Pixar Animation Studios opens a studio in Vancouver, BC

Here's some welcome entertainment news for Canada: Pixar opened a studio in Vancouver on April 20, 2010.

Officially known as Pixar Canada, it's a wholly owned subsidiary of Pixar Animation Studios, creator of such computer animated films as Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E and Up.

Pixar Canada is currently housed in temporary quarters in downtown Vancouver, and looking for a permanent home for its studio, which will be named the Glenn McQueen Pixar Animation Center. Glenn McQueen was a Pixar animator born in Toronto who died in 2002 at the age of 41.

So why Vancouver? According to Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, Canada has "an amazing history and heritage with animation." And he adds, "Is there a place more beautiful than Vancouver?"

Projects they'll be working on will be an extension of characters from Cars and Toy Story. They plan to have a staff of 75-100 in in Vancouver. Pixar Animation Studios is based in Emeryville, California and was acquired by Disney in 2006.

Watch the YouTube video above, which explains Pixar's move to Canada and shows such Pixar characters as Buzz Lightyear and WALL-E in such familiar places as Coal Harbour, Gastown, Stanley Park and English Bay.