Located in Vancouver’s business district, the Financial District is the home to many office buildings and the headquarters of mining and forest product businesses. The area is also home to offices of different non-for-profit organizations and federal agencies, consulates and overseas missions as well as top end hotels, law firms, accounting and financial companies, international and domestic financial institutions, and more.
History
The Bank of Montreal and the Bank of British Columbia were the first Canadian institutions to open doors in the district in 1888. Their offices were located downtown on Hastings Street. Two decades later, the district was already a major financial district stretching between Cambie and Hornby. Many of the buildings here are constructed in a style known as the temple bank style. It is the symbol of prosperity, solidity, and strength and originated in eastern North America.
Major buildings that were constructed in the early 1900s include the Morris J. Work Centre for Dialogue, Royal Bank Building, Birks Building, and others. Some were constructed in the temple bank style while others in the Italian Renaissance and Neo-Classical style.
Major Buildings
Today, there are hundreds of buildings in the Vancouver Financial District, including skyscrapers and major office buildings. Examples include the Scotia Tower, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Hyatt Regency Vancouver, One Wall Centre, and Harbour Centre, among others. The Harbour Centre, for example, is a skyscraper and one of the tallest buildings in the city. The building consists of 28 storeys and features glass elevators. Park Place is also a skyscraper located in the Financial District and one of the tallest in Vancouver. Built in 1984, Park Place has 35 storeys and features an amphitheater, water facilities, and a green space. The façade of the building is made using pink granite which beautifully matches the copper-glazed buildings. Tenants worth mentioning include the Consulate General of Brazil, Finning International, RBC Capital Markets, PI Financial, and others. The Pacific Centre is also located here and is the home to major stores and chains such as Nordstrom, H&M, Harry Rosen, Holt Renfrew, and many others. In fact, this is the largest mall in central Vancouver, conveniently located to public transport and major buildings, including the Four Seasons Hotel, 2 SkyTrain stations, the Vancouver Centre Mall as well as Hudson’s Bay. Other notable buildings in the district include the Electra Building, Bentall Centre, Cathedral Place, Fairmont Pacific Rim, and many others.
Burnard and Georgia Street, Buildings and Landmarks
Burrard Street is a major street that passes through the Financial District and is the major thoroughfare of downtown Vancouver. A number of key buildings are located here, including the St. Paul’s Hospital, the Marine Building, the Electra Building, and others. The area is served by the metropolitan rail SkyTrain situated right at the intersection of Dunsmuir and Melville St. Georgia St is also a major thoroughfare lined with key buildings and landmarks such as the Canada Post Headquarters, Vancouver Art Gallery, and Living Shangri-La, which is the city’s tallest building.
Landmarks in the area include the magnificent Law Courts Building, Christ Church Cathedral, Sinclair Centre, and others. Other landmarks in downtown Vancouver are the Victory Square Cenotaph and the Vancouver Lookout which offers a magnificent view of the city.
Neighborhoods
Downtown Vancouver is more of an area for clubbing, leisure, and work, boosting a vibrant night life. Housing is limited to high rises, but there are accommodations for people with a very low income, as well as mid-range and top-end hotels. You will find a few hostels as well.
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