When sewage projects, deer invasions and taxes are getting you down, take a deep breath and remember that the rest of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ — and much of the world — thinks we have it pretty good on our Island.
A case in point is the 2013 rankings of the best places in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½, as judged by Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
With impeccable judgment, Traveler puts Vancouver Island in the No. 1 spot in its list of the top five islands in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½. And it taps the Gulf Islands as No. 3, although the judges could have put in some more effort and picked their favourite Gulf Island. (Slotting Prince Edward Island in second place was an obvious sop to the Anne of Green Gables crowd.)
In the list of top cities, Victoria makes it to No. 3, behind Quebec City and Vancouver. While this suggests a flaw in the magazine’s methodology, a top-three finish is certainly merited.
When it comes to resorts, the Island claims another winner, with Tofino’s Wickaninnish Inn taking top spot. Another 10 resorts and hotels on the Island and Gulf Islands made their respective honour rolls.
It is clear that even when seen from Condé Nast’s offices in Times Square in New York, life looks good on Vancouver Island.