Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Changing Face of a City
Afterreachingtheone-millionmarkin1966,Vancouver'spopulationbeganspreadingeast
along the Fraser River Valley. Many remaining downtown industries were forced to relo-
cate to outlying areas—and so the sawmills and industry around Burrard Inlet and False
Creek closed, leaving an industrial wasteland. A farmers market in rejuvenated Gastown
metwithlittlesuccess,sotheconceptwastriedonFalseCreek'sgovernment-ownedGran-
ville Island. The market opened in conjunction with an island-based arts school, small
businesses such as boat building, and a variety of artistic endeavors, boutiques, and res-
taurants. At the same time, much of the rest of the land around False Creek was rezoned,
allowing only residential developments that included large tracts of green space.
Recent Times
From what began just 120 years ago as a cluster of ramshackle buildings centered around
a saloon, Vancouver has blossomed into one of the world's greatest cities. Although the
city holds the largest port on North America's west coast, boasting 20 specialized termin-
als that handle more tonnage than any other port in Canada, it is now a lot less reliant
on its traditional economic heart for its growth. The high-tech industry continues as the
fastest-growing sector of Vancouver's economy. Employing over 80,000 people in Van-
couver alone and worth $5 billion to the province in 2013, this knowledge-based industry
has both revitalized the local economy and created a major shift in government thinking.
Tourism contributes more than $5.5 billion annually to the local economy, with finance,
real estate, insurance, and manufacturing also forming large slices of the local econom-
ic pie. Vancouver is also North America's third-largest movie-making center (behind Los
Angeles and New York). Worth $1.2 billion annually to the city, this exciting industry em-
ploys up to 35,000 people on as many as 30 simultaneous productions.
In 1792, when Captain George Vancouver sailed through the Strait of Georgia, he noted
and named Vancouver Island, but his short visit had little effect on the many indigenous
communities living along the shoreline.
Fort Victoria
Needing to firmly establish British presence on the continent's northwest coast, the Hud-
son's Bay Company built Fort Victoria—named after Queen Victoria—on the southern tip
ofVancouverIslandin1843.Threeyearslater,theOregonTreatyfixedtheU.S.-Canadian
