Vancouver

Vancouver (pronounced {{IPA|}}) is a Canadian city in the province of British Columbia. It is the largest metropolitan centre in western Canada and third largest in the country. The city's population is 545,671 and that of the metropolitan area is 1,986,965 (2001 census). http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/popdwell/Table-CMA-C.cfm?T=1&SR=1&CMA=933&S=3&O=D Vancouver is one of the cities of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) and of the larger geographic region commonly known as the Lower Mainland of BC. The current mayor is Larry Campbell, Coalition of Progressive Electors (see List of Mayors of Vancouver). Vancouver will be the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics, 2005 Grey Cup, the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championship, the 2006 United Nations World Urban Forum and the 2007 Memorial Cup.

Industry

Vancouver is Canada's largest port and one of North America's major gateways for Pan-Pacific trade. The Port of Vancouver ranks first in North America in total foreign exports and also first on the West Coast in total cargo volume. http://www.portvancouver.com/media/port_facts.html

Related Topics:
Port - Port of Vancouver

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"Hollywood North," as the city has been called, hosts the production of approximately ten percent of Hollywood's movies. Many U.S. television and films series are shot exclusively in Vancouver. This has partly been because of the favourable Canadian dollar exchange rate.

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Canadian dollar - Exchange rate

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Several floatplane operators support both tourist scenic flights and practical transportation with extensive operations during daylight hours.

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Tourism is a vital industry to Vancouver. The Whistler-Blackcomb Resort, 126 kilometres north of Vancouver, is among the most popular skiing resorts in North America, and will be the site of the downhill events in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour, and Cypress Mountain, each with a variety of summer and winter leisure activities, are within a 30 km drive of downtown Vancouver and all have bird's-eye views of Vancouver and the surrounding region. The city's numerous beaches, parks, waterfronts, and mountain backdrop, combined with its cultural and multi-ethnic character, all contribute to its unique appeal and style. Over a million people annually pass through Vancouver en route to a cruise ship vacation, usually to Alaska.

Related Topics:
Whistler-Blackcomb Resort - 2010 Winter Olympics - Grouse Mountain - Mount Seymour - Cypress Mountain - Cruise ship - Alaska

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As a major centre for the global forestry industry, Vancouver is host to many international forestry conferences and events, and the natural home of the massive BC forestry business. Companies such as Canfor and West Fraser Timber Co., the second and third largest lumber producers in the world, are headquartered in Vancouver.

Related Topics:
Forestry - Canfor - West Fraser Timber Co.

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Vancouver is also a major centre for the mining industry, with the former Vancouver Stock Exchange (now absorbed into the TSX Venture Exchange) notable as the largest market in the world for venture capital in small to medium sized mining ventures. The highly speculative Vancouver market was sometimes criticised as too risky and even scam-ridden, which somewhat tarnished its reputation, though the long term effect on business has been negligible. Vancouver is the primary western ship loading point for sulphur refined in Alberta.

Related Topics:
TSX Venture Exchange - Sulphur - Alberta

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Because of its local universities and reputation for very high quality of life, Vancouver has a growing high technology sector--including software development. Additionally, Vancouver is emerging as a world leader in fuel cell technology, accounting for 70 percent of Canadians employed in the industry. The headquarters of Ballard Power Systems and the National Research Council Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation are both located in Vancouver. http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/clusters/vancouver_e.html

Related Topics:
Fuel cell - Ballard Power Systems - National Research Council

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The 1986 World Exposition was held in Vancouver.

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