 |
|
|
Vancouver is situated in western Canada in the province of British Columbia. It is known for its impressive skyline, which is overlooked by the dramatic backdrop of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. This is a global city with a large multi ethnic population and a total metropolitan population of 2.1 million.
The history of Vancouver dates back several thousand years to the time when native American tribes settled in this forested area and fished the fertile rivers.
In 1792, an American trader known as Robert Gray entered the Columbia River (the Great River of the West) and in the same year a British Lieutenant by the name of William Broughton discovered an area of land 100 miles up the river and named this land after his commander, George Vancouver.
In 1806, the American explorers William Clark and Meriwether Lewis proclaimed that the waterfront of modern-day Vancouver was the only suitable location for building settlements on the western side of the Rocky Mountains. Later, in 1825, a man by the name of Dr John McLoughlin was responsible for laying the foundations for what would become the great city of Vancouver by moving his Hudson Bay Company up-river to a place he called Point Vancouver.
From this point on, Fort Vancouver would become a major trade centre of the Pacific Northwest and an important dominion for British colonial interests over the territory of Oregon. In 1846, after the United States declared control to the 49th parallel (of what is now the US/Canadian border), American troops established a military headquarters known as Vancouver Barracks.
In 1857, the City of Vancouver was created and in the subsequent decades Vancouver entered a period of steady economic growth which was fuelled by the North American industrial revolution.
In 1910 and 1917 a railroad bridge and the Interstate Bridge were built respectively. During the twentieth century Vancouver became an economic powerhouse funded by its large port and forestry industry. In addition, during the Second World War, the Kaiser Shipyard built numerous craft which contributed significantly to the North American war effort.
After the Second World War, Vancouver became increasingly prosperous and entered the international spotlight when hosting the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the first sporting event to be televised to the whole of North America.
Vancouver`s status in the world of sport further elevated after it won the Canadian Football League in 1964 and the North American Soccer League championship in 1979. In 1983 the newly built BC Place Stadium became known as the largest air-supported dome in the world. So large, in fact, that if all of Vancouver`s residents from the year 1886 were to be placed inside it, there would have been almost 60,000 empty seats.
As a historically liberal and multicultural city, Vancouver hosted its first Gay Pride Festival in 1988, now an annual celebration and in the 1990s the first Indy Races took place, an event that took place each summer until 2004. During the 1980s and 1990s the city experienced a major population boom with a 26% increase in total residents between 1981 and 1996, bringing the total population above the one million mark.
Later, the city decided to enter the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games bid - and won. The event was a great opportunity for Vancouver to expand on its status as a major international city and the games were estimated to have generated total revenues of $10 billion for the city`s economy.
Today, Vancouver offers an endless array of attractions including the famous Chinatown, the chic fashion district of Robson Street, the Vancouver Aquarium and the Capilano Suspension Bridge, to name just a few.
Nearby visitors can enjoy stunning mountain scenery and panoramic views of the city from the top of Grouse Mountain just 15 minutes from downtown. In the twenty-first century, Vancouver is a city that is proud of its historical achievements and is an ideal destination for last minute holidays with its mild, temperate climate and superb geographical location.
The fact that this city was voted the `world`s most livable city` in a study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit is a testament to its charm.
|
|
