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103-504: The Great Vancouver Fire destroyed most of the newly incorporated city of Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada, on June 13, 1886. It started as two land-clearing fires to the west of the city. The first fire was farther away from the city and was clearing land for the roundhouse of the terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway . The second fire was clearing land to extend the city to the west. The Great Fire occurred shortly after

206-549: A George H. Keefer of Cobble Hill, B.C., claimed he was responsible for setting the Great Vancouver Fire. This claim is not verified by any other sources. The day after the fire, the manager of the Hastings Mill, Richard Alexander, announced free lumber for anyone rebuilding their homes and businesses after the fire. Impromptu emergency shelters were set up in the few surviving structures. Several blocks of ice found beneath

309-503: A change of 4.9% from its 2016 population of 631,486, making it the eighth-largest among Canadian cities . More specifically, Vancouver is the fourth-largest in Western Canada after Calgary , Edmonton and Winnipeg . With a land area of 115.18 km (44.47 sq mi), it had a population density of 5,749.7/km (14,891.6/sq mi) in 2021, the most densely populated Canadian municipality with more than 5,000 residents. At

412-479: A driving range and a gas bar. In a recently concluded business arrangement, digital billboards were erected on Squamish Nation lands in North Vancouver, West Vancouver , Vancouver and Squamish, including at the approaches to Vancouver's Burrard Street Bridge , Lions Gate Bridge and Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing . That contract has been projected to bring approximately $ 60 million in revenue to

515-588: A leading force in the city's society and economy until the rise of anti-German sentiment with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Today the Chinese are the largest visible ethnic group in Vancouver; the city has a diverse Chinese-speaking community with speakers of several dialects, notably Cantonese and Mandarin . Neighbourhoods with distinct ethnic commercial areas include Chinatown , Punjabi Market , Little Italy , Greektown , and (formerly) Japantown . Since

618-598: A population density of 918.0/km (2,377.6/sq mi) in 2021. Approximately 75 percent of the people living in Metro Vancouver live outside Vancouver itself. The larger Lower Mainland-Southwest economic region (which includes also the Squamish-Lillooet , Fraser Valley , and Sunshine Coast Regional District ) has a population of over 3.04   million. The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 274,365 persons or 42.2% of

721-589: A typical coastal British Columbia mix of Douglas fir , western red cedar and western hemlock . The area is thought to have had the largest trees of these species on the British Columbia Coast . Only in Elliott Bay , Seattle , did the size of trees rival those of Burrard Inlet and English Bay . The largest trees in Vancouver's old-growth forest were in the Gastown area, where the first logging occurred and on

824-682: A warm-summer Mediterranean ( Köppen: Csb ). While the city has the coolest summer average high of all major Canadian metropolitan areas, winters in Greater Vancouver are the fourth-mildest of Canadian cities, after nearby Victoria , Nanaimo and Duncan , all on Vancouver Island. Vancouver is one of the wettest Canadian cities. However, precipitation varies throughout the metropolitan area. Annual precipitation as measured at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond averages 1,189 mm (46.8 in), compared with 1,588 mm (62.5 in) in

927-564: Is 38.1 cm (15.0 in) but typically does not remain on the ground for long. Vancouver's growing season averages 237 days, from March 18 until November 10. Vancouver's 1981–2010 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone ranges from 8a to 9a depending on elevation and proximity to water. As of 2021, Vancouver is the most densely populated city in Canada. Urban planning in Vancouver is characterized by high-rise residential and mixed-use development in urban centres, as an alternative to sprawl . As part of

1030-574: Is a modernist high-rise, now converted into the Electra condominium. Also notable is the "concrete waffle" of the MacMillan Bloedel building on the north-east corner of the Georgia and Thurlow intersection. A prominent addition to the city's landscape is the giant tent-frame Canada Place (designed by Zeidler Roberts Partnership Partnership, MCMP & DA Architects ), the former Canada Pavilion from

1133-709: Is currently located was referred to by the Stó꞉lō in the Upriver Halkomelem dialect as Lhq’á:lets , meaning "wide at the bottom/end". Speakers of the Island dialect of Halkomelem referred to the region of Vancouver as sqwx̌wam̓ush or skwóm̓esh , referring to the Squamish, or as Pankúpe7 , a transliteration of the English word "Vancouver". Archaeological records indicate that Aboriginal people were already living in

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1236-641: Is the Paradox Hotel Vancouver at 188 m (617 ft), followed by the Private Residences at Hotel Georgia , at 156 m (512 ft). The fourth-tallest is One Wall Centre at 150 m (490 ft) and 48 storeys, followed closely by the Shaw Tower at 149 m (489 ft). In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , Vancouver had a population of 662,248 living in 305,336 of its 328,347 total private dwellings,

1339-413: Is the origin of the name that eventually became "Vancouver". The indigenous Squamish people who reside in a region that encompasses southwestern British Columbia including this city gave the name K'emk'emeláy̓ which means "place of many maple trees"; this was originally the name of a village inhabited by said people where a sawmill was established by Edward Stamp as part of the foundations to

1442-586: The 1986 World Exposition , which includes part of the Convention Centre , the Pan-Pacific Hotel , and a cruise ship terminal. Two modern buildings that define the southern skyline away from the downtown area are City Hall and the Centennial Pavilion of Vancouver General Hospital , both designed by Townley and Matheson in 1936 and 1958, respectively. A collection of Edwardian buildings in

1545-618: The 2010 Olympic Games , the Squamish Nation engaged in negotiations with the Provincial Government of British Columbia and Lil'wat First Nation . Numerous agreements were signed prior to and following the announcement of the host city for the Games, regarding issues such as Squamish land to be used for hosting the Games. Issues regarding the leasing of land, Nation-owned or operated businesses and other ventures currently account for much of

1648-454: The 2021 census Vancouver has been called a "city of neighbourhoods." Each neighbourhood in Vancouver has a distinct character and ethnic mix. People of English, Scottish, and Irish origins were historically the largest ethnic groups in the city, and elements of British society and culture are still visible in some areas, particularly South Granville and Kerrisdale . Germans are the next-largest European ethnic group in Vancouver and were

1751-521: The BC Treaty Process but negotiations have not proceeded further in recent years. The Squamish Nation owns land in the Lower Mainland in areas that have some of the highest real estate values in the province. Some of these lands and properties are leased out with rents returning to the Squamish Nation. Additional revenues are earned through businesses owned by the Squamish Nation, such as marinas,

1854-605: The British Columbia Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel in Victoria, and the lavishly decorated second Hotel Vancouver. The 556-room Hotel Vancouver , opened in 1939 and the third by that name, is across the street with its copper roof. The Gothic-style Christ Church Cathedral , across from the hotel, opened in 1894 and was declared a heritage building in 1976. There are several modern buildings in

1957-480: The Canadian Pacific Railway . The Canadian Pacific transcontinental railway was extended to the city by 1887. The city's large natural seaport on the Pacific Ocean became a vital link in the trade between Asia-Pacific , East Asia , Europe , and Eastern Canada . Vancouver has hosted many international conferences and events, including the 1954 Commonwealth Games , UN Habitat I , Expo 86 , APEC Canada 1997 ,

2060-469: The Cumberland coal mines on Vancouver Island . Following a lull in the 1920s, the strike wave peaked in 1935 when unemployed men flooded the city to protest conditions in the relief camps run by the military in remote areas throughout the province. After two tense months of daily and disruptive protesting, the relief camp strikers decided to take their grievances to the federal government and embarked on

2163-707: The Kitsilano area. Vancouver also has a significant aboriginal community of about 15,000 people. Squamish Nation The Squamish Nation is responsible for the management of 26 First Nations reserves located around the Capilano River , Mosquito Creek, and Seymour River on the north shore of Burrard Inlet in North Vancouver , British Columbia, and along the Squamish River , and in Gibsons and Port Mellon in

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2266-511: The On-to-Ottawa Trek , but their protest was put down by force. The workers were arrested near Mission and interned in work camps for the duration of the Depression. Other social movements, such as the first-wave feminist , moral reform, and temperance movements , were also instrumental in Vancouver's development. Mary Ellen Smith , a Vancouver suffragist and prohibitionist , became

2369-736: The Pacific Maritime Ecozone . Until the city's naming in 1885, "Vancouver" referred to Vancouver Island, and it remains a common misconception that the city is located on the island. The island and the city are both named after Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver (as is the city of Vancouver, Washington , in the United States). Vancouver has one of the largest urban parks in North America, Stanley Park , which covers 404.9 ha (1,001 acres). The North Shore Mountains dominate

2472-541: The Port of Vancouver is the fourth-largest port by tonnage in the Americas, the busiest and largest in Canada, and the most diversified port in North America. While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, making tourism its second-largest industry. Major film production studios in Vancouver and nearby Burnaby have turned Greater Vancouver and nearby areas into one of

2575-561: The World Police and Fire Games in 1989 and 2009; several matches of 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup including the finals at BC Place in Downtown Vancouver , and the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics which were held in Vancouver and Whistler , a resort community 125 km (78 mi) north of the city. In 1969, Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver. The city became the permanent home to TED conferences in 2014. As of 2016 ,

2678-445: The census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the metropolitan area referred to as Greater Vancouver had a population of 2,642,825 living in 1,043,319 of its 1,104,532 total private dwellings, a change of 7.3% from its 2016 population of 2,463,431, the third-most populous metropolitan area in the country and the most populous in Western Canada . With a land area of 2,878.93 km (1,111.56 sq mi), it had

2781-535: The colonial government surveyed the settlement and laid out a townsite , renamed " Granville " in honour of the then–British Secretary of State for the Colonies , Lord Granville . This site, with its natural harbour, was selected in 1884 as the terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway, to the disappointment of Port Moody , New Westminster and Victoria , all of which had vied to be the railhead. A railway

2884-461: The most livable cities in Canada and in the world. In terms of housing affordability , Vancouver is also one of the most expensive cities in Canada and in the world . Vancouverism is the city's urban planning design philosophy. Indigenous settlement of Vancouver began more than 10,000 years ago and included the Squamish , Musqueam , and Tsleil-Waututh (Burrard) peoples. The beginnings of

2987-466: The most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6   million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada . Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley , comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3   million. Vancouver has

3090-484: The 1930s onward by the government of Japan. These flower for several weeks in early spring each year, an occasion celebrated by the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival . Other streets are lined with flowering chestnut, horse chestnut and other decorative shade trees. Vancouver's climate, one of the mildest and most temperate climates in Canada, is classified as oceanic ( Köppen: Cfb ) bordering on

3193-512: The 1980s and 1990s, recent immigration has been comparatively low. However, growth in the Latino population – which largely consists of Mexicans and Salvadorans  – rose in the late 2010s and early 2020s. African immigration has been similarly stagnant (3.6% and 3.3% of total immigrant population, respectively). The black population of Vancouver is small in comparison to other Canadian major cities, making up 1.3 percent of

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3296-592: The 1980s, immigration increased substantially, making the city more ethnically and linguistically diverse; 49 percent of Vancouver's residents do not speak English as their first language. Over 25 percent of the city's inhabitants are of Chinese heritage. In the 1980s, an influx of immigrants from Hong Kong in anticipation of the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China, combined with an increase in immigrants from mainland China and previous immigrants from Taiwan , established in Vancouver one of

3399-552: The British settlement later becoming part of Vancouver. In hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem) spoken by the Musqueam , there is no specific term for Vancouver. Rather there existed names for specific villages and landscape features that the people knew intimately in the area Vancouver exists in currently, as opposed to larger geographic features. The region where Vancouver

3502-642: The Council Chairperson, seven elected Councillors, and an elected Band Manager. The Council hires, oversees and provides direction to the Chief Administrative Officer who oversees the administrative arm of the Squamish Nation. The Squamish Nation was formed in July 1923 when several separate First Nations (at the time called Indian Bands ) were amalgamated under Section 17 of the Indian Act. All of

3605-549: The Empire's tallest commercial building by the elaborate Art Deco Marine Building in the 1920s. The Marine Building is known for its elaborate ceramic tile facings and brass-gilt doors and elevators, which make it a favourite location for movie shoots. Topping the list of tallest buildings in Vancouver is Living Shangri-La , the tallest building in BC at 201 m (659 ft) and 62 storeys. The second-tallest building in Vancouver

3708-619: The First Nations that amalgamated were communities largely considered and identified as Squamish People but resided on different First Nation reserve lands throughout the Squamish Valley, Burrard Inlet, and False Creek of Vancouver. Two years of community meetings with held, with eventually a super-majority of eligible voters for the various First Nations voting to petition the Federal Department responsible for Indians to amalgamate

3811-609: The Four Host First Nations Society to coordinate with the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), representing their interests in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics . These 'Four Host First Nations' shared in hosting the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Fourteen of the 20 Olympic and Paralympic events took place in the Nation's shared territories, primarily in and around Whistler, BC. In July 2008,

3914-590: The Fraser River, on their way to the Fraser Canyon , bypassing what would become Vancouver. Vancouver is among British Columbia's youngest cities; the first European settlement in what is now Vancouver was not until 1862 at McCleery's Farm on the Fraser River, just east of the ancient village of Musqueam in what is now Marpole . A sawmill was established at Moodyville (now the City of North Vancouver ) in 1863, beginning

4017-656: The Howe Sound. They also jointly own private land holdings with neighbouring First Nations like the Musqueam , Tsleil-Waututh , and Lil’wat . The Squamish Nation is responsible for managing assets and revenues generated by the Squamish Nation, providing several programs and services to the Squamish People, and representing the Squamish People in intergovernmental relations with other Canadian governments and industries that operate within its territory. The Squamish Nation government comprises an elected council, which includes

4120-528: The Indian rancheria at Hastings Mill were the product of the mill's employment of Indigenous people. In 1881, there were at least 500 Squamish people at Burrard Inlet. The First Nations people were not given the same rights as their European contemporaries. The men were not hired for higher skilled and higher paid roles at the sawmills and women were unable to inherit property from their white partners and were often ejected from their homes after his death. Prior to

4223-619: The June 15, 1886, edition outlined the events of the fire and attributed the blaze to the Canadian Pacific Railway. It also reported that “liberal and prompt” aid was expected from Canadian Pacific. The fire was reported in the June 16, 1886, edition of the Toronto World . It reported 12 lives had been lost, outlined the events of the fire and included a response from the Toronto mayor promising immediate aid. The Montreal Gazette reported June 18, 1938, that

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4326-581: The Pacific. Examples include the monkey puzzle tree , the Japanese maple and various flowering exotics, such as magnolias , azaleas and rhododendrons . Some species imported from harsher climates in Eastern Canada or Europe have grown to immense sizes. The native Douglas maple can also attain a tremendous size. Many of the city's streets are lined with flowering varieties of Japanese cherry trees donated from

4429-613: The Squamish Nation has been involved in energy development, including the development of private hydro power projects on public rivers, including the Furry Creek and Ashlu hydro projects. It takes a share of the private revenue scheme developed by the BC Liberal Government under Gordon Campbell in a closed-door policy called the BC Energy Plan. The Squamish Nation joined with the Musqueam , Tsleil-Waututh , and Lil'wat through

4532-675: The Squamish Nation over three decades. The Squamish Nation also recently completed an agreement that will see a large gaming facility built on the highway leading into Squamish. The Squamish Nation, the Lil’wat Nation, Bell Canada and the Province of BC joined in the development of the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Museum in Whistler BC. The purchase of a Tree Farm Licence by the Nation generated public protest. In recent years

4635-492: The Squamish Nation's band council government business. The Squamish Nation recently announced the purchase of a Tree Farm License (License 38), which covers the Elaho Valley near Squamish, British Columbia . The Squamish Nation has close ties with Tsleil-Waututh Nation , who reside further east on Burrard Inlet and to the Musqueam who reside on the southern edge of the city of Vancouver . The elected councillors make up

4738-538: The Vancouver area from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The Squamish , Musqueam , and Tsleil-Waututh (Burrard) peoples of the Coast Salish group had villages in various parts of present-day Vancouver, such as Stanley Park , False Creek , Kitsilano , Point Grey and near the mouth of the Fraser River . Europeans became acquainted with the area of the future Vancouver when José María Narváez of Spain explored

4841-461: The afternoon, however, the breeze turned to a gale and the men at the first fire were forced to give up their efforts and flee to the False Creek shore. At the second fire, an attempt to create a fire break with pickaxes was unsuccessful. The second fire was abandoned when the two fire fronts joined. The smoke from the fire filled the sky over the town. The men fleeing warned the people in the town of

4944-521: The airport was 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) set on July 30, 2009, and the highest temperature ever recorded within the city of Vancouver was 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) occurring first on July 31, 1965, again on August 8, 1981, and also on May 29, 1983. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −17.8 °C (0.0 °F) on January 14, 1950 and again on December 29, 1968. On average, snow falls nine days per year, with three days receiving 5 cm (2.0 in) or more. Average yearly snowfall

5047-495: The building of high-rise residential towers in Vancouver's West End , subject to strict requirements for setbacks and open space to protect sight lines and preserve green space. The success of these dense but livable neighbourhoods led to the redevelopment of urban industrial sites, such as North False Creek and Coal Harbour, beginning in the mid-1980s. The result is a compact urban core that has gained international recognition for its "high amenity and 'livable' development". In 2006,

5150-544: The city its name in honour of George Vancouver . The Great Vancouver Fire on June 13, 1886, razed the entire city. The Vancouver Fire Department was established that year and the city quickly rebuilt. Vancouver's population grew from a settlement of 1,000 people in 1881 to over 20,000 by the turn of the century and 100,000 by 1911. Vancouver merchants outfitted prospectors bound for the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898. One of those merchants, Charles Woodward, had opened

5253-409: The city launched a planning initiative entitled EcoDensity , with the stated goal of exploring ways in which "density, design, and land use can contribute to environmental sustainability, affordability, and livability". The Vancouver Art Gallery is housed downtown in the neoclassical former courthouse built in 1906. The courthouse building was designed by Francis Rattenbury , who also designed

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5356-424: The city population belonged to a visible minority group; at the same time, this proportion was roughly 14 percent for the entire metropolitan area . By 2016, the proportion in the city had grown to 52 percent. Prior to the Hong Kong diaspora of the 1990s, the largest non-British ethnic groups in the city were Irish and German , followed by Scandinavian , Italian , Ukrainian , Chinese, and Punjabi . From

5459-455: The city survived, as did the Bridge Hotel at the south-east. A side building of the Bridge Hotel was used as a makeshift morgue. According to Alderman Gallagher, a Vancouver businessman, who witnessed the fire and the aftermath, there were 21 bodies (or parts thereof) found immediately after the fire, while others were discovered during the cleanup and rebuilding. The exact number of dead is unknown, mostly because Vancouver's population at this time

5562-418: The city's long relationship with logging. It was quickly followed by mills owned by Captain Edward Stamp on the south shore of the inlet. Stamp, who had begun logging in the Port Alberni area, first attempted to run a mill at Brockton Point , but difficult currents and reefs forced the relocation of the operation in 1867 to a point near the foot of Dunlevy Street. This mill, known as the Hastings Mill , became

5665-409: The city's old downtown core were, in their day, the tallest commercial buildings in the British Empire . These were, in succession, the Carter-Cotton Building (former home of The Province newspaper), the Dominion Building (1907) and the Sun Tower (1911), the former two at Cambie and Hastings Streets and the latter at Beatty and Pender Streets. The Sun Tower's cupola was finally exceeded as

5768-399: The city. Hogan's Alley , a small area adjacent to Chinatown, just off Main Street at Prior, was once home to a significant black community. The Black population consists of Somalis , Jamaicans/Caribbeans, and other groups, including those who descended from African Americans. The neighbourhood of Strathcona was the core of the city's Jewish community. In 1981, approximately 24 percent of

5871-415: The city. The land was being cleared to create the roundhouse for the western terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The dry conditions and a Pacific breeze caused the fire to grow out of workers' control throughout the morning and into the afternoon. The second clearing fire was located at the west end of the city near the intersection of Cambie and Cordova street. The fire was being used to clear land for

5974-425: The city. While some manufacturing did develop, including the establishment of the British Columbia Sugar Refinery by Benjamin Tingley Rogers in 1890, natural resources became the basis for Vancouver's economy. The resource sector was initially based on logging and later on exports moving through the seaport, where commercial traffic constituted the largest economic sector in Vancouver by the 1930s. The dominance of

6077-489: The cityscape, and on a clear day, scenic vistas include the snow-capped volcano Mount Baker in the state of Washington to the southeast, Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia to the west and southwest, and Bowen Island to the northwest. The vegetation in the Vancouver area was originally temperate rainforest , consisting of conifers with scattered pockets of maple and alder and large areas of swampland (even in upland areas, due to poor drainage). The conifers were

6180-554: The coast of present-day Point Grey and parts of Burrard Inlet in 1791—although one author contends that Francis Drake may have visited the area in 1579 . The explorer and North West Company trader Simon Fraser and his crew became the first-known Europeans to set foot on the site of the present-day city. In 1808, they travelled from the east down the Fraser River, perhaps as far as Point Grey. The Fraser Gold Rush of 1858 brought over 25,000 men, mainly from California , to nearby New Westminster (founded February 14, 1859) on

6283-430: The downtown area and 2,044 mm (80.5 in) in North Vancouver. The daily maximum averages 22 °C (72 °F) in July and August, with highs rarely reaching 30 °C (86 °F). The summer months are typically dry, with only one in five days receiving precipitation during July and August. In contrast, most days from November through March record some precipitation. The highest temperature ever recorded at

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6386-508: The downtown area, including the Harbour Centre , the Vancouver Law Courts and surrounding plaza known as Robson Square (designed by Arthur Erickson ) and the Vancouver Library Square (designed by Moshe Safdie and DA Architects ), reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome, and the recently completed Woodward's building Redevelopment (designed by Henriquez Partners Architects ). The original BC Hydro headquarters building (designed by Ron Thom and Ned Pratt) at Nelson and Burrard Streets

6489-444: The economy by big business was accompanied by an often militant labour movement . The first major sympathy strike was in 1903 when railway employees struck against the CPR for union recognition. Labour leader Frank Rogers was killed by CPR police while picketing at the docks, becoming the movement's first martyr in British Columbia. The rise of industrial tensions throughout the province led to Canada's first general strike in 1918, at

6592-425: The executive political body of this government. They operate on a four-year term with elections occurring around in December. They also elect a band manager. The most recent Council was elected September 26, 2021. The elected Band Manager is Bianca "Tsiyaliya" Cameron. Download coordinates as: Indian reserves under the administration of the Squamish Nation are: The Squamish Nation is currently in stage 3 of

6695-426: The expansion of the city. It grew out of control in the early afternoon. The men working on the clearing fires and volunteers from the town attempted to put out both fires with buckets, wet blankets and shovels. For the first clearing fire, the water came from False Creek, whilst the second fire used the hand-pump well at the newly constructed nearby Regina Hotel. The men attempted to bring both fires under control into

6798-572: The fire passed, the newly elected Mayor of Vancouver, Malcolm MacLean, sent telegrams to the Canadian Prime Minister and the Mayor of Toronto. The telegram to the Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald read: "Our city is ashes three thousand people homeless can you send us any government aid?" The telegrams were sent via horse to the nearby town of New Westminster. Shortly after, word arrived that relief supplies from New Westminster were being sent in wagons. At this time most Vancouver residents had gathered at Hastings Mill or False Creek. Mayor MacLean instructed

6901-411: The fire, Vancouver had experienced three weeks of abnormal heat for late spring. Sunday, June 13, was particularly hot with an offshore breeze from the Pacific Ocean. There was also significant forest deadfall in the area to the east of the city as well as debris from the recent clearing for the expansion of the city which provided fuel to the fire. The first clearing fire was located to the south-west of

7004-433: The first Woodward's store at Abbott and Cordova Streets in 1892 and, along with Spencer's and the Hudson's Bay department stores, formed the core of the city's retail sector for decades. The economy of early Vancouver was dominated by large companies such as the CPR, which fuelled economic activity and led to the rapid development of the new city; in fact, the CPR was the main real estate owner and housing developer in

7107-427: The first Vancouver police force. The police force operated out of the city hall tent whilst Vancouver was rebuilt. In the days that followed, the residents of Vancouver set up white canvas tents and small huts and searched the wreckages of their homes and businesses looking for any surviving objects. The CPR Hotel was the first building to be completely rebuilt. Within two weeks, Cordova St from Carrall to Abbott streets

7210-418: The first woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada in 1918. Alcohol prohibition began in the First World War and lasted until 1921 when the provincial government established control over alcohol sales, a practice still in place today. Canada's first drug law came about following an inquiry conducted by the federal minister of Labour and future prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King . King

7313-443: The fourth-most expensive real estate market in the world in 2019. Vancouver has also been ranked among Canada's most expensive cities to live in. Sales in February 2016 were 56.3 percent higher than the 10-year average for the month. Forbes also ranked Vancouver as the tenth-cleanest city in the world in 2007. Vancouver's characteristic approach to urban planning originated in the late 1950s, when city planners began to encourage

7416-450: The highest concentrations of ethnic Chinese residents in North America. Another significant Asian ethnic group in Vancouver includes South Asians , forming approximately 7 percent of the city's inhabitants; while a small community had existed in the city since 1897, larger waves of migration began in the 1950s and 1960s, prompting new Punjabi immigrants to establish a Little India (known as Punjabi Market ) and preside over much of

7519-588: The highest population density in Canada, with over 5,700 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,000/sq mi), and the fourth highest in North America (after New York City , San Francisco , and Mexico City ). Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada: 49.3 percent of its residents are not native English speakers, 47.8 percent are native speakers of neither English nor French, and 54.5 percent of residents belong to visible minority groups. It has been consistently ranked one of

7622-457: The incoming fire. Most residents hurriedly packed up their belongings and their stores and headed to the Burrard Inlet shore. However, despite warnings from other residents and the growing smoke, a number of residents did not believe the fire was dangerous. Some residents waited until the last minute to flee whilst others headed to the hotels to drink the unguarded liquor. The Squamish people from

7725-551: The larger Metro Vancouver region, it is influenced by the policy direction of livability as illustrated in Metro Vancouver's Regional Growth Strategy. Vancouver ranked high on the Global Liveability Ranking and stood at number 1 on the list for several years until 2011. In recent years, it has dropped, ranking as low as 16 in 2021. As of 2022 , Vancouver was ranked as having the fifth-highest quality of living of any city on Earth. According to Forbes , Vancouver had

7828-506: The largest film production centres in North America, earning it the nickname " Hollywood North ". The city takes its name from George Vancouver , who explored the inner harbour of Burrard Inlet in 1792 and gave various places British names. The family name "Vancouver" itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", denoting somebody from the city of Coevorden , Netherlands. The explorer's ancestors came to England "from Coevorden", which

7931-682: The mass construction of the Vancouver Special across the southeastern quadrant of the city, notably within the Sunset neighbourhood prior to the suburbanization of the community to outer suburbs such as Surrey or Delta. Other Asian-origin groups that reside in Vancouver include Filipinos (5.9%), Japanese (1.7%), Korean (1.7%), West Asians (1.9%), as well as sizable communities of Vietnamese , Indonesians , and Cambodians . Despite increases in Latin American immigration to Vancouver in

8034-464: The mid-1950s until the 1980s, many Portuguese immigrants came to Vancouver, and the city had the third-largest Portuguese population in Canada in 2001. Eastern Europeans, including Russians , Czechs , Poles , Romanians and Hungarians began immigrating after the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe after World War II . Greek immigration increased in the late 1960s and early '70s, with most settling in

8137-403: The modern city, which was originally named Gastown , grew around the site of a makeshift tavern on the western edges of Hastings Mill that was built on July 1, 1867, and owned by proprietor Gassy Jack . The Gastown steam clock marks the original site. Gastown then formally registered as a townsite dubbed Granville , Burrard Inlet . The city was renamed "Vancouver" in 1886 through a deal with

8240-436: The nucleus around which Vancouver formed. The mill's central role in the city waned after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 1880s. It nevertheless remained important to the local economy until it closed in the 1920s. The settlement, which came to be called Gastown , proliferated around the original makeshift tavern established by Gassy Jack in 1867 on the edge of the Hastings Mill property. In 1870,

8343-599: The population of the enlarged Vancouver was 228,193. Located on the Burrard Peninsula , Vancouver lies between Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River to the south. The Strait of Georgia , to the west, is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island . The city has an area of 115.18 km (44.47 sq mi), including both flat and hilly ground and is in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC−8) and

8446-474: The several First Nations into a single entity they called the Squamish Nation. Their petition called for a Council to represent the newly created Squamish Nation, all lands joined as Squamish Nation lands, and all trust accounts to be put into a single trust account. Approximately $ 167,740 was consolidated into a single trust account for the newly formed Squamish Nation (which is estimated to be $ 2,914,252.09 in 2022 dollars). Prior to British Columbia's hosting of

8549-613: The sole port for foreign trade. Most of these migrants were employed at the Hastings Mill. The Canadian Pacific Railway also brought in Chinese railway workers, employed to establish the CPR terminus. The main Indigenous population in the area at the time of European settlement were the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓-speaking Musqueam people. When sawmilling began in 1863, the local Squamish men were hired as unskilled labour. The mission reserve near Moodyville and

8652-466: The south shore village Snauq, paddled across in canoes to view the fire. At the Burrard Inlet shore, some residents were able to flee out into the inlet on floats and vessels. At least two hundred people found refuge on the Robert Kerr , "the ship that saved Vancouver", a 58-metre (190 ft) wooden ship at anchor close to the Burrard Inlet shore at the time. The local Squamish Nation provided help to

8755-515: The southern slopes of False Creek and English Bay, especially around Jericho Beach . The forest in Stanley Park was logged between the 1860s and 1880s, and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can still be seen there. Many plants and trees growing throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland were imported from other parts of the continent and points across

8858-467: The survivors to gather at Westminster Bridge to await the relief supplies. An impromptu bivouac was set up with tents and lean-tos made with large branches.  At around midnight, supplies arrived from New Westminster and Port Moody (an eastern township on the Burrard Inlet). Between 600 and 1,000 buildings were destroyed by the fire, with few surviving the blaze. The Regina Hotel at the north of

8961-490: The survivors who were floundering in the water. They paddled over and canoed people to safety. The men of the Vancouver Volunteer Hose Company No.1 went to Scoullar's General Store to remove a supply of explosives, which were taken to the Hastings Mill at the opposite end of town. The city clerk Thomas McGuian saved the city records detailing the city's short history by entrusting them to a stranger. After

9064-523: The total population of Vancouver. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were mainland China (63,275 persons or 23.1%), Philippines (29,930 persons or 10.9%), Hong Kong (25,480 persons or 9.3%), India (14,640 persons or 5.3%), United Kingdom (12,895 persons or 4.7%), Vietnam (12,120 persons or 4.4%), Taiwan (9,870 persons or 3.6%), United States of America (9,790 persons or 3.6%), Iran (8,775 persons or 3.2%), and South Korea (6,495 persons or 2.4%). Pan-ethnic breakdown of Vancouver from

9167-517: The township of Granville had been incorporated into the City of Vancouver in April 1886. The fires spread northeast into the city, killing at least 21 people and destroying 600 to 1,000 buildings (the exact numbers are unknown). Most residents escaped by fleeing to the Burrard Inlet shore or the False Creek shore. Following the recovery efforts, the city of Vancouver continued to grow. The city's first police force

9270-408: The war, these Japanese-Canadian men and women were not allowed to return to cities like Vancouver causing areas, like the aforementioned Japantown , to cease to be ethnically Japanese areas as the communities never revived. Amalgamation with Point Grey and South Vancouver gave the city its final boundaries not long before it became the third-largest metropolis in the country. As of January 1, 1929,

9373-493: The west coast terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The township of Granville was incorporated as the city of Vancouver on April 6, 1886, becoming the fourth city in British Columbia. At the first city council election on May 3, 1886, Malcolm MacLean was elected the city's mayor. The inaugural meeting of the Vancouver Volunteer Hose Company No.1 was held May 28, 1886. Future Vancouver blocks and streets had been marked out to

9476-401: The west of the city to allow for its anticipated growth. These had been designated by the Canadian Pacific Railway land commissioner Lachlan Hamilton. Early Vancouver attracted budding entrepreneurs who were very active in the civic politics forming the new city. The population of Granville grew substantially in the early to mid-1880s. The population and economic growth in the area in early 1886

9579-537: The workers of the mills and later their families. The two sawmills were Moodyville (originally Moody's Mill), opened 1863, on the Burrard Inlet north shore and Hastings Mill (originally Stamps Mill), opened 1867, on the Inlet's south shore. The two mills were the main employers in Granville. In the early 1880s, they employed between 150 and 200 workers, not including loggers and longshoremen. The exact numbers are unknown as many of

9682-401: The workers were transient unmarried men, who worked at a mill for only a few weeks at a time before moving on. To reach Granville required either a nine-mile journey through dense forest from the nearby larger town of New Westminster or a thirty-mile journey via the Fraser River from Fort Langley , the capital of British Columbia at the time. In 1885, it was announced that Granville would be

9785-464: The wreckage of the Deighton House ice shed provided drinking water to residents. The city council set up a temporary tent city hall. A few months later, one of the first brick buildings in Vancouver became the city hall building. The day after the fire, to address looting, Mayor MacLean appointed three special constables , Jackson Abray, V.W. Haywood, and John McLaren, to join constable John Stewart as

9888-608: Was among the inducements for British Columbia to join the Confederation in 1871, but the Pacific Scandal and arguments over the use of Chinese labour delayed construction until the 1880s. The City of Vancouver was incorporated on April 6, 1886, the same year that the first transcontinental train arrived. CPR president William Van Horne arrived in Port Moody to establish the CPR terminus recommended by Henry John Cambie and gave

9991-507: Was constantly changing due to its rapid expansion as well as the transient nature of many of the mill workers. The Quebec Daily Telegraph reported the fire June 15, 1886. It reported five people dead, 1,000 homeless and a total loss of an estimated one million dollars. The Day in New London, Connecticut, reported the fire June 15, 1886, with 50 people dead, 1,000 homeless and a total loss of one million dollars. The Manistee Weekly Times in

10094-505: Was filled with businesses reopening in basic structures. The City Council organised the main streets to be planked . Within six months, 500 buildings had been rebuilt with many of the new buildings being made from brick. After the fire, the City Council focused on urban development to promote the growth of the city. The Canadian Pacific Railway played an important role in the growth of Vancouver. It brought demographic and economic growth and

10197-487: Was sent to investigate damages claims resulting from a riot when the Asiatic Exclusion League led a rampage through Chinatown and Japantown . Two of the claimants were opium manufacturers, and after further investigation, King found that white women were reportedly frequenting opium dens as well as Chinese men. A federal law banning the manufacture, sale, and importation of opium for non-medicinal purposes

10300-562: Was set up, its first brick buildings were built, and its first fire engine was brought in from the nearby larger town of New Westminster . European settlement in the Vancouver area began in 1862 after Captain George Henry Richard's 1859 discovery of coal in the Burrard Inlet . The settlement of Granville (later Vancouver) was formed in the mid-1860s between two Burrard Inlet sawmills. It began as shops and hotels providing service to

10403-462: Was so significant three new newspapers were established. The mid-1880s also saw a change in the population from mostly unmarried men and some families with First Nations wives to an increasing number of families especially with European wives. Following the British victory in the Opium Wars , British colonies such as Vancouver received an influx of Chinese migrants from the provinces surrounding Canton,

10506-518: Was soon passed based on these revelations. These riots, and the formation of the Asiatic Exclusion League, also act as signs of a growing fear and mistrust towards the Japanese living in Vancouver and throughout BC. These fears were exacerbated by the attack on Pearl Harbor leading to the eventual internment or deportation of all Japanese-Canadians living in the city and the province. After

10609-417: Was the largest property owner. In the years following the fire, the population of Vancouver continued to grow, expanding from several hundred people, to 2,000 people within a year and 13,000 people within six years.                   Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada , located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia . As

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