Vancouver Safety

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Vancouver is a safe place to visit and following common sense like keeping an eye on your possessions, knowing where you are going and avoiding alleys and unfamiliar areas at night should keep you out of trouble. Unless involved in illegal activities (such as the drug trade), it is highly unlikely you will fall victim to any sort of violent crime. If you need emergency help, dial 911.

Like any major metropolitan city, Vancouver has areas that should be traveled with caution. The most notable is the Downtown Eastside (specifically Hastings Street between Abbott and Gore). This neighborhood is infamous for homelessness, drug-use and prostitution. If you do accidentally stroll into the Downtown Eastside it is not difficult to find your way out, but if you get lost or feel uncomfortable the best thing to do is approach a police officer.

It's also wise to exercise caution in the Granville Mall area downtown on Friday and Saturday nights. As Vancouver’s bar and nightclub district, the sheer volume of people combined with alcohol consumption make disorderly conduct and rowdy behavior fairly common. But this shouldn't act as a deterrent - if you're not looking for trouble, you probably won't find it, and there is a strong police presence. During the Olympics it is especially important to take caution. The streets at night in the Granville Mall area are usually (and quite literally) clogged with people at night time. Such an enormous mix of people and alcohol can be a dangerous mix if you are not cautious.

Some parts of the city have high rates of property crime. Theft from vehicles is especially problematic and parked cars with foreign or out of province license plates are frequently targeted. The best thing is to not leave any money and valuables in plain view.

Panhandling is common in some parts of downtown, but is unlikely to pose a problem. Avoiding eye contact is the best approach. Don't be rude, as there may be negative consequences.

Bottled water is widely sold, but the tap water is of high quality. You'll save a lot of money by buying a reusable water bottle and filling it up from the tap.

• Alty Creek, a stream
• Alwyn Creek, a stream
• Chowika Bay, a bay
• Chuchi Lake, a lake
• Chuck Creek, a stream
• Lizard Cove, a cove