Misplaced Pages

BC Transmission Corporation

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

The British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) was a Crown corporation in the province of British Columbia , Canada that existed from 2003 to 2010. BCTC's mandate was to plan, build, operate and maintain B.C.'s electrical transmission network .

#463536

131-586: The British Columbia Transmission Corporation (BCTC) was a provincial Crown corporation headquartered in downtown Vancouver . BCTC was conceived under the BC Liberal Party's 2002 Energy Plan, with a mandate to separate the province's power transmission from its generation and distribution. BCTC was formed through the BC Transmission Corporation Act in 2003 to create an independent power transmission operation, to facilitate

262-713: A £sd -based monetary system or a decimal monetary system based on the US dollar. The British North American provinces, for reasons of practicality in relation to the increasing trade with the neighbouring United States, had a desire to assimilate their currencies with the American unit, but the imperial authorities in London still preferred sterling as the sole currency throughout the British Empire . The British North American provinces nonetheless gradually adopted currencies tied to

393-510: A change of 4.9% from its 2016 population of 631,486, making it the eighth-largest among Canadian cities . More specifically, Vancouver is the fourth-largest in Western Canada after Calgary , Edmonton and Winnipeg . With a land area of 115.18 km (44.47 sq mi), it had a population density of 5,749.7/km (14,891.6/sq mi) in 2021, the most densely populated Canadian municipality with more than 5,000 residents. At

524-440: A common Canadian dollar. The gold standard was temporarily abandoned during World War I and definitively abolished on April 10, 1933. At the outbreak of World War II , the exchange rate to the U.S. dollar was fixed at Can$ 1.10 = US$ 1.00. This was changed to parity in 1946. In 1949, sterling was devalued and Canada followed, returning to a peg of Can$ 1.10 = US$ 1.00. However, Canada allowed its dollar to float in 1950, whereupon

655-639: A cut in interest rates made by the Bank of Canada due to concerns about exports to the U.S. Due to its soaring value and new record highs at the time, the Canadian dollar was named the Canadian Newsmaker of the Year for 2007 by the Canadian edition of Time magazine. Since the late 2000s, the Canadian dollar has been valued at levels comparable to the years before its swift rise in 2007. For most of

786-598: A leading force in the city's society and economy until the rise of anti-German sentiment with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Today the Chinese are the largest visible ethnic group in Vancouver; the city has a diverse Chinese-speaking community with speakers of several dialects, notably Cantonese and Mandarin . Neighbourhoods with distinct ethnic commercial areas include Chinatown , Punjabi Market , Little Italy , Greektown , and (formerly) Japantown . Since

917-594: A market regulation of the transmission network, to enable private generation, and for wholesale power marketing operations to operate independently from BC Hydro. BCTC's operation and staff were separated from BC Hydro , and the BCTC was established as a new regulated utility under the oversight of the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC). When BCTC was formed, the North American electricity industry

1048-697: A network transmission customer through the Open Access Transmission Tariff. While the power system assets were still owned by BC Hydro, the corporate function was that of silent owner. BCTC was setup with the management authority for the system, including control of all investment management and maintenance planning, while BC Hydro divisions continued to supply engineering services, field operations resources, and other functions through service agreements. BCTC initiated several major projects and initiatives during its existence: The Vancouver Island Transmission Reinforcement project involved

1179-613: A population density of 918.0/km (2,377.6/sq mi) in 2021. Approximately 75 percent of the people living in Metro Vancouver live outside Vancouver itself. The larger Lower Mainland-Southwest economic region (which includes also the Squamish-Lillooet , Fraser Valley , and Sunshine Coast Regional District ) has a population of over 3.04   million. The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 274,365 persons or 42.2% of

1310-608: A set in various films, including the Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn series. Under the Open Access Tariff, BC Hydro and BCTC jointly ran a competitive call for clean, renewable power. BCTC performed the system studies required for the proposed private generators, and under the call multiple independent power producers were successfully integrated onto the BC network. This project constructed a new, fifth 500 kV transmission circuit from

1441-645: A sterling-based unit, with decimal fractional coinage. The idea was that the decimal coins would correspond to exact amounts in relation to the U.S. dollar fractional coinage. In response to British concerns, in 1853, an act of the Parliament of the Province of Canada introduced the gold standard into the colony, based on both the British gold sovereign and the American gold eagle coins . This gold standard

SECTION 10

#1732779965464

1572-610: A typical coastal British Columbia mix of Douglas fir , western red cedar and western hemlock . The area is thought to have had the largest trees of these species on the British Columbia Coast . Only in Elliott Bay , Seattle , did the size of trees rival those of Burrard Inlet and English Bay . The largest trees in Vancouver's old-growth forest were in the Gastown area, where the first logging occurred and on

1703-695: A warm-summer Mediterranean ( Köppen: Csb ). While the city has the coolest summer average high of all major Canadian metropolitan areas, winters in Greater Vancouver are the fourth-mildest of Canadian cities, after nearby Victoria , Nanaimo and Duncan , all on Vancouver Island. Vancouver is one of the wettest Canadian cities. However, precipitation varies throughout the metropolitan area. Annual precipitation as measured at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond averages 1,189 mm (46.8 in), compared with 1,588 mm (62.5 in) in

1834-407: A wartime measure, nickel was replaced by tombac in the 5¢ coin, which was changed in shape from round to dodecagonal . Chromium-plated steel was used for the 5¢ in 1944 and 1945 and between 1951 and 1954, after which nickel was readopted. The 5¢ returned to a round shape in 1963. In 1935, the 0.800 silver voyageur dollar was introduced. Production was maintained through 1967 with the exception of

1965-568: Is 38.1 cm (15.0 in) but typically does not remain on the ground for long. Vancouver's growing season averages 237 days, from March 18 until November 10. Vancouver's 1981–2010 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone ranges from 8a to 9a depending on elevation and proximity to water. As of 2021, Vancouver is the most densely populated city in Canada. Urban planning in Vancouver is characterized by high-rise residential and mixed-use development in urban centres, as an alternative to sprawl . As part of

2096-511: Is French for "loon," the bird appearing on the coin). The French pronunciation of cent (pronounced similarly to English as /sɛnt/ or /sɛn/ , not like the word for hundred, /sɑ̃/ or /sã/ ) is generally used for the subdivision; sou is another, informal, term for 1¢. 25¢ coins in Quebec French are often called trente sous ("thirty cents") because of a series of changes in terminology, currencies, and exchange rates. After

2227-592: Is a modernist high-rise, now converted into the Electra condominium. Also notable is the "concrete waffle" of the MacMillan Bloedel building on the north-east corner of the Georgia and Thurlow intersection. A prominent addition to the city's landscape is the giant tent-frame Canada Place (designed by Zeidler Roberts Partnership Partnership, MCMP & DA Architects ), the former Canada Pavilion from

2358-425: Is cheaper for Canadian industries to purchase foreign material and businesses. The Bank of Canada currently has no specific target value for the Canadian dollar and has not intervened in foreign exchange markets since 1998. The Bank's official position is that market conditions should determine the worth of the Canadian dollar, although it occasionally makes minor attempts to influence its value. On world markets,

2489-731: Is currently located was referred to by the Stó꞉lō in the Upriver Halkomelem dialect as Lhq’á:lets , meaning "wide at the bottom/end". Speakers of the Island dialect of Halkomelem referred to the region of Vancouver as sqwx̌wam̓ush or skwóm̓esh , referring to the Squamish, or as Pankúpe7 , a transliteration of the English word "Vancouver". Archaeological records indicate that Aboriginal people were already living in

2620-480: Is governed by the Currency Act , which sets out limits of: Retailers in Canada may refuse bank notes without breaking the law. According to legal guidelines, the method of payment has to be mutually agreed upon by the parties involved with the transactions. For example, stores may refuse $ 100 banknotes if they feel that would put them at risk of being counterfeit victims; however, official policy suggests that

2751-400: Is not given back as change. The standard set of designs has Canadian symbols, usually wildlife, on the reverse, and an effigy of Charles III on the obverse . A large number of pennies, nickels, and dimes are in circulation bearing the effigy of Elizabeth II , and occasionally some depicting George VI can be found. It is also common for American coins to be found among circulation due to

SECTION 20

#1732779965464

2882-422: Is only available directly from the mint, therefore seeing very little circulation), $ 1 ( loonie ), and $ 2 ( toonie ). The last 1¢ coin ( penny ) to be minted in Canada was struck on May 4, 2012, and distribution of the penny ceased on February 4, 2013. Ever since, the price for a cash transaction is rounded to the nearest five cents. The penny continues to be legal tender, although it is only accepted as payment and

3013-665: Is the Paradox Hotel Vancouver at 188 m (617 ft), followed by the Private Residences at Hotel Georgia , at 156 m (512 ft). The fourth-tallest is One Wall Centre at 150 m (490 ft) and 48 storeys, followed closely by the Shaw Tower at 149 m (489 ft). In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , Vancouver had a population of 662,248 living in 305,336 of its 328,347 total private dwellings,

3144-402: Is the fifth-most held reserve currency in the world, behind the U.S. dollar , euro , yen , and sterling . The Canadian dollar is popular with central banks because of Canada's relative economic soundness, the Canadian government's strong sovereign position, and the stability of the country's legal and political systems. The 1850s in Canada were a decade of debate over whether to adopt

3275-413: Is the origin of the name that eventually became "Vancouver". The indigenous Squamish people who reside in a region that encompasses southwestern British Columbia including this city gave the name K'emk'emeláy̓ which means "place of many maple trees"; this was originally the name of a village inhabited by said people where a sawmill was established by Edward Stamp as part of the foundations to

3406-683: The Pro forma tariff used in the United States as established by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Under this tariff, BC Hydro became a transmission customer of BCTC, and other third party generators and entities connecting to the network also became customers under the tariff. In February 2007, the B.C. government issued a new Energy Plan. This plan included several policies relating to transmission to ensure adequate transmission be in place to support

3537-478: The 1963 election . The Canadian dollar returned to a fixed exchange rate regime in 1962 when its value was set at US$ 0.925 , where it remained until 1970. As an inflation -fighting measure, the Canadian dollar was allowed to float in 1970. Its value appreciated and it was worth more than the U.S. dollar for part of the 1970s. The high point was on April 25, 1974, when it reached US$ 1.0443 . The Canadian dollar fell in value against its American counterpart during

3668-611: The 1986 World Exposition , which includes part of the Convention Centre , the Pan-Pacific Hotel , and a cruise ship terminal. Two modern buildings that define the southern skyline away from the downtown area are City Hall and the Centennial Pavilion of Vancouver General Hospital , both designed by Townley and Matheson in 1936 and 1958, respectively. A collection of Edwardian buildings in

3799-454: The 2021 census Vancouver has been called a "city of neighbourhoods." Each neighbourhood in Vancouver has a distinct character and ethnic mix. People of English, Scottish, and Irish origins were historically the largest ethnic groups in the city, and elements of British society and culture are still visible in some areas, particularly South Granville and Kerrisdale . Germans are the next-largest European ethnic group in Vancouver and were

3930-728: The Bentall Centre in Downtown Vancouver. BCTC also owned the network control centres used to operate the BC Transmission system, and had a small number of employees posted in field offices at other locations in BC. Its total assets were valued at over $ 2.5 billion CAD . BC Hydro retained ownership of and management of their generating facilities in British Columbia. Points of interconnection were established between BC Hydro and BCTC, and BC Hydro became

4061-632: The British Columbia Parliament Buildings and the Empress Hotel in Victoria, and the lavishly decorated second Hotel Vancouver. The 556-room Hotel Vancouver , opened in 1939 and the third by that name, is across the street with its copper roof. The Gothic-style Christ Church Cathedral , across from the hotel, opened in 1894 and was declared a heritage building in 1976. There are several modern buildings in

BC Transmission Corporation - Misplaced Pages Continue

4192-563: The Canadian Pacific Railway . The Canadian Pacific transcontinental railway was extended to the city by 1887. The city's large natural seaport on the Pacific Ocean became a vital link in the trade between Asia-Pacific , East Asia , Europe , and Eastern Canada . Vancouver has hosted many international conferences and events, including the 1954 Commonwealth Games , UN Habitat I , Expo 86 , APEC Canada 1997 ,

4323-475: The Cumberland coal mines on Vancouver Island . Following a lull in the 1920s, the strike wave peaked in 1935 when unemployed men flooded the city to protest conditions in the relief camps run by the military in remote areas throughout the province. After two tense months of daily and disruptive protesting, the relief camp strikers decided to take their grievances to the federal government and embarked on

4454-632: The Edison Electric Institute 's Edison Award in 2010, for demonstrating the LineScout robotics technology for use in the inspection of long transmission water crossings. LineScout is a series of robotic devices developed by the Hydro-Québec Research Institute, IREQ . LineScout is designed to inspect high-voltage transmission lines, and the remote-controlled robot uses cameras and other sensors to inspect

4585-546: The Kitsilano area. Vancouver also has a significant aboriginal community of about 15,000 people. Canadian dollar The Canadian dollar ( symbol : $ ; code : CAD ; French : dollar canadien ) is the currency of Canada. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $ . There is no standard disambiguating form, but the abbreviations Can$ , CA$ and C$ are frequently used for distinction from other dollar -denominated currencies (though C$ remains ambiguous with

4716-461: The Nicaraguan córdoba ). It is divided into 100 cents  (¢). Owing to the image of a common loon on its reverse, the dollar coin, and sometimes the unit of currency itself, may be referred to as the loonie by English-speaking Canadians and foreign exchange traders and analysts. Accounting for approximately 2% of all global reserves, as of January 2024 the Canadian dollar

4847-525: The On-to-Ottawa Trek , but their protest was put down by force. The workers were arrested near Mission and interned in work camps for the duration of the Depression. Other social movements, such as the first-wave feminist , moral reform, and temperance movements , were also instrumental in Vancouver's development. Mary Ellen Smith , a Vancouver suffragist and prohibitionist , became

4978-768: The Pacific Maritime Ecozone . Until the city's naming in 1885, "Vancouver" referred to Vancouver Island, and it remains a common misconception that the city is located on the island. The island and the city are both named after Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver (as is the city of Vancouver, Washington , in the United States). Vancouver has one of the largest urban parks in North America, Stanley Park , which covers 404.9 ha (1,001 acres). The North Shore Mountains dominate

5109-550: The Port of Vancouver is the fourth-largest port by tonnage in the Americas, the busiest and largest in Canada, and the most diversified port in North America. While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, making tourism its second-largest industry. Major film production studios in Vancouver and nearby Burnaby have turned Greater Vancouver and nearby areas into one of

5240-659: The Stewart-Cassiar Highway , and the line route originally surveyed for a future 500 kV line for the never-realized plan by BC Hydro in the 1970s to dam the Grand Canyon of the Stikine River . The new 287 kV line allowed integration of new mining loads, private run-of-river power generators such as those on the Iskut River at Forest Kerr. BCTC and Hydro-Québec's LineScout partnership earned

5371-575: The World Police and Fire Games in 1989 and 2009; several matches of 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup including the finals at BC Place in Downtown Vancouver , and the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics which were held in Vancouver and Whistler , a resort community 125 km (78 mi) north of the city. In 1969, Greenpeace was founded in Vancouver. The city became the permanent home to TED conferences in 2014. As of 2016 ,

BC Transmission Corporation - Misplaced Pages Continue

5502-445: The census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the metropolitan area referred to as Greater Vancouver had a population of 2,642,825 living in 1,043,319 of its 1,104,532 total private dwellings, a change of 7.3% from its 2016 population of 2,463,431, the third-most populous metropolitan area in the country and the most populous in Western Canada . With a land area of 2,878.93 km (1,111.56 sq mi), it had

5633-494: The chartered banks starting in the 1830s, by several pre- Confederation colonial governments (most notably the Province of Canada in 1866), and after confederation, by the Canadian government starting in 1870. Some municipalities also issued notes, most notably depression scrip during the 1930s. On July 3, 1934, with only 10 chartered banks still issuing notes, the Bank of Canada was founded. This new government agency became

5764-550: The colonial government surveyed the settlement and laid out a townsite , renamed " Granville " in honour of the then–British Secretary of State for the Colonies , Lord Granville . This site, with its natural harbour, was selected in 1884 as the terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway, to the disappointment of Port Moody , New Westminster and Victoria , all of which had vied to be the railhead. A railway

5895-466: The most livable cities in Canada and in the world. In terms of housing affordability , Vancouver is also one of the most expensive cities in Canada and in the world . Vancouverism is the city's urban planning design philosophy. Indigenous settlement of Vancouver began more than 10,000 years ago and included the Squamish , Musqueam , and Tsleil-Waututh (Burrard) peoples. The beginnings of

6026-405: The technological boom of the 1990s that was centred in the United States, and was traded for as little as US$ 0.6179 on January 21, 2002, which was an all-time low. Since then, its value against all major currencies rose until 2013, due in part to high prices for commodities (especially oil ) that Canada exports. The Canadian dollar's value against the U.S. dollar rose sharply in 2007 because of

6157-629: The $ 5 and $ 10 denominations began circulation on November 12, 2013. Since 1935, all banknotes are printed by the Ottawa-based Canadian Bank Note Company under contract to the Bank of Canada. Previously, a second company, BA International (founded in 1866 as the British American Bank Note Company), shared printing duties. In 2011, BA International announced it would close its banknote printing business and cease printing banknotes at

6288-497: The 1930s onward by the government of Japan. These flower for several weeks in early spring each year, an occasion celebrated by the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival . Other streets are lined with flowering chestnut, horse chestnut and other decorative shade trees. Vancouver's climate, one of the mildest and most temperate climates in Canada, is classified as oceanic ( Köppen: Cfb ) bordering on

6419-485: The 1960s and were aging, and BCTC's project replaced all five with two new, fully-redundant, seismically reinforced, and modernized control centres. The former system control center building on Burnaby Mountain is now part of the Simon Fraser University campus, and as of 2019 was being used to house the university's supercomputer. The building is in a modern architectural style, and has also been used as

6550-516: The 1980s and 1990s, recent immigration has been comparatively low. However, growth in the Latino population – which largely consists of Mexicans and Salvadorans  – rose in the late 2010s and early 2020s. African immigration has been similarly stagnant (3.6% and 3.3% of total immigrant population, respectively). The black population of Vancouver is small in comparison to other Canadian major cities, making up 1.3 percent of

6681-599: The 1980s, immigration increased substantially, making the city more ethnically and linguistically diverse; 49 percent of Vancouver's residents do not speak English as their first language. Over 25 percent of the city's inhabitants are of Chinese heritage. In the 1980s, an influx of immigrants from Hong Kong in anticipation of the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China, combined with an increase in immigrants from mainland China and previous immigrants from Taiwan , established in Vancouver one of

SECTION 50

#1732779965464

6812-420: The 1¢ plated in copper and the others plated in cupro-nickel . In 2012, the multi-ply plated-steel technology was introduced for $ 1 and $ 2 coins as well. Also in that year mintage of the 1¢ coin ceased and its withdrawal from circulation began in 2013. The first paper money issued in Canada denominated in dollars were British Army bills, issued between 1813 and 1815. Canadian dollar banknotes were later issued by

6943-587: The American dollar. In 1841, the Province of Canada adopted a new system based on the Halifax rating . The new Canadian pound was equal to four US dollars (92.88 grains gold), making £1  sterling equal to £1.4 s .4 d . Canadian. Thus, the new Canadian pound was worth 16 shillings and 5.3 pence sterling. In 1851, the Parliament of the Province of Canada passed an act for the purposes of introducing

7074-465: The British conquest of Canada in 1760, French coins gradually went out of use, and sou became a nickname for the halfpenny , which was similar in value to the French sou . Spanish dollars and U.S. dollars were also in use, and from 1841 to 1858, the exchange rate was fixed at $ 4 = £1  (or 400¢ = 240 d ). This made 25¢ equal to 15 d , or 30 halfpence ( trente sous ). After decimalization and

7205-512: The British settlement later becoming part of Vancouver. In hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem) spoken by the Musqueam , there is no specific term for Vancouver. Rather there existed names for specific villages and landscape features that the people knew intimately in the area Vancouver exists in currently, as opposed to larger geographic features. The region where Vancouver

7336-506: The Canadian dollar as a stable alternative to the Icelandic króna . Canada was favoured due to its northern geography and similar resource-based economy, in addition to its relative economic stability. The Canadian ambassador to Iceland said that Iceland could adopt the currency; although Iceland ultimately decided not to move on with the proposal. Since 76.7% of Canada's exports go to the U.S., and 53.3% of imports into Canada come from

7467-518: The Canadian dollar coin from the dollar bill. When the two-dollar coin was introduced in 1996, the derivative word toonie ("two loonies") became the common word for it in Canadian English slang. In French , the currency is also called le dollar ; Canadian French slang terms include piastre or piasse (the original word used in 18th-century French to translate "dollar") and huard (equivalent to loonie , since huard

7598-404: The Canadian dollar have tended to correlate with shifts in oil prices, reflecting the Canadian dollar's status as a petrocurrency owing to Canada's significant oil exports. The Canadian dollar traded at a record high of US$ 2.78 in terms of American greenbacks on July 11, 1864, since the latter was inconvertible paper currency. However, the Canadian dollar remained close to par or 1:1 versus

7729-407: The Canadian dollar historically tended to move in tandem with the U.S. dollar. An apparently rising Canadian dollar (against the U.S. dollar) was decreasing against other international currencies; however, during the rise of the Canadian dollar between 2002 and 2013, it gained value against the U.S. dollar as well as other international currencies. In recent years, dramatic fluctuations in the value of

7860-537: The Canadian dollar replaced the British Columbia dollar. In 1867, the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia united into a federation named Canada . As a result, their respective currencies were merged into a singular Canadian dollar. The Canadian Parliament passed the Uniform Currency Act in April 1871, tying up loose ends as to the currencies of the various provinces and replacing them with

7991-455: The Empire's tallest commercial building by the elaborate Art Deco Marine Building in the 1920s. The Marine Building is known for its elaborate ceramic tile facings and brass-gilt doors and elevators, which make it a favourite location for movie shoots. Topping the list of tallest buildings in Vancouver is Living Shangri-La , the tallest building in BC at 201 m (659 ft) and 62 storeys. The second-tallest building in Vancouver

SECTION 60

#1732779965464

8122-434: The Fraser River, on their way to the Fraser Canyon , bypassing what would become Vancouver. Vancouver is among British Columbia's youngest cities; the first European settlement in what is now Vancouver was not until 1862 at McCleery's Farm on the Fraser River, just east of the ancient village of Musqueam in what is now Marpole . A sawmill was established at Moodyville (now the City of North Vancouver ) in 1863, beginning

8253-424: The Pacific. Examples include the monkey puzzle tree , the Japanese maple and various flowering exotics, such as magnolias , azaleas and rhododendrons . Some species imported from harsher climates in Eastern Canada or Europe have grown to immense sizes. The native Douglas maple can also attain a tremendous size. Many of the city's streets are lined with flowering varieties of Japanese cherry trees donated from

8384-498: The Province of Canada. Except for 1¢ coins struck in 1859, no more coins were issued until 1870, when production of the 5¢ and 10¢ was resumed and silver 25¢ and 50¢ were introduced. Between 1908 and 1919, sovereigns (legal tender in Canada for $ 4.86 + 2 ⁄ 3 ) were struck in Ottawa with a "C" mintmark. Canada produced its first gold dollar coins in 1912 in the form of $ 5 and $ 10. These coins were produced from 1912 to 1914. The obverse carries an image of King George V and on

8515-416: The U.S. dollar for the first time in 30 years, at US$ 1.0052. On November 7, 2007, it hit US$ 1.1024 during trading, a modern-day high after China announced it would diversify its US$ 1.43   trillion foreign exchange reserve away from the U.S. dollar. By November 30, however, the Canadian dollar was once again at par with the U.S. dollar, and on December 4, the dollar had retreated back to US$ 0.98, through

8646-424: The U.S., Canadians are interested in the value of their currency mainly against the U.S. dollar. Although domestic concerns arise when the dollar trades much lower than its U.S. counterpart, there is also concern among exporters when the dollar appreciates quickly. A rise in the value of the dollar increases the price of Canadian exports to the U.S. On the other hand, there are advantages to a rising dollar, in that it

8777-423: The Utilities Commission Act, which resulted in the BCUC enacting the mandatory reliability program, and BCTC filing its initial adoption of Mandatory Reliability Standards. In 2010 the BC Clean Energy Act set out specific provisions for British Columbia to become a leading supplier of clean, renewable energy, and to meet future electricity needs while generating new jobs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Under

8908-430: The Vancouver area from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. The Squamish , Musqueam , and Tsleil-Waututh (Burrard) peoples of the Coast Salish group had villages in various parts of present-day Vancouver, such as Stanley Park , False Creek , Kitsilano , Point Grey and near the mouth of the Fraser River . Europeans became acquainted with the area of the future Vancouver when José María Narváez of Spain explored

9039-413: The act, all of BCTC's assets, employees, and responsibilities were reincorporated back into BC Hydro, reversing the separation. Seven years after the separation from BC Hydro, BCTC was integrated back into BC Hydro on 5 July 2010. The total cost to the BC taxpayers for the creation and subsequent reintegration of BCTC was estimated to be $ 65 million CAD , attracting significant political scrutiny. Unifying

9170-521: The airport was 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) set on July 30, 2009, and the highest temperature ever recorded within the city of Vancouver was 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) occurring first on July 31, 1965, again on August 8, 1981, and also on May 29, 1983. The coldest temperature ever recorded in the city was −17.8 °C (0.0 °F) on January 14, 1950 and again on December 29, 1968. On average, snow falls nine days per year, with three days receiving 5 cm (2.0 in) or more. Average yearly snowfall

9301-403: The banknotes indefinitely. As of January 1, 2021, the $ 1, $ 2, $ 25, $ 500 and $ 1000 notes issued by the Bank of Canada are no longer legal tender. All other current and prior Canadian dollar banknotes issued by the Bank of Canada remain as legal tender in Canada. However, commercial transactions may legally be settled in any manner agreed by the parties involved. Legal tender of Canadian coinage

9432-495: The building of high-rise residential towers in Vancouver's West End , subject to strict requirements for setbacks and open space to protect sight lines and preserve green space. The success of these dense but livable neighbourhoods led to the redevelopment of urban industrial sites, such as North False Creek and Coal Harbour, beginning in the mid-1980s. The result is a compact urban core that has gained international recognition for its "high amenity and 'livable' development". In 2006,

9563-552: The city its name in honour of George Vancouver . The Great Vancouver Fire on June 13, 1886, razed the entire city. The Vancouver Fire Department was established that year and the city quickly rebuilt. Vancouver's population grew from a settlement of 1,000 people in 1881 to over 20,000 by the turn of the century and 100,000 by 1911. Vancouver merchants outfitted prospectors bound for the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898. One of those merchants, Charles Woodward, had opened

9694-409: The city launched a planning initiative entitled EcoDensity , with the stated goal of exploring ways in which "density, design, and land use can contribute to environmental sustainability, affordability, and livability". The Vancouver Art Gallery is housed downtown in the neoclassical former courthouse built in 1906. The courthouse building was designed by Francis Rattenbury , who also designed

9825-481: The city population belonged to a visible minority group; at the same time, this proportion was roughly 14 percent for the entire metropolitan area . By 2016, the proportion in the city had grown to 52 percent. Prior to the Hong Kong diaspora of the 1990s, the largest non-British ethnic groups in the city were Irish and German , followed by Scandinavian , Italian , Ukrainian , Chinese, and Punjabi . From

9956-601: The city's long relationship with logging. It was quickly followed by mills owned by Captain Edward Stamp on the south shore of the inlet. Stamp, who had begun logging in the Port Alberni area, first attempted to run a mill at Brockton Point , but difficult currents and reefs forced the relocation of the operation in 1867 to a point near the foot of Dunlevy Street. This mill, known as the Hastings Mill , became

10087-607: The city's old downtown core were, in their day, the tallest commercial buildings in the British Empire . These were, in succession, the Carter-Cotton Building (former home of The Province newspaper), the Dominion Building (1907) and the Sun Tower (1911), the former two at Cambie and Hastings Streets and the latter at Beatty and Pender Streets. The Sun Tower's cupola was finally exceeded as

10218-452: The city. Hogan's Alley , a small area adjacent to Chinatown, just off Main Street at Prior, was once home to a significant black community. The Black population consists of Somalis , Jamaicans/Caribbeans, and other groups, including those who descended from African Americans. The neighbourhood of Strathcona was the core of the city's Jewish community. In 1981, approximately 24 percent of

10349-576: The city. While some manufacturing did develop, including the establishment of the British Columbia Sugar Refinery by Benjamin Tingley Rogers in 1890, natural resources became the basis for Vancouver's economy. The resource sector was initially based on logging and later on exports moving through the seaport, where commercial traffic constituted the largest economic sector in Vancouver by the 1930s. The dominance of

10480-542: The cityscape, and on a clear day, scenic vistas include the snow-capped volcano Mount Baker in the state of Washington to the southeast, Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia to the west and southwest, and Bowen Island to the northwest. The vegetation in the Vancouver area was originally temperate rainforest , consisting of conifers with scattered pockets of maple and alder and large areas of swampland (even in upland areas, due to poor drainage). The conifers were

10611-422: The close proximity to the United States and the fact that the sizes and colours of the coins are similar. Commemorative coins with differing reverses are also issued on an irregular basis, most often quarters. 50¢ coins are rarely found in circulation; they are often collected and not regularly used in day-to-day transactions in most provinces. In 1858, bronze 1¢ and 0.925 silver 5¢, 10¢ and 20¢ coins were issued by

10742-615: The coast of present-day Point Grey and parts of Burrard Inlet in 1791—although one author contends that Francis Drake may have visited the area in 1579 . The explorer and North West Company trader Simon Fraser and his crew became the first-known Europeans to set foot on the site of the present-day city. In 1808, they travelled from the east down the Fraser River, perhaps as far as Point Grey. The Fraser Gold Rush of 1858 brought over 25,000 men, mainly from California , to nearby New Westminster (founded February 14, 1859) on

10873-523: The companies returned BC Hydro to providing a single point of planning and authority for the provincial energy system. BC's 2010 Clean Energy Act did not repeal the Open Access Transmission Tariff, and so corporate Standards of Conduct were adopted within BC Hydro to ensure that the "transmission provider" functions internal to the company would remain independent of the "transmission customer" and "market function" employees, and BC Hydro continues to fulfill

11004-482: The condition of the line, discover defects in the equipment and conductors, while also employing a smart navigation system to pinpoint defect locations and maneuver around obstacles such as splices, hardware components, and aviation warning markers. Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada , located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia . As the most populous city in

11135-418: The continued strength of the Canadian economy and the U.S. currency's weakness on world markets. During trading on September 20, 2007, it met the U.S. dollar at parity for the first time since November 25, 1976. Inflation in the value of the Canadian dollar has been fairly low since the 1990s. In 2007 the Canadian dollar rebounded, soaring 23% in value. On September 28, 2007, the Canadian dollar closed above

11266-539: The currency of Prince Edward Island was absorbed into the Canadian system shortly afterwards, when Prince Edward Island joined the Dominion of Canada in 1873. Newfoundland went decimal in 1865, but unlike the Province of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, it decided to adopt a unit based on the Spanish dollar rather than on the U.S. dollar, and there was a slight difference between these two units. The U.S. dollar

11397-462: The currency rose to a slight premium over the U.S. dollar for the next decade. But the Canadian dollar fell sharply after 1960 before it was again pegged in 1962 at Can$ 1.00 = US$ 0.925. This was sometimes pejoratively referred to as the "Diefenbuck" or the "Diefendollar", after the then Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker . This peg lasted until 1970, with the currency's value being floated since then. Canadian English , similar to American English , used

11528-472: The decision was made to introduce a decimal coinage into the Province of Canada in conjunction with the U.S. dollar unit. Hence, when the new decimal coins were introduced in 1858, the colony's currency became aligned with the U.S. currency, although the British gold sovereign continued to remain legal tender at the rate of £1 = Can$ 4.86 + 2 ⁄ 3 right up until the 1990s. In 1859, Canadian colonial postage stamps were issued with decimal denominations for

11659-546: The downtown area and 2,044 mm (80.5 in) in North Vancouver. The daily maximum averages 22 °C (72 °F) in July and August, with highs rarely reaching 30 °C (86 °F). The summer months are typically dry, with only one in five days receiving precipitation during July and August. In contrast, most days from November through March record some precipitation. The highest temperature ever recorded at

11790-825: The downtown area, including the Harbour Centre , the Vancouver Law Courts and surrounding plaza known as Robson Square (designed by Arthur Erickson ) and the Vancouver Library Square (designed by Moshe Safdie and DA Architects ), reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome, and the recently completed Woodward's building Redevelopment (designed by Henriquez Partners Architects ). The original BC Hydro headquarters building (designed by Ron Thom and Ned Pratt) at Nelson and Burrard Streets

11921-493: The economy by big business was accompanied by an often militant labour movement . The first major sympathy strike was in 1903 when railway employees struck against the CPR for union recognition. Labour leader Frank Rogers was killed by CPR police while picketing at the docks, becoming the movement's first martyr in British Columbia. The rise of industrial tensions throughout the province led to Canada's first general strike in 1918, at

12052-500: The end of 2012; since then, the Canadian Bank Note Company has been the sole printer of Canadian banknotes. All banknotes from series prior to the current polymer series are now considered unfit for circulation due to their lacking of any modern security features, such as a metallic stripe. Financial institutions must return the banknotes to the Bank of Canada, which will then destroy them. Individuals may keep

12183-485: The first Woodward's store at Abbott and Cordova Streets in 1892 and, along with Spencer's and the Hudson's Bay department stores, formed the core of the city's retail sector for decades. The economy of early Vancouver was dominated by large companies such as the CPR, which fuelled economic activity and led to the rapid development of the new city; in fact, the CPR was the main real estate owner and housing developer in

12314-400: The first time. In 1861, Canadian postage stamps were issued with the denominations shown in dollars and cents. In 1860, the colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia followed the Province of Canada in adopting a decimal system based on the U.S. dollar unit. In 1871, Prince Edward Island went decimal within the U.S. dollar unit and introduced coins in the denomination of 1 cent. However,

12445-483: The first woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada in 1918. Alcohol prohibition began in the First World War and lasted until 1921 when the provincial government established control over alcohol sales, a practice still in place today. Canada's first drug law came about following an inquiry conducted by the federal minister of Labour and future prime minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King . King

12576-475: The fourth highest in North America (after New York City , San Francisco , and Mexico City ). Vancouver is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada: 49.3 percent of its residents are not native English speakers, 47.8 percent are native speakers of neither English nor French, and 54.5 percent of residents belong to visible minority groups. It has been consistently ranked one of

12707-499: The fourth-most expensive real estate market in the world in 2019. Vancouver has also been ranked among Canada's most expensive cities to live in. Sales in February 2016 were 56.3 percent higher than the 10-year average for the month. Forbes also ranked Vancouver as the tenth-cleanest city in the world in 2007. Vancouver's characteristic approach to urban planning originated in the late 1950s, when city planners began to encourage

12838-515: The gold or silver US dollar of the time. Unlike other currencies in the Bretton Woods system , whose values were fixed , the Canadian dollar was allowed to float from 1950 to 1962. Between 1952 and 1960, the Canadian dollar traded at a slight premium over the U.S. dollar, reaching a high of US$ 1.0614 on August 20, 1957. The Canadian dollar fell considerably after 1960, and this contributed to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker 's defeat in

12969-450: The highest concentrations of ethnic Chinese residents in North America. Another significant Asian ethnic group in Vancouver includes South Asians , forming approximately 7 percent of the city's inhabitants; while a small community had existed in the city since 1897, larger waves of migration began in the 1950s and 1960s, prompting new Punjabi immigrants to establish a Little India (known as Punjabi Market ) and preside over much of

13100-478: The interior of the province to the load center on the coast, increasing the transfer capability of the system. The project was the first new 500 kV circuit added in British Columbia in two decades, and was notable for crossing over 250 km of extremely challenging terrain through the Coast Mountains of BC. This project constructed a new 287 kV circuit from Terrace north to Bob Quinn , generally following

13231-562: The larger Metro Vancouver region, it is influenced by the policy direction of livability as illustrated in Metro Vancouver's Regional Growth Strategy. Vancouver ranked high on the Global Liveability Ranking and stood at number 1 on the list for several years until 2011. In recent years, it has dropped, ranking as low as 16 in 2021. As of 2022 , Vancouver was ranked as having the fifth-highest quality of living of any city on Earth. According to Forbes , Vancouver had

13362-510: The largest film production centres in North America, earning it the nickname " Hollywood North ". The city takes its name from George Vancouver , who explored the inner harbour of Burrard Inlet in 1792 and gave various places British names. The family name "Vancouver" itself originates from the Dutch "van Coevorden", denoting somebody from the city of Coevorden , Netherlands. The explorer's ancestors came to England "from Coevorden", which

13493-701: The mass construction of the Vancouver Special across the southeastern quadrant of the city, notably within the Sunset neighbourhood prior to the suburbanization of the community to outer suburbs such as Surrey or Delta. Other Asian-origin groups that reside in Vancouver include Filipinos (5.9%), Japanese (1.7%), Korean (1.7%), West Asians (1.9%), as well as sizable communities of Vietnamese , Indonesians , and Cambodians . Despite increases in Latin American immigration to Vancouver in

13624-468: The mid-1950s until the 1980s, many Portuguese immigrants came to Vancouver, and the city had the third-largest Portuguese population in Canada in 2001. Eastern Europeans, including Russians , Czechs , Poles , Romanians and Hungarians began immigrating after the Soviet takeover of Eastern Europe after World War II . Greek immigration increased in the late 1960s and early '70s, with most settling in

13755-403: The modern city, which was originally named Gastown , grew around the site of a makeshift tavern on the western edges of Hastings Mill that was built on July 1, 1867, and owned by proprietor Gassy Jack . The Gastown steam clock marks the original site. Gastown then formally registered as a townsite dubbed Granville , Burrard Inlet . The city was renamed "Vancouver" in 1886 through a deal with

13886-415: The notes have occurred since 1935, with new series introduced in 1937, 1954, 1970, 1986, and 2001. In June 2011, newly designed notes printed on a polymer substrate, as opposed to cotton fibre, were announced; the first of these polymer notes, the $ 100 bill, began circulation on November 14, 2011, the $ 50 bill began circulation on March 26, 2012, the $ 20 denomination began circulation on November 7, 2012, and

14017-499: The nucleus around which Vancouver formed. The mill's central role in the city waned after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 1880s. It nevertheless remained important to the local economy until it closed in the 1920s. The settlement, which came to be called Gastown , proliferated around the original makeshift tavern established by Gassy Jack in 1867 on the edge of the Hastings Mill property. In 1870,

14148-427: The owner of the physical transmission infrastructure and rights of way. The Generation and Distribution of the BC electrical system remained under the ownership of BC Hydro. Michael Costello was the first BCTC CEO from 2003 to 2005. Jane Peverett was BCTC's president and CEO from 2005 to 2009. Janet Woodruff was BCTC's interim CEO from 2009 to 2010. In 2004, BCTC adopted an Open Access Transmission Tariff following

14279-682: The population of the enlarged Vancouver was 228,193. Located on the Burrard Peninsula , Vancouver lies between Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River to the south. The Strait of Georgia , to the west, is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island . The city has an area of 115.18 km (44.47 sq mi), including both flat and hilly ground and is in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC−8) and

14410-458: The province's goal of energy self-sufficiency. BCTC then supported BC Hydro in 2008 in the issuing of a Clean Power Call for attracting additional IPP generation resources. In response to the Northeast blackout of 2003 , utilities in North America worked towards enacting regulation of utilities to prevent future blackouts. British Columbia made this regulatory change in 2009 through a change to

14541-626: The province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The Metro Vancouver area had a population of 2.6   million in 2021, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in Canada . Greater Vancouver, along with the Fraser Valley , comprises the Lower Mainland with a regional population of over 3   million. Vancouver has the highest population density in Canada, with over 5,700 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,000/sq mi), and

14672-409: The public and the visually unappealing ones were melted. In 1920, the size of the 1¢ was reduced and the silver fineness of the 5¢, 10¢, 25¢ and 50¢ coins was reduced to 0.800 silver/.200 copper. This composition was maintained for the 10¢, 25¢ and 50¢ piece through 1966, but the debasement of the 5¢ piece continued in 1922 with the silver 5¢ being entirely replaced by a larger nickel coin. In 1942, as

14803-631: The replacement of aging 138kV AC submarine cables across the Strait of Georgia and Trincomali Channel with new 230 kV AC cables, as well as the replacement of the overhead sections of the route between Arnott Substation in Delta and Vancouver Island Terminal near Duncan , and the associated voltage conversions. The project is notable due to the extensive public opposition to BC Hydro using it's existing Rights of Way in Delta and on Saltspring Island. Opposition

14934-583: The requirements of the OATT post-separation. The transmission network continues to be publicly owned, with the Government of BC remaining as the sole shareholder of the transmission network. BCTC managed and operated all of BC Hydro's transmission network, including over 300 substations and 18,000 km of transmission lines throughout British Columbia, at voltages from 69 kV to 500 kV . BCTC had over 350 employees, most of which were located at its headquarters in

15065-456: The retailers should evaluate the impact of that approach. In the case that no mutually acceptable form of payment can be found for the tender, the parties involved should seek legal advice. Canadian dollars, especially coins, are accepted by some businesses in the northernmost cities of the United States and in many Canadian snowbird enclaves, just as U.S. dollars are accepted by some Canadian businesses. In 2012, Iceland considered adopting

15196-610: The reverse is a shield with the arms of the Dominion of Canada. Gold from the Klondike River valley in the Yukon accounts for much of the gold in the coins. Two years into the coin's production World War I began and production of the coins stopped in favour of tighter control over Canadian gold reserves. Most of the 1914 coins produced never reached circulation at the time and some were stored for more than 75 years until being sold off in 2012. The high quality specimens were sold to

15327-415: The slang term " buck " for a former paper dollar. The Canadian origin of this term derives from a coin struck by the Hudson's Bay Company during the 17th century with a value equal to the pelt of a male beaver  – a "buck". Because of the appearance of the common loon on the back of the $ 1 coin that replaced the dollar bill in 1987, the word loonie was adopted in Canadian parlance to distinguish

15458-573: The sole issuer of all federal notes. In 1935, it issued its first series of notes in denominations of $ 1, $ 2, $ 5, $ 10, $ 20, $ 25, $ 50, $ 100, $ 500 and $ 1000. The $ 25 note was a commemorative issue, released to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V . In 1944, the chartered banks were prohibited from issuing their own currency, with the Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal among the last to issue notes. Significant design changes to

15589-465: The southern slopes of False Creek and English Bay, especially around Jericho Beach . The forest in Stanley Park was logged between the 1860s and 1880s, and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can still be seen there. Many plants and trees growing throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland were imported from other parts of the continent and points across

15720-523: The total population of Vancouver. Of the total immigrant population, the top countries of origin were mainland China (63,275 persons or 23.1%), Philippines (29,930 persons or 10.9%), Hong Kong (25,480 persons or 9.3%), India (14,640 persons or 5.3%), United Kingdom (12,895 persons or 4.7%), Vietnam (12,120 persons or 4.4%), Taiwan (9,870 persons or 3.6%), United States of America (9,790 persons or 3.6%), Iran (8,775 persons or 3.2%), and South Korea (6,495 persons or 2.4%). Pan-ethnic breakdown of Vancouver from

15851-426: The war years between 1939 and 1945. In 1967 both 0.800 silver/0.200 copper and, later that year, 0.500 silver/.500 copper 10¢ and 25¢ coins were issued. 1968 saw further debasement: the 0.500 fine silver dimes and quarters were completely replaced by nickel ones mid-year. All 1968 50¢ and $ 1 coins were reduced in size and coined only in pure nickel. Thus, 1968 marked the last year in which any circulating silver coinage

15982-408: The war, these Japanese-Canadian men and women were not allowed to return to cities like Vancouver causing areas, like the aforementioned Japantown , to cease to be ethnically Japanese areas as the communities never revived. Amalgamation with Point Grey and South Vancouver gave the city its final boundaries not long before it became the third-largest metropolis in the country. As of January 1, 1929,

16113-525: The withdrawal of halfpenny coins, the nickname sou began to be used for the 1¢ coin , but the idiom trente sous for 25¢ endured. Coins are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint 's facilities in Winnipeg , Manitoba , and Ottawa , Ontario , in denominations of 5¢ ( nickel ), 10¢ ( dime ), 25¢ ( quarter ), 50¢ ( 50¢ piece ) (though the 50¢ piece is no longer distributed to banks and

16244-628: Was among the inducements for British Columbia to join the Confederation in 1871, but the Pacific Scandal and arguments over the use of Chinese labour delayed construction until the 1880s. The City of Vancouver was incorporated on April 6, 1886, the same year that the first transcontinental train arrived. CPR president William Van Horne arrived in Port Moody to establish the CPR terminus recommended by Henry John Cambie and gave

16375-650: Was created in 1792 on the basis of the average weight of a selection of worn Spanish dollars. As such, the Spanish dollar was worth slightly more than the U.S. dollar, and likewise, the Newfoundland dollar , until 1895, was worth slightly more than the Canadian dollar. The Colony of British Columbia adopted the British Columbia dollar as its currency in 1865, at par with the Canadian dollar. When British Columbia joined Canada as its sixth province in 1871,

16506-420: Was hoping to attain increased independence of transmission, and the development of regional transmission organizations. BCTC was created to help foster and encourage new sources of power generation across the province of BC from Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and allow independent use of BC's transmission system. BCTC's role was to plan, operate, and maintain the transmission system, while BC Hydro remained

16637-412: Was introduced with the gold sovereign being legal tender at £1 = US$ 4.86 + 2 ⁄ 3 . No coinage was provided for under the 1853 act. Sterling coinage was made legal tender and all other silver coins were demonetized. The British government in principle allowed for a decimal coinage but nevertheless held out the hope that a sterling unit would be chosen under the name of "royal". However, in 1857,

16768-438: Was issued in Canada. In 1982, the 1¢ coin was changed to dodecagonal, and the 5¢ was further debased to a cupro-nickel alloy. In 1987 a $ 1 coin struck in aureate-plated nickel was introduced. A bimetallic $ 2 coin followed in 1996. In 1997, copper-plated zinc replaced bronze in the 1¢, and it returned to a round shape. This was followed, in 2000, by the introduction of even cheaper plated-steel 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢ and 50¢ coins, with

16899-497: Was sent to investigate damages claims resulting from a riot when the Asiatic Exclusion League led a rampage through Chinatown and Japantown . Two of the claimants were opium manufacturers, and after further investigation, King found that white women were reportedly frequenting opium dens as well as Chinese men. A federal law banning the manufacture, sale, and importation of opium for non-medicinal purposes

17030-420: Was so intense that Government of BC instructed BCTC and BC Hydro to offer to purchase the properties of the opposing landowners in Delta. After the project BC Hydro then sold the properties to new owners (once the new lines had been installed). BC Hydro's legacy control centres (one system control center on Burnaby Mountain , and four regional control centres at locations around the province) were constructed in

17161-533: Was soon passed based on these revelations. These riots, and the formation of the Asiatic Exclusion League, also act as signs of a growing fear and mistrust towards the Japanese living in Vancouver and throughout BC. These fears were exacerbated by the attack on Pearl Harbor leading to the eventual internment or deportation of all Japanese-Canadians living in the city and the province. After

#463536