Vancouver is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia. It is the largest metropolitan centre in western Canada and the third largest in the country. Vancouver is one of the cities of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and of the larger geographic region commonly known as the Lower Mainland of B.C. The Port of Vancouver is significant on a world scale, and Vancouver is the third largest film production centre for US-based productions in North America after Hollywood and New York.
The city's population is estimated to be 602,231 (2005) and that of the metropolitan area 2,186,965 (2001 census). Some predict that by 2020, the population of the metropolitan area will be 2.6 million. A resident of Vancouver is called a "Vancouverite." The current mayor is Sam Sullivan. In 2006, Vancouver has been ranked the 56th most expensive city to live among 144 major cities in the world, and the 2nd most expensive in Canada (below Toronto).
Vancouver will be the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2007 Memorial Cup and the 2009 World Police and Fire Games. Swangard Stadium, just across the city line in Burnaby, will host some games for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Geography
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. Those unfamiliar with the region may be surprised to learn that Vancouver is not on Vancouver Island. However, both the island and the city (and its U.S. counterpart) are named after Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver of Great Britain, who explored the region in 1792.
Vancouver has an area of 114.67 km² (44 sq. miles), including both flat and hilly ground. Vancouver has a wet climate and is surrounded by water; while early records show that there may have been as many as fifty creeks and streams in the area, currently only four are left.
Climate
Vancouver's climate is unusually temperate by Canadian standards; after Victoria, it is the second warmest major city in Canada during the winter, with daily minimum temperatures falling below 0°C on an average of 46 days per year and below -10°C on only two days per year. Precipitation varies from about 1,100 mm (43 inches) at Point Grey to 3,500 mm or more (137 inches) near the north shore mountains. Summer months are generally sunny and dry, with moderate temperatures. The daily maximum averages 22°C in July and August, and temperatures rise above 30°C only about once every five summers on average. Thunderstorms are rare, with about four to six per year. Rainfall is frequent in winter; more than half of all winter days record measureable precipitation, snowfall much less so, with only 9 winter days averaging any snowfall, and only 3 days with amounts greater than 5 cm.
Flora
The original vegetation of most of Vancouver and its suburbs was dense temperate rain forest, mostly conifers with scattered pockets of maple and alder, plus large areas of swampland (even in upland areas due to poor drainage). The conifers were the usual coastal BC mix of Sitka spruce, Western red cedar, Western hemlock and Douglas fir and yew, and were reckoned to be the greatest concentration of the largest of these trees on the entire British Columbia Coast; only those of Seattle's Elliott Bay rivalled those of Burrard Inlet and English Bay in size, and there too sawmills and lumbering sprang up to exploit the gigantic trees which were within an "easy" drag of the shoreline, and therefore markets. The largest trees in Vancouver's old-growth forest were in the area of what is now Gastown, where the first logging occurred, and on the south slopes of False Creek and English Bay, especially around Jericho Beach. Stanley Park, which to most people appears to be first-growth, is actually mostly second and third growth and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can be seen throughout the park.
A diverse range 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 palms have proven to be hardy to this climate, and are a common sight as are large numbers of other exotic trees including the Peruvian monkey puzzle tree, the Japanese maple and various flowering exotics such as magnolias, azaleas and rhododendrons. Many rhododendrons have grown to immense size as with other species imported from harsher climates in Eastern Canada or Europe; although the native Douglas maple can attain tremendous size. Also, streets in large areas of the city are lined with varieties of flowering Japanese cherry which were donated by Japan in the 1930s and make an impressive show every spring. Certain areas of West Vancouver which have the right balance of sunlight and rainfall are home to the arbutus (Arbutus menziesii), which is more associated with the climate of the Gulf Islands, Greater Victoria, and northern Puget Sound.
Scenery
Vancouver is internationally renowned for its scenic setting. Vancouver has one of North America's largest urban parks, Stanley Park. The North Shore mountains dominate the city landscape, 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. The views of the city and its surroundings have made it renowned for its beauty.
History
Archeological records indicate the presence of Aboriginal peoples in the Vancouver area for at least 3,000 years. The traces of several settlements around Vancouver, indicate a food-gathering people with a complex social system.
The arrival of ships captained by Jose Maria Narvaez of Spain in 1791 and George Vancouver of Britain the following year, heralded great change for the lives of the First Nations. 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 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 Brokcton Point, but difficult currents and reefs forced the relocation of the operation to a point near the foot of Dunlevy Street, known as Hastings Mill.
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. In 1870, the colonial government surveyed the settlement and laid out a townsite, renamed “Granville.” This site, with its natural harbour, was eventually selected as the terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway to the chagrin of Port Moody, New Westminster and Victoria, all of which had vied to be the railhead. The building of the railway was among the preconditions for British Columbia joining Confederation in 1871. The City of Vancouver was incorporated on April 6, 1886, the same year that the first transcontinental train arrived.
A fire on Sunday, June 13 of that year destroyed most of the city, which was quickly rebuilt. Due to the advent of the railway, the population increased rapidly from 5,000 in 1887 to 100,000 in 1900. During the first decade of the twentieth century, Vancouver's population tripled and along with it came a construction boom and, as Rudyard Kipling noted on his visit to the new city in 1887, the "curious institution...called 'real estate'" and the speculative buying and selling of property. By 1890 the beginnings of one of the world's first electric street railways were promoting growth along what are now the city's main arterials, powered by ample hydroelectricity generated from nearby rivers and lakes (first at Buntzen Lake, and soon after on the Stave River, and two "interurban" rail lines were built between Vancouver and New Westminster, with one of those lines - all owned and operated by the BC Electric Railway Company, extending through the Fraser Valley to Chilliwack. Another separately-owned interurban line, the Lulu Island Railway, ran via the Arbutus corridor to Richmond from a station near Granville and Drake Streets. The first pavement in British Columbia was the Stanley Park ring road, and was made out of the crushed shells of the large midden at the old native village of Qwhy-qwhy (Lumberman's Arch); it was paved for use by bicycles, which until the introduction of the autmobile later on were a popular form of transportation. Automobiles were scarce until after World War I due to the distance from the industrial centres of eastern North America.
Social fabric
Vancouver is considered to be a relaxed city, particularly by North American standards. There is a lively cultural scene, many diversions, and year-round access to outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, boating, and skiing. Some have called it a "city of neighbourhoods", each with a distinct character and ethnic mix. The city is consistently ranked within the top 3 cities in the world in which to live.
Increasingly, however, this popularity comes with a price. Vancouver can be an expensive city, with the highest housing prices in Canada. A recent survey comparing median house prices to median incomes found Vancouver was the most unaffordable city for housing in Canada -- and the fifteenth worst in the world, just marginally better than London. The city has adopted various strategies to reduce housing costs, including cooperative housing, legalized secondary 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 gap between rich and poor. The city’s residents are thought (incorrectly) to be affluent, a superficial perception reinforced by the number of luxury vehicles on city streets and the rate at which residential properties sell (median house price $638,000, 1st Quarter 2006), despite a median household income of only $56,000. The Downtown Eastside district of Vancouver is one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada, and is located only six to ten blocks from the expensive downtown "instant neighbourhoods" of Coal Harbour and Yaletown.
Vancouver's population density on the downtown peninsula is as high as 30,000 people per square kilometre. The density of the city itself is third highest of any metropolitan centre in North America, after New York City and San Francisco. (It should be noted that a handful of cities in the New York Metropolitan Area are more densely populated than Vancouver). City planners in the late 1950s and 1960s deliberately encouraged the development of high-rise condominium towers in the West End downtown neighbourhood, which has resulted in a compact, pedestrian/transit/bike friendly urban core. A major and ongoing downtown condominium construction boom began in the late 1990s, financed in large part by a huge flow of capital from Hong Kong immigrants prior to the 1997 hand-over. High-rise residential developments from this period now dominate the Yaletown and Coal Harbour districts of the downtown peninsula, and also cluster around some of the SkyTrain stations on the east side of the city. Vancouver continues to pursue policies intended to increase density as an alternative to sprawl, most recently in the form of Mayor Sam Sullivan's Eco-Density initiative.
Since the 1990s, real estate values gaining as much as 10-15% per year. Due to a recent economic boom, and rise in construction and labour costs, the city has seen house prices rise as much as 20-25%, especially in the suburbs.
Demographics
The second largest Chinatown in North America. Vancouver is home to people of many ethnic backgrounds and religions. Chinese are by far the largest visible ethnic minority group in the city. Vancouver has one of the most diverse Chinese-speaking communities, with several dialects of Chinese being represented. Vancouver contains the second largest Chinatown in North America (after San Francisco Chinatown), but arguably has more diversity in the authentic Chinese cuisine made available to consumers. There are also many multicultural neighbourhoods, such as the Punjabi Market, Little Italy, Greektown, Japantown, Commercial Drive, and a series of Koreatowns. Bilingual street signs can be seen at these centres of ethnic concentration.
Many immigrants from Hong Kong made Vancouver their home following the transfer of sovereignty of that former British colony from the United Kingdom to China. This continued a tradition of immigration from around the world that had already established Vancouver as the second most multi-ethnic of Canada's cities (after Toronto) before the Hong Kong influx began. Other significant Asian ethnic groups in Vancouver are South Asians (mostly Punjabis, usually referred to as Indo-Canadians), Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Cambodian, and Japanese.
Non-visible minorities, such as newly-arrived Eastern Europeans and the new wave of Latin American arrivals, are also a feature of the city's ethnic landscape. Prior to the Hong Kong influx of the 1980s, the largest non-British ethnic group in the city was German, followed by Ukrainian and the Scandinavian ethnicities. Most earlier immigrant groups are fully assimilated or intermarried with other groups, although a new generation of East Europeans form a distinct linguistic and social community.
There is also a sizable community of aboriginal people in Vancouver as well as in the surrounding metropolitan region, with the result that Vancouver constitutes the largest native community in the province.
Economy
With its location on the Pacific Rim and at the western terminus of Canada's transcontinental highway and rail routes, Vancouver is one of the nation's largest industrial centres.
The Port of Vancouver, Canada's largest and most diversified, does more than $43 billion in trade with over 90 countries annually. Port activities generate $4 billion in gross domestic product and $8.9 billion in economic output.
Vancouver is the headquarters of forest product and mining companies. In recent years, Vancouver has become an increasingly important centre for software development, biotechnology and a vibrant film industry.
The city’s scenic location makes it a major tourist destination. Visitors come for the city’s gardens, Stanley Park and a combination of mountains, ocean, forest and parklands surrounding the city. The city's numerous beaches, parks, waterfronts, and mountain backdrop, combined with its cultural and multi-ethnic character, all contribute to its unique appeal and style. Over a million people annually pass through Vancouver en route to a cruise ship vacation, usually to Alaska.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is Canada's second busiest airport and the second largest gateway on the west coast of North America for international passengers.
The 1986 World Exposition was held in Vancouver. This Worlds Fair was the last to be held in North America and was considered to be a great success.
Transportation
Municipal bylaws and geography have prevented the spread of urban freeways, and the only major freeway within city limits is Highway 1, which passes through the eastern edge of the city.
TransLink, the Greater Vancouver Regional District transportation authority, is responsible for roads and public transportation within region. It provides bus service, a foot passenger and bicycle ferry service (known as SeaBus), a two-line automated metro system called SkyTrain, and the commuter rail West Coast Express.
Inter-city passenger rail service is operated from Pacific Central Station by VIA Rail to points east; Amtrak Cascades to Seattle, Washington; and Rocky Mountaineer rail tour routes. The city is also served by two B.C. Ferries terminals. One is to the northwest at Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver, and the other is to the south, at Tsawwassen (in Delta).
Vancouver is served by Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located on Sea Island in the City of Richmond, immediately south of Vancouver. HeliJet and two float plane companies operate scheduled air service from Vancouver harbour.
Schools
Vancouver is served by School District 39 Vancouver, the second largest school district in British Columbia. As in other parts of the province, numerous independent schools are also eligible for provincial funding - including religious schools, non-denominational schools, and special-needs schools, nearly all of which also charge tuition.
Colleges and universities
Vancouver is served by the Lower Mainland's two major public universities, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU). UBC and SFU have satellite campuses within the city, as does the British Columbia Institute of Technology which provides polytechnic education and grants degrees in several fields. Vancouver Community College and Langara College, along with other colleges in surrounding communities, provide career, trade, and university-transfer programs for Vancouver residents. Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design grants certificates, diplomas, and degrees in art and design.
Architecture
Notable buildings within the city include Christ Church Cathedral, the Hotel Vancouver (now part of the Fairmont chain, originally a Canadian Pacific hotel), the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (with a collection of First Nations art including work by Bill Reid), and the Vancouver Art Gallery (notable collections include several 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 Colosseum in Rome. The original BC Hydro headquarters building at Nelson & Burrard Streets is a modernist high-rise, now converted into the Electra condominiums. Another award winner was the "concrete waffle" of the MacMillan-Bloedel building on the north-east corner of the Georgia and Thurlow intersection. A prominent addition to the city's landscape is the giant tent-frame Canada Place, the former Canada Pavilion from Expo '86 and including the Trade and Convention Centre as well as a Cruise Ship Terminal and the Pan-Pacific Hotel.
A collection of Edwardian buildings in the city's old downtown core were, in their day, the tallest buildings in the British Empire. These were, in succession, the Province Building, the Dominion Building (1907. both at Cambie & Hastings Streets), and the Sun Tower (1911, Beatty & Pender Streets. The Sun Tower's cupola was finally exceeded as the Empire's tallest by the elaborate Art Deco-flavoured Marine Building in the 1920s (even though its absolute elevation was lower than the Hotel Vancouver and other more uptown buildings). The Marine Building is known for its elaborate ceramic tile facings and brass-gilt doors and elevators, which make it a favourite location for movie shoots. Another famous Edwardian building in the city is the current Vancouver Art Gallery building, designed by Francis Mawson Rattenbury who also designed the provincial Legislature and the original and highly decorative Hotel Vancouver (torn down after WWII as a condition of the completion of the new Hotel Vancouver a block away).
Topping the list of tallest buildings in Vancouver as of June 2006 is One Wall Centre at 150 m and 48 storeys, followed closely by the Shaw Tower at 149 m and 41 storeys. One Wall Centre will be eclipsed by new skyscrapers in the coming years, including the new 196 m tall, 60 storey Living Shangri-La residential tower and hotel, slated for completion in 2008.
Skyline
The two most prominent skylines, often featured in postcards, are the view of southern shore of Burrard Inlet and the view of the northern shore of False Creek. The southern shore of Burrard Inlet includes Coal Harbour and buildings along the Waterfront Road. It has some of the city's most recognized buildings such as Canada Place, Harbour Centre, the Marine Building, and Shaw Tower. The northern shore of False Creek includes the southern portion of the West End, the three bridges connecting to Downtown Vancouver: Granville, Cambie and Burrard, and Yaletown. This area also has attractions such as General Motors Place and TELUS World of Science. The third and less noted skyline in Vancouver includes buildings along the Broadway corridor to the south of False Creek. This section of the city, although much more "mid-rise" than Downtown (average building height ranging from 50-80 m), contains some of the city's largest institutional buildings, such as Vancouver General Hospital (23rd tallest hospital in the world) and the art deco-styled Vancouver City Hall. The Bowmac Sign, once North America's tallest free-standing sign, is also in this stretch. In the future, False Creek south will play a more important role as the emptied industrial land in Southeast False Creek is developed.
Skyline of the northern shore of False CreekAlthough Vancouver has more high-rises, per capita, than any other city in North America, the city's skyline is relatively "mid-rise" by North Amercian standards. Most buildings in the downtown have a height of around 90m-130m, with the tallest skyscrapers around 150 m tall. This is the result of a strict height restriction to protect mountain views.
Downtown Vancouver as seen from Spanish Banks, the Coast Mountains are under a shroud of clouds.The View Protection Guidelines were approved on December 12, 1989 and amended on December 11, 1990. The guidelines established view corridors in the downtown with height limits to protect views of the North Shore Mountains from a variety of locations south of the downtown peninsula. Over the years, the view protection guidelines have succeeded in preserving mountain views. However, some find Vancouver's skyline flat and lacking in visual interest. Many agree that there is a need for some taller buildings to reflect Vancouver's contemporary image. Others are concerned about proposals for much higher buildings. Many believe that the natural setting, and in particular, views of the North Shore Mountains, may be hindered as tall buildings grow in number. In response to these concerns, Council commissioned a "Skyline Study."
In 1997, the Downtown Vancouver Skyline Study concluded that Vancouver's skyline would benefit from the addition of a handful of buildings exceeding current height limits, to add visual interest to Vancouver's skyline. This led to the General Policy on Higher Buildings. The 1997 study noted that the opportunities for such buildings were restricted due to a limited number of large development sites in the downtown. There were at least five sites identified where buildings exceeding the 450 foot height limit are possible and at least two sites in the northwest corner of the central business district where heights up to 400 feet (exceeding the 300 foot limit) might be considered. Eight years later, five of the seven identified sites for higher buildings have been developed or are in the development application process. The tallest of these new buildings is the Living Shangri-La hotel/residential tower, which when completed in 2007 will stand 197 m tall (61 storeys).
Currently, an Urban Design Panel has been set up for the purpose of reviewing building proposals and rezoning applications in the downtown area (especially those that significantly exceed the current height limits).
Arts and culture
In 1986, Greater Vancouver’s cultural community created the Alliance for Arts and Culture to provide a strong voice for the sector and an avenue to work together. This coalition now numbers more than 320 arts groups and individuals. The Alliances mission is to, "strive towards an environment that recognizes, respects, and responds to the contribution our sector makes to society’s well-being."
Sports and recreation
BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions.The nearby North Shore mountains are home to three ski hills - Cypress Bowl, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour - each within 20 to 30 minutes of downtown Vancouver. Mountain bikers have created world-renowned trails across the North Shore. Three rivers - Capilano River, Lynn Creek, Seymour River - each within 20 minutes of downtown provide opportunities to white water enthusiasts during periods of rain and spring melt. |
