< Vancouver & Victoria's Top 10
Canada Place
Patio, Café Pacifica
Built for Expo ‘86 as the flagship Canada Pavilion, Canada Place is a Vancouver landmark. The roof’s 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, convention center, exhibition areas, and a first-class hotel. The promenade offers a terrific view of the city’s harbor.
Top 10 Features
Tourism Vancouver Visitor Centre
Operated by Tourism Vancouver, this useful bureau located across Canada Place Way at 200 Burrard Street, on the plaza level, offers free brochures and city maps. The knowledgeable, multilingual volunteer staff will help you plan your stay in Vancouver.
Architecture
Built for Expo ‘86 on a former cargo dock, Canada Place’s award-winning design is notable for the five Teflon-coated fiberglass sails, resembling a sailing ship in full rigging, suspended over the convention center.
Cruise Ship Terminal
The cruise ship terminal at Canada Place welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. The three-berth terminal is adjacent to the promenade, providing visitors with a close-up view. From the terminal, it’s a short walk to the sights and shops of Gastown (For further details see Waterfront, Gastown & Chinatown).
Floatplanes
Pontooned planes arriving from Victoria land at Coal Harbour, to the west of Canada Place. Helicopters from Victoria descend on the east side of the complex.
Community Events
Canada Place hosts a variety of events celebrating the Canadian Spirit, ranging from free waterfront yoga classes and busker performances on summer weekends to Canada Day celebrations with fireworks every year on July 1.
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. Wind, sounds, and scents add to the experience.
The Canadian Trail
The trail is a walk through Canadian history. Interactive exhibits highlight Canada’s heritage, people, innovations, sports, and geography from the harbor days, impressive landscape and urban city.
Port Metro Vancouver’s Discovery Centre
Learn about the port through interactive touch screen kiosks, displays, videos, and presentations located at the north end of Canada Place.
Vancouver Convention Centre
Conventions and exhibitions are housed in grand halls accessed by an indoor promenade that echoes the exterior walkway. The state-of-the-art, eco-designed facility hosts both conventions and consumer tradeshows, including the huge Vancouver Snow Show in October.
Heritage Horns
Every day, at noon, the sound of ten cast-aluminium air horns blasts across Vancouver and beyond 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 noon hour blast are from the country’s national anthem, O Canada.
Tip: Underground pay parking is available at Canada Place. Less expensive parking can be found in the lot at the north foot of Burrard Street.
Tip: For casual dining, try the Café Pacifica in the Pan Pacific Hotel. Or, for a fine-dining experience, head to the hotel’s Five Sails dinner-only restaurant. A food court across Canada Place Way is open until 9pm.
Expo ‘86
Visitor Information
- 999 Canada Place Way
- 604 665 9000
- www.canadaplace.ca
- Open daily