| History
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| | the City of Vancouver is also serviced by
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| Transportation played a major role in
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| | a fleet of electric buses. TransLink
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| British Columbia history. The Rocky
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| | operates SkyTrain, a light rapid transit
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| Mountains and the ranges west of them
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| | system serving Vancouver, Burnaby, New
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| constituted a significant obstacle to
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| | Westminster, and North Surrey. Presently,
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| overland travel until the completion of
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| | extensions of the line south to Richmond
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| the transcontinental railway in 1885. The
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| | (the Canada Line) and east to Coquitlam
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| Peace River Canyon through the Rocky
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| | and Port Moody (the Evergreen Line) are
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| Mountains was the route that the earliest
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| | being developed.
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| explorers and fur traders used. Along
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| | Rail
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| with that route, overland travel from the
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| | The completion of the Canadian Pacific
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| rest of Canada involved using a
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| | Railway (CPR) in 1885 was a condition of
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| combination of trails and wagon roads
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| | British Columbia's entry into the
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| (such as the Cariboo Wagon Road). The
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| | Canadian Confederation. Rail development
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| difficulty of overland travel prior to
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| | expanded greatly in the subsequent
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| 1885 meant that most transportation to
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| | decades, and was the chief mode of
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| and from the region occurred via the
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| | long-distance surface transportation
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| Pacific Ocean, primarily through the
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| | until the expansion and improvement of
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| ports of Victoria and New Westminster.
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| | the provincial highways system began in
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| Until the 1930s, rail was the only means
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| | the 1950s. Apart from the CPR, numerous
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| of overland travel to and from the rest
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| | other lines were developed. Two major
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| of Canada — travellers using motor
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| | routes through the Yellowhead Pass
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| vehicles needed to journey through the
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| | competed with the CPR — the Grand Trunk
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| United States. With the construction of
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| | Pacific, terminating at Prince Rupert,
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| the Inter-Provincial Highway in 1932 (now
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| | and the Canadian National Railway (CNR),
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| known as the Crowsnest Pass Highway), and
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| | terminating at Vancouver. The Pacific
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| later the Trans-Canada Highway, road
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| | Great Eastern (PGE) line supplemented
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| transportation evolved into the preferred
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| | this service, providing a north-south
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| mode of overland travel to and from the
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| | route between Interior resource
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| rest of the country.
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| | communities and the coast. The PGE (later
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| Roads and highways
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| | known as British Columbia Railway and now
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| Due to its size and rugged, varying
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| | owned by CNR) connects Fort St. James,
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| topography, British Columbia requires
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| | Fort Nelson, and Tumbler Ridge with North
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| thousands of kilometres of provincial
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| | Vancouver.
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| highways to connect its communities.
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| | Water
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| British Columbia's roads systems were
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| | BC Ferries was established as a
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| notoriously poorly maintained and
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| | provincial crown corporation in 1960 to
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| dangerous until a concentrated programme
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| | provide passenger and vehicle ferry
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| of improvement was initiated in the 1950s
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| | service between Vancouver Island and the
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| and 60s. There are now freeways in the
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| | Lower Mainland as a cheaper and more
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| Lower Mainland and Central Interior of
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| | reliable alternative to the service
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| the province, and much of the rest of the
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| | operated by the CPR. It now operates 25
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| province is accessible by well-maintained
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| | routes among the islands of British
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| two lane arterial highways with
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| | Columbia, as well as between the islands
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| additional passing lanes in mountainous
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| | and the mainland. Ferry service to
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| areas. The building and maintenance of
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| | Washington is offered by the Washington
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| provincial highways is the responsibility
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| | State Ferries (between Sidney and
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| of the provincial government.
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| | Anacortes) and Black Ball Ferries
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| There are four major routes through the
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| | (between Victoria and Port Angeles).
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| Rocky Mountains to the rest of Canada.
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| | Ferry service over inland lakes and
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| From south to north they are: The
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| | rivers is provided by the provincial
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| Crowsnest Pass Highway through Sparwood,
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| | government.
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| the Trans-Canada Highway through Banff
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| | Commercial ocean transport is of vital
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| National Park, the Yellowhead Highway
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| | importance. Major ports are located at
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| through Jasper National Park, and Highway
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| | Vancouver, Roberts Bank (near
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| 2 through Dawson Creek. There are also
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| | Tsawwassen), Prince Rupert, and Victoria.
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| several highway crossings to the
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| | Of these, the Port of Vancouver is the
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| adjoining American states of Washington,
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| | most important, being the largest in
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| Idaho, and Montana. The longest highway
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| | Canada and the most diversified in North
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| is Highway 97, running 2081 km from the
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| | America. Vancouver, Victoria, and Prince
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| BC-Washington border at Osoyoos north to
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| | Rupert are also major ports of call for
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| Watson Lake, Yukon.
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| | cruise ships.
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| Surface public transit
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| | Air
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| Prior to 1978, surface public transit was
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| | There are over 200 airports located
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| administered by BC Hydro (formerly
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| | throughout B.C, the major ones being the
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| British Columbia Electric), the
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| | Vancouver International Airport (YVR),
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| provincial crown corporation responsible
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| | the Victoria International Airport (YYJ),
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| for the production and distribution of
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| | the Kelowna International Airport (YLW),
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| electricity. Subsequently, the province
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| | and the Prince George International
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| established BC Transit to oversee and
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| | Airport (YXS), the first three of which
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| operate all municipal transportation
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| | each served over 1,000,000 passengers in
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| systems. In 1998, TransLink, a separate
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| | 2005. Vancouver International Airport is
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| authority for the Greater Vancouver
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| | the second busiest airport in the country
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| Regional District, was established.
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| | with an estimated 16 million travellers
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| Public Transit in British Columbia
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| | passing through in 2005.
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| consists mainly of diesel buses, although
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