After the railway connected Vancouver to the rest of Canada, it was only natural to connect Canada to the rest of the world. In 1891 the Canadian Pacific Railway's "Empress of India" was the first ocean liner to arrive from the Orient. In 1904, the Great Northern Railway connected Vancouver to it international neighbor to the South, Seattle. Finally, the 1914 opening of the Panama Canal made Vancouver an important west coast port as continental trade became integrated into a transoceanic network of routes routed amongst the world's great ports.

As trade and traffic grow through Vancouver, the city began to take on a shape of its own:

• 1908 - The University of British Columbia was founded bringing higher education to the province.
• 1909 - Ferry service begins between downtown Vancouver and the faraway shores of West Vancouver.
• 1912 - The Vancouver Sun begins publication.
• 1914 - Opening of the Panama Canal allowing ships access and trade routes from Europe and Atlantic North America to Pacific North America and the Far East.
• 1915 - A fishing sandbar used by the Squamish, and built up with silt dredged from False Creek, becomes Granville Island.
• 1922 - Vancouver switched to driving on the right-hand side from the British left-hand side.
• 1925 - The first Second Narrows Bridge was built, connecting the North Shore to Vancouver for the first time.
• 1937 - The Irish Guinness Family began construction of the Lions Gate Bridge, which opened as a toll bridge until the city bought it in 1963.
• 1939 - The present-day Hotel Vancouver opened.
• 1954 - Vancouver hosted the British Empire Games where England's Roger Bannister defeated Australia's John Landry in the 'Miracle Mile,' the first race with two runners completing a mile in under four minutes.
• 1958 - The current Second Narrow Bridge was built, though nineteen workers died in its construction and it was consequently renamed the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge.
• 1969 - The Don't Make a Wave Committee formed which later becomes Greenpeace, the world's largest environmental organization.
• 1986 - Vancouver hosted 21 million visitors to the World Exposition (Expo 86); many Vancouver landmarks result such as BC Place Stadium, Canada Place, the Plaza of Nations and Science World.

Being on the lee (downwind) side of Vancouver Island, and providing both wide, deep harbors and a sheltered location, the port of Vancouver grew in cargo and importance every year of the twentieth century. From its first export shipment of wooden pickets to Australia in 1864 to its current status as the second largest port in North America, Vancouver's harbors have been the main feature of the regional economy. Now with 25 specialized terminals for goods like cars, coal, forest products, minerals and petroleum, more than 3,000 ships, trading with over 90 nations, visit Vancouver's harbors every year.

Vancouver has grown over the years, and the Lower Mainland region now is home to roughly two million people. The city has attracted visitors and residents nationally and internationally. Many Canadians have moved here from other parts of the country because of its mild climate and lush, green vegetation. The ability to windsurf in the morning and ski on local mountains the same afternoon attracts the recreation and leisure crowd. Internationally, great migrations of people have arrived in Vancouver from both China and India, creating one of the most diverse cultural cities in North America.

The best place to find out detailed historical information about Vancouver is the Vancouver Museum, located in Vanier Park, just beside the Burrard Street Bridge.