Trifter

In Vancouver they’re full of imagination and they know what it means to live an internationally inclusive lifestyle.  It shows in the city’s architecture, its harmony with the surrounding landscape and the city’s affinity for all things green. The sunsets are breathtaking in the most curious way – the sun reflects off the glass office and condominium towers popular for their incredible views to create prisms of light that refract throughout the city as darkness falls.

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With easy access to the Pacific Ocean and the mountains of the Pacific Coast Range, Vancouver boasts post-card vistas at every turn. Situated along British Columbia’s coastline, the city lies in the lap of the Coast Mountain range, flanked on all sides by water, beach and the otherworldly 1,000-acre Stanley Park. It combines to create a striking cityscape, as well as Canada’s flourishing example of how best to balance nature with urban identity. And it has not gone unnoticed: Vancouver has been voted “Best City in the Americas” by Conde Nast Traveler in 2004, 2005 & 2006 and the 4th “Most livable city in the world” by Business Week Magazine in 2008.

Vancouver can look forward to a lot more publicity as it gears up to host (along with Whistler) the 2010 Winter Olympics. Massive architectural projects are all underway: a cutting-edge convention centre is being built on the banks of Coal Harbour, Living Shangri-La, the city’s tallest building, has begun construction, and the Yaletown district is ripe with fast-rising developments that continue to cause people to migrate into the city’s core. But it’s the Olympic-related construction that’s causing the most excitement. The beautiful Sea-to-Sky Highway that links the city to Squamish and Whistler is undergoing massive reconstruction, a new light-rail train linking the airport to downtown is nearing completion and the breathtaking Richmond Oval, home to over a dozen medal rink sports during the games opened in November to rave reviews. The one-of-a-kind wooden roof is a hallmark of sustainability, accessibility and world-class architecture.

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In keeping with its tree-hugging roots – Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver – these Olympics are shaping up to be the most environmentally sustainable yet. The athlete’s village on southeast False Creek will showcase energy-saving architecture in what was derelict port lands, and many events, from hockey to figure skating will take place in existing stadiums. The Games have been organized on the principle that what is built to host the games will remain – and even be more usable – once the Olympic and Paralympic Games are complete.

Vancouver is a relaxed but bustling, cosmopolitan city, yet many popular diversions are focused on outdoor activities – Vancouverites are the fittest people in Canada and enjoy hiking, cycling, boating and skiing with great fervor. As the western gateway to Canada from Asia, the city is a cultural confluence of many art forms, all of which have a welcome home in the city. Vancouver is a major regional centre for the development of Canadian music and theatre culture, so to experience the arts scene is to sample the diversity of the entire country. The city’s musical contributions include legendary Canadian performers of all varieties – Bryan Adams, Sarah McLachlan, Michael Buble, Nickelback, Heart and Diana Krall originated in the concert halls and clubs of Vancouver.

Vancouver is a vibrant urban centre made up of eclectic, lively neighbourhoods. Few cities in the world feature the concentrations of diverse cultures, festivals and businesses offering widely satisfying opportunities for international adventure. From inventive world cuisines to a shopping industry fuelled by global fashions with creative local twists, the boroughs of “the Glass City” provide the kind of exhilarating experience that unfolds when cultures meet, mix and innovate.

Most of the city’s most distinct neighbourhood experiences are located within walking distance of each other in the downtown core – the bourgeois South Granville, bohemian Commercial Drive and Main St. area and the beachy and beautiful Kitsilano area are summer hotspots. Vancouver’s cosmopolitan character is reflected in areas like the very urban Robson Street—Canada’s version of Rodeo Drive—contrasted by trendy Granville Island with its mix of cobblestone streets, artisan studios and eclectic markets. Other must-sees hoods include Gastown, North America’s 2nd largest Chinatown, hip Yaletown and the gay-friendly Davie Village.

The cultures contained within represent some of the most authentic experiences, and best stories, the West Coast has to offer. Vancouver is a special place – perhaps nowhere else in the world do people experience their city so richly. The thoughtful combination of being ecologically responsible, contributing to local economic vitality, being sensitive to other cultures and trying to find ways to have a little less impact while giving a little more back than you’re taking away is the way of the land in Vancouver. It combines to create one of the most alluring cities – and visitor experiences – on the West Coast.