Vancouver
The city of Vancouver was incorporated in 1886 but several weeks later, the buildings were burnt to the ground in less than an hour. Vancouver was rebuilt in the following year, with the Canadian Pacific Railway selecting the settlement for its terminus. The resident population of Vancouver rose from just a thousand inhabitants in 1881 to over hundred thousand in 1911. The exploration of natural resources was the basis of the city’s economy during its early years. Today, Vancouver is one of the largest industrial hubs in the country and a busy commercial port city. In fact, the Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and a major gateway for the pan-Pacific trade for North America. Mining, biotechnology, software development, and film production are among the leading industrial sectors in Vancouver. Among the top employers of the city are Sierra Wireless, Nature’s Path Organic Foods, Intrawest Corporation, Coast Capital Savings, Vancouver International Port Authority, and others.
Vancouver is bounded by Frazer River, the Pacific Ocean, and Coast Mountains to the south, west, and north. Frazer Valley lies to the east of the city. As much of the interior of British Columbia, the topography of the region is characterized by valleys, forests, and mountains. The climate is classified as Marine west coast or Oceanic, with rainy winter months and dry and warm summer weather. The daily maximum averages for July and August are at 22 °C while in winter, the minimum temperatures fall below 0 °C for about 46 days a year.
The population of the city stands at about 578,000 residents, with an average of six thousand people coming to Vancouver every year. The demographic kaleidoscope of Vancouver is characterized by a distinct mix of ethnicities. The largest historical groups are of English, Irish, and Scottish origins, but the largest visible ethnic community is the Chinese. Other sizeable minorities in the city are South Asian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, and Cambodians. The population of aboriginal people is less than 2 percent. In terms of entertainment, visitors will be delighted to find out that Vancouver offers a diverse array of options. Aubar is a popular venue that offers cheap beer, Jägermeisters, and highballs on Wednesday and Rockstar on Saturdays. Bacchus is a more sophisticated venue with leather chairs, cherry-wood paneling, limestone fireplace, and gold silk accents. Visitors can choose from a wide selection of whiskey, scotch, and martini while the piano man keeps them entertained. The Balthazar’s House of Comedy hosts stand-up shows featuring local comics. Sipping on a round of selected cocktails doubles the fun and makes one laugh at anything.
Art lovers will enjoy a visit to the Vancouver Art gallery which showcases a collection of close to 10,000 works of art. The permanent collection features works by The Group of Seven, Emily Carr, and Marc Chagall. The Vancouver Museum at Vanier Park is known as the largest civic museum in the country. The museum features popular culture artifacts, taxidermy, women travel chronicling, and much more.