Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver, delivers a speech at a ceremony marking Vancouver Green Capital Day at the Shanghai Expo on Friday, September 10, 2010.[Photo:CRIENGLISH.com/Zheng Zhi]

The mayor of Vancouver expressed his confidence about his city's efforts with sustainable development on Friday during a ceremony marking Vancouver Green Capital Day at the Shanghai World Expo.

"By being one of only three cities from North America to have a pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, Vancouver has had the opportunity to showcase our world-leading urban sustainability to hundreds of thousands of visitors," said Gregor Robertson. "With the Vancouver Pavilion coming on the heels of our success hosting the 2010 Winter Games, Vancouver continues to show the world what we have to offer as a global player."

In addition to a full program of events profiling Vancouver's top business sectors, the Vancouver Pavilion also celebrated the arrival of its 500,000th visitor since the start of the Expo on May 1.

"This is a timely milestone for us to honor," Robertson said. "To be in Shanghai to celebrate our 500,000th visitor is a reflection of the great tourism opportunities with Canada's new approved destination status."

When asked by a CRI reporter what impressed him most at the Expo, Robertson said the event was much larger and more impressive than the Vancouver Expo in 1986. He also said it was a huge achievement for Shanghai and China to host such a big event with so much rich content, cultures, ideas and warm spirit.

"It will make a very positive difference for Shanghai and China," Robertson said.

Constructed with green building materials, the Vancouver Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo has offered visitors from around the world a chance to experience Vancouver's highlights as one of the greenest cities in the world with its seismically safe, low carbon, and environmentally friendly wood-frame building technology from Canada.

Caption 2: Mark H. Rowswell (second from left), Canada's Commissioner General for Shanghai Expo, attends a ceremony marking Vancouver Green Capital Day at the Shanghai Expo on Friday, September 10, 2010. Rowswell is widely known as "Dashan" by the Chinese. [Photo:CRIENGLISH.com/Zheng Zhi]