I moved from Toronto to Vancouver back in 1989. Life for me here so much better that I get to ride/commute everyday - rain or shine. I left the snow back in Toronto.

Yup! Like you I love bike commuting. Without a doubt the commute is the HIGHLIGHT of my day. What car commuter can say that?

Definitely fenders and a rack help the year-round commute. Outside of summer, I will carry a goretex jacket rolled up in my rear rack bag - so I never have to be concerned about potential rain in the cooler months.

You'll find that the rain is never heavy in Vancouver compared to Toronto. For all the rain we have - it is almost always just "showers", which is much easier to cope with on a bike.

Cheers