yeah i think you're trapped more on the lower mainland then on the island. I drove to squamish last week, rather weird drive due to the construction and the sound was all rainy and ugly looking (while the vancouver area was sunny, it was like I entered the twilight zone, which didn't help my mood any) but I still didn't get to whistler and I drove an hour.
on the island I'm an hour from mt. washington an 1:30 basically from Victoria and around 2hrs i think to Tofino. Now, if I lived in Port Hardy, then yeah you'd feel "trapped" along the way you see civilization (less so going north on the island). After Horseshoe bay, there's nothing really. (not until the highway is done, the transport minister is an ex real estate agent, that highway is being built so mansions can over look the sound)