Vancouver is Canada's largest port and one of North America's gateways for Pan-Pacific trade. It ranks first in North America in total foreign exports and also first on the West Coast in total cargo volume.
"Hollywood North," as the city has been called, hosts the production of approximately ten percent of Hollywood's movies. Many American television and films series are shot exclusively in Vancouver. This has partly been because of the favorable Canadian Dollar exchange rate.
Tourism is a vital industry to Vancouver. Whistler, BC, 126 kilometres north of Vancouver, is among the most popular skiing resorts in North America, and will be the site of the downhill events in the 2010 Winter Olympics. Grouse Mountain, Mount Seymour, and Cypress Mountain, each with a variety of summer and winter leisure activities, are within 30 km drive of downtown Vancouver and all have bird's-eye views of Vancouver and the surrounding region. The city's numerous beaches, parks, waterfronts, and mountain backdrop, combined with its cultural and multi-ethnic character, all contribute to its unique appeal and style. Over a million people annually pass through Vancouver en route to a cruise-ship vacation, usually to Alaska.
As a major centre for the global forestry industry, Vancouver is host to many international forestry conferences and events, and the natural home of the massive BC forestry business. Companies such as Canfor and West Fraser Timber Co., the second and third largest lumber producers in the world, are headquartered in Vancouver.
Vancouver is also a major centre for the mining industry, with the former Vancouver Stock Exchange (now absorbed into the TSX Venture Exchange) notable as the largest market in the world for venture capital in small to medium sized mining ventures. The highly speculative Vancouver market has sometimes been criticized as too risky and even scam-ridden, which has somewhat tarnished its reputation, though the long term effect on business has been negligible.
The 1986 World Exposition was held in Vancouver.
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