Vancouver (49n16, 123w07 PST) is a Canadian city, in the province of British Columbia. It is a major seaport and the largest metropolitan centre in western Canada, home to 545,000 people in 2001 in the city itself and 2,134,300 people in the census metropolitan area in 2003. Vancouver is the main city of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and of the larger region commonly known as the Lower Mainland. The current mayor is Larry Campbell, Coalition of Progressive Electors (see List of Mayors of Vancouver).

Location

Vancouver is situated at 49 degrees, 16 minutes north, and 123 degrees, 7 minutes west, in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8). It is adjacent to the Strait of Georgia, a body of water that is separated from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island. Some unfamiliar with the region assume that Vancouver lies on Vancouver Island itself, but it does not. However, both the city and island (and their US American counterpart) are named after Captain George Vancouver of Great Britain, who explored the region in 1792.

History

A settlement called "Wu'muthkweyum," (Musqueam), meaning "people of the grass," near the mouth of the Fraser River, dates from at least 3,000 years ago. Vancouver's ecosystem, with its abundant plant and animal life, provides a wealth of food and materials that have probably supported people for over 10,000 years. At the time of European contact the Musqueam and Squamish peoples had villages in the area now called Vancouver. There is also evidence of a third group, the Tsleil'wauthuth, ancestors of today's Burrard Band in North Vancouver. These were Coast Salish First Nations sharing cultural traits with people in the Fraser Valley and Northern Washington. Halkomelem was the common language of the river people; the Squamish spoke a different language.

The Native peoples of the Northwest Coast achieved a very high a level of cultural complexity for a food gathering base. As Bruce Macdonald notes in Vancouver: a visual history: "Their economic system encouraged hard work, the accumulation of wealth and status and the redistribution of wealth...". Winter villages, in what is now known as Vancouver, were comprised of large plankhouses made of Western Redcedar wood. Gatherings called potlatches were common in the summer and winter months when the spirit powers were active. These ceremonies were an important part of the social and spiritual life of the people.

Spanish Captain Jose Maria Narvaez was the first European to explore the Strait of Georgia in 1791. In the following year, 1792, the British naval Captain George Vancouver (1757-1798) from King's Lynn in Norfolk joined the Spanish expedition based at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island's west coast and further explored the Strait of Georgia, as well as Puget Sound.

Lumbering was the early industry along Burrard Inlet, now the site of Vancouver's port. The first sawmill began operating in 1863 at Moodyville (in 1915, renamed "North Vancouver"). The first export of lumber took place in 1865; this lumber was shipped to Australia. By 1865 the first sawmill, Stamp's Mill, started in what was to become the City of Vancouver.

In 1870, the colonial government of British Columbia surveyed the community officially known as Granville. It was sited immediately west of Stamp's Mill and commonly known as Gastown, a name that survives today.

In 1885 Granville was selected by the Canadian Pacific Railway to be the western terminus of the transcontinental railway commissioned by the government of Canada under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir John A. MacDonald. (This led to Vancouver's infrequently used nickname, Terminal City). The CPR selected the new name "Vancouver", in part because the existence of Vancouver Island nearby would help identify the location to easterners. On April 6, 1886, the city was incorporated under that name; the first regular transcontinental train from Montreal arrived at a temporary terminus at Port Moody in July 1886, and service to Vancouver itself began in May 1887.

A fire devastated much of the city on June 13, 1886, but with the arrival of the railway, Vancouver soon recovered and began to grow rapidly due to access to Canadian markets. Additionally, as part of the agreement to join the Confederation, British Columbia's debt of approximately $1,000,000 was paid in full by the Canadian government, creating additional business opportunities.

Scenery

Vancouver is home to North America's third largest urban park (Canada's largest), Stanley Park. Vancouver has all the urban amenities of a big city, as well as easy access to the Pacific Ocean and the mountains of the Coast Range. Real estate is limited by the surrounding mountains and water, so buildings in downtown Vancouver cluster somewhat like the highrises found in central Hong Kong. On a clear day one can see Mount Baker (a volcano in Washington state) to the southeast. Breathtaking views are routine from tall buildings, the North Shore mountains, and from airplanes.

Climate

Vancouver's climate is unusually temperate by Canadian standards; it is the warmest major city in Canada in the winter. The temperature and weather are similar to that of Seattle, Vancouver's nearest major US neighbour. Summer months are usually sunny and the temperatures moderate, with highs usually above 20�C (68�F) but only rarely reaching 30�C (86�F). Spring and autumn are typically rainy and windy. Winter is very rainy and stormy. Snow is common in the surrounding mountains but not at sea level. Vancouverites however usually see one major snowfall every winter. The average winter temperature is 3�C (37�).

Living

Vancouver is a relaxed city with many diversions and easy access to outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, boating, and skiing. There is a lively cultural scene. Some have called it a "city of neighbourhoods," each with its own distinctive character.

Vancouver can be an expensive city, as housing prices are among the highest in Canada. Various strategies aim to lessen housing costs. These include cooperative housing, suites, increased density and smart growth. Nevertheless, as with many other cities on the west coast of North America, homelessness is a concern, as is the growing gulf between rich and poor. A major problem neighbourhood in Vancouver is the Downtown Eastside, with its poor and displaced populations, high substance abuse, and crime.

Vancouver has a very low crime rate by North American standards, but was reported in 2004 to have the third-highest crime rate in Canada. The same report noted that Vancouver's violent-crime rate was low but its property-crime rate (partially a consequence of drug addiction centered in the Downtown Eastside) was second only to Tampa, Florida in North America.

People

Vancouver is home to people of many ethnic backgrounds and religions. It contains the second largest Chinatown in North America (after San Francisco's), and many ethnic neighbourhoods including Little India and the Punjabi Village, Japantown, and Greektown. Street signs written in Chinese and Punjabi (with original English names) can be seen in those respective cultural communities. Prior to the hand-over of Hong Kong to China many Chinese immigrants made Vancouver their home. Since then, immigrants from all around the world have flocked to call Vancouver home as well.

Vancouver has many progressive elements, including a bustling music and art scene and innovative approaches to drug issues. The Four Pillars Drug Strategy (http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/fourpillars/) combines harm reduction (needle exchanges, safe injection sites) with prevention, treatment, and enforcement. Marijuana laws are generally unenforced within the city region allowing several "marijuana cafes" to open, earning it the name the Amsterdam of the North, or Vansterdam.

Industry

Vancouver is Canada's largest port and North America's gateway for Asia-Pacific trade. It ranks second in North America in total foreign exports and second on the West Coast in total cargo volume.

"Hollywood North," as the city has been called, hosts the production of approximately ten percent of Hollywood's movies. Many American television series are filmed exclusively in Vancouver. This is because it is less expensive to shoot there than in California.

Tourism is a vital industry in Vancouver. Whistler, BC, 126 kilometres north of Vancouver, has often been designated as having the best skiing mountains in North America. Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour, and Cypress Mountain, each with a variety of summer and winter sports, are within thirty minutes drive of downtown Vancouver. The city's beaches, parks, waterfront, and mountain backdrop, combined with its cultural and multi-ethnic character, all contribute to its unique appeal. Over a million people a year pass through Vancouver en route to a cruise-ship vacation, usually to Alaska.

In an International Olympic Committee meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, in July 2003, Vancouver received the right to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Vancouver was also the site of the 1986 World Exposition.

Transportation

The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) operates a regional rapid transit system, under the auspices of TransLink, an organization which is responsible for all aspects of municipal transportation, including roads and ferries within the GVRD. There is frequent bus service throughout Greater Vancouver. A passenger-only ferry service (known as SeaBus) crosses Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver, while a two-line automated metro system, the SkyTrain, links the downtown to Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. West Coast Express, a commuter rail train serves Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, and Mission. All these services have an integrated ticketing system, making public transport cheap and efficient. In addition, private companies operate leisure-oriented passenger ferry services, around False Creek. HarbourLynx provides passenger-only ferry service from Vancouver harbour to Nanaimo harbour on Vancouver Island.

Bus service operates throughout the region. Most buses are wheelchair accessible and a large number carry bike racks, able to carry two wheelchairs and bicycles respectively. Frequency in Greater Vancouver ranges from every few minutes within the City of Vancouver to two to three trips a day to Maple Ridge and Aldergrove.

There is an extensive network of bike paths that provide east/west and north/south routes from one end of the city to the other. Each of the major bike paths has signal control to permit cyclists easy crossing of major arteries.

Municipal bylaws and geography have protected Vancouver from the spread of urban freeways, and the only freeway within city limits is Highway 1, which passes through the eastern edge of the city.

Vancouver is served by Vancouver International Airport, located on Sea Island in Richmond. The airport (YVR) is one of the busiest on the West Coast. A heliport and seaplane dock on Burrard Inlet link downtown directly to Victoria and YVR. Vancouver is also served by two B.C. Ferry terminals, one to the northwest near the village of Horseshoe Bay, and one to the south, at Tsawwassen, linking the city to Vancouver Island and other nearby islands.

Rankings

Vancouver ranked second (2002, 2003) and third (2004) in a worldwide quality of life survey of 215 cities, conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Vancouver consistently ranks in the top 5 in most worldwide rankings. Vancouver is almost always ranked number #1 when compared to its Canadian and American peers. Vancouver has tied for first with running mates Salzburg and Oslo among U.N. chosen cities for highest living standards the last 4 years running .

Sites of interest

Notable buildings within the city include Christ Church Cathedral, the Hotel Vancouver (now part of the Fairmont chain), the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (with a world standard collection of Native American art including work by Bill Reid), and the Vancouver Art Gallery (notable collections include illustrations by Chagall and paintings by Emily Carr). There are several striking modern buildings in the downtown area, including the Vancouver Law Courts and surrounding plaza known as Robson Square (Arthur Erickson, architect) and the Vancouver Library Square (Moshe Safdie, architect), reminiscent of the Colloseum in Rome. The tallest building in the city, One Wall Centre, will soon be eclipsed by the 60+ storey "Living Shangri La" tower[1] (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=176375), to be completed by 2007.

Interesting places

Some well-known neighbourhoods and other interesting places within the city include the following:

the downtown peninsula, including:
Gastown, with brick streets and original buildings reflecting Vancouver's history
Chinatown, including the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen classical Chinese garden, the Chinese Cultural Centre, shops, restaurants, and open-air markets
the West End, one of the most densely populated areas of North America, including access to English Bay, Sunset Beach, and Stanley Park
Robson Street, a hip fashionable shopping and dining district
Granville Mall, a pedestrian street, characterized by blazing neon signs and a 24/7 urban scene the centre of downtown is a hip area of danceclubs, bars, theatres, concert halls, shoppes, and restaurants. It is also the main transfer area for TransLink busses and has a SkyTrain subway stop.
Burrard Street, the busiest street in Vancouver is home to high fashion retail, posh hotels, and interestingly enough - the financial district
Yaletown and Coal Harbour neighbourhoods (previously industrial areas, now reclaimed with high-end residential high-rises, danceclubs, restaurants, and bars)
False Creek, one of Vancouver's first planned condominium neighborhoods, on the site of what was the largest lumber mill in the city.
Kitsilano, including Greektown, Kits Beach and the Planetarium
Kerrisdale, a cozy, relaxed neighborhood in the southwest, with sushi-bars galore.
West Point Grey, the westernmost neighborhood of Vancouver where you can relax on one of the many beaches.
Queen Elizabeth Park (the highest point in Vancouver) known as Little Mountain. The park was at one time a gravel quarry. The Bloedel Conservatory and the Quarry garden are situated near the peak.
Van Dusen Botanical Gardens
Granville Island, including artist galleries and a bustling fresh food market
Commercial Drive ("The Drive"), for arts, restaurants, cafes, and "multiethnic" shopping
the Punjabi Market, for South Asian savors and treasures
The University of British Columbia campus and adjacent parklands, including clothing-optional Wreck Beach, the huge Pacific Spirit Regional Park, the Museum of Anthropology, and the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research

Colleges and universities

Vancouver and its adjacent communities are the home of two major universities, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU), as well as a number of community colleges. The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) provides polytechnic education and grants degrees in several fields. Each of these institutions has a small campus in downtown Vancouver to complement their main facilities. Vancouver Community College (VCC) and Langara College also serve Vancouver's post-secondary education needs with career, trade, and university-transfer programs.

Professional sports teams

Vancouver Canucks (National Hockey League)
British Columbia Lions (Canadian Football League)
Vancouver Ravens (National Lacrosse League)
Vancouver Canadians (minor league baseball)
Vancouver Giants (Western Hockey League)
Vancouver Whitecaps (A-League Soccer) (Men's and Women's Teams)
A new basketball franchise in the American Basketball Association

Former professional sport teams

Vancouver Grizzlies (National Basketball Association) (moved to Memphis)

Municipalities in Greater Vancouver

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, housing, transportation, and regional parks.