living in vancouver

8/3/2019 Living in Vancouver

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Living in Vancouver, British Columbia

Geography and Climate

- Vancouver sits on the Pacific west coast of Canada- It is the largest city in British Columbia and, as a result of its Pacific Ocean location, is a very

important port, exporting Canadian goods to Asia and the USA's west coast.- Vancouver's climate is incredibly mild by Canadian standards; its winters are easily the warmest

of Canada's big cities.

- The mild winters are a result of the combined effects of the mild Pacific Ocean and the RockyMountains, which block cold winter air moving in from the rest of the continent.

- Snow falls in Vancouver on an average of eleven days a year, rarely reaching depths of morethan a few centimeters.

- Summers are dry, sunny and reasonably warm.Character

- Vancouver is an ethnically diverse city.-

About 52 percent of the city of Vancouver's residents and about 43 percent of Metropolitan(Greater) Vancouver's residents don't speak English as their first language.

- Vancouver takes pride in its status as one of the world's best cities to live in; it consistentlyranks in the top three of the world's most livable cities.

- The city is renowned for its innovative programs in the areas of environmental sustainability,accessibility and inclusivity.

- The city's people are friendly and polite but a number of newcomers have found thatVancouverites are rather reserved and difficult to become good friends with.

- According to Forbes, Vancouver is the 10th cleanest city in the world.- Comparisons are often made between Vancouver and Toronto. In general, Vancouver comes

across as less hectic than Toronto, with a more relaxed feel. Commercially it also has a more

white-collar, service-oriented, less industrial feel than Toronto.- Gang violence - usually drug related - has been a concern in Vancouver. The number of violentcrimes has been high compared with other Canadian cities. Crimes involving firearms have been

among Canada's highest - these are usually gang-on-gang offences - and burglary rates are also

high.

- Vancouver's police have been targeting violent gangs and, as a result, say that in 2010 shootingsdropped drastically and the murder rate plummeted.

Business and Jobs

- British Columbia, with Vancouver as its commercial hub, has one of Canada's most prosperouseconomies. The city is one of Canada's largest industrial centres and has a highly diversified

economy.- Vancouver has Canada's largest port, handling $200 million of cargo a day. The port is rankednumber one in North America for exports and, according to InterVISTAS, generates $6.1 billion

in wages via 130,000 Canadian jobs it supports and 45,000 regional jobs in Greater Vancouver.

- Vancouver is also home to a variety of other industries including biotechnology, alternativefuels and software development.

- Electronic Arts employs one thousand people in Burnaby, making it their largest games studio.- QLT Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company, is based in Vancouver, employing 350 people in

research and technology.

- MDA (MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) employs over 1,000 people in Richmond, workingin satellite and information systems technology.

- Ballard Power Systems, which develops fuel-cell technology, has about 700 employees inBurnaby.
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- Foreign technology companies in Vancouver include Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Kodak, Microsoft andNokia.

- HSBC Canada has its headquarters in Vancouver, as do a number of mining and forestrycompanies.

- Vancouver, however, has fewer large company head offices than Calgary or Toronto.- A vibrant, growing, film industry has developed in Vancouver - or "Hollywood North" as it issometimes described - which produces the second largest number of television shows of any

location in North America.

- Vancouver's scenic location ensures that the tourism industry is healthy too.- Both Vancouver and British Columbia have been hit by the global recession. Despite growing

numbers of jobless, British Columbia's unemployment rates tend to be consistently lower than

the Canadian average.

- Vancouver hosted the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic winter games.- With the Olympic related projects completed, fewer construction jobs are anticipated than in

recent years. The service industries are, however, expected benefit from the games for some

time.

Education

- Vancouver has two major universities: The University of British Columbia (UBC) and SimonFraser University.

- Newsweek ranked UBC 2nd out of Canada's universities (behind the University of Toronto)and 31st in the world. Simon Fraser University ranked 10th in Canada.

- The British Columbia Institute of Technology provides polytechnic education and offersdegrees in various fields.

- Vancouver also has several community colleges and the Emily Carr University of Art andDesign and Vancouver Film School, a private entertainment arts school.

- Government funded elementary schools and high schools generally offer students a highquality education.- Unless you opt for private education, the school(s) your children attend will be determinedby where you live.

- It makes sense, therefore, to avoid some inner-city schools and schools in poorer areaswhere issues associated with poverty make it harder for children to perform to their full

ability.

Environment and Getting Around

- Vancouver is clean and livable; this results from a combination of its beautiful physicalsurroundings and the government's strong environmental policy.

- A rapidly growing population (doubling in the last 20 years) has resulted in an even more rapidincrease in vehicle usage. Despite this, peak levels of major pollutants have been trendingdownward, a sign of successful environmental policies.

- Vancouver offers a variety of options for public transit, from buses and ferries (SeaBus) tocommuter rail services. The Coast Mountain Bus Company operates throughout the Greater

Vancouver area and the buses in the city are completely electric.

- The Sky Train is an extensive rail system that loops around the city, offering an efficient,frequent service. The West Coast Express commuter rail system is the interregional railway

system of British Columbia, linking downtown Vancouver to various cities in the province.

- Vancouver has just one major freeway, Highway 1, passing through the north eastern corner ofthe city.

- There is a city-wide network of bicycle lanes and with the moderate weather all year long, theuse of bicycles as a primary mode of transportation is more than viable. More people walk or

bike to work in Vancouver than in any other Canadian city.


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What to do in Vancouver

- Vancouver has a popular and growing art scene, distinguished restaurants from a variety ofnationalities, opportunities for year-round outdoor activities and a variety of sporting events.

- Vancouver is a major centre for Canadian music, the Vancouver Art Gallery is a staple of the artscene, and the Vancouver museum is also popular.

- There is a prominent performing arts scene as well, with a multitude of theatre companies.Vancouver is home to an annual Fringe Festival and an International Film Festival.

- Despite these attractions, anyone looking for serious cultural activities would be better advisedto head for Toronto.

- On the other hand, Vancouver easily beats Toronto for climate, proximity to the ocean,mountains, rivers, lakes and beaches.

- Vancouver is a world-class destination for year round outdoor recreation. Cycling, golf, sailing,hiking, canoeing, skiing and snowboarding are very popular.

- The result of all this furious, year round, activity is that Vancouver has a low adult obesity rate -12% compared to the Canadian average of 23%.

-

There are over 3200 acres of parks in Vancouver, with Stanley Park being the largest.- Vancouver is home to six professional sports teams, including two ice hockey teams, a baseballteam, football and soccer.

Where to Live in Vancouver

- Vancouver is an expensive city to live in.- It has the most expensive housing market in Canada and is ranked by Demographia as the third

least affordable major city in the world, behind Hong Kong and Sydney.

- The city has attempted to introduce strategies to reduce housing costs, including co-op housing,increased density and legalized secondary suites.

- (A secondary suite is a subdivided single home. Secondary suites, or granny flats, usually havetheir own entrances, living areas, kitchens and bathrooms.)- A large number of people also live in high-rise condominiums.

- High density housing is more of a consideration in Vancouver than other Canadian citiesbecause any expansion of Vancouver is restricted by sea and mountains more so than

elsewhere.

- In early 2011, the average home in Vancouver cost $792,000 - much more expensive than inToronto, $455,000; Calgary, $400,000; or Montreal, $300,000.

- The Royal LePage House Price Survey (pdf document) of Vancouver summarizing the fourthquarter of 2010 found that purchasing a standard two-story house would cost:

- $450,000 in the North Delta; $790,000 in North Vancouver; $780,000 in Richmond; $415,000 inSurrey; $750,000 in Vancouver East; $1,450,000 in Vancouver West; and $1,040,000 in West

Vancouver.- For standard condominium apartments, prices were:- $164,000 in the North Delta; $340,000 in North Vancouver; $290,000 in Richmond; $195,000 in

Surrey; $423,000 in Vancouver East; $725,000 in Vancouver West; and $450,000 in West

Vancouver.

- Most rentals in Vancouver are unfurnished and come with 12 month leases.- Royal LePage estimated the monthly rental prices for standard condominium apartments were:- $900 in the North Delta; $900 in Surrey; and $2,000 in Vancouver West.- Vancouver's best neighbourhoods are situated in the city's downtown, to the west of the

downtown, and over the bridge to the North Shore (West and North Vancouver).

- North Vancouver has one of Canada's lowest crime rates.- The west end of the downtown core is the most expensive area, while downtown's east side is a

more impoverished area, with higher crime rates.


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- Some parts of the eastern city are very run down with some of the worst drug andhomelessness problems in Canada.

- Moving a little farther out, to somewhere like Burnaby, will be cheaper than the North Shore ordowntown and there are plenty of more affordable, family sized properties in areas such as

Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Surrey and Langley.- Each of these areas have some poorer areas that families moving to Vancouver might prefer to

avoid, but they also have plenty of great places to live too, with lots of amenities that families

will find are ideal.

Summary

Vancouver is a metropolitan city offering something different from most cities. Its large

downtown core offers an affluent arts scene, diverse foods and sporting events.

On top of this, Vancouver is surrounded by ocean and mountains that result in a moderate

climate allowing outdoor recreational activities all year round. The housing market in Vancouver is

the highest priced in the country and crime rates are higher than in "competing" Canadian cities.

Vancouver's Negatives

Expensive house prices: the highest in Canada. (Renting is more affordable.) Higher crime rates than Toronto (about 30 percent higher) or Calgary (about 70 percent

higher).

Wet, overcast winters Rapid population growth

Vancouver's Positives

Lower than average obesity rates Lowest smoking rates in Canada Best health and longest lived people in Canada. One in six people walk or bike to work - much higher than typical for Canada. A growing film industry A strong economy with a wide range of industries and opportunities A very moderate climate, rarely any snowfall Moderately warm, dry, sunny summers. Spectacularly beautiful land and seascape that permits a huge range of year round

recreation options

An extensive transit system that is primarily electric Very clean air quality Consistently ranks in the world's top three most livable cities.

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Vancouver's Location

Panorama of Vancouver, looking west from Chinatown, photo credit: Bobanny

Panorama of Vancouver Harbour at dusk

Olympic Ski Slopes


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Shops in Vancouver, credit: Arnold C

Port of Vancouver

Photo: Bobanny


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UBC Life Science Building, photo credit: Arnold C

Boats in Yaletown - Downtown Vancouver

Vancouver after a snowfall


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Kayaking in Vancouver's Sounds

Walking and Cycling

Magee High School, Vancouver: Arnold C


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Housing in an older Vancouver suburb

Houses in a new Vancouver suburb

Waterside Condos


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Pacific Boulevard, Yaletown

Photo: Arnold C

Townhouses in Richmond

Vancouver District Plan, credit: TastyCakes


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Condominiums and Beach, Vancouver West and English Bay

Chinese New Year, Vancouver

Photo: Bobanny


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Vancouver from Cyprus Mountain

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