Vancouver - The Best City In The World?
Dave Lympany

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.