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Vancouver, Canada
 By Paul Barriscale
I'm an Irish descendant. My grandfather came to Vancouver from Cork City in 1921.
Introduction:
Vancouver is located on Canada's beautiful west coast and will be home of the 2010 Winter Olympics,
www.vancouver2010.com.
Climate:
The weather is similar to Ireland, rainy, but there are quite a few more sunny days in the summertime.
Getting Around:
City buses in Vancouver are quite good. Our train system is limited compared to cities such as London, Paris or New York. YVR the Vancouver Airport will have rapid transit for the 2010 Winter Olympics however.
Living Accommodation:
To find a place to live I recommend www.vancouversun.com. Rents are expensive for Canada, but cheaper than many major European cities. Housing prices in Vancouver are the highest in Canada. Generally rental accommodation comes unfurnished but there are some exceptions.
Standard of Living:
Standard of living is quite high. Lifestyle is very outdoors oriented, (skiing, snowboarding, sailing, golf, hiking, camping, etc…).
Working:
Main traditional industries are lumber, mining and fishing to a lesser extent. High-tech, software development and gaming are large emerging industries in Vancouver. The Vancouver and B.C. economy are currently very healthy. Unemployment is at 30 year lows. Many technical and professional jobs remain unfilled.
Banking:
The Canadian dollar is the major currency. It's currently almost at par with the US$ (23rd of July 2007), trading at 30 year highs.
Healthcare:
Public subsidized health care similar to Britain. Good care available, but waiting lists are common for major surgery, visits to specialists and emergency waiting rooms.
Education:
Our education system is quite good, particularly when compared to the US public system. Vancouver and Victoria are home to three exceptional universities: The University of British Columbia (UBC), the University of Victoria (UVic) and Simon Fraser University (SFU).
Personal Safety:
Generally Vancouver is a safe city, but property crime is quite high because of a severe drug problem.
Leisure and Culture:
There are quite a few Irish pubs in Vancouver, but not on every corner or street like in Ireland. We are a coffee mad city (in the Seattle tradition). One might say the coffee culture has supplanted the pub culture. Irish community is small compared to large multi-cultural communities in Vancouver.
Other tips and Thoughts:
For more information on Vancouver go to www.tourismvancouver.com or www.vancouver2010.com
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