Travel: Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver, Canada

The City of Vancouver is located in the southwest corner of British Columbia, nestled snugly in and around the slopes of the Coast Mountains. It is the largest city in British Columbia with more than 570,000 residents. More than 2,000,000 live in the Greater Vancouver Area.

Distance between Vancouver and:

• Whistler  123 km
• Kelowna  395 km
• Kamloops  355 km
• Revelstoke  565 km
• Prince George  778 km
• Tofino  227 km
• Victoria  69 km
• Cranbrook  845 km
• Terrace  1355 km
• Prince Rupert  1502 km

Vancouver and most of British Columbia operates on Pacific Time. Pacific Standard Time (PST), which is observed from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April, is Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) minus 8 hours. Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), which is observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, is UTC minus 7 hours.

Some areas of the province that border the Rocky Mountains operate on Mountain Standard Time (MST) from the last Sunday in October to the first Sunday in April. MST is UTC minus 7 hours. Mountain Daylight Time (MDT), which is observed by some areas of the province from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, is UTC minus 6 hours.

Weather-wise, Vancouver experiences mild temperatures much of the year thanks to a strong, warm Pacific Ocean current originating near Japan plus a strong flow of on-shore air originating near Hawaii.

June, July and August normally bring high temperatures of 19C to 22C, although it's not unusual for Vancouver to experience a stretch of temperatures in the high 20's and low 30's. July is the city's sunniest month with 296 hours of sunshine.

Winter is even quite mild in Vancouver with high temperatures in December, January and February normally 6C to 8C. The city also normally sees less than 60cm of snow all winter. Rain is the dominant weather-maker in fall and winter. Monthly rainfall totals from October to March normally range from 105mm to 167mm.

What to wear:

• Summer - Pack light clothing. You may want a sweater or light jacket for cooler evenings.
• Fall - Pack warm, waterproof clothing.
• Winter - Pack warm clothing, raincoat, umbrella, waterproof footwear.
• Spring - Pack light clothing, a few sweaters and a light jacket.

Vancouver Attractions:

• Stanley Park - The largest city park in Canada.
• Lions Gate Bridge - Provides a bird's-eye view of Burrard Inlet and the North Shore Mountains.
• Port of Vancouver - The largest and busiest port in Canada and on North America's West Coast.
• Queen Elizabeth Park - Canada's first civic arboretum.
• The Marine Building - An art deco masterpiece located on the corner of Hastings and Burrard streets.
• The Sam Kee Building - The world's thinnest office building at only 1.8 metres (six feet) wide.
• Granville Island - Part farmers market, part artist studio. It's one of the busiest spots in Vancouver.
• Capilano Suspension Bridge - The world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge at 69 metres (230 ft) above a rocky canyon.
• Museum of Anthropology - View canoes and totems honouring the 170,000 aboriginal peoples who live in BC.
• Catch the excitement of a Vancouver Canucks hockey game.
• Spend an action-packed afternoon or evening at a BC Lions football game.
• Queen Elizabeth Theatre or Orpheum Theatre - Enjoy pop and rock concerts, Broadway hits, opera and ballet.
• Cypress, Seymour and Grouse Mountains - Hike or bike one of the three local mountains.
• Robson Street - Shop for designer labels.
• Beaches - Windsurf, sail, picnic, swim, sunbathe, bird watch and more at Vancouver's many beautiful beaches.

What to know before you go!

Current Condition
	6°C / 43°F

Climatology:
Vancouver weather stats

Time Zone:
Pacific Time

Language:
English, French

Currency:
Canadian Dollar

Some information courtesy of the Consular Affairs Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

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