Vancouver residents are already well aware that their city is source of pride. After all, Vancouver has been voted one of the top places to live numerous times, including a world wide survey taken in 2007 which ranked Vancouver 3rd out of 215 cities. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of visiting this verdant metropolitan capital, do yourself a favor and put in on your to-do list, if only for a weekend. While our neighbors to the south may suffer from delusions that all Canadians live in igloos or commute to work by dog sled, those who are in the know relish in the exquisite natural surroundings, rich cultural heritage, and delicious international cuisine.

Many of those who have gotten to know Vancouver have done so through conventions held at our beautiful Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre (VCEC). Located right on the water with a beautiful view of the harbor and conveniently situated in the heart of downtown, the VCEC offers visitors more than just a typical convention experience. In fact, about one-third of convention delegates enjoy themselves so much that they end up traveling to other parts of the province as part of their stay.

Opened on July 4, 1987, the existing Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre got its start as the Canada Pavilion during Expo 86. According to the VCEC website, “Within 10 years, the convention centre was at capacity with an obvious need for additional space, particularly as Vancouver became known as one of North America ’s leading meeting and convention destinations.” That’s why the PavCo. partnership has decided to build a new convention centre as an extension of the existing waterfront location. The 1.1 million sq. ft. project will triple the convention centre’s existing capacity and help generate an additional $107 million annually in delegate spending. On average, a delegate will spend about $350 per day during their visit to Vancouver, injecting national and international capital into our local economy. In 2010, the VCEC will also be home of the 2010 Olympic Games media and broadcast centres.

One of the most exciting and unique features of the convention centre aside from the spectacular floor-to-ceiling glass, is a six-acre living roof, one of the largest of its kind in the world. “The convention centre expansion not only breaks new ground in terms of design, it will also be a showcase for sustainability with such things as the living roof,” said Olga Ilich, Minister of Tourism, Sport and the Arts and minister responsible for the expansion of the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre. “It is all the more gratifying when a BC firm demonstrates the ability to provide the expertise and creativity required for leading edge projects like this.” The sustainable design of the living roof includes drainage and water recovery systems that will collect rainwater to irrigate the nearly 400,000 native plants and wild grasses that will create a downtown “urban oasis.” With sustainability making the transformation from noble ideal to marketable reality, it is no wonder that businesses, governments and individual citizens are demanding more environmentally-geared projects- especially those financed with public funding.

The new California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco opened in late September 2008 with a similarly green aspirations- a living roof covering almost 2 acres. It is precisely the addition of such a unique environmental feature that has begun to draw a different kind of crowd. The wait to get into the museum on their monthly “free day” in late December was over 2 hours long.

The Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre will be adding 335,000 square feet of function space to the existing 133,000 square feet, for a combined total of 468,000 square feet of meeting, exhibition, ballroom and theatre space. In addition to the employment opportunities created during construction, the project will generate more than 7,500 direct and indirect full-time jobs once it is opened in 2009. With additional public amenities including more accessible outdoor and plaza space, retail space and restaurants one can only assume that this long-awaited expansion will be a source of pride for Vancouverites as well as a source of joy and inspiration for those who have the privilege to visit.

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