Vancouver
VanCity in Gods Country
Originally settled in 1867 and named Gastown, Vancouver grew around a simple sawmill and tavern. Due to its costal location, the area of Vancouver was recognized as a vital sea port and in 1887 the transcontinental railway was extended to the city. Today, one of the largest and busiest ports in Canada is located in Vancouver. Over the last decade, Vancouver has been recognized as one of the most livable cities in the world making it one of the premier locations for international conferences and events.
A large part of life in Vancouver centers around the thriving theatre companies that operate out of the city. Several large theatre companies including the Arts Club Theatre Company and Bard on the Beach, as well as smaller companies such as Touchstone Theatre and Studio 58 run continuous theatre seasons enabling residents and visitors to locate a show of their preference any time of year. One of the most well-known theatres in the Vancouver was once a bank building which was converted into the Scotiabank Dance Centre and hosts performances for Vancouver-based dancers and choreographers.
Photographers from Vancouver who have been recognized on the international stage have had a term applied to them (The Vancouver School of Conceptual) which some artists often resist or fight against. There is no formal school for these artists, however a strong base of artists has formed and continually creates and displays many of their great works of photography.
Vancouver has become known for its nightlife mainly centered in the Granville Entertainment District which has the largest concentration of bars and nightclubs, and is often open well after 3am. In fact this area of the city can become so overcrowded on weekends that many of the streets are closed in order to accommodate the large crowds.
Vancouver also hosts professional sports teams from the National Hockey League, Canadian Football League, Major League Soccer, National Lacrosse League, and was the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Over the years Vancouver has been used so many times during the filming and production of motion pictures and television series that has become known as “Hollywood North”, and in fact production companies have used Vancouver for over a century. In 2011, media production in the city generated over $1.19 billion dollars of income for the city.
Dues to its strategic location as a shipping port and important terminal on the transcontinental railway; Vancouver is one Canada’s largest industrial centers. The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest and most diversified port, averaging over $75 billion in trade with over 130 different countries each year. Vancouver has traditionally been known for its forest product, however in recent years Vancouver has become a very important center for the development of software, biotechnology, aerospace, video games, and animation.
After the United Kingdom turned over control of Hong Kong to the country of China, an influx of immigrants have arrived in Vancouver spawning the building of many new condominiums in the downtown region. These groupings of condominiums are primarily centered in the Yaletown and Coal Harbor districts.
