I attended UBC for two years before financial realities forced me to finish my degree back here on the prairies. I found UBC to be worth the money, most definitely, and would have finished my degree there had it been an option for me. The library is certainly one of the best in Canada (last time I checked McClean's ratings it was second only to U of T in annual acquisitions and total holdings, something I doubt would have changed). The professors were for the most part good teachers, with notable exceptions found in the Maths and Chemistry (when will academia come to realize that a brilliant mind is no guarentee of an ability to teach others?). I found the student body to be diverse and varied, and met many people from abroad. From the few locals I met while there I got the impression that SFU was more the school of choice for BC residents while UBC was more of an international choice, something due perhaps to the fact that SFU required lower marks for admission (I'm generalizing here). They also offered a 1.5 credit course called "College Basketball: Theory and Application" which basicly taught me how to bet on NCAA Basketball.. yeah, it was a good filler.
I had one friend who attended SFU for Anthropology (apparently the program there is more respected than UBC's), and she enjoyed it, but my reccomendation would still be UBC, if only for the library services..
One negative to consider, however, would be the higher housing costs if you want to live anywhere close to UBC (say, less than a 45 minute express bus ride every day), as the closer you get the more rent you'll pay, where-as you can find relatively affordable housing in Burnaby/East Van with a shorter commute to SFU (say 15-30 min express bus).
Either way, good luck in your studies..
