Welcome to my website! My name is Olaf Dijkstra, since 2011 a Permanent Resident of Canada. In 2000, I visited Canada for the first time and it left a deep impression. Lots of space, nature, wildlife and ideal for me as I like to travel and take photos while travelling. Six years after my first visit, I started the application process, which took me more than four years.
Together with my family, I settled down in West Kelowna, in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, just 3.5 hours east of Vancouver and surrounded by mountains and lakes. With its long summers, it is the biggest wine region in the province and the moderate winters create beautiful skiing conditions.
Canada is huge
Talking about lots of space, Canada is huge. It is the second biggest country in the world after Russia. The province British Columbia alone is 944,735 square kilometres (364,764 square miles), and is bigger than France and Germany combined, or almost four times the size of Great Britain!
Tour guide
In 2014, I started On The Shelf Opportunities (www.otso.ca), helping small and medium-sized companies with several projects. One of those projects turned out to be perfect, being a tour guide in Western Canada for European tourists! Going on 17-day trips through BC and the Rockies meant a lot of photography of nature, wildlife and remote areas.
Need help?
After a 12-year adventure, I’m now living in the Netherlands again, but with my experience and network, I can still be of help for you, if you:
1. have plans to travel to Western Canada. I can help you set up a tailor-made itinerary to British Columbia and the Rockies.
2. have plans to move to British Columbia. I can give you advice what to expect, who to meet and what to do.
Just go to my Contact Page (https://olafincanada.ca/contact/) or send me an email at [email protected].
Now it’s time for you to get some inspiration. Enjoy your virtual trip!
Olaf Dijkstra
