Fascinating Facts for Friday

Here's something a little different for you. I am going through my files of photos on Vancouver and posting those. Usually I will fill your head with historical knowledge but not today. This time I am going to subject you to some current facts on my beautiful city. So I hope you enjoy it.

Remember when I wrote on the BC Hydro building? Well this is a sculpture that is outside the building.

For five years in a row Vancouver has been voted the most liveable city in the world.

Greater Vancouver is the third largest city in Canada while Vancouver city is the eighth largest.

Vancouver is a city where a person can swim, play golf and ski all in the same day.

The city was named after Captain Vancouver.

We are the third largest film production centre in North America. You might be surprised to realize that some of your favourite shows and movies are filmed here.

Although there is one vehicle for every two Vancouver citizens this is one of the few North American cities without a freeway running through downtown.

The wealthiest neighbourhoods in Canada are here. Unfortunately I don't live in one of them!

The west end of Vancouver only covers 20 blocks but is the most densely populated area in North America.

Vancouver has the highest proportion per capita of Asians than in any other North American city and 35% of Vancouver's population is foreign born which is the highest figure in the world.

We know have to have a good time though. Vancouverites dine out more than citizens in any other North American city.

Greater Vancouver is home to two of my idols: Terry Fox who, despite losing a leg to cancer, attempted to run across Canada to raise money for cancer research. – The Marathon of Hope - He made it over halfway before the cancer struck again and he had to quit. That was in 1980 and thirty years later runs are still being in his memory to raise money for cancer research.

And Rick Hansen. Hansen became paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident at the age of 15.   But on March 20, 1985 Hansen left Vancouver on the Man in Motion tour. His goal was to wheel around the world to raise money for spinal cord research. Guess what? He did it. On May 22, 1987 Hansen was greeted by thousands of cheering people as he wheeled into BC Place Stadium. Remember the movie St. Elmo's Fire and that great song Man in Motion? That song was written by Canada's own David Foster and British musician John Parr as a tribute to Hansen. It was performed by Parr.

About ten years ago I was living in an apartment in New Westminster. It was less than a year after my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Someone was cleaning out a vacant apartment and dropped a box of books off for me. One of them was Rick Hansen, Man in Motion - the story of Hansen's journey around the world. That book touched me deeply. I figured if Hansen could pull that off what am I doing getting depressed about my situation in life? I wrote to Rick Hansen and he answered me. I framed his letter and it hangs on my wall to remind me that I can do what I want. If you want to read a book that is inspirational and reminds you of what a person can do than I advise you to read that one.

The eccentric, reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes moved to Vancouver after a massive earthquake hit Nicaragua where he was living at the time. He lived here for a few years in a suite at the Bayshore Hotel at the entrance to Stanley Park.

I guess he didn't realize that Vancouver sits on one of the most dangerous earthquake faults in the world. One day an earthquake greater than 8 on the Richter scale will hit the city. We also have an active volcano nearby but should Mt Baker erupt it wouldn’t create a threat. Or so they say.

In the 1960s Errol Flynn, the legendary actor, spent his final days in Vancouver. He died in an apartment in the West End.

Vancouver’s CKWX was the first rock ‘n roll station in Canada in the early 1950s and in 1967 the first rock FM station, CKLG.

Greenpeace was founded here.

Rock star and activist Bob Geldoff used to be editor of the Georgia Straight - a free local weekly paper.

The term Skid Row which refers to the seedier parts of town is said to have started here. Other cities do lay claim to being the origin of the term but since I am in Vancouver and this is my blog I am going to give credit my city.

Vancouver may get a lot of rain but we get less than Boston and New York City.

I would like to thank vancouver.hm for the information and all these facts. Or at most of them.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

TAGS:Vancouver, Karen Magill, CKWX, CKLG,Bob Geldof,Rick Hansen,History,Terry Fox,Greenpeace,Howard Hughes,