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Thursday 24 January 2019

Vancouver

The coastal seaport city of Vancouver is on a peninsula on the West Coast of Canada, less than a one-hour drive north of the Canada-USA. border. Between Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean to the west is a large island called Vancouver Island.



The Vancouver area had been inhabited by native tribes for more than 4,000 years, before British naval captain George Vancouver became the first European to visit the area in the 1790s. Captain Vancouver entered the Strait of Juan de Fuca, between Vancouver Island and the Washington state mainland on April 29, 1792 and proceeded to explore the area.

A community sprung up in the area named Gastown in the late 1860s on the west edge of the Hastings Mill logging sawmill's property. It originated on July 1, 1867 with a makeshift tavern set up on a plank between two stumps run by John "Gassy Jack" Deighton after whom the community was named.

In 1870, Gastown was incorporated as the town of Granville, named in honor of the then-British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Granville.

On April 6, 1886, Granville was incorporated as the City of Vancouver, with around 1000 residents. It was named after George Vancouver.

View of Gastown from Carrall and Water Street in 1886.

The Great Vancouver Fire, on June 13, 1886, destroyed most of the newly incorporated city of Vancouver. The fire started in the city's downtown area and spread rapidly due to the prevailing dry and windy conditions. It consumed numerous buildings and structures, including homes, businesses, and the recently constructed Canadian Pacific Railway station. Rebuilding efforts began promptly, and the city was able to recover and grow in the following years. Its population grew to over 20,000 by the turn of the century and 100,000 by 1911.

The 321-foot tall art deco Marine Building in Downtown Vancouver used to be the tallest building in not just Canada, but in the entire British Empire.

The Lions Gate Bridge opened to traffic on November 14, 1938. The Lions Gate Bridge opened to traffic on November 14, 1938. It is a suspension bridge that crosses the First Narrows of Burrard Inlet and connects the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore municipalities of the District of North Vancouver, the City of North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. The term "Lions Gate" refers to The Lions, a pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver.

Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, with 2,566 athletes from 82 countries competing. Venues were spread over a 75-mile area stretching from Richmond to Whistler.

The city of Vancouver has a population of 631,486 people (2016 census), and is the largest city in British Columbia.


Metro Vancouver had a population of 2,463,431 in 2016, making it the third largest metropolitan area in Canada.

Vancouver, Canada has the least affordable housing in North America, more expensive than Manhattan and San Francisco

Fifty-two percent of Vancouver's residents have a first language that is not English. Roughly 30% of the city's inhabitants are of Chinese heritage.

In 1974, a performance artist disguised as Mr. Peanut ran for mayor of Vancouver and received 2685 ballots—3.4 percent of the vote.

Vancouver’s 405-hectare (1,001-acre) Stanley Park, is one of North America’s largest urban greenspaces, hosting around 8 million visitors a year.

Stanley Park By Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada

All of the squirrels in Stanley Park are descended from eight pairs gifted to Vancouver by New York City in 1909.

The Brockton Point totem poles, located inside Stanley Park, are British Columbia’s most visited attraction.

Kitsilano Pool opened on August 15, 1931. The longest saltwater pool in North America, it is 137 meters (450 feet) long, making it almost three times the length of an Olympic-sized pool. The pool is located on Kitsilano Beach and is open from May to September. 

Vancouver's summers are good, as protected by Vancouver Island, the city enjoys more sunshine than British Columbia’s other coastal areas. Winter and autumn are very wet and cloudy.

Source MentalFloss

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