| Vancouver is the largest city in Western Canada, and | | | | only city at sea level to host them. |
| third largest in Canada. Located at the southwestern | | | | Vancouver is perhaps best known for its scenic |
| corner of the coastal province of British Columbia. It | | | | beauty, and the opportunities afforded by its natural |
| is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is | | | | environment. Vancouver is one of those rare places |
| nestled between the coastal mountains and the | | | | where you can ski in the mountains, windsurf in the |
| Pacific ocean. It is frequently ranked as one of the | | | | ocean, and play a round of golf all in the same day. |
| "best cities to live in" and is certainly a beautiful | | | | Surrounded by water on three sides, and crowned |
| destination to visit. | | | | by the North Shore mountains, Vancouver is a great |
| While Vancouver is a comparatively young city, at | | | | destination in itself, as well a a great starting point for |
| just over 100 years, its history begins long before. | | | | discovering the area's many outdoor activities. |
| The indigenous peoples (First Nations) have lived in | | | | Vancouver is a major sea port on the Pacific Ocean, |
| the area for thousands of years, and Vancouver's | | | | and a base for many Alaska Cruise Ships in the |
| namesake Captain George Vancouver sailed through | | | | summer. |
| the First Narrows in 1792. The first settlement on the | | | | Landmarks/Points of Interest |
| downtown peninsula was Granville, located on the | | | | Canada Place Venture over to the cruise boats ready |
| spot of today's Gastown. In the year of Canada's | | | | to depart and you can converse with the lucky |
| confederation a saloon was built on this site and gave | | | | passengers about to embark on 'inside passage' tours |
| birth to a small shantytown of bars and stores | | | | through Alaska. CP has an IMAX theatre as well. CP is |
| adjacent to the original mill on the south shore of | | | | located adjacent to the Pan Pacific Hotel. |
| what is now the city's harbour. A seemingly endless | | | | The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is the |
| supply of high quality lumber was logged and sold | | | | first full-sized classical Chinese garden outside China. It |
| through the ports of Gastown and Moodyville, across | | | | is located in China town on the edge of downtown |
| the inlet. Some of trees were gigantic beams which | | | | Vancouver. |
| were was shipped to China to construct Beijing's | | | | International Buddhist Temple is the most authentic |
| Imperial Palace), and one account maintains that the | | | | example of traditional palatial Chinese architecture in |
| world's windjammer fleets could not have been built | | | | North America. It is an edifice straight out of the |
| without the trees of Burrard Inlet. Vancouver proper | | | | Chinese past, as it resembles any authentic temple |
| was signed into existence in 1886. The first City Hall | | | | that can be found along the banks of the Yangtze |
| was little more than a hand painted sign nailed to a | | | | River, where one of the world's oldest civilizations |
| wooden tent post. The arrival of the transcontinental | | | | originated. Come explore traditional Chinese art, |
| railway a few years later spurred growth even more | | | | culture, and the Buddhist philosophy inside this |
| and by 1892 the area had over 20,000 residents; | | | | magnificent place. Free admission. |
| eighteen years later this figure was over 100,000. | | | | University of British Columbia This Campus has |
| Factor in constant growth every year since (many in | | | | streets lined with trees and stretching over an area |
| the double digits), and Greater Vancouver today is | | | | encompassing a small city, the UBC campus offers |
| Canada's largest metropolitan area west of Toronto | | | | much to see and much to do. You can attend free |
| with well over 2,000,000 residents, roughly half of | | | | lectures, relax at clothes-optional Wreck Beach [18], |
| British Columbia's population as a whole. It is also the | | | | or see a show at the Chan Centre for Performing |
| fastest growing part of Canada. Greater Vancouver | | | | Arts [19]. The UBC Libraries form the second largest |
| is one of the most ethnically diverse metropolitan | | | | library collection in all of Canada (second only to |
| areas in the world and is home to the second largest | | | | University of Toronto). A must for cash-strapped |
| Chinatown in the world. | | | | visitors: UBC often hosts free events, such as |
| The city truly arrived in 1986 when Vancouver | | | | seminars, theatrical performances or student |
| "hosted the world" with the Expo 86 World Fair. | | | | concerts. |
| Media attention from around the world was | | | | Granville Island is Vancouver's famous public market. |
| consistently positive, and many considered it the | | | | Along with the large market there are also numorus |
| most successful World's Fair to date. Vancouver has | | | | local art galleries, restaurants and even a brewery. |
| been awarded the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and | | | | Gastown is Vancouver's historic district, there are |
| this event will no doubt cast Vancouver into the | | | | many tourist shops, restaurants and pubs in this area. |
| world spotlight once again. It will be the largest city | | | | This is also where Storyeum is located. |
| ever to host the winter games, and interestingly, the | | | | |