Canada Place - The Ship with Sails

A stop on Vancouver Cruise Day Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Look up at the white fabric roofs shaped like sails and you'll see why Canada Place became Vancouver's waterfront symbol. The building juts into Burrard Inlet like a ship, and for many visitors it's the first thing they see of the city.

It opened on May 2, 1986, as Canada's pavilion at Expo 86, the world's fair that put Vancouver on the global map. Over five million people visited the pavilion that summer. Afterwards it became the city's main cruise terminal, the departure point for most Alaska cruises, along with a convention centre, the Pan Pacific hotel and a flight-simulation ride called FlyOver Canada.

Before you set off, note the snow-capped North Shore Mountains across the water and the floatplanes landing in the harbour to your left. And check your watch: write down your ship's all-aboard time and plan to be back here at least an hour before it.

Getting here: Start on the promenade at the front of Canada Place, beside the cruise terminal entrance.

Did you know?: Every day at noon, horns on the roof of the Pan Pacific hotel sound the first four notes of O Canada loud enough to be heard across downtown.

Photo op: Walk out along the west promenade and frame the sails with the North Shore Mountains behind them.

Nearby: Restrooms, cafes and shops inside Canada Place and the cruise terminal.

More on Wikipedia: Canada Place · Expo 86 · Burrard Inlet

Canada Place - The Ship with Sails

Stops on this tour