CANADA PLACE
Built for Expo ‘86 as the flagship Canada Pavilion, Canada Place is a Vancouver landmark. The roof’s futuristic sail-like lines echo Canada’s nautical roots. The “prow” extends well into the harbor. Following the highly successful world exhibition, which attracted more than 22 million visitors, Canada Place was transformed into a complex containing a cruise-ship terminal, a convention center, exhibition areas, and a first-class hotel. The promenade offers a terrific view of the city’s harbor.
NEED TO KNOW
999 Canada Pl • 604 665 9000 • www.canadaplace.ca
Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre: 200 Burrard St; 604 682 2222; open 9am–5pm daily; www.tourismvancouver.com
FlyOver™ Canada: 201-999 Canada Pl; 604 620 8455; open 10am–9pm; adm; www.flyovercanada.com
- Underground paid parking is available at Canada Place. Less pricey parking can be found in the lot at the north end of Burrard Street.
1. Architecture
Built for Expo ‘86 on the site of a former cargo dock, Canada Place’s award-winning design is notable for its five Teflon-coated fiberglass sails, resembling a sailing ship.
Canada Place, an iconic landmark located on Vancouver’s waterfont
2. Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre
Operated by Tourism Vancouver, this useful bureau, located across Canada Place, offers free brochures and city maps. The volunteer staff are knowledgeable and multilingual.
3. The Canadian Trail
The trail is a walk through Canadian history. Interactive exhibits highlight Canada’s heritage, innovations, sports, and geography. The walkway also offers great views of Stanley Park and the North Shore Mountains.
Tourists walking through The Canadian Trail
4. Vancouver Convention Centre
This state-of-the-art, eco-designed facility has a landscaped, gray-water-irrigated “living roof,” the largest in Canada, and is home to 60,000 honey bees as well as nearly half a million native plants.
The waterfront facade of the Vancouver Convention Center
5. Port Metro Vancouver’s Discovery Centre
Located at the north end of Canada Place, this center educates visitors about the port through interactive touchscreen kiosks, videos, and presentations.
6. Heritage Horns
Every day, at noon, the sound of ten air horns blasts across Vancouver from the top of Canada Place. Designed and built by Robert Swanson in 1967 as a project to celebrate Canada’s 100th birthday, the first four notes of the chimes are from the national anthem, O Canada.
7. Community Events
Canada Place hosts a variety of events, ranging from free yoga classes and busker performances in summer to Canada Day celebrations with fireworks on July 1.
A striking fireworks display at Canada Place, Downtown Vancouver
8. Floatplanes
Pontooned planes from Victoria land at Coal Harbour, west of Canada Place. Helicopters from Victoria descend to the east of the complex.
A pontooned Floatplane parked at Coal Harbour, Downtown Vancouver
9. Cruise Ship Terminal
A three-berth cruise ship terminal is adjacent to the promenade at Canada Place, and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. From the terminal, it’s a short walk to the sights and shops of Gastown.
10. FlyOver™ Canada
Visitors of all ages can soar from coast to coast on a breathtaking virtual journey that takes in the excitement and grandeur of Canada’s landscape in the latest flight ride technology. Effects such as wind, sounds, and scents all add to the experience.
EXPO ‘86
On May 2 1986, Prince Charles and Princess Diana opened Expo ‘86, an immensely successful international fair. The event unfortunately closed with a deficit of $311 million. However, enduring legacies, such as Canada Place, Science World, the SkyTrain, and the urban renewal of False Creek, show that Expo ‘86 ultimately gave back a great deal to the people of Vancouver.
