Discover North Vancouver

North Vancouver offers several distinct themes for your stay: the history of the Wallace Shipyard, events at Shipbuilders’ Square, exhibitions, and trails on the North Shore. When looking for a hotel, you can consider whether your days will focus mainly on history and culture, an event, or activities on a trail. Each theme also offers a different way to help you plan your trip.

Shipyard History and Events

The Wallace Shipyard opened in 1906. During the Second World War, it produced 109 of the 312 “Victory Ships” built in Canada. Shipbuilders’ Square commemorates the thousands of men and women who worked at the shipyard from 1906 to 1992. Different periods of history come together here: the shipyard’s opening, its wartime production, and the long span of work remembered by the square. Those interested in industrial and labour history will find a clear thematic connection here.

The Shipyards are on the waterfront in North Vancouver, just east of Lonsdale Quay and the SeaBus terminal. Shipbuilders’ Square regularly hosts a community stage throughout the year for concerts, plays, markets, street performers, and general festivals. History and events offer different ways to shape your stay. If you’re planning to attend a specific concert, market, or festival, check the dates before your trip.

MONOVA and The Polygon Gallery

MONOVA is in the heart of the Shipyards District. The Main Exhibit Gallery presents North Vancouver through physical artefacts and digital content. The Polygon Gallery has a different focus: it specializes in photography, is located on the waterfront in North Vancouver, and has produced more than 300 exhibitions. The exhibitions therefore differ both in subject and perspective: MONOVA presents North Vancouver, while photography takes centre stage at The Polygon.

Admission to The Polygon is offered on a donation basis all day, every day, and includes exhibition tours, talks, and outreach programs. Check current admission and program details before you visit. The Gallery is a 12-minute SeaBus ride from downtown Vancouver. Check current service conditions before travelling.

Trails and Getting Around

The North Shore Spirit Trail includes a 6.5 km section in North Vancouver. It is part of a 35 km, fully accessible greenway planned to extend from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove. On the North Shore, the trail provides safe access for pedestrians, cyclists, people using wheeled mobility aids, and other micromobility users. Two scales are useful for understanding it: the length of the North Vancouver section and the broader description of the greenway.

The North Vancouver section of the Trans Canada Trail begins at the SeaBus at Lonsdale Quay. Each of these two trails is therefore described using a different point of reference: the Spirit Trail by the length of its local section, and the Trans Canada Trail by its starting point. This can help you choose if you’d first like to gauge a route by its length or find a place to start.

To plan your trip, you can first decide how to balance shipyard history, events, exhibitions, and trails. If you have a fixed event date, it’s worth checking the details; for the SeaBus trip and admission to The Polygon, check the latest information before you visit. You can then look for hotels in North Vancouver and plan your travel dates around your preferred activities.

Discover more destinations: Surrey, Maple Ridge, Bowen Island, Tsawwassen, Vancouver, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Langley.

For the broader travel overview: Metro Vancouver.