Vancouver

THE CITY OF VANCOUVER

Vancouver lies between the forest hills of the Coastal Mountains at the estuary of the Fraser River on the west coast of Canada. The mountains go down to the coast where the natural harbour of Vancouver lies. It is one of the most important harbours of Canada.

Originally Vancouver was called Gastown. The town grew out of a need for a bar to serve thirsty lumber mill workers in the 19^th century. A certain Gassy Jack supplied a barrel of booze and poured drinks for the men that built him a saloon in a day. Before this “heroic” undertaking, the residents in the area where mainly native american indians and the landscape was little more than towering evergreens on a rocky foreshore. Europeans first saw the region's potential, but by the 20th century, immigrants were arriving from around all the countries in the entire in record numbers.

The coast of Vancouver has beautiful sandy beaches. The Japanese Gulf Stream makes the sea water relatively warm. Because of this Vancouver has a moderate climate. In January the temperature rarely drop below zero. The mild climate makes that Canadians often trade Montreal or Toronto for a life on the west coast.

Vancouver is the largest city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, but it is not the capital. The capital is Victoria, a city on the other side of the Strait of Georgia. Vancouver has a population of 600.000 inhabitants. Greater Vancouver counts about 2 million people. The city has a distinct multicultural feel about it. Next to immigrants from southern Europe and Asia, the city has attracted a lot of east-Europeans lately.

It is a very green city. There are more than 180 city parks. Stanley Park is the most important one.

THE PORT OF VANCOUVER

Originally, the Port of Vancouver was the name of the largest harbour iing Canada, the largest in the Pacific Northwest, and the largest port on the West Coast of North America by metric tons of total cargo with 76.5 million metric tons

Later the port amalgamated with the Fraser River Port Authority and the North Fraser Port Authority in 2008 to form the Port Metro Vancouver.

The Port of Vancouver is homeport for the Vancouver-Alaska cruise, one of the world's most popular cruises. Annually from May to September, more than 900,000 passengers on some 275 sailings, pass through the Port's two cruise terminals, Canada Place and Ballantyne. The latest Japanese hybrid vehicle, cruise ships filled with tourists, coal from the Kootenay coalfields, and even your favourite pair of running shoes - all come and go through Port Metro

TRANSPORT IN VANCOUVER

Upon arrival in the Vancouver Airport the visitor can hire a car, take a taxi or use the public transport
Vancouver has a second airport, the Abbotsford International Airport that is used for domestic flights.

The public transport network of Vancouver is great. The entire network is operated by TransLink. It consists of buses, metros and ferries. The network is subdivided in three zones. 1-zone tickets are available, as well as 2- and 3-zone tickets.

The metro/tram is called the Skytrain. It drives without a conductor and circulates above- as well as underground. There are two different lines. Trains run every 2 to 8 minutes.

Vancouver is almost completely surrounded by water. Hence, the importance of boats as a means of public transport. The Seabus sails with a capacity of 400 passengers from North Vancouver to Vancouver in a mere 12 minutes.

Vancouver has 4 taxi companies: Yellow Cabs, Black Top Cabs, Vancouver Taxi and MacLure’s Cabs. The average price for a taxi ride in the centre is 4 to 7 euros. An alternative are the water taxis that can bring the visitor to the different sites in the city.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN VANCOUVER

The old centre of Vancouver has been entirely renovated. During the 1970’s, the oldest part – Gastown – was in a bad state, but the tide has been turned. Gastown is now a well-visited tourist site with cobblestone streets, street lanterns, Victorian architecture, plenty of boutiques, art galleries, bars and restaurants. Close by is Granville Island, a large market where many street artists perform their show. People of Vancouver like to spend their weekends there.

Robson Street
This street is the major shopping artery of Vancouver. Deluxe fashion, great restaurants and bars, and the trendy the coffee-shop culture. Since Vancouver has a reputation of being the Hollywood of the north, you can even do some star spotting here.

Granville Island
One of the small passenger ferries can take you through False Creek to the Granville Island. All year round it attracts visitors with its farmer’s market, boutique micro-brewery, street buskers, artisan studios and live theatre.

Grouse Mountain
This mountain offers breathtaking panoramas of the lower mainland. You can hike to the top of what is known as "Mother Nature's Stairmaster,", but you can also a ride up on the 100-passenger tram.

Stanley Park
A must for visitors is to cycle of walk along the Stanley Park seawall. This 10-km loop road offers an abundance of magnificent mountain, ocean, forest and city views. In the park a visit to the internationally-acclaimed Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, one of North America's five largest aquariums, should be on everyone’s agenda..

UBC Museum of Anthropology

The Museum has one of the world's most magnificent collections of First Nations totem poles, carvings and other artefacts. The collection is housed in an award-winning glass-and-concrete building designed by the world-renowned architect, Arthur Erickson, based on traditional Northwest Coast post-and-beam structures.

Vancouver Cruise Schedules