Dear Udin Tarigan,The City of Vancouver is named after a British explorer, Captain George Vancouver who came to explore Burrard Inlet in 1792. The Greater Vancouver population is 2.2 millions and is the largest metropolitan city in Western Canada. It was first settled in 1860's as a result of immigration caused by 1858 Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. But developed rapidly from a small lumber mill town into metropolitan centre following the arrival of transcontinental railway in 1887. Over the years since I arrived in Vancouver 26 years ago, I have grown to love the place. It is very beautiful, with Grouse Mountain and surrounding mountains as backdrops, deep sheltered harbour of Burrard Inlet and the lush green of Stanley Park. I watched it grow bigger and bigger into metropolitan city as it is now. I bear witness to many developments taken place. I was always eager to see and marvelled at the construction of major shopping malls from their early stages to their completions: Lansdowne, Coquitlam Centre, Park Royals, Metrotown, Guildford Town Centre, Aberdeen & Parker Places, Yaohan, Surrey Place. I was most impressed with the underground malls at city centre: Pacific Centre, Harbour Centre, Royal Centre and Waterfront Centre, at how they managed to dig large holes underground and built shopping malls.
I also watched with keen interest other major developments to make the city more pleasant place to work and live, the transit system. From electric trolley buses into zero emission low floor trolley and compressed natural gas buses. The one most awesome for me was the construction of the driver less remotely controlled elevated "Skytrain" system. I never got tired of watching them busy building station after station and the guided elevated rails in 1984 till it's completion to just before Expo86. From Surrey to New Westminster, to Burnaby, to Vancouver. The Skytrain was built primarily as a showcase for Expo86, where transportation and communication were the main theme. Expo86 was one catalyst that make Vancouver even greater than it was. The Canada Place Hotel and Convention Centre was built with Federal Government help to stage many conventions during the Expo. I was a proud participant at Expo86 as a volunteer and a ticket holder. Indonesia took part in that Expo, where they displayed their domestic satellite "Palapa" and a traditional boat building without the use of any nails. The Skytrain was expanded further to Lougheed and Brentwood Malls in Burnaby.
But with all the admiration I have with the transit system, to my surprise I seldom use the transit system myself, since going to places in your car is the most convenience way to do. But most people have the same idea, that make the roads seem to be always congested. Major new roads that I looked with keen interest were the widening of #1 freeway from Grandview Hwy to Port Mann Bridge to 6 lanes, and #91 Richmond-Annacis Hwy that continue to Alex Fraser Bridge and South. Fraser River runs from East to West and splits Lower Mainland in two, and bridges will have to be constructed. Alex Fraser Bridge and Arther Laing Bridge were constructed during my time, and both bridges take a lot of heavy traffic every day these days.
The construction of city skyscrapers also give change to its landscape. I saw many constructions of highrises at downtown Vancouver: The Scotia Tower, HSBC Tower, Vancouver Sun Tower, Sheraton Wall Tower, Shaw Tower, WestinBayshore Inn and the many high rise condominiums at Coal Harbour. The Expo land where Expo86 took place, became central to the development of high rise condominiums as well, that always attracted my attention every time I passed by. They are my head turner. But many people think they are an eyesore, a concrete jungle that we can do with less or without.
And when the city is getting bigger, then crimes seem to be just want to tag along and become a headache to the police and the authorities. It is a problem to many cities in North America. Some bigger problems than others for sure. Problems like illicit drugs, burglary, robbery, murder, prostitution. Not to mention with Gangsters, that poses more problematic. There are the Latino gangsters, Vietnamese, Filipinos, Chinese. I am always grateful that the authorities somehow managed to deal with the situation. There is one sore point in the Downtown Eastside area, it is shabby, run down buildings and full of the undesirables, mostly problems with drugs, prostitution and homelessness. Some of them former patients from Riverview Hospital, that can't deal with living by themselves anymore. With the re-construction of Woodward building to trendier shops and residentials, many hopes that the area will become a better place for everybody, especially Chinatown businesses just next to it that have been subjected to this for so long.
Some cities in the world have their own distinct landmark, like San Francisco with it's Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney with it's Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Vancouver has it's Lions Gate Bridge and The Sail at Canada Place. But for me the true landmark is the Stanley Park, the 1000 acres of lush green park close to downtown core. You can play tennis, pitch & putt golf, baseball, cricket; do swimming, cycling and also hiking at many trails that criss-crossing the park surrounded by tall cedar, hemlock and fir trees. In summer I particularly like riding my bike from where I live going through Coal Harbour Seawall, to Stanley Park and back via English Bay. It is a good 3 hours bike ride over 30 km distance, with many stops along the way.
Now many people excited about the coming of 2010 Winter Olympics to Vancouver, which will be staged in Whistler and Vancouver. You can see Vancouver is booming, always busy with constructions of sport facilities, road expansions and new transit lines to airport.
