BC Highway 99 — the Sea to Sky Highway — runs from the salt water of Howe Sound at Horseshoe Bay north through Squamish to Whistler, host of the 2010 Winter Olympics, and on to Pemberton. It is one of the world's great scenic drives, and the road that gave our firm its name.
There is a road in British Columbia that starts at the ocean and ends in the sky.
BC Highway 99 — the Sea to Sky Highway — runs north from Horseshoe Bay along the shores of Howe Sound, climbs through the Coast Mountains past Squamish, continues up through ancient forests to Whistler, and arrives finally at the farming valleys of Pemberton. It takes less than two hours to drive from one end to the other. In those two hours, you travel through one of the most spectacular pieces of geography on Earth.
That road is why this firm is called Sea to Sky Law™.
It Starts at the Water — Horseshoe Bay and Howe Sound
The journey begins at Horseshoe Bay, a small community in West Vancouver where the mountains meet the Pacific. From the ferry terminal here, BC Ferries runs regular sailings that weave between islands — past Bowen Island, a close-knit community just 20 minutes from shore, through the protected waters of Howe Sound, and north to Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast.
Bowen Island holds a particular place in the history of Sea to Sky Law™. In the firm's early years, one of its first branch offices opened on Bowen Island — bringing legal counsel to a community that, because it is accessible only by ferry, has historically had limited access to professional services. The ferry crossing that connects Bowen Island to the mainland is a small journey, but for the residents of Bowen — many of them raising families, building businesses, and planning estates — it can feel like a significant barrier. Being present on the Island was a statement about the kind of firm Sea to Sky Law™ wanted to be: one that goes where the people are, rather than waiting for them to come to us.
The BC Ferries route from Horseshoe Bay to Gibsons is itself one of the quiet marvels of life in British Columbia. The sailing takes 40 minutes and passes through some of the most beautiful waters in the world — the deep fjord of Howe Sound, surrounded by peaks that in winter carry snow to their bases. Arriving at Gibsons on a clear morning, the Sunshine Coast spread out before you, is an experience that stays with you. This coastline — from Gibsons and Sechelt to Powell River and beyond — is the "Sea" in Sea to Sky.
The Highway Climbs — Lions Bay, Britannia Beach, and Squamish
From Horseshoe Bay, Highway 99 turns north and begins to climb. The road hugs the eastern shore of Howe Sound, passing through Lions Bay — a small community clinging to the mountainside, home to hikers, families, and commuters who choose to live among the peaks — and then Britannia Beach, site of the old copper mine that once drove the economy of the entire corridor.
The drive along Howe Sound on a clear day is unlike anything else in Canada. The water below is deep and still, reflecting the mountains above. Across the sound, the peaks of Gambier Island and the Tantalus Range rise without warning. The highway is narrow in places, carved from the cliff face, and the views are constant.
By the time you reach Squamish, the valley has opened up. Squamish — officially the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada — sits at the head of Howe Sound, where the Squamish River empties into salt water. The Stawamus Chief, a massive granite monolith that dominates the town, is one of the largest granite faces in the world and a destination for climbers from every continent. Squamish has grown significantly in recent years, drawn by the outdoor lifestyle, the relative affordability compared to Vancouver, and the community that has formed around the mountains.
The Heart of the Corridor — Whistler
Above Squamish, the highway passes through the forests of Garibaldi Provincial Park and arrives at Whistler.
Whistler needs little introduction. It is one of the world's great mountain resorts — a place where the infrastructure, the mountains, and the community have aligned to create something genuinely extraordinary. The resort hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, bringing the world's attention to this corridor and to British Columbia. The images from those Games — athletes on the slopes of Whistler Blackcomb, the torchbearer's flame reflected in the still water of the valley floor, the pride of an entire country — are part of Canadian identity now.
But Whistler is also, underneath the resort surface, a community of families, year-round residents, business owners, and property holders with the full range of legal needs that any community has. High property values, a significant international resident population, complex vacation and investment property arrangements, and the particular pressures of life in a resort community create legal situations that require genuine expertise. Sea to Sky Law™ serves Whistler families, property owners, and businesses with the same depth of counsel we bring to any community in BC.
The Valley Opens — Pemberton
North of Whistler, the highway descends into the Pemberton Valley. The mountains don't disappear — they surround the valley on every side — but the landscape changes. Wide green fields stretch out, farmed by families who have been here for generations. Mount Currie stands at the valley's eastern end. The Lillooet River runs through it. This is agricultural BC, quieter and less trafficked than the resort world below it.
Pemberton is the end of the Sea to Sky Highway as most people know it. From here, the road continues north toward Lillooet and the interior, but the "corridor" — the stretch of Highway 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton — is complete.
The "Sky" in Sea to Sky is this: the mountains, the alpine, the interior of British Columbia. The vast, unhurried north. The places where the road thins out and the wilderness begins. The Pemberton Valley is where you understand what British Columbia actually is — not just the cities and the coastline, but the land itself.
Why This Road and This Name
When Andrew Liggett founded Sea to Sky Law™ on the North Shore in 1991, he chose a name that meant something specific. The Sea to Sky Highway was not just a scenic backdrop — it was a statement of geography, of reach, and of values.
The "Sea" is the Pacific: the ocean, the ferries, the coastal communities, the islands. The Sunshine Coast, Bowen Island, Howe Sound. The places accessible by water as much as by road.
The "Sky" is the mountains: the Coast Range, the alpine communities, the interior. Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton. The places where the land rises to meet the clouds.
Together, they frame all of British Columbia — from tidal inlet to mountain peak, from ferry terminal to Olympic venue. Sea to Sky Law™ serves this province in its entirety, by phone and video across every region.
Few firms in BC bear a name so specifically tied to this place. We think that matters. The Sea to Sky Highway is not just scenery — it is an argument about what British Columbia is, and what it can be. A road from the ocean to the sky, through some of the most beautiful country on Earth, in one of the greatest countries on Earth.
Canada is extraordinary. This corner of it especially so.
Serve Your Community. Know Your Geography. Be Where Your Clients Are.
At Sea to Sky Law™, we serve clients across the Sea to Sky Corridor — Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Horseshoe Bay, Bowen Island, the Sunshine Coast — as well as throughout Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the North Shore, and all of British Columbia. Consultations are available by phone or secure video.
If you are on the Sea to Sky Corridor and need family law, estate planning, or mediation counsel, contact us for a free intake call. This road is ours too.
*This article is for general information. It does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult a qualified BC lawyer.*
The Sea to Sky Highway (BC Highway 99) begins at Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver, runs north along Howe Sound through Lions Bay and Britannia Beach, continues to Squamish and Whistler, and ends near Pemberton — a total drive of approximately two hours.
The firm was founded on the North Shore in 1991, where Highway 99 begins. The name reflects both geography — the corridor the firm has served for over 35 years — and values: the "Sea" represents the Pacific coast, islands, and ferry communities; the "Sky" represents the mountains, interior, and rural communities.
Yes — one of the firm's earliest branch offices was on Bowen Island, accessible by BC Ferries from Horseshoe Bay. The firm has long served island and ferry-dependent communities across BC.
Yes — Sea to Sky Law serves clients across all of British Columbia. While the Sea to Sky Corridor is central to the firm's history and identity, virtual consultations are available province-wide, by phone or secure video.