Vancouver has a strong economy right now, powered by its perfect location along the Pacific Ocean and by the coming Winter Olympics in 2010. Some of the largest sectors of the economy are tourism, timber and mining, film and television production, technology, finance, and international trade. All the major Canadian Banks are either headquartered or have large branches within Vancouver.

All of the parks and mountains in the area make Vancouver a great scenic destination, which is one of the main reasons tourists come year after year.  One of the prime attractions is nearby Whistler Mountain, which is consistently ranked as the number one ski and snowboard area in North America.  It’s going to be one of the locations for the Winter Olympics in 2010, which will only increase the influx of visitors to the city.

Vancouver is home to some of the biggest timber and mining companies in the world.  The city ships out much of the sulfur mined throughout Canada. The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and one of the top in the world in terms of total foreign exports and cargo volume.  The port alone is responsible for about 70,000 jobs in the city.  Vancouver International Airport also acts as a major trade hub, acting as the closest link to Asia.

Vancouver is the center of Canada’s film industry, and ranks behind only Los Angeles and New York in terms of the amount of production that’s done here.  It also is home to a large group of video game developers and companies working on emerging technologies, like fuel cells.

Vancouver’s place as a major economic center in Canada comes with a price, mainly the highest housing costs in the country.  An average two story home in Vancouver sells for C$800,000; more than double anywhere else in the country.  The city constantly has construction projects as developers work to build new condominiums to house residents.