Greater Vancouver Area
| Metro Vancouver | |
|---|---|
| Regional district & Metropolitan area | |
| Greater Vancouver Regional District | |
Downtown Vancouver from the southern side of False Creek
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| Coordinates: 49°14′58″N 122°58′47″W / 49.24944°N 122.97972°WCoordinates: 49°14′58″N 122°58′47″W / 49.24944°N 122.97972°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 British Columbia
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| Head office location | Burnaby |
| Most populous city | Vancouver |
| Established | 1967 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Regional district |
| • Chair | Greg Moore |
| • Chief Administrative Officer and Commissioner | Carol Mason |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,877.36 km2 (1,110.95 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 0-1,990 m (0-6,519 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 2,463,700 |
| • Density | 856.2/km2 (2,218/sq mi) |
| Canadian CD rank: 2nd | |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Area code(s) | 604 / 778 / 236 |
| Website | Metro Vancouver |
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Metro Vancouver is a political body and corporate entity designated by provincial legislation as one of the regional districts in British Columbia, Canada. The organization was formerly known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), and that name is still the official name and remains in common colloquial use, especially in the abbreviated form. Metro Vancouver is under the direction of 23 local authorities; it delivers regional services, sets policy and acts as a political forum. The region's most populous city is Vancouver, and Metro Vancouver's administrative offices are located in the City of Burnaby.
The term "Metro Vancouver" can also be used to refer to the geographic territory approximately equivalent to the territory under the authority of the organization Metro Vancouver. It is increasingly favoured over the term "Greater Vancouver". Both terms generally imply reference only to the urban and suburban areas of the region; wilderness and outlying rural regions within the regional district are generally excluded. Statistics Canada defines the Vancouver CMA (census metropolitan area) as having perfectly coterminal boundaries with the Metro Vancouver regional district.
Other political geographic regions parallel to the regional district are the Lower Mainland region of the Ministry of Environment, the Chilliwack Forest District, the New Westminster Land District, and the Fraser Health Authority. Schools are not subject to local or regional district governance and are administered via the school districts system.
This regional district comprises 23 local authorities as members: 21 municipalities, one electoral area and one treaty First Nation. This includes 13 of the province's 30 most populous municipalities. The official land area of the district is 2,877.36 square kilometres (1,111 sq mi), making it the third largest metropolitan area in Canada. It is the most densely populated regional district in British Columbia.
Note: Abbotsford is a member for parks purposes only.
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Wikipedia