ACI – Vancouver

Boomtown Nanaimo, British Columbia, is currently one of the hottest housing markets in Canada. Baby boomers all across the country are casting their aging eyes west in their quest for a retirement haven, and the many advantages of Nanaimo, BC, are becoming known.

First off, there’s the mild climate moderated by warm Pacific currents arriving from Japan. Nanaimo only gets a couple of weeks of snow a year, quite a contrast to central and eastern Canada which can be snowed in from December to April. There’s enough rain to keep the city’s gardens and parks lush and green, but plenty of clear, dry days for outdoor enthusiasts throughout the year.

Nanaimo isn’t a big city – under 100,000 – so traffic jams are the exception, and there’s still free parking downtown. As the main service center for the upper two-thirds of Vancouver Island, the City of Nanaimo has all the services you could ask for, from the big box stores of North Nanaimo to intimate boutiques and cafes downtown.

Nanaimo is well connected. BC Ferries runs large car ferries from Nanaimo to Vancouver every couple of hours, and seaplanes are constantly coming and going on their way to/from downtown Vancouver or Vancouver International Airport. Nanaimo also has a regular airport south of town and you can get a free extension to Nanaimo on many Air Canada tickets to Vancouver.

Another great attraction for snowbird retirees is the fact that Nanaimo real estate is still affordable. Housing prices have increased 50 percent in recent years, but you can still purchase real estate here for about half which comparable properties would cost in Vancouver. Nanaimo Realty, Remax Nanaimo, and Coast Realty Nanaimo can tell you more.

However Nanaimo’s greatest attraction is its friendly, outgoing people. Nanaimo still has a certain “small town” air lost in go-go places like Toronto, and it’s easy for newcomers to plug into the local scene. There’s always something happening in the Harbour City. It’s paradise found.

David Stanley
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/go-nanaimo-british-columbia-89518.html

Hello there. I am from Japan and coming to Abbotsford to attend my friends’ wedding, however I am not sure what is the best way to get to there from Vancouver International Airport. I do not have a driving license so I need to use public transportation. I appreciate your advise. Thank you so much.

i would suggest the grey hound its about $20 to get to abbotsford from vancouver.. or if someone can pick you up in mission bc (its bout 20-30min away) you can take the west coast express its bout 10$ . good luck

Jetlag is an amazing thing. It’s barely after 5 am and I have already been reading for an hour an a half. So I figured I might as well use this bout of sleeplessness and record my first impressions of British Columbia.

My WestJet flight out of Toronto left a 7:15 am yesterday, so that meant I got up at 4:30 am, after 2.5 hours of sleep, to check all my luggage, eat a brief breakfast and get myself out to the airport. Sometimes a little travel savvy goes a long way, I had decided to use my Airmiles to go to BC and upon doing some research I found out that WestJet had a special on that only required me to use 1600 Airmiles instead of the regular 3900 Airmiles, so off I went and booked the trip, saving myself 60% of the Airmiles that I would have otherwise spent. When you travel frequently, you have to look at every available option of savings costs and my travel reward miles came through big for me.

I was able to book a flight from Toronto to Calgary and another from Calgary to Vancouver. WestJet is always an interesting experience because its flight attendants are known for cracking jokes over the PA system. The flight to Calgary was actually really bumpy and for about an hour we went through what felt like a dirt road in the sky full of potholes, hitting the occasional air pocket and dropping a few feet. But the WestJet crew brought us down safely and humorously, something I was very happy about.

In retrospect I actually felt pretty lucky, considering that the very night before my departure an Air France flight had crash-landed in Toronto. Fortunately, all 300+ passengers and crew survived and only 43 people ended up with light injuries, despite the fact that the plane went up in flames. Not surprisingly the newspapers referred to this incident as the Miracle Flight.

Well, my aerial transport went a lot smoother and after about 7 hours of flight and transfers our plane touched down in beautiful Vancouver. The natural setting of Vancouver is indeed impressive: it is set in the Coastal Mountain Range, surrounded by Vancouver Island and the Pacific Ocean. It certainly looked breath-taking from the air, but my exploration of this city had to wait since my first item of the agenda was to get myself to the City of Victoria, on Vancouver Island.

I located the Pacific Coachlines desk at the Vancouver airport and for just over C$70.00 I bought a return ticket for a coach and ferry ride across to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. I only had about a half hour between my arrival at the airport until a comfortable air-conditioned bus whisked us to the Tsawassen Bay Ferry Terminal, following which the bus went onto the BC Ferries boat itself.

The ferry was a very large vessel with 3 different decks for cars, trucks and buses. There are 3 additional passenger decks including an open-air sitting area in the front of the ferry. We slowly started our crossing of the Straits of Georgia and I thoroughly enjoyed the panomara of mountains and water. Due to my lack of sleep my head got a little heavy and I fell asleep on the open-air deck. When I woke up we were just chugging through the narrows between Galiano Island and Mayne Island. The narrow channel is embedded in between these islands which are covered by coniferous forests. The entire approach to the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal was one of the most scenic waterways I have ever seen.

Punctually at 2:25 pm people headed back down to the bus, at 2:35 the bridge was lowered onto the ferry and our bus was the first vehicle out of the boat. Another 45 minutes later and we arrived in downtown Victoria at the bus terminal, right next to the Fairmont Empress Hotel, one of Victoria’s most famous landmarks. Designed as a chateau-style luxury hotel, it was built in 1908 for $1 million and was extensively restored in the late 1980s to the tune of $45 million. But more extensive exploration of this stunning building would have to wait, since a local friend was picking me up at the bus station.

My co-worker Clare, who works with me in my full-time business in new business development, relocated to Victoria with her husband Haishan in March of this year, and the two of them have been graciously accommodating me since my arrival yesterday. Both Clare and her husband are originally from mainland China and have been calling Canada their home for the last few years.

Haishan came to pick me up and after a beautiful drive through Victoria and some of its suburbs, I arrived at Clare and Haishan’s beautiful house in a little hillside community outside Victoria. After a couple of hours of rest due to my utter exhaustion, I got up to a beautiful Chinese dinner complete with 3 different meat dishes and the most delicous chicken with chestnuts dish I had ever eaten.

While we were savouring this gourmet meal, a deer made its appearance in the backyard, and Clare had already informed me earlier that deers show up in the backyard on an almost daily basis and take care of all newly planted landscaping and flowers, much to the chagrin of the residents.

After this delicious dinner we went on a little drive in the neighbourhood and drove down to the lagoon from where we had a perfect lookout to the Olympic Mountain Range in Washington State, across the narrow strait from Vancouver Island. One of the mountains was snow-covered and this majestic mountain range combined with the waters of the Pacific creates one of the most stunning sceneries this lovely planet of ours has to offer. We had a view of a historic light house and the Esquimalt navy base and after a brief drive through the hilly coastal roads (and another close encounter with a deer) we drove back to Clare’s beautiful house on the slopes.

After another hour or two of shop talk I was positively exhausted and dropped into bed like a sack of potatoes, only to wake up before 4 am, unable to sleep. Well, this early rise has given me a chance to record my first impressions, and I have avidly been reading my guidebook on Vancouver and Victoria, laying out a draft itinerary for today. The sun is coming up now so I’ve got another couple of hours of reading ahead of me in preparation of today’s discovery.

For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/hello_victoria_1.htm

Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-victoria-part-1-reaching-the-west-coast-110768.html

I’m planning to fly from Kota Kinabalu International Airport to Vancouver International Airport sometime in early July this year. Does anyone know any good flight-plans or any reasonable, cheap air-fares? I don’t mind economy, or the number of stops at various airports. Please let me know ASAP

Try (OZ) ASIANA AIRLINES or (KE)KOREAN AIR
OZ BKI ICN 0005 0630
OZ ICN YVR 1720 1135
depend you date of travel and also depend on oneway or return and duration of return date but chepiest airline between Kota Kinabalu to Vancouver is above airline (OZ) via seoul, South Korea or given below check with (CX)CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS also good fare.
CX BKI HKG 1200 1500
CX HKG YVR 1635 1350.

No matter you are making a first impression with your business partner or a prospective client or entertaining some long term business partner you can definitely win there hearts with corporate limousines Vancouver . Our luxury corporate limousine service help you close deals and build up partnerships in style. Vancouver airport limousine service for your clients visiting from and out of will definitely improve your corporate image.

First thing you may want that both of you attend business meetings in style and don’t have to worry about driving the city, taking a taxi or bus. For a client you need to make sure his travel is as comfortable as possible and the last thing is keep him away from waiting around at the airport for a ride, or him renting a car himself and trying to reach you or meeting point in a foreign town. Our chauffeur will bring the client to you or pick you up first so you can greet your client at the airport for an extra touch that’s both personal and professional.

Modern stretch limousines will surely enhance your corporate image and the best quality services will service represent your professionalism and brand value. So next time you schedule your business meeting make sure you book an limousine so that to make a long term, everlasting and fruitful business relationship.

About the author: Author is event transportation consultants for Vancouver Canada limousine servce and limo in whistler. You can collect more information at Silver Star Limo.

sana jims
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/boost-your-business-with-corporate-limousine-service-725075.html

How early should I arrive at the Vancouver International Airport before departure time? I’m just asking cause I’m flying from a small town in Washington state to Vancouver BC sometime next year and I’m really excited about going there, also how friendly are the airport security employees?

I would say possibly 2-2 and a half hours before the departure time.

I’m looking for a good bus route from the twassen ferry to the vancouver airport! Thanks!

Right where you get off the ferry are the bus stops. The buses are clearly marked airport etc. Very easy.

“Canada’s popularity lies on some of the world’s most inebriating travel destinations—Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Ontario. It boasts of awe-inspiring spots that are perfect for fun and extreme sports activities like hiking, skiing, rafting, and fishing. Traverse through Canada’s borders and discover its diverse culture, rich environment, and outgoing people in a trip like no other!

Choosing Canada as your holiday destination is undoubtedly a brilliant idea. All you have to do now is decide which area of the country to see and explore.

If you’re a tourist, you actually want to try activities and see places in Canada that would make your visit to the country worthwhile. In order to get the ultimate Canada experience and to be able to bask in its scenic spots, you would need the limousine services in Ontario. Can you tolerate stressing yourself in a tiring transit via cab or bus? That can drain you of your energy and your enthusiasm will automatically go down. However we look at it, traveling should be fulfilling and fun, not boring.

You may consider getting a cab if you’re on a tight budget, but if you want to experience convenience, style and comfort while on the road, the best solution is hiring an airport limousine service in Ontario. It guarantees a unique traveling experience.

There are numerous airport limousine services in Ontario with various rates and perks. Take your time in choosing the one that best suits your taste and purpose for being in Canada. You deserve a deluxe service that will assure you of a safe and enjoyable trip. To obtain nothing less than that, here are the things you should ask before getting an airport transportation in Ontario.

Any corporate references?

There are a lot of well-experienced limo rentals that have been in business for quite a long time. The longer they are in business, the more expensive they become. If you probe into the reason behind their high pricing, more often than not they’ll tell you that their business tenure and track record will show that they don’t offer substandard service but one with the highest quality.

If you receive such answer from a particular limo firm, ask its personnel to furnish you with a list of references that will prove their statement.

Permits and Insurance?

If the limo firm does not have the permit and insurance to operate, do not waste time to hire this kind of crap! Before getting a limo service, make sure to ask for a signed contract and insist that they present their license and permit.

Policies?

Knowing the policies of the limo services in Ontario can save your from soaring transportation expenses. Here are essential questions to consider before making a final decision:

-How long will it take me to get to the airport? -What will happen if the flight is delayed? -Will the chauffeur arrive on time? -How do I settle the payment? -Will the chauffeur take care of my baggage and other personal belongings? -How do I cancel services?”

Andrew Beene
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/tips-on-hiring-an-ontario-airport-limo-service-595720.html

Convenience and comfort are only some of the wonderful benefits from a Vancouver airport limousine service. It’s a dependable transportation that can take you to your desired destination right on time; treating you with utmost care and importance while on the road. Only a limousine service in Vancouver is capable of this so if you’re up for an unforgettable journey, go for limos in Vancouver!

Limousine rental in Vancouver is usually for special events like weddings, prom nights, birthdays, anniversaries, company tour and meetings, family outings, and many more. If you’re looking for a reliable service to drive you to the hotel you’re booked in, a ancouver airport limo can get you there fast and safe.

Hiring a limousine service makes a big difference in your life and social status. You feel important, rich and popular!

Picture this. It’s your prom night and you trust a limousine service to take you to the party venue. The moment you step down the limo, all heads turn to look at you in awe as though you were some queen.

On the other hand, if you’re planning a vacation with the whole family, don’t give a limousine service a second thought. Pack your things and let the courteous limousine chauffeur take your entire gang to your planned vacation spot. While on the road, you can engage in a movie viewing session or play your favorite songs nonstop. These are special features that are made available in a limo service to make your trip worth enjoyable and memorable. Most limousines have a strong air conditioner, DVD player, plasma television, and others that you would delight in.

If you happen to be tying the knot, don’t go for an ordinary car service. Pick the one that is as special as you, and as beautiful as your wedding gown or tux. Hiring a limousine rental would add to your trove of wedding memories.

Companies offering limousine services have a sense of time, so even without explaining to them the importance of a business meeting, they make it a point to get you there on time.

In the past, only the rich and famous such as celebrities and dignitaries had the privilege of going around town in a limousine. But those days have long been forgotten for companies that offer affordable and reliable limousine services are now available anywhere. No wonder the limo fever is rubbing off on practically everybody.

Why don’t you try to experience the limo fever? Truth is, I’m getting into it this Christmas vacation. I won’t miss the opportunity of taking my whole family to a beautiful place in the country. This, perhaps, is the best gift I can give them this year.

Andrew Beene
http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/experience-the-pleasure-of-traveling-with-vancouver-limousine-684539.html

Hello from Vancouver (5): Gastown and My Final Explorations

After my extremely interesting walking tour of the Downtown East Side I decided to round out my exploration of the city with another bicycling trip. In my mind, bicycling is just the perfect way to discover a city, it gives you greater range than walking, you don’t need to wait around for buses, and you get exercise at the same time -bonus!

I realized that I had not even seen Gastown yet, which gave me a perfect excuse for another round of exploring. I went to Spokes Bicycle Rentals again, talked to Phil who had been so helpful to me on Saturday in my exploration of Stanley Park and off I went for another few hours, to see just a bit more of Vancouver before I had to leave. I decided to ride back to the Downtown East Side since I wasn’t able to take any photos during the walking tour. I rode along the waterfront trail past Canada Place and the Harbour Centre to the east side of town.

I closely retraced my steps from this morning’s walking tour on the bicycle and took some pictures of some of the buildings along the way. One place that definitely stood out was the Sun Tower, a building created between 1911 and 1912 that used to be the headquarters of the Vancouver Sun. I rode through Chinatown again, which still had such an unusually orderly and organized feel to it.

Then I explored Gastown, one of Vancouver’s most historic areas. Its founding father was a loquacious saloon owner: John “Gassy Jack” Deighton, who, in 1867, built a saloon near the corner of Carrall and Water Streets to profit from the local lumber mill workers and gold prospectors on their way to the Yukon. By the 1870s, Gastown was a multicultural community, complete with saloons, hotels and grocery stores, brought into town because Vancouver had been chosen as the Canadian Pacific Railroad terminus.

By 1886 it had 1,000 buildings and 3,000 residents. Then, in 1886, a blaze broke out and burned the town to the ground. Although destroying the town, this fire started the biggest building boom in West Coast history. After an economic decline in the early part of the 20th century, Gastown became a virtual backwater from the 1930s to 1950s until a group of local merchants and property owners put it back on the map in the 1960s by renovating the historic buildings and turning them into one of the city’s top tourist attractions.

One of the biggest draws Gastown is the steam-powered clock, the world’s first, created by Raymond Saunders who has a small shop nearby. Live steam, pumped from a plant that heats more than 100 downtown buildings, operates the mechanism of the clocks and blows the whistles. At each quarter hour the clock sounds the Westminster Chimes while the large whistle announces the hours. Gastown’s Steam Clock is one of the favourite photography spots for tourists. Gastown also houses another major Vancouver attraction: an innovative educational and cultural experience called Storeyum: it’s 100,000 square foot indoor venue showcases the colourful history of Canada’s West Coast in live reenactments.

Of course I didn’t have time to explore Gastown and all its stores and restaurants in detail since my plane would be leaving in a few hours and I still wanted to head back to Stanley Park one more time to catch another glimpse of this most gorgeous urban greenspace. So back I cycled past construction of the new convention centre and back on the waterfront into Stanley Park. Since this was my second time in the park I caught a few things I missed the first time around: I saw the Girl in a Wetsuit sculpture, created in 1972, which is a life-size bronze statue of a woman in a wetsuit, with flippers on her feet and her mask pushed up on her forehead, and sits on a large intertidal boulder just offshore of Stanley Park.

I didn’t go all around the park but cut across it after a nice little icecream break at the Lumberman’s Arch concession stand and I rode through the beautiful Rose Garden and Shakespeare Garden which form the backbone of the perennial flower beds and ornamental trees and shrubs. Stanley Park is really a sight to behold, and it offers so many recreational and relaxation opportunities. The park also holds a children’s farmyard and miniature train.

My final stop in the park was the Lost Lagoon, a large pond, featuring a fountain at its centre, set against a gorgeous backdrop of forests, flowering shrubs, with the mountains towering in the background. The amount of visual beauty of this area is virtually overwhelming and I was starting to feel a little sad that I had to end my visit since I had to make it back to UBC on the other side of town to retrieve my luggage and head off to the airport.

I had originally planned to go biking until 5:30 pm, considering that my flight wouldn’t leave until almost 9 pm, but then I realized it’s Monday and rush hour would be setting in soon. So I took my bike back early, said my goodbyes to Phil, who’s been so helpful all along, and he gave me a few more words of local advice as to which bus routes to take and off I went to catch a bus to Burrard Street. The intersection of Burrard and Georgia was totally nuts, since the city was repaving and police were directing traffic manually. I was glad I had taken my bike back early, at least I would make it back to the university in time for my departure to the airport. Finally the #44 bus came and I could relax. Actually I was surprised that it only took me 25 minutes to get back to the University which left me extra time to complete some travel reports over the Internet.

All in all, Victoria and Vancouver have been an awesome experience. I had absolutely perfect weather: 25 degrees with beaming sunshine and absolutely no humidity. I had a fabulous reunion in Victoria with my co-worker Clare, two and a half very interesting days at the Canada-US Servas Conference where I got to know some of the most generous and dedicated individuals I have ever had a chance to meet, and in the time in between I had an opportunity to explore Vancouver, a vibrant and exciting city full of contrasts, set in one of the most physically stunning locations anywhere on the planet.

It’s been a very short trip, and all I can say – I’ll be back…..

For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/hello_vancouver_5.htm

Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-vancouver-part-5-gastown-and-my-final-explorations-93335.html