Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Vancouver BC
Location and Orientation
Vancouver is situated in the temperate rain forest that starts in Haida Gyai (sic)(the Queen Charlotte Islands), and stretches down to Washington State (much to the consternation of many Vancouverites, who’d prefer the scalding temperatures of Mexico most of the time). Locally known as the Lower Mainland, Vancouver is surrounded by water: the ocean-end of the Fraser River; an inlet known as False Creek; and Vancouver Harbour, location of the “famous” Lions Gate Bridge (1st Narrows crossing) and the lesser-known Ironworkers Memorial (2nd Narrows crossing), which is entered from the main water-body attraction: English Bay.
The rest of the Lower Mainland includes the Cities of Burnaby (next to Vancouver on the east side), Surrey (south and east of Vancouver across the Fraser River), Richmond (south of Vancouver, in the middle of the Fraser River and next door to the International Airport), North Vancouver (and District of North Van.) and West Vancouver (which sit upon the highly-visible mountains that the area is also famous for).
British Columbia joined confederation because of the promise of the National Dream: a rail link that would connect every city, regardless of terrain. That dream was born in Ottawa (national capital) and worked for a while.... but with Vancouver deriving most of its income from the land and the sea, and because of the Rocky Mountain range (which forms a physical boundary between BC and the rest of Canada), Vancouverites tend to look westward, to the sea....which inevitably becomes eastward, and ignores the rest of Canada most of the time.
Vancouver regards itself as the jewel in the crown of Canada (and is just waiting for the rest of the country to catch up with the sentiment), as well as a “world-class city”, which is taken to mean that it’s as good a place to host a venue, act as a headquarters, or develop some groundbreaking technology, as any other major city in America, England or Europe. (This supposedly mollifies the legendary national self-esteem problem Canadians are notorious for, which is symptomatic of living next to a very loud, powerful and proud nation.)
Politics
Victoria, on Vancouver Island, is the provincial capital. The Parliament there provides some of the best material for comedians of all stripes, although sadly, the people that keep electing these lunatics must pay for the laughs.
The feeling of “Western alienation” that afflicts all provinces west of Ontario springs from the slow deterioration of the rail links that were connecting the country, and the fact that the two most populous provinces (Ontario and Quebec) usually have sufficient votes in the national Parliament that they can elect a government by themselves and the rest of the country is “consulted” and ignored.
Many Vancouverites have a casual resentment of the biggest city of English-speaking Canada: Toronto. This city is one of the oldest in Canada and consequently is the headquarters of most of the major business concerns, and where most products that are shipped across Canada are sent to for sub-distribution (if they’re coming from overseas or the US).
Roots
Vancouver grew up from the waters of Vancouver Harbour, predominantly the area known as Gastown so named for the proprietor of a local pub, gassy Jack.
Vancouver was born of fishing, mining and lumber. All of those have died out, although many of the remnants remain: old buildings downtown are being renovated by new companies and turned upscale.
The many neighbourhoods that litter the city date back to those early days of this century. Each one grew up on its own and was later incorporated into the City. Kerrisdale, Shaunessy, Marpole, Kitsilano, Point Grey, Oakridge....
The bizarre address-system used by the city is a result of starting at the water’s edge: the downtown/West End area sits on land that is at almost 45 degrees to the left of the rest of the city. Consequently, 1st Avenue is a couple of kilometres from the actual start of the house-numbering, and does not match the Avenue numbers that cross the city.
Real Estate
Vancouver has become development mad: Older homes, with character etched into their facades, are being torn down to make way for boxier, less appealing houses that are sold for exorbitant sums.
The West side of Vancouver is insanely popular among the young and well-off, although few can really afford the rents there and many are choosing the less-affluent East side where prices are lower.
This spiral is fed by the large numbers of people moving here for work, climate and social activity.
Other Languages Spoken Here
While Canada has two “founding cultures”, the English and the French, and therefore two official languages that every government document and product label must be printed in, English use far outstrips the French.
Technically, Canadian English is the root of all English taught in schools nationwide (which is almost identical to British English), although the influence of American media has left many with American pronounciations and slang variations of spoken and written language. Purists see this as a corruption of the “Queen’s English” and in many ways it is. However, this is the way languages evolve.
Most immigrants learn a variation of English, depending on where they settle, and like England, each region has its own accent. Almost everyone can tell a Newfoundlander from a Torontonian from a Vancouverite. Accents from the Prairies are less distinctive.
Recognising the influx of immigrants that don’t speak English, many banks are offering service in Chinese, Hindi, Pakistani, Japanese, and other languages.
Hollywood North
Vancouver has drawn a huge amount of American television and film production because of a mass of easily-accessed locations within a reasonable distance of the City, a weak Canadian dollar, and the availability of stages and capable crews. Vancouver receives so much American television programming, most of which is made in Southern California, many Vancouverites identify with the sun-drenched climes of Los Angeles. Therefore,Vancouver should be every bit as “good” as California: Palm trees can be found in some places in Kitsilano.
While there’s a certain amount of spot the film/television star going on, most of the time well-known faces go unremarked here. Trailers, AD’s and lamps on cranes have become a familiar, and often ignored, sight on Vancouver streets.
In recent years, the Canadian skills in animation (both computer and classical cell) has drawn the attention of Disney and other companies. Because of the increasing amounts of post-production work performed here, complimenting the amount of production, a direct link via fibre-optical cable has been laid between Vancouver and Los Angeles. Data flows back and forth frequently and voluminously
Weather
Notoriously wet, Vancouver usually enjoys at least two months of blazing sun in the summer..although just when is sometimes a guess. The rainy-season usually starts in October and stretches to June, after which there is a good two-three month stretch of clear skies.
Thanks to the moderating temperatures of the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver rarely see snow, although when it does, the snow comes and goes within a week (usually a couple of days).
(Motoring in Vancouver during or after a snowfall is nerve-wracking: most motorists have trouble driving in the rain (strangely enough), but when snow lands, they’re paralysed. Few people know how to handle their vehicles properly, which infuriates those that do, and everyone else is an idiot. People from almost anywhere else in the country marvel at the madness that results from a “nothing” snowfall, when they’re used to a metre or more.)
Culture
A vibrant arts community thrives here. Granville Island Public Market is home to at least four different theatre venues and there are more scattered across the city.
While the major cinema chains, Famous Players and Cineplex Odeon carry mostly American fare, there are some independent and international contributions turning up and many independent cinemas run films from international sources.
First Nations
Is the name that the aboriginal peoples have given themselves in their dealings with the Canadian government. There are many Nations scattered across the vastness of the country; in the Vancouver area there are four: The Coast Salish, The Squamish, The Musqueum, and The Sechelts.
Around the country, their cultures are in grave danger of being wiped out completely, as some already have been, by the influence of existing in a predominantly white world.
Many of the evils visited upon them have finally been recognised, although redress is taking longer than anyone is happy with. The hottest point of contention is in Native Land Claims, which dates back to the Fur Trade of the 1700s, or earlier. No national government actually wishes to resolve this one because each expects to be re-elected for another term.
Media
Vancouver is home to two independent television stations: BCTV (actually in Burnaby) and CKVU (or whatever name it’s going by this time), which is part of the CanWest/Global network. The main Canadian Broadcasting Corporation facility is downtown.
Radio networks compete hotly for the listener’s attention and carry much of the same content that’s packaged differently. For all the supposed choice around here, there’s precious little variation in the content.
Because of the way the main regulatory body of Canadian communications, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has arranged broadcast and financing in this country, there’s more money to be made by carrying American programming than there is in domestic fare.
(Domestic fare is an accurate depiction of life in this country; it makes many viewers squirm because it’s not as loud, boisterous or fantastic as the American material received here....it’s also not as well budgeted, which makes everyone a lot more “quality” conscious.)
Vancouver is also host to a number of software production/service companies that produce everything from computer games to communications programmes. In the past year, a large number of New Media schools have appeared, all churning out students that are gifted in the latest hard/software technologies.
According to the new head of Rogers Cablesystems, Vancouver is one of the most wired cities in the world. Almost every house had cable access and most residents assume that everyone receives cable-delivered programming. Depending on who is the service-provider, most households are able to receive a full-spectrum of channels from America/Canada. The local PBS affiliate, KCTS 9, in Washington State provides the majority of non-commercial programming.
Location and Orientation
Vancouver is situated in the temperate rain forest that starts in Haida Gyai (sic)(the Queen Charlotte Islands), and stretches down to Washington State (much to the consternation of many Vancouverites, who’d prefer the scalding temperatures of Mexico most of the time). Locally known as the Lower Mainland, Vancouver is surrounded by water: the ocean-end of the Fraser River; an inlet known as False Creek; and Vancouver Harbour, location of the “famous” Lions Gate Bridge (1st Narrows crossing) and the lesser-known Ironworkers Memorial (2nd Narrows crossing), which is entered from the main water-body attraction: English Bay.
The rest of the Lower Mainland includes the Cities of Burnaby (next to Vancouver on the east side), Surrey (south and east of Vancouver across the Fraser River), Richmond (south of Vancouver, in the middle of the Fraser River and next door to the International Airport), North Vancouver (and District of North Van.) and West Vancouver (which sit upon the highly-visible mountains that the area is also famous for).
British Columbia joined confederation because of the promise of the National Dream: a rail link that would connect every city, regardless of terrain. That dream was born in Ottawa (national capital) and worked for a while.... but with Vancouver deriving most of its income from the land and the sea, and because of the Rocky Mountain range (which forms a physical boundary between BC and the rest of Canada), Vancouverites tend to look westward, to the sea....which inevitably becomes eastward, and ignores the rest of Canada most of the time.
Vancouver regards itself as the jewel in the crown of Canada (and is just waiting for the rest of the country to catch up with the sentiment), as well as a “world-class city”, which is taken to mean that it’s as good a place to host a venue, act as a headquarters, or develop some groundbreaking technology, as any other major city in America, England or Europe. (This supposedly mollifies the legendary national self-esteem problem Canadians are notorious for, which is symptomatic of living next to a very loud, powerful and proud nation.)
Politics
Victoria, on Vancouver Island, is the provincial capital. The Parliament there provides some of the best material for comedians of all stripes, although sadly, the people that keep electing these lunatics must pay for the laughs.
The feeling of “Western alienation” that afflicts all provinces west of Ontario springs from the slow deterioration of the rail links that were connecting the country, and the fact that the two most populous provinces (Ontario and Quebec) usually have sufficient votes in the national Parliament that they can elect a government by themselves and the rest of the country is “consulted” and ignored.
Many Vancouverites have a casual resentment of the biggest city of English-speaking Canada: Toronto. This city is one of the oldest in Canada and consequently is the headquarters of most of the major business concerns, and where most products that are shipped across Canada are sent to for sub-distribution (if they’re coming from overseas or the US).
Roots
Vancouver grew up from the waters of Vancouver Harbour, predominantly the area known as Gastown so named for the proprietor of a local pub, gassy Jack.
Vancouver was born of fishing, mining and lumber. All of those have died out, although many of the remnants remain: old buildings downtown are being renovated by new companies and turned upscale.
The many neighbourhoods that litter the city date back to those early days of this century. Each one grew up on its own and was later incorporated into the City. Kerrisdale, Shaunessy, Marpole, Kitsilano, Point Grey, Oakridge....
The bizarre address-system used by the city is a result of starting at the water’s edge: the downtown/West End area sits on land that is at almost 45 degrees to the left of the rest of the city. Consequently, 1st Avenue is a couple of kilometres from the actual start of the house-numbering, and does not match the Avenue numbers that cross the city.
Real Estate
Vancouver has become development mad: Older homes, with character etched into their facades, are being torn down to make way for boxier, less appealing houses that are sold for exorbitant sums.
The West side of Vancouver is insanely popular among the young and well-off, although few can really afford the rents there and many are choosing the less-affluent East side where prices are lower.
This spiral is fed by the large numbers of people moving here for work, climate and social activity.
Other Languages Spoken Here
While Canada has two “founding cultures”, the English and the French, and therefore two official languages that every government document and product label must be printed in, English use far outstrips the French.
Technically, Canadian English is the root of all English taught in schools nationwide (which is almost identical to British English), although the influence of American media has left many with American pronounciations and slang variations of spoken and written language. Purists see this as a corruption of the “Queen’s English” and in many ways it is. However, this is the way languages evolve.
Most immigrants learn a variation of English, depending on where they settle, and like England, each region has its own accent. Almost everyone can tell a Newfoundlander from a Torontonian from a Vancouverite. Accents from the Prairies are less distinctive.
Recognising the influx of immigrants that don’t speak English, many banks are offering service in Chinese, Hindi, Pakistani, Japanese, and other languages.
Hollywood North
Vancouver has drawn a huge amount of American television and film production because of a mass of easily-accessed locations within a reasonable distance of the City, a weak Canadian dollar, and the availability of stages and capable crews. Vancouver receives so much American television programming, most of which is made in Southern California, many Vancouverites identify with the sun-drenched climes of Los Angeles. Therefore,Vancouver should be every bit as “good” as California: Palm trees can be found in some places in Kitsilano.
While there’s a certain amount of spot the film/television star going on, most of the time well-known faces go unremarked here. Trailers, AD’s and lamps on cranes have become a familiar, and often ignored, sight on Vancouver streets.
In recent years, the Canadian skills in animation (both computer and classical cell) has drawn the attention of Disney and other companies. Because of the increasing amounts of post-production work performed here, complimenting the amount of production, a direct link via fibre-optical cable has been laid between Vancouver and Los Angeles. Data flows back and forth frequently and voluminously
Weather
Notoriously wet, Vancouver usually enjoys at least two months of blazing sun in the summer..although just when is sometimes a guess. The rainy-season usually starts in October and stretches to June, after which there is a good two-three month stretch of clear skies.
Thanks to the moderating temperatures of the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver rarely see snow, although when it does, the snow comes and goes within a week (usually a couple of days).
(Motoring in Vancouver during or after a snowfall is nerve-wracking: most motorists have trouble driving in the rain (strangely enough), but when snow lands, they’re paralysed. Few people know how to handle their vehicles properly, which infuriates those that do, and everyone else is an idiot. People from almost anywhere else in the country marvel at the madness that results from a “nothing” snowfall, when they’re used to a metre or more.)
Culture
A vibrant arts community thrives here. Granville Island Public Market is home to at least four different theatre venues and there are more scattered across the city.
While the major cinema chains, Famous Players and Cineplex Odeon carry mostly American fare, there are some independent and international contributions turning up and many independent cinemas run films from international sources.
First Nations
Is the name that the aboriginal peoples have given themselves in their dealings with the Canadian government. There are many Nations scattered across the vastness of the country; in the Vancouver area there are four: The Coast Salish, The Squamish, The Musqueum, and The Sechelts.
Around the country, their cultures are in grave danger of being wiped out completely, as some already have been, by the influence of existing in a predominantly white world.
Many of the evils visited upon them have finally been recognised, although redress is taking longer than anyone is happy with. The hottest point of contention is in Native Land Claims, which dates back to the Fur Trade of the 1700s, or earlier. No national government actually wishes to resolve this one because each expects to be re-elected for another term.
Media
Vancouver is home to two independent television stations: BCTV (actually in Burnaby) and CKVU (or whatever name it’s going by this time), which is part of the CanWest/Global network. The main Canadian Broadcasting Corporation facility is downtown.
Radio networks compete hotly for the listener’s attention and carry much of the same content that’s packaged differently. For all the supposed choice around here, there’s precious little variation in the content.
Because of the way the main regulatory body of Canadian communications, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has arranged broadcast and financing in this country, there’s more money to be made by carrying American programming than there is in domestic fare.
(Domestic fare is an accurate depiction of life in this country; it makes many viewers squirm because it’s not as loud, boisterous or fantastic as the American material received here....it’s also not as well budgeted, which makes everyone a lot more “quality” conscious.)
Vancouver is also host to a number of software production/service companies that produce everything from computer games to communications programmes. In the past year, a large number of New Media schools have appeared, all churning out students that are gifted in the latest hard/software technologies.
According to the new head of Rogers Cablesystems, Vancouver is one of the most wired cities in the world. Almost every house had cable access and most residents assume that everyone receives cable-delivered programming. Depending on who is the service-provider, most households are able to receive a full-spectrum of channels from America/Canada. The local PBS affiliate, KCTS 9, in Washington State provides the majority of non-commercial programming.
