Metro Vancouver
This page covers the following topics:
The City of Vancouver is Canada's third largest metropolitan area. It is Canada's largest seaport, among the top twenty in the world, and plays a significant role as rail-terminus within Canada's transportation network. Three harbour agencies are responsible for raw material exports and the import of manufactured goods through this port. With its west coast location and international airport, which is the second busiest in Canada both in passenger volume and cargo, the City has become an important gateway to the Pacific Rim.
The magnificent scenery has always made Vancouver an attractive tourist destination and as a port city it has become an important terminus for tourists visiting or passing through. The Port Metro Vancouver welcomed 254 cruise ship visits and 854,493 passengers at its two cruise terminals in 2008. In 2008, Vancouver International Airport handled 17.9 million passengers and 227 tonnes of cargo. There are five Canada/US Border Crossings in Metro Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver has also become the third largest centre for film and television production in North America. 260 productions, spent $1.2 billion dollars in BC during 2008.
In 2006 urban land made up about 37.8% or 107,036 hectares of Metro Vancouver. About two-thirds of this has residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, transportation and communications or utilities uses. The remainder is vacant. Non-urban land, including forested areas, agricultural land, watersheds, parks and open space, occupies the other 66.2%. Agricultural land is identified as occupying about 22% or 62,277 hectares.
Our Neighbours
Pitt Meadows - The community of Pitt Meadows is our immediate neighbour to the west. This energetic young community is presently home to approximately 20,000 people (2009 estimate). Pitt Meadows is 85.6 square kilometers in size, 60% of which is occupied by its predominant industry, agriculture. Berry fields and dairy farms, dikes, trails, lakes, and rivers surround its residential and downtown core.
With a landscape similar to Maple Ridge, it too is conducive to a variety of recreational pursuits and activities. Maple Ridge provides assistance with many of its services such as parks and leisure, police services and health care.
A busy local airport is one of the main contributors both in revenue and employment in the area, offering a variety of services from charter flights and seaplane access to helicopter rides and skydiving lessons. Pitt Meadows Airport is in a strong position to compete for commercial aviation traffic.
Mission - Growth in the Fraser Valley on the north side of the river now extends to Mission, our neighbour to the east. An increase in amenities has accompanied the population growth in this community to 35,262.
Much of the landscape here is forested by the tree farms that cover 75% of the land, giving Mission the appearance of being a single, expansive park. Many shake and shingle mills operate in the area.
Mission is another community that supports the arts, hosting many festivals, including a Folk Music Festival each summer.
topMunicipalities in the GVRD
A municipality can either be known as a village, a town, a city or as a district municipality. The community's size or population generally determines its classification.
Villages - less than 2,500 population
Towns - 2,500 to 5,000 population
Cities - over 5,000
District Municipalities - large geographical areas with lower population densities.
Electoral areas - fall under the jurisdiction of the GVRD and provincial government
The Greater Vancouver Regional District is a working partnership of 21 municipalities and one electoral area. Since 1996, these municipalities within the GVRD have been working together to help create a compact, livable metropolitan region, a healthy natural environment, complete communities, and increased transportation choice. Maple Ridge has been identified as a key community within the GVRD.
Cities |
Districts |
Villages |
| Burnaby | Delta | Anmore |
| Coquitlam | Langley (Township) | Belcarra |
| Langley | Maple Ridge | Lions Bay |
| New Westminster | North Vancouver | |
| North Vancouver | West Vancouver |
Unincorporated |
| Pitt Meadows | Electoral Area A | |
| Port Coquitlam | Electoral Area C | |
| Port Moody | ||
| Richmond | ||
| Surrey | ||
| Vancouver | ||
| White Rock |
Maple Ridge Town Centre is one of eight interconnected Regional Town Centres across the region, which is a key component of the ongoing development of the Metropolitan Core:
| Maple Ridge | Maple Ridge Town Centre |
| Burnaby | Metrotown Centre |
| Coquitlam | Coquitlam Town Centre |
| Langley | Langley Town Centre |
| New Westminster | New Westminster Town Centre |
| North Vancouver | Lonsdale |
| Surrey | Surrey Centre |
Lower Mainland - Canada/US Border Crossings
|
Peach Arch or Douglas |
Via Highway 99 south into Blaine, Washington USA on Interstate 5, main crossing is open 24 hours |
|
Pacific Crossing |
Via Highway 15 of (176 Street, Cloverdale) to access Truck Customs into Blaine, Washington USA on Interstate 5 - open 24 hours |
|
Boundary Bay/Point Roberts |
Via Delta |
|
Aldergrove |
Turn south off Highway 1 onto 264 Street to access Aldergrove border crossing into Lynden, Washington USA - open 8:00 am to midnight |
|
Huntington |
Turn south off Highway 1 onto Highway 11 to access Sumas/Abbotsford border crossing - open 24 hours |
In 2005 a total of 8,963,216 people crossed these borders.
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