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Housing and Zoning
West Vancouver is a residential area with no industrial zoning. Most of the housing stock consists of single family homes a choice of old summer cottages, modest homes and multimillion-dollar waterfront estates. If you are looking for a house of outstanding architectural quality with breathtaking views, West Vancouver is a perfect place to start.
Multifamily developments are relatively scarce but there is an intention to provide a wide range of housing types and sizes. High rise apartment buildings are located along the eastern beachfront.
The municipality is taking care that new development continues to enhance the park-like environment with a well-balanced housing density and limited tree cutting. All land above the 1,200-foot elevation is preserved for recreational purposes.
Shopping, Dining and Entertainment
Park Royal is one of the largest shopping malls in the region with one million square feet of retail and office space.
Ambleside and nearby Dundarave are the liveliest retail sections of West Vancouver. Connected with a 15-block long seawall only a block from the waterfront, these two centres feature hundreds of shops, galleries, excellent restaurants, and all kinds of services.
Caulfield Centre, servicing affluent new developments in the area, features one of a kind stores and services.
Horseshoe Bay's commercial centre abounds with restaurants and other tourist and traveler related amenities.
Parks and Recreation
West Vancouver has over 2,500 hectares of parkland.
The area is noted for excellent salmon fishing and contains many popular spots for boating, swimming, and scuba diving. There are excellent marina facilities and numerous waterfront parks attracting visitors from the entire region.
Cypress Provincial Park offers day and night downhill skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, hiking and cross-country skiing along with fabulous views of Vancouver.
Transportation
The picturesque Lion's Gate Bridge connects West Vancouver to Downtown Vancouver. The district has its own beloved "Blue Bus", the first public transit system in Canada to be totally wheelchair-accessible. It connects various parts of the district with Vancouver and with buses driving to other cities.
The Upper Levels Highway, part of the Trans Canada Highway, traverses the area from east to west providing fast road access to other parts of the region.
Horseshoe Bay at the northwest edge of the district is a major terminus for the provincial ferry system. It services Nanaimo (on Vancouver Island), Bowen Island, and the nearby Sunshine Coast.
Education
West Vancouver public and private schools have an excellent reputation.
- You can find information on public K-12 schools at the School District #45 Web site.
- A list of independent schools is available at the Federation of Independent School Associations' Web site.
- For school rankings, visit the B.C. Ministry of Education site or contact School District #45 for detailed school profiles.
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