Mainland Southwest

The Mainland Southwest is British Columbia’s most populous region with over three million people. It offers a mild climate, an active lifestyle, and all the amenities of a lively urban centre.

Mainland Southwest Map

Metro Vancouver is home to the most ethnically diverse area in Canada and some of the country’s best restaurants. The Mainland Southwest also includes the Fraser Valley and Sunshine Coast, and stretches north to include Whistler, home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Pemberton, and Lillooet.

Public post-secondary institutions in this region include the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Capilano University, Douglas College, Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Justice Institute of British Columbia, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Langara College, Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, the University of the Fraser Valley, and Vancouver Community College to name a few!

Photo: Simon Fraser University

Fun facts about the Mainland Southwest region

  1. The Mainland Southwest is BC’s largest region by population but the smallest by land mass.

  2. Canada’s longest swimming pool — at 137 metres — is Vancouver’s Kits Pool. The outdoor saltwater pool opened on August 15, 1931.

  3. The municipality of Whistler is named after the hoary marmot, a rodent nicknamed “Whistler” because it gives a sharp piercing whistle to warn of danger.

bc pacific

Photo: Capilano University

vancouver students
Back to destinations

Copyright © 2021 British Columbia Council for International Education. All rights reserved. The StudyinBC website is produced by the British Columbia Council for International Education with support from the Province of British Columbia.