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Vancouver

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography

   Vancouver

   Downtown Vancouver as seen from Fairview Slopes north across False
   Creek.

   ( Coat of Arms of Vancouver)

   ( Flag of Vancouver)
   Vancouver

   Location of Vancouver within the Greater Vancouver Regional District in
                          British Columbia, Canada

   Area 114.67 km²
   Metro area 2,878.52 km²
   Population 583,267 (2005 est.)
   Pop'n rank 8th
   Metro pop'n 2,208,300 (2005 est.)
   Metro rank 3rd
   Pop'n density 5252/km²
   Location 49°16' N 123°7' W
   Altitude Sea level to 167  metres
   Incorporation 1886
   Province British Columbia
   Regional District Greater Vancouver
   Members of Parliament Libby Davies, Ujjal Dosanjh, David Emerson, Hedy
   Fry, Stephen Owen
   Members of the Legislative Assembly Gordon Campbell, David Chudnovsky,
   Adrian Dix, Colin Hansen, Jenny Kwan, Lorne Mayencourt, Wally Oppal,
   Gregor Robertson, Shane Simpson, Carole Taylor
   Mayor Sam Sullivan
   City Manager Judy Rogers
   Governing Body Vancouver City Council
   Time zone Pacific (UTC-8)
   Postal code V5K to V6Z
   Area Code 604, 778
   Official website: City of Vancouver

   Vancouver ( pronounced: [vænˈkuːvɚ]) is a city in southwestern British
   Columbia, Canada. The city is named after Captain George Vancouver, an
   English explorer. A resident of Vancouver is called a "Vancouverite."
   Vancouver is part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District
   metropolitan area. With a population of 2,208,300 (2005 estimate), it
   is the largest metropolitan area in western Canada and the third
   largest in the country. The population of Vancouver proper is 583,267.
   Vancouver has a very ethnically diverse population: more than half of
   its residents have a mother tongue other than English. The city is
   growing rapidly, and the metropolitan 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, and 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
   and reduced freight rates in the 1920s 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 become more diverse
   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.

   Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the three most livable cities
   in the world. In 2006, the city was ranked the 56th most expensive city
   to live in among 144 major cities in the world and the second most
   expensive in Canada (after Toronto).

   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
   ( Sto:lo) 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.
   Re-enactment of the first Vancouver City Council meeting after the 1886
   fire.
   Enlarge
   Re-enactment of the first Vancouver City Council meeting after the 1886
   fire.

   In 1808, Simon Fraser arrived in what is now Marpole. He was searching
   for the Columbia River, but soon discovered that he was not in the
   Columbia and was taken captive by natives. The river he did search was
   later renamed after him. The gold rush of brought 25,000 men, mainly
   from California, to the Fraser River and what would become Vancouver.
   The first pillar of the local economy was the Hastings Mill, a sawmill
   at the foot of Gore Street around which the nucleus of what became
   Vancouver formed. The mill's central role in the city waned after the
   arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), but it nonetheless
   remained important to the local economy until it closed in the 1920s.
   Vancouver is among British Columbia's youngest cities. In 1870, the
   settlement was officially known as "Granville Townsite." Fourteen years
   later, the settlement was officially named after Captain Vancouver by
   William Van Horne, who arrived in Port Moody to establish the CPR
   terminus. A massive "slash burn" (clearing fire) broke out on June 13,
   1886, razing the entire city. It was quickly rebuilt, and the Vancouver
   Fire Department was established that same year. From a settlement of
   1,000 people in 1881, Vancouver's population grew to over 20,000 by the
   turn of the century and 100,000 by 1911.

   During the 1898 Klondike gold rush, Vancouver merchants sold a great
   deal of equipment to prospectors. One of those merchants, Charles
   Woodward, had opened the first Woodward's store at what is now Georgia
   and Main Streets in 1892 and, along with Spencer's and the Hudson's Bay
   Company department stores, formed the dominant core of the city's
   retail sector for decades.

   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.
   Aerial panorama of Vancouver, 1898.
   Enlarge
   Aerial panorama of Vancouver, 1898.

   The economic dominance of 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
   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 January 1st, 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).
   Stanley Park and a Downtown residential area.
   Enlarge
   Stanley Park and a Downtown residential area.

   The conifers were a typical coastal British Columbia mix of Sitka
   spruce, Western red cedar, Western hemlock, Douglas fir, and yew and
   are 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.
   Strait of Georgia.
   Enlarge
   Strait of Georgia.

   Vancouver has an area of 114 km² (44 sq miles), 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.
   A rainy day at Third Beach and Siwash Rock in Stanley Park
   Enlarge
   A rainy day at Third Beach and Siwash Rock in Stanley Park

   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 mm (48 in), though this varies
   dramatically throughout the city due to the topography. Summer months
   are quite sunny with moderate temperatures. The daily maximum averages
   22°C (72°F) in July and August, although temperatures sometimes rise
   above 26°C (78°F). 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 measureable precipitation. On
   average, snow falls on only eleven days per year, with only three days
   receiving six or more centimetres.

   The air quality in the city has been deteriorating for several decades
   because of the increasing number of cars in the area. Smog can be seen
   year round. The number of cars is growing at almost twice the rate of
   the human population, resulting in increased congestion and pollution.
   Some actions have be 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.

Demographics

   Punjabi street sign on Main Street
   Enlarge
   Punjabi street sign on Main Street

   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
   [2001 census]). The city continues to pursue policies intended to
   increase density as an alternative to sprawl, such as Mayor 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 notably the
   majority of Vancouverites of British ancestry have direct family links
   to the British Isles rather than to other parts of Canada, 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. There are also many monocultural
   neighbourhoods, such as the Punjabi Market, Little Italy (roughly
   synonymous with Commercial Drive but also including the Nanaimo and
   Hastings area), Greektown, and Japantown. Bilingual street signs can be
   seen in various neighbourhoods, including Chinatown and the Punjabi
   Market.

   Many immigrants from Hong Kong made Vancouver their home following the
   transfer of that former colony's sovereignty 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 popular
   destination for immigrants in Canada (after Toronto). Other significant
   Asian ethnic groups in Vancouver are South Asians (mostly Punjabis,
   usually referred to as Indo-Canadians), Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean,
   Cambodian, and Japanese.
   Population by year.
   Enlarge
   Population by year.

   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. Invisible
   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 Lunar New
   Year's Day Parade are well attended by residents of all ethnic
   backgrounds.

   Vancouver has one of the largest gay communities in North America and
   British Columbia was the second Canadian jurisdiction to declare that
   gay marriage is a constitutional right, 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.
   Sunset beach at English Bay in the West End of downtown.
   Enlarge
   Sunset beach at English Bay in the West End of downtown.

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 also 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, Queen Elizabeth
   Park, and a combination of mountains, ocean, forest and parklands
   surrounding the city. The numerous beaches, parks, waterfronts, and
   mountain backdrop, combined with its cultural and multi-ethnic
   character, all contribute to its unique appeal and style for tourists.
   Over a million people annually pass through Vancouver en route to a
   cruise ship vacation, usually to Alaska.

   The city's popularity comes with a price. Vancouver can be an expensive
   city, with the highest housing prices in Canada. Several 2006 studies
   rank Vancouver as having the least affordable housing in Canada, one
   ranking it fifteenth least affordable in the world, marginally more
   affordable than London. The city has adopted various strategies to
   reduce housing costs, including cooperative housing, legalized
   secondary suites, increased density and smart growth. The city’s
   residents are generally affluent, a perception reinforced by the number
   of luxury vehicles on city streets and cost of real estate. The average
   home in Vancouver sells for $548,022, compared to $374,067 in Calgary,
   the next most expensive major city in Canada.

   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 to China. 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.

   The city has been selected to co-host the 2010 Winter Olympics, which
   is influencing economic development. Concern has been expressed that
   Vancouver’s increasing homelessness problem may be exacerbated by the
   Olympics because owners of single room occupancy hotels, which house
   many of the city’s lowest income residents, have begun converting their
   properties in order to attract higher income residents and tourists.
   Another significant international event, the 1986 World Exposition, was
   held in Vancouver. It was the last World's Fair held in North America
   and was considered a success, receiving 20,111,578 visits. Several
   Vancouver landmarks date from that period, including the SkyTrain
   public transit system, the Plaza of Nations, and Canada Place.
   Panorama of Vancouver taken from Chinatown.
   Panorama of Vancouver taken from Chinatown.

Governance

   The civic government has been dominated by the right wing Non-Partisan
   Association (NPA) since the Second World War, albeit with some
   significant centre-left interludes. The NPA’s Sam Sullivan was elected
   mayor of Vancouver in November 2005, signaling the party’s return to
   power after a social democratic slate swept the previous election. The
   NPA fractured over the issue of drug policy in 2002, facilitating a
   landslide victory for the Coalition of Progressive Electors on a harm
   reduction platform. Subsequently, North America’s first safe injection
   site was opened for the significant number of intravenous heroin users
   in the city.

   Vancouver is governed by the ten-member Vancouver City Council, a
   nine-member School Board, and a seven-member Parks Board, all elected
   for three year terms through an at-large system. Historically, in all
   levels of government, the more affluent west side of Vancouver has
   voted along conservative or centre-right lines while the eastern side
   of the city has voted along left-wing lines. This was reaffirmed with
   the results of the 2005 provincial election.
   Vancouver City Hall with the 2010 Winter Olympics Flag.
   Enlarge
   Vancouver City Hall with the 2010 Winter Olympics Flag.

   Though polarized, a political consensus has emerged in Vancouver around
   a number of issues. Protection of urban parks, a focus on the
   development of rapid transit as opposed to a freeway system, a harm
   reduction approach to illegal drug use, and a general concern about
   community based development are examples of policies that have come to
   have broad support across the political spectrum in Vancouver.

   In the 2005 Municipal Election elections, City Council swung back to
   the right after a term dominated by the leftist Coalition of
   Progressive Electors (COPE). NPA mayoral candidate Sam Sullivan
   narrowly defeated Jim Green for the position of mayor and was joined by
   five of his party's members on Council. The centrist Vision Vancouver
   (VVN) brought four members to Council with the final seat going to
   COPE. The NPA also won six of nine School Board seats and five of seven
   Parks Board seats, while the remaining Board seats were won by COPE.
   Former Mayor Larry Campbell chose not to run for re-election and was
   subsequently appointed to the Senate of Canada.

   In the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Vancouver is
   represented by ten Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). In the
   2005 provincial election, the BC Liberal Party and the BC New
   Democratic Party each won five seats.

   In the Canadian House of Commons, Vancouver is represented by five
   Members of Parliament. In the 2004 federal elections, the Liberal Party
   of Canada won four seats and the federal New Democratic Party (NDP)
   one. In the 2006 federal elections, all the same Members of Parliament
   were re-elected. However, on February 6, 2006, David Emerson of
   Vancouver Kingsway defected to the Conservative Party, giving the
   Conservatives one seat in Vancouver. As of February 2006, the Liberals
   hold three seats, and the NDP and the Conservatives hold one each.

   The former mayor, Larry Campbell, came to office in 2002 in part
   because of his willingness to champion alternative interventions for
   drug issues, such as supervised injection sites. The city has adopted a
   Four Pillars Drug Strategy, which combines harm reduction (e.g. needle
   exchanges, supervised injection sites) with treatment, enforcement, and
   prevention. The strategy is largely a response to the endemic HIV and
   hepatitis C among injection drug users in the city's Downtown Eastside
   neighbourhood. The area is characterized by entrenched poverty and
   consequently is home to the "low track" street sex trade and a bustling
   "open air" street drug market, which gave rise to a significant AIDS
   epidemic in the 1990s. Some community and professional groups — such as
   From Grief to Action and Keeping the Door Open. — are fostering public
   dialogue in the city about further alternatives to current drug
   policies.

   While most of the Lower Mainland is policed by the RCMP's "E" Division,
   Vancouver has its own city police force (as do New Westminster, West
   Vancouver, Delta, and Port Moody), with a strength of 1,174 sworn
   members and an operating budget of almost $150 million (in 2005
   figures). Over 16% of the city's budget was spent on police protection
   in 2005.
   Vancouver police constables from the bicycle and motorcycle squads.
   Enlarge
   Vancouver police constables from the bicycle and motorcycle squads.

   The Vancouver Police has numerous operational divisions, including a
   bicycle squad, a marine squad, and a dog squad. It also has a mounted
   squad, used primarily to patrol Stanley Park and occasionally the
   Downtown Eastside and West End, as well as for crowd control. The
   police work in conjunction with civilian and volunteer run Community
   Police Centres. In 2006, the police department established its own
   Counter Terrorism Unit, which led to speculation of a rift between the
   Vancouver Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police because the
   latter normally handles national security matters. In 2005, a new
   transit police force, the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority
   Police Service (GVTAPS), was established with full police powers.

   Although it is technically illegal, Vancouver police generally do not
   arrest people for possessing small amounts of marijuana. In 2000 the
   Vancouver Police Department established a specialized drug squad,
   "Growbusters," to carry out an aggressive campaign against the city's
   estimated 4,000 hydroponic marijuana growing operations (or grow-ops)
   in residential areas. As with other law enforcement campaigns targeting
   marijuana this initiative has been sharply criticized.

   As of 2005, Vancouver (CMA) had the fourth highest crime rate among all
   Canadian cities. However, as with other Canadian cities, the over-all
   crime rate has been falling "dramatically." Vancouver's property-crime
   rate is particularly high, ranking among the highest for major North
   American cities. But even property crime dropped 10.5% between 2004 and
   2005, according the Vancouver Police."

Transportation

   Vancouver's streetcar system began on June 28th, 1890 and ran from the
   (first) Granville Street Bridge to Westminster Avenue (now Main
   Street). Less than a year later, the Westminster and Vancouver Tramway
   Company began operating Canada's first interurban line between the two
   cities, which encouraged residential neighbourhoods outside the central
   core to develop. The British Columbia Electric Railway, became the
   company that operated the urban and interurban rail system until 1958
   when its last vestiges were dismantled in favour of diesel buses.

   City councils, as part of a long term plan, prohibited the construction
   of freeways in the 1980s. 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 a bus service, B-Line Rapid Bus Service (2 of the 3
   B-Lines run in Vancouver with 2 more B-Line's by 2008), 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. Future projects include the Canada Line, a metro style
   train line that will connect Vancouver International Airport and the
   neighbouring municipality Richmond with Downtown.
   Skytrain crossing the Fraser River on the Skybridge.
   Enlarge
   Skytrain crossing the Fraser River on the Skybridge.

   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.

   Vancouver is served by Vancouver International Airport (YVR), located
   on Sea Island in the City of Richmond, immediately south of Vancouver.
   Vancouver's airport is Canada's second busiest airport, and the second
   largest gateway on the west coast of North America for international
   passengers. HeliJet and two float plane companies operate scheduled air
   service from Vancouver harbour. The city is also served by two BC Ferry
   terminals. One is to the northwest at Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver,
   and the other is to the south, at Tsawwassen (in Delta).

Education

   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 partial provincial
   funding — this includes religious schools, non-denominational schools,
   and special-needs schools, nearly all of which also charge tuition.
   Vancouver also includes several elementary and secondary schools that
   are part of the province-wide Conseil Scolaire Francophone (CSF), the
   francophone public school district.

   Vancouver is served by the Lower Mainland's two major public
   universities, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser
   University (SFU), as well as one major private university, Trinity
   Western University (TWU). 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 and cityscape

   Notable buildings within the city include Christ Church Cathedral, the
   Hotel Vancouver, the Museum of Anthropology ( Arthur Erickson,
   architect) at the University of British Columbia, and the Vancouver Art
   Gallery. There are several striking modern buildings in the downtown
   area, including the Vancouver Law Courts and surrounding plaza known as
   Robson Square ( Arthur Erickson) and the Vancouver Library Square (
   Moshe Safdie, architect), reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome.
   Skyline of the northern shore of False Creek.
   Enlarge
   Skyline of the northern shore of False Creek.

   The original BC Hydro headquarters building at Nelson and Burrard
   Streets is a modernist high-rise, now converted into the Electra
   condominiums. Also notable is 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, which includes the Trade and Convention Centre as well as a Cruise
   Ship Terminal and the Pan-Pacific Hotel. Two modern skyscrapers that
   define the skyline looking south are the city hall and the Centennial
   Pavilion of Vancouver Hospital, both by Townley and Matheson (1936 and
   1958 respectively).

   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 and Hastings Streets), and the Sun Tower (1911)
   at Beatty and Pender Streets. The Sun Tower's cupola was finally
   exceeded as the Empire's tallest by the elaborate Art Deco Marine
   Building in the 1920s. Inspired by New York's Chrysler Building, 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 notable Edwardian building in the city is the
   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).
   Downtown Vancouver as seen from Spanish Banks.
   Enlarge
   Downtown Vancouver as seen from Spanish Banks.

   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.

   Vancouver's "View Protection Guidelines" were approved in 1989 and
   amended in 1990, establishing view corridors in the downtown with
   height limits to protect views of the North Shore Mountains. These
   guidelines have succeeded in preserving mountain views, although 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, but 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 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 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).

Arts and culture

   Prominent theatre companies in Vancouver include the Arts Club Theatre
   Company, the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company, and Bard on the
   Beach. Smaller companies include Touchstone Theatre, Studio 58,
   Carousel Theatre, and the United Players of Vancouver. Theatre Under
   the Stars produces shows in the summer at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.
   In addition, Vancouver holds an annual Fringe Festival and
   International Film Festival.

   Vancouver is the home to a number of museums and galleries. The
   Vancouver Art Gallery has a permanent collection of over 7,900 items
   valued at over $100 million and is the home of a significant number of
   works by Emily Carr. The Vancouver Maritime Museum is a nautical museum
   with the St. Roch, an historic arctic exploration ship, as its
   centrepiece. The Museum of Anthropology at UBC is a leading museum of
   Pacific Northwest Coast First Nations culture and the Vancouver Museum
   is the largest civic museum in Canada. A more interactive museums is
   Science World.

   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 Alliance's mission is to, "strive towards
   an environment that recognizes, respects, and responds to the
   contribution our sector makes to society’s well-being."
   The Vogue Theatre on Granville Street.
   Enlarge
   The Vogue Theatre on Granville Street.

   Vancouver is a major regional centre for the development of Canadian
   music. The city's musical contributions include performers of
   classical, folk and popular music.

   The city played an important role in the development of punk rock,
   perhaps most famously including the band D.O.A., Nomeansno, and the
   industrial group Skinny Puppy. Other Vancouver bands who achieved
   stardom in London during the punk era were The Pointed Sticks, I,
   Braineater, U-J3RK5 (pronounced "you jerk": the five is silent), the
   Young Canadians (originally the K-Tels) and The Modernettes. Vancouver
   was also where the punk movie "Terminal City Ricochet" was filmed; the
   movie's name comes from a hockey team called the Terminal City
   Ricochets.

   Mainstream pop music has featured bands and performers such as Prism,
   Trooper, Chilliwack, Econoline Crush, and Bryan Adams. Some music stars
   whose names were made abroad have chosen Vancouver as their residence,
   including Sarah McLachlan, Jerry Doucette, Koko Taylor, Jim Byrnes and
   others.

   Larger performances are usually held at venues such as GM Place, Queen
   Elizabeth Theatre, BC Place Stadium or the Pacific Coliseum, while
   smaller acts are held at places such as the Plaza of Nations, the
   Commodore Ballroom, the Orpheum Theatre and the Vogue Theatre.

   Two significant annual music festivals are held in Vancouver. The
   Vancouver Folk Music Festival and the Vancouver International Jazz
   Festival showcase music in their respective genres from around the
   world.

   The CBC Radio Orchestra and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra are the
   two professional orchestras based in the city. It is also home to a
   major opera company, the Vancouver Opera, and numerous regional opera
   companies throughout the metropolitan area.

   Vancouver's large Chinese population has a significant music scene,
   which has produced several Cantopop stars. Similarly, various
   Indo-Canadian artists and actors have a profile in Bollywood or other
   aspects of India's entertainment industry.

   Nightlife in Vancouver had, for years, been seen as restricted in
   comparison to other cities, with early closing times for bars and night
   clubs, and a reluctance by authorities to allow for further
   development. However, since 2003 Vancouver has experimented with later
   closing hours and relaxed regulations, and an effort has been made to
   develop the Downtown core even further as an entertainment district,
   especially on and around Granville Street.

Sports and recreation

   BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions.
   Enlarge
   BC Place Stadium, home of the BC Lions.

   The mild climate of the city and close proximity to ocean, mountains,
   rivers and lakes make the area a popular destination for outdoor
   recreation. Indeed, Vancouver has a low adult obesity rate of 12%
   compared to the Canadian average, 23%; however, while 51% of
   Vancouverites are considered overweight, it is the fourth thinnest city
   in Canada after Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.

   Vancouver has over 1,298 hectares (2,700 acres) of parks, with Stanley
   Park being the largest at 404 hectares (1,000 acres). The municipality
   also has several large beaches, many flowing into each other, with the
   largest groups extending from the coast of Stanley Park before reaching
   False Creek, and on the other side of English Bay, starting in the
   Kitsilano neighbourhood all the way to the University Endowment Lands,
   which are separate from Vancouver. The 18 kilometres (11 miles) of
   beaches that surround Vancouver include English Bay (First Beach),
   Jericho, Kitsilano Beach, Locarno, Second Beach (Stanley Park), Spanish
   Bank East, Spanish Bank Extension, Spanish Bank West, Sunset, and Third
   Beach (Stanley Park). The coastline provides for many types of water
   sport, and the city is a popular destination for boating enthusiasts.

   The nearby North Shore mountains are home to three ski hills, Cypress
   Bowl, Grouse Mountain, and Mount Seymour. Each are within 20 to 30
   minutes (driving time) of downtown Vancouver. Mountain bikers have
   created world-renowned trails across the North Shore. The Capilano
   River, Lynn Creek, Seymour River, are within 20 minutes (driving time)
   of downtown provide opportunities to white water enthusiasts during
   periods of rain and spring melt.

   Vancouver will be the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics, 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.
     * Professional sports teams

   GM Place, home of the Vancouver Canucks.
   Enlarge
   GM Place, home of the Vancouver Canucks.
   Club Sport League Venue
   Vancouver Canucks Ice hockey National Hockey League General Motors
   Place
   British Columbia Lions Football Canadian Football League BC Place
   Stadium
   Vancouver Canadians Baseball (Single A Short Season) Northwest League
   Nat Bailey Stadium
   Vancouver Giants Ice hockey (Junior) Western Hockey League Pacific
   Coliseum
   Whitecaps FC
   Whitecaps Women Soccer USL First Division (men's)
   W-League (women's) Swangard Stadium

Affiliated cities and municipalities

   The City of Vancouver was one of the first cities in Canada to enter
   into an international twinning arrangement. The City of Vancouver has
   created special arrangements for cultural, social and economic benefits
   with the following cities:
     * Odessa, Ukraine (1944)
     * Yokohama, Japan (1965)
     * Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (1978)

     * Guangzhou, People's Republic of China (1985)
     * Los Angeles, United States (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.

   West Vancouver City of North Vancouver District of North Vancouver
   University Endowment Lands North Burnaby
   New Westminster
   West    Vancouver     East
   South
   Strait of Georgia Richmond
   Delta Surrey

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver"
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