That thicket of highrises, convention centres, corporate getaways and tourist meccas stretching from the metropolis of Vancouver to the lower Sunshine Coast is about to get thicker, higher and busier with an eclectic assortment of new ventures cropping up.
The Parq, a $600 million “urban resort” with two hotels, five restaurants, three bars and lounges, a spa and fitness gym, 62,000 square feet of conference space and a casino, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2017 next to BC Place.
The development will feature a 30-square-foot elevated park, gaming which has made it controversial and the largest ballroom in Vancouver.
The $360 million Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver opened on Georgia Street late in 2016. Designed by the late Vancouver architect Arthur Erickson, the 63-storey structure is the second-tallest in Vancouver.
The mega-developments are evidence that Vancouver is rising further from its West Coast regionalism to become a behemoth on the international stage.
Preening on the Vancouver waterfront with the North Shore mountains in the background, the Vancouver Convention Centre shines in its super natural surroundings. It fittingly boasts the largest living roof in Canada – 600 acres of indigenous plants and grasses and even a few beehives for good measure.
Then there are other little gems tucked into the West Coast’s landscape that are a beacon for corporate gatherings. There are too many to mention, but here is a sampling.
Located in Deer Lake Park, Burnaby Village Museum with a quaint 1920s-style ice cream parlour, carousel pavilion, theatres and grassy meadow, can accommodate 20 to 2,000 for corporate meetings, dinners and cocktail parties.
Or head up Cypress Mountain where the new Cypress Creek Lodge has banquet and corporate meeting space that can accommodate up to 312 people.
Or find tranquillity right in the bustle of downtown Vancouver at the serene Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, which has two indoor halls for meetings, dinners and presentations. For a breather, guests can step outside into a classical Chinese garden.
While the Lower Mainland has much to offer, the lower Sunshine Coast on Vancouver’s doorstep is buffing up its image.
The twisting Trump International Hotel & Tower Vancouver opened late in 2016, promising to set a new standard for meeting facilities and service in downtown Vancouver | Submitted
One of the biggest developments is the George, with construction set to start sometime in fall 2016 in one of B.C.’s most famous dockside communities, Gibsons Landing. That name conjures images of the classic TV series The Beachcombers, which was set here.
The waterfront complex will feature two mid-rise towers with a 116-room hotel, a 21,000-square-foot spa, a chapel, a 14,000-square-foot conference centre and around 40 condominiums.
The developer is Klaus Fuerniss, who served as vice-president of Expo 86 and has guided the opening of major facilities like the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Whistler Conference Centre and the RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg. He has lived on the Sunshine Coast for 21 years.
Heather Jeal, media spokesperson for the development, makes it clear the George won’t be competing with the likes of glitzy, urban casinos and mega-towers.
“We’re a whole different niche. The Sunshine Coast doesn’t want to become Vancouver. It’s very accessible but it’s not the same place.”
Artists tend to gravitate to the Sunshine Coast, adding to its funky character.
Jeal expects the George will attract a smaller, more discerning type of conference than its big-city cousins.
Maybe the type with people who like to duck into a sauna between meetings or go whale-watching.
Too tired to head out on a boat? No problem.
“You don’t even have to leave the hotel,” says Jeal. “The whales come cruising right through the channel.”
