Vancouver’s Growth
Vancouver’s metro area population in 2025 is approximately 2,708,000, reflecting steady annual growth of around 0.9% in recent years[1]. The city itself remains Canada’s most densely populated urban center, with projections for continued growth in the coming decades[8].
Vacancy Tax and Housing
Vancouver’s Empty Homes Tax (also called the Vacancy Tax) was introduced in 2017 to encourage property owners to rent out empty or underused homes and increase rental supply[9][4]. The tax is currently set at 3% of the property’s assessed value for 2024[3][4]. Since its introduction, the number of vacant properties in Vancouver has dropped by 54% between 2017 and 2022, indicating the tax has contributed to reducing the number of empty homes and increasing housing availability[10][9]. However, while it has helped, housing affordability remains a challenge, and the tax is one of several measures aimed at addressing it[2].
Royal Vancouver Yacht Club’s Coal Harbour Marina Expansion
The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club (RVYC) has proposed a 13.3% expansion of its Coal Harbour Marina, which would add 47 new slips, replace and upgrade infrastructure, and improve environmental sustainability[5][6][7]. The project application has been submitted to the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and has undergone public consultation. As of the latest available updates, the project is still under review by the port authority, and a final decision has not been publicly announced[5][6].
Sources
[1] Vancouver, Canada Metro Area Population 1950-2025 – Macrotrends
[2] Ripple Effects: The Impact of an Empty-Homes Tax on the Housing …
[3] All you need to know about Vancouver’s Empty Homes Tax
[4] Empty Homes Tax | City of Vancouver
[5] Proposed Coal Harbour Marina Expansion Project
[6] [PDF] Input Consideration Report – Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
[7] [PDF] COAL HARBOUR MARINA EXPANSION PROJECT PROJECT …
[9] Understanding the Vancouver Empty Homes Tax Impact
[10] [PDF] Empty Homes Tax Annual Report 2023 – City of Vancouver
[11] Royal Vancouver Yacht Club – Coal Harbour Marina Expansion …
[12] [PDF] Consultation Summary Report – Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
[13] Metro Vancouver region now home to population of 3 million
[14] Empty Homes Tax continues to support housing availability
[15] [PDF] PROJECT OVERVIEW – Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
[16] Metro Vancouver’s population now exceeds 3 million, according to …
[17] Transit growth outpaces driving growth in Metro Vancouver – TransLink https://www.translink.ca/news/2025/may/transit%20growth%20outpaces%20driving%20growth%20in%20metro%20vancouver
[18] Do Vacancy Taxes Work? Yes, But Speculators Hate Them … https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/blog/do-vacancy-taxes-work-yes-but-speculators-hate-them
[19] Purpose of the Empty Homes Tax – City of Vancouver https://vancouver.ca/home-property-development/why-an-empty-homes-tax.aspx
[20] How the speculation and vacancy tax works – Gov.bc.ca https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/speculation-vacancy-tax/how-tax-works
[21] Royal Vancouver Yacht Club: Home https://www.royalvan.com
[22] Vancouver yacht club expansion worries rowers in Coal Harbour
[23] Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Coal Harbour
[24] MAY 2025 Vancouver Real Estate Market Update – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dphZL0dPwY
[25] Economy of Vancouver – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Vancouver
[26] Population booms in Langford, Surrey and Metro Vancouver https://vancouversun.com/news/population-booms-langford-surrey-metro-vancouver
[27] Vancouverism – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouverism
[28] [PDF] 1.5 – Ecomonic structure – GDP of Metro Vancouver https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/1-5-economic-structure-gdp-of-metro-vancouver.pdf
[29] How to Avoid Empty Homes Tax – Vancouver – Birds Nest Properties https://birdsnestproperties.ca/empty-homes-tax/
[30] [PDF] Coal Harbour Marina Expansion Master Plan https://www.royalvan.com/files/Appendix-A_CoalHarbourMarinaExpansionMasterPlan-StdRes_2020JAN20_2015+2019.pdf