Canada Place
Encyclopedia
Canada Place is a building situated on the Burrard Inlet
waterfront of Vancouver
, British Columbia
. It is the home of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver's World Trade Centre, and the world's first permanent IMAX
3D theatre (which ceased operation on October 1st 2009). The building's exterior is covered by fabric roofs resembling sails. It is also the main cruise ship
terminal for the region, where most of Vancouver's famous cruises to Alaska
originate. The building was designed by architect Eberhard Zeidler
.
Canada Place can be reached via the SkyTrain
line at the nearby Waterfront Station
terminus or via West Cordova Street in Vancouver. The white sails of the building have made it a prominent landmark for the city, as well as drawing comparisons to the Sydney Opera House
in Sydney
, Australia
and the Denver International Airport
in Denver, Colorado
.
The structure was expanded in 2001 to accommodate another cruise ship berth. In 2009, a companion building immediately to the northwest was completed which, like Canada Place, contains additional Convention Centre facilities as well as served as the International Broadcast Centre
for the 2010 Winter Olympics
while Canada Place served as the Main Press Centre.
Canada Place was built on the land which was originally the Canadian Pacific Railway
's Pier B-C
. Built in 1927, its primary purpose was to serve CPR and other shipping lines trading across the Pacific Ocean.
In 1978 Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments commenced planning for development of convention, cruise ship and hotel facilities. Four years later, the Government of Canada created a crown corporation, Canada Harbour Place Corporation (now known as Canada Place Corporation), to develop the Canada Place project on the Pier B-C site. Construction began when HM Queen Elizabeth II arrived on the royal yacht Britannia with The Right Hon. Pierre Trudeau
, Prime Minister of Canada and The Hon. William R. Bennett, Premier of BC to initiate the first concrete pour.
During Expo ’86, the Canada Pavilion at Canada Place was opened by HRH Prince Charles and The Right Hon. Brian Mulroney
, Prime Minister of Canada. Among the largest and most elaborate pavilions presented by any nation at any World's Fair, the Canada Pavilion hosted more than 5 million visitors prior to the October 13, 1986 closing date. The Canada Pavilion is acknowledged as one of the best-ever host nation pavilions at a world exposition.
The landmark that today is Canada Place is dedicated by the Government of Canada to the people of Canada and the world, who will visit and enjoy the many features of this unique project. Canada Place Corporation (CPC), a Crown agent, continues to act as the coordinating landlord for Canada Place facilities.
Events
Throughout the year many community events are held at and hosted by Canada Place. Some of these include:
Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...
waterfront of Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It is the home of the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver's World Trade Centre, and the world's first permanent IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
3D theatre (which ceased operation on October 1st 2009). The building's exterior is covered by fabric roofs resembling sails. It is also the main cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
terminal for the region, where most of Vancouver's famous cruises to Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
originate. The building was designed by architect Eberhard Zeidler
Eberhard Zeidler
Eberhard Heinrich Zeidler, OC, O.Ont is a Canadian architect.he studied at the Technische Hochschule, Karlsruhe, Germany....
.
Canada Place can be reached via the SkyTrain
SkyTrain (Vancouver)
SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
line at the nearby Waterfront Station
Waterfront Station (Vancouver)
Waterfront Station is a major intermodal public transportation facility and the main transit terminus in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Location:...
terminus or via West Cordova Street in Vancouver. The white sails of the building have made it a prominent landmark for the city, as well as drawing comparisons to the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and the Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport
Denver International Airport , often referred to as DIA, is an airport in Denver, Colorado. By land size, at , it is the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montréal-Mirabel...
in Denver, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
The structure was expanded in 2001 to accommodate another cruise ship berth. In 2009, a companion building immediately to the northwest was completed which, like Canada Place, contains additional Convention Centre facilities as well as served as the International Broadcast Centre
International Broadcast Centre
The International Broadcast Centre is a temporary hub for broadcasters during major sport events.-FIFA World Cup:During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in Germany, the IBC in Munich was host to journalists from around 190 countries. The centre was based at the Munich Fair, in what was formally Munich...
for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
while Canada Place served as the Main Press Centre.
History
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
's Pier B-C
CPR Pier B and C
right|600pxWith the expanding trans-Pacific trade, the Canadian Pacific Railway needed to upgrade its wharfspace in Burrard Inlet, Vancouver. When the railway was finished in 1886 a small freight shed and...
. Built in 1927, its primary purpose was to serve CPR and other shipping lines trading across the Pacific Ocean.
In 1978 Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments commenced planning for development of convention, cruise ship and hotel facilities. Four years later, the Government of Canada created a crown corporation, Canada Harbour Place Corporation (now known as Canada Place Corporation), to develop the Canada Place project on the Pier B-C site. Construction began when HM Queen Elizabeth II arrived on the royal yacht Britannia with The Right Hon. Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
, Prime Minister of Canada and The Hon. William R. Bennett, Premier of BC to initiate the first concrete pour.
During Expo ’86, the Canada Pavilion at Canada Place was opened by HRH Prince Charles and The Right Hon. Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
, Prime Minister of Canada. Among the largest and most elaborate pavilions presented by any nation at any World's Fair, the Canada Pavilion hosted more than 5 million visitors prior to the October 13, 1986 closing date. The Canada Pavilion is acknowledged as one of the best-ever host nation pavilions at a world exposition.
The landmark that today is Canada Place is dedicated by the Government of Canada to the people of Canada and the world, who will visit and enjoy the many features of this unique project. Canada Place Corporation (CPC), a Crown agent, continues to act as the coordinating landlord for Canada Place facilities.
Events
Throughout the year many community events are held at and hosted by Canada Place. Some of these include:
- Canada DayCanada DayCanada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
at Canada Place - This multiple award-winning event features headline performers on four stages, interactive exhibitions, kid's zone, roaming entertainment and much more. - Christmas at Canada Place - This event is a family tradition for many people in the Lower Mainland. It has been running for 23 years with guest favourites like the Woodward Windows and Breakfast with Santa.
- Sails of Light - A nightly event illuminating Canada Place’s 90 foot sails showcasing Canada. During Christmas the Sails of Light take a festive theme.
- Community Events - Events such as the well-known Vancouver International Jazz FestivalVancouver International Jazz FestivalThe Vancouver International Jazz Festival is an annual summer event in Vancouver, Canada.The festival grew out of a local jazz scene that centred around Vancouver Co-op Radio , a community radio station, in the early 1980s...
to free yogaYogaYoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
sessions on the promenade take place throughout various times of the year.