Vancouver / Canada
Canada's Hot Springs
Masateru Ikeda/Daishowa-Marubeni International Limited
When living overseas there are many things that one misses, and maybe what Japanese miss most of all is hot springs. British Columbia, Canada (Vancouver), where I am assigned, is on the Pacific Rim of Fire and contains 96% of Canada's hot springs (Canada ranks 6th in the world for the number of hot springs), and there are many hot springs that have been developed for tourists, such as in the mountain tourist areas. And though these all have names like XXX Hot Springs, most of them require chlorination and bathers to wear swimsuits, so they seem more like hot spring pools than the outdoor natural setting hot springs where you can listen to babbling river while drinking Japanese sake like is found in Japan.
The Meager Creek Hot Spring that I am introducing here was developed with the assistance of a Japanese and so it is one of the few purely Japanese style hot springs in Canada and is also said to be the first outdoor natural setting Japanese-style hot spring in Canada. This hot spring is located a two-hour drive north from Whistler, the largest ski resort in North America, which itself is located 120 kilometers northeast of Vancouver. One can drive smoothly on a public road from Vancouver to the Whistler area, but after that you must take a gravel forest road that is a little rough for your average car to handle. And because you often encounter many wild bear and deer on this forest road, one must be careful driving.
Wild deer seen on the road
Fall leaves and mountains as seen from the forest road
When you finally reach the spot you will find a natural setting Japanese-style hot spring surrounded by the great outdoors that is worthy to be called "the secret hot spring in the heart of the mountains." You will be surprised, however, to find there is only a simple changing room and two baths made of natural rock-there are no inns or shops selling local crafts to enjoy like you would expect to find in a Japanese hot springs town-but because the hot spring is built next to the Meager Creek, you can relax in the hot spring while this splendid river flow by.
The temperature of this hot spring is only about 52 degrees C., but because it is skillfully lowered to 40 degrees C. with the river water, the temperature is just right. Because the water is not chlorinated and you do not have to wear a swimsuit, you can enjoy the same feeling as a Japanese hot spring, which makes you feel like you are in Japan. Men and women of all ages visit this hot spring, and you can tell they have the same love of hot springs as the Japanese.
When you visit Vancouver or Whistler, why don't you take a side trip and try out this hot spring?
Marubeni Group magazine "M-SPIRIT" VOL.4 (July,2001)
