English Bay
English Bay ( German English Bay ) is a bay in front of the Canadian city of Vancouver . It is located just west of downtown and is part of the Strait of Georgia . To the northeast it is continued by Burrard Inlet and to the southeast by False Creek .
The bay, as well as the nearby Spanish Bank , was named in memory of the meeting of the English expedition under George Vancouver with the Spanish expedition under Dionisio Alcalá Galiano and Cayetano Valdés y Flores in 1792.
English Bay Beach , just off the West End, is the most popular beach near the city center. Other beaches on the east bank are Sunset Beach , Second Beach, and Third Beach . The beaches Kitsilano Beach , Jericho Beach , Spanish Bank and Locarno Beach are located on the south bank .
English Bay is the venue for numerous cultural events. The Celebration of Light is a world-famous fireworks competition that takes place every summer for two weeks (usually the last week of July and the first week of August). It is the largest fireworks event in the world. The Polar Bear Swim takes place on New Year's Day (hundreds of swimmers plunge into the cold waters), and in summer the Gay Pride Parade.
Large cargo ships often anchor in the bay and wait for a passage into Burrard Inlet, where the port facilities of the port of Vancouver are located.
The legal status of the bay has not yet been clarified, as it is still claimed as part of the traditional Squamish area.
The logo of the 2010 Winter Olympics, designed in 2005, depicts an Inuksuk and bears the name Ilaanaq (Inuktitut for "friend"). A similar Inuksuk has been on English Bay Beach since Expo 86 .
Picture gallery
Web links
- English Bay . In: BC Geographical Names (English)
- English Bay Beach
- Polar Bear Swim
Individual evidence
- ^ Andrew Scott: The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names: A Complete Reference to Coastal British Columbia . Harbor Publishing, Madeira Park, BC 2009, ISBN 978-1-55017-484-7 , pp. 185 (English).
Coordinates: 49 ° 17 ′ 0 ″ N , 123 ° 9 ′ 15 ″ W.