Written by Carly Whetter
When the City of Vancouver partnered with TELUS in 2015, 42 public locations were outfitted with the free #VanWiFi public network, a great benefit to residents, businesses, and visitors. In the most recent expansion with Shaw, approximately 550 locations in Vancouver’s downtown core and surrounding areas now have free access to the network as part of the City of Vancouver’s Digital Strategy, aimed at enhancing the public’s experience with the city and using connected technology and social media to efficiently address urban issues.
“Shaw’s expansion of #VanWiFi, covering more than 500 locations in the downtown core and surrounding areas, is a huge win for our residents and businesses, and helps to move Vancouver forward in becoming a truly leading Smart City,” said Vancouver’s Mayor Gregor Robertson.
The free VanWiFi network bandwidth speed will generally be 10 Mbps, with no limit on data usage, with no personal information required to access the network.
#VanWifi locations
Social housing locations
- Alexander (58 Alexander)
- Antoinette Lodge (535 E Cordova St.)
- 1105 Seymour
- Central Residence (42 E Cordova St.)
- Gresham (716 Smithe Street)
- Kingsway Continental (3484 Kingsway)
- Granville Residence (1261 Granville St.)
- Oppenheimer Lodge (450 E Cordova St.)
Outdoor locations
- Granville Street (300-1200 Granville)
- Canada Place
- Jim Deva Plaza (1200 Bute Street)
- English Bay Beach (‘Bath House’)
- Sunset Beach Concession
- Oppenheimer Park Fieldhouse
Shaw locations
This includes an additional 500 plus WiFi locations spread widely throughout the downtown core and surrounding areas, including the following highly-concentrated spaces:
- Broadway (Oak to Cambie)
- Commercial Drive (Venables to 1st Ave)
- Davie Street (Jervis to Burrard)
- Denman Street (from Davie to W. Georgia)
- Downtown Eastside
- Gastown
- Granville Street (from Drake to Cordova)
- Main Street (Broadway to E. 16th Ave)
- Robson Street (from Denman to Burrard)
Visit the City of Vancouver’s website for more information, and check out the map for free WiFi locations.
