Vancouver

Vancouver was first explored in 1792 by British Naval Captain, George Vancouver. In the 1870's, the first sawmill settlement was founded and called Granville. The city was incorporated in 1886 and renamed after the captain. Some notes to take...

Population: 2.1 million, Vancouver is Canada's third largest city.

Geography: Situated just east of the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver experiences the mildest temperatures in Canada. It is located in the province of British Columbia, at about 49° Latitude and 123° Longitude.

Temperature: June to August daytime temperatures are just above 20° C (70° F). From November to February, temperatures average from 0° to 5° C (around 32° to 45° F) .

Public Transportation: The Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority, also known as "TransLink" provides the following services in Vancouver: buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, West Coast Express and HandyDART, Albion Ferry, and AirCare . Greater Vancouver is divided into three fare zones, which are the same for all modes of transit.

Whistler: Approximately 2 hours north of Vancouver is home to the famous resort municipality. Whistler and the Blackcomb Mountains attract tourists and skiers from all parts of the world. The Ski Resort offers downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, heli-skiing, and snowmobiling terrain. In the summer, there is hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, fly-fishing, or golfing.

Whale Watching: In late winter/early spring, it is possible to view the migration of grey whales down the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Languages Spoken: The top 12 languages spoken in Vancouver are English, Chinese, Punjabi, German, Tagalog (Filipino), French, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Polish, Dutch, and Portuguese.

Sports: Vancouver is home to three professional sports teams – NHL hockey (The Canucks), CFL football (The BC Lions), and NLL lacrosse (The Ravens).