BC PLACE STADIUM

Vancouver is home to the worlds largest air supported domed stadium, that is BC Place Stadium. The stadium covers 10 acres, is 200ft high and can seat up to 60,000 visitors and was built for Expo 86.


It was completed in 1983 when the first sporting event at BC Place was held between the North America soccer league Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounders. The Whitecaps continued to make BC Place there home for a few years. It is now home to the popular BC Lions who ensured the Grey Cup Trophy did not leave Canada until 1995, the stadium continued to host the Grey Cup games in 1999 and 2005. The stadium also held the NASL Soccer Bowl.

It is not just soccer that the stadium hosts, it is also home to the regions largest consumer shows, special events, trade shows and concerts. It will also be the venue for the first indoor Olympic Stadium for the 2010 Winter Olympics, where it will hold both the opening and closing ceremonies. There are many different events taking place throughout the year all of which can be viewed on BC Place Stadium events Calendar (see the link below).

This magnificent dome is situated on the north side of False Creek in Vancouver. You can get to the dome by getting a Skytrain to the Stadium/China Town station. You can then either go down the stairs to Expo Boulevard and the stadium is on the right or you can go up the stairs to enter the stadium at gate A, from Beatty Street. If you are getting the bus, you need to get the number 15 or 17 from Downtown. If you are driving to the stadium, there are plenty of parking spaces around the stadium, but the closer to the stadium you park the more you pay.

For more information about BC Place Stadium and for up coming events, see there official website here.

EXTREME WEATHER IN VANCOUVER

Vancouver has been bombarded with windstorms all week. It has caused havoc in many parts of British Columbia, over 200,000 homes have been left without any electricity. British Columbia Hydro are working around the clock to restore power to homes but they have advised many residents to find alternative places to stay as they cannot say when power will be restored. Priority is also being given to hospitals and care homes. Some homes have been without power now since Monday when this storm front first hit Vancouver.

The worst of the winds came early hours this morning with winds in Vancouver around 100 kilometers an hour and parts of Vancouver Island experiencing hurricane weather with winds of upto 150 kilometers an hour. Many homes have also experienced damage from falling trees and this has also caused havoc on the roads. Stanley Park has been closed to the public today due to falling trees and staff are working hard to get the main roads cleared for the traffic that relies on the roadway through Stanley Park to the Lions Gate bridge.

This weather in Greater Vancouver has also effected the transport service, especially today. The buses and Skytrains have been delayed due to fallen trees and branches on the roads and Skytrain lines. Many of BC Ferries sailings have been cancelled, whilst others have been delayed and many of the road traffic signals are down. This has caused many problems for commuters trying to get to work this morning, however many found once arriving at work they had no power.

The extreme weather Vancouver has been experiencing lately is in question, is this the sign of Global Warming? In summer British Columbia experienced extreme heat which caused colossal fire damage to thousands of trees and to many homes. Then came the floods which again caused damage to trees and homes and left residents with undrinkable water for several weeks and many without any electricity. Then came the snow which again saw many fallen trees and homes without power and now the winds, more fallen trees and no power. Yet we still see global warming as not our problem but someone elses! When will be start to realize what is happening, not just in Vancouver but everywhere around the world.

CHRISTMAS TIME IN VANCOUVER

Christmas time in Vancouver is fantastic
It would be hard to find anywhere else that offers you beautiful scenes right from a Christmas card and everything that a cosmopolitan city has to offer. The mountains are covered in snow offering an array of activities from skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, ice skating and sleigh rides. There are three main mountains for you to enjoy all the snow activities, all of which are within a short car or bus ride from Downtown Vancouver. We have some information about each mountain on this website or for more information, please see the individual mountain websites at Grouse Mountain., Cypress Mountain and Mount Seymour

You can also enjoy the many snow free Christmas festivities in and around the city itself. A beautiful sight to see is the Carol Ships Parade of Light, this involves over 80 boats cruising the waters of Vancouver sparkling with over 150,000 lights and emitting the wonderful sound of carol singers. You can enjoy this fantastic display either on shore beside a lovely warm bonfire or you can take a trip on one of the many boats yourself, it's a great experience. See more information for the Carol Ship Parade of Lights

Another great Christmas show here is the VanDusen Botanical Garden Festival of Light show, young or old in years you are going to absolutely love this. Whether you are mad about Christmas or not you cannot help but be amazed by this light show. There are over 1.4 million lights throughout the 15 acres of gardens some of which are also set to dance to the Christmas music every thirty minutes throughout the evening. You can also enjoy the lovely sound of the carol singers, pay a visit to see Santa himself, eat roasted chestnuts and drink hot chocolate. If you want to get in the Christmas mood, there is no better place to go. See more information about this fantastic show Festival of Lights

If you would like to see the best prices to visit Vancouver this Christmas time, please click on the link...
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