The railway, along with Canadian Pacific’s fleet of clipper ships, gave Vancouver a full week’s edge over the California ports in shipping tea and silk to New York at the end of the 19th century. Lumber, fish, and coal from British Columbia’s hinterland also flowed through the port to world markets. The same ships and trains brought immigrants from all corners of the earth, helping the population grow exponentially to today’s 2 million.
A port city in resource-based province, Vancouver is relatively new to tourism and, for that matter, to its famous laid-back West Coast lifestyle. Most locals mark Expo ’86, when the city cleaned up old industrial sites and generated new tourism infrastructure, as the turning point.
Another makeover is in the works now, as Vancouver, with Whistler, prepares to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The supper mild climate, exquisite natural scenery, and relaxed outdoor lifestyle continually attract new residents, and the number of visitors is increasing for the same reasons. It’s no wonder it was voted the best place to live in the world, people often get their first glimpse of Vancouver when catching an Alaskan cruise, and many return at some point to spend more time here.
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