If you are going to Vancouver, stay in Vancouver and hit the galleries, museums, and pubs, or take a day-trip up to Whistler / Blackcomb for the scenery... there are multi scheduled coach services that make this easy. If it is pelting rain, as is likely in early December, I would stay in town though.

If you are going to Vancouver Island (Victoria), I would hire a car and drive up the island, again for the scenery, and try to book a dinner table at Sooke Harbour House -- one of the great restaurants in North America.