This aerial photograph was taken Thursday from 180 metres (600 feet) above the harbourside site of the Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Project. A groundbreaking ceremony scheduled today marks the official start of construction on the $565-million, four-year project that will deliver 491,000 square feet of convention space.

A. Dotted red line here marks northern perimeter of the project, extending beyond what is now the shoreline running west of Canada Place. The line defines the path of a seawall walkway that will extend around the perimeter of the new centre (photo does not show entire perimeter).

B. Commercial float plane terminals, to be moved for the duration of construction to a site nearer Stanley Park.

C. Canada Place, out of photo to the right, already houses convention space. It will be linked to the new facility, which is scheduled to open in 2008.

D. Waterfront Centre

E. Plans call for this parking lot to become a hotel.

F. Shaw Tower

G. Canada Place Way, the existing service road that runs along the harbour.

© The Vancouver Sun 2004