Chinese bilingual street sign |
| |
 |
| Punjabi bilingual street sign |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 City
planners in the late 1950s and 1960s deliberately encouraged the development of high-rise
residential towers in Vancouver's West End of downtown, resulting in a compact urban core amenable
to public transit, cycling, and pedestrian traffic. Vancouver's population density on the downtown
peninsula is 121 people per hectare (or 49 people per acre), according to the 2001 census. The
city continues to pursue policies intended to increase density as an alternative to sprawl, such
as Mayor Sam Sullivan's EcoDensity — an initiative to create quality and high density areas
in the city, while making property ownership more economical. The plan also calls for the
increased construction of community centres, parks, and cultural facilities.
Vancouver has been called a "city of neighbourhoods," each with a distinct character and
ethnic mix. People of British origin were historically the largest ethnic group in the city, and
elements of British society and culture are highly visible in some areas, particularly South
Granville and Kerrisdale. The Chinese are by far the largest visible ethnic group in the city, and
Vancouver has one of the most diverse Chinese-speaking communities, with several Chinese languages
being represented. There are also many monocultural neighbourhoods, such as the Punjabi Market,
Little Italy (roughly synonymous with Commercial Drive but also including the Nanaimo and Hastings
area), Greektown, and Japantown. Bilingual street signs can be seen in various neighbourhoods,
including Chinatown and the Punjabi Market.
Many immigrants from Hong Kong made Vancouver their home in anticipation of the transfer of that
former colony's sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China. This continued a tradition of
immigration from around the world that had already established Vancouver as the second most
popular destination for immigrants in Canada (after Toronto). Other significant Asian ethnic
groups in Vancouver are South Asians (mostly Punjabis, usually referred to as Indo-Canadians),
Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Cambodian, and Japanese.
Prior to the Hong Kong influx of the 1980s, the largest non-British ethnic group in the city was
German, followed by Ukrainian, Scandinavian, Italians and the historical Chinese population.
Invisible minorities, such as newly-arrived Eastern Europeans, are also a feature of the city's
ethnic landscape.
There is also a sizable aboriginal community in Vancouver as well as in the surrounding
metropolitan region, with the result that Vancouver constitutes the largest native community in
the province.
While not completely free of racial tension, Vancouver has relatively harmonious race relations.
One result is a relatively high rate of intermarriage; mixed ethnicity couples are unremarkable in
any neighbourhood. Both the annual Dragon Boat Festival and Lunar New Year's Day Parade are well
attended by residents of all ethnic backgrounds.
Vancouver has a substantial gay community, and British Columbia was the second Canadian
jurisdiction to legalize same-sex marriage as a constitutional right, shortly after Ontario. The
downtown area around Davie Street is home to most of the city's gay clubs and bars and is known as
Davie Village. Every year Vancouver holds one of the country's largest gay pride parades.
Source: Wikipedia under GNU Free Documentation License |
