History of Vancouver

Vancouver is located in the Canadian Province of British Columbia north of Seattle Washington in the Northwestern United States

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General Planning History 

The development of Greater Vancouver began more than 8,000 years ago with a group of nine different native nations being drawn to the region’s bountiful wild life. European settlement commenced in the 19th century when the Hudson’s Bay Company set its first trading post in Fort Langley in 1827. With the arrival of Colonel Richard Moody in 1858, development of the region was in rapid expansion. The Colonel designated the city of New Westminster as a central base from where to implement a transportation network.  By 1886, with the recognition of Vancouver as the terminal point of the Canadian Pacific Railway, viable infrastructure was provided for flourishing of the municipal posts/cities.  By 1914, fourteen municipalities in total existed in Greater Vancouver region with the largest being the city of Vancouver.

Over two million people currently reside in the region of Greater Vancouver which is comprised of twenty-one municipalities. Ethnicity is very diverse and includes European, Chinese, other Asian, and Filipino origins. Over a third of the region’s residents are members of minorities.

The region’s rich and varied landscape resulted from the Fraser Glaciation period which created picturesque valleys and a unique nutrient rich outwash plain compared to other areas in Canada. The Fraser River, largest in British Columbia (BC), is the largest salmon-producer in the world, but regional pollution and overfishing are threatening the future of this industry. Increased concern with the environment begun with the Industrial Revolution, but Greater Vancouver’s sustainability efforts become noticeable in the late sixties and seventies.

Reference

University of British Columbia, Sheltair Group Inc, & Holland Barrs Planning Group. (2006). Greater Vancouver greenguide. Vancouver, BC: Design Centre for Sustainability.