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←Replaced page with '== Notable people == Colton Heiller (Jesus) Kyle Street (another name for God) Jake Hunt (who's first name should be 'Mike') Michael Flores (the bible fucker)'
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== Notable people ==
<!-- PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING YOUR ADDITIONS TO THE VANCOUVER DAUGHTER PAGES. THIS ARTICLE IS MATURE. -->
{{otheruses}}
<!-- Infobox begins -->
{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name = Vancouver
|nickname = Van City
|other_name =
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|motto = "By Sea, Land, and Air We Prosper"
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|image_caption = Downtown Vancouver
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|map_caption = Location of Vancouver within the [[Metro Vancouver]] district in British Columbia, Canada
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|subdivision_name2 = [[Lower Mainland]]
|subdivision_type3 = [[List of British Columbia Regional Districts|Regional District]]
|subdivision_name3 = [[Metro Vancouver]]
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|leader_title =[[Mayor]]
|leader_name =[[Sam Sullivan]] ([[Non-Partisan Association|NPA]])
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|title ='''List of Councilors'''
|frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
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|1=[[Suzanne Anton]] ([[Non-Partisan Association|NPA]])
|2=[[Peter Ladner]] ([[Non-Partisan Association|NPA]])
|3=[[Kim Capri]] ([[Non-Partisan Association|NPA]])
|4=[[Elizabeth Ball]] ([[Non-Partisan Association|NPA]])
|5=[[B.C. Lee]] ([[Non-Partisan Association|NPA]])
|6=[[Raymond Louie]] ([[Vision Vancouver|Vision]])
|7=[[Tim Stevenson]] ([[Vision Vancouver|Vision]])
|8=[[George Chow]] ([[Vision Vancouver|Vision]])
|9=[[Heather Deal]] ([[Vision Vancouver|Vision]])
|10=[[David Cadman]] ([[Coalition of Progressive Electors|COPE]])
}}
|leader_title2 =[[Members of the Canadian House of Commons|MPs]]
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|1 = [[Libby Davies]] ([[New Democratic Party of Canada|NDP]])
|2 = [[Ujjal Dosanjh]] ([[Liberal Party of Canada|Lib]])
|3 = [[David Emerson]] ([[Conservative Party of Canada|Con]])
|4=[[Hedy Fry]] ([[Liberal Party of Canada|Lib]])
|5=[[Stephen Owen]] ([[Liberal Party of Canada|Lib]])
}}


Colton Heiller (Jesus)
|leader_title3 = [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|MLAs]]
|leader_name3 = {{Collapsible list
|title = '''List of MLAs'''
|frame_style = border:none; padding: 0;
|list_style = text-align:left;display:none;
|1 = [[Gordon Campbell]] ([[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Lib]])
|2 = [[David Chudnovsky (politician)|David Chudnovsky]] ([[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|NDP]])
|3 = [[Adrian Dix]] ([[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|NDP]])
|4=[[Colin Hansen]] ([[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Lib]])
|5=[[Jenny Kwan]] ([[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|NDP]])
|6=[[Lorne Mayencourt]] ([[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Lib]])
|7=[[Wally Oppal]] ([[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Lib]])
|8=[[Gregor Robertson (politician)|Gregor Robertson]]
|9=[[Shane Simpson]] ([[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|NDP]])
|10=[[Carole Taylor]] ([[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Lib]])
}}


Kyle Street (another name for God)
|leader_title4 =
|leader_name4 =
|established_title = Incorporated
|established_date = 1886
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|unit_pref = <!--Enter: Imperial, if Imperial (metric) is desired-->
|area_footnotes =
|area_total_km2 = 114.67
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|area_water_km2 =
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|population_footnotes =
|population_note =
|population_total = 611,869
|population_density_km2 = 5252
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_metro =2,249,725 ([[http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/pop/pop/mun/Mun2007txt.pdf|ranked 3rd]])
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|population_urban =
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|population_blank1_title = [[Demonym]]
|population_blank1 = Vancouverite
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|elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
|elevation_m = 2
|elevation_ft =
|postal_code_type = Postal code span
|postal_code =V5K to V6Z
|area_code =[[Area code 604/778|604, 778]]
|blank_name = [[National Topographic System|NTS]] Map
|blank_info = 092G03
|blank1_name = [[Geographical Names Board of Canada|GNBC]] Code
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|website = [http://vancouver.ca/ City of Vancouver]
|footnotes =
}} <!-- Infobox ends -->


Jake Hunt (who's first name should be 'Mike')
'''Vancouver''' ({{pronEng|vænˈkuːvɚ}}<ref>''[sic]:'' not {{IPA|/væ'''ŋ'''ˈkuːvɚ/}}.</ref>) is a coastal city and major seaport, located on the mainland of southwestern [[British Columbia]], [[Canada]]. It is named after Captain [[George Vancouver]], a [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] explorer.


Michael Flores (the bible fucker)
The population of the city of Vancouver is 611,869,<ref name="gvrdpop"/> while the population of the metropolitan region, known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) or [[Metro Vancouver]], is 2,249,725 (2007 estimate).<ref name="gvrdpop">{{cite web| title= GVRD Population Estimates 1996 - 2006 |url=http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/pop/pop/mun/Mun2007txt.pdf |publisher=BC statistics |accessdate=2007-01-28}}</ref> This makes it the largest metropolitan area in western Canada and the [[List of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada|third largest]] in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo05a.htm |title=Population of census metropolitan areas (2001 Census boundaries) |publisher=Statistics Canada |accessdate=2006-09-15}}</ref>
Vancouver is [[Ethnic groups in Canada|ethnically diverse]], with 52% of city residents<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/Language/Table401.cfm?Lang=E&T=401&GH=7&GF=59&G5=0&SC=1&RPP=100&SR=401&S=0&O=A&D1=1
|title=2006 Census: Population by mother tongue - cities
|accessdate=2007-12-17}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/cityplans/CityFacts04.pdf
|title= City Facts 2004
|publisher=City of Vancouver
|accessdate=2006-11-11}}</ref> and 43% of Metro residents<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/Language/Table401.cfm?Lang=E&T=401&GH=5&GF=59&SC=1&S=0&O=A
|title=2006 Census: Population by mother tongue - Metro regions
|accessdate=2007-12-17}}
</ref>
having a [[first language]] other than [[English language|English]]. The population of the city is growing rapidly, and the Metro population is projected to reach 2.6 million by 2020.<ref>
{{cite web | title = Urban Statistics| publisher = City Mayors| url = http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/urban_2020_2.html Urban Statistics - 2020 projection| accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> [[Population density]] is highest for a major city on the continent after [[New York City]], [[San Francisco]], and [[Mexico City]], and on track to being second by 2021.<ref>
{{cite web | title = Vancouver| publisher = Emporis, Inc.| url = http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/?id=100997| accessdate=2007-11-25}}</ref>

Vancouver is located between the [[Strait of Georgia]] and the [[Coast Mountains]]. [[Economy of Vancouver|Its economy]] has traditionally relied on British Columbia's resource sectors: [[forestry]], [[mining]], [[fishing]] and [[Agriculture in Canada|agriculture]]. It was first settled in the 1860s as a result of [[Immigration to Canada|immigration]] caused by the [[Fraser Canyon Gold Rush]], particularly from the United States, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small [[sawmill|lumber mill]] town into a metropolitan centre following the arrival of the [[Canadian Pacific Railway|transcontinental railway]] in 1887. The [[Port of Vancouver]] became internationally significant after the completion of the [[Panama Canal]], which reduced freight rates in the 1920s and made it viable to ship export-bound [[Canadian Prairies|prairie grain]] west through Vancouver.<ref>{{cite journal| last = Stevens| first = Leah| title = Rise of the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia| journal = Economic Geography| volume = 12| issue = 1| pages = 61–70| publisher = Clark University| date = January 1936| url = http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-0095%28193601%2912%3A1%3C61%3AROTPOV%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R| doi= 10.2307/140264 |accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> It has since become the busiest seaport in Canada, and exports more cargo than any other port in [[North America]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Port Facts| publisher = Port of Vancouver| url = http://www.portvancouver.com/media/port_facts.html| accessdate =2007-01-17}}</ref>

The economy of Vancouver has diversified over time, however. Vancouver has a growing [[Tourism in Canada|tourism]] industry, for example, and has become the third-largest [[principal photography|film production]] centre in North America, after [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] and [[New York City]], earning it the nickname [[Hollywood North#Vancouver|Hollywood North]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tourismvancouver.com/pdf/research/monthly_overnight_visitors_1994_2005.pdf|title=Overnight visitors to Greater Vancouver by volume, monthly and annual basis|publisher=Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau|accessdate=2006-11-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.vancouvereconomic.com/key_sectors/default.htm |title=Key Sectors |publisher=Vancouver Economic Development Commission |accessdate=2006-11-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Industry Profile|url=http://www.bcfilmcommission.com/about_us/industry_profile.htm|publisher=BC Film Commission|accessdate=2006-12-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Vancouver Film Industry|url=http://www.vancouver.com/movies/hollywood_north/vancouver_film_industry_overview/index.htm|publisher=Vancouver.com|accessdate=2006-12-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last = Gasher | first = Mike | title = Hollywood North: The Feature Film Industry in British Columbia|publisher = University of British Columbia Press | date = November 2002 | location = Vancouver | id = ISBN 077-4809-67-1}}</ref> Vancouver has had an expansion in high-tech industries, most notably [[video game development]].

Vancouver is consistently ranked one of the three most livable cities in the world.<ref>{{cite news | title = Vancouver and Melbourne top city league| publisher = BBC News| date = 4 October 2002 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2299119.stm | accessdate =2006-11-14 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Vancouver is 'best place to live' | publisher = BBC News | date = 4 October 2005| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4306936.stm | accessdate =2007-01-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Vancouver world's second-best place to live: survey| publisher = CBC News| date = 3 March 2003| url = http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2003/03/03/cities030303.html | accessdate =2007-09-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Readers Choice Awards 2005|publisher = Condé Nast Traveler |url=http://www.concierge.com/bestof/readerschoice/top_cities/topcities_americas | accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref> According to a 2007 report by [[Mercer Human Resource Consulting]] for example, Vancouver tied with [[Vienna]] as having the third highest quality of living in the world, after [[Zürich]] and [[Geneva]].<ref>
{{cite web | title = Vancouver leads Canadian cities in world survey| publisher = CBC.ca| url = http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/04/02/city-rankings-070402.html| accessdate=2007-04-02}}</ref><ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-expensivecities/ Expensive cities: The global cost of living]. Interactive map. CBC.ca. Retrieved: 2007-06-19.</ref> In 2007, Vancouver was ranked the second most expensive in Canada after [[Toronto]], and, in 2006, the 56th most expensive city in which to live among 143 major cities in the world; in the same survey, [[Zurich]] and [[Geneva]] were ranked as the ninth and seventh most expensive, respectively.<ref>{{cite news|first=Eric|last=Beauchesne|title=Toronto pegged as priciest place to live in Canada|publisher=CanWest News Service|date=24 June 2006|url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=245b1dc8-1b43-46cb-bd84-6e78ab8a5afb&k=54140|accessdate=2006-11-23}}</ref>

The [[2010 Winter Olympics]] will be held in Vancouver and nearby [[Whistler, British Columbia|Whistler]].<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/vancouver/election_uk.asp|title=Vancouver 2010 Election|publisher=International Olympic Committee|accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.winter2010.com/|title=Vancouver 2010|publisher=Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic Games|accessdate=2007-01-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=|title=Vancouver to host 2010 Winter Olympics||publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/sport/newsid_3039000/3039690.stm|date=2003-07-18|accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of Vancouver}}

[[Archaeology|Archaeological]] records indicate that the presence of [[First Nations|Aboriginal peoples]] in the Vancouver area dates back 4,500–9,000 years.<ref>{{cite web | last = Thom| first = Brian|year = 1996| url = http://home.istar.ca/~bthom/LONGTERM-FIN.htm | title = Stó:lo Culture - Ideas of Prehistory and Changing Cultural Relationships to the Land and Environment| accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last = Davis| first = Chuck | coauthors = Roy Carlson | title = Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopaedia | publisher = Linkman Press| date = 1997|location = Surrey, BC| pages = 31| url = http://www.discovervancouver.com/GVB/vancouver-archaeology.asp| id = ISBN 978-1896846002}}</ref> The coastline of present-day [[West Point Grey|Point Grey]] was first explored by a European in 1791 by [[José María Narváez]] of [[Spanish Empire|Spain]], followed by [[George Vancouver]], who also explored the inner harbour of [[Burrard Inlet]] in 1792 and gave various places [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] names.<ref>{{cite book| last = Davis| first = Chuck | coauthors = W. Kaye Lamb | title = Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopaedia | publisher = Linkman Press| date = 1997 | location = Surrey, BC| pages = 34–36| url = http://www.discovervancouver.com/GVB/captain-george-vancouver.asp | id = ISBN 978-1896846002}}</ref>

[[Image:First Vancouver Council Meeting after fire.jpg|thumb|left|The first Vancouver City Council meeting after the 1886 fire<ref>{{cite news| last = Smedman| first = Lisa| title = History of Naming Vancouver's Streets: Hamilton's Legacy| publisher = Vancouver Courier| date =Friday, March, 03, 2006 | url = http://www.lestwarog.com/newsArticle-1945.html | accessdate =2007-08-05}}</ref>]]

The explorer and [[North West Company]] trader [[Simon Fraser (explorer)|Simon Fraser]] and his crew were the first Europeans known to have set foot on the site of the present-day city. In 1808, they descended the [[Fraser River]] perhaps as far as Point Grey, near the [[University of British Columbia]].<ref>{{cite web| title = History of City of Vancouver| publisher = Caroun.com| url = http://www.caroun.com/Countries/America/Canada/Vancouver/2-VancouverHistory.html | accessdate =2007-01-17}}</ref>

The [[Cariboo Gold Rush]] of 1861 brought 25,000 men, mainly from [[California]], to the mouth of the Fraser River and what would become Vancouver.<ref name="Vancouver's past">{{cite book| last = Hull| first = Raymond| title = Vancouver's Past| publisher = University of Washington Press| date = 1974| location = Seattle|coauthors=Soules, Gordon, Soules, Christine| id = ISBN 978-0295953649}}</ref> The first European settlement was established in 1862 at McLeery's Farm on the Fraser River, just east of the ancient village of [[Musqueam]] in what is now [[Marpole]]. A sawmill established at Moodyville (now the [[North Vancouver, British Columbia (city)|City of North Vancouver]]) in 1863 began the city's long relationship with [[logging|lumbering]], and was quickly followed by mills on the south shore of the inlet owned by Captain Edward Stamp. Stamp, who had begun lumbering in the [[Port Alberni, British Columbia|Port Alberni]] area, first attempted to run a mill at [[Brockton Point]], but difficult currents and reefs forced the relocation of the operation to a point near the foot of Gore Street, known as [[Hastings Mill]]. The mill formed the nucleus around which Vancouver formed. The mill's central role in the city waned after the arrival of the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] (CPR) in the 1880s, but it nonetheless remained important to the local economy until it closed in the 1920s.<ref name="GVB">{{cite book | last = Davis| first = Chuck| title = The Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopaedia | publisher = Linkman Press| date = 1997| location = Surrey, British Columbia | pages = 39–47| url = http://www.discovervancouver.com/gvb/history-of-vancouver.asp|accessdate =|id = ISBN 978-1896846002}}</ref>

Vancouver is among British Columbia's youngest cities.<ref name="Horizons">{{cite book | last = Cranny| first = Michael| coauthors = Jarvis, Moles, Seney| title = Horizons: Canada Moves West| publisher = Prentice Hall Ginn Canada| date = 1999| location = Scarborough, ON| id = ISBN 9780130123671}}</ref> The settlement of [[Gastown]] grew up quickly around the original makeshift [[tavern]] established by “Gassy” [[John Deighton|Jack Deighton]] in 1867 on the edge of the Hastings Mill property.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gastown.org - History|url=http://www.gastown.org/history/index.html|accessdate=2006-10-05}}</ref><ref name="Horizons"/> In 1870, the [[Colony of British Columbia|colonial government]] surveyed the settlement and laid out a townsite, renamed “Granville,” in honour of the then British [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]], [[Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville]]. This site, with its natural harbour, was eventually selected as the terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway to the disappointment of [[Port Moody, British Columbia|Port Moody]], [[New Westminster, British Columbia|New Westminster]] and [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], all of which had vied to be the railhead. The building of the railway was among the preconditions for British Columbia joining [[Canadian Confederation|Confederation]] in 1871.

The City of Vancouver was incorporated on [[6 April]] [[1886]], the same year that the first transcontinental train arrived. The name, honouring George Vancouver, was chosen by CPR president [[William Van Horne]], who arrived in Port Moody to establish the CPR terminus recommended by [[Henry John Cambie]].<ref name="Horizons"/> A [[Great Vancouver Fire|massive "slash burn" (clearing fire)]] broke out of control on [[13 June]] [[1886]], razing the entire city. It was quickly rebuilt, and the [[Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services|Vancouver Fire Department]] was established that same year.<ref name="GVB"/> 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.<ref>{{cite book| last = Davis| first = Chuck | coauthors = Richard von Kleist | title = Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopaedia | publisher = Linkman Press| date = 1997 | location = Surrey, BC| pages = 780 | id = ISBN 978-1896846002}}</ref>

During the 1898 [[Klondike Gold Rush]], Vancouver merchants sold a great deal of equipment to prospectors.<ref name="Vancouver's past"/> 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.<ref>{{cite web | title = Our History: Acquisitions, RETAIL, Woodward's Stores Limited| publisher = Hudson's Bay Company| url = http://www.hbc.com/hbcheritage/history/acquisitions/retail/woodwards.asp| accessdate =2007-01-23}}</ref>

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 [[Port of Vancouver|seaport]], where commercial traffic constituted the largest economic sector in Vancouver by the 1930s.<ref>{{cite journal| last = McCandless | first = R. C.| title = Vancouver's 'Red Menace' of 1935: The Waterfront Situation| journal = BC Studies | issue = 22| pages = 68| date = 1974 }}</ref>
[[Image:1898 Van Pan Map.jpg|thumb|right|Panorama of Vancouver, 1898]]

The dominance of the economy by big business was accompanied by an often militant [[Trades and Labour Congress of Canada|labour movement]]. The first major sympathy [[strike action|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.<ref>{{cite book| last = Phillips| first = Paul A.| title = No Power Greater: A Century of Labour in British Columbia| publisher = BC Federation of Labour/Boag Foundation| date = 1967| location = Vancouver| pages = 39–41 }}</ref> Canada's first general strike occurred following the death of another labour leader, [[Albert Goodwin|Ginger Goodwin]], in 1918, at the [[Cumberland, British Columbia|Cumberland]] coal mines on [[Vancouver Island]].<ref>{{cite book| last = Phillips| first = Paul A.| title = No Power Greater: A Century of Labour in British Columbia| publisher = BC Federation of Labour/Boag Foundation| date = 1967| location = Vancouver| pages = 71–74 }}</ref> A lull in industrial tensions through the later 1920s came to an abrupt end with the [[Great Depression]]. Most of the 1930s strikes were led by [[Communist Party of Canada|Communist Party]] organizers.<ref>{{cite journal| last = Manley| first = John | title = Canadian Communists, Revolutionary Unionism, and the 'Third Period': The Workers' Unity League,| journal = Journal of the Canadian Historical Association, New Series| volume = 5| pages = 167–194| date = 1994| url = http://www.erudit.org/revue/jcha/1994/v5/n1/031078ar.pdf | accessdate =}}</ref> 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 Workers' Union|relief camp strikers]] decided to take their grievances to the federal government and embarked on the [[On-to-Ottawa Trek]].<ref>{{cite book| last = Brown| first = Lorne| title = When Freedom was Lost: The Unemployed, the Agitator, and the State| publisher = Black Rose Books| date = 1987| location = Montreal| id = ISBN 978-0920057773}}</ref>

Other social movements, such as the [[first-wave feminism|first-wave feminist]], moral reform, and [[temperance movement]]s were also influential in Vancouver's development. [[Mary Ellen Smith]], a Vancouver [[women's suffrage|suffragist]] and [[Prohibition in Canada|prohibitionist]], became the first woman elected to a [[Legislative Assemblies of Canadian provinces and territories|provincial legislature]] in Canada in 1918.<ref>{{cite book| last = Robin| first = Martin| title = The Rush for Spoils: The Company Province,| publisher = McClelland and Stewart| date = 1972| location = Toronto| pages = 172| id = ISBN 0771076754}}</ref> Alcohol prohibition began in the [[World War I|First World War]] and lasted until 1921, when the provincial government established its control over alcohol sales, which still persists today.<ref>{{cite book| last = Robin| first = Martin| title = The Rush for Spoils: The Company Province,| publisher = McClelland and Stewart| date = 1972| location = Toronto| pages = 187–188| id = ISBN 0771076754}}</ref> Canada's first [[prohibition (drugs)|drug law]] came about following an inquiry conducted by the federal [[Minister of Labour (Canada)|Minister of Labour]] and future [[Prime Minister of Canada|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 (Vancouver)|Chinatown]] and [[Japantown (Vancouver)|Japantown]]. Two of the claimants were [[opium]] manufacturers, and after further investigation, King found that white women were reportedly frequenting [[opium den]]s as well as [[Chinese Canadian|Chinese]] men. A federal law banning the manufacture, sale, and importation of opium for non-medicinal purposes was soon passed based on these revelations.<ref>{{cite paper| author =Catherine Carstairs|title = 'Hop Heads' and 'Hypes':Drug Use, Regulation and Resistance in Canada, | publisher = University of Toronto | date = 2000| url =http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ53757.pdf| format = PDF| accessdate =}}</ref>

[[Amalgamation (politics)|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 [[1 January]] [[1929]], the population of the enlarged Vancouver was 228,193 and it filled the entire peninsula between the [[Burrard Inlet]] and the Fraser River.<ref>{{cite book| last = Francis| first = Daniel| title = L.D.:Mayor Louis Taylor and the Rise of Vancouver| publisher = Arsenal Pulp Press| date = 2004| location = Vancouver| pages = 135| id = ISBN 1-55152-156-3}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{see|Bodies of water in Vancouver}}{{see|Climate of Vancouver}}
The original [[vegetation]] of most of Vancouver and its suburbs was dense [[temperate rain forest]], consisting of [[Pinophyta|conifers]] with scattered pockets of [[maple]] and [[alder]], as well as large areas of [[swamp]]land (even in upland areas, due to poor [[drainage]]).<ref>{{cite web| title= Stanley Park, Vancouver Parks Board, 2006| url=http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/Parks/parks/stanley/|publisher=City of Vancouver |accessdate=2006-11-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=? |title = The Natural History of Richmond, British Columbia|author = Margaret E A North|publisher = University of British Columbia}}</ref>

[[Image:vanc scenery2006.jpg|thumb|left|[[Stanley Park]], with the [[Coal Harbour]] residential area in the background]]

The conifers were a typical coastal British Columbia mix of [[Douglas-fir]], [[Thuja plicata|Western red cedar]] and [[Western Hemlock]];<ref>Environment Canada. [http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/Framework/Nardesc/Region.cfm?region=196 "Lower Mainland Ecoregion"] Narrative Descriptions of Terrestrial Ecozones and Ecoregions of Canada (#196). Retrieved on: [[August 3]], [[2007]].</ref> thought to have been the greatest concentration of the largest of these trees on the entire [[British Columbia Coast]]. Only in [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]]'s [[Elliott Bay]] did the trees rival those of [[Burrard Inlet]] and [[English Bay (Vancouver)|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 [[Secondary forest|second]] and third growth, and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can still be seen there.

A diverse collection of [[plant]]s and [[tree]]s were imported from other parts of the continent and from points across the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], and can be found growing throughout Vancouver and the [[Lower Mainland]]. Various species of [[Arecaceae|palm]] trees have proven hardy in this climate and are a common sight, as are large numbers of other exotic trees such as the [[Araucaria araucana|monkey puzzle tree]], the [[Acer palmatum|Japanese Maple]], and various flowering exotics such as [[magnolia]]s, [[azalea]]s, and [[rhododendron]]s. Many rhododendrons have grown to immense sizes, as have other species imported from harsher climates in [[Eastern Canada]] or [[Europe]]. The native [[Acer glabrum|Douglas Maple]] can also attain a tremendous size. Many streets in the city are lined with flowering varieties of [[Sakura|Japanese cherry]] trees that were donated by [[Japan]], starting in the 1930s.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Short History of Our Trees|url=http://www.vancouvercherryblossomfestival.com/vcbf/history|publisher=Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival|accessdate=2006-11-11}}</ref> Certain areas of [[West Vancouver, British Columbia|West Vancouver]] that have the right soil requirements are home to the [[Arbutus menziesii]] tree.

[[Image:Strait of Georgia.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Strait of Georgia]]]]

Vancouver has an area of 114&nbsp;[[square kilometre]]s (44&nbsp;[[square mile|sq&nbsp;mi]]), 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.<ref>{{cite web| title = Pacific Maritime Ecozone| publisher = Environment Canada| url = http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/Framework/NarDesc/pacmar_e.cfm Pacific Maritime Ecozone| accessdate =2006-11-14}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=World66 - Vancouver Travel Guide|url=http://www.world66.com/northamerica/canada/britishcolumbia/vancouver|publisher=World 66|accessdate=2006-10-18}}</ref> 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, British Columbia|Sunshine Coast]] to the northwest.<ref name="aboutvancouver">{{cite web | title = About Vancouver| publisher = City of Vancouver| url = http://vancouver.ca/aboutvan.htm#history| accessdate =2007-01-17}}</ref>

[[Image:Stanley Park 1999 Rain.jpg|left|thumb|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, British Columbia|Victoria]], [[Nanaimo, British Columbia|Nanaimo]], and [[Duncan, British Columbia|Duncan]], all of which are on Vancouver Island.<ref>{{cite web| title = Weather Winners &mdash; Mildest Winters| publisher = Environment Canada| url = http://www.on.ec.gc.ca/weather/winners/element.cfm?lang=e | accessdate =2007-01-23}}</ref> Vancouver has daily minimum temperatures falling below 0&nbsp;[[Celsius|°C]] (32&nbsp;[[Fahrenheit|°F]]) on an average of 46 days per year and below -10&nbsp;°C (14&nbsp;°F) on only two days per year. The average annual precipitation is about 1,219&nbsp;millimetres (48&nbsp;[[inch|in]]), though this varies dramatically throughout the city due to the topography.<ref name="aboutvancouver" /> Summer months are quite sunny with moderate temperatures, tempered by sea breezes. The daily maximum averages 22&nbsp;°C (72&nbsp;°F) in July and August, although temperatures sometimes rise above 26&nbsp;°C (78&nbsp;°F).<ref>{{cite web|title=British Columbia - Weather and Climate|url=http://www.britishcolumbia.com/information/details.asp?id=16|accessdate=2006-10-08}}</ref> 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 measurable precipitation. On average, [[snow]] falls on only eleven days per year, with only three days receiving six or more centimetres (2.5&nbsp;in or more).

While the number of cars in Vancouver proper has been steadily rising with population growth, the rate of car ownership and the average distance driven by daily commuters have fallen since the early 1990s.<ref name="VanMag" /><ref>{{cite web|title =Traffic entering Vancouver, 1986 to 2005| publisher = City of Vancouver| url = http://www.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/cityplans/transportation/traffic.htm| accessdate =2007-05-30}}</ref> Vancouver is the only major Canadian city with these trends. Despite the fact that the journey time per vehicle has increased by one third and growing traffic mass, there are 7% fewer cars making trips into the downtown core.<ref name="VanMag">{{cite web|url=http://www.vanmag.com/articles/07jun/Drivinglessons2.shtml|title= Driving Lessons|publisher=Vancouver Magazine|date=June 2007|accessdate= 2007-08-11}}</ref> Residents have been more inclined to live in areas closer to their interests, or use more energy-efficient means of travel, such as mass transit and cycling. This is, in part, the result of a push by city planners for a solution to traffic problems and pro-environment campaigns. [[Transportation Demand Management|Transportation demand management]] policies have imposed restrictions on drivers making it more difficult and expensive to commute while introducing more benefits for non-drivers.<ref name="VanMag" />

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Vancouver}}
[[Image:Visible Minorities of Vancouver.png|thumb|In 2001, 49% of the Vancouver population were [[visible minority|visible minorities]]]]

[[Urban planning|City planners]] in the late 1950s and 1960s deliberately encouraged the development of high-rise residential towers in Vancouver's [[West End, Vancouver|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]]), according to the [[Canada 2001 Census|2001 census]].<ref>{{cite web | year = 2003 | url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/cityplans/CityFacts04.pdf | title = City facts 2004 | format = PDF | publisher = City of Vancouver | accessdate =}}</ref> The city continues to pursue policies intended to increase density as an alternative to [[urban sprawl|sprawl]], such as Mayor [[Sam Sullivan]]'s EcoDensity &mdash; 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.<ref>{{cite web| title=Vancouver EcoDensity Initiative|url=http://www.mayorsamsullivan.ca/ecodensity/| publisher = Sam Sullivan|accessdate=2006-08-11}}</ref>

Vancouver has been called a "city of neighbourhoods", each with a distinct character and ethnic mix.<ref>{{cite paper| author = Thomas R. Berger| title = A City of Neighbourhoods: Report of the 2004 Vancouver Electoral Reform Commission| publisher = City of Vancouver| date = 8 June 2004| url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/erc/pdf/verc_report.pdf| format = [[PDF]]| accessdate =}}</ref> People of British origin were historically the largest ethnic group in the city, and elements of British society and culture are still highly visible in some areas, particularly South Granville <!--whatever the city's new name for it is; Granville from 6th to 16th--> and Kerrisdale. The [[Chinese Canadian|Chinese]] are by far the largest visible ethnic group in the city, and Vancouver has one of the most diverse [[Chinese language|Chinese]]-speaking communities, with several Chinese dialects being represented.<ref>{{cite web|title=Visible minorities (2001 census)|url=http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo53e.htm|publisher=Statistics Canada|accessdate=2006-10-19}}</ref><ref name="GVB"/> There are also some neighbourhoods with high concentrations of single ethnic groups, such as the [[Punjabi Market, Vancouver|Punjabi Market]], [[Little Italy, Vancouver|Little Italy]] (roughly synonymous with Commercial Drive but also including the Nanaimo and Hastings area), [[Greektown, Vancouver|Greektown]], and [[Japantown, Vancouver|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 in anticipation of the [[Transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong|transfer of that former colony's sovereignty]] from the [[United Kingdom]] to [[People's Republic of China|China]]. This was also coincided by steadily increasing number of immigrants from China Mainland, and previously - [[Taiwan]]. The result is more than 311,935 Chinese-Canadians who now reside in Vancouver (including Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey and Coquitlam), thus making Vancouver (and Toronto) the largest concentration of Overseas Chinese in North America. In comparison, Toronto city-proper - comparable in area to the five municipalities grouped above - has a Chinese-Canadian population of 259,710.

The aforementioned influx of Asian immigrants from the early 90s 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]]).<ref>{{cite web| title = Canada's ethnocultural portrait: Canada| publisher = Statistics Canada| date =2001| url = http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/analytic/companion/etoimm/canada.cfm | accessdate =2007-01-28}}
</ref> Other significant [[Asian Canadian|Asian]] ethnic groups in Vancouver are [[South Asia]]n (mostly [[Punjabi people|Punjabi]], usually referred to as [[Indo-Canadian]]), [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]], [[Filipino people|Filipino]], [[Indonesian people|Indonesian]], [[Korean people|Korean]], [[Cambodian people|Cambodian]], and [[Japanese people|Japanese]]. It has a growing Latin American population, many from [[Peruvian people|Peru]], [[Ecuador]] and more recently, [[Mexican people|Mexico]].

Prior to the Hong Kong influx of the 1980s, the largest non-British ethnic group in the city was [[Germans|German]], followed by [[Ukrainians|Ukrainian]], [[Scandinavia]]n, [[Italian people|Italians]] and the historical Chinese population. Less visible minorities, such as newly-arrived [[Eastern Europe]]ans, are also a feature of the city's ethnic landscape.

There is also a sizable [[Aboriginal peoples in Canada|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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Community Highlights for VancouverStatistics Canada (2001 census)|url=http://www12.statcan.ca/english/Profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=5915022&Geo2=PR&Code2=59&Data=Count&SearchText=Vancouver&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=|date= (2001 census data) |publisher = Statistics Canada|accessdate=2006-10-18}}</ref>

While not completely free of racial tension, Vancouver has relatively harmonious race relations.<ref>{{cite web | last = Community Services| first = Social Planning| title = Multiculturalism and Diversity: Vancouver's Diverse Population
| publisher = City of Vancouver| url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/multicult/index.htm| accessdate =}}</ref> One result is a relatively high rate of intermarriage.

Vancouver has a substantial [[gay community]], and British Columbia was the second Canadian jurisdiction to legalize [[same-sex marriage in Canada|same-sex marriage]] as a constitutional right, shortly after [[Ontario]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Marriage for Same-Sex Couples in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada
| publisher = Human Rights Campaign| url = http://www.hrc.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=14834&TEMPLATE=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm| accessdate =2006-11-28}}</ref> 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 parade]]s.<ref>{{cite web| title = Sponsorship 2006
| publisher = Vancouver Pride Society| url = http://www.vancouverpride.ca/images/docs/2006VPSSponsorshipPackage.pdf| format = [[PDF]]| accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref>

===Population growth===
The following table and graph show the population growth of the City of Vancouver (not including Point Grey and South Vancouver before 1929) and the metropolitan area using [[Census in Canada|census]] data of [[Statistics Canada]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vpl.ca/branches/LibrarySquare/soc/pdfs/QF_Population_BC_Vancouver.pdf|title=City of Vancouver Population|publisher=Vancouver Public Library|format=[[PDF]]|accessdate=2007-02-06}}; {{cite web| title = British Columbia Regional District and Municipal Census Populations| publisher = BC Stats| url =http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/dd/handout/hist_cen.pdf|format = [[PDF]]|accessdate = 2007-04-21}}; {{cite web| title = British Columbia Municipal and Regional District 1996 Census Results| publisher = BC Stats| url = http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/cen96/mun_rd.asp| accessdate =2007-04-21 }};{{cite web| title = British Columbia Municipal and Regional District 2001 Census Results| publisher = BC Stats| url = http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/data/cen01/mun_rd.asp| accessdate =2007-04-21 }};{{cite book| last = Davis| first = Chuck| title = The Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopedia| publisher = Linkman Press| date = 1997| location = Surrey, BC| pages = 780| id = ISBN 978-1896846002}}</ref>

[[Image:Vancouver Population Growth.svg|thumb|400px|right|Population growth, 1886 to 2006.]]

{| class="wikitable"
|-
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
| valign="top" |
{|
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Year
! Vancouver
! Metro
|-
| 1891 || align="right" | 13,709 || align="right" | 21,887
|-
| 1901 || align="right" | 26,133 || align="right" | 42,926
|-
| 1911 || align="right" | 100,401 || align="right" | 164,020
|-
| 1921 || align="right" | 117,217 || align="right" | 232,597
|-
| 1931 || align="right" | 246,593 || align="right" | 347,709
|-
| 1941 || align="right" | 275,353 || align="right" | 393,898
|-
| 1951 || align="right" | 344,833 || align="right" | 562,462
|-
| 1956 || align="right" | 365,844 || align="right" | 665,564
|-
| 1961 || align="right" | 384,522 || align="right" | 790,741
|-
|}
| valign="top" |
{|
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! Year </br>
! Vancouver</br>
! Metro
|-
| 1966 || align="right" | 410,375 || align="right" | 892,853
|-
| 1971 || align="right" | 426,256 || align="right" | 1,028,334
|-
| 1976 || align="right" | 410,188 || align="right" | 1,085,242
|-
| 1981 || align="right" | 414,281 || align="right" | 1,169,831
|-
| 1986 || align="right" | 431,147 || align="right" | 1,266,152
|-
| 1991 || align="right" | 471,644 || align="right" | 1,602,590
|-
| 1996 || align="right" | 514,008 || align="right" | 1,831,665
|-
| 2001 || align="right" | 545,671 || align="right" | 1,986,965
|-
| 2006 || align="right" | 578,041 || align="right" | 2,116,581
|}
|}
|}

==Economy==
{{Main|Economy of Vancouver}}
[[Image:Burrard_Bridge_View.jpg|thumb|right|A View to English Bay from [[Burrard Bridge]]]]
With its location on the [[Pacific Rim]] and at the western terminus of Canada's [[Trans-Canada Highway|transcontinental highway]] and rail routes, Vancouver is one of the nation's largest industrial centres.<ref name="aboutvancouver"/>

The [[Port of Vancouver]], Canada's largest and most diversified, does more than [[Canadian dollar|C$]]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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portvancouver.com/media/port_facts.html|title=Port Facts|publisher=Vancouver Port Authority|accessdate=2007-01-15 }}</ref>
Vancouver is also the headquarters of [[forestry|forest product]] and [[mining]] companies. In recent years, Vancouver has become an increasingly important centre for [[software development]], [[biotechnology]] and a vibrant [[Cinema of Canada|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 the 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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Why visit Vancouver?|publisher=Tourism Vancouver|url=http://www.tourismvancouver.com/visitors/about_vancouver/why_vancouver|accessdate=2006-11-11}}</ref>

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, ranking 13th least affordable in the world, up from 15th in 2005.<ref>{{cite news|first=Frances|last=Bula|title=Vancouver is 13th least affordable city in world|publisher=Vancouver Sun|date=Monday, January 22, 2007|url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=c9fa8fe2-22b1-4de1-8b5e-643090903411}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.demographia.com/dhi-ix2005q3.pdf|title=Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2006|publisher=Wendell Cox Consultancy|accessdate=2006-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Housing Affordability|url=http://www.rbc.com/economics/market/pdf/house.pdf|publisher=RBC Financial Group|accessdate=2006-09-27}}</ref> The city has adopted various strategies to reduce housing costs, including [[housing cooperative|cooperative housing]], legalized [[secondary suite]]s, increased density and [[smart growth]]. A significant number of the city's residents are affluent, a perception reinforced by the number of [[luxury vehicle]]s on city streets and cost of real estate. The average two-storey home in Vancouver sells for $988,500, compared with $489,889 in [[Toronto]] and $411,456 in [[Calgary]], the next most expensive major cities in Canada.<ref>{{cite web| title = Survey of Canadian Average House Prices in the First Quarter 2007| work = Economics/Research| publisher = Royal LePage| date = 29 March 2007| url = http://www.royallepage.ca/CMSTemplates/AboutUs/Company/CompanyTemplate.aspx?id=1506|format=[[PDF]]|accessdate =2007-04-11}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web| title = For Many From Hong Kong, Vancouver Is a Way Station| publisher = New York Times Hong Kong| date = 14 February 1997| url = http://www.nytimes.com/specials/hongkong/archive/0214hongkong-vancouver.html|format=[[html]]|accessdate =2007-04-17}}</ref> 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 (Vancouver)|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.<ref>{{cite news | title = Homelessness could triple by 2010: Report | publisher = CBC| date = 21 September 2006 | url = http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2006/09/21/bc-pivot-housing.html | accessdate =}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Expo '86 | work = The Canadian Encyclopedia| publisher = Historica| url = http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&ArticleId=A0002692| accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref>
{{wide image|VanPanDeluxe.jpg|1028px|Panorama of Vancouver taken from Chinatown}}

==Government==
{{main|Government and politics of Vancouver}}

Vancouver, unlike other British Columbia municipalities, is incorporated under a unique provincial statute, the ''Vancouver Charter''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/V/vanch_00.htm|title=Vancouver Charter|publisher=Queen's Printer (British Columbia)|accessdate=2007-06-07}}</ref> The legislation, passed in 1953, supersedes the ''Vancouver Incorporation Act, 1921'' and grants the city more and different powers than other communities possess under BC's ''Municipalities Act''.

The civic government has been dominated by the [[centre-right]] [[Non-Partisan Association]] (NPA) since the [[World War II|Second World War]], albeit with some significant [[centre-left]] interludes.<ref>{{cite book | last = Davis| first = Chuck| title = The Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopaedia | publisher = Linkman Press| date = 1997| location = Surrey, British Columbia | pages = 39–47| url = http://www.discovervancouver.com/gvb/history-of-vancouver.asp|accessdate =|id = ISBN 978-1896846002}}</ref> The NPA's [[Sam Sullivan]] was elected mayor of Vancouver in November 2005, signaling the party's return to power after a [[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|social democratic]] slate swept the previous election. The NPA fractured over the issue of [[narcotic|drug]] policy in 2002, facilitating a landslide victory for the [[Coalition of Progressive Electors]] on a [[harm reduction]] platform. Subsequently, North America's [[Insite|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|at-large]] system. Historically, in all levels of government, the more affluent west side of Vancouver has voted along [[Conservatism in Canada|conservative]] or [[Liberalism in Canada|liberal]] lines while the eastern side of the city has voted along [[left-wing politics|left-wing]] lines.<ref>{{cite paper|author = Andrea Barbara Smith| title = The Origins of the NPA: A Study in Vancouver Politics| version = MA thesis| publisher = University of British Columbia| date = 1981}}</ref> This was reaffirmed with the results of the [[British Columbia general election, 2005|2005 provincial election]] and the [[Canadian federal election results in Vancouver and the Northern Lower Mainland|2006 federal election]].
[[Image:Van City Hall 2010 Flag.jpg|thumb|right|[[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.

[[Larry Campbell]]'s election as mayor in 2002 was in part due to 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.<ref>{{cite web| title = Four Pillars Drug Strategy| publisher = City of Vancouver| date = 2001| url = http://www.vancouver.ca/fourpillars/| accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> 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 &mdash; such as From Grief to Action and Keeping the Door Open &mdash; are fostering public dialogue in the city about further alternatives to current drug policies.<ref>{{cite web|title=From Grief to Action|url=http://www.fromgrieftoaction.org|publisher=From Grief to Action|accessdate=2006-11-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Maxwell|first=Gillian|title=Keeping the Door Open|url=http://www.keepingthedooropen.com|publisher=AIDS Vancouver|accessdate=2006-11-15}}</ref>

Campbell chose not to run for re-election, and was subsequently appointed to the [[Senate of Canada]]. In the [[Vancouver municipal election, 2005|2005 Municipal Election]], the 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/ctyclerk/election2005/finalresults.htm|title=Vancouver Votes November 19, 2005 |publisher=City of Vancouver |accessdate=2006-11-11}}</ref>

===Provincial representation===
In the [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]], Vancouver is represented by ten [[Member of the Legislative Assembly|Members of the Legislative Assembly]] (MLAs), which includes [[Gordon Campbell]], the current [[Premier]]. In the 2005 provincial election, the [[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Liberal Party]] and the [[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|BC New Democratic Party]] each won five seats.

===Federal representation===
In the [[Canadian House of Commons]], Vancouver is represented by five [[Member of Parliament|Members of Parliament]]. In the [[Canadian federal election, 2004|2004 federal elections]], the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] won four seats and the federal [[New Democratic Party]] (NDP) one. In the [[Canadian federal election, 2006|2006 federal elections]], all the same Members of Parliament were re-elected. However, on [[6 February]] [[2006]], [[David Emerson]] of [[Vancouver Kingsway]] defected to the [[Conservative Party of Canada|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.

=== Policing ===
[[Image:Vancouver BC crime.png|thumb|right|Crime rate in Vancouver, 1984–2005.<ref name=crimestats>Police Services Division, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Province of British Columbia (2006) [http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/police_services/publications/ Police and Crime: Summary Statistics: 1984–2005], pages 101, 106–110, 151, 154. ISSN 1198-9971</ref>]]
While most of the Lower Mainland is policed by the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]]'s "E" Division, Vancouver has its own [[Vancouver Police Department|city police force]] (as do [[New Westminster, British Columbia|New Westminster]], [[West Vancouver, British Columbia|West Vancouver]], [[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]], and [[Port Moody, British Columbia|Port Moody]]), with a strength of 1,174 sworn members and an operating budget of almost $150 million (in 2005 figures).<ref>{{cite web| title = Welcome to "E" Division| publisher = Royal Canadian Mounted Police| url = http://bc.rcmp.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=24&languageId=1 | accessdate =2007-11-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Beyond the Call| work = Annual Report 2005| publisher = Vancouver Police Department | date = 2005| url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/Planning/Reports/2005AnnualReport.pdf| format = [[PDF]] | accessdate =2006-11-23 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Vancouver Police Department Operating Results
| publisher = Vancouver Police Board|date=April 2005| url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/policeboard/financial/OperatingResults0405.pdf | format = [[PDF]]| accessdate =}}</ref> Over 16% of the city's budget was spent on police protection in 2005.<ref>{{cite web| title = 2005 Annual Report| publisher = City of Vancouver| date = 2005| url = http://vancouver.ca/publications/pdf/COVannualreport2005.pdf| format = [[PDF]]| accessdate =}}</ref>

The Vancouver Police has numerous operational divisions, including a [[police bicycle|bicycle squad]], a [[water police|marine squad]], and a [[police dog|dog squad]]. It also has a [[mounted police|mounted squad]], used primarily to patrol Stanley Park and occasionally the Downtown Eastside and West End, as well as for crowd control.<ref>{{cite web| title = Mounted Squad: Patrol District One| publisher = Vancouver Police Department| url = http://vancouver.ca/police/operations/mounted/index.htm| accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> The police work in conjunction with civilian and volunteer run Community Police Centres.<ref>{{cite web| title = Police Operations| publisher = City of Vancouver| url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/operations/index.htm| accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> In 2006, the police department established its own [[counter-terrorism|Counter Terrorism Unit]], which led to speculation of a rift between the Vancouver Police and the RCMP because the latter normally handles national security matters.<ref>{{cite web| year = June 2006 | url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/policeboard/meetingminutes/20060614.pdf| title = Vancouver Police Board minutes of June 14, 2006 | format = PDF | work = | publisher = City of Vancouver | accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last =Howell | first =Mike| year = June 16, 2006 | url = http://www.vancourier.com/issues06/063206/news/063206nn5.html| title = VPD's war on terror 'requires a lot of legwork'| publisher = Vancouver Courier| accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref> In 2005, a new transit police force, the [[South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority Police Service]] (SCBCTAPS), was established with full police powers.
[[Image:Bikecops.jpg|thumb|left|Vancouver police constables from the bicycle and motorcycle squads]]
Although it is technically illegal, Vancouver police generally do not arrest people for possessing small amounts of [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://vancouver.ca/police/DrugPolicy/doc/20060926DrugPolicy.pdf| title = Vancouver Police Department Drug Policy| format = PDF | publisher = Vancouver Police Department|accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref> 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 [[hydroponics|hydroponic]] marijuana growing operations (or grow-ops) in residential areas.<ref>{{cite news | title = Growbusters | publisher = CBC| date =26 July 2000 | url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/07/26/bc_growbusters000725.html | accessdate =2007-01-17}}</ref> As with other law enforcement campaigns targeting marijuana this initiative has been sharply criticized.<ref>{{cite news | last = Burrows| first = Mathew | title = Who You Gonna Call?| publisher = The Republic| date = 21 February 2002| url = http://www.republic-news.org/archive/32-repub/repub_32_grow.html| accessdate =}}</ref>

As of 2005, Vancouver had the fourth highest [[crime in Canada|crime rate]] among Canada's 27 census metropolitan areas.<ref name="STCD">{{cite web| title = Vancouver crime statistics| publisher = Statistics Canada| url = http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060720/d060720b.htm|accessdate=2007-01-17}}</ref> However, as with other Canadian cities, the over-all crime rate has been falling "dramatically."<ref>{{cite web| title = Beyond the Call| work = Annual Report 2005| publisher = Vancouver Police Department | date = 2005| url =http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/Planning/Reports/2005AnnualReport.pdf| format = [[PDF]] | accessdate =}}</ref><ref name="STCD" /> Vancouver's [[property crime]] rate is particularly high, ranking among the highest for major North American cities.<ref>{{cite news|author=CBC News| url=http://www.cbc.ca/bc/story/bc_crime20060112.html|date=2006-01-12|title=Vancouver property crime down in 2005|accessdate=2006-09-01}}</ref> But even property crime dropped 10.5% between 2004 and 2005, according the Vancouver Police.<ref>{{cite web| title = Beyond the Call| work = Annual Report 2005| publisher = Vancouver Police Department| date = 2005| url =http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/police/Planning/Reports/2005AnnualReport.pdf| format = [[PDF]]| accessdate =}}</ref>

Vancouver plays host to special events such as the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation]] conference, the Clinton-Yeltsin Summit or the [[Symphony of Fire]] fireworks show that require significant policing. The [[1994 Stanley Cup riot]] overwhelmed police and injured more than 200 people.

==Transportation==
{{main|Transportation in Vancouver}}
{{seealso | List of Vancouver roads}}
Vancouver's [[tram|streetcar]] system began on [[28 June]] [[1890]] and ran from the (first) [[Granville Street Bridge]] to Westminster Avenue (now [[Main Street (Vancouver)|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.<ref>{{cite web | last = Davis| first = Chuck| url = http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/chronology2.html| title = The History of Metropolitan Vancouver| accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref> 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 "trackless" trolley and gasoline/diesel [[bus]]es.<ref>{{cite web | last = Davis| first = Chuck| url = http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/chronology1958.htm| title = The History of Metropolitan Vancouver| accessdate =2006-11-14}}</ref> Vancouver currently has the second largest trolley bus fleet in North America after San Francisco.

City councils, as part of a long term plan, prohibited the construction of [[freeway]]s in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news|last=Millar|first=Royce|title=No freeways puts Vancouver on top|date=2006-09-11|work=The Age|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/09/10/1157826813807.html|accessdate=2006-11-14}}</ref> The only major freeway within city limits is [[Trans-Canada Highway|Highway 1]], which passes through the north-eastern corner of the city.

[[Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority|South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority]] ([[TransLink (British Columbia)|TransLink]]), the [[Metro Vancouver]] transportation authority, is responsible for roads and public transportation within region. It provides a bus service, [[B-Line (Vancouver)|B-Line]] Rapid Bus Service (two of the three B-Lines run in Vancouver with two more B-Lines by 2008), a foot passenger and bicycle ferry service (known as [[SeaBus]]), a two-line automated [[metro]] system called [[SkyTrain (Vancouver)|SkyTrain]], and the commuter rail [[West Coast Express]].<ref>{{cite web| year = December 2005 | url =http://www.translink.bc.ca/files/pdf/plan_proj/2006_Transportation_Plan.pdf| title = 2006 Transportation Plan | format = PDF| publisher = TransLink | accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref>

New improvements are being made to the regional transportation network as part of the [[Gateway Program]]. Future projects include the [[Canada Line]], a metro-style train line that will connect [[Vancouver International Airport]] and the neighbouring municipality [[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]] with Downtown. Many other road projects will be completed within the next few years, including the [[Golden Ears Bridge]].
[[Image:Vancouver skybridge.jpg|thumb|right|SkyTrain crossing the [[Fraser River]] on the [[Skybridge (Vancouver)|Skybridge]]]]

Inter-city passenger rail service is operated from [[Pacific Central Station (Vancouver)|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, British Columbia|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 Ferries|BC Ferry]] terminals. One is to the northwest at [[Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia|Horseshoe Bay]], [[West Vancouver, British Columbia|West Vancouver]], and the other is to the south, at [[Tsawwassen, British Columbia|Tsawwassen]] (in [[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]]).

==Education==
===Grade schools===
Vancouver is served by [[School District 39 Vancouver]], the second largest [[school district]] in British Columbia.<ref>{{cite web | year = June 2005 | url = http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/review/039_2005.pdf| title = District Review Report, School District No. 39 Vancouver | format = PDF| publisher = British Columbia Education| accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref> As in other parts of the province, numerous [[independent school]]s are also eligible for partial provincial funding &mdash; this includes [[parochial school|religious school]]s, [[secularism|non-denominational]] schools, and [[special education|special-needs]] schools, most of which also charge [[tuition]]. Vancouver also includes three schools that are part of the province-wide [[Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique]] (CSF), the [[Francophone]] public school district.

===Universities and colleges===
The two major public universities in the Lower Mainland, the [[University of British Columbia]] (UBC) and [[Simon Fraser University]] (SFU), have satellite [[campus]]es within the city, as does the [[British Columbia Institute of Technology]], which provides [[polytechnic]] education and grants [[academic degree|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. Other arts schools include the [[Vancouver Film School]] and [[Studio 58]], a program of Langara.

===International students===
Foreign students, particularly from the Pacific Rim, have grown in importance for Vancouver's public and private post-secondary educational facilities. International undergraduate enrolment at UBC has grown to nine per cent, or 2,800 students, from two per cent since 1996. In Fall 2007, [[Fairleigh Dickinson University]] opened a campus and now offers degree programs in the [[Yaletown]] neighborhood. Fairleigh Dickinson is an American private university and the largest in its home state of [[New Jersey]]. Some private schools have been closed or sanctioned for improperly advertising to international students.
<ref>[http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=96c3ab06-aa5b-4f8b-a40e-74039a3b4155 New Jersey university to open campus here], By Janet Steffenhagen, ''Vancouver Sun'', B1, Published June 19, 2007</ref>

==Architecture and cityscape==
[[Image:Vancouver clock tower.jpg|thumb|left|Clocktower of the Vancouver Block on Granville Street]]
Notable buildings within the city include [[Christ Church Cathedral (Vancouver)|Christ Church Cathedral]], the [[Hotel Vancouver]], the [[Museum of Anthropology at UBC|Museum of Anthropology]] ([[Arthur Erickson]], architect) at the University of British Columbia, and the [[Vancouver Art Gallery]]. There are several striking [[modern architecture|modern]] buildings in the downtown area, including the [[Harbour Centre]], 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]].

[[Image:Downtown vancouver.jpg|thumb|right|View from [[Harbour Centre]]]]
The original [[BC Hydro]] headquarters building at Nelson and Burrard Streets is a [[modernism|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 [[Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre|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).<ref>{{cite book| last = Davis| first = Chuck| coauthors = Harold Kalman| title = Greater Vancouver Book: An Urban Encyclopaedia| publisher = Linkman Press | date = 1997| location = Surrey, BC| pages = 185–196| url = http://www.discovervancouver.com/GVB/notable-buildings.asp|id = ISBN 978-1896846002}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last = Kalman| first = Harold| title = Exploring Vancouver: Ten Tours of the City and its Buildings| publisher = University of British Columbia Press| date = 1974| location = Vancouver| pages = 160–161| id = ISBN 0774800283}}</ref>

A collection of [[Edwardian period|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.<ref>{{cite book| last = Kalman| first = Harold| title = Exploring Vancouver: Ten Tours of the City and its Buildings| publisher = University of British Columbia Press| date = 1974| location = Vancouver| pages = 22,24,78| id = ISBN 0774800283}}</ref> Inspired by [[New York City|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.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://canada.archiseek.com/british_columbia/vancouver/marine_building.html| title = Marine Building| publisher = Archiseek | accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref> 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).<ref>{{cite web | last = Davis| first = Chuck| url = http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/archives_rattenbury.htm | title = The History of Metropolitan Vancouver| work = Rattenbury| publisher = Vancouver History | accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref>

Topping the list of [[List of Vancouver's 10 tallest skyscrapers|tallest buildings in Vancouver]] as of June 2006 is [[One Wall Centre]] at 150&nbsp;[[metre]]s (491&nbsp;[[foot (unit)|ft]])<ref name=buildings_feet>{{cite web |url = http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=100997&bt=2&ht=3&sro=1| title = Vancouver High-rise buildings (in feet)| publisher = Emporis Buildings | accessdate =2007-02-06}}</ref> and 48&nbsp;storeys, followed closely by the [[Shaw Tower (Vancouver)|Shaw Tower]] at 149&nbsp;metres (489&nbsp;ft)<ref name=buildings_feet>{{cite web |url = http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=100997&bt=2&ht=3&sro=1| title = Vancouver High-rise buildings (in feet)| publisher = Emporis Buildings | accessdate =2007-02-06}}</ref> and 41&nbsp;storeys.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=100997&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1| title = Vancouver High-rise buildings| publisher = Emporis Buildings | accessdate =2006-11-23}}</ref>
[[Image:vpl vancouver.jpg|thumb|left|Vancouver Public Library on Georgia Street]]
[[Image:Vancityskyline cropped.jpg|thumb|right|Downtown Vancouver as seen from Spanish Banks]]

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, [[Vancouver City Council|Council]] commissioned a "Skyline Study" in 1997.<ref>{{cite web| title = Downtown Vancouver Skyline Study| work = Special Council Meeting Minutes | publisher = City of Vancouver| date = 7 and 23 April 1997| url=http://www.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/970407/skyline.htm | format = [[PDF]]| accessdate =}}</ref>

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 137&nbsp;metres (450&nbsp;ft) height limit are possible, and at least two sites in the northwest corner of the central business district where heights up to 122&nbsp;metres (400&nbsp;ft) (exceeding the 91&nbsp;metre/300&nbsp;foot limit) might be considered.<ref>{{cite web| title = General Policy for Higher Buildings| publisher = City of Vancouver| date = 6 May 1997| url = http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/COMMSVCS/Guidelines/H005.pdf| format = [[PDF]]| accessdate =}}</ref> 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 (Vancouver)|Living Shangri-La]] hotel/residential tower, which when completed in 2009 will stand 197&nbsp;meters (646&nbsp;ft)<ref name=buildings_feet>{{cite web |url = http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/?id=100997&bt=2&ht=3&sro=1| title = Vancouver High-rise buildings (in feet)| publisher = Emporis Buildings | accessdate =2007-02-06}}</ref> tall (61 storeys).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=708 | title=Shangri La's Vancouver Classy Skyline| publisher=Skyscrapernews.com|accessdate=2006-08-31}}</ref>

The process of constructing high-rise residential and mixed-use development in urban centres has been referred to as "Vancouverism" after the apparent success of such development in the city.<ref>{{cite web | title = Vancouverism| publisher = Canadian Architect| url = http://www.canadianarchitect.com/Issues/ISarticle.asp?id=177934&story_id=164583120907&issue=08012006&PC= Vancouverism: Definitions| accessdate=2007-05-17}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
{{see|Music of Vancouver}}

Prominent theatre companies in Vancouver include the [[Arts Club Theatre Company]] on [[Granville Island]], 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 (Vancouver)|Theatre Under the Stars]] produces shows in the summer at [[Malkin Bowl]] in [[Stanley Park]]. In addition, Vancouver holds an annual [[Vancouver Fringe Festival|Fringe Festival]] and [[Vancouver International Film Festival|International Film Festival]].
[[Image:Vogue-thtr.jpg|thumb|left|The Vogue Theatre on Granville Street.]]
[[Image:Art gallery vancouver.jpg|thumb|right|Vancouver Art Gallery in Robson Street.]]
Vancouver is the home to 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]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/visit_the_gallery/visit_the_gallery.html| title=Welcome from Kathleen Bartels, Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery| publisher=Vancouver Art Gallery|accessdate=2007-11-01}}</ref> In the [[Kitsilano]] district are the [[Vancouver Maritime Museum]], and the [[H. R. MacMillan Space Centre]]. The [[Museum of Anthropology at UBC]] is a leading museum of [[Pacific Northwest|Pacific Northwest Coast]] [[First Nations]] culture, and the [[Vancouver Museum]] is the largest civic museum in Canada. A more interactive museum is [[Science World at TELUS World of Science|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."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allianceforarts.com/about-us/mission-and-priorities.html| title=Mission and Priorities| publisher=Alliance for Arts and Culture|accessdate=2006-11-23}}</ref>

Vancouver is a major regional centre for the development of [[Music of Canada|Canadian music]]. The city's musical contributions include performers of classical, folk and popular music.<!--not that I like any of them, but a listing of noted classical composers and performers resident/emergent is needed--> 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.

The city produced a number of notable [[punk rock]] bands, the most famous example being pioneering [[Hardcore punk|hardcore]] band [[D.O.A. (band)|D.O.A.]], whose enduring prominence in the city was such that Mayor [[Larry Campbell]] declared [[December 21]], [[2003]] "D.O.A. Day" in honour of the band's 25th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.straight.com/article-69929/d-o-a-s-punk-veterans-won-t-give-up-the-fight|title= D.O.A.’s punk veterans won’t give up the fight|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=The Georgia Straight|author=John Lucas}}</ref> Other notable early punk bands from Vancouver included the [[Subhumans (Canadian band)|Subhumans]], the [[Young Canadians]], the [[Pointed Sticks]], The Modernettes, [[UJ3RK5]], I, Braineater, and [[Nomeansno]] (originally from [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]]). The punk film ''[[Terminal City Ricochet]]'' was filmed in Vancouver; its title comes from an ice hockey team called the Terminal City Ricochets.<ref>{{cite news | last = Buium| first = Greg| title = Sound and Fury: Reliving Vancouver’s punk explosion| publisher = CBC| date = 15 April 2005| url = http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/soundandfury.html| accessdate =2007-01-23}}</ref>

When [[alternative rock]] hit the mainstream in the 1990s, several Vancouver groups rose to prominence, including [[54-40]], [[Odds (band)|Odds]], [[Moist (band)|Moist]], the [[Matthew Good Band]] and [[Econoline Crush]], while recent successes include [[Gob (band)|Gob]] and [[Stabilo (band)|Stabilo]]. Today, Vancouver is home to a lively independent music scene, including bands such as [[The New Pornographers]], [[Destroyer (band)|Destroyer]], [[Frog Eyes]], [[The Organ]], [[Veda Hille]] and [[Black Mountain (band)|Black Mountain]]; notable independent labels based in the city include [[Nettwerk]] and [[Mint Records|Mint]]. Vancouver also produced influential metal band [[Strapping Young Lad]] and pioneering [[electro-industrial]] bands [[Skinny Puppy]] and [[Front Line Assembly]]; the latter's [[Bill Leeb]] is better known for founding ambient pop super-group [[Delerium]]. Other popular musical artists who made their mark from Vancouver include [[Bryan Adams]], [[Sarah McLachlan]], [[Michael Buble]], [[Nickelback]], [[Heart]], [[Diana Krall]], [[Prism (band)|Prism]], [[Trooper (band)|Trooper]], [[Chilliwack (band)|Chilliwack]], [[Loverboy]], [[Payola$]], [[Images In Vogue]], [[The Grapes of Wrath (band)|The Grapes of Wrath]] and [[Spirit of the West]].<ref>{{cite web| last = Gooch| first = Bryan N. S.| title = Vancouver, BC:1945–91| work = The Canadian Encyclopedia| publisher = Historica| url = http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=U1SEC842192| accessdate =2006-11-23 }}</ref>
Notable [[hip hop]] artists from Vancouver include the [[Rascalz]], [[Swollen Members]], and [[Sweatshop Union]].

[[Image:Chinese New Year 07 2.jpg|thumb|left|Chinese New Year Parade, 2007.]]

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, Vancouver|Orpheum Theatre]] and the Vogue Theatre (currently closed). The [[Vancouver Folk Music Festival]] and the [[Vancouver International Jazz Festival]] showcase music in their respective genres from around the world.

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.

[[Image:Nightlife-in-Vancouver.jpg|thumb|right|Vancouver Nightlife - Nelson and Granville St.]]

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 [[Granville Entertainment District|entertainment district]], especially on and around [[Granville Street]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Police take aim at Vancouver's entertainment district| publisher = CBC | date = 7 November 2006| url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/11/07/bc-police-bars.html | accessdate =2007-01-23}}</ref>

==Sports and recreation==
{{Main|Sports in Vancouver}}

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 Regional Municipality|Halifax]].<ref>{{cite web| title = Regional differences in obesity| work = Health Reports| publisher = Statistics Canada| date = 22 August 2006| url =http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/060822/d060822b.htm | accessdate =2007-01-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Sharon|last=Kirkey|title=Suburban Sprawl|publisher=CanWest News Service|date=[[2006-08-23]]|url=http://www.canada.com/topics/bodyandhealth/story.html?id=eee5654b-03e0-4dc3-8e3c-c116ee68a15c&k=82271&p=2|accessdate=2006-11-23}}</ref>

[[Image:BCplace stadium.jpg|thumb|right|[[BC Place Stadium]], home of the BC Lions. The dome on the lower right is GM Place.]][[Image:Vancouver-Olympics-clock.jpg|thumb|right|The clock counting down to the opening of the 2010 Olympics in downtown Vancouver]]

Vancouver has over 1,298 hectares (3,200&nbsp;acres) of parks, with Stanley Park being the largest at 404 hectares (1,000&nbsp;acres).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vancouver.ca/parks/info/aboutus/index.htm|title=About the Park Board|publisher=Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation|accessdate=2007-01-15}}</ref> The municipality also has several large beaches, many adjacent to one another, 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&nbsp;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).<ref>{{cite news | last = Thomas| first = Sandra| title = City gets into the swim of things| publisher = Vancouver Courier| date = 19 May 2006| url = http://www.vancourier.com/issues06/053206/news/053206nn8.html| accessdate =2007-01-15}}</ref> 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 areas, [[Cypress Mountain]], [[Grouse Mountain]], and [[Mount Seymour]]. Each are within 20 to 30 minutes (driving time) of downtown Vancouver. [[Mountain biking|Mountain bikers]] have created world-renowned trails across the North Shore. The [[Capilano River]], Lynn Creek, Seymour River, within 20 minutes (driving time) of downtown, provide opportunities to [[whitewater]] enthusiasts during periods of rain and spring melt.

Running races include the [[Vancouver Sun Run]] (a 10&nbsp;km race) every April; the [[Vancouver Marathon]] is held every May and Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon held every June.

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, British Columbia|Burnaby]], hosted some games for the [[2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup]].

===Professional sports teams===
[[Image:Gmplace-pano.jpg|thumb|right|[[GM Place]], home of the Vancouver Canucks.]]


{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! Club !! Sport !! League !! Venue
|-
| [[Vancouver Canucks]]
| [[Ice hockey]]
| [[National Hockey League]]
| [[General Motors Place]]
|-
| [[Vancouver Giants]]
| [[Ice hockey]]
| [[Western Hockey League]]
| [[Pacific Coliseum]]
|-
| [[British Columbia Lions]]
| [[Canadian football|Football]]
| [[Canadian Football League]]
| [[BC Place Stadium]]
|-
| [[Vancouver Canadians]]
| [[Baseball]] ([[Minor league baseball#Extant farm system|Single A Short Season]])
| [[Northwest League]]
| [[Nat Bailey Stadium]]
|-
| [[Vancouver Whitecaps (USL)|Whitecaps FC]]
| [[Football (soccer)|Soccer]]
| [[USL First Division]] (men's)<br />[[W-League]] (women's)
| [[Swangard Stadium]]
|}

==Media==
{{main|Media of Vancouver}}
{{see|List of Vancouver media outlets}}
Vancouver is the centre of the province's news media, with most national media chains having an office in the city.

===English-language media===

Both of the city's major daily [[newspaper]]s, ''[[The Vancouver Sun]]'' and ''[[The Province]]'', are published by the [[CanWest Global Communications|Pacific Newspaper Group Inc]]. In recent years, ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', a national newspaper based in Toronto, has added a section for local content in an effort to improve its circulation in Vancouver.

Other mainstream newspapers include the free ''[[24 Hours]]'', ''[[Metro International|Metro]]'', and the twice-a-week ''[[Vancouver Courier]]''. Independent newspapers include ''[[The Georgia Straight]]'' (a weekly), the ''West Ender'', ''[[The Republic (newspaper)|The Republic]]'' and ''[[Only (magazine)|Only]]''.

Television stations include [[CBUT|CBC]], [[CKVU-TV|Citytv]], [[CIVT-TV|CTV]] and [[CHAN-TV|Global TV]]. Radio stations with news departments include [[CBU (AM)|CBC Radio One]], [[CKNW (AM)|CKNW]] and [[CKWX (AM)|CKWX]].

===Multicultural media===

The diverse ethnic make-up of Vancouver's population supports a rich range of multicultural media.

There are three [[Chinese language|Chinese-language]] dailies: ''[[Ming Pao]]'', ''[[Sing Tao]]'' and ''[[World Journal]]''.

Television station [[CHNM-TV|Channel M]] produces daily newscasts in [[Cantonese (linguistics)|Cantonese]], [[Mandarin (linguistics)|Mandarin]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Korean language|Korean]], and weekly newscasts in [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]. Channel M also produces programs aimed at other cultural groups.

Vancouver is also home to British Columbia's longest running [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] radio program, [[Nash Holos]].

==Affiliated cities and municipalities==
The City of Vancouver was one of the first cities in Canada to enter into an international [[town twinning|twinning]] arrangement.<ref>{{cite paper| author = Smith, Patrick J. and Kennedy Stewart| title = Beavers and Cats Revisited: Creatures and Tenants versus Municipal Charter(s) and Home Rule| publisher = Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, Queen's University| date = 2003| url = http://www.iigr.ca/conferences/archive/pdfs4/Kennedy_and_Stewart.pdf| format = [[PDF]]| accessdate = 2007-01-23}}</ref> Special arrangements for cultural, social and economic benefits have been created with [[Odessa]] (1944), [[Yokohama]] (1965), [[Edinburgh]] (1978), [[Guangzhou]] (1985), and [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] (1986)."<ref name="aboutvancouver"/>

There are 21 municipalities in [[Metro Vancouver]]. While each of these has a separate municipal government, the Metro government oversees common services within the metropolitan area such as water, sewage, transportation, and regional parks.

{{Canadian City Geographic Location (8-way)
| Northwest = [[West Vancouver, British Columbia|West Vancouver]] |
| North = [[North Vancouver, British Columbia (city)|City of North Vancouver]] |
| Northeast = [[North Vancouver, British Columbia (district municipality)|District of North Vancouver]] |
| West = [[University Endowment Lands]] |
| Centre = Vancouver |
| East = [[Burnaby, British Columbia|Burnaby]]<br />[[New Westminster, British Columbia|New Westminster]]|
| Southwest = ''[[Strait of Georgia]]'' |
| South = [[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]]<br />[[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]]
| Southeast = [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]]
}}

==See also==
* {{Wikitravel}}
*[[List of famous people in Vancouver]]
* [[Canadian weather radar network]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break|width=40%}}
*[http://www.vancouver.ca/ Official website] - City of Vancouver
*[http://www.tourismvancouver.com/ Official Travel Information] - Tourism Vancouver
*[http://www.vancouver2010.com/ Vancouver 2010] - Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Official Web Site
*{{BCGNIS|24320|Vancouver}}
{{Geolinks-Canada-cityscale|49.25|-123.1}}
{{col-break|width=40%}}
*[http://www.allianceforarts.com/ Arts and Culture] - Alliance for Arts and Culture
*[http://www.vancouverhistory.ca Vancouver History Site] - Chuck Davis
*{{wikitravel|Vancouver}}
*[http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/webtours/VQ_P3_12_EN.html Vancouver's Mountain Playground] &mdash; Illustrated Historical Essay and movie clip (McCord Museum, Montreal)

{{col-break}}
{{portal}}
{{portal|British Columbia}}
{{sisterlinks|Vancouver}}
{{col-end}}
<!--- {{Cities with million plus in Canada}} --->
{{Subdivisions of British Columbia|city=yes}}
{{VancouverNeighbourhoods}}
{{Greater Vancouver}}
{{Olympic Winter Games Host Cities}}
{{Commonwealth Games Host Cities}}
{{Census metropolitan areas by size}}

{{featured article}}

[[Category:Vancouver| ]]
[[Category:Host cities of the Winter Olympic Games]]
[[Category:Host cities of the Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Settlements established in 1862]]
[[Category:Coastal cities in Canada]]
[[Category:Port cities in Canada]]
[[Category:Cities on the Fraser River]]

{{FA link|de}}

{{Link FA|de}}

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Revision as of 16:03, 4 February 2008

Notable people

Colton Heiller (Jesus)

Kyle Street (another name for God)

Jake Hunt (who's first name should be 'Mike')

Michael Flores (the bible fucker)

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