The beautiful city of Vancouver is located in the Southwestern
corner of British Columbia, Canada; on the coast of the Pacific
Ocean. Being overlooked by the Coast Range Mountains and surrounded
by water on three sides, the city has a landscape that truly takes
your breath away.
The Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) has everything from
Beaches, mountains and 192 beautiful parks to a cosmopolitan downtown
area, fabulous shopping and entertainment. Due to it’s location
it has a mild climate, which means not too much snow in the winter
and pleasant temperatures in the summer, but it does to tend to
have a lot of rain. The average annual rain and snow fall is 1219mm.
As Canada’s third largest city, the downtown area has a population
of 514,000 (1996 census) and the GVRD has a population of almost
two million.
Vancouver is a city of newcomers, according to the 1996 census
45 percent of residents were immigrants. According to international
surveys, Vancouver is one of the best cities in the world for quality
of life. It is also ranked, along with four other Canadian cities,
as one of the safest cities in North America.
The Greater Vancouver Regional District comprises 21 separate municipalities
– each is home to several hundred thousand people and many
were once cities in their own right before being swallowed up by
the urban sprawl. The actual city of Vancouver itself is made up
of 23 different Neighborhoods - each having its own distinct character.
There are many wonderful places to visit, shop and eat in. This
includes a vast number of galleries, sophisticated shopping and
antique shops to choose from. Chinatown is one of the largest in
North America and is a thriving commercial and residential district.
Gastown is the historical part of the city with cobblestone streets,
heritage buildings, shops, restaurants and galleries. It’s located
just south of the harbor and is a vibrant place.
Located just under the Granville Street Bridge is Granville Island
Market which offers a mix of food, arts and crafts, shopping and
theatres. Water taxis ferry shoppers to and from the market or you
can stroll there.
Stanley Park, located close to downtown, has over 1000 acres of
forest and is a firm favorite with both locals and tourists. The
park has many kilometers of pathway, an aquarium, a pitch and putt
golf course, a miniature railway, tennis, restaurants, beaches and
on summer evenings live theatre. Robson Street is in the heart of
downtown and offers boutiques, side walk cafes, shops and restaurants.
The city has many tree lined streets and no highway cutting through
the city so walking is encouraged. It is illegal to cross the street
anywhere but at a marked intersection crossing in the city.
There is an excellent public transport system which consists of
buses, Seabus, Skytrain and a commuter rail service called the West
Coast Express. This is an integrated system and you can use the
same tickets for different modes of transport. There is also an
extensive system of bikeways, so cycling is another good way to
get around.
The Port of Vancouver rates number one in North America in total
foreign exports and is the gateway for Asia-Pacific trade. It has
a natural deep water harbor and covers 233 kilometers of coastline.
In 2003 its total cargo traffic was 66.7 million tones. The Port
is also home to the Vancouver - Alaska cruise, one of the worlds
most popular cruises.
There are many attractions in and around the city offering a wide
variety of activities.
Grouse Mountain - located just 15 minutes from downtown, also known
as the Peak of Vancouver. Riding the Gondola to the mountain top
is an absolute must, in the winter you can experience the skiing,
snowboarding, snow-shoeing, ice skating and sleigh rides and in
the summer mountain bike tours, helicopter tours, tandem paragliding
or maybe just enjoy the magnificent views at one of the restaurants.
Science World - located on Quebec Street offers hundreds of interactive
exhibits, wrap around movies in a giant theatre and year round special
events. There are always new exhibits arriving so it never gets
boring.
Capilano Suspension bridge and Park - located 10 minutes from downtown
is the city’s most popular visitor attraction. The swaying footbridge
bridge is 230 feet above the Capilano River and spans 450 feet.
There is also a colorful Totem park, trails through the West Coast
rain forest and much more.
Vancouver Zoo is located in Aldergrove just off the Trans Canada
Highway. They are open all year round and offer either daily admission
rates or season passes. There is a miniature safari train and a
safari bus tour, you can also hire quadra cycles or bring your own
bikes, in-line skates or any motor-less transportation to get you
around.
The city Aquarium is situated 5 minutes from downtown in Stanley
Park. They are a self supporting and not for profit group and are
Canada’s leading aquatic conservation organization. Open year round
they have many different types of marine life to learn about and
a daily schedule of shows.
The Vancouver Canucks are one of the strongest teams in the NHL
(Ice Hockey) and with the BC lions always very competitive, there
is a good supply of sports choices.
Vancouver is without doubt the most impressive city I have ever
stayed in and is a must to visit if you are in Canada. Undoubtedly
one of the most expensive places to buy property in Canada but with
the amount the city has to offer I can understand why. For more
detailed information including full descriptions of each municipality,
visit http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com/vancouver.html
About the Author:
The author immigrated to Canada in 2003 and has constructed a free
information website http://www.onestopimmigration-canada.com about
Canadian Immigration and life in Canada based on his family’s
experiences.
Read more articles by: Dave Lympany
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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