Vancouver is the largest city in Western Canada, and third largest in Canada. Located at the southwestern corner of the coastal province of British Columbia, it is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is nestled between the coastal mountains and the Pacific ocean. It is frequently ranked as one of the "best cities to live in" and is certainly a beautiful destination to visit.
Districts
For simplicity the Vancouver area is separated into a number of districts. Most of the attractions associated with Vancouver are in these districts.
These don't correspond to the legal divisions of the city, but instead a convenient way of sub-dividing Vancouver for travellers.
Areas of Greater Vancouver which are primarily suburbs of Vancouver include:
Understand
While Vancouver is a comparatively young city, at just over 100 years, its history begins long before. The indigenous peoples (First Nations) have lived in the area for thousands of years, and Vancouver's namesake Captain George Vancouver sailed through the First Narrows in 1792. The first settlement on the downtown peninsula was Granville, located on the spot of today's Gastown. In the year of Canada's confederation a saloon was built on this site and gave birth to a small shantytown of bars and stores adjacent to the original mill on the south shore of what is now the city's harbour. A seemingly endless supply of high quality lumber was logged and sold through the ports of Gastown and Moodyville, across the inlet. Some of the trees were gigantic beams which were shipped to China to construct Beijing's Imperial Palace, and one account maintains that the world's windjammer fleets could not have been built without the trees of Burrard Inlet.
Vancouver proper was signed into existence in 1886. The first City Hall was little more than a hand painted sign nailed to a wooden tent post. The arrival of the transcontinental railway a few years later spurred growth even more and by 1892 the area had over 20,000 residents; eighteen years later this figure was over 100,000.
Factor in constant growth every year since (many in the double digits), and Greater Vancouver today is Canada's largest metropolitan area west of Toronto with more than 2,000,000 residents, roughly half of British Columbia's population as a whole. It is also the fastest growing part of Canada. Greater Vancouver is one of the most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas in the world and is home to the second largest Chinatown in the world.
The city truly arrived in 1986 when Vancouver "hosted the world" with the Expo 86 World Fair. Media attention from around the world was consistently positive, and many considered it the most successful World's Fair to date. Vancouver has been awarded the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and this event will no doubt cast Vancouver into the world spotlight once again. It will be the largest city ever to host the winter games, and interestingly, the only city at sea level to host them.
Vancouver is perhaps best known for its scenic beauty, and the opportunities afforded by its natural environment. Vancouver is one of those rare places where you can ski in the mountains, windsurf in the ocean, and play a round of golf all in the same day. Surrounded by water on three sides, and crowned by the North Shore mountains, Vancouver is a great destination in itself, as well a a great starting point for discovering the area's many outdoor activities.
Vancouver is a major sea port on the Pacific Ocean, and a base for many Alaska Cruise Ships in the summer.
Climate
With the exception of Victoria, Vancouver has the mildest climate of any major city in Canada; even palm trees can grow here. It can rain a lot in Vancouver, especially during the winters, but the temperature rarely goes below freezing. Snowfalls are an unusual sight and often lead to major traffic congestion. The weather in Vancouver is similar to the southern UK, and almost identical to Seattle's. In the early summer the days often start out cloudy, due to marine air, but becomes clear by noon. Contrary to Vancouver's wet reputation, during the summer it is actually the second driest major Canadian city (after Victoria). Summer temperatures are not extreme, the typical day time high between June and August is around 25°C (77°F).
There is one word to describe Vancouver's weather: unpredictable. The weather can be completely different depending on what part of the city you are in. It can be pouring rain on the North Shore and sunny in White Rock.
If you are visiting the city between May and September you will likely have excellent weather. If you are coming to the city for a ski holiday the best time to visit is February; the region has a great record for excellent ski conditions during this month.
Get in
By plane
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is located just South of the city. There are frequent flights between here and many major cities in Canada and the USA. There are also frequent direct flights to many cities in Asia and some cities in Europe. It is one of the world's largest airports with terminals designed to accommodate the new Airbus A380, which had a test landing at YVR on Wed. Nov 29, 2006.
Before 2005, a $15 Airport Improvement Fee was levied as a departure tax against all travellers using the Vancouver International Airport. The aim of the fee was to offset the costs of building the airport. Just recently, collection of the Airport Improvement Fee at check-in was discontinued which resulted in shorter lines through customs and security. However, the fee is still collected, but hidden in the tax section of an airline ticket.
The airport has a policy of “street pricing”, obliging retailers and restaurants to sell at the same prices in the airport as in the city to avoid customer gouging. Typical fast-food restaurants are located before the security check-ins in the departure areas. For a nice meal, a Milestone's restaurant is located in the domestic terminal just outside the security check-in. In the international terminal, the upscale Fairmont Hotel has a nice view and some reasonably priced choices on their menu.
One little quirk about travel out of Canada into the USA is that you will clear customs before you board the plane, so give yourself some extra time to check-in when you leave Vancouver for U.S. destinations. Note that this also means that duty-free purchases are only available in one shop between the check-in counter and US Customs; and are not available at U.S. bound gate lounges or on the plane since technically you are already in the U.S. This also means that there are direct flights from Vancouver into cities that do not have customs clearance facilities (for example Kona in Hawaii).
The cheapest way from the airport to downtown is public bus. Take bus number 424 to Airport Station and change to the "98 B-Line" bus. The total trip to Burrard Station downtown takes about 40 minutes. The bus into downtown can be crowded, but it does run frequently (about every 8 minutes during peak hours). The fare to downtown is $3.25 from start of service to 6:30pm weekdays, or $2.25 after 6:30pm and on weekends - keep hold of your transfer ticket, as it is good for 90 minutes of travel on any public transit, from time of purchase. Drivers take exact Canadian fare only; bills are accepted, but change is not given. And there is nowhere to get change once you have left the arrivals terminal, so get change first! Translink, the Greater Vancouver Transit Authority, serves all areas of Greater Vancouver, with bus and community shuttle services, an overhead light rail transit system (SkyTrain), a ferry to the North Shore from Downtown (SeaBus) and the West Coast Express Commuter Train . They have a trip planning service to get you from point A to B at a minimal cost. or 604-953-3333.
If you don't mind spending the extra money, more convenient is the "YVR Airporter" (1-800-668-3141) which costs $13 one way or $20 return, and drops off at major hotels downtown. Unfortunately the airporter service runs only 8:00am-10:00pm. The public transit option describe above runs later than the airporter. A taxi ride downtown will cost about $25. All taxis that serve the airport are required to accept credit cards. The taxi ride is under half an hour.
One word of warning for when you are leaving through the airport. Due to construction, there are currently (April 2007) few eating places on the other side of the security in the International concourse. (There are more in the USA and Domestic concourses) If you want something more substantial than coffee shops then eat before going through security.
Vancouver has scheduled non-stop, year-round air service to Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Manila, Shanghai, Beijing, Honolulu, Maui, Auckland (non-stop in June 2007), Sydney (non-stop in December 2007) Anchorage, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Diego, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, New York, Mexico City, London, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. Dozens of other cities are served by charter flights on a seasonal basis - Europe in the summer, and Mexico and the Caribbean in the winter.
Air Canada and WestJet have the majority of domestic flights into YVR, but seasonal charter airlines Skyservice and Sunwing also fly to Toronto. Air North also competes with Air Canada with a direct flight to Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory. A variety of smaller regional airlines including but not limited to Pacific Coastal, Central Mountain Air, Hawkair, Helijet, Craig Air, and Orca Airways, fly out of YVR's South Terminal facility. There is also a floatplane dock near the South Terminal and several small airlines have scheduled flights to destinations on Vancouver Island and up the Sunshine Coast.
Floatplane and heliport There are floatplane facilities located both in the Coal Harbour area of downtown Vancouver (CXH) and at Vancouver International South Terminal (YVR). Floatplanes operated by Harbour Air, Baxter Aviation, Salt Spring Air and West Coast Air fly frequently from downtown Vancouver and/or YVR to Victoria's Inner Harbour and other destinations including the scenic Gulf Islands. Some of these float plane operators will also do tours of the city and nearby attractions starting at about $80-100 per person... a great way to see the city. A quick search of Google will bring up websites for most of these float plane operators.
Finally, Helijet operates helicopter service from the downtown heliport, providing quick and convenient connections to Victoria and Whistler.
Abbotsford International Airport (YXX), Vancouver's alternative airport which is located in the Eastern Lower Mainland about an hour out of the city. Most flights that come into this airport are domestic. The best way to reach Vancouver is by car, take the Trans-Canada Highway west. If you plan on using public transit it is recommended that you fly into YVR (Vancouver International Airport), the only way to reach downtown Vancouver on Translink is by taking the West Coast Express commuter train from Mission Station.
This airport is very handy if you are trying to access the Lower Mainland, and do not need to enter the city of Vancouver itself. With an arranged ride, you can be in and out of this airport in under 10 minutes (with no checked in baggage).
Flying in and out of Seattle and then using the bus for travel to and from Vancouver is often less expensive than buying a direct flight. For budget travellers, consider checking flights to and from Seattle. The bus ride takes about 5 hours one way and driving time is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.
By car
Driving in Vancouver can be confusing since no freeways run into downtown Vancouver, and signage is often confusing and\or wrong. Two main highways run through Greater Vancouver. Highway #1 is the Trans Canada highway which enters the city from the east. Highway 99 runs from the USA/Canada border to Whistler, it is the Canadian extension of the USA's Interstate 5 which starts in San Diego. Highway 99 does not run as a freeway through the city of Vancouver, after the Oak Street bridge HWY99 runs North on Oak street then runs West on Park Drive and finally continues North on Granville street into downtown Vancouver.
Visitors travelling to Vancouver by car across the U.S. border should be aware that there can be lengthy lineups at the border, in either direction. During summer, waits at the border can exceed an hour during peak times. It can be helpful to view webcams of the border lineups; northbound on I-5 and southbound on Highway 99 . Also, the "News 1130" (1130 on the AM dial) radio station broadcasts information about border lineups every 10 minutes beginning at one minute past the hour.
If you are driving into Vancouver for the first time it is recommended that you consult a map. Also, Vancouver itself consists of some 23 municiplaities, the vast majority which number the streets, so there are multiples of many streets, and many streets change names. For Example Hastings, becomes the Barnet highway, which becomes St John's Street, which truns back into the Barnet highway before turining into the Lougheed highway.
By bus
Vancouver is well served by bus service. There are a number of different bus lines providing service to various cities near and far.
Here are a couple of examples:
By train
Unlikely to be the cheapest option, but travelling from Edmonton or Jasper by rail makes for a good way to see the Canadian Rockies. VIA Rail has the Canadian which runs from Toronto to Vancouver with daily departures. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations also operates trains to Whistler, Banff, and Jasper from April to October.
Amtrak runs a service between Seattle and Vancouver. There are trains daily, leaving Seattle at 07:45 arrives into Vancouver at 11:40. The return trip leaves Vancouver at 18:00.
By boat
Greater Vancouver has two major ferry terminals, the largest is the Tsawwassen terminal which connects Vancouver with both Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island. Horseshoe bay a slightly smaller terminal services Nanaimo, Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast. Both terminals are far enough from the city core that you will need to travel by car or bus to get to them. In terms of bus transportation, the various coach services are recommended over public transit. Public buses to and from the ferry terminals are time-consuming and frustrating.
BC Ferries is the main service provider that connects the Vancouver area with Nanaimo and Victoria on Vancouver Island, with the Southern Gulf Islands and with the Sunshine Coast.
Get around
Public transit
By North American standards, Vancouver has quite a decent public transit system. It is run by a regional transportation authority called TransLink and connects the various municipalities in the greater Vancouver area. While most of the major cities of the "lower mainland" area are connected by TransLink, including North Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, and Coquitlam, it should be noted that there is no TransLink service to cities beyond Langley, such as Abbotsford or Chilliwack, so commuting to Vancouver to and from these locations will be far more difficult.
Transportation is provided by buses, a passenger ferry service called SeaBus and a rapid transit system called SkyTrain, because it is mostly elevated. In addition, three bus rapid transit lines named "B Lines" crisscross the city.
Adult fares cost between $2.25 and $4.50. Fares depend on the time of day and number of transit zones you cross. The ticket is valid for 1.5 hours from the time of purchase and can be used to transfer to any bus, Skytrain or the Seabus during that time. A concession fare is available for Vancouver grade-school students and BC seniors and cost between $1.50 and $3.00. If you're a student or a senior you must be carrying a TransLink GoCard or BC Gold CareCard to receive the reduced concession fare.
Buses accept coins only and require exact change, but at SkyTrain stations tickets are sold at vending machines that give change and also accept debit and credit cards. Books of 10 prepaid tickets (FareSaver tickets) are available at a discount from many convenience stores. A daypass, offering unlimited travel for a single day, costs $8.00 and is available from fare machines at SkyTrain stations. TransLink's website and customer information line both offer complete trip planning. A regional system map is widely available at convenience stores, as are monthy passes which can cost 60-80 dollars, depending on how many zones they cover.
Passengers must present tickets immediately upon entering a TransLink bus. Purchasing tickets for the Skytrain operates on the honor system, with ticket checks occuring at random, often rare times. It is not difficult to ride the Skytrain without paying, especially during rush hour, but those who do so ride at their own risk. Fines if caught can be up to $150.
Driving
There are two major freeways in Greater Vancouver (#1 and #99), neither of these lead directly into central Vancouver. Highway 99 starts at USA/Canada border and ends when the freeway turns into Oak Street, if you're heading into downtown Vancouver or to Whistler follow the street signs that say HWY99. The Trans-Canada highway also known as highway 1 enters Greater Vancouver from the East and ends at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal, the highway continues on Vancouver Island.
Vancouver is one of the few major cities in North America without a freeway leading directly into the downtown core (freeway proposals in the 1960's and 1970's were defeated by community opposition). As a result, traffic can be congested for much of the day on major roads in and around Vancouver. As in many cities, the morning and afternoon "rush hours" have become several hours each, and the midday period no longer offers much relief from traffic congestion. In addition, during the midday and afternoon, congestion can occur in any direction — there is no real peak direction for traffic. One of the best ways to avoid traffic congestion is to listen to traffic reports on the radio; "News 1130" (1130 on the AM dial) radio station broadcasts traffic information every 10 minutes beginning at one minute past the hour (the announcers use local or "unofficial" names for many of the roads, which means that visitors unfamiliar with these names might not understand all of the traffic reports).
Visitors should be advised that currently there is considerable construction in parts of Vancouver affecting traffic. In particular, Cambie Street from False Creek to the Fraser River is being torn up to construct a rapid transit line, and traffic along much of Cambie Street has been reduced to a single lane in each direction. Major east-west cross-streets are also affected where they cross Cambie Street. Construction on Cambie will continue through 2008 at least.
A unique feature of Vancouver is intersections with flashing green traffic signals. These do not indicate an advance left turn (as is the case in Ontario). A flashing green light indicates a traffic signal that can only be activated by a pedestrian or a cyclist on the side street, but not by a motor vehicle. When the signal turns red, traffic stops as at any traffic signal. Any side street traffic must obey the stop sign on the side street, and must yield to any pedestrians crossing the side street, even if traffic is stopped on the main street.
Vancouver has a noted car theft problem, if your license plates say something other then BC be very careful when leaving valuables inside the car. Never leave the doors unlocked and never leave valuables in the car.
The Vancouver area has a number of municipalities or neighborhoods that use "West" as part of their names. The following is a summary:
North Vancouver is not part of Vancouver city. North Vancouver is located to the north of Burrard Inlet and includes the City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver.
Many of these areas use the same numbered streets/avenues:
Parking
Parking in the city of Vancouver is best avoided by using public transit. Downtown Vancouver has the densest population in all of North America with the exception of Manhattan. As such, you may expect that although parking may not be impossible in the downtown core, it will not come cheap either. If you really must park in the downtown core, your best option is to find a parkade. To discourage on-street parking, city parking meter rates are intentionally set at a higher cost than rates in parking lots. "Easy Park" lots (look for an orange circle with a big "P") rank as the most affordable, but generally the cost of parking will not vary greatly among parkades within a certain area. You can pay for parking in parkades with coins or credit cards. Beware of scammers hanging around in some parkades, trying to sell parking tickets for less than their face value — typically, they have purchased the tickets with stolen credit cards.
Downtown is very accessible by foot & trolley buses run continually (every few minutes) on Granville St. As such, if you take Skytrain to Granville St. station, practically anything downtown will be at farthest a 20 minute walk. Considering the traffic congestion, biking or walking will likely get you to your destination faster than would driving & parking your car.
Be careful parking overnight, as vehicle break-ins are not uncommon.
Parking meters are in effect 7 days a week from 9AM-8PM, but since many streets become no stopping zones between 3PM-6PM, be sure to read all signs and instructions on meters. The morning rush hour stopping restrictions may also apply on certain streets between 7AM-9:30AM.
Since you should expect city meter rates to be more expensive than lots, the following rate menu may provide as useful. Most meters are restricted to a 2 hour maximum stay. Meters accept Canadian & American change only, in the $0.10, $0.25, $1 and $2 coinage. American coins are accepted at par value. Since these are the maximum amounts you should expect to pay, you may find cheaper parking on side streets and lots.
Overall, most uptown meters are around $1/hr and can go up to $2.50/hr around 500-800 blocks of W. Broadway around VGH. The downtown meters are the most expensive along Hornby and Howe Streets from Georgia north to the water, mid-upper range around Robson and adjacent streets like Alberni, mid-lower range in the Westend and the least expensive on the Downtown east side.
City meters and parking regulations are enforced regularly and violations are considered municipal offenses prosecuted in the provincial courts under the Offense Act. Meter-related fines are $30 when payed within 34 days, $60 at summons. Violations in private lots are generally unenforceable, but you should be careful since you may get your car towed if you fail to make payment.
If your vehicle is towed on a city street, you can recover it at the city impound lot at 1410 Granville Street (under the Granville St. bridge).
Bicycling
The city of Vancouver is a very bicycle-friendly city. In addition to the extremely popular seawall bicycle routes along Stanley Park, False Creek and Kitsilano, there are a whole network of bicycle routes that connect the whole city. The City of Vancouver provides a map of the bicycle routes that is available at most bike shops or online . Also, some buses have bicycle racks on the front to help riders get to less accessible parts.
Bicycles are available to rent by the hour, day or week. Many places also rent tandem bikes. Some bicycle rental locations:
Alternatively, buy a used bicycle and either sell it on or donate it to someone in more need of it at the end of your stay. There are a number of 2nd owner bicycle stores on Dunbar and the surrounding area, including the famous Cheapskates. Bicycles can be bought for as little as CDN$30 and at very worst should last a week or two of constant use:
Hosted Bicycle Tours are available from a number of suppliers. These tours are educational and cover many of the interesting areas and attractions of Vancouver.
Water Taxi
A quick trip across on a water taxi can be a fun and convenient way to get between various points on False Creek, including Granville Island, Science World, the Maritime Museum, downtown, and others. Service is offered by Granville Island Ferries and Aquabus . Current prices start at around $2.50 per journey - Sept 2006.
See
Most Vancouver attractions are listed in separate sections of this site since they are geographically located in City Center or the North Shore regions. Make sure you read those District Articles for more information. Some of the highlights include:
Parks
Must See Attractions
The Capilano and Lynn Valley Suspension Bridges and Grouse Mountain are on the The North Shore.
Museums
Landmarks/Points of Interest
Do
2010 Winter Olympics
Vancouver will be the host of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The events will be held in various locations throughout the region and in Whistler.
Festivals
Learn
There are two large publicly funded universities in Vancouver's metropolitan area: The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University (in Burnaby). UBC is ranked among of the the world's 50 best universities and is the largest university in western Canada. More than 50 000 full time and part time students in numerous disciplines are enrolled at the Point Grey Campus. UBC also has a downtown campus in Vancouver, located at Robson Square. The downtown location is geared more towards adult learning, business people and foreign students. As of 2005, UBC opened their Okanagan campus, in the interior city of Kelowna. The Kelowna campus currently enrolls 7500 students in various disciplines. SFU's main campus is located in north Burnaby (adjacent to Vancouver). The Burnaby campus is on Burnaby Mountain, and offers a beautiful vista of Vancouver. SFU was constructed in the 1960s, and while some have compared it to a "concrete jungle," most of the campus buildings were designed by renowned British Columbian architect Arthur Erickson, who also designed the Museum of Anthropology and the Walter Koerner Library at UBC. SFU opened their Surrey campus in 2002 in response to a surge of college-aged students from the Fraser Valley.
There are also a number of colleges and university colleges in Vancouver or within reasonable commuting distance. There is a private, Christian university in the district of Langley, called Trinity Western University. Also in the Fraser Valley is the University College of the Fraser Valley (UCFV). UCFV maintains several satellite campuses, including Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Hope.
Many young visitors come to Vancouver to improve their English. The Vancouver Public Library maintains a list of ESL schools in Vancouver.
Buy
This is only a sample of things you can look for in Vancouver. Visit the separate district pages for other info.
Tip There are two local taxes that are charged on the vast majority of goods, the PST (provincial sales tax) and the GST (goods and services tax). As a tourist you can get a GST tax refund by either visiting one of the tax refund centers (one is located in Pacific Center) or going directly to Canada Customs at the airport prior to check-in on the day you leave. There are lots of private firms (especially those envelops and forms you see in hotels) that will process GST refunds for you but keep in mind that they all charge a fee (usually 15-20% of your refund amount). The only "no charge" alternative is to use the government form which can be found on the government GST Refund website: http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/visitors/
If you are planning to do the GST refund, it is a very good idea to check out this website BEFORE your trip to Canada because there are certain restrictions on what you can claim GST back on. You can claim back GST on most items that you are exporting with receipts subtotaling $50 or more and all hotel accommodations. You CANNOT claim GST back on any services (e.g. Skiing, Dining, Admissions). Purchases made after March 31, 2007 are no longer eligible for this rebate.
There are some unique shopping areas in Kitsilano and East Van. Gore-tex© jackets are ubiquitous in Vancouver and the best place to buy them is at Mountain Equipment Co-op or one of the other outdoorsy stores clustered together on the east-west main drag called Broadway (equivalent to 9th Avenue, running between 8th and 10th) between Cambie St. and Main St., just east of the Kitsilano area.
Eat
Where to begin? There is something for everyone in this cosmopolitan city. In particular, you will find many different kinds of Asian food available. If you fancy Sushi (or have not tried it yet) many places offer "all you can eat" lunches for $9.99 (the quality may not be the best though). In general, you are likely to dine better and for cheaper than most other places in North America. If you can do without alcohol, you can usually have a pretty reasonable meal for under $10.00, and at one of the more expensive restaurants in the city, $70.00 will get you a 4 course feast with exquisite service.
The highest density of restaurants is in Kitsilano or the West End. The City Center has many of the high end restaurants either along Robson Street or associated with the many hotels in the downtown area. East Van tends to have many authentic ethnic restaurants.
Vancouver is also famous for its dim sum restaurants. Because of the big Chinese population, the price and quality of dim sum here is among the best in the world. One of the best quality dim sum restaurants is Sun Sui Wah, at 3888 Main Street. Also, check out Floata in Chinatown on Keefer Street, Top Cantonese Cuisine in East Vancouver on Kingsway and Earles. There are many restaurants on Victoria around 41st avenue which offer cheap dim sum ($2/plate), albiet with less class and more oil. In Burnaby, try Fortune House in Metropolis Shopping Complex. The city of Richmond, with a majority of its inhabitants being of Chinese descent, will have a plethora to choose from. Restaurants are all over the place on No. 3 Road, Westminster Highway, Alexandra Road, and on the many side streets just east of Richmond Centre.
For budget travellers, pick up a Georgia Straight (a free local paper available all over the place), and clip two for one coupons from the food section.
Some favourites of the locals are described below:
Drink
Most of the night clubs are located in the City Center, especially along Granville Street, south of Robson, downtown.
The Pacific Pub, located on the SE corner of Main and Georgia, serves pints of beer for $2 flat. It's a two-minute walk north from the Main St. Skytrain station. Be advised that it's not a great place to walk at night, as that section is not far removed from the worst areas of the Eastside.
Local Info
The best rundown on local info is available through the freely available widely distributed weekly, the Georgia Straight. The Vancouver Courier, Westender, Terminal City and Xtra West (gay and lesbian bi-weekly newspaper) are other free weeklies.
Sleep
In general, accommodations in Vancouver are on the expensive side. This is true even for the locals, many of whom spend an important portion of their income on rent. Vancouver has the most expensive real estate in Canada. Most hotel rooms begin at $200-250/night, and most motel rooms cost somewhere between $90-150/night. If you are lucky to find hostel accommodation, the cheapest of these will cost around $20/night, more reasonably between $35-50. Most of the high end hotels and backpackers hostels are in the City Center. There are a number of budget hotels/motels along Kingsway in the East Van, and Burnaby. Richmond has a number of 'airport' hotels. If you really want to stay at a camp ground there are RV parks on the North Shore and in Coquitlam. The closest Provincial Parks with campgrounds are near Chilliwack and Squamish.
Budget
The cheapest accomodation is in the Chinatown and east side of downtown Vancouver where prices for a single bed in a dorm range from CDN$15 to CDN$20 per night, double rooms with bed, fridge, TV and free internet for about CDN$30-CDN$35 per night. There are many options to choose from, try:
Alternatively, further up the budget range, there are 'hostelling international' youth hostels for those more interested in nightlife in three different locations in Vancouver:
There are the Same Sun youth hostels in the same price range as the HI hostels, and handily located just across the road from the Granville St. HI (note, this area is very noisy at the weekends):
And also:
Moderate
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Vancouver (IPA: /væn.kuː.vɚ/) is a city located in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is named after Captain George Vancouver, a British explorer. Vancouver has a population of 587,891, Greater Vancouver is the largest metropolitan area in western Canada and the third largest in the country. It is also the largest city in the Pacific Northwest and is the second-largest metropolitan area (second to Seattle). Vancouver is ethnically diverse, with more than half of its residents having a first language other than English. The city is growing rapidly, and the GVRD population is projected to reach 2.6 million by 2020.
Vancouver is located between the Strait of Georgia and the Coast Mountains. Its economy has traditionally relied on British Columbia's resource sectors: forestry, mining, fishing and agriculture. It was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill town into a metropolitan centre following the arrival of the transcontinental railway in 1887. The Port of Vancouver became internationally significant after the completion of the Panama Canal, which reduced freight rates in the 1920s and made it viable to ship export-bound prairie grain west through Vancouver. It has since become the busiest seaport in Canada, and exports more cargo than any other port in North America. The economy of Vancouver has diversified over time, however. Vancouver has a growing tourism industry, for example, and has become the third-largest film production centre in North America, after Los Angeles and New York City, earning it the nickname Hollywood North. More recently, Vancouver has had an expansion in high-tech industries, most notably video game development.
Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the three most livable cities in the world. In 2007, it was ranked the 89th most expensive city in which to live among 143 major cities in the world, and the second most expensive in Canada after Toronto. Vancouver tied with Vienna as having the third highest quality of living in the world, after Zürich and Geneva.
The 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver and nearby Whistler.
Origins of the city
Archaeological records indicate that the presence of Aboriginal peoples in the Vancouver area dates back 4,500–9,000 years. The coastline of present-day Point Grey was first explored in 1791 by José María Narváez of Spain, followed by George Vancouver, who also explored the inner harbour of Burrard Inlet in 1792 and gave various places British names.
The explorer and North West Company trader Simon Fraser and his crew were the first Europeans known to have set foot on the site of the present-day city. In 1808, they descended the Fraser River perhaps as far as Point Grey, near the University of British Columbia.
The Cariboo Gold Rush of 1861 brought 25,000 men, mainly from California, to the mouth of the Fraser River and what would become Vancouver. The first European settlement was established in 1862 at McLeery's Farm on the Fraser River, just east of the ancient village of Musqueam in what is now Marpole. A sawmill established at Moodyville (now the City of North Vancouver) in 1863 began the city's long relationship with lumbering, and was quickly followed by mills on the south shore of the inlet owned by Captain Edward Stamp. Stamp, who had begun lumbering in the Port Alberni area, first attempted to run a mill at Brockton Point, but difficult currents and reefs forced the relocation of the operation to a point near the foot of Gore Street, known as Hastings Mill. The mill formed the nucleus around which Vancouver formed. The mill's central role in the city waned after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 1880s, but it nonetheless remained important to the local economy until it closed in the 1920s.
Vancouver is among British Columbia's youngest cities. The settlement of Gastown grew up quickly around the original makeshift tavern established by “Gassy” Jack Deighton in 1867 on the edge of the Hastings Mill property.
During the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush, Vancouver merchants sold a great deal of equipment to prospectors.
The economy of early Vancouver was dominated by large companies such as the CPR, which had the capital needed for the rapid development of the new city. Some manufacturing did develop, but the resource sector was the backbone of Vancouver's economy, initially with logging, and later with exports moved through the seaport, where commercial traffic constituted the largest economic sector in Vancouver by the 1930s.
The dominance of the economy by big business was accompanied by an often militant labour movement. The first major sympathy strike was in 1903 when railway employees struck against the CPR for union recognition. Labour leader Frank Rogers was killed while picketing at the docks by CPR police during that strike, becoming the British Columbia movement's first martyr. Canada's first general strike occurred following the death of another labour leader, Ginger Goodwin, in 1918, at the Cumberland coal mines on Vancouver Island. A lull in industrial tensions through the later 1920s came to an abrupt end with the Great Depression. Most of the 1930s strikes were led by Communist Party organizers. That strike wave peaked in 1935 when unemployed men flooded the city to protest conditions in the relief camps run by the military in remote areas throughout the province. After two tense months of daily and disruptive protesting, the relief camp strikers decided to take their grievances to the federal government and embarked on the On-to-Ottawa Trek.
Other social movements, such as the first-wave feminist, moral reform, and temperance movements were also influential in Vancouver's development. Mary Ellen Smith, a Vancouver suffragist and prohibitionist, became the first woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada in 1918. Alcohol prohibition began in the First World War and lasted until 1921, when the provincial government established its control over alcohol sales, which still persists today. Canada's first drug law came about following an inquiry conducted by the federal Minister of Labour and future Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King. King was sent to investigate damages claims resulting from a riot when the Asiatic Exclusion League led a rampage through Chinatown and Japantown. Two of the claimants were opium manufacturers, and after further investigation, King found that white women were reportedly frequenting opium dens as well as Chinese men. A federal law banning the manufacture, sale, and importation of opium for non-medicinal purposes was soon passed based on these revelations.
Amalgamation with Point Grey and South Vancouver gave the city its final contours not long before taking its place as the third largest metropolis in the country. As of 1 January 1929, the population of the enlarged Vancouver was 228,193 and it filled the entire peninsula between the Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River.
Geography
The original vegetation of most of Vancouver and its suburbs was dense temperate rain forest, consisting of conifers with scattered pockets of maple and alder, as well as large areas of swampland (even in upland areas, due to poor drainage).
The conifers were a typical coastal British Columbia mix of Douglas-fir, Western red cedar and Western Hemlock; thought to have been the greatest concentration of the largest of these trees on the entire British Columbia Coast. Only in Seattle's Elliott Bay did the trees rival those of Burrard Inlet and English Bay in size. The largest trees in Vancouver's old-growth forest were in the Gastown area, where the first logging occurred, and on the south slopes of False Creek and English Bay, especially around Jericho Beach. The forest in Stanley Park is mostly second and third growth, and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can still be seen there.
A diverse collection of plants and trees were imported from other parts of the continent and from points across the Pacific, and can be found growing throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. Various species of palm trees have proven hardy in this climate and are a common sight, as are large numbers of other exotic trees such as the monkey puzzle tree, the Japanese Maple, and various flowering exotics such as magnolias, azaleas, and rhododendrons. Many rhododendrons have grown to immense sizes, as have other species imported from harsher climates in Eastern Canada or Europe. The native Douglas Maple can also attain a tremendous size. Many streets in the city are lined with flowering varieties of Japanese cherry trees that were donated by Japan, starting in the 1930s. Certain areas of West Vancouver that have the right soil requirements are home to the Arbutus menziesii tree.
Vancouver has an area of 114 square kilometres (44 sq mi), including both flat and hilly ground. Vancouver is adjacent to the Strait of Georgia, a body of water that is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island. It is in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8) and the Pacific Maritime Ecozone. The city itself forms part of the Burrard Peninsula, lying between Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River to the south. Vancouver is not on nearby Vancouver Island. However, both the island and the city (as well as Vancouver, Washington) are named after Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver.
Vancouver is renowned for its scenery and has one of the largest urban parks in North America, Stanley Park. The North Shore Mountains dominate the cityscape, and on a clear day scenic vistas include the snow-capped volcano Mount Baker in the State of Washington to the southeast, Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia to the west and southwest, and the Sunshine Coast to the northwest.
Vancouver's climate is unusually temperate by Canadian standards; its winters are the fourth warmest of Canadian cities monitored by Environment Canada after nearby Victoria, Nanaimo, and Duncan, all of which are on Vancouver Island. Vancouver has daily minimum temperatures falling below 0 °C (32 °F) on an average of 46 days per year and below -10 °C (14 °F) on only two days per year. The average annual precipitation is about 1,219 millimetres (48 in), though this varies dramatically throughout the city due to the topography. The summer months are often very dry, resulting in moderate drought conditions a few months of the year. In contrast, more than half of all winter days receive measurable precipitation. On average, snow falls on only eleven days per year, with only three days receiving six or more centimetres (2.5 in or more).
The air quality in the city has been generally improving. Some actions have been taken by various levels of government to limit the problem, such as reducing automobile emissions by vehicle emissions testing. Air quality in the Fraser Valley often suffers as Vancouver's pollution is blown in that direction and "boxed in" by the mountains. The number of cars in the city has been rising with population growth, but car ownership and the average distance driven by the city's car owners have been falling in the past decade . Vancouver is the only major Canadian city where the average daily commute time has shortened in the last 10 years, in part due to the residents increasingly choosing to walk or bicycle.
Demographics
City planners in the late 1950s and 1960s deliberately encouraged the development of high-rise residential towers in Vancouver's West End of downtown, resulting in a compact urban core amenable to public transit, cycling, and pedestrian traffic. Vancouver's population density on the downtown peninsula is 121 people per hectare (or 49 people per acre), according to the 2001 census. The city continues to pursue policies intended to increase density as an alternative to sprawl, such as Mayor Sam Sullivan's EcoDensity — an initiative to create quality and high density areas in the city, while making property ownership more economical. The plan also calls for the increased construction of community centres, parks, and cultural facilities.
Vancouver has been called a "city of neighbourhoods," each with a distinct character and ethnic mix. People of British origin were historically the largest ethnic group in the city, and elements of British society and culture are highly visible in some areas, particularly South Granville and Kerrisdale. The Chinese are by far the largest visible ethnic group in the city, and Vancouver has one of the most diverse Chinese-speaking communities, with several Chinese languages being represented. Other significant Asian ethnic groups in Vancouver are South Asian (mostly Punjabi, usually referred to as Indo-Canadian), Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Cambodian, and Japanese. It has a growing Latin American population, many from Peru, Ecuador and more recently, Mexico.
Prior to the Hong Kong influx of the 1980s, the largest non-British ethnic group in the city was German, followed by Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Italians and the historical Chinese population. Less visible minorities, such as newly-arrived Eastern Europeans, are also a feature of the city's ethnic landscape.
There is also a sizable aboriginal community in Vancouver as well as in the surrounding metropolitan region, with the result that Vancouver constitutes the largest native community in the province.
While not completely free of racial tension, Vancouver has relatively harmonious race relations. One result is a relatively high rate of intermarriage; mixed ethnicity couples are unremarkable in any neighbourhood . Both the annual Dragon Boat Festival and Chinese New Year's Day Parade are well attended by residents of all ethnic backgrounds.
Vancouver has a substantial gay community, and British Columbia was the second Canadian jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage as a constitutional right, shortly after Ontario. The downtown area around Davie Street is home to most of the city's gay clubs and bars and is known as Davie Village. Every year Vancouver holds one of the country's largest gay pride parades.
Population growth
The following table and graph show the population growth of the City of Vancouver (not including Point Grey and South Vancouver before 1929) and the metropolitan area using census data of Statistics Canada.
Media
Vancouver is the centre of the province's news media, with most national media chains having an office in the city.
English-language media
Both of the city's major daily newspapers, The Vancouver Sun and The Province, are published by the Pacific Newspaper Group Inc. In recent years, The Globe and Mail, a national newspaper based in Toronto, has added a section for local content in an effort to improve its circulation in Vancouver.
Other mainstream newspapers include the free 24 Hours, Metro, and the twice-a-week Vancouver Courier. Independent newspapers include The Georgia Straight (a weekly), the West Ender, The Republic and Only.
Television stations include CBC, Citytv, CTV and Global TV. Radio stations with news departments include CBC Radio One, CKNW and CKWX.
Multicultural media
The diverse ethnic make-up of Vancouver's population supports a rich range of multicultural media.
There are three Chinese-language dailies: Ming Pao, Sing Tao and World Journal.
Television station Channel M produces daily newscasts in Cantonese, Mandarin, Punjabi and Korean, and weekly newscasts in Tagalog. Channel M also produces programs aimed at other cultural groups.
Affiliated cities and municipalities
The City of Vancouver was one of the first cities in Canada to enter into an international twinning arrangement. Special arrangements for cultural, social and economic benefits have been created with Odessa (1944), Yokohama (1965), Edinburgh (1978), Guangzhou (1985), and Los Angeles (1986)."
There are 21 municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD). While each of these has a separate municipal government, the GVRD oversees common services within the metropolitan area such as water, sewage, transportation, and regional parks.
See also
External links
