In the 1870s, Vancouver was originally known as a small sawmilling settlement called “Granville.”  In 1886 it was renamed to Vancouver. It is a city that not only defines Western Canada but has now become one of the most internationally renowned metropolitan regions for its impressive and artistic landscape. It is charmed with dozens of towering mountain ranges (known as the “North Shore Mountains”) that overlook the entire Lower Mainland. The city has attracted people from across the province, the country and even the world to now call it “home” – bolstering the city as one of the Top 10 Most Livable Cities on Earth, as per a Business Insider article.  The study, conducted by Global Liveability Index, measured five main factors between all the major cities in the world and ranked Vancouver sixth overall. 

Stability: 95/100

Healthcare: 100/100

Culture and Environment: 100/100

Education: 100/100

Infrastructure: 92.9/100
Overall: 97.3/100


With the population now just over 610,000 in the main metropolis and over 2.5 million in the region, according to World Population Review, Vancouver is renowned internationally as a city for hiking, skiing/snowboarding, boating, nightlife, movies/acting, and entrepreneurship. In this months’ newsletter, we’re going to take a look at what makes Vancouver a Top 10 rated city in the world. 

Hiking

Vancouver is enriched with multiple mountain ranges to explore, but most notably, the Grouse area attracts the most people. The area consists of five mountains (Mount Fromme, Grouse Mountain, Dam Mountain, Goat Mountain and Crown Mountain) and come spring/summertime it’s buzzing with avid hikers, mountain bikers, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world. The infamous 2.9-kilometre “Grouse Grind” challenge allows people to hike the mountain and time themselves with the grind timer. Have what it takes? The course record for men is 25:01 (set in 2010) held by Sebastian Salas and 30:02 (set in 2018) for women held by Madison Sands.  To prove its popularity, the Grouse Grind was the #1 most “Instagrammed” hike in Vancouver this year, as per Happiest Outdoors.

Skiing

Vancouver is nestled in the midst of 3 prominent ski/snowboard mountains. With the weather getting cooler each day, shredding season isn’t far away, as per local snow reports for Mount Seymour, Cypress Mountain, and Grouse Mountain. The best part is that if you’re an urbanite looking to escape, Whistler is a quick drive up the Sea to Sky highway. Vancouver is on the way to Whistler; one of the world’s most popular ski destinations!

Education

The urban and multicultural school system in Greater Vancouver is one of the best in the world, according to the report. With over 50,000 students enrolled from kindergarten to grade twelve, 2,000 adults enrolled in adult education, and over 185,000 in post-secondary education – the city has become a national/international hub for learning.

Real Estate

The buying market was off to a slow start to kick off 2019, but home sales picked up significantly over the summer months by 15.7%, compared to the same time last year. Coming into October, the market seems to be heating up once more as sales from September 27 to October 3 rose fifty percent after taking a bit of a dip in the latter half of September, as per a report by Zolo.  Not surprising to see the increase as the Greater Vancouver area has always been a popular destination due to the “warmer” climate.   

Upcoming North Shore Events

Being “Halloween” season, there are lots of things to do in this beautiful city of ours.

  1. 1Whittall Real Estate Pumpkin Patch

(Oct 24 – 2:30pm to 5:00pm) Pick your pumpkin, enjoy coffee/hot chocolate, and participate in games at our annual pumpkin patch at Gleneagles Elementary School on October 24. Pumpkin prices are by donation (Minimum $5 donation), and if you are unable to make it to the event, we will personally deliver your pumpkin to your doorstep! We were able to raise $1,800 in 2018, and we’re looking to exceed that dollar amount this year. All proceeds will go to Gleneagles PAC!

  1. Edgemont Haunt

(October 11 – October 31) Now in its third year running – the haunted house display started on October 11 and will run until Halloween Day. The haunted North Shore spectacle will be full of ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and an eight-foot-tall caged werewolf with the theme of “True North Terror.” All proceeds will benefit the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. The family-friendly event will take place at 3414 Emerald Drive, North Vancouver.

  1. Resin Moons Workshop

(October 30, 2019) Create your own customized moon from resin, acrylic, and wood with Tamryn, from Cold Moons. The workshop will teach you how to use resin, how to mix colours of acrylic paint and you’ll have a moon made by you! Light refreshments will be provided.

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving long weekend and were able to spend it with family/loved ones and took a moment to reflect and be thankful; we definitely took a moment to do so.

Keep up-to-date with all of our news on Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter.
Happy October!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Shore_Mountains#Mountains

http://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities/vancouver-population/

https://www.businessinsider.com/most-livable-cities-in-the-world-2018-8#t8-toronto-canada-4

https://happiestoutdoors.ca/most-instagrammed-hikes-vancouver

/http://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability

https://www.zolo.ca/vancouver-real-estate/trends

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