IRT Vancouver, Canada 2008
From CDGWiki
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September 3-5, 2008
Vancouver, Canada
Hosted by Syniverse Technologies
THEME: Evolutionary Services
FINAL AGENDA
[edit] Registration
To register for IRT Vancouver Meeting click
HERE
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Please keep in mind that you must register for this event. Should you not register, your seat at meetings, working groups and social activities will not be guaranteed.
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- To view registration list as of 8-27-08 click HERE
[edit] Hotel Information
- Room rates is $208 Canadian + +, this does not include breakfast.
- Room reservations can be made by calling the hotel directly at 1.888.421.1442 be sure to mention the IRT and Syniverse as our host for the special hotel room block rate or CLICK HERE to check on an existing reservation
- If calling from outside the US or Canada call 1.604.683.1234 or 1.800.233.1234.
- For any special requests or additional needs please contact Carolyn Kilgore.
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Carolyn Kilgore |
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Treat yourself to breathtaking floor-to-ceiling views while relaxing in our inviting downtown Vancouver accommodations. Spacious guestrooms include one king or two double signature Hyatt Grand Beds™, fitted with down duvets over plush pillow top mattresses. Stylish, functional furnishings include a generous work desk with enhanced lighting, a 32-inch wall-mounted LCD television and a safe for valuables. Experience our natural slate bathrooms with Portico bath products or enjoy cable and video on demand and high-speed Internet access. Our Vancouver BC accommodations offer balconies in many rooms for guests to take in stunning mountain, skyline or park scenery.
Amenities
- Natural Slate bathroom
- Iron/ironing board
- Minibar
- 32 inch wall mounted LCD TV
- Video on demand
- Concierge
- Desk with ergo chair
- Hyatt Grand Bed
- In-room safe large enough to store and charge laptop computer
- Morning newspaper
- Rollaways upon request
- Video Checkout
- Wired & Wireless Internet
- Hairdryer
- In-room Dining
- Coffee maker
- Cable/satellite TV
- iHome AM/FM docking station
- Crib upon request
- Down Duvets
- Individual climate control
- Maximum guests per room: 4 guests
- No rollaways in rooms with 2 double beds
- Speakerphone
- Voicemail
[edit] Passports and Visas
Everyone needs a passport to enter Canada. Citizens or permanent residents of the United States can usually cross the border without difficulty. However, visitors should carry identification such as a passport, birth or naturalization certificate, as proof of citizenship may be required. A driver's license is NOT accepted as proof of citizenship.
Some may need a visa depending on what country you are coming from.
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If you need a visa letter please email Carolyn Kilgore with the following information:
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[edit] Canadian Currency
- 1 Canadian dollar = 1.001001 U.S. dollars as of 7/17/08
For more information on Canadian currency
CLICK HERE
[edit] Electric Plugs, Sockets, Voltages and Frequencies
Click HERE
[edit] Airport/ Transportation
Vancouver Airport
To visit the Wiki site for the Vancouver International Airport click HERE
Directions From Vancouver International Airport (10miles/16 kms):
Take Grant McConnachie Way over the Arthur Lang Bridge. Exit Granville Street, proceed north (about 18 km). Turn left at 16th Street. Go down two blocks and turn right on to Burrard Street. Procceed on Burrard and over Burrard Street Bridge to Georgia Street (10 blks). Hyatt Regency Vancouver is on your left.
From Seattle (approx 140 miles/225 kms):
Proceed on I-5 through Peace Arch border crossing. Continue on Highway 99 on Canadian side and follow it for approximately 20 miles/35 kms through the municipalities of Surrey and then Richmond. Highway will turn into Oak Street bridge and then Oak Street. Follow it to 49th Avenue and turn left. Right on Granville Street and then follow instructions as above.
From eastern suburbs:
Exit Highway 1 at 1st Avenue. Hotel is approximately 6 miles/10kms from exit. Follow 1st Avenue which at Clark Drive turns into Terminal Avenue. Follow Terminal Avenue and turn right on to Main Street. Stay on Main Street for 3 blocks and follow signs to downtown Vancouver...exit left on to Dunsmuir Viaduct. Follow Dunsmuir past G.M. Place stadium..stay on Dunsmuir for approximately 10 blocks and then turn left on to Burrard Street. Hotel entrance is one block up on the right.
Transportation in Vancouver
To visit Vancouver's Wiki Transportation site click HERE
Vancouver's road system and traffic are easier to handle than those of many other cities, but there are no freeways within the city, so traffic tends to move more slowly than cities with high-speed road systems.
Unless you plan to travel outside of the downtown core, where most people get around by public transit, on foot or by taxi, you will not need a car.
Canada follows the international metric system. Temperatures, rainfall measures, distance, weights, velocity are expressed in metric units. Distance is measured in kilometres.
Convert kilometres to miles using this website or manually:
To convert from kilometres to miles, simply multiply the kilometers by 0.62.
To convert from miles to kilometres, simply multiply the miles by 1.61.
Fares
The transit system is divided into three zones that include Vancouver as well as surrounding suburbs. Thus, the further you travel the further you need to extend your wallet. The fares are the applicable for the SkyTrain, SeaBus,
and the regular bus itself.
Regular fares are in effect weekdays from the start of the service day to 6:30 pm. During regular hours, the service area is divided into three zones. The fare you pay depends on the number of zones in which you travel.
Discounted fares are in effect weekdays after 6:30 pm to the end of the service day, all day Saturday, Sunday and holidays. During discount hours, zone boundaries do not apply.
One Zone Fare
$ 2.00 Adults
$ 1.50 Concession
Two Zone Fare
$ 3.00 Adults
$ 2.00 Concession
Three Zone Fare
$ 4.00 Adults
$ 3.00 Concession
Off Peak (No Zones)
$ 2.00 Adults
$ 1.50 Concession
Day Pass
Good for one day's unlimited travel. DayPasses with "scratch-off" date selection may be purchased in advance at FareDealer outlets. There is a DayPass ticket machine at the Tsawwassen Ferry terminal. DayPasses are sold at ticket machines at the SeaBus and SkyTrain stations on the
day of travel.
$ 8.00 Adults
$ 6.00 Concession
Here's a tip: Transfers are valid for 90 minutes of travel in any direction. Fare receipts and validated FareSaver tickets also serve as transfers. In essence, a transfer entitles you to as many different transit rides as you want to take during those 90 minutes.
Bus
When boarding the bus, cash fares must be paid in exact change.
Vancouver City has the second largest fleet of transit buses in North America, and they are roughly split between diesel buses and electric trolley buses. The regular service on the busiest routes is every 12 minutes from 5am through the day to 2am and late night 'owl' service on some downtown suburban routes went as late as 4:20am in some areas. Accessible buses and bus stops are identified by the international wheelchair symbol, and the letter L identifies the schedule service in public timetables.
SkyTrain
SkyTrain, a completely automated light rapid transit system, offers fast efficient service between downtown Vancouver and the suburbs. The original "Expo Line" follows a scenic elevated 29 kilometre (18 mile) route with 20 stations along the way. A second 20 kilometre (13 mile) route, known as the "Millennium Line" (a 1.2 billion dollar expansion of the skytrain line) will provide additional service in 2002. All SkyTrain stations and cars, with the current exception of Granville Station, are wheelchair accessible. Once this elevated train enters the downtown core, however, it becomes a subway until its final stop at Waterfront Station. SkyTrain services are linked with bus services at almost all stations and arrives daily every two to five minutes.
SeaBus
Greater Vancouver's transit system is the only integrated, land-marine, urban bus operation in the world. SeaBuses (there are two of them) are small ferries for foot-passengers.
They work just like a bus on a city street. Passengers wait for the next vessel at one of two terminals and are ferried across Burrard Inlet between Vancouver's Waterfront Station in the downtown core, at the north foot of Granville Street, and North Vancouver's Lonsdale Quay, at the south foot of Lonsdale.
At either end, the terminals are linked directly to the bus system and its schedules. On the Vancouver side, the terminal is also adjacent to stations for the SkyTrain and West Coast Express train.
Since the SeaBus is part of the public transportation system, transfers issued by city buses are good for use on the SeaBus; or SeaBus tickets, which can be purchased at the terminals, are good for use as transfers on the bus system. The SeaBus is wheelchair-accessible and can carry bikes. The spectacular ride, often dodging huge freighters, tugboats, barges or passenger ships, takes 12 minutes. The ferries leave every 15 minutes daily.
Aquabus
The Aquabus is a commuter ferry service connecting downtown Vancouver, Granville Island, Yaletown area and Science World. Ride the tiny ferries from the south end of Hornby Street in the downtown core to the bustling tourist and shopper-haven of Granville Island, on the south shore of False Creek.
No reservations needed.
Adults $ 6.00
Children $3.00
Seniors $4.00
Taxi
The city is well-served by a number of well-regulated taxi companies, whose drivers must all pass minimum standards in a number of areas that were formulated, in part, by Tourism Vancouver. The main companies include: Black Top & Checker Cabs (604.681.2181) Yellow Cab Company (604.681.1111)
Bicycle
Bikes are commonplace in this city and Vancouver has numerous cycle paths and bike routes, ranging from easy, flat terrain around Stanley Park to over-night trips around the Gulf Islands. Cycling is perhaps the best way to explore Vancouver and the superb natural beauty. Vancouver's moderate climate makes it possible to cycle almost year round. If you choose to tour around by bike, please be advised that Vancouver has a mandatory helmet law.
[edit] Weather
To check the weather at the Vancouver Airport click HERE
For more weather information visit these two sites:
The average amount of sunshine per day works out to 5.25 hours. Vancouver's weather is the mildest in Canada, in part due to a strong warm Pacific Ocean current that originates near Japan, and a strong flow of on-shore air that originates near Hawaii. Spring comes early, with flowers generally in full bloom by early March. Late summer and autumn days-through October-tend to be warm and sunny.
[edit] Visitor Information
To visit the Vancouver Travel Wikipedia site click HERE
To visit the Vancouver Wikipedia site click HERE
Local Dining
CLICK HERE
Local Shopping
CLICK HERE
Local Nightlife
CLICK HERE
Local Attractions
CLICK HERE
- For a detailed map of Vancouver's restaurants, nightlife, attractions, shops, and outdoor activities click HERE
[edit] About Vancouver
Downtown Vancouver and the major neighborhoods are on a small peninsula, surrounded by English Bay on the west and the Burrard Inlet on the east. To the north of Burrard Inlet lie West and North Vancouver and the Coast Mountains. Bays, inlets and river branches, as well as the Pacific coastline, are major features of the city. The downtown peninsula is separated from the southern section of the city by the narrow inlet of False Creek. The center of downtown is Pacific Centre, a three-block complex of offices, restaurants, shops and theaters at the corner of Robson and Howe Streets. Robson and Georgia Street (two blocks north) are the two principal northwest - southeast streets. Both run into Stanley Park, the city's largest park, which occupies the tip of the peninsula. Chinatown, the West Side and other major neighborhoods are within walking distance of downtown.
Culture
Vancouver is a young city and it shows in the city's cultural scene. While there are established companies in the traditional forms of classical music, opera, dance and theatre, none stand out in particular. It is the smaller outfits and the up-and-comers that make the cultural scene interesting and give a bit of an edge to things. Vancouver's performing arts season generally runs from October to April. In summer, there are special concerts and numerous festivals.
To visit the Vancouver travel city guide website click HERE
Sites of Interest
1. Visit Stanley Park
2. Walk the Seawall around Stanley Park
3. Visit Granville Island and the market
4. Check out Kitsilano (head to West 4th Ave) and Kits Beach
5. Take an Aquabus Ferry
6. If you get a clear day, take the tramway up Grouse Mountain
7. Check out Commercial Drive--an ethnic neighborhood, with neat shops and restaurants
8. Have a look at Chinatown and Gastown
9. Stroll along Davie and Denman streets
10. If at all possible, try to walk in the downtown/Kits areas as that is the best way to appreciate the city; take public transit the rest of the time
11. Canada Place is an architectural landmark in Vancouver. The building jets out over the water and its white sails makes it look like a ship in port.
12. VanDusen Botanical Gardens is 55 acres of lush temperate paradise
13. Whale watching
14. Museum of Anthropology
15. Vancouver Maritime Museum
[edit] Map
Check these two websites for detailed maps:
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