About Vancouver -
It is nice and beautiful, in spring and summer. There are beaches where you can swim in the summer, and mountains where you can ski in the winter.
Vancouver has the most expensive real estate in Canada. You might not find it affordable if you have an average amount of money. You can check prices at
www.mls.caOn the dark side of things, for those of us who come from countries where the sun shines, a winter in Vancouver can be quite depressing. It rains a lot and there are far too many cloudy days where you can't see the sun. Lack of sun has the strangest of effects on people...
...then again, that just makes spring so much better. But it's something to have in mind.
G luck.