About Vancouver

With its scenic views, mild climate, and friendly people, Vancouver is known around the world as one of the best places to live and is a popular tourist destination. Vancouver is also one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada with 52% of the population speaking a first language other than English. Vancouver has been host to many international conferences and events, including the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics.

The original settlement, named Gastown, grew around the Hastings sawmill and a nearby tavern in 1867. It was renamed "Vancouver" and incorporated as a city in 1886. By 1887, the transcontinental railway was extended to the city to take advantage of its large natural seaport, which soon became a vital link in trade routes between the Orient and Eastern Canada. Port Metro Vancouver is the busiest and largest port in Canada, and the most diversified port in North America. Major film production studios in Vancouver and Burnaby have turned Metro Vancouver into the fourth-largest film production centre in North America after Los Angeles, New York City, and Toronto, earning it the film industry nickname, Hollywood North.