Powerhouse Paradise
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Metro Vancouver Commerce

Suite 1620 - 1075 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC V6E3C9
Toll free: 1-866-632-9668
Fax: 604-632-9788

Why Metro Vancouver

As the main western terminus of Canada's transcontinental highway and rail routes, Metro Vancouver is North America's gateway for Asia-Pacific trade, the leading city in western Canada and one of the nation's largest industrial centres. The natural splendour of its setting, framed by mountains and clear blue ocean make it one the most beautiful cities in the world.

TopStrong Economy

Metro Vancouver's strong economy is attracting investment from companies around the world. The region's roots were founded around resource sectors like mining, fishing and forestry, but have now expanded into technology- based industries, film and television and tourism. With the influx of new residents, construction and real estate are also booming.

  • Third largest city in Canada
  • Business-friendly immigration policies fueling growing labour force
  • Business costs competitive with other Pacific west coast cities
  • Host of the 2010 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games

TopSuperior Gateway

Metro Vancouver is an established distribution gateway to North American and Asian markets with major ports, rail and one of the world's top five airports. It is the third-largest port for foreign container traffic on the West Coast, and the closest major port to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, trading more than $43 billion in goods with more than 90 trading economies annually.

  • Advantageous time zone, midway between Europe and Asia
  • Major integration of air, ocean, road and rail access
  • 2nd busiest international airport in Canada, 2nd in North America for Asian carriers
  • Largest all weather deep water port on the West Coast, served by 3 Class 1 intercontinental railways
  • Additional intermodal port

TopGovernment Incentives

As well as the province's welcoming fiscal and regulatory climate, each area of Metro Vancouver has it own business development initiatives designed to encourage investment and fast track permits and business processes. Each has the infrastructure and dedicated manpower to encourage and enable new business to succeed.

  • Provincial tax credits, exemptions and deductions to encourage business investment
  • Property tax exemptions; tax credits for R&D investments; no payroll taxes
  • Under (NAFTA) duty-free access to markets in the United States and Mexico
  • Available federal government incentives mirror provincial credits
  • Specific incentives in each area of Metro Vancouver

TopIndustry Diversity

From high tech to entertainment, green products to health sciences, Metro Vancouver has a broad range of industry sectors. Nokia, Honeywell, IBM, Broadcom, Intel, Raytheon, PMC Sierra and Epson all have product development centers in the region.

  • ITC: wireless communications; e-business software; IP network technologies; semiconductor design
  • Life sciences: molecular therapeutics; genomics; diagnostics & imaging
  • Film and television: North America's third-largest production center
  • New media: electronic games; distributed learning; digital animation & special effects
  • Tourism
  • Advanced manufacturing: aerospace; automation systems; process engineering
  • Clean fuel technologies: fuel cells; clean diesel systems
  • Transportation and logistics
  • Real estate development, construction

TopSmart People

The number of people with post-secondary education has been continuously increasing since 1990. Metro Vancouver's Composite Learning Index is higher than the Canadian average and library usage is among the highest in the country. Sports, arts and cultural activities are richly diverse and well supported.

  • 57% of workforce has post secondary education, 27% with a university degree (2006 census)
  • Over 65,000 students in universities and technical schools
  • 10 post secondary institutions, producing over 29,000 graduates annually
  • Steady supply of highly trained workers and expertise for engineering, manufacturing and R&D
  • Largest workforce in BC, population growing annually by 30,000; 1.5 million jobs estimated by 2031
  • Immigration promotes cultural diversity; 42% proficient in another language (2006 census)
  • Support and spending for arts and cultural activities 18% higher than Canadian average

TopSuperb Lifestyle

Spectacular scenery. Welcoming, multi-cultural communities. Well-developed social infrastructure and amenities. Low taxes. Government funded health care. These unique social and natural amenities, combined with high living standards, attract talented people from all over the world and make Metro Vancouver North America's most livable and desirable place to be.

  • World's most livable city region (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008)
  • North America's top rated city region for quality of life, third in the world (Mercer Report, 2006)
  • Gentle temperate climate; 1,928 hours of sunshine annually
  • Nearly 200,000 hectares protected as green zone, including parks and habitats
  • Beaches, parks, three ski mountains, sailing, community sports complexes
  • Regional long term sustainability strategy protects current and future quality of life
  • Social stability and low crime rates create a safe and secure living environment
  • Health and education are top priorities; the province has Canada's highest overall education levels and highest life expectancy