALLY, butchered by Lee. A Wood
| In the lower mainland, of the Canadian province of British Columbia, is a system known as Air Care. This is an attempt at controlling the air pollution within the area by forcing vehicle owners to have their vehicles tested before they can buy license plates. |
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| In June of 2003 I bought a newer van. Knowing my older van, was of little value and that it wouldn't pass through Air Care I took it to Prince George where they don't have the program. |
 `81 GMC Rally Wagon |
| This then is a pictorial story of my trip, by van, to Prince George and my flight, by WestJet Airlines to Vancouver, to pick up my new van. |
| My trip North began before the sun was up so all my attempts at pictures turned out blurry as I was hand holding the camera, while driving, and shooting through the closed windows of the van. |
| Because there was a forest fire, I believe, nowadays, they are called wild fires, out of control near Ashcroft, I elected to take the alternate route through Whistler and Lilloet. |
| The first pictures that are at all presentable are those I shot as I drove through a quaint little community called Britannia Beach. |
| Britannia Beach is just under an hours drive North of Vancouver. The highway, know as the Sea to Sky Highway, or the `killer road' has seen several deaths along this section because of rocks falling down upon motorists or people who stop to take pictures. There are signs that say no stopping, but who obeys signs. Certainly not the many people who were killed by crossing the double solid lines while they tried to save time by cutting the corners on the wrong side of the highway. |
| Because of the nature of the rock that creates the majestic mountains along the coast it is impossible to build the road wider or to slope the sides of the road so that rocks will not fall on the roadway. However, in an effort to obtain the bid for the 2010 Olympics, the government has declared that it will spend several billion dollars to make the highway; wider, straighter, and safer. |
| As far as keeping the impatient drivers on their side of the road, I have written to the provincial government recommending the placement of concrete barriers along the center line where ever the road was wide enough but they replied by saying that road isn't wide enough. |
| Britannia Beach was once an important mining town and the remains of the mine is still an important tourist attraction with tours that include a ride on the train through a mine shaft. |
| The mine has also been used in many movies. I once spent two weeks of nights, in the coldest part of winter, inside the mine, as a prison guard, in the movie `We're No Angels'. They had transformed the mine into a prison. |
