It includes agricultural and industrial displays and many kinds of entertainment. The British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League play in the domed B. C. Place Stadium. The Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and the Vancouver Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association play in General Motors Place. Government Vancouver has a mayor-council form of government. The voters elect the mayor and the 10 members of the city council to two-year terms.
Property taxes furnish most of the city government's revenue.
But these and other taxes do not provide enough money to pay for public services and needed improvements. As a result, Vancouver depends on funds from the federal and provincial governments to meet its expenses. Other problems in Vancouver include air and water pollution and a shortage of low-rent housing. City leaders are also concerned about the increasing rate of construction on land that may be needed for parks or for other recreational use. History Salish Indians lived in what is now the Vancouver area for more than 2,000 years before white explorers arrived.