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- Vancouver. British Columbia’s largest city is best known for its stunning scenery, multiculturalism, and amazing food scene. 🏠 Population: 662,248 | 📍 Google Maps | City of Vancouver Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Vancouver on Booking.
- Victoria. British Columbia’s gorgeous capital city is packed with history and British charm. 🏠 Population: 398,000 | 📍 Google Maps | City of Victoria Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Victoria on Booking.
- Kelowna. An abundance of orchards and wineries make this the tastiest city in the province. 🏠 Population: 156,784 | 📍 Google Maps | City of Kelowna Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in Kelowna on Booking.
- Squamish. This growing city is a paradise for hikers, cyclists, and mountain climbers. 🏠 Population: 23,360 | 📍 Google Maps | District of Squamish Website | 👉 Browse Hotels in con Booking.
- Overview
- History
- The contemporary city
Vancouver, city, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is the major urban centre of western Canada and the focus of one of the country’s most populous metropolitan regions. Vancouver lies between Burrard Inlet (an arm of the Strait of Georgia) to the north and the Fraser River delta to the south, opposite Vancouver Island. The city is just nort...
The region had long been inhabited by several Native American (First Nations) peoples when a trading post, Fort Langley, was set up by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1827 near the mouth of the Fraser River. Few people of European descent lived in the area until the late 1850s, when the town of New Westminster (now a suburb of Vancouver) was established near the site of the original fort (in 1839 the fort itself had been relocated a little farther upstream). Thousands of miners, mostly from California, flooded into the region in the 1860s, attracted by the gold rush in the Cariboo Mountains to the northeast. Besides the Scottish, who were very influential in Vancouver’s early years, Americans had a notable impact on the city. The suggestion to name it Vancouver was made by an American, William Van Horne, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. And the city’s most-often elected mayor (nine nonconsecutive terms from 1919 to 1933), L.D. Taylor, was originally from the United States. Moreover, the first important industry in the area, a sawmill on Burrard Inlet, was owned by an American. Finally, the first major industry not reliant on local natural resources, a still-active sugar refinery, was started by an American.
Vancouver was originally a small sawmilling settlement, called Granville in the 1870s. It was incorporated as a city in April 1886 (just before it became the western terminus of the first trans-Canada railway, the Canadian Pacific) and was renamed to honour the English navigator George Vancouver, of the Royal Navy, who had explored and surveyed the coast in 1792. A disastrous fire just two months after incorporation destroyed the city in less than an hour. The city recovered, however, to become a prosperous port, aided in part by the opening of the Panama Canal (1914), which made it economically feasible to export grain and lumber from Vancouver to the east coast of the United States and to Europe. In 1929 two large suburbs to the south, Point Grey and South Vancouver, amalgamated with Vancouver, and its metropolitan area became the third most populous in Canada. By the 1930s Vancouver was Canada’s major Pacific coast port. After World War II it developed into Canada’s main business hub for trade with Asia and the Pacific Rim.
Nestled among snow-capped mountains on an ocean inlet, Vancouver has one of the most picturesque settings of any city in the world. In his 1792 journal, Captain Vancouver wrote:
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To describe the beauties of this region will on some future occasion be a very grateful task to the pen of a skilled panegyrist. The serenity of the climate, the innumerable pleasing landscapes, and the abundant fertility that unassisted nature puts forth, requires only to be enriched by the industry of man with villages, mansions, cottages, and other buildings.
Its climate is marked by mild wet winters and moderately warm summers. Temperatures range from highs in the low 70s F (about 22 °C) in August to lows in the low 30s F (about 0.8 °C) in December. The city’s proximity to the water and to mountains results in constantly changing weather conditions. Rainfall is heavy in November and December, with an average of about 7 inches (about 180 mm) in both months.
The city is the industrial, commercial, and financial heart of British Columbia, with trade and transportation as basic components of its economy. Its ice-free deepwater port (on Burrard Inlet), Canada’s largest, has extensive docks and grain elevator facilities; it handles freighters, a fishing fleet, and some ferries. Major cargoes include bulk commodities (grain, coal, sulfur, potash, and petrochemicals), forest products, steel, and containers. It is also an important port for cruise ships, with Alaska as their most common destination.
Website. vancouver .ca. Vancouver ( / vænˈkuːvər / ⓘ van-KOO-vər) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016.
- Canada
- George Vancouver
- April 6, 1886 (as Vancouver)
- Vancouver. Discover a city where urban charm meets natural beauty: Vancouver, a top contender among the best places to live in British Columbia. Imagine waking up to the sight of majestic mountains while being just moments away from vibrant city streets.
- Victoria. Step into the timeless elegance of Victoria, where history and modernity create a unique blend. As one of the coolest places to live in British Columbia, this city offers a serene escape from the rapid pace of modern life, without sacrificing the conveniences of urban living.
- Kelowna. Imagine a place where the sun shines brighter, the grapes grow sweeter, and life flows more leisurely. Welcome to Kelowna, a gem in the heart of British Columbia’s wine country and undeniably one of the best places in British Columbia to live in.
- Surrey. Step into the dynamic blend of cultural richness and green expanses that define Surrey. Known as one of the best places to live in British Columbia, Surrey stands out with its unique blend of urban living and rural charm, offering an experience unlike any other.
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- Oscar Aponte
- Writer
- Richmond. Tibetan Thrangu Monastery, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Richmond might not look like any other city in British Columbia, but that's exactly what makes it stand out.
- Nelson. Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. What Nelson lacks in size, it makes up with a rich collection of 350 historical buildings, beautiful landscapes, and a restored streetcar to cruise through the city in style.
- Nanaimo. Nanaimo Harbor, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. The city of Nanaimo describes itself as "having layers": Deep culture, natural landscapes and activities, festivals throughout the year, and a long trail of dessert bars to please everyone with a sweet tooth.
- Vernon. Swan Lake at Vernon, British Columbia, Canada. Further down Okanagan Lake, travelers can find a big city hidden among an even bigger valley. Named after a former member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, the city of Vernon is surrounded by huge mountains and plentiful rivers that are part of the many natural parks that are located within the area.
The map of British Columbia cities offers a user-friendly way to explore all the cities and towns located in the state. To get started, simply click the clusters on the map. These clusters represent groups of cities located close to each other geographically and as the map zooms, the individual cities within the selected cluster will become ...
3 days ago · Fernie Alpine Resort is Fernie’s local ski hill and one of the best in Canada. The resort is huge and home to over 2,500+ acres of skiable terrain as well as 10 chairlifts, a 1,082 meter (3,550 feet) verticle rise, 140+ runs, and its longest run is over 5 kilometers (3.1 miles).
