A Brief History of Vancouver

Vancouver was first settled in the 1860s as a result of immigration caused by the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, although many immigrants did not remain after the rush. The city developed rapidly from a small lumber mill town into a metropolitan centre following the arrival of the transcontinental railway in 1887. The Port of Vancouver became internationally significant after the completion of the Panama Canal, which reduced freight rates in the 1920s and made it viable to ship export-bound prairie grain west through Vancouver. It has since become the busiest seaport in Canada, and exports more cargo than any other port in North America. …Read more

Transport - Metro Vancouver

Responsibility for transportation, major roads and bridges in Metro Vancouver, the mainland area, lies with TransLink. Vancouver is served by a network of Buses, trains and ferries.

Vancouver Buses

Buses in Metro Vancouver are run by two companies: Coast Mountain Bus Company is a subsidiary of TransLink, and serves the City of Vancouver, mostly with electrically powered buses, and its municipalities mostly with normal diesel buses. Services for West Vancouver are contracted out to Blue Bus, but the schedules, routes and fares of both companies are integrated. Timetables are available on the TransLink website in theBuses section. …Read more about the bus network in Vancouver

SkyTrain

The SkyTrain is a driverless light rail system that currently consists of two lines, with a 3rd line due to open during 2009. SkyTrain's Expo Line connects Downtown Vancouver with southern Burnaby, New Westminster, and Surrey. The Millennium Line links northern Burnaby and eastern New Westminster to Vancouver. The Canada Line, which is due to launch in late summer 2009, will connect downtown Vancouver to the Vancouver International Airport and the city of Richmond. For timetables and a SkyTrain map click on the SkyTrain section of the TransLink website.

SeaBus

SeaBus is a passenger-only ferry that connects downtown Vancouver with the North Shore. The ferry departs every 15 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes in the evening. There are two terminals: Waterfront in downtown Vancouver, which connects with buses, SkyTrain and West Coast Express; and Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, which connects with an extensive network of North Shore buses. The crossing time is 12 minutes. For more information visit the Sea Bus section of the TransLink website.

West Coast Express

West Coast Express is a commuter rail service operating during peak morning and evening periods, from Monday to Friday, between downtown Vancouver and Mission City. On weekends, a TrainBus service is provided using highway coaches. For timetables check the West Coast Express section of the TransLink website.

Cycling

Cycling can often be the fastest way of getting around urban areas of Metro Vancouver. TransLink is responsible for making cycling a realistic travel option by providing bike access on transit, bike storage, and planning and funding new bikeways and other cycling infrastructure. For more info visit the Cycling section of the TransLink website.

Transport - Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island Rail

Southern Railway of Vancouver Island (SVI) operates the railroad for Vancouver Island passenger services. SVI operates daily inter-city passenger service from Victoria to Courtenay, with subdivisions going to Port Alberni and the Wellcox Spur. For a list of towns served by the trains visit SVI’s Route Map section on their website. For other info please visit SVI's website.

Vancouver Island Ferry

As there are no bridges connecting Vancouver Island to the mainland, Ferries are a vital method of transport. Ferries crossings are managed by BC Ferries, and carry passengers and a wide range of vehicles, including cars, coaches and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, dangerous cargo, livestock and pets. For more details check the "What we carry" section of the BC Ferries website. For timetables click on the Schedules section.

Climate

Vancouver’s climate is a moderate oceanic climate, which is influenced by a warm current flowing from Japan, and the shelter provided by the mountains of Vancouver Island. Because of these influences Vancouver’s average daily temperature is the warmest of Canada's major cities overall, although summers are in fact cooler than most other major cities, with average temperatures of 22°C (72 °F) in July and August. …Read more.Check the weather forecast at BBC Weather or on the Vancouver Weather Page.