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PAGE
INDEX : Housing
and Zoning
| Shopping,
Dining and Entertainment
| Parks
and Recreation | Transportation
| Education
| Other Web Sites
Bounded on
two sides by water, the district of West Vancouver stretches along
28 kilometres of shoreline and up the lower slopes of Hollyburn
Mountain, between Capilano River valley and Horseshoe Bay. This
area of outstanding natural beauty has the highest income in Canada
and a low crime rate. Its residents are strongly committed to maintaining
the high quality of life and the charm of the municipality.
For the structure
of population and other community statistics visit the
BC
Stats Web site .
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Housing
and Zoning
West Vancouver
is a residential area with no industrial zoning. Most of the housing
stock consists of single family homes a choice of old summer cottages,
modest homes and multimillion-dollar waterfront estates. If you
are looking for a house of outstanding architectural quality with
breathtaking views, West Vancouver is a perfect place to start.
Multifamily
developments are relatively scarce but there is an intention to
provide a wide range of housing types and sizes. High rise apartment
buildings are located along the eastern beachfront.
The municipality
is taking care that new development continues to enhance the park-like
environment with a well-balanced housing density and limited tree
cutting. All land above the 1,200-foot elevation is preserved for
recreational purposes.
House prices
are the highest in the region. For current house prices see our
Market Tracker
.
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Shopping,
Dining and Entertainment
Park Royal
is one of the largest shopping malls in the region with one million
square feet of retail and office space.
Ambleside and
nearby Dundarave are the liveliest retail sections of West Vancouver.
Connected with a 15-block long seawall only a block from the waterfront,
these two centres feature hundreds of shops, galleries, excellent
restaurants, and all kinds of services.
Caulfield Centre,
servicing affluent new developments in the area, features one of
a kind stores and services.
Horseshoe Bay's
commercial centre abounds with restaurants and other tourist and
traveler related amenities.
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Parks
and Recreation
West Vancouver
has over 2,500 hectares of parkland.
The area is
noted for excellent salmon fishing and contains many popular spots
for boating, swimming, and scuba diving. There are excellent marina
facilities and numerous waterfront parks attracting visitors from
the entire region.
Cypress Provincial
Park offers day and night downhill skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing,
hiking and cross-country skiing along with fabulous views of Vancouver.
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Transportation
The picturesque
Lion's Gate Bridge connects West Vancouver to Downtown Vancouver.
The district has its own beloved "Blue Bus", the first public transit
system in Canada to be totally wheelchair-accessible. It connects
various parts of the district with Vancouver and with buses driving
to other cities.
The Upper Levels
Highway, part of the Trans Canada Highway, traverses the area from
east to west providing fast road access to other parts of the region.
Horseshoe Bay
at the northwest edge of the district is a major terminus for the
provincial ferry system. It services Nanaimo (on Vancouver Island),
Bowen Island, and the nearby Sunshine Coast.
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Education
West Vancouver
public and private schools have an excellent reputation.
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Other
Web Sites
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