The city of Vancouver is a major coastal and seaport city situated in southwestern BC, and is part of the Lower Mainland. The word Vancouver was taken from the sea captain, Captain George Vancouver, who was a British explorer.
The city of Vancouver is home to numerous performing arts organizations consisting of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, that has programs like Tea and Trumpets, Kids Koncerts, Pops and different masterworks series. There are many works and series to satisfy novice concertgoers to classical music lovers. The Arts Club Theatre Company offers theatre productions, specifically 10 to 14 musicals, new work, comedies, and classics. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival is held on Vanier Park starting from June to September. There are free fireworks, lecture series, and Arias and Operas programs. The Vancouver International Fringe Festival is held each and every month of September, and for twenty five years have done five hundred alternative performances. The Vancouver International Festival is the largest film event in North America. TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival takes pride in its "10 days, 1,300 global musicians and 400 concerts." PUSH International Performing Arts Festival provides theatre, visionary music, dance and hybrid performances. The Vancouver Opera is the 2nd largest opera company which provides new productions and conventional opera favorites. The Full Circle: First Nations Performance Talking Stick Festival offers music, theatre, dance, performance, and visual arts of the international, local and national Aboriginal artists. Vancouver Folk Music Festival brings grassroots artists to Jericho Beach.
The BC Lions of the Canadian Football League has their home here in the city of Vancouver, playing their home games at BC Place Stadium. Each and every season, there are 9 Canadian teams which start competing from June to November to battle for the Grey Cup. Canadian football is also played with three downs on a longer and wider field compared to American football. Vancouver's favorite Hockey team is the Vancouver Canucks. Their home games are played at the GM Place. The Nat Bailey Stadium hosts the Vancouver Canadians Professional Baseball Club.
Vancouver is amongst Canada's largest industrial centers due to its location on the Pacific Rim at the western terminus of Canada's transcontinental rail and highway routes. The Port of Vancouver is Canada's biggest and most diversified trading locations. Vancouver city is even the head office of forest and mining products businesses. Recent years have shown the city slowly making an influence within the software development, film trade, and biotechnology trade.