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Port Metro Vancouver
Vancouver Harbour Water Airport
CP Rail tracks and other trains
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We have great news for all those with maritime inclinations. Whether you are interested in ferry operations, bulk container traffic, port operations, cruise ships, recreational navigation or simply would like a bird's eye view of the largest commercial port in Canada, there is no better place to be than the Vancouver Lookout.
Far above sea level, the viewing deck offers an unparalleled panoramic point of view of Burrard Inlet encompassing Lions Gate Bridge, the North Shore bulk installations, Canada Place and its cruise ship terminal, the Seabus terminal and both the Centerm and Vanterm Port Metro Vancouver container terminals.
For an impressive interactive map of the port area, updated in real time with each ship's name, type and location, visit the VPM web site and don't forget to switch the map to full screen! You might have to install the simple Silverlight add-on for this, but we think it's quite worth it.
The PVM is the 4th largest port in North America by tonnage and activity is constant day and night. Its jurisdiction covers 600 km of shoreline from the US border all the way to our Burrard Inlet and also far into the nearby Fraser River. It is responsible for $10.5 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and sustains close to 130,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Standing on the Vancouver Lookout deck, you'll have the only aerial view in town of Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes at work, Seabus ferries going back and forth across the Inlet and bulk carriers and container ships maneuvering along with their tugs. You'll get an almost indiscrete glance of the upper decks of moored cruise ships during the summer (mid-April to the end of October, multiple days weekly) and witness their impressive arrivals and departures.
Burrard Inlet is an incredibly busy scene and the Port Metro Vancouver also shares its space with the Vancouver Harbour Seaport.
Vancouver Harbour Water Airport
You might notice a lot of air traffic while walking around Vancouver. That's because only a half hour away from our major Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, downtown Vancouver features its own airport, or rather, seaport. Code name CYHC, Vancouver Harbour is the 8th busiest aerodrome in British Columbia and handled over 63,000 landings and take-offs in 2007 alone. Its traffic is exclusively composed of single and twin-engine seaplanes and helicopters.
Vancouver Harbour has been granted its own Air Traffic Control tower, located at the top of 141 m. high Granville Square, a building clearly visible across the street from the Lookout. The tower controls an airspace of 12x4 km and is equipped with the same cutting-edge equipment found at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. Because of its location at the top of a building, it holds the "tallest ATC tower in the world" title. The floating heliport located next to the Seabus terminal is said to be the busiest in Canada and is operated by Helijet. The two main seaplane operators are West Coast Air and Harbour Air which claims to be the world's largest all-seaplane airline.
The Vancouver Lookout offers a first-row view of all air traffic in and out of Vancouver Harbour. You'll be impressed by the non-stop movements (90 to 150 a day when the weather allows) and will hear the roaring of departing aircrafts. The only thing missing will be your suitcase and a boarding pass.
CP Rail tracks and other trains
Visiting the Vancouver Lookout is a bit like playing with your train set. Right at the bottom of the tower, mingling with one of Vancouver's main transit and transport hubs, lay the tracks of CPR's downtown Vancouver switch yard. The tracks are also used by a commuting train, the West Coast Express, also operated by CPR on behalf of Translink. Even closer to the tower, next to Waterfront Station, are the Skytrain tracks, world's longest automated light rapid transit system, running on electricity and emission-free.
Mountains - On clear day, expect to get a great view of nearby snowcapped Mt Baker, northernmost volcano of the Cascades range. It stands 10,781 feet (3,286 m) tall and holds the world record for snow fall. If you have good eyes and the air is really clear, you will also see as far south as the Olympic Peninsula Mountains located due west of Seattle across Puget Sound. That's 170 km as the crow flies!
Olympic installations - quite a few of the 2010 Winter Games venues are visible from the Vancouver Lookout:
- Cypress Mountain on the North Shore (hosting snowboard, freestyle and ski cross events)
- BC Place (hosting the Opening and Closing Ceremonies)
- GM Place (to be called Canada Hockey Place during the games, hosting some of the ice hockey games)
- the downtown Olympic and Paralympic Village across False Creek
- the brand new Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre (VCEC)(hosting the media)