Pristine unspoiled forest wilderness – the size of Ireland.

This area – the largest temperate rainforest on earth – is a 21-million-acre fjord-filled wilderness, a world treasure, Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest; Amazon of the North.

Enchanting, haunting, stunning this mist-filled paradise stretches 250 miles along the central and northern coast of British Columbia.

Its forest features 1,000-year-old western red cedar and Sitka spruce trees as high as 295 feet.

It’s home to multiple bear species, rare wolves, whales, bald eagles, cougars, salmon.

Unlike many of the world’s rainforests – especially the Amazon, this vast land mass, the land of the Kitasoo/Xai’xais people – 85 per cent is protected from any type of encroachment of modern civilization.

The Kitasoo/Xai’ais live in the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest – a small village of community of 517 people.

They carry on their traditions in the community’s big house and operate a luxury lodge visited by tourists from all over the world – eager to participate in the rainforest excursions and experience.

The rainforest is the only place on earth where you can spot the elusive white Kermode bear or ‘Spirit Bear’.

To the Kitasoo the white bear is known as Moksgm’ol, the spirit, or ghost, bear. The Kitasoo have been living on these lands for thousands of years. They revere every living thing, but the Moksgm’ol is especially sacred. It is one of the rarest bears on earth. There are as few as 100.

The white bear – a subspecies of the black bear – has naturally white fur. About 10 per cent of the black bears born in this rainforest carry this recessive white gene.

The video below is amazing – a fabulous perspective of this beautiful and amazing rainforest.

Watch as a First Nations woman explains why the rainforest is so important.