Canada Place & Vancouver Harbour

Canada Place

A convention center and cruise terminal with five sail-shaped roofs, along with a seaside walkway, the FlyOver Canada 4D flight theater, seaplane takeoffs and landings, and mountains across the harbour. It is the face of Vancouver.

Canada Place stands on the waterfront just north of downtown. It was converted from the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 86, and its five white sail-shaped roofs have become a Vancouver landmark. Today it is the main cruise terminal for Alaska cruises as well as the Vancouver Convention Centre East, and the Pan Pacific Hotel is here. From May to September, one to three large cruise ships dock each day, and you can see them up close from the square. The Canadian Trail along the building's outer edge shows the history and landmarks of each Canadian province. It is a free viewpoint over Burrard Inlet, the North Shore Mountains, the Lions Gate Bridge, and Stanley Park. On the west side, the Convention Centre West has a green roof, a giant 'Digital Orca' sculpture by Douglas Coupland, and the Olympic Cauldron from the 2010 Winter Olympics. On the east side, the Coal Harbour waterfront walkway leads to Stanley Park in about 20 minutes. Along the way you pass the seaplane dock, where Harbour Air flights leave often. A 20-minute city sightseeing flight costs about CAD 150 to 200. You will also find a marina here. Inside the square, FlyOver Canada (about CAD 35) is a 4D flight theater in which you sit in suspended seats. In 8 minutes you fly from east to west across Canada's landscapes, with wind, mist, and scent effects, and it is very popular with families. Nearby you can combine several sights: a 5-minute walk takes you to Waterfront SkyTrain Station and the SeaBus terminal. The SeaBus crosses to the North Shore in 12 minutes, and a round trip is an inexpensive harbour cruise. You can also visit the Harbour Centre observation tower (167 meters, about CAD 20, 360-degree views) and Gastown. Admission to the square is free. Getting there: exit at Waterfront Station on the SkyTrain. Note that the cruise terminal area is restricted to traffic on ship days and gets very crowded. Sea breezes can be strong. In summer, the light lingers after 9 p.m., which makes it a good time for night photography.

Canada Place & Vancouver Harbour

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