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Which
City was selected #1 in the
Americas?
Footloose
on Granville Island
by
Jerry W. Bird
 Living
in Vancouver, British Columbia for many
years, one venue we never get tired of
visiting, come rain or shine, is Granville
Island on the south shore of False Creek
(opposite the former Expo site). It's an
extra special treat when there's a chance
to show the area off, like last summer
when we invited several New York
colleagues to the Public Market for a
Sunday
breakfast.
Just
watching their faces light up like
Christmas trees, and hearing their
favourable comments was a suitable reward.
Granville Island, captures the mood
of
Vancouver in an eclectic mix of art and
culture, and in an outdoors marine
setting. Granville
Island events
 From
Industrial Eyesore to Eye-Popping
Spectacle
The magical transformation of Granville
Island from acres of industrial blight to
one of the coastal city's prize jewels, is
like the Ugly Duckling story by Hans
Christian Andersen. I remember visiting
the area as a youngster, and what's
happened with the new Granville Island
never ceases to amaze me.
COME ON
IN!
Visitors
to Canada from the United States do not
require a passport to re-enter the United
States by sea or air until December 31,
2006. For those returning to the U.S. via
land borders, a passport is not required
until December 31, 2007. U.S. citizens are
encouraged to visit the U.S. Department of
State website for further information on
travel document requirements.
www.travel.state.gov
FAIRMONT
ANNOUNCES NEW VANCOUVER
HOTEL
Fairmont
Hotels and Resorts have announced that
they have sold a parcel of undeveloped
land in downtown Vancouver to
Vancouver-based developer, Westbank.
Westbank plans on developing a hotel and
residential condo project on the site, and
Fairmont has entered into a long-term
agreement to manage the hotel.
Located
across from the existing Vancouver
Convention and Exhibition Centre (VCEC)
and adjacent to its planned expansion
site, this development will include a
415-room luxury hotel and 200 residential
condos. The hotel is expected to open in
mid-2009, shortly after the expansion of
the VCEC and before the 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games. The hotel will be
branded a Fairmont hotel and will showcase
prime views of Stanley Park, the harbor
skyline and North Shore Mountains.
www.fairmont.com
TRAINS, PLANES
AND AUTOMOBILES
Starting
in May 2006, Rocky Mountaineer Vacations
will introduce Whistler Escapes, eight
packaged tours featuring Canada's newest
train, the Whistler Mountaineer. These
short-break vacations range from three to
five days and can be added to a cruise, a
Rocky Mountaineer Rail Vacation or taken
alone. One
of the highlights of the packages is the
Sky, Sea and Rail Escape, with guests
beginning their journey with an overnight
stay in Vancouver, then taking a 30-minute
float plane flight to Victoria for another
overnight stay. A second float plane
flight to Whistler over the Georgia Strait
and Coastal Mountain range will follow,
and after a night in Whistler, the trip
ends with a three-hour afternoon rail
excursion back to Vancouver on the
Whistler Mountaineer. This particular trip
starts at CAD $964 per person (USD
$825). Phone:
604.606.7425 www.rockymountaineer.com
 YVR
Lands No.1 Ranking In North
America
Vancouver
International Airport (YVR) has been rated
the top airport in North America by
passengers surveyed for the International
Air Transport Association's (IATA) annual
global survey. For the fifth consecutive
year, YVR has also been chosen as one of
the top 10 airports in the world, the only
Canadian airport to make the global top 10
list. Since 1993, IATA has conducted the
annual global airport monitor survey to
measure airline passenger opinions of
major airports in North America, Europe,
the Middle East and Asia Pacific.
Approximately 70,000 passengers were asked
to rate 51 airports in a variety of
service categories. YVR received high
marks for its shopping facilities,
restaurants and eating facilities, and for
comfortable waiting areas.
 YVR
Offers $300 Million for Rapid
Transit
Vancouver
International Airport Authority (YVR) is
prepared to invest up to $300 million to
build the airport portion of the proposed
rapid transit line between Richmond,
downtown Vancouver and the Vancouver
International Airport. The YVR connector
portion - approximately 4km (2.5 miles) of
the 19.5 km (12.2 miles) line - would
include between three to five airport
stops to accommodate people working at the
airport, as well as arriving and departing
passengers.
 2010
Olympic Update
The
2010 offices have hired six senior
marketing and communications executives to
the leadership team for the 2010 Olympic
and Paralympic Winter Games. For the
latest updates visit
www.winter2010.com
 Shangri-La
selects Vancouver for new luxury
hotel
Asian
Pacific's leading luxury hotel group,
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, is
supporting its expansion with a management
agreement for a five-star deluxe hotel in
Vancouver slated for opening early 2007.
Set in the heart of downtown Vancouver,
the hotel is an easy walk to all
amenities.
Occupying
fifteen floors of a new 60-story landmark
building, the 120-room hotel will be the
tallest in Vancouver with cutting edge
architectural design. The entire multi
purpose complex will showcase the best of
cosmopolitan West Coast life. Guestrooms
will be an average of 550 square feet and
amongst the largest in
Canada.
 Summer
Meetings in Vancouver
During
Vancouver's 100 Days of Summer there's
always a festival or special event to
enjoy. Our moderate climate is
comfortable; that's why most Vancouverites
don't even own an air conditioner.
Surrounded by 12 miles of beaches, there
are many vantage points to enjoy mountain
views and spectacular
shorelines.
Let
our Meetings and Conventions team suggest
exciting local activities, festivals and
events, or pre and post options to add
value to your meeting. One benefit of
holding your Vancouver meeting in summer
is the ease of adding an exciting Alaska
Cruise or a trip on the spectacular Rocky
Mountaineer Railtours. Your association
could earn free cruises if as few as 18
passengers book. An Alaska cruise is a
once in a lifetime experience for many.
Cruise bookings can easily be fulfilled
through our partner Uniglobe Advance
travel through a website link or toll free
number.
A
Summer Incentive Experience
American
Investors Life's "Top Producers" enjoyed
an incredible incentive experience during
their memorable 9-day Vancouver and
Whistler program. One of the most unique
events produced by Maximum West
Destinations/ Fireworks Marketing Group
(www.fireworksgroup.com), on behalf of
incentive house Galactic Marketing, was a
"Medieval Rock" party on the third night
of the guests' Vancouver visit.
Vancouver's
premier concert hall, the Commodore
Ballroom, synonymous with the city's
entertainment and nightlife scenes, was
the perfect choice for a theme party. The
art deco styled venue was transformed into
a magical medieval court. Hanging beams
with large candles created a lighting
effect that set the tone for the entire
hall. The theme continued with customized
pennants on columns, enhanced with
period-specific decor items. Long
rectangular dining tables were set with
crushed velvet burgundy linens, gold trim
goblets and charger plates, and flagons
for wine.
The
evening's entertainment included strolling
characters: a court magician,
stilt-walkers, fire jugglers, and 4 comic
actors mingled with guests to create a
modern day equivalent of a medieval court.
A post-dinner sword fight helped to bring
the 300 guests, serving staff, strolling
entertainers and 9-piece dance band decked
out in period costumes, back in time.
Footloose
in Vancouver's Historic
Gastown
Recently
arrived for a cruise or convention? Just
steps from Canada Place, where
Alaska-bound cruise ships berth, Gastown
begins.
Footloose
in Stanley Park, the Beaches and English
Bay
A
sea of umbrellas one moment, local
denizens decked in everything from
beachwear to high fashion the next.
Footloose
on Vancouver's Elevated
Railway
SkyTrain
and SeaBus provide a Supermall 15 miles
long.
Footloose
on an Old Fashioned
Streetcar
Street
Cars, Street Scenes, Street Smarts: Signs
of Vancouver's Rail Renaissance.
Footloose
at Vancouver International
Airport
A
classy shopping mall and a convention
hotel all in one complex
.
New
Vancouver Convention
Centre
We
were just at the Press Conference where
plans for the expansive waterfront
facility were unveiled. You can expect a
major section on that facility on this
site.
Views
of Vancouver
Courtesy
Tourism Vancouver. Allow a few minutes for
loading, but its worth the wait.
Footloose
on Robson
Street
Robson
Street is often compared to Hollywood's
Rodeo Drive, and its stores keep late
hours for shoppers' convenience and to
help pay the abnormally high rent.
PET
FRIENDLY PACIFIC PALISADES
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