Fly Over Canada Attraction, Vancouver

By Anne Philley

Living in the suburbs and only venturing into Vancouver a few times a year, a trip was planned to check-out the new attraction at 999 Canada Place which opened in June called “Fly Over Canada”.  My friend and I decided to drive from Coquitlam and parked our car at the Impark Parking Lot on Cordova Street, Vancouver. This is a low cost lot and a good location to park and explore Vancouver on the weekend being $7.00 for the day and within walking distance of the attraction.

We had booked our tickets online and chose to pay a bit extra for the Fly Over Canada attraction “Priority Boarding Pass”; this pass allows priority boarding at the event entrance and saves time waiting in the standard ticket lineup. A good choice as on the day we visited the attraction wait was an hour.  If you decide not to book tickets online, there is a Welcome Plaza Booth where tickets can be purchased for that day or for future dates. 

Ontario Placemark on Canadian Trail

Finding the attraction is easy; it’s located in the old IMAX spot at the NW end of Canada Place.  The promenade along Canada Place has been renovated and called the “Canadian Trail”.  There are displays and different tiles on the floor showing various cities from across the country, the fun is at your feet.

At the end of the Canadian Trail you reach an escalator and travel one flight up to the entrance of “Fly Over Canada”, where you will be greeted by friendly staff who will make sure you get in the correct lineup.

If you have Priority Boarding you are first to go into the show.  The show is a three-part experience.

Part One: This is a pre-show film that sparks your curiosity about Canada.  This segment lasts about 22-minutes  and is filled with scenes from across the country and gets you pumped for the next installment .  The scenes range from jumping from buildings, into forests and shots of well known historic sites.

Part Two:  Next is the pre-board safety video where you’ll learn about the flight safety.  You will get a few chuckles with some of the cast members in this video.

Part Three:  The main event,  the Flight Deck simulator, buckle-up and enjoy an unforgettable journey across Canada. You’ll be experiencing the wind, mist and smells of this great country and the diversity that it offers.  It’s an exhilarating  8 minute ride that comes to an end quickly and in my opinion is a little too short.  However, I found it to be an emotional experience and I felt proud to say “I’m Canadian”.

Check out the web site for more information:  www.flyovercanada.com

Lighthouse at Stanley Park

After this incredible trip across the country we weren’t ready to go home so we headed to the Pan Pacific Cascade Lounge for drinks and appies.  This lounge provides a wonderful ambiance and views of the harbour are spectacular watching float planes come and go, sailboats and an overview of Stanley Park.  It made us appreciate what a great city Vancouver is, especially on a beautiful sunny day.

After picking up the car we decided to drive around Stanley Park and enjoy the landmarks and views it has to offer, the Totem Poles site, Brockton Point Lighthouse, Siwash Rock, Prospect Point and the Hollow Tree.  It was a nice end to the day and we are now looking forward to planning our next excursion from the burbs to the city.

Published: September 12, 2013
Last Updated: October 17, 2018

About the Author

Anne Philley worked for the BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association for over twenty years as their Membership Services Co-ordinator. Anne has now retired and persuing her love of travel throughout British Columbia, Europe and Australia. She has extensive knowledge within the camping and lodging sector.