Vancouver Background

Vancouver is a beautiful coastal city, located for it’s large natural seaport, now known as Port Metro. Regularly voted amongst the top ten ‘most livable cities’.

Logging is still an important industry and the original sawmill was established in 1867, when the settlement was known as Gastown.  It was renamed Vancouver in 1886, after Captain George Vancouver from Kings Lynn in Norfolk who mapped the area in the 1790’s.  Vancouver Maritime Museum, Vanier Park, west of False Creek is well worth a visit.

Logging remains an important industry to this day, followed by tourism – the city together with nearby Whistler hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics -  and the third largest film production centre in North America earning the city the sobriquet Hollywood North.  Port Metro is the busiest Port in Canada.

The modern city with it’s lovely waterside location, with the snow capped Rockies as a backdrop includes Stanley Park, the largest urban park in Canada, which is lovely for a stroll and also a visit to the aquarium with it’s 90,000 creatures.  Head for Robson Street for shopping, also Granville Island Farmers and Art Market.  End up in Yaletown for a well earned drink in one of the many Pubs.