February 11, 2010 | Tips from Travellers >
Prince George, Car / Truck / Motorcycle
View a larger image on flickr.com
They are adorable, they are everywhere you turn, my kids love them, but what the heck are those things? This is the question that is sometimes asked about the Olympic mascots. Out of curiosity (and so I could answer my daughter’s questions) I did a bit of research and found out the following about the mascots and some other BC creatures:
The Mascots:
Miga: a young sea bear (part killer whale, part Kermode bear), who can be found surfing the waves of Tofino in the summer and snowboarding Vancouver’s local mountains in the winter.
Sumi: a spirit who lives in the mountains of BC and comes from many different backgrounds (representing the diverse backgrounds of Canadians).
Quatchi: a young hockey loving Sasquatch who comes from the mysterious mountains of Canada.
MukMuk: not an official mascot, but more of a sidekick and supporter of Miga, Sumi and Quatchi. Mukmuk is a Vancouver Island marmot, which lives in the mountains of Vancouver Island.
Other BC creatures:
Sasquatch (also known as Bigfoot): This mythical creature has allegedly been spotted from the Fraser Valley up to Prince George. While there have been Sasquatch reports all over the world, over half of the reported sightings have happened in BC.
Ogopogo: A lake monster that lies in the Lake Okanagan. Depending on who you ask, it’s part snake, goat and/or horse. Reports have varied on its actual size (from 5 m to 25 m). There is an average of six Ogopogo sightings a year of this monster.
The Grizz: A man with shoulders six feet wide who wears a grizzly bear coat and hat and lives in the mountains near Fernie Alpine Resort. He shoots a giant musket into clouds so powder ssow drops from the clouds and covers the resort. In February of each year the town of Fernie hold a festival in his honour.