Interesting facts

     Did You Know?

  • In 2011 The Economist ranked Vancouver for the third time in a row as the “World’s Most Liveable City.”
  • According to institutions like the United Nations, “BC is the best place in the world to learn, live and play.”
  • BC is referred to as “Hollywood North.” It is the 3rd largest film and television production centre in North America (after New York and Los Angeles).
  • BC is home to people of many different origins, cultural traditions, languages, ethnicities and religions. Over 100 languages are spoken in Vancouver.
  • BC hosted the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
  • BC is only hours away from major US cities such as Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
  • BC is the only province in Canada to boast a “West Coast Special,” which means a person can ski and golf in the same day!
  • BC has the best college-to-university transfer system in North America. Its seamless transfer system allows students to move from one institution to another without losing credits.
  • BC education system offers a seamless transition between all levels, from language learning and K-12, to community college, institute and university.
  • BC’s Education Quality Assurance designation (EQA) is Canada’s first and only provincial brand of quality for post-secondary education. The EQA Seal shows students which BC institutions have met government-recognized quality assurance standards and offer consumer protection.

     Cool Hollywood Facts

British Columbia is the third largest production centre in North America. Dozens of movies and televisions are produced year-long in many areas of BC.

Examples of some of the famous films shot and produced in BC include:

  • Twilight Saga: New Moon (filmed in Vancouver and the Surrounding Region)
  • Twilight Saga: Eclipse (filmed in Vancouver and the Surrounding Region)
  • X-Men: Last Stand (filmed in both Vancouver and the Surrounding Region and the Vancouver Island Region)
  • X2 (filmed in both Vancouver and the Surrounding Region and the Vancouver Island Region)
  • Wolverine (filmed in both Vancouver and the Surrounding Region and the Vancouver Island Region)
  • The Incredible Hulk (filmed in the Northern and Central Region)
  • Hot Tub Time Machine (filmed in the Rocky Mountain Region)

To find out more about films shot in BC or to learn how to spot a film shoot, visit Tourism BC.