Located in a traditional territories of the Squamish (Skwxwú7mesh), Musqueam (Xwméthkwyiem) and Tseil-waututh (Burrard) people of the Coast Salish group, Vancouver got its name after famous British Royal Navy captain George Vancouver, who explored the area in 1792.
The area known to First Nations as S'ólh Téméxw was inhabitated between 8.000 and 10.000 years ago – some traces of settlement around mouth of Fraser river date from that time. Some of the main parts of Vancouver today were actually small villages that depended to different tribes. Squamish people had a village X̱wáýx̱way known today as Stanley park, Xats'alanexw (Kitsilano) was named after Squamish chief who was, actually born in X̱wáýx̱way and Point Gray, even though named after captain George Grey, a friend of Captain George Vancouver, is according to a legend, a "Battleground of the West Wind." There was also a village near Capilano river mouth, Xwemelch'stn (Homulchesan) – "Fast Moving Water of Fish". Beautiful names hard to spell, that are mostly forgotten these days and completely unknown outside Canada.
totem poles at Museum of Antropology at UBC
Vancouver today is eight among Canadian cities with about 500.000 people, and about 2.1 million living in metropoliten area. Its growth started when Canadian Pacific Railway decided to make its terminus near a small settlement Gastown. They`ve thought that Gastown was not appropriate name for their terminus so they proposed a new one: Vancouver; on April 6th, 1886. a city was incorporated with its new name. Three months later a Great Vancouver Fire destroyed the most of the city but later it proved to be beneficial, for it was an opportunity to build a city with modern water, electricity and streetcar system.
When I arrived to Vancouver airport it was night and cloudy so I couldn`t see the most spectacular view to mountains north of a city, known as The Northshore Montains and their most famous peaks – The Lions (1654m). Rain dominates Vancouver climate – as well as the rest of the area – and no one was surprised that it rained almost a week since I arrived. Fortunately, during my second week of stay, weather changed and I could understand why people in Vancouver procrastinate all their chores when the weather is sunny. One could never know when the next opportunity will appear…
The Lions
Few more facts about Vancouver that I didn`t know: Port of Vancouver is the bussiest and greatest in Canada, also the forth largest port in North America; even though forestry is main industry, Vancouver is highly ranked in the world for a quality of living; tourism is second-largest industry, it is a third-largest film production centre in North America ("Holiwood North") and 52% of people do not speak English as their first language :eyes:
Granvile island marina
I didn`t have much time to enjoy in city itself because jetlag and exhaustion from The Longest Day hit me with full force and made me fall asleep whenever opportunity appears :whistle: On tuesday morning, we hurried to Horseshoe bay where one of the two BC ferry terminals is. We caught an early morning ferry to Vancouver Island where our important destination was: Tofino :happy:
a view to a Horseshoe Bay and Northshore Mountains from ferry
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I must say, I've never really had the opportunity to see pictures of Canada other than mountains, so it is nice to see more of this country. I would love to visit one day, simply because of the scenery, but now I know for sure there is much more I am certain to enjoy. What language does the majority of the Port of Vancouver population speak, then, or is it a mixture of different languages?
One day San and me were walking by the sea wall in West Vancouver and, since a day was nice, there were a lot of people, walking and enjoying cold but sunny weather, just like two of us. We were trying to count how many different languages we heard. It was like this: Italian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Serbian :eyes: , farsi (Iran), some nordic languages and, eventually, English. Only, I would not put my arm in fire those were Canadian British, they just talked in English :left: San told me there are days when she don`t hear people speaking English at all. I`ve read somewhere that a lot of the Chinese people are descendants of the first Chinese settlers who were employed with Canadian Pacific Railway in 19th century.
What Spaggyj said.Respect that you research on the place where you're going to live. I like that. Always does it myself. Even if I only move to next city. Knowing the topography of the environment is number one if you plan on surviving.
Very interesting post Darko. I thought they spoke mainly French. 🙂
Huh. I had no idea that Vancouver was so massively culturally diverse! A very informative post, Darko. I always learn something here 😀
wow.. Lot's of information one just didn't know.. 😎
I would say the second language here is Mandarin.
:up: I loved my visits to Vancouver. Next time you're there be sure to tour the Museum of Anthropology, it's amazing.
We did go to the museum but it was Monday and they're close Mondays! But he got to see the totems outside and the best thing was when a bald eagle swooped down over him all of a sudden. It was quite a special moment.
:doh:
You always have wonderful trips and pictures also :up:Love all your blog posts . . 🙂
You probably already know more of Vancouver history than many of us.
Carol, French is main language in Quebec, on the east of Canada. Thanks :)Kimmie, I like making research about places I visited, always find something new or something that I knew only partially :DMartin, I like to know a map of a city so I can go around without a fear of being lost. Also to know where the north and south are 😛 When I was in Japan, I always would mix those two, as a consequence of jet lag :ko:San, I am sorry it was closed because I am very interested in First Nation`s history and tradition. Well, next time I go there it won`t be monday :DMick, we could see some of that through the windows. Also a guard who was :eyes: at us :PClint, yes, you should write more about South Africa, there must be things a lot of people don`t know :left:Risis, thanksSal, some things I read before and some of them I`ve found on line. Just didn`t want to burry myself with a lot of dat but to make post interesting to most of my friends here :up:
WOW re: all of the languages, very cool. so happy you two had such a wonderful time (understatement, I know 😀 ) I really like the last two photos you posted, wonderful!
What's the main language there? 🙂
English
Thank you San.
:whistle: pretty boring here dude.. :p or maybe I just don't get out much. 😆
Wow! I really love the pic from the ferry 😎 makes me wanna just jump in the water and swim like a dolphin 😆
Funny enough I find it more easy to find my way at night. Especially in big cities. It's always been like that. It's the same when I have to do somnething that takes motorical skills, like something mechanical with really small screws or bolts – I close my eyes, and suddenly it's a lot easier. Strange. Perhaps it is Obi-Wan guiding me from the far side.;)
The Lion Mountains are beautiful!Great post, Darko! Thanks for teaching us what you're learning.:up:
Jill, thank you :)Originally posted by Cois:
No drinking photos, please :insane: :PFan, water was freezing cold, didn`t you notice snow on the mountains? :insane:Martin, and may The Force be with you!!!Star, I like to share 😀 Thanks 🙂
Did that ferry go to Nanaimo? I've spent a few days there! Of Vancouver, mostly I remember being jetlagged or just travel-exhausted in the Greyhound station :insane: :faint:Lovely shot of the Lions! Looking forward to more Canadian posts from you! 😀
Yes, it was a ferry to Nanaimo. We didn`t spend too much time there, just enough to eat at Tim Horton`s and get some gas :DI hope to write some more until the end of a week :up:
Thanks very much for that informative and interesting blog , and the photos are so nice especially the second one,thanks Darko for sharing
Originally posted by gdare:
Did you have a Nanaimo bar?
Rania, you are welcome :)Mick, no, we had… errrr… I will have to ask San what we had, I forgot 😆 But it was tasty, for sure. She just warned me not to order a coffee because it is not good :left:
Whoa! And all this time I thought Vancouver was French for Van Cover. I was thinking way back when I had my Van, I could have used a Vancouver to keep the paint from fading.
😆
"clang, clang, clangwent the trolleyding, ding, dingwent the bellzing, zing, zingwent my heartstringsas we startedfor huntington dell":DLove the ferry shot. I love taking the ferry. My favorite mode of transportation. Have never taken the ferry up to Vancouver there.
Judy Garland in "Meet me in St. Louis"? 😎
Well it's the best I could come up with for a trolly other than the old Rice a'Roni commercial. 🙂
Don't mind Ed, Darko. His been sniffing violin bow rosin lately.
And it's the best stuff, too — comes from the famous "Rosin Triangle" of Southeast Asia. :yes:
😀
Originally posted by gdare:
Timmy's coffee not good?!? :faint: :sst: You want to be careful who hears you say that, you could find yourself – and San – expelled from Canada. 😀
:lol:I know that Tim Horton was and still is a legend in Canada. I will have to be careful about what I`m saying in public 😀
OH come on, the food is good, the coffee…meh
:chef:
As long as you don't dis the doughnuts. I'd have to report you myself. :devil:
Day-Um! Those are some seriously weird, Spelling and pronunciation nightmare words there. Are you sure your jet lag didn't have you 75% asleep and thus pressing random keys? :insane: Squamish (Skwxwú7mesh) :eyes:Musqueam (Xwméthkwyiem) :insane:But, this one takes the cake: X̱wáýx̱way :ko: :faint: Are you sure the pronunciations for the first two aren't much simpler like what one would normally think?
Come on, Darko, admit it. There was a cat there editing your Post, right?
Mick, I LOVE doughnuts :whistle:Carlos, actually, those are very hard to pronounce, as I`ve heard. But if you drive from Squamish or Whistler toward Vancouver, you will see a lot of traffic signs and tables in both English and native language.
Nice pictures, and information post. Thanks for the tour and lesson, Darko! :up: Makes me want to visit Canada once.
You are welcome!Originally posted by rose-marie:
And then you will probably wish to go more than once 😀
I like the pictures Darko :up: I like Canada, mostly because it's not warm there, right?
Vancouver during winter is warmer than Belgrade and snow as we have it now is rare. It has more rain though but in general it is not as cold as we think. The rest of Canada is another story :left:
Originally posted by MirabelaTM:
I heard from my brother in Canada earlier
That cold enough for you?
That`s cold. Period. :ko: